To start, let's face facts: Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley certainly represent the two most theme-park-able places seen in the Wizarding World to date (even a 1920s Paris, while lovely, wouldn't exactly scream Wizarding World, and it's not like there's a particularly iconic place in Paris like a Diagon Alley that we saw in Fantastic Beasts). 

So with full knowledge that Universal Orlando's third park is probably stuck with Fantastic Beasts at this point, we still wanted to offer our ideas for where else in the Wizarding World we'd like to travel... There's clearly not an obvious "third place" in the franchise that would translate so beautifully and directly to the theme park model (i.e. rides, shops, restaurants, etc.) as Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley, but a few of these might be worth expanding on...

1. The Ministry of Magic

There's no doubt at all that the most obvious "third place" to bring to life in the Wizarding World is the headquarters of the Ministry of Magic – the governing body of the British Wizarding World. Not only is the Ministry headquarters a distinctive, iconic physical "place," but it's one that houses plenty of ride-worthy experiences, from warehouses stocked with prophesies to offices filled with flying paper plane memos; Dementor-guarded courtrooms to the iconic atrium (above), site of a duel between Voldemort and Dumbledore.

Allegedly, the Ministry of Magic was pretty much guaranteed to be added to Universal Studios Florida's Wizarding World (which makes sense since the Ministry is located in London, just like Diagon Alley) as a future expansion. Weirdly, the prevailing rumor now is that that ride has been moved to Epic Universe's Wizarding World, even though the land itself is still set in the Fantastic Beasts' version of Paris. That would mean that the land will be set in 1920s France, but its major ride will see guests pass through the Floo network and emerge in the British Ministry of Magic during Potter's timeline, decades later (which seems uncharacteristically lazy for the theme park Wizarding World that literally created the immersive, in-universe land). 

If we had our way, we'd say: make the Ministry the whole land, not a ride within it. There are fully indoor lands out there (including Mermaid Lagoon at Tokyo DisneySea, Kung Fu Panda Land of Awesomeness at Universal Studios Beijing, and some EPCOT pavilions like The Land and The Seas), and given the funding available for Potter projects, we have no doubt that Universal could build an entire Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic land. Imagine guests entering via the Ministry's recognizable corridor of Floo Network fireplaces (above) to find bustling wizards and witches en route to their offices; places to grab a working lunch and stock up for Ministry missions; this is a space we want to enjoy, not just see as part of a queue line.

To that end, Orlando ParkStop does mention a few rumors for what a Ministry ride could look like. One supposedly-axed attraction saw guests gather into a Wizengamot courtroom for the trial of Dolores Umbridge (occuring after the movies have concluded, and thus expanding the Wizarding World's lore) that would see Umbridge escape, the courtroom break apart into trackless ride vehicles, and a race through the Ministry alongside our heroes spring into action.

ParkStop reports that the current plan for Epic Universe is for a headlining ride making use of the Ministry's multi-directional elevators, using clever scene-switching effects to travel through the Ministry's offices, courtrooms, corridors, and warehouses. It sounds great! But it also feels like rather than just being a ride nonsensically-placed in a 1920s Paris that most guests won't even recognize as being a Wizarding World locale, the Ministry should just be expanded to be the land itself. Right?

2. Godric's Hollow

Godric's Hollow is a quaint village located in the West Country of England. It's a tiny town named for its most famous resident – the long-dead Godric Gryffindor for whom Hogwarts' Gryffindor house is named. It's also a town with significant history in the Wizarding World, including the childhood home of the Dumbledore family and – most importantly – the cottage in which the Potter's hid from Voldemort, still half-destroyed from the Dark Lord's spell backfiring all those years ago. Yep, it's Godric's Hollow where Voldemort cast the spell that scarred Harry Potter and left the Dark Wizard powerless.

In many aspects, Godric's Hollow is highly theme-park-able. Because it's a cute little English village, the town is home to an inn, a church, and no doubt various shops run by magical and Muggle alike. At the center of town is a war memorial that – when approached by the magically-inclined – transforms into a statue of the Potter family. It's also home to the cemetery where Lilly and James Potter were laid to rest – a significant (if slightly irreverent for a theme park) landmark.

Of course, it's also not very theme-park-able, because nothing significant really happens there in the films' timeline, and even if it did, hiding a showbuilding in a little English village wouldn't be an easy task. In other words, it would be interesting to see Godric's Hollow in person, but maybe as more of a walkthrough attraction than as one of the four anchoring lands of Epic Universe.

3. Ilvermorny

First described by J. K. Rowling on the official canon-containing website Pottermore, Ilvermorny is the school of Witchcraft and Wizardry serving North America. Yes, the United States' own version of Hogwarts. Supposedly started by an Irish witch named Isolt Sayre who traveled to the United States by ship in 1620, the magical school is located somewhere in Massachusetts, though its mountainous location is hidden from Muggles – er, uh, "No-Majs" to use the American lexicon – by dense fog.

Like Hogwarts, Ilvermorny has four houses named for native mythical creatures – Thunderbird, Wampus, Horned Serpent, and Puckwudgie – representing adventurers, warriors, erudites, and healers, respectively. Very, very little is known about Ilvermorny or the magical New England fishermans' villages that no doubt serve as its gates. Likewise, there's a world of distinctly-American magical creatures who could inhabit the pine forests, river valleys, and mountain streams that surround it. And that's the best news yet.

At last, there's literally an entire untouched corner of the Wizarding World left to explore; one not tied to the existing mythology, and one where Warner Bros. and Universal Creative can work together to literally create a whole new world. Ilvermorny is a sketch in the Wizarding World's canon, ready to be filled in. Universal's Epic Universe could be the place to do that. Imagine being able to "live your own Wizarding World adventure," exploring how the magic of the Wizarding World inspired colonists to build enchanted coastal villages and tame sea monsters; how American students buy wands made of wood reclaimed from Isolt's ship; how students are sorted and what classes they attend... It's all waiting to be written.

When the details of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge were made official, one of the more controversial elements of the land was that rather than selecting a planet already seen in the Star Wars films, the area would be set on a planet invented just for the parks called Batuu. Though the heroes and villains we know would be on hand – and though the land looks and sounds and feels like Star Wars – some fans just couldn't get behind the idea of eschewing Tatooine or Coruscant or Naboo in favor of a planet no one had heard of or seen before. Disney's call to "Live Your OWN Star Wars Adventure" was clever, but not everyone got on board.

It's possible Universal would run into the same issue here, but with Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley so perfectly capturing the most iconic spots in the Wizarding World we've seen, what would be the harm in bringing to life a part of the Wizarding World we haven't? I mean, if it came down to 1920s Paris or Ilvermorny, wouldn't the latter be more exciting for fans? To see a part of the Wizarding World that's never been given physical form before, exclusively at Universal Orlando? 

Magic in the Making

Look, Universal wants a third Wizarding World land. Who could blame them? And sure, at this point, we're 95% sure it'll be a 1920s Paris rooted in the aesthetic of Fantastic Beasts, maybe with a non-sequitor Harry Potter ride inside of it. 

Just as James Cameron directs the future of Avatar far more than actual desire for more Avatar movies, it's likely that Rowling's push for Fantastic Beasts will see the franchise grow come hell or high water... and a whole land dedicated to it in Epic Universe may simply be part of her demands that no one dare push back against. Also like Avatar, there's every chance that the theme park land will resonate beautifully, somehow "severed" from its source material and standing strong all on its own!

We just won't know until we learn more about the future of Fantastic Beasts or Epic Universe. Until then, our ideas are just "armchair Imagineering." Which is why we want to hear yours. Do you think Fantastic Beasts deserves a permanent land in Universal's new park? How would you feel if the land looks like Fantastic Beasts, but its rides are set in Harry Potter's time? If you could build your own Wizarding World, where would you like to see it set? Let us know in the comments below and when you share this feature on social media!