Credit: Andrew Boardwine, Inside the MagicUniversal Epic Universe guests inside The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic experienced something you really don’t see: a wait time sign with over 380 minutes.
Universal Epic Universe Guests Face Staggering All-Day Waits as New Expansion Clues Emerge
Crowds at Universal Epic Universe were expected to experience long queues—but no one anticipated this. Guests visiting the park this week reported line times climbing so high that many spent nearly their entire day in a single queue.
One guest described the scene as “the longest wait I have ever seen in any theme park,” as lines stretched to nearly the length of the entire land. But why are guests suddenly being met with what feels like a theme-park marathon, and what deeper issue does this reveal about Universal’s newest park?
The answer, it turns out, may be tied to a surprising development that slipped into the news cycle with almost no fanfare—one that raises a much bigger question about Universal’s long-term plans for the resort.
Wait Times Reaching Unprecedented Levels
Long waits are nothing new for blockbuster attractions, especially inside The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. But what unfolded on December 3 pushed things into territory even seasoned Universal fans found shocking.
Guests queued for upwards of 380 minutes—over six hours—to experience Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, the flagship attraction inside The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic. Regular standby waits reportedly hit four hours, while Universal Express queues, which are designed to shorten the experience significantly, climbed to two hours or more.
In total, many guests found themselves facing a combined wait exceeding six hours, meaning a single attraction consumed nearly the entire park day. Some waited even longer without riding anything else at all.
What’s striking is that the ride has already been one of the resort’s most consistently busy attractions since Epic Universe opened on May 22, 2025, rarely dropping below a two-hour wait even on calmer days. But this week’s surge exposed a growing strain on capacity that many in the theme-park community have been quietly discussing for months.
The Undercurrent: A Capacity Problem Years in the Making
Epic Universe was built to be a next-generation theme park, yet criticism has grown surrounding the limited number of indoor attractions and the heavy concentration of guests in certain lands. The Ministry of Magic area, in particular, has proven so overwhelmingly popular that even seasoned crowd-management measures have struggled to keep pace with demand.
Four hours for standby and 2 hours for EXPRESS is insane. I love this park, but your experience there can differ so wildly from day to day. – @NickChaps96 on X
Four hours for standby and 2 hours for EXPRESS is insane. I love this park, but your experience there can differ so wildly from day to day. pic.twitter.com/s36Hpc2NkU
— Nick Chappell (@NickChaps96) December 3, 2025
This imbalance—massive popularity paired with limited capacity—may help explain why a completely separate piece of news suddenly matters much more than it first appeared.
A Permit That Quietly Changes Everything
Amid the wait-time chaos, a subtle yet significant update slipped into the public record. Earlier this month, a new construction permit was filed for Epic Universe describing “site utilities and foundation work” and “new construction” on a 150,000-square-foot parcel.
No ride name.
No attractions listed.
No official confirmation of what, exactly, is being built.
On its own, the permit is vague—but the size is not. The proposed footprint is roughly equivalent to the combined scale of the current Le Cirque Arcanus show building and the Battle at the Ministry show building. This extraordinary square footage immediately fueled speculation that the project could be the first full-scale expansion for Epic Universe since the park opened earlier this year.
The theory isn’t without context, either: plans for possible expansion within the Ministry of Magic area have circulated since late November, driven by consistently high demand and the land’s long-term franchise potential.
Universal Responds—Carefully
The Orlando Business Journal reached out to Universal Orlando Resort, receiving a notably forward-leaning response from Alyson Sologaistoa, Vice President of Public Relations:
“Universal Orlando is preparing for some exciting additions to Universal Epic Universe in the future. … Details about specific developments will be shared in due time.”
The statement confirms that expansion is happening—but stops short of confirming which land will receive it, or what form it will take.
Still, when paired with the footprint size, the timing, and the persistent crowding issues in the Ministry of Magic area, the industry’s attention inevitably shifted toward Harry Potter.
What This Means for Guests Right Now
Until Universal officially announces what is coming, guests should expect the current pattern to continue: exceptionally long waits for the Ministry of Magic attraction and an overall demand level that outpaces existing capacity.
If the speculation proves correct, and this new 150,000-square-foot development is a Wizarding World expansion, it could meaningfully reshape guest flow and park balance for years to come. But for now, the situation mirrors what many major parks experience shortly after opening—a runaway hit attraction that demands more support than expected.
News broke out earlier this week of another ‘Harry Potter’ expansion coming, but not within Orlando and not through Universal.
Universal appears to have recognized this faster than anyone thought. Whatever addition is on the way, it seems the resort is already preparing to address one of Epic Universe’s biggest challenges: keeping guests from spending their entire day in a single line.