Harry Potter & The Battle at the Ministry - Reviews, Photos & Media

[HandsomePete]

Also not a clapper, but I just assumed it tied into the studios/movie theme and the TMs initiated it as like a round of applause at the end of a film.

Or maybe I’ve completely overthought it and people just like to clap.

 

[GA-MBIT]

I've definitely clapped occasionally, one part as just a way to relieve some of that pent up adrenaline after a great ride, and part to show some appreciate to the TM's. I don't think too much about it.

I also don't take one RV not clapping as anything to gleam reception from. There are much better metrics out there haha. I just think it was potentially poor behavior from the TM.

 

[simon]

Proper POV with all of effects working including pendulum!

 

[simon]

New rhino fog effect on nose has been activated as of today, still waiting on vent fog effect on top of rhino to be fixed.

 

[LanSolo]

Is the drop ever going to come back or is it just a lost cause at this point? Really like the ride already but that would just put it over the top in my opinion if it comes back.

 

[illumination]

Proper POV with all of effects working including pendulum!

This was excellent! They must have used an ultra wide angle camera, I saw many things I haven't seen in any other POV video.

Looks like the drop is still just a screen effect. I hope the physical balcony railing comes back. Can't they move it along with the screen even if the ride vehicle has a smaller drop than it used to?

 

[simon]

This was excellent! They must have used an ultra wide angle camera, I saw many things I haven't seen in any other POV video.

Looks like the drop is still just a screen effect. I hope the physical balcony railing comes back. Can't they move it along with the screen even if the ride vehicle has a smaller drop than it used to?

Yeah, I do love wide-angle and vertical POVs so I can spot more of detailed stuff like backstage lighting, effects.

 

[CaretakerBajaBlast]

After my fifth ride on Ministry yesterday, I think I’m ready to say that I just don’t think this ride is very good. It is a purely emotionless experience for me, and that’s from someone who lived and breathed Potter for my entire youth and young adulthood. Technical aspects can be wonderful, but they should be tools for conveying emotion above all else.

I genuinely don’t think Ministry has a soul.

There’s just something so “fake” about it. The weird manipulated voices coupled with stilted performances (the projection faces are downright garish and never should have been implemented), all the interesting story moments are just one big room with a neat figure and the fact that the overall storytelling is a bottom of the barrel narrative that screams “what else can we possibly do with this version of Potter?”

Is it better than Gringotts? I’d say so. But even comparing to its neighbor Paris attraction, Cirque, Ministry just feels empty. Whether or not you have affection for Fantastic Beasts, there’s a genuine sense of wonder and magic to the critters over there- the puppeteering, the effects, stage and sound design all make something that resonates with people. The thunderous applause leaving that theater vs the dead silence returning to load on Ministry was noticeable.

 

[GA-MBIT]

I do honestly really love that lil' cleaner guy though.

 

[simon]

After my fifth ride on Ministry yesterday, I think I’m ready to say that I just don’t think this ride is very good. It is a purely emotionless experience for me, and that’s from someone who lived and breathed Potter for my entire youth and young adulthood. Technical aspects can be wonderful, but they should be tools for conveying emotion above all else.

I genuinely don’t think Ministry has a soul.

There’s just something so “fake” about it. The weird manipulated voices coupled with stilted performances (the projection faces are downright garish and never should have been implemented), the fact that all the interesting story moments are just one big room with a neat figure and the fact that the overall storytelling is a bottom of the barrel narrative that screams “what else can we possibly do with this version of Potter?”

Is it better than Gringotts? I’d say so. But even comparing to its neighbor Paris attraction, Cirque, Ministry just feels empty. Whether or not you have affection for Fantastic Beasts, there’s a genuine sense of wonder and magic to the critters over there- the puppeteering, the effects, stage and sound design all make something that resonates with people. The thunderous applause leaving that theater vs the dead silence returning to load on Ministry was noticeable.

"I genuinely don’t think Ministry has a soul" Exactly.

That's how I felt throughout the ride and the soundstage for this ride is the biggest and tallest we've seen, pretty sure even more than Rise and indi, but they only utilized 35% of their showroom and 75% is just hollow black wall. And this feels minimal effort for the space and scale of the budget they got provided. Honestly I feel like they put too much budget into q line instead of focusing the actual ride. But for Monster, when I ride it, I feel genuine passion, interest and care throughout the experience. I see severe efforts to utilize space and effects, technology much effective and creative as possible within budget allows. I feel like Gregory's unchained team were humble and genuinely tried their best while the designers in ministry were being kind of snobbish and overestimated themselves. That's why I appreciate Monster even though it's not a perfect ride.