Universal Releases an Animated “Fly-Through” for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic
Universal Orlando Resort had one more world of their upcoming Epic Universe to show off, and today, they revealed the final piece of their fantasy puzzle – or, at least, they gave us a glimpse at what it will be. Following the Dreamworks animation-inspired How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, video game funland Super Nintendo World, and the Universal Monsters tribute Dark Universe, Universal has released what they call a “fly-through” for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic. This world is, of course, based on the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling and their movie adaptations, as well as the Fantastic Beasts companion film series, with designs and attractions set in Paris in the 1920s and the British Ministry in London in the 1990s.
This world seems less far along than the others, as the trailer is just a digital rendering of what the park will look like, with no narration from the engineers and designers. The official website has some more details, though, as well as a mini virtual tour. At the Ministry, Dolores Umbridge is being tried for… whatever she did in the books; I don’t know, being a bad magic teacher or something. Guests can witness the trial and traverse the Ministry, exploring its many departments and looking for clues to help Harry, Ron, and Hermione solve a mystery. This is all leading to something called the Battle at the Ministry. Among the many facets of the Ministry are “omnidirectional lifts” and the Fountain of Magical Brethren. There’s less information about the Paris section, just that it’s based on the Fantastic Beasts movies and will have plenty of space for guests to explore.
Cards on the table, I’m not a Harry Potter expert, so I don’t know how good a recreation of the world from the books and movies this is. But to a… I want to say “muggle”… The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic looks terrific, at least at this early stage. I’ve seen videos of the Harry Potter section of Universal Studios, and that looks magnificent, so they’ve got a hard job topping that for the Epic Universe. But this appears to be a different side of the Potterverse; that was probably a smart move, limiting this to the Ministry of Magic and locations from Fantastic Beasts and the Disappearing Johnny Depp, so it doesn’t have to compete with the previous Harry Potter stuff. Yet again, Universal is putting a lot of thought into the Epic Universe, not only as a new attraction to draw in guests but one that complements the rest of their park so visitors are encouraged to explore beyond the new stuff.
I have to say, though, that while I’m more interested in Dark Universe, the look of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic is inviting, and I wouldn’t mind seeing it in person. Those Parisian streets are beautiful, and it looks like Universal is going to great lengths to capture the feel of Paris in the 20s. It makes me wonder what the food will be like; will they have French dishes and pastries? I’d love to spend time at a Paris cafe, enjoying a coffee as park enthusiasts pass by. It’s a shame they don’t have anything practical to show yet, but I imagine a more detailed look at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic will be forthcoming once construction is further along. In the meantime, we’ve got just enough to get a taste of the wonder they have in store for Harry Potter fans and anyone else who pays the Epic Universe a visit when it opens in 2025.
Comments (2)
Is that a thing in Harry Potter? A magical Deep State could be interesting.
One thing Jermy gets right often is his takes. The one he went to, he said he never had any familiarity with Harry Potter, but that the park made him want to watch all the movies and read all the books.
Some might say a basic take, but I say a great one. No higher praise can be given of a park. As far as the Ministry goes, it reminds one so much of Orwell and it seems like they want you to know there is a deep state going way back.