Harry Potter land at new Universal theme park will be Ministry of Magic

Universal Orlando is conjuring another wizard-themed land for its new theme park Epic Universe, now under construction. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic will span both the magical London offices and the streets of Paris in the 1920s from the more recent “Fantastic Beasts” movies, Universal revealed on Wednesday.

The theme park, estimated to cost more than $1 billion before its opening in 2025, is designed like a hub with spokes that lead to five new immersive lands. Fans enter through a tunnel (or “portals” as the park calls them) that allow for a wow factor as it opens into a highly themed world.

Universal has already released details on lands at Epic Universe that will be themed for the “How to Train Your Dragon” movies, Super Nintendo World, a horror-themed Dark Universe and its entryway, Celestial Park, designed as an imaginative space full of lush gardens and dancing fountains.

On Wednesday, Universal finally uncloaked information on what is coming to the new Harry Potter land, with whimsical retail, dining “and the most ambitious, groundbreaking ride Universal has ever created,” the park announcement said.

Visitors will find Paris in the 1920s and Place Cachée, a hidden, bustling shopping district similar to Diagon Alley.

Like Universal’s other Potter-themed parks, visitors can use interactive wands to create special effects, and they will also encounter a traveling circus like the one in the 2018 film “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.”

Unique to this park, guests will leave Paris and “travel across countries and time to 1990s London using the Métro-Floo for a thrilling adventure set inside the iconic British Ministry of Magic,” Universal announced.

The Floo Network in J.K. Rowling’s blockbuster books is a mode of transportation where wizards travel using Floo Powder and a fireplace.

The premier ride, called Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, will bring visitors into the bureau’s grand atrium for the long-awaited trial of the infamous Dolores Umbridge. They will board the Ministry’s magical elevators that go sideways, backward or stop violently.

When Umbridge attempts to escape, guests will join Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger and a house elf named Higgledy “in a thrilling chase that will propel them up, down, forward, backward, sideways and more throughout the Ministry as they try to capture Umbridge – all while dodging attacks from Death Eaters, rampaging creatures and more along the way.”

Other attractions in this land will be:

Le Cirque Arcanus: Based on the circus depicted in the “Crimes of Grindelwald,” the park will have a show with performers, aerialists, puppetry and special effects “where they’ll encounter fantastic beasts like never before.”

Cosme Acajor Baguettes Magique: Similar to Ollivander’s in Diagon Alley, French wizards buy their wands here.

Strolling entertainment: Guests will encounter other visitors, including exchange students from Hogwarts and an Auror from the French Ministry of Magic “who roams inquiring of suspicious characters,” as well as find talking portraits of wizards who will engage with locals.

For a limited time, Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic merchandise, including apparel, accessories and drinkware – can be purchased at the Universal Epic Universe Preview Center in Universal CityWalk or online at shop.universalorlando.com.

The boy wizard has been delivering big rewards for Universal since 2010, when the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade opened at Islands of Adventure. It continued with the 2014 launch of Diagon Alley at Universal Studios.

The park has not yet unveiled how tickets for Epic Universe will be available to its passholders.

Universal is currently planning to offer “a range of ticket products to help manage the expected demand for Epic Universe,” said Alyson Sologaistoa, vice president of public relations for Universal Orlando.