Credit: Dick Thomas Johnson, FlickrOne Universal Studios theme park has issued a stark warning to guests hoping to visit the park this spooky season.
Theme park dress codes have become a recurring hot topic in recent years. Entry is ultimately left to the discretion of front-gate staff, yet many operators maintain strict guidelines dictating what guests can — or, more accurately, cannot — wear once inside the parks.
For example, Disney enforces detailed dress code rules to maintain a safe, family-friendly environment. Prohibited attire includes clothing with offensive language or graphics, excessively torn garments, and loose-fitting items that drag on the ground. Outfits deemed overly revealing are not permitted, and layered clothing may be subject to searches. Guests must wear shoes, and visible tattoos featuring objectionable language or imagery are also restricted.
Famously, guests aged 14 or over are also not allowed to wear costumes or masks at the parks, unless they’re attending a ticketed Halloween event such as Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party or Oogie Boogie Bash. Some Disney parks, such as Tokyo Disney Resort and Disneyland Paris, also allow Halloween costumes for all on select days during this period.
Universal Orlando also sets clear boundaries on what guests can wear. Proper attire, including shirts and shoes, is required at all times, and clothing with offensive content or that could incite disturbances is banned. Costumes face especially strict rules: masks, veils, long trains, and realistic weaponry are prohibited, while wands must be safely rounded. Costumes exceeding 28 inches wide or 80 inches high are not allowed, and certain outfits may be restricted on rides for safety reasons.
Despite these rules being pretty clear-cut, we’ve seen plenty of drama over guest attire in recent years.
In June, a guest wearing a sports bra as a top claimed that she was “forced” to buy a $45 shirt after waiting an hour for a ride at EPCOT. Another guest triggered backlash on social media after sharing a video in a bra at Disney’s so-called best theme park, Tokyo DisneySea, while a guest at Disneyland Resort was asked to cover her chest while trying to visit the Southern California theme park resort last fall.
ネットでは議論を呼んでる下着ディズニー、
「ディズニーランドやシーはあなただけの場所じゃない」って批判があるけど、
以前も下着でUSJに行く下着ユニバが炎上したことを考えて
皆さん的にはアリ❓ナシ❓
— 激バズ3rd (@gekibnews) August 27, 2025
Universal Issues Warning Over Revealing Halloween Costumes
While guests push the limits of these costume rules all year round, some of the most flagrant rule-breaking occurs over Halloween when parkgoers dress up as various characters.
To mitigate any potential incidents this spooky season, one Universal theme park has issued an official warning to guests.
A notice on the official Universal Studios Japan X, formerly known as Twitter, account warns that anyone wearing inappropriate costumes will be denied entry or asked to leave.
[Request for the Halloween Period] We welcome guests enjoying the park in various costumes, but for the safety and peace of mind of many guests, we ask for your cooperation with rules and manners. Clothing that violates public order and morals or excessive exposure deemed inappropriate for the park will be refused, and you may be asked to leave.
【ハロウィーン期間のお願い】
さまざまな仮装でパークを楽しむゲストを歓迎していますが、多くのゲストの安心安全のため、ルールとマナーへのご協力をお願いします。公序良俗に反する服装やパークにふさわしくない過度な露出はお断り、退場いただく場合があります。
詳細：https://t.co/nhtnLNcz8S— ユニバーサル・スタジオ・ジャパン公式 (@USJ_Official) October 24, 2025
In addition to revealing costumes, a more detailed notice on the Universal Studios Japan site warns that guests may not wear anything that obscures their face or body shape in ways that hinder safety, including full-face masks, helmets, or excessive makeup and face paint. Outfits deemed excessively grotesque or frightening, or those likely to cause discomfort to other visitors, are also restricted.
The park also prohibits impersonating employees or entertainers, costumes that pose safety hazards, and disruptive behavior such as scaring guests or blocking pathways. Visitors are discouraged from occupying areas for photos in ways that interfere with operations, ensuring Halloween events remain safe and enjoyable for everyone.
Universal Studios Japan’s Halloween Horror Nights celebration for 2025 is markedly different from that in Hollywood and Orlando. Unique offerings include Jurassic Park The Ride: In the Dark – which, as the name suggests, sees guests experience the attraction in complete darkness – while Death Eaters: Crisis in Hogsmeade sees the dark wizards flood the Wizarding World of Harry Potter to spook guests.
Factory of Fear: Zombie Tour of Despair delivers the true thrill factor by bringing parkgoers face to face with grotesque zombies. Other scare mazes and experiences include Resident Evil: Night of Heroes, Chucky’s Carnival of Chaos: Chucky’s Bloody Festival, Chainsaw Man the Chaos 4-D, and Chainsaw Man x Hollywood Dream The Ride (which also offers an alternative backwards ride on the iconic roller coaster).
Beyond Halloween Horror Nights, Universal Studios Japan pulls in millions of guests every year – even outpacing Tokyo Disney Resort – with an array of attractions that differentiate it from other Universal spots worldwide. This includes the Jurassic Park-themed roller coaster The Flying Dinosaur, the eccentric indoor roller coaster Space Fantasy – The Ride (which is routinely closed for lengthy periods of time), and the last-remaining version of Jaws.
It also features versions of more common Universal attractions, such as Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Flight of the Hippogriff, and Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem.
Do you plan on attending Halloween Horror Nights this year?