Credit: Andrew Boardwine, Inside the MagicIt hasn’t even been open that long, but one of Epic Universe’s most highly anticipated attractions is already building a frustrating reputation.
Over at the new Harry Potter–themed land, the flagship ride Battle at the Ministry is quickly becoming known for something no ride should be famous for—frequent downtime.
Fans had high hopes for this one. It’s a headliner, a showpiece for Universal’s newest park, and the ride that many guests were counting on to make their trip truly magical. Unfortunately, for some visitors, the magic is ending a little earlier than planned, and far more often than anyone would like.
Another Early Closure
On Sunday, signs went up around the attraction warning guests that Battle at the Ministry would be closing early for the day. For seasoned parkgoers, that was déjà vu—this hasn’t exactly been a rare occurrence since the ride debuted.
As it turned out, the closure wasn’t part of any scheduled maintenance. Around 8:15 p.m., the ride experienced unplanned downtime. By 8:22 p.m., the work lights were on, making it clear this wasn’t going to be a quick “just give us a few minutes” situation.
Operations finally resumed at 8:55 p.m.—but the relief was short-lived. The ride went down again before the park closed for the night.
Signs today that Battle at the Ministry was closing early today.
As it turned out, unplanned downtime 8:15pm. Work lights 8:22pm. Resumed 8:55pm.
Exiting guests received 2 Single Attraction Passes expiring Sept. Good any Epic Universe attraction. pic.twitter.com/vtUrR2AHU7
— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) August 11, 2025
Guests Leave With a Little Consolation
Universal did try to soften the blow for those who had their Battle at the Ministry plans ruined. Guests exiting the attraction after the downtime were given two Single Attraction Passes, valid through September, good for any ride at Epic Universe. That’s a decent perk, especially for anyone wanting to hop on other big-name rides without the wait.
Of course, guests wouldn’t have much time left at that point and, unfortunately, that would mean that they would have to buy another ticket to the park to get to use the express passes.
Still, no matter how many complimentary passes you hand out, it’s not the same as getting to experience the ride you’d been hyped for all day. For Harry Potter fans, that disappointment hits especially hard.
A Growing Reputation
Multiple early closures and sporadic downtimes have left Battle at the Ministry with a reputation no park wants attached to one of its flagship attractions—being “chronically” unreliable. While every new ride has its hiccups during the early months, fans are starting to notice a pattern here.
Some chalk it up to the ride’s complexity, with its mix of screens, sets, and advanced ride systems. Others think Universal may have rushed to get it open in time for Epic Universe’s debut. Whatever the cause, it’s a bad look when one of your main draws can’t consistently make it through the day without issues.
Will It Get Better?
Universal hasn’t made any official comment on the recurring downtime, but most major attractions do improve as operations teams fine-tune them over time. Still, the frequency of these closures is already raising eyebrows among fans who waited years for this ride to become a reality.
For now, if Battle at the Ministry is at the top of your must-do list, you might want to plan to ride it earlier in the day—before those dreaded “closing early” signs pop up again.
Because as magical as the Harry Potter universe can be, it’s a lot less fun when you’re spending your night staring at work lights instead of soaring through the Ministry of Magic.