We’re going to pose a simple question for you: if you were driving on a five-hour road trip, would you stop for a bathroom break? You’re probably thinking, “Of course!” Five hours is a long time — your body needs a break! But what if you were standing in a five-hour LINE at, say, a theme park? It’s not so easy to go to the bathroom when you must first awkwardly scoot past hundreds of cranky people. It’s like going through the gauntlet!

300 minutes = 5 hours

First, let’s back up a bit. Universal’s new theme park, Epic Universe, is open now, and there’s one ride that consistently seems to be the most popular. The ride is called Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, located in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic. It’s a mouthful, we know. Well, this ride has been reporting hours-long lines, reaching wait times as high as 300 minutes (a.k.a. five hours). We’ve got a problem with the new ride.

Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry is an incredible new attraction. It is a high-tech mixture of a thrill ride and a motion simulation attraction that follows the epic scene as Dolores Umbridge prepares to stand trial. You’ll join Harry, Ron, and Hermione and journey into the Ministry for a thrilling adventure. It’s no surprise the ride is racking up hours-long waits!

Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry

But here’s the problem. These days, theme park designers know that their fantastic new attractions are going to be popular. We know this because we’ve walked through (and waited in) the queue. That queue is LONG, winding, and built to hold a LOT of people. So clearly, the queue was designed to accommodate a 300-minute wait. Or…was it?

The queue is HUGE

After standing in line for Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry for well over an hour, we noticed a big problem with the queue. There’s no midpoint restroom!

No bathroom here!

Disney fans might know what we’re talking about — the Flight of Passage ride, for example, has a bathroom inside the queue, as Imagineers anticipated ultra-long lines when this attraction first opened. Take it from us. It’s SO nice to be able to pop over to the bathroom without totally exiting the line or fighting the crowds. 

Flight of Passage Restrooms

And OK, yes, there is a restroom at the very end of the Battle at the Ministry queue, but remember, at that point, you could be waiting four to five hours before you get to that point in the line. We don’t know about you, but we aren’t super inclined to scoot closer to the front of the line past hundreds of people to get to the bathroom. We have a feeling we’d encounter some angry people along the way.

Crowds at Epic Universe

The best advice we can give you is to go to the bathroom right before you get in line. The good news is that there’s a bathroom outside the attraction. Use it! 

Wizarding World

You know your body better than anyone. If you don’t think you can handle a five-hour wait without a bathroom break, you might want to hold off on this experience. (Or be prepared to exit the queue to go to the bathroom!) We’re hoping that those record-high wait times start to decrease, because even without the nagging feeling of having to go to the bathroom, standing in line for several hours is NOT enjoyable.

That’s a LONG line

If you brave the queue — good luck! In the meantime, we’re always on the lookout for the latest theme park news, so stay tuned for more.

Don’t want to go through all of the stress of booking your Epic Universe trip alone? Reach out to our friends at Small World Vacations! Their experienced agents monitor your reservation for possible future savings, compare discounts, and figure out which one works best for your travel party, dates, resort, and touring plans. And, they share expert tips and first-hand advice with you about your magical vacation.

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Have you encountered this issue? Let us know in the comments!