Welcome back to The Epic Universe, a series where we dissect the details of each land slated to open alongside Universal’s brand new theme park, Epic Universe. Today’s topic is the highly-anticipated Wizarding World expansion. While speculation surrounding the themed areas of the park has been circling since Universal’s third gate was announced, it wasn’t until mid 2023 that a Wizarding World expansion was confirmed by Universal executives.
Indeed, it appears that the Wizarding World expansion for Epic Universe will be loosely based on the prequel Fantastic Beasts films. Fans can anticipate additional wand interaction stops, a menagerie of magical creatures, and potentially even wizarding duels performed by team members.
Due to the relatively poor reception of the recent Fantastic Beasts films, Universal seems to be leaning into a more abstract theme for this land. Rumors are circulating about the anticipated E-Ticket attraction for the Wizarding World expansion. The long-anticipated British Ministry of Magic is thought to be the star of the new ride. Supposedly, guests will utilize magical Floo powder to be transported from the streets of Paris to the Ministry of Magic where they’ll pay a visit to the notorious Dolores Umbridge, a minor (but likely most despised) antagonist of the Harry Potter series.
Warner Bros.
Along with the main attraction, the third Wizarding World location was intended to play host to a smaller VR attraction that would allow guests to fly around on their own broomstick. As of right now, plans for this have been quietly cancelled, leaving many to speculate the reasoning. One proposed idea is the difficulty of utilizing VR headsets on such a large scale as a popular theme park, or the increased staffing an attraction like this would likely need. Regardless, fans will have to remain patient for a VR experience to come to Universal. Perhaps it is something that can be added with a future expansion.
An indoor attraction is also planned, currently thought to be themed around the circus tent from the second Fantastic Beasts film. At the moment, there’s not much information about what this tent will be used for, but many speculate it will be utilized for a wand dueling show.
Bioreconstruct via X
In addition to these unique offerings, guests can also expect plenty of retail opportunities and new places to eat. Since the land is greatly inspired by the Fantastic Beasts films, it’s likely these shops will be French themed, with an array of magical creatures scattered around to interact with guests.
The interactive wands will also be receiving an update to allow them to interact with locations in the new park, and rumors say that the wands themselves will receive an updated look that shows the magic in motion as the wand is used.
As of right now, that covers most of the existing plans for the new Wizarding World expansion. As we get closer and closer to the opening of Epic Universe, more details will emerge and shape our perspectives on what to expect with this brand new experience. We will update you with new details as they emerge.
Which Epic Universe land are you looking forward to the most? Let us know by leaving us a comment below or on our Facebook page.
