As somebody who really liked Harry Potter as a kid, this was an amazing addition to the park when…read moreit first happened! I love that they made a whole land that felt like stepping through the books and movies. I always thought dueling dragons with the fire and ice was really cool, but I liked that it was reimagined and upgraded with Harry Potter scenery. It's every kid's dream to be able to try a butter beer! Universal did a wonderful job bringing the books to life.

There was a moment I was walking through Universal and seeing what looked like I was near Harry and…read morehis friends ... a subtle opening tunneled behind the building facades and we followed it. WOW. Various stores, restaurants and snack booths, tall buildings you can't see the top of, and folks dressed as wizards using their wands to "move" objects in the windows. You could spend a full day exploring nothing but Harry Potter and the wizarding world. Each shop is so well done and on theme. I'm now intrigued to find information on its creation and the imagination behind the build.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Epic Universe takes the Ministry of Magic as its setting,…read moreand the theming execution is remarkable. I walked into a land drawn from the Fantastic Beasts era of the wizarding world, and the architecture and design details reflected that in a way that felt distinct from Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade at the other Universal parks. The giant golden Snidget at the entrance arch set the tone immediately, and the level of detail throughout the land rewarded me for slowing down and taking it in. Interactive wand stations were scattered throughout and added the same layer of engagement that works so well across the other Harry Potter lands. Battle at the Ministry is the headline attraction, and the animatronics are the reason it stands out. The house elf character was executed at a level of realism that genuinely caught me off guard, and the ride itself moved through a series of well designed rooms that built on each other effectively. The queue was heavily themed, and the early sections did a strong job of keeping me engaged as I moved through. The ride ran several minutes, and the payoff was worth it. Wait times are the main challenge here, and this is consistently one of the most in demand attractions at Epic Universe. I noticed lines regularly stretch past two hours during peak periods. The single rider line is worth using if your group is flexible about splitting up. Getting into the queue toward the end of the day just before the cutoff is another strategy that works if you are willing to time it right. The food and butterbeer options in the land are worth factoring into your visit. I tried hot butterbeer, which ran on the sweeter side but was still good. As a standalone wizarding world experience, the Ministry of Magic portal is the most visually distinctive of the three Harry Potter areas across the Universal parks and worth the effort to get through the line.

We were so happy for a single rider lines sees- the line is crazy long! Our group definitely missed…read morea lot of it; however, the tiled hallway does feel like you're trapped. The ride delayed for a bit and several people sat down while waiting. The cars holding riders put 10+ people in them so you're in good company even if you're split from your party. The movement and scenery of the ride are phenomenal. Harry and his friends fight Professor Umbridge alongside you. You can imagine what being a true wizard would feel like in a spell battle. I also loved that it felt lengthy, especially after the long wait to ride. Coming out of the ride gives you another chance to experience the ministry. I appreciated that very much since the single rider line bypassed half of it.

As everyone will tell you, the queue for this ride is something out of a film set. It is completely…read moreimmersive, impressive, and unforgettable. I have never waited that long for this ride! I know this is a miracle, but I have chosen off-season times and waited until night and have never waited more than 15/20 minutes, tops. this ride will make you sick if you deal with motion sickness. Definitely pop some sort of medication an hour or so before. The ride is a really wonderful combination of practical sets, animatronics, and screens. And as we all know, Dolores Umbridge is one of the worst villains in the books! So it's a thrilling ride. Just hold onto your seat

Three stars because of the queue, but the ride experience is pretty underwhelming. We went to the…read moreride at rope-drop for regular park entrance (10am on an early park admission day for Resort guests), and only waited about 30 minutes even though the posted time was 60 minutes -- great! The good is as everyone else has stated -- the queue. It's is absolutely everything you want it to be, and more. Taking the floo network into the Ministry of Magic lobby is an incredible experience. I was literally giddy in that moment, and the two other times we went back to just to be in the lobby. It is perfection and Universal deserves every bit of the credit for creating this place. The ride itself, though, is lame. I'm not asking for everything to be a thrill ride, but with the amazing platform that is the Ministry of Magic and its amazing elevator transport system -- is this really the best Universal could come up with? A jiggling elevator box and story elements recycled from other Wizarding World publications? Missed opportunity. Maybe something Tower of Terror and Department of Mysteries-related? **Potential ride story spoilers below** The ride itself is essentially a repackaged version of the story concept from Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. with a villainous character using a time turner to get back to the preferred bad-guy timeline. And then we all get sucked into space-time, but we can just apparate out of a time vortex? And suddenly we're at Umbridge's trial? We just ran out of storytelling interest, it seems. Also, the ride blends animatronics with actors on video screens, which usually provides a greater sense of depth and action in the fighting scenes during the ride, but doesn't always work. For example, the final scene of the ride, Umbridge's trial, has Harry, Ron, Umbridge and Kingsley as animatronics. This is a problem because heretofore these characters were represented as their video selves. To switch to them as a very poor, not realistic animatronic version at the end is weird. They do not look even a little bit not-robotic. Why? I'd come back for the queue and the ride again, sure, but ride expectations should be managed.

Initially when I went with my parents to Islands of Adventure a few years back this ride seemed…read morelike such a money grubbing scam, requiring a park to park pass which means you might as well stay two days. Now I wish we would have just spent two days as they would have loved this train ride and I believe would have liked Universal Studios better than Islands of Adventure. At their ages we shouldn't have done two consecutive days but we could have made it work. I returned to Islands of Adventure with my sister earlier this year and the lines were so slight we ended up upgrading to the park hopper pass to do both parks in one day meaning I could finally ride the Hogwarts Express. The architect and theming is outstanding. Very classy and immersive. The video from Islands of Adventure to Universal Studios Florida was fun and I liked that it had video on windows on both sides of the cabin. The station at Universal Studios Florida was a bit more bustling and urban feeling than the one we came from making it feel like you really went somewhere. This is a very cool way to travel from one park to the other and with how Universal has to compete with Disney for those multi-day visits I can even somewhat forgive the hustle they employ here. Unfortunately after like 7 years since my last visit and the the research I had prior to that, I totally forgot that they show a different video on the ride from Universal Studios to Islands of Adventure and when the former closed early for a private event (big ballers there! Renting out that theme park) my sister and I huffed it across City Walk to get back to Islands of Adventure instead of taking the train again. In the immortal word of Homer Simpson "D'oh!" Cable cars are still my favorite amusement park transportation ride but I think I like this Potter train a good deal better than the standard trains you'll find at parks like Cedar Point.

A train (actually on a cable-propelled, funicular-style system (like a cable car) rather than a…read moretraditional locomotive, but beautiful locomotive design. Inside car spaces seat up to 8 adults, and no need for a seat belt - it only carries you between Universal Studios Florida and the Islands of Adventure (requires a park hopping ticket between the two, you can buy the upgrade to your single park ticket at either end). There are a lot of stairs, winding lines when busy (though mostly covered), an elevator that's backed up, and some items in the queue to fill the time (Platform 9-3/4, some cool mirror effects with walking into the wall, etc.). Lots of people in line and not super-smooth (they try to bunch people into groups of 8 really quick. *Spoilers* Inside while on the ride between the two is a transition between Hogsmeade Station and London and vice versa; the video in the window to the "outside" has little tidbits of coverage around Death Eaters flying around, what looks like the Malfoy Manor, British countryside, Hogwarts Castle, Hagrid, the Knight's Bus, etc. depending on which direction you're going. There's a little story in the background on the window into the hallway - projections of Harry, Hermione, and Ron talk about various things happening outside the train and some kids lose a spider candy or two... Overall interesting mini-ride that costs a bit more since it requires the upgraded ticket between the parks. This does have a line for the Express pass if you have it.

This is a pretty fun 3-D ride that's not over the top fast and scary…read more There is a lot of movement and roller coaster action, but I would say it's pretty mild too most of the rides in the park . I would compare it mostly to the Spider-Man ride, but it is a bit more intense, but it is a lot more thrilling!

This is one of my favorite rides in Universal Studios…read more The queue while waiting for this ride is incredible! I loved going through the Gringotts bank and how realistic the goblins were! The story to this ride is really good. Definitely a must ride while in Universal Studios.

Isle of Berk was absolutely amazing. From the moment you walk through the portal, you are fully…read moretransported. I love the movies, so seeing it all come to life like that was kind of unreal. From the giant stone slab with the island's motto welcoming you in, down to the smallest details, there is always something to notice and take in. We didn't get to see the flying dragons, which was a bummer, but there were still plenty throughout the land to check out. The rides were very on theme and the food was actually really good. It really felt like everything a Viking in training would want to explore. Getting to meet Toothless was such a highlight. He was so cute and honestly worth the hour long wait. At least most of it was in the shade, so I'll take that win. One small detail I really loved were the photo box stations. You just press a button, pose, and it snaps the picture for you. The backgrounds they capture are so good and it makes for such a fun memory. I still smile every time I look at mine. This was easily one of my favorite lands in Epic Universe and I'm so glad I got to experience it.

My family has always been fans of How to Train Your Dragon and we were really looking forward to…read moreseeing Berk brought to life. From an attraction standpoint, this section felt very thin for us. However, my children are much older and looking for things that have a bit more of a thrill to them. My oldest asked to attend the show, and although we waited a while alongside other families, after being on a long delay, the staff finally came out to say it was going to be permanently closed for the day due to technical difficulties. One highlight was the shops and one of them contained some really yummy treats. I found squares of fudge and the price prices were reasonable. I surprised my husband with chocolate peanut butter fudge. Overall, we didn't stay here too long and for a spot that stated there were dragons everywhere. We actually didn't see a lot of dragons everywhere. A bit of a letdown.

They really outdid themselves with how immersive the Harry Potter area really is!…read more For any Harry Potter fan, this part of the park is a must visit! There are plenty of shops and rides in the area that make you feel like you've stepped into the world of Harry Potter.

You know when Happy Gilmore has to close his eyes and focus on his happy place to calm his rage and…read moreplay good golf? (You don't? How have you not seen Happy Gilmore in this the year of 2026?...) That's what Hogsmeade Village is for me. For a lot of us. I absolutely love the music, the soundtrack, the attention to detail. The butterbeer? And moreover the butterbeer foam?? Legendary. I love letting my inner imagineer play while at Hogsmeade Village. One of my favorite spots is crossing the bridge over to Jurassic World and just staring up at the beautiful architecture of the Hogwarts Castle. I also found the Team Members extremely delightful and helpful while doing my wand spells. And my favorite wand quest does end in Hogsmeade with the Dueling Club. If you haven't done that quest yet, it is a must!

This was always my favorite part of IoA! The Spider-Man ride…read morewill never get old! It's been updated a bit since the ride came out, but it still has an old school comic book charm! In my late teens, I finally found the courage to go on the Hulk ride. It's the fastest and scariest coaster I've ever been on! Hulk yelling at the beginning doesn't help btw! I don't like drop rides, so I avoid the Doom fall. I'm glad Universal and Disney still have an agreement to keep this part of the Island! It would be sad to see it go!

Old school (pre Disney) Marvel comics, ride, and stores in Islands of Adventure in Orlando…read more Lots of comic book themed colors and designs here, good for those who are historic comic fans and the meet & greets here looked like fun if busy lines. The Hulk coaster, Fearfall wasn't on when we were there, and the Spiderman 4D experience. End of the day could've used some cleaning, someone had thrown up or really lost a meal on the ground, no one out there cleaning it up...