How a Lifelong Book Lover Helped Build the Wizarding World’s Newest Ride at Universal Epic Universe

Anisha Vyas-Burgos, Director of Projects at Universal Creative, led the team behind Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry at Epic Universe. She grew up loving the Harry Potter characters, and now helps bring their world to life.

As a child, Anisha Vyas-Burgos loved the Harry Potter series, especially the characters, the magic, and the messages of courage. Now she helps build real-life places where families from around the world can step into the magical worlds that books can create together.  

Vyas-Burgos, Director of Projects at Universal Creative in Orlando, Florida, helped lead the creation of Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, a new attraction at the Epic Universe theme park. “I led the entire project team for the Battle at the Ministry,” she said. “I got to do a little bit of everything.”

The ride takes place after the final Harry Potter movie and centers around Dolores Umbridge’s long-awaited trial. “We worked with Warner Brothers to imagine what came next,” Vyas-Burgos explained. “And yes, Umbridge finally stands trial for her crimes.”

As part of the queue for Battle at the Ministry, guests pass through the grand atrium where Dolores Umbridge is shown onscreen. She made her first appearance in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, where she clashed with Harry at Hogwarts.

She worked on the ride for about four years, overseeing creative, engineering, architecture, and operations. Her favorite parts of the queue include the Auror locker room and the Hall of Ministers. “The conversations between past ministers are really fun,” she said.

A Lifelong Connection to Books

Scholastic has published the Harry Potter series in the United States for nearly 30 years, introducing the magical world to new generations of readers like Vyas-Burgos.

Her favorite book is Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone because of its sense of discovery. Her favorite character is Hermione Granger. “I loved math and science. Seeing a female character who was proud of being smart ... it meant so much to me,” Vyas-Burgos said.

Just like in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, where Harry first encounters the Floo Network, guests at Epic Universe step through emerald flames and green smoke as part of the ride’s immersive queue at the Ministry of Magic.

Advice for Future Creators

Vyas-Burgos said that reading helped her become a strong storyteller. This skill still plays a big role in her work today. Whether someone is building a ride or writing a book, they are guiding people through an experience with a beginning, middle, and end.

“Even though the method is different, the goal is the same,” she said. “Make it understandable, fun, and memorable.”

To kids who dream of doing creative work when they grow up, she offered this advice: “Find what you’re good at and what you love. That intersection is where the magic happens.”