| Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights |
The Greatest Halloween Treat?
I'm sorry to say this, but not this year. On October 28, 2004, three members of PIRA made sure not to miss Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios in Orlando. The theme for this year… "What's your breaking point?" Well, I must say that they reached mine, and I don't mean with their haunted houses and ghoulish ghouls… I mean with their practices and procedures.
We have made a point to visit Orlando and Universal during the Halloween season for several years now, never having been disappointed. Unfortunately, this year was different, and I'm not sure that I will venture back to see if anything changes.
In past years, one entered the Nights in Universal by walking through a dense fog with the sound of blood curdling screams piercing the night, only to be approached by one of their many ghouls. They changed the normally innocent rides into terror machines at night. One year Kiss had an incredible concert during the horror nights, and they always have this incredible parade. It was all done in fun… scary, safe, controllable fun. This year I did feel scared, but not at all safe or that I was in a controllable environment.
Let me start from the beginning. Not too far into our vacation, I had the unusual and unfortunate opportunity to visit the parks from a wheelchair. I must admit that the majority of the parks were very accommodating and pleasant. There was one, or should I actually say two, that were not; Universal Studios and Universal's Islands of Adventure. These parks were a nightmare to get to from the parting garages. They charge you $12.00 (rather than the normal $8.00) for "priority parking" which includes parking for the physically challenged.
Both parks have the blue wheelchair signs all over, and state that riders in wheelchairs can easily access the rides and enjoy the parks. This I must disagree with. The lines that were supposed to be wheelchair accessible were at times too small and too tight. We were unable to make some of the turns and there were many times when no one was available to direct you through the maze of ropes and fences. For the Incredible Hulk ride, we were in line for 45 minutes, no big deal waiting- but we were on ramps, uphill ramps for the majority of the time. It is very difficult for a wheelchair with a designated "pusher", let alone a wheelchair without a "pusher" to make it up the ramps and onto the ride. I believe this was very poorly planned.
The Incredible Hulk was not the only place this happened. It was all over both parks. Just about everywhere we went, we had one problem or another with the wheelchair access.
Now if access wasn't bad enough, the thing that bothered me the most, the thing that made me feel unsafe and insecure… was all the alcohol in the park. I can understand a bar here and there… but they had booths set up within the lines of the rides! These booths sold beer and other alcoholic beverages. Now I am no prude, and I too enjoy a drink or two… but not when I am about to get on a ride that spends most of its time upside down and in the dark, or walk into a haunted prison with blacked out rooms, strobe lights, people jumping out at me, and where the floor turns into a wet, unstable sponge like substance. Not when there are children around me, or worse yet… with me.
I watched this one guy, who was already visibly intoxicated, with a drink in both hands, tell his "wife" that he was going to jump the fence, run to the bar, and get more drinks,. Why? Because the "beer stand" didn't have what he wanted. I watched another guy in line for the Mummy ride, drop his bottle, throw up, and pass out in front of a group of very young teens.
There were women walking the waiting lines selling Jell-O shots in fake syringes to people who were already so drunk that they could barely pull their money out and pay for it. And the best… as we were leaving the park, heading to the parking lot where we were going to get our car and DRIVE back to the resort… there were women again selling the Jell-O shots… announcing… "Last chance, get your Jell-O shots here… take one for the road…"
Another concern of ours was in regards to the number of security people we saw versus the number of patrons who were drunk or well on their way. I suppose we should be glad that those (patrons) we did see somewhat intoxicated weren't violent or belligerent… just sloppy, some were sick, others were just plain obnoxious and ignorant. It's a shame that that is what we had to be happy about.
Maybe it is me… maybe I am just getting too old for what is now considered fun. At 37, I don't find puking all over myself fun. I don't find being drunk on the Incredible Hulk ride and puking before I get off very much fun. I don't find making a fool out of myself in front of a group of young impressional kids very fun.
There is a time and place for alcohol. I personally don't believe it is in an amusement park, especially one of this nature, but that is just my opinion. Unfortunately, as much as I have enjoyed my last several visits to Universal Studio's Halloween Horror Nights… I doubt that I will ever go back. I know I won't take my children there, and will think twice about even bringing them in the daytime. I think the whole thing is just sad and so pathetic. I truly hope that the Universal management team wise up, and take the stand that the money earned from the sale of all that alcohol isn't worth the risk to their patrons.
But then again, this is just my opinion.
Diana F.
PIRA Multi-Media Director