On May 22, 2025, Universal Studios opened its eagerly awaited Epic Universe park in Orlando, a new attraction guaranteed to dazzle and amaze! While the
existing park areas already have Harry Potter sections, the new Wizarding World at Epic Universe is its own dedicated trip into the universe of the Wizarding World. The tentpole attraction, for now, anyway, is the Battle of the Ministry, an adventure involving Dolores Umbridge’s escape on the day of her trial and her attempt, via Time-Turner, to change the past, but there is much more to the Wizarding World area.
Follow me after the jump for some links that will allow you to visit the park without leaving your home, and some thoughts on the other attractions to be experienced in this epic universe and beyond!
The hype around Epic Universe has been brewing for some time, with the Battle of the Ministry ride the focus for most of us interested in the Hogwarts adventures. If you are interested in the queue for this ride, here is a short video from one of my favorite Youtube channels ResortTV1, whom I highly recommend for their fun, family friendly livestreams (it’s a family, a brother and sister, occasionally joined by their parents and/or spouses. They seem like lovely folks). Although streamers are currently prohibited from filming the actual ride ( and there are some logistical issues with filming on this ride and keeping the stream
connected), the queue is a fabulous immersive experience that seems nearly as fun as the (brief) ride, with its painstaking attention to detail for the Ministry of Magic (THOUSANDS of green tiles!) and its use of the film actors to really draw visitors into the Wizarding World, at least the way that Hollywood has given it to us.
But there is much more beyond the portal into the epic universe of the Wizarding World! Although the Battle for the Ministry focuses on the Trio and events connected with the Hogwarts adventures, the rest of the Wizarding World here is much broader, primarily embracing the world of Newt Scamander and his fantastic beasts, a world whose poor treatment by the Hollywood trolls has cut short the planned series. Despite that, the Wizarding World of the early twentieth century, primarily Paris, is beautifully replicated. Check out either of these two streamers for a complete walk-through of the whole Epic Universe, with the Wizarding World featured. The first one, filmed in daylight, gets to the Wizarding World around minute 47. The second one is at night. That’s my favorite time to see the Dark Universe section, featuring the classic monsters of Universal Horror. I have a trip planned later this year and hope to hit this area after dark. In addition to creatures familiar to Harry and his friends (werewolves, vampires, etc.) this area is haunted by Frankenstein’s Monster, his Bride, Ygor, the Invisible Man, and many others. The Wizarding world segment starts around minute 17.
Although the big crowd-magnet of the Wizarding World is the Ministry ride, as you can see from the streams, there is much more to enjoy, from delightful shops and restaurants (gigglewater, anyone?) to encounters with students from various wizarding schools, live music, and the immersive setting that makes it hard to believe that Mario and Donkey Kong are close by.
One of the best parts of the park is Le Cirque Arcanus, an immersive show/ attraction that looks like a real treat (not just because it is inside an air-conditioned building). Building upon the premise that Newt’s beloved case of creatures has been stolen by the unscrupulous ringmaster who enslaved magical animals before Newt released them, the Cirque includes fantastic live performances, acrobatics, puppetry, pyrotechnics, and a very special cameo at the end. Many of the creatures we have discussed here are included, using a variety of media tools. This link is a full recording, including the preshow.
Of course, these are just tastes of the actual experience. If you really want to experience the new Epic Universe, including the Wizarding World, you’ll have to go in person. But for now, maybe these streams will give you a good idea of what to expect! If you do get there before I do, please share your thoughts!
