A New Epic Universe Permit for a 58,000 Square Foot Building Could Be the Missing Piece of the Wizarding World Expansion

The Dark Universe expansion is where the visible work is at Epic Universe, with pilings going in and the work zone now reaching the guest path in Darkmoor. But the paperwork for the park's other rumored expansion, in the Wizarding World, just added another permit.

A new Orange County permit for a 58,000 square foot structure has posted for Epic Universe, Orlando ParkStop reported on Thursday, October 29. ParkStop thinks it could hold the queue for the rumored Harry Potter ride.

The Wizarding World show buildings at Epic Universe and the open land beside them, which Orlando ParkStop identifies as the expansion site. Photo: Bioreconstruct via Orlando ParkStop

What the permit actually says

We looked up the permit, number B26907055, in Orange County's Fast Track system ourselves. The county's record shows a Commercial Permit at 1001 Epic Blvd, applied for on October 16, 2026, with no issue date yet and a status of "Internet Incomplete." Its project name is "***Special Projects*** QADP Permit," which gives nothing away.

The permit screenshot ParkStop published adds a few more fields: the work type is New Construction, the sub type is "Recreational/Social/Sauna," and the permit expires on April 16, 2027.

The permit record for B26907055 at 1001 Epic Blvd. Image: Orange County Fast Track via Orlando ParkStop

The square footage comes from ParkStop. The public record we could pull does not list a size, and it does not say where in the park the building goes. 1001 Epic Blvd is the address for Epic Universe as a whole.

Why ParkStop thinks it is the Potter project

ParkStop's reasoning is about the numbers. It says the county recently issued another permit linked to the planned attraction's 95,000 square foot ride building. Its theory: "If this new structure is related to the project, it could be for the new attraction's queue areas."

Add the two together and you get roughly 153,000 square feet, which ParkStop says "brings us back to the original 150,000 square feet, the full size of the Wizarding World's expansion plot." That 150,000 figure is the one permits pointed to back in March, when we first wrote about the expansion.

A permit site plan with labels added by Orlando ParkStop, showing the Ministry ride building and the approximate expansion area. Image: Orlando ParkStop

ParkStop also notes that, even though the Potter expansion was permitted before Dark Universe, no visible work has started on it yet. The paperwork, though, keeps moving.

A broom ride, if the rumors are right

Universal has not confirmed this expansion. The rumor ParkStop describes is a tracked flying broomstick ride, possibly themed to the Quidditch World Cup. ParkStop says that theme has been teased through signs in the land, and its photo of the Coupe de Quidditch marquee in the land's Paris area is below. Like the Dark Universe ride, it is expected to be indoors, which ParkStop says would help the park's capacity when storms are around.

The Coupe de Quidditch sign in the Wizarding World's Paris area at Epic Universe. Photo: Alicia Stella, Orlando ParkStop

Over on the other side of the park, the Dark Universe ride site is further along. We covered its concrete pilings on October 27.

So, what is your guess for that 58,000 square feet: a queue and preshow for a broom ride, or something else entirely?

Sources

• Orlando ParkStop, "Universal Orlando Update: Mythos Demolition, Hollywood Drift Testing, & Dark Universe Ride Construction" (October 29, 2026)
• Orange County Fast Track, permit B26907055 (checked October 29, 2026)
• Parks Magic, March 9, 2026: the Wizarding World expansion permits
• Parks Magic, March 5, 2026: the 150,000 square foot expansion permits
• Parks Magic, October 27, 2026: Dark Universe concrete pilings

Image credits: Bioreconstruct via Orlando ParkStop (aerial); Orange County Fast Track via Orlando ParkStop (permit record); Orlando ParkStop (labeled site plan); Alicia Stella, Orlando ParkStop (Coupe de Quidditch sign).