It may be Harry Potter’s birthday, but Universal Orlando has a gift for all the Potterheads out there: brand-new details about the Harry Potter-themed park that will be part of the upcoming Epic Universe. And the popular vacation destination promises that The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic will give guests “a new way to totally engross yourself in the stories of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts.”
Slated to open in 2025, Epic Universe will transport guests to “expansive worlds” featuring more than 50 attractions, entertainment, dining, and shopping experiences. To enter each world, guests will go through a set of majestic portals. Prior to July 31, we’d heard about Celestial Park, Super Nintendo World, How to Train Your Dragon — Isle of Berk, and Dark Universe. That just leaves the Ministry of Magic, and it feels oh-so fitting that Universal Orlando saved this special date to deliver the details to fans.
So, as we wish Harry a very happy birthday, let’s take a look at what guests can expect when the portal to this incredible world finally opens.
Strolling the Streets of Paris
Universal Orlando confirmed that the Ministry of Magic will span decades of wizarding world history, with guests starting in Paris in the 1920s before traveling to the British Ministry of Magic circa the late 1990s. It all starts when you see a “towering hand unmistakably holding a wand”: the portal to the Ministry of Magic.
Once you cross through the portal, you’re immediately transported to another place and time. Passing under the Phoenix Arch, you’ll enter “Place Cachée, a pocket of Paris catering to the witches and wizards of the 1920s!” Bustling stone streets lined with shops, cafés, and a series of banners advertising Le Cirque Arcanus welcome you.
The team at Universal Orlando took inspiration directly from the Fantastic Beasts franchise and even worked with production designers of the films to ensure everything guests “feel, see, taste, and even hear is congruent not only with 1920s Paris, but with the experience of a witch or wizard.”
You may even hear little vignettes and stories from French wizarding people, so get your Google Translate app ready!
A Live Show Unlike Any Other
The Ministry of Magic will also have a “first-of-its-kind” live show, and fans of the Fantastic Beasts franchise are going to flip over it.
Once the premiere showcase of magical creatures from around the globe, Le Cirque Arcanus has lost its shine. So, in an attempt to bring back its glory days, Ringmaster Skender steals magizoologist New Scamander’s famed suitcase filled with magical beasts and beings.
Among the familiar faces that will cameo are a Demiguise, Zouwu, Kelpie, Mooncalves, and even Scamander himself. Potterheads will also meet Gwenlyn, a squib and Skender’s assistant.
Magical Characters Everywhere You Look
You won’t just encounter magical characters inside Le Cirque Arcanus; you’ll spot witches, wizards, and fantastical beasts all over the park. “We’ve never been able to do as many interactions in a wizarding land,” senior show producer on the project, Kathryn Cobbs DiGenova, said on Universal’s blog. That includes a moment where a Niffler will “just look you in the eye and shove a gold bar in his pouch.”
The Ministry of Magic contains some of the smallest and the largest animated figures ever developed by Universal Creative.
Interactive Interactions
Inanimate objects seemingly come to life in the Ministry of Magic, including various talking portraits, which guests can engage with and get personalized replies back. And much like the two other wizarding worlds at Universal Orlando, interactive wand experiences let you explore the wizarding streets and reveal hidden surprises.
Food & Bevvies Fit for Wizarding Folk
You’ll have plenty of fare to fuel you as you roam the streets of 1920s Paris. Café L’air De La Sirène will serve French-inspired cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Carved marble and art nouveau mosaics provide a stunning backdrop to towering displays of croquembouches and plats du jour. Two outdoor seating areas promise an immersive Parisian street café experience.
And don’t worry; there will definitely be Butterbeer! In this Parisian world, it goes by the name Bièreaubeurre, but you can expect that same iconic butterscotch-and-shortbread taste you know and love.
Wands Galore
Need a new wand? Head over to Cosme Acajor Baguettes Magiques to shop the extensive, refined collection of delicately crafted, exquisite wands designed by Acajor herself. The scenery, of course, will be next-level: “Ornate wand arrangements seem to hover in the air, forming a centerpiece above the displays where her signature triangular packages are neatly stacked.”
A Ride You Won’t Mind Waiting in Line For
To get to the park’s big ride, you’ll need to head to the Paris Métro-Floo station. As in, yep, you get to step inside a fireplace, get engulfed in magical green flames, and travel by flue! Afterward, you’ll no longer be in Paris but, rather, 1990s London. There, you’ll find the Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry ride.
You’ve been to Diagon Alley, you’ve traversed Hogwarts Castle, but never before have you stepped foot inside The Ministry of Magic… until now. Just like the other wizarding worlds’ rides, this queue will be an experience in and of itself as you weave through recognizable departments and workspaces.
On the ride, you’ll board a lift and join Harry, Ron, and Hermione as you journey through the Ministry’s many departments. You’ve arrived at The Ministry on the day of Dolores Umbridge’s trial, and you’ll meet her former house-elf, Higgledy, who is happy the cruel former professor is on trial. But during the ride, that fate is in question as Umbridge escapes Ministry control and tries to turn back time to reinstate the reign of Lord Voldemort.
Immersive Right to the End
On your way back to Place Cachée, you can stop into Tour En Floo to browse everything from stationery and sundries to wands and clothes. And like everything else in this new wizarding world, it will feel like you’ve stepped foot in your favorite movies.
Said DiGenova, “The level of detail that’s overlaid on [the world], whether you are a casual fan or have been to every midnight book release, you’ll find something.”
