Guests at Universal Orlando Resort are calling out their fellow parkgoers for reckless actions on multiple attractions, drawing attention to the impact these behaviors have on overall safety.
While Universal’s theme parks are designed with stringent safety measures, there’s only so much that can be done when park visitors disregard the rules. And according to some parkgoers, it seems that dangerous behavior is becoming more frequent.
Dangerous Ride Tampering and Reckless Actions
A recent incident aboard Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls at Islands of Adventure has reignited concerns about reckless behavior. One Reddit user described a situation where a group of guests was reprimanded for rocking their ride vehicle, which resulted in a delayed ride.
“We just rode Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls 15 minutes ago and were stuck for almost 5 minutes,” they wrote. “Just before we finally got to exit the boat traffic jam… staff made an announcement along the lines of: Once again please keep your hands and feet inside the ride vehicle and do not attempt to rock the boats.”
It’s worth noting that tampering with a ride vehicle in such a way not only risks ejection from the park but also compromises the safety of everyone aboard, making this kind of behavior both dangerous and, to put it bluntly, outright stupid.
Phone Usage on Thrill Rides: A Growing Problem
Unfortunately, this is far from the only instance of unsafe actions at Universal. Many users have pointed out the ongoing issue of guests using their phones on thrill rides, which has led to interruptions and even safety hazards.
“I’ve been stopped on JP:RA [Jurassic Park River Adventure] right at the peak of the T. rex drop because people pulled their phone out and the operators saw them,” wrote one Reddit user. “So it stopped the ride and ruined the moment. Literally please just let us all enjoy ourselves and follow their rules.”
Others also chimed in with similar complaints, particularly about the Jurassic Park, with one stating that “almost every time I ride it, the T. rex gets muted so the staffer can warn guests to put their phones away.”
More extreme examples included one person recalling a ride on the Harry Potter attraction Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure in late 2020, where a guest filming the ride dropped their phone, which hit the person behind them in the head.
Ignoring Instructions from Team Members
Another serious issue involves parkgoers ignoring cast member instructions, leading to even more dangerous situations. One user described a tense moment during a Jurassic Park River Adventure ride when a fellow guest refused to follow the rules, resulting in a gap between guests and a loose restraint bar. “Last weekend my fiancée nearly had a panic attack because someone in our row had a backpack still strapped to their chest and it created a huge gap between all of us and the bar,” the user recounted.
In another example, a father ignored repeated warnings about seating arrangements, which led to a chaotic experience for others. “On River Adventure, a dad kept putting his daughter onto his lap – constant warning over the ride audio that kids needed to be in their seats,” wrote a frustrated guest. “Completely ruined the vibe of the ride.”
Other cases, like guests standing up during The Cat in the Hat ride and touching props, have been reported as well. “We recently got stopped on Cat in the Hat and heard a very frustrated ‘STOP standing up and trying to touch the ride props. If you continue, you will be removed,’” recalled another user.
Universal’s Efforts to Address Safety Concerns
While Universal has implemented safety measures like metal detectors on attractions such as VelociCoaster, the onus ultimately falls on the guests. One team member shared their perspective on the situation: “As an attractions TM, I can assure you that 98% of all issues on rides are due to guests being stupid. 1% is TM error and 1% is when the ride suddenly just decides to stop working right.
Despite everyone’s efforts to ensure safety, rule-breaking guests continue to disrupt the experience for others. One thing’s for sure: guests and staff alike are growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of respect for basic safety protocols.
What’s the most dangerous guest behavior you’ve witnessed at a theme park?
