Credit: UniversalA guest at Universal Orlando Resort recently shared their eye-opening experience being evacuated from the Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry attraction, set to debut as part of the highly anticipated Epic Universe expansion. The guest’s post, which has garnered attention online, describes the evacuation process as one of the most unique they’ve ever encountered, shedding light on the complexities of the attraction’s ride system.
What an Experience!
According to the guest’s detailed Reddit post, the evacuation took place after an unspecified issue caused a delay in the ride’s operation. While the guest was understandably frustrated by being stuck in a ride vehicle for nearly an hour, they found the experience educational, offering them a firsthand look at the technology that powers the attraction.
“I learned a lot and understand the ride system a lot more than I have in the past,” the guest explained, adding that they were particularly impressed with the intricate design of the ride vehicles.
One of the most notable aspects of the evacuation process was the height of the ride vehicles, which are positioned more than 15 feet in the air, even at their lowest setting. The guest described how the attraction requires “mobile metal staircases” to allow access to the vehicles and detailed the additional safety measures in place to assist guests in evacuation.
“An additional safety wall pops up from the front of the ride vehicle to assist in evacuation,” they explained. While the evacuation process was lengthy, the guest praised the design of the vehicles as “pure genius,” noting that they are far more advanced than the ride vehicles used in Universal’s previous attractions, such as Spider-Man.
Despite the positive remarks about the vehicle technology, the guest did highlight some areas for improvement. They pointed out that the evacuation process took a considerable amount of time, which could be a concern when the ride is fully operational and filled with guests.
“The evacuation process clearly takes a very long time to complete and requires medical personnel at the ready,” the guest stated. The fact that it required such a significant amount of time to evacuate the vehicles suggests that the ride’s operational efficiency might need further refinement before it opens to the public.
I was evacuated from Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry yesterday. It was of the most unique ride evacuation experiences that I have ever experienced. I learned a lot and I understand the ride system a lot more than I have in the past.
However, it’s never fun to be…
— Bill Zanetti (@BillZanetti) April 30, 2025
Guests Left Stranded Mid-Air
The experience was undeniably frustrating for the guest, who admitted to being stuck in an awkward position for 30-45 minutes. However, they also acknowledged that the ride vehicles were surprisingly comfortable, with only a seatbelt to keep them in place. “It could have been worse,” they remarked, noting that while the situation wasn’t ideal, it provided a unique opportunity to see the attraction from a different perspective.
The guest also expressed awe at the sheer scale of the ride. It’s very obvious to me that it’s very likely that more than a billion dollars was spent on this singular attraction alone,” they shared. From their perspective, it was clear that Universal has poured significant resources into Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, and they believe the final product will be well worth the wait.
As the opening of Epic Universe approaches, Universal Orlando Resort faces the challenge of fine-tuning the attraction’s operations. While the evacuation incident may have shed light on some areas that need attention, it also highlighted the ambitious technology and impressive scale behind one of the most anticipated rides at Universal.