Common Orlando has switched to a conventional standby line for the highly-anticipated Harry Potter and the Battle on the Ministry, which (spoiler alert) is tied for #1 on our Checklist of Epic Universe Experience Rankings & Critiques. This covers information of this game-changing transfer, what prompted abandoning the digital queue, and our expertise with a very lengthy line for the blockbuster new attraction within the Wizarding World Ministry of Magic.
For many who are unfamiliar with the ‘saga’ of Harry Potter and the Battle on the Ministry, the attraction was not open for the majority of worker previews, as crews labored to enhance its uptime and operational capability. As soon as paid previews started, there was seemingly recognition from Common management that the attraction needed to be accessible at the least a number of the time.
With that, Harry Potter and the Battle on the Ministry opened with simply the worst digital queue ever to grace any of the Orlando theme parks. Common’s Digital Line system was worse than even Walt Disney World’s first era of Digital Queue. That against-all-odds feat (the late 2019 VQ for Rise of the Resistance was actually dangerous) was a real “maintain my beer” second for Epic Universe, a park that’s in any other case actually good.
With every passing day in Could 2025, I heard extra horror tales from previews concerning the Digital Line for Harry Potter and the Battle on the Ministry. Success charges have plummeted, and increasingly individuals have reported going 0 for 3 and even 0 for six throughout a number of days. On some actually tough days, the experience wasn’t opening till the afternoon, and the sooner VL drops don’t really even occur.
I additionally heard more unusual on-the-ground experiences from visitors who had been driving Harry Potter and the Battle on the Ministry. There have been numerous tales of visitors being instructed by Group Members to not cross their legs and to maintain their toes flat on the bottom, with their backs pressed firmly in opposition to the seat always in the course of the experience.
This was stated to be resulting from problematic security sensors on the attraction, which had been giving false suggestions that visitors had left the experience automobile. In actuality, they’d simply bounced round a bit and moved their physique in a “dangerous” means. This is able to then result in experience stoppages, downtime, and so forth.
On condition that Harry Potter and the Battle on the Ministry has a variety of movement (the experience system is sort of like Tower of Terror meets Star Excursions, for lack of a transparent comparability), merely instructing visitors to take a seat in a really specific means was by no means a practical long-term resolution. It’s additionally an ‘fringe of your seat’ sort of attraction, so staying seated ‘completely’ was by no means going to occur.
Quick ahead just a few weeks into previews because the park races in direction of grand opening with unreliability and downtime woes persisting, and Common Orlando introduced that Harry Potter and the Battle on the Ministry can be closed from Could 10 by Could 16, 2025. The experience was scheduled to reopen on Could 17 for the ultimate few days of previews earlier than the Could 22, 2025 grand opening of Epic Universe. As we beforehand shared, even that was topic to vary.
Nonetheless, our expectation was that the closure can be prolonged. That Common Orlando’s upkeep groups would take completely all the time wanted to have the flagship Harry Potter attraction operational for the grand opening of Epic Universe. As a substitute, the closure has been shortened by a day and a standby line has debuted for Harry Potter and the Battle on the Ministry.
That is equally notable! It suggests, and quite strongly, that upkeep discovered and glued no matter wanted to be addressed–and did so forward of schedule. That’s nice information! My finest guess is that it was these problematic sensors. Between the Group Member verbal directions and period of time taken, that passes the scent take a look at. We’ll by no means have full affirmation from Common, however the security sensors being adjusted is essentially the most believable rationalization at this level.
Nonetheless, I’d add that there have been/are a number of issues with Harry Potter and the Battle on the Ministry. Once more, the experience wasn’t open in any respect in the course of the first month-plus of Group Member previews. There have been rumors again then that not solely would the attraction want to make use of a digital queue, however it might want one for a number of months–I had heard Fall 2025 because the real looking best-case aim for having the experience working each reliably and at full capability. This was earlier than most of the people previews even began and the VL launched.
Since we’re already speculating, my finest guess right here is that the background points nonetheless exist with Harry Potter and the Battle on the Ministry. Lower than per week is a brief period of time to repair every little thing that was improper with this experience. Extra seemingly, the protection sensor difficulty was an unknown downside previous to public previews, for the reason that attraction wasn’t even being cycled with common visitors.
Which means that Harry Potter and the Battle on the Ministry had further, newly-discovered issues beginning round mid-April that made it even much less dependable and decrease capability than it already was in the course of the extra inner theoretical take a look at & regulate interval previous to then. That’s the worth of biking rides throughout ‘actual world’ circumstances with precise visitors–discovery of much more points that don’t exist below managed circumstances.
All of that is to say that I might make a giant guess that Harry Potter and the Battle on the Ministry nonetheless has main downtime and reliability woes. That not every little thing was mounted over the past week–simply the most important and latest factor that was resulting in much more breakdowns than beforehand anticipated.
Seemingly corroborating this attitude is that, inside an hour of opening with a conventional standby line, Harry Potter and the Battle on the Ministry broke down. Maybe this was a fluke–each experience has a level of downtime, and newer ones extra so–however my guess was that that is going to occur a properly above-average quantity even by the elevated requirements of latest and revolutionary sights.
So why change to a standby line? That reply is form of already answered above. Common Orlando’s Digital Line system was actually, actually dangerous. Comically terrible. It’s like they someway didn’t anticipate that Harry Potter and the Battle on the Ministry was going to want a digital queue (despite the fact that they 100% ought to’ve), and didn’t construct a purposeful system for a high-demand new attraction.
As a substitute, they simply ported over the Secret Lifetime of Pets: Off the Leash Digital Line that’s typically used at Common Studios Hollywood. That laid again function works high quality there as a result of there’s little or no demand or stress positioned on the system. Completely totally different story with Harry Potter and the Battle on the Ministry.
That is to say that visitor suggestions was most likely so overwhelmingly destructive on the Digital Line for Harry Potter and the Battle on the Ministry that Common Orlando made the calculated resolution to change to standby, figuring out they’d additionally get destructive suggestions from that. A ‘lesser of two evils’ sort of state of affairs.
Or at the least, in principle. That is nonetheless technical rehearsals, one thing I’m reminded of each day by defensive Common stans reluctant to just accept the truth that this new theme park opens for actual in below per week. Level being, Common might change again to the Digital Line system after just a few days of destructive suggestions with standby. There are not any ensures right here.
It’s additionally fully potential that this can be a calculated resolution from a special perspective–eager to handle capability of your entire park. Utilizing a Digital Line for Battle on the Ministry means these visitors who may in any other case be caught in line for this experience are elsewhere, and that could possibly be sufficient to necessitate a Digital Line to enter Tremendous Nintendo World, for instance. Perhaps a standby line for Harry Potter and the Battle on the Ministry is considered as wanted to keep away from a Digital Line for the assorted lands at Epic Universe.
Both means you slice it, that is virtually definitely a ‘decide your poison’ or ‘lesser of two evils’ factor. I actually hope I’m improper, and it’s easy crusing for Battle on the Ministry from right here on out!
Assuming the underlying points nonetheless exist, Harry Potter and the Battle on the Ministry goes to be tormented by unreliability and downtime woes for months. The experience breaks down lots, and even when it’s operational, it is not going to be environment friendly. One complete facet of the attraction is usually offline, and we’ve noticed a sluggish and methodical dispatch. I don’t wish to guess as to its present operational hourly experience capability versus theoretical hourly experience capability, however let’s simply say throughput shouldn’t be so scorching proper now.
Digital queues are a extremely imperfect resolution to this kind of state of affairs. They provide a method of pulsing demand and stopping visitors from losing an excessive amount of of their time. This web site has been vehemently in opposition to VQs past the purpose after they’re wanted (e.g. Cosmic Rewind or TRON), as they create unnecessary friction for the visitor expertise.
That’s not the case right here, simply because it wasn’t with Tiana’s Bayou Journey or Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance when these rides first opened. The digital queue for Battle on the Ministry was very a lot wanted. The friction, whereas unlucky, is best than the choice of sitting in line for 3+ hours and enduring a breakdown (or a number of) throughout that point caught in line.
Truthfully, you may’ve had that occur even with the VL! I do know this as a result of exactly this occurred to me…
One of many days I did Harry Potter and the Battle on the Ministry, it had been down for a number of hours and didn’t reopen till mid-afternoon. This was regardless of having executed full distributions for the Digital Line earlier within the day (versus later preview days when these drops didn’t even occur).
Consequently, I might estimate that roughly half of Epic Universe descended upon the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic when the Common Orlando app replace revealed that the experience was up and operating. Usually, I prefer to beat the push in these situations for apparent causes, however that wasn’t potential as a result of we had been enduring a separate breakdown on Monsters Unchained.
As soon as completed with that, we made a bee-line over to the opposite facet of Epic Universe and joined an out-the-door queue. Now, you may see elsewhere claims that Harry Potter and the Battle on the Ministry has such a protracted queue that it may maintain 3-4 hours of visitors. (I’ve heard one competition of seven hours!) I’m undecided that is correct, however whether it is, we had been in a 4+ hour line.
Whereas I don’t put a lot inventory in queue size as measured in time since different variables come into play (comparable to precise operational hourly capability, utilization of line-skipping, and so forth.), it’s pretty plain that Harry Potter and the Battle on the Ministry has a very, actually lengthy queue with a ton of ‘hidden’ overflow.
Suffice to say, we ended up in that prolonged queue in an space that “overlooks” the entrance entrance of Helios Grand Resort. Involved that we could be in it for the lengthy haul, we requested a Group Member for a ballpark wait time estimate (since one wasn’t posted), providing the standard caveat that we all know there’s no assure and it’d be extremely imperfect. Principally, we had been simply seeking to see whether or not he’d tip his hand concerning the present capability of the attraction at that second (since we’d seen it working at ~25% throughput earlier).
I’ll always remember his quoted wait time: “some time.” Truthfully, I respect the honesty and that Group Member’s willingness to present us an actual reply given the issues the experience was having. It was additionally his supply, because it wasn’t executed in a flippant method–extra like a “buckle up fellas, you’re gonna be right here for some time.” The actual fact was that he couldn’t give a reputable wait time estimate. It merely was not potential in mild of the circumstances.
Deeper within the queue for Harry Potter and the Battle on the Ministry, previous the primary atrium, there really was a posted wait time of 120 minutes from that time. We noticed that after receiving the “some time” estimate, and requested Group Members within the space whether or not that posted time was appropriate.
I don’t fairly recall their response, because it wasn’t almost as memorable–nevertheless it was additionally non-committal. All of this was for good motive. Although Harry Potter and the Battle on the Ministry had simply returned from a multi-hour downtime, the experience broke down once more shortly after we reached that time within the queue. And never only a temporary pause–the type the place everybody sat down within the queue as a result of we had been all caught in the identical place for therefore lengthy.
The sort that was so lengthy that, on any common attraction with modest reliability, they’d’ve dumped the queue and issued visitor restoration to everybody in line in order to not waste much more of their time. As a substitute, we had been confronted with the selection of sinking extra time and hoping for one of the best or bailing and getting no restoration.
A part of our celebration, me included, opted to get out of line. We had already executed Harry Potter and the Battle on the Ministry a number of occasions at that time, and there was little motive for optimism. So when the announcement modified to counsel an indefinite delay with no estimate for a return, together with half of the opposite visitors in line, we exited.
As a substitute of leaving instantly, we opted to take pictures within the then nearly-empty principal atrium, as Harry Potter and the Battle on the Ministry had closed the road to new visitors, making this comparatively devoid of individuals (other than everybody else exiting behind us). It was a novel alternative for pictures, and I’m glad to have had it.
I’m barely much less obsessed with the truth that, not more than quarter-hour later, we might hear cheers erupt from the road, because the announcement got here on that the experience was again up. About one other ~half-hour after that, these in our celebration who noticed the breakdown by had been off the experience.
Finally, I’m sharing all of this as a mixture of cautionary story combined with actionable recommendation. Not simply as somebody who has already skilled a model of the problems which can be to return with Harry Potter and the Battle on the Ministry, however as somebody who did near-daily testing at Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance again on the top of that experience’s unreliability woes.
My first piece of sensible recommendation is to make use of the restroom earlier than you get into line. Likewise, don’t enter that line hungry. Fairly normal stuff for any lengthy line. If in any respect potential, I’d additionally suggest getting in line ASAP after Harry Potter and the Battle on the Ministry returns from downtime–the percentages are in your facet of it not breaking down once more when you’re in line.
Whilst you’re in line, my strongest suggestion is at all times leaving a giant buffer between your celebration and the celebration in entrance of you. Ignore the “fill in all accessible area to make sure a decrease wait time” bulletins. That’s utter nonsense. House between events has completely zero influence on wait occasions. However the lack of it’ll definitely influence your private consolation as soon as it turns into time to pop a squat and sit within the queue throughout downtime.
The largest warning I’d provide is to completely disregard regardless of the posted standby wait time is for Harry Potter and the Battle on the Ministry. If it’s lengthy sufficient (120+ minutes), there’s the very actual likelihood that you’ll endure at the least one breakdown throughout that point. Through which case, the wait time might balloon to three+ hours.
Alternatively, there’s additionally the sturdy risk that Epic Universe operations will acknowledge the above chance, and inflate posted wait occasions to account for the inevitable breakdown. Which means {that a} 180-minute posted wait time consists of 60 minutes of built-in downtime given the excessive odds of that.
Through which case, no downtime when you’re in line might imply the precise wait is lots much less–perhaps half that quantity! All of that is to say that essentially the most correct posted wait time for Harry Potter and the Battle on the Ministry is definitely fairly easy: some time.
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Your Ideas
Do you have got any questions this didn’t reply concerning the standby line for Harry Potter and the Battle on the Ministry? In the event you’ve executed the brand new experience, do you suppose there’s the rest first-timers ought to know? Is Harry Potter and the Battle on the Ministry value leaping by all these hoops or enduring each day downtime? The place does it rank for you amongst Epic Universe or Orlando sights? Do you agree or disagree with any of our recommendation or solutions? Any questions? Listening to your suggestions–even whenever you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!