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Credit: Dick Thomas Johnson, FlickrGuests under a certain age will not be allowed to experience a new Universal Studios attraction, the park has confirmed.
One of the things that makes Universal Studios theme parks so popular is the fact that, like Disney Parks, they’re designed to entertain guests of all ages and interests.
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For example, at Universal Orlando Resort, thrill-seekers can take their pick from the likes of VelociCoaster, The Incredible Hulk Coaster, Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, and Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit when visiting Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure (and will soon have even more thrills on their hands with the opening of Epic Universe in 2025).
Younger guests, or those with dispositions that don’t run on adrenaline, can enjoy just as much variety. The newly opened DreamWorks Land features an array of family-friendly attractions inspired by the studio’s animated canon. Other thrill-free lands include Minion Land and Seuss Landing.
The point is that there’s something for everyone at the resort – and the great thing is that everything is open to guests of all ages, so long as they adhere to the minimum (and, in the case of the Jurassic Park ride Pteranodon Flyers, maximum) height requirements.
That’s what makes the latest news from another Universal Studios theme park so disappointing for some diehard parkgoers. Universal Studios Japan has just revealed that one of its newest attractions will be limited to guests of a certain age.
A little bit of backstory: Universal Studios Japan announced its Halloween Horror Nights lineup last week, and responses were pretty divisive. While some fans have complained about the short list of offerings this spooky season, one attraction that’s got everybody hyped is Biohazard Night of Heroes – a haunted house inspired by the Resident Evil franchise, which is known as Biohazard in Japan.
As per the Universal Studios Japan website, this will be “an immersive experience in which you are surrounded on all sides by the Resident Evil world, just like in the games.” The house’s full backstory is described as follows:
You’ve become lost in a long-abandoned Umbrella research facility. A lab where viruses that turn human beings into zombies and other bioorganic weapons were developed, it’s now become an uncontrolled area writhing with countless zombies and other creatures. Along with Clair, Chris, Leon, and Jill, who’ve arrived on the scene, can you survive the zombie hordes and hellish terror?
Enjoying this attraction isn’t as easy as getting in line at rope drop. According to Universal Studios Japan, Biohazard Night of Heroes will only open from 6 p.m. until the park closes – and will only be available to guests over the age of 12.
This was the case for another Resident Evil attraction at the park last year, so it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. Of course, the idea is that it’s simply too scary for younger guests to enjoy.
However, while other parks do include warnings for guests of a certain age at Halloween Horror Nights, with Universal Orlando Resort noting that it “may be too intense for young children and is not recommended for children under the age of 13,” this is not a hard and fast rule and more of a guideline (although guests have debated whether Universal should enforce a minimum age in the past).
Do you think there should be a minimum age for scary theme park attractions?