By any measure, Universal Orlando Resort’s third theme park, Epic Universe, has been an incredible success. It’s an incredible new park that has fans excited. The best Epic Universe attractions are among the best theme park rides in the world. However, as with any major technological step forward, there have been some issues.
Epic Universe has some of the most advanced theme park attractions ever created. Harry Potter and the Battle At The Ministry and The Frankenstein Experiment: Monsters Unleashed have specifically seen some significant downtime now and then. While unexpected downtime for theme park attractions is far from uncommon, Epic Universe is perhaps seeing more of it than most. That’s not surprising considering everything in the park is so new, but fans have their own “theory” as to what the problem is.
How Wizarding World Wands Are Being “Blamed” For Epic Universe Downtime
While there are numerous reasons why a theme park attraction might go down unexpectedly, the “rumor” that has been circulating among fans at Epic Universe of late is that it’s all due to magic spells gone awry. One of the lands at Epic is based on the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, after all, so lots of guests are wandering the park with their own magic wands. The Harry Potter movies have certainly shown us what sort of damage untrained wizards can do.
It’s certainly an entertaining theory if nothing else. And it turns out that Epic Universe Team Members are getting in on the fun.
The Funny Way Universal Team Members Are Responding
One of the details that has come along with the shift in theme parks toward IP-specific lands is that the people working in them become part of the experience. A ride operator isn’t simply a ride operator but a person from the world the theme park land represents, doing a job from that world.
This has led to some thematically appropriate interactions regarding the story about errant bmagic causing attractions to go down. Disney Dining recently mentioned an experience they had with a Epic Universe Team Member who, upon seeing the wand, asked if they had been causing any problems with attractions because…
We’ve had three magical mishaps already today. The Ministry’s watching.
It’s a minor thing, but as is often the case, attention to detail is what sets a good theme park and a great theme park apart. These sorts of interactions, be they with costumed characters or just general Team Members, can really make an experience feel special, and that’s all the more important if there are issues with other parts of the theme park experience, like attractions being down.
This might have been an individual Team Member making a comment on his own, but it could have also been something that Epic Universe has decided it's going to lean into with fans. It wouldn't be the first time that an in-joke at a theme park that was started by fans became something more official.
Certainly, this isn't a joke that I expect will need to become a long-term thing. As Epic Universe's attractions continue running, random downtime will become less common, the park's ability to fix things, when necessary, will get faster. Still, maybe watch where you point your wand, just in case.
