Credit: Resorts World SentosaLine jumping is increasingly common at theme parks, with a recent incident at Universal proving just how serious the problem has become.
From Universal to Six Flags, we’ve heard of an increasing number of cases of line cutting (or line jumping) in recent years.
In October 2023, we reported on an incident where about 50 people tried to skip the long wait for Flight of Passage at Walt Disney World Resort’s Animal Kingdom. Earlier that year, TikToker @leeredwood tried to spark Disney into action by recording the many, many cases he witnessed during his visit to the Central Florida theme park resort.
The situation is so serious that Knott’s Berry Farm even introduced extreme new measures to tackle the issue in June. Signs around the park now encourage guests to snitch on any line jumpers via texts to Knott’s Berry Farm security ā a system that was previously implemented at other Cedar Fair parks prior to the group’s merger with Six Flags.
Incident at Universal Studios Halloween Event
While people had split opinions on this Knott’s Berry Farm policy, the silver lining is that it eliminates the need for guests to personally confront line jumpers ā something that can end poorly, as proven by a recent incident at Universal Studios Singapore.
During the theme park’s Halloween Horror Nights event, a 21-year-old man ā referred to as Ian ā reported being assaulted after he confronted a group attempting to cut the line for a popular horror attraction, Sweet Home.
Ian observed three women trying to cut the queue and warned them against doing so. This confrontation led to verbal threats, and when the women successfully moved ahead, three men from their group also attempted to breach the line.
Ian stood between the rope to block their entry, prompting a physical responseāhe was punched by each man, once in the left cheek, once in the right cheek, and once to the back of the head and across the bridge of his nose.
“I was not budging and a crowd was forming, [so] they ran away,” Ian said (via AsiaOne).
Ian promptly notified Universal staff and filed a police report. After being contacted by AsiaOne, police revealed that they received a call for assistance at 30 Sentosa Gateway around 10.10 p.m. last Thursday (October 17). They confirmed that they are investigating the incident, with three suspects aged between 19 and 21 assisting officers.
Meanwhile, Singapore Civil Defence Force told AsiaOne that they received a call for assistance about 30 minutes later, taking the man to Singapore General Hospital.
A spokesperson for Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) ā operated by Genting Singapore, which licenses the rights to Universal Studios ā told AsiaOne that they were aware of the incident at Halloween Horror Nights (HHN).
“When notified, RWS promptly rendered help to one party and also helped to locate the other party,” it said. “Our guests’ safety is always our top priority, and our website includes park policies and code of conduct that outlines our expectations for HHN.” The investigation is still ongoing.
The smallest of Universal’s theme parks, Universal Studios Singapore is home to six lands: Hollywood, New York City, Sci-Fi City, Ancient Egypt, The Lost World (inspired by theĀ Jurassic ParkĀ franchise), and Far Far Away (inspired by theĀ Shrek series, featuring a recreation of the kingdom ruled by Fiona’s parents in the second film).
While the park is much more limited in expansion space than its sisters across the globe, it’s set to add its own version of Minion Land in 2025, while a version of SUPER NINTENDO WORLD ā currently found at Universal Studios Japan, Universal Studios Hollywood, and, as of next May, Universal Orlando Resort’s Epic Universe ā is also said to be in the works.
Do you think enough is being done to prevent line-cutting at theme parks?
