Over the last six months, Universal Parks’ YouTube channel has been slowly trickling out detailed preview videos of the five lands that will make up their new Epic Universe park when it opens in Orlando next year. On Wednesday, the channel offered a breakdown of the final area, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic (which will feature a ride set in the Ministry of Magic in 1998, but which otherwise recreates… Paris in the 1920s?), meaning that we finally have a full set of specs for the expansion.

While I do absolutely have to give a shout-out to Celestial Park — which, as I believe our own Tereglith pointed out, represents the first time in decades that a domestic resort from one of the Big Two will open a new land that doesn’t hinge on IP in any way — my retro-horror-loving heart can’t pretend that it isn’t over the moon about Dark Universe. In particular, I can’t wait to hear more about Monsters Unleashed, which, if we take the designers and engineers at their word, might just be one of the most elaborate, most technically complex, and scariest dark rides we’ve ever seen. Though if that latter claim in particular is true, I will probably seek out some ride-through videos first, because my retro-horror-loving heart is also a total chicken.

Over on the other side of the Orlando theme park war, Disney took some big swings of its own this month by finally completing their five-year renovation of EPCOT’s Communicore Hall.

So, you know, it’s really still anybody’s game.

Feel free to use this space to discuss all things theme- or amusement park!

Optional Discussion Question(s): I know this has been the prompt something like four different times now, but especially now that we’ve seen it all, which part of Epic Universe looks the most interesting to you? Any pleasant surprises? Any let-downs?