Universal Orlando makes metal detectors on three rides permanent

This is the single most ridiculous over-reaction ever. I've heard all about the incidents that prompted this, and I think it's pretty stupid. Hundreds of similar rides operate all over the world without incident or injury. People hate air travel because of the TSA, and they're bringing that to the heart of their vacation experience.

Can I just submit to one body-cavity search at the gate and get it over with?

So it looks like instead of analyzing the root cause and figuring out an optimal solution, they have decided to dig in (to stupidity). Talk about snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. They were doing so well with their imporovements. . . .and now this isht!

This sucks. Now everything has to be idiot proofed because people can no longer control their compulsion to film or take pictures of themselves on a high speed ride.

The idiots have won.

This policy is asinine. This is just a major inconvenience and causes more problems than it would solve. How many incidents have there been where riders or bystanders were hit by loose objects? The incident on Dueling Dragons was a fluke.

Big thumbs down for this effort. The park employees wouldn't let me ride with my wallet in my front jeans pocket this past December. All that was in the wallet was some cash, hotel room key and couple of credit cards. I thought it was ridiculous.

It IS ridiculous.

I've already ridden Dragons and Rip Ride Rockit to my heart's content (which, in the case of the latter, took just one ride), so I guess I can endure this for a ride or two on Hulk.

I am not going to trust that my wallet, with my bank card and my credit card and any cash that I have, will be safe in a locker. I bet that they claim to not be responsible for anything stolen out of the lockers as well? I would not enjoy the ride because I would worry the entire time if my *every penny I own* would be there when I return. That far away from home and no money at all? Nope. It's not even worth a visit to the park if that's how they roll.

I can only see this negatively impacting park attendance and ridership of those rides.

I've got to wonder if the extra income from the lockers will be able to pay for the metal detectors. Oh wait. Can't take a key on the rollercoaster, as the metal detector will pick that up.

I think of this, and then I think of what I have ridden with at the nearby Disney park on rides. Obviously, different rides, but the last time I was at Disney Studios, people rode Rockin Rollercoaster will full blown backpacks. Definately a different view.

I haven't seen the lockers myself, but I'm sure they are the modern keyless lockers that use codes or credit card swipes to open.

I'd assume that the lockers are free like the ones at all the other Universal attractions.

Lockers are free for a certain period of time (which I have always understood was based on current wait time for the ride). And they are locked and opened with fingerprint scan.

I don't think this will be the end of Universal parks (see: the sky is falling), but it's just annoying. We got back from a week at DL last month and the thing I appreciated the most was the immersiveness (which often piggybacked on top of convenience for things like stroller parking, bag storage, food quality). Every moment I have to worry about logistics, is a moment I'm not in "the magic" which is the entire reason I'm spending that much money to be there in the first place. At the very least, I hope they theme them somehow, so it's part of the story (like walking through the column to platform 9 3/4 or being scanned for entry into Bruce Banner's laboratory).

ApolloAndy said:

I hope they theme them somehow, so it's part of the story (like walking through the column to platform 9 3/4 or being scanned for entry into Bruce Banner's laboratory).

I wish I could give a '+5' for that suggestion. That is amazing awesomeness right there...I give you the highest accolades a theming geek can give.

The detectors could definitely be incorporated into the Hulk theming. And you go through metal detectors at a lot of concerts so they should be able to incorporate them into Rip Rocket. But metal objects should be required when dealing with dragons.

Morey's had a similar policy in place on Nor'Easter last year. Instead of walk-through metal detectors, employees used wands to check guests' pockets. Free lockers were provided for 30 minutes. It was incredibly annoying, as I had to empty everything from my secure zippered pockets.

I assume Universal is also not allowing any metal on the rides, even if it can be secured in a zippered pocket. I infer from this that they don't trust people to not unzip their pockets while on the ride (either to take “harmless” selfies or to intentionally throw items from the ride). I really don't understand why a written and/or verbal warning that “taking out loose articles on the ride will result in ejection from the park” isn't sufficient.

If they want to do this, they really need to rework the queue so that you put your stuff in the locker at the end, just before you get on the ride. There are going to be a lot of unhappy people in an hour long line for Hulk if they don't have their phones...

You're exactly right. Without their phones, they'd actually have to talk to people.