Universal Orlando blocking bottled water

[jakeman]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-universal-orlando-citywalk-liquids-20150216-story.html

Universal Orlando is currently not allowing guests to bring bottled water or other liquids into CityWalk or its theme parks.

Spokesman Tom Schroder said in an email "this is the result of a review of our procedures and is not permanent." He would not say how long the ban would last.

Universal has generally prohibited guests from bringing in lunches but has allowed small snacks and bottled water.

The ban could be a security measure, said Scott Smith, a hospitality associate professor at the Universityy of South Carolina. Airports already have restrictions on bringing beverages through security checkpoints.

"It might be that they're concerned about secuirty but in the end they're going to end up selling more food and beverage through not allowing people to bring in the liquid," Smith said.

Mark Mantel, visiting with his wife and son from Claremont, Ca., said he was surprised Monday when he had to give up his two bottles of water.

Security guards put unopened bottles in trash cans but ran out of room, Mantel said, so they then placed them on tables. Some people dumped out their water and brought in empty containers, Mantel said.

Lines into the area slowed to a crawl, Mantel said, apparently as a result of confusion about the new policy.

"I just couldn't believe it," he said. "I just was thrown off."

 

[monothingie]

Major USO screwup.

Disney will now be able to introduce mymagicbottle+. Allowing their guests to bring in their own bottles with a minor usage fee. All they have to do is affix a non-refundable RFID tag to their water bottle to allow TDO to track usage and consumption billing rates. (Too little consumption and they turn up their myweathermagic+ weather machine to increase the consumption of liquid beverages).

Don't doubt me.

 

[Johnny Hess]

Weird. They let us in on Saturday AM with Powerade and Big Gulps and no one else was being stopped. We went back to the car to change. When we returned around 3:00-3:30 PM, they were making people ditch all of their drinks. We thought it was for Mardi Gras so people couldn't sneak in alcohol. Surprised this is turning into an all day/every day thing :-/

 

[lazyboy97o]

Security at Universal Orlando Resort has apparently been a bit renegade for awhile, but this is a step too far. The Resort is going to need to do some serious da manage control and Security needs to be reigned. You can't have one team killing a new wave of public confidence.

 

[Hakunamatata]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-universal-orlando-citywalk-liquids-20150216-story.html

Universal Orlando is currently not allowing guests to bring bottled water or other liquids into CityWalk or its theme parks.

Spokesman Tom Schroder said in an email "this is the result of a review of our procedures and is not permanent." He would not say how long the ban would last.

Universal has generally prohibited guests from bringing in lunches but has allowed small snacks and bottled water.

The ban could be a security measure, said Scott Smith, a hospitality associate professor at the Universityy of South Carolina. Airports already have restrictions on bringing beverages through security checkpoints.

"It might be that they're concerned about secuirty but in the end they're going to end up selling more food and beverage through not allowing people to bring in the liquid," Smith said.

Mark Mantel, visiting with his wife and son from Claremont, Ca., said he was surprised Monday when he had to give up his two bottles of water.

Security guards put unopened bottles in trash cans but ran out of room, Mantel said, so they then placed them on tables. Some people dumped out their water and brought in empty containers, Mantel said.

Lines into the area slowed to a crawl, Mantel said, apparently as a result of confusion about the new policy.

"I just couldn't believe it," he said. "I just was thrown off."

This is just more proof of Disney's unethical profit driven thought process.

 

[hokielutz]

Wow... Read this on FB earlier. This will definitely be a PR black-eye for Universal.
This is not the way for them to keep momentum in the battle for attendance.

 

[wdwmagic]

Wow. Seems a really bad decision.

 

[kap91]

This is most likely to stop underage drinking and hooligans during Mardi Gras but certainly comes across instead as a cash grab.

 

[JT3000]

This is most likely to stop underage drinking and hooligans during Mardi Gras but certainly comes across instead as a cash grab.

They've been doing Mardi Gras for years without much incident (not to mention HHN is far worse) so that excuse wouldn't fly. Either way, this better be temporary.

 

[71jason]

They've been doing Mardi Gras for years without much incident (not to mention HHN is far worse) so that excuse wouldn't fly. Either way, this better be temporary.

Hear it was a bad weekend. But like the pat-downs before coasters, an overreaction that will almost certainly be pulled back soon.

 

[neoshinok]

Bad form. We came in with water and fruit Sunday. Didn't happen to see any ugly displays of drunkenness. Seemed like a much tamer crowd than any HHN.

 

[hokielutz]

Given the official response by the parks... it is probably a test to see if their internal concession sales are boosted enough to make the policy permanent. If it was about limiting drunks for event nights.... then their response might've said that.

Also... this is a big waste of water, gatorade, etc and the bottles themselves.

 

[DisneyPrincess5]

Major USO screwup.

Disney will now be able to introduce mymagicbottle+. Allowing their guests to bring in their own bottles with a minor usage fee. All they have to do is affix a non-refundable RFID tag to their water bottle to allow TDO to track usage and consumption billing rates. (Too little consumption and they turn up their myweathermagic+ weather machine to increase the consumption of liquid beverages).

Don't doubt me.

Omg this just made my day.

 

[Scuttle]

Wow. Seems a really bad decision.

I sat through a meeting about it. A young girl brought two bottles full of vodka and nearly died.

 

[Scuttle]

They also said they will probably phase it out and just check to make sure bottles are unopened when brought through the turnstiles.

 

[Mike C]

I wouldn't be surprised in that case, I've ran into people opening bragging about bringing white rum into the parks before. (Including Magic Kingdom) Lawyer-ish knee jerk reaction to someone being extra stupid with Vodka doesn't surprise me at all.

 

[StageFrenzy]

Stupid, if someone really wants to bring something in this will not stop it.

 

[StageFrenzy]

If there is a will there is a way. You can get bra's that are fill able, fake beer bellies that are really contaminators, etc. etc.
http://www.thebeerbelly.com/category_s/30.htm

Many other crude ways to bring stuff into the parks. I've personally brought flasks into WDW at night.

They need to go with good enough for security. It's not worth looking like it's a cash grab so you can stop some teenager from doing teenager things. Truth is a group of adults with a real purpose in mind can get just about anything into the parks easily. I won't say how to do it but a little work a head of time can allow you to conceal small objects, think Magician. Working together you could get fairly large and heavy objects into the park in parts. Is it a theme park or military base??? Only so much you can do.

Not to mention cargo pockets, it's not like they do pat downs...

 

[JT3000]

I can't wait until the HHN metal detectors are there year-round, because we're apparently headed in that direction. Fun.

Also... this is a big waste of water, gatorade, etc and the bottles themselves.

Green Is Universal

 

[hokielutz]

Not to mention cargo pockets, it's not like they do pat downs...

Don't go giving them any ideas. Have you ever been to a security checkpoint at an NFL / pro sport game? No drinks allowed in the stadiums and pat-downs for everyone.