Universal Orlando metal detectors...

First it was Rock'it. Now it's Dueling Dragons (Challenge, whatever).

The silliness is over the top, IMO, but it's their park after all. The "possible upside" that immediately came up here at The Swamp was this: The Dragons COULD actually duel once again now.

Remains to be seen how far they're willing to go....having a hard time envisioning how this works out in practice (school has kept me out of UO for quite a while).

Thoughts?

Strikes me as unnecessary "look how safe we're keeping you" theatre, but as you say: it's their park. I'd be willing to put up with the inconvenience to visit the Uni parks.

Now, if Great America up here near Chicago decides to go that route -- I can only bring myself to visit the park when I get free tickets and even then rarely stay more than a couple of hours, as it is. There, the inconvenience would be sufficient that I wouldn't visit the park at all.

That's where you and I differ. I don't see the point to go through the hassle at this juncture. I don't like the Uni parks THAT much.

I should have said I'd be willing to put up with the inconvenience if they were installed on just the more high profile attractions at Uni. And too, I don't get to Orlando nearly as often as I'd like, so having the chance to visit Uni or WDW is always a treat.

Ugh, metal detectors are so declasse...especially at a highly themed attraction. But. . . . (and its very big but). . . If the metal detectors will make them duel the damn things again, then I'm down.

Maybe I missed something...what's the point of having metal detectors for specific attractions, vs. at the front gate? And why would that potentially allow the Dragons to duel again?

I am kind of confused about this too. Loose articles that get thrown around aren't always necessarily going to be found with a metal detector. I guess cameras, guns, and knives would be prevented on rides. If, on dragons, for example, someone wanted to pack a medium sized rock and chuck it at the opposing train, it would not be found with a metal detector.

Because apparently they think that loose articles can only be metal, loose articles are hurting people and this will fix everything.

It would appear they haven't received that memo in Lake Buena Vista.

It does seem like a lot effort installing and staffing them at individual attractions.

On the plus side, queue shankings are down 18%.

LostKause said:
I am kind of confused about this too. Loose articles that get thrown around aren't always necessarily going to be found with a metal detector.

Quit trying to ruin it for everyone, Travis!

Well, on the other hand, maybe there are specific incidences that they are trying to prevent from happening again. It wasn't made completely public as to why Dragons are not dueling anymore, for example. Perhaps someone threw an open pocket knife or throwing star from the front seat of the ride at the opposing train. I assume that the perpetrator of the assault was not found.

In other words, I don't know the specifics of what they are trying to prevent with individual metal detectors. It really does seem like a lot of effort for something that only prevents part of a potential problem.

That was my point... I don't think they know either.

Lord Gonchar said:

On the plus side, queue shankings are down 18%.

Always carry a shank made of bone. Or a sharpened toothbrush.

Or a sharp wit and a civil tongue.

Martha made one with a comb and a pack of gum. gangsta!

You guys need to embrace technology. Make all your shanks with a 3D printer, metal detector proof and any design you want.

A man is dead in the queue with a stab wound, but the only evidence is a pool of water beside him. What happened?

Well, something had to come through the window. Something had to break the stereo.

And why is the carpet all wet, Todd?

I don't know, Margo!

Ah, Hastings, the answer, it is simple!

After being there a week after Dragons stopped dueling a few years back, I was there on Wednesday without the metal detectors and Thursday with them. I am not sure how much the metal detectors will improve safety as already noted when it isn't only metal objects which can fall out of pockets and create problems. Also, I am not sure how well they work with metal objects. I was flagged for metal detector wands sometimes and later went through the same detector (each time with no metal in my pockets -- just a belt and pocket buttons) without any issue.

Definitely bogs down the process though. Universal's locker areas tend to be cramped with too few lockers with normal traffic. Push even more people to lockers (before and after riding) and its more of a chaos and bottleneck point. Hulk was the worst with barriers trying to funnel people to and from lockers in an area which isn't very big which also has people just standing there watching the ride. Makes re-riding tougher because you are going to a locker to get your phone out of the locker and then put it in another one. That issue exists if you have a bag but the metal detector/nothing in your pocket policy essentially treats almost everyone as if they are carrying a bag.

Ride op on Dragons told me I needed to put my wallet in a locker even though it was in a buttoned back pocket. They have you sit on flip flops and a hat but won't allow you to in essence sit on a wallet with a button to secure it. At one point, they were also directing everyone to the lockers on Dragons even if you had nothing in you pockets at all. So you were waiting in line for the lockers only to walk past them.