Credit: Dick Thomas Johnson, FlickrOne Universal Studios theme park has tightened up its security as of this week.
Theme parks are among the safest entertainment destinations, largely due to their strict security measures. Keeping guests safe at the likes of Disney and Universal involves more work behind the scenes than many may realize.
Bag checks, metal detectors, and uniformed security personnel are common at major parks, ensuring that potential threats are addressed before guests even step inside. The strict protocols extend to ride safety, with attendants trained to enforce height restrictions and boarding procedures without exception.
Though these measures may seem excessive at times, they are essential in keeping millions of visitors safe each year.
While the vast majority of guests aren’t packing anything remotely dangerous, multiple incidents over the years have highlighted why these efforts are necessary. In 2022, a woman was caught trying to bring a loaded gun with 12 rounds into Walt Disney World Resort after setting off a metal detector. A few years earlier, another guest was caught with a gun in his backpack during Disney’s Animal Kingdom bag check.
As part of the ever-evolving nature of theme park security, one Universal Studios theme park has tightened up its security as of this week.
Over the past few weeks, Universal Studios Japan has gradually built up a new baggage screening area. This has officially debuted as of February 3, according to USJ 1.
#USJ New baggage inspection Grand opening on February 3rd. Live broadcast 14
★ Summary
① Baggage inspection was at 5:30 and the park opened at 7, so there was no confusion.
② Many Japanese customers knew about the attractions at USJ from prior information on the Internet and went to the new baggage inspection area without getting lost, but many foreign customers were unfamiliar with the area and asked the crew questions.
#USJファン
#USJ 新手荷物検査 2月3日グランドオープン。実況中継14
★総括
①手荷物検査5時30分、パークオープン7時と早めたので混乱は無かった
②日本客はUSJのツボのネットでの事前情報で知っている人が多く迷わず新手荷物検査場に行ったが、外国人客はわからずクルーに質問する人が多かった
#USJファン pic.twitter.com/QTVlE1mzBC— ＵＳＪのツボ (@usj1) February 3, 2025
Not only is there now a new area consisting of 43 lanes for guests to get their bags scanned prior to entering the park – plus metal detectors – the team members responsible for screening these bags have also debuted new security costumes.
Guests can reportedly start going through the security area 30 minutes prior to the park opening.
New uniforms for baggage inspection and security crew. The word “SECURITY” on the back. A cool uniform from both the front and the back.
★ USJ’s stylish uniform ranking
1st place: Haridori
2nd place: Security crew
#USJファン
速報) #USJ エントランス 新手荷物検査
■新手荷物検査、2月3日グランドオープン。実況中継13手荷物検査、セキュリティクルーの制服が新調
後ろの『SECURITY』文字
前から見ても後ろから見てもカッコいい制服
★USJおしゃれな制服ランキング
1位 ハリドリ
2位 セキュリティクルー
#USJファン pic.twitter.com/PAgdhm8OxB— ＵＳＪのツボ (@usj1) February 3, 2025
Of course, the odds of a guest bringing—or attempting to bring—a gun into the park are much lower at Universal Studios Japan than at Walt Disney World or Universal Orlando Resort. Gun laws are much stricter in Japan than in the U.S., with the country’s weapons law quite literally beginning by saying, “No one shall possess a firearm or firearms or a sword or swords.”
In 2024, another popular tourist attraction—Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo—The Making of Harry Potter—accidentally violated this law when it unintentionally sold prop swords that were sharp enough to constitute actual weapons.
Universal Studios Japan is renowned for its heavy crowds, with images often going viral on social media of guests gathered in popular lands such as SUPER NINTENDO WORLD en masse. Efficiently dealing with guests of this number is no small feat, with the theme park working on this new development for a while now.
Beyond security, the most recent updates to Universal Studios Japan have included a refresh for Jurassic Park: The Ride (which thankfully did not see it become Jurassic World: The Ride, as originally feared), as well as the debut of its first SUPER NINTENDO WORLD expansion, Donkey Kong Country. The latter will also feature at Universal’s upcoming theme park, Epic Universe, when it opens in May.
How do you think theme parks could improve their security?