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Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Ministry of Magic - General Discussion Thread

  • Thread starter Thread starter Brian G.
  • Start date Start date Jan 30, 2024
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Lightningbolt

Lightningbolt

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  • Mar 17, 2025
  • #821
Floridaguy34 said:
I have heard some. Initial reactions. But some would have said it’s a mid ride. And it’s screen heavy and a dissapointment on same level as skull island
Click to expand...
Im sorry but weren’t you the one who said Universal was suing Simtech for the ride too lmaoo
 
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Ryuniversal

Ryuniversal

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  • Mar 17, 2025
  • #822
Lightningbolt said:
Im sorry but weren’t you the one who said Universal was suing Simtech for the ride too lmaoo
Click to expand...
Bingo he also said it wouldn’t open for 2 years if I’m not mistaken wich one is it
 
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Brian G.

Brian G.

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  • Mar 17, 2025
  • #823
Ok we don’t need to pile on so let’s just move along.
 
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rhino4evr

rhino4evr

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  • Mar 17, 2025
  • #824
Any insider updates on this ? Curious if this will open on time or not
 
Clive

Clive

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  • Mar 18, 2025
  • #825
rhino4evr said:
Any insider updates on this ? Curious if this will open on time or not
Click to expand...

Based on what’s been rumored, too soon to say for certain but moving in the right direction.
 
etherealyear

etherealyear

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  • Mar 18, 2025
  • #826
Clive said:
Based on what’s been rumored, too soon to say for certain but moving in the right direction.
Click to expand...
Have to imagine they want this running somewhat reliably for media, which I believe is soon (next week?) if speculation is correct.
 
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Jake S

Jake S

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  • Mar 18, 2025
  • #827
etherealyear said:
Have to imagine they want this running somewhat reliably for media, which I believe is soon (next week?) if speculation is correct.
Click to expand...
If the issue is "only" not being able to get a full set of vehicles on track, I imagine they'll be fine with a media preview that includes a couple hundred people.
 
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etherealyear

etherealyear

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  • Mar 18, 2025
  • #828
Jake S said:
If the issue is "only" not being able to get a full set of vehicles on track, I imagine they'll be fine with a media preview that includes a couple hundred people.
Click to expand...
Very fair point. I wonder, if come media preview time, whether or not they are still having issues they only run a few RVs to avoid downtime as much as possible.
 
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Rhian

Rhian

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  • Mar 18, 2025
  • #829
etherealyear said:
Have to imagine they want this running somewhat reliably for media, which I believe is soon (next week?) if speculation is correct.
Click to expand...
Yeah, there's a "random" three day pause in the Family & Friends Preview schedule that is probably for media. We'll see if the day or two before that the ride finally opens so the operating TMs can get practice with guests before the media or the media will be the first guinea pigs.

I could also see them not opening the ride until media day(s) precisely because once word gets out almost everyone in the park at that moment will head over there. I couldn't blame them, I'd be one of them too! :lol:
 
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Magic-Man

Magic-Man

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  • Mar 18, 2025
  • #830
Probably a dumb question, but what's going on with the actors for the ride? I doubt they were able to get Radcliffe/Watson back. Are they AI or just lookalikes?
 
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Clive

Clive

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  • Mar 18, 2025
  • #831
Magic-Man said:
Probably a dumb question, but what's going on with the actors for the ride? I doubt they were able to get Radcliffe/Watson back. Are they AI or just lookalikes?
Click to expand...

Based on how they executed Gringotts, presumably stand-ins (positioned at a distance) with CGI face replacements and sound-a-likes.
 
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Magic-Man

Magic-Man

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  • Mar 18, 2025
  • #832
Clive said:
Based on how they executed Gringotts, presumably stand-ins (positioned at a distance) with CGI face replacements and sound-a-likes.
Click to expand...
I never knew that Gringotts didn’t have the actual actors! They're pretty good!
 
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Clive

Clive

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  • Mar 18, 2025
  • #833
Magic-Man said:
I never knew that Gringotts didn’t have the actual actors! They're pretty good!
Click to expand...

They did have Rupert Grint for Ron, which is why he's positioned more prominently than Harry or Hermione. I don't believe they had any of the original trio for this expansion, however.
 
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Alicia

Alicia

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  • Mar 18, 2025
  • #834
Clive said:
They did have Rupert Grint for Ron, which is why he's positioned more prominently than Harry or Hermione. I don't believe they had any of the original trio for this expansion, however.
Click to expand...
It’s also why he’s hunched over desperately positioned in such a way as to appear 15 years younger lol
 
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USO92

USO92

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  • Mar 18, 2025
  • #835
Alicia said:
It’s also why he’s hunched over desperately positioned in such a way as to appear 15 years younger lol
Click to expand...
Is that the trick?? Gosh darn new fangled ways to look younger. I can’t keep up!
 
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T

Tobias

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  • Mar 18, 2025
  • #836
Clive said:
Based on how they executed Gringotts, presumably stand-ins (positioned at a distance) with CGI face replacements and sound-a-likes.
Click to expand...

Not to mention, I believe it was theorized a possible reason why Hermonie's VA was changed (and honestly upgraded) on Hogwarts Express a few years ago was because they were recording for this attraction at the time and figured to re-record that.
 
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SkiBum

SkiBum

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  • Mar 19, 2025
  • #837
USO92 said:
Is that the trick?? Gosh darn new fangled ways to look younger. I can’t keep up!
Click to expand...

It was funny how Rupert shot past Radcliffe in height. The risk of trying to pick child actors is that you never quite know how they will turn out as they grow up. On the show "Home Improvement", the youngest kid towered over the middle kid by the end of the series because the middle kid (Jonathan Taylor Thomas aka Simba) stopped growing at 5'5". Was always a little funny although, by the point, the show was starting to run on fumes.
 
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Parkscope Joe

Parkscope Joe

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  • Mar 19, 2025
  • #838
I suggest y'all check out the making of Diagon Alley special to see how they filmed for Gringotts and HE.

 
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GA-MBIT

GA-MBIT

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  • Mar 21, 2025
  • #839
Did not get to experience the show or any entertainment/wand offerings in the area. I also did not walk through the Battle queue. I want to save that for the complete experience when the ride officially opens.

This feels like Epic's Galaxy's Edge. Wide, open, detailed, and kind of boring. It's easily the weakest of the three Potter lands, as well as the weakest land in Epic Universe. It's got some fun thematic details here and there, and I've heard some of the atmosphere Entertainment is well-done, but I did not get to experience any of the latter myself.

A lot of the land feels very "been there, done that". It doesn't have the strange, crooked architecture and atmosphere of Diagon; the foreboding energy and very singular thematic identity of Knockturn Alley; or any of the iconic landmarks and structural elements of Hogsmeade. Wizarding Paris doesn't do a ton to differentiate itself from actual, real-life Paris, or more accurately the France Pavilion at EPCOT, at least in my view.

There are many little corners and cubbies to rest in the shade, but many lacked benches or things to actual rest on. It just felt a little less thought-through than Diagon in a lot of ways. Even the giant set of constructed stairs near the back of the land were all gated off with chain, with a significantly smaller bench place in between those staircases. The comparison to Diagon is incredibly obvious here, and it's not very flattering for Paris.

It is all still very pretty and nice to look at. There are some really solid bits of theming here and there. Some forced perspective elements that look great, the Floo Elevator in the plaza looks pretty cool, the French Butterbeer cart is very cute. I do like the way the Arcanus tent hides its' queue... even if that effect is pretty obvious due to the way the tent unusually hugs the outside walls of the city buildings; the intent is there at least which I can appreciate.

All of the employees were in-theme, saying "Bonjour" when entering shops, and trying for French accents as they describe the behaviors and personal names of different Fantastic Beast plushies they are selling as if they were real pets up for adoption. That's all pretty fun; but feels like the kind of thing that will unfortunately be lost with entropy within a few training groups.

Despite all of this, I believe the one-two-punch of Arcanus and Battle will lift this land up immensely. I've heard wonderful things about the show, and I have trust in this new ride, especially having seen the level of every other attraction in Epic. In the same way that Rise gives the unfilled expanse of Galaxy's Edge some purpose, I think Battle will do the same for this land.

I believe a significant amount of the kinds of ideas that were usually saved for Potter lands in the North Campus have instead been saved for Dark Universe and Berk. Both lands, but especially DU have thematic and show elements that feel very Hogsmeade / Diagon-y, in a way that this land unfortunately fails to capture.
 
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Parkscope Joe

Parkscope Joe

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  • Mar 21, 2025
  • #840
GA-MBIT said:
This feels like Epic's Galaxy's Edge.
Click to expand...

Some people told me this, and seeing the complaint hold up once it's open is interesting. I wonder how much this is going for scale city streets over the forced perspective of the other two land, or if it's due to the lack of second ride to balance the land out.
 
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