Universal Studios
Reviews and Complaints

I attended Halloween Horror Nights on 11/2/24. Upon leaving the Texas Chainsaw Massacre Haunted House, an employee confronted me (with security standing by), stating I used flash photography inside the house. This was not true. I offered to have the employee look through my phone, but she did not. She continued stating the flash was a safety risk, etc. I explained to her again that I did not use any flash. She did not listen to me at all. She then decided to go down a different path and stated I went through the house too slowly. I explained to her I didn't spend over $1000 to rush through the house in 30 seconds and wanted to enjoy the experience. She was unprofessional. At a minimum, since she targeted the wrong person.

While the trip was fun overall, this negatively affected it and dampened the rest of the night. The employee did not identify herself, so I could not even provide her name. However, I am sure since we were scanned in at the haunted house, she can be tracked down.

We visited Florida Universal Studios on [protected] at 9:23 am.

We were very disappointed and unhappy with our visit for the price of tickets.

We encountered 5 closed rides!

We contacted our lawyers about this problem, they suggested that we contact you first with it complaint.

We paid a total of $413.22 for our tickets.

We felt that we absolutely did not get our monies worth.

The other couple that was with us-one of them actually got stuck on a ride and had to walk out of it.

Thank you for listening .

Hopefully you will consider some type of refund for us!

Sincerely,

David Alazaus and Sherry Casper

Called guest services 3 different times. Each time I waitied over 30 minutes with the last time being over 1.5 hours. I spoke with Amanda, then Shabelly and finally Kelly who was supposedly the manager. Shabelly actually said there was no manager on site at all to speak to and tried to get me to hand up. Then all of a sudden she transferred me to a “manager”. So was there no manager on site or did she lie? Did someone pretend to be a manager? Either way that’s so unprofessional and inconvenient. Guest service members are inconsiderate abs unhelpful. Go to Disneyland and avoid these [censored]ty employees all together.

The day I went to Universal Studios I went to go take a picture with Donkey from Shrek. There was a crowd of people trying to take a picture with him, so I stood with them. I couldn't see a line forming and the employee wasn't helping us anyway and he told me to go up and THEN he started showing the other people into line. I would've totally been fine waiting in line. But then the Donkey actor started ignoring me and saying, "I'm not even looking because if you don't have patience for me, I won't have patience for you." and I was like wtf. Because first of all how are you going to be mad at me for something your coworker did, and I never overstep my boundaries and always listen to direction. It was just super weird. Not only did he humiliate me in a front of people but made them feel uncomfortable too. He just totally ruined the whole experience for me. If you don't like your job, you shouldn't be bullying the people coming to your park. All the Disney Land actors were so nice though that I met, and the employees there actually helped me. Unfortunately, I'd have to find the video but I have the time and place it happened.

Thanks for existing. We purchase 3 wrong tickets from Universal Studios Hollywood on 04/04/23 via internet. but we in Orlando, so next day 04/05/23 we visited Universal and we was unablle to enter (My wife,son and me) so we forced to repurchase 3 more tickets. We did asked for help for a refund on 3 tickets and all we recieved was business card with a phone number. I attempted to make several calls so when the answer ther was no refund option and since that date I had no resolution. I paid with my credit card and we are international visitors. Thank you

Case [protected]

Case [protected]

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Revocations (NBCUniversal, Orlando)

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To:

• You

Tue 6/20/2023 4:14 PM

Hello Guest,

Your request has been received, please take note of a few reminders.

Requests regarding refunds are not handled by this department.

Requests can only be submitted by the person involved with an exception regarding minors.

To expedite your request, make sure to include your full name, date and location of the incident as well as the details of the incident from your point of view.

Once all of this information is received, the case will be reviewed by our Management Team and you can expect a reply within 12-14 business days.

Sincerely,

The Revocations Team

Reply

Forward

TC

tony chen

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To:

• [protected]@universalorlando.com

Tue 6/20/2023 4:13 PM

I am Brandon's father and am the one who purchased the 5 five-day tickets for Universal. I want to make it very clear how incredibly angry and dissappointed with the response and lack of customer service in this company.

My wife and I initially waited for my son just outside the doorway while my son was shopping. It started to rain and eh was taking a long time so my wife and went around the crner to sit at the chairs in front of Auntie Anne's Pretzels. He stuck his head out to ask me if he can charge a $27 T-Shirt on his credit card. He was not trying to steal the T-shirt. I purchased 5 five-day tickets to Universal and this incident occurred on the first day. He was told a response would be provided within 24-48 hours after the incident. It is now 1 month later before I hear any response. I would like to have this issue escalated for further discussion and I want to file a case for compensation. Please respond to this request vua mail reply or phone call at [protected].

Joseph Chen

From: Brandon Chen

Sent: Tuesday, June 20, 2023 3:52 PM

To: tony chen

Subject: Fwd: Trespass Request Denial

---------- Forwarded message ---------

From: Revocations (NBCUniversal, Orlando)

Date: Wed, May 31, 2023, 7:55 AM

Subject: Trespass Request Denial

To: Brandon Chen

Brandon Chen

316 Saint Paul St #3

Boston, MA

[protected]@bu.edu

RE: UO Security Incident Report: [protected]

Date: 05/25/2023

Dear Brandon:

We have reviewed your involvement in an incident that occurred on our property on 05/25/2023. The incident was documented within UO Security Incident Report [protected], and you were issued a Trespass Notice for a period of one year.

Due to the nature of the incident, we regret to inform you that we cannot lift the Trespass Warning issued to you at this time. You will be unable to visit our property for any purpose until the trespass warning expires on 05/25/2024.

Sincerely,

The Universal Orlando Resort Security Management Team

MF/dm

UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT

1000 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS PLAZA ORLANDO FLORIDA 32819

www.universalorlando.com

---------- Forwarded message ---------

From: Brandon Chen

Date: Fri, May 26, 2023, 10:17 AM

Subject: Appeal for Alleged Shoplifting Incident - Request for Reconsideration of Trespass Ban

To:

Dear Universal Studios Guest Services,

I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to appeal a one-year trespass ban that was imposed on my family and me following an unfortunate misunderstanding involving an alleged shoplifting incident at Universal Studios.

On 5/25, my family and I were enjoying our vacation at Universal Studios when an incident occurred that has left us deeply distressed. As loyal patrons of Universal Studios, we purchased five-day passes to make the most of our time here and create lasting memories. However, our experience took an unexpected turn when we were accused of shoplifting by a security officer.

Allow me to provide a detailed account of the events that transpired. While inside a gift shop, I momentarily left the shop without making a purchase. My girlfriend who was with me at the tine didnt even have any merchandise on her. This was solely due to the fact that I had inadvertently left my debit card in the car, and the only means of payment I had was a joint credit card. I left the shop briefly to locate my parents and request their permission to use the credit card for the intended purchase.

Regrettably, as I was searching for my parents, a security officer approached us, apprehended us, and ushered us into a separate room. At the time, my girlfriend and I were extremely scared and distressed so i was trying to be as cooperative as possible. However, I was not given an opportunity to provide my side of the story. The security officer proceeded to allege that we had shoplifted, requested the unpurchased items, and compelled us to sign certain documents.

I want to emphasize that there was never any intention on our part to engage in any form of theft. We were looking forward to enjoying our time at Universal Studios and would never jeopardize our visit or tarnish the reputation of this renowned establishment.

In support of our appeal, I have copies of the receipts for our five-day passes as evidence of our genuine intent to enjoy the park's offerings lawfully. Additionally, I can attach credit card statements clearly indicating our financial responsibility and the intention to pay for any merchandise that may have been mistakenly taken out of the shop.

I kindly request that you reconsider the imposed trespass ban and reinstate our access to Universal Studios. We deeply value our relationship with Universal Studios and would greatly appreciate your understanding and assistance in resolving this misunderstanding promptly.

If there are any additional steps or information required from our end, please do not hesitate to let us know. We are fully committed to resolving this matter and restoring the positive experience we had initially anticipated during our vacation.

Thank you for your attention to this appeal. We eagerly await your response and sincerely hope for a favorable resolution.

Yours sincerely,

Brandon Chen and Michelle Liu

[protected]

On Feb 16th at noon I rode the men in black ride at universal studios Orlando. Prior to riding the ride the it is suggested that all belongings are locked up in the “free” lockers. The lockers that are free are tiny and the lockers that can accommodate a backpack require a fee. The lockers cannot be used without swiping your ticket. I had my tickets on my phone and knew that I would be unable to open my locket without my ticket so I reluctantly held on to my phone. There is no mention of any other options available to riders. While on the men in black ride, I placed my phone in my side pocket and it unfortunately fell out on one of the turns. Upon exiting the ride I immediately informed a staff member. I explained that I was travelling alone with two children, one with a disability and desperately needed to retrieve my phone. The staff member informed me in very not empathetic manner that my only option would be to return after the ride closed at 8pm that day and suggested I fill out a lost item form at guest services. I spoke with a guest services agent who took my contact information as well as the physical description of the phone and wallpaper. The guest service agent asked for my pin to unlock the phone. I explained that I was not comfortable leaving my personal pin on a form for anyone to potentially use. The agent insisted it was company policy. I further explained that I have personal banking information and personal data that I would not be willing to share and I could unlock the phone in a staff member’s presence. At this time I checked the location of the apple iphone’s location and it was listed at the men in black attraction.

Feb 17th - called guest services requesting an update was told to wait for an email on the claim. Sent email, received no response. Make another call to guest services, they checked the claim and said no items were turned in.. location on the phone read men in black.

Feb 18th - no updates from universal, phone located at men in black in the am. Called guest services. Explained my flight was leaving and I was told they were going to retrieve after the ride closed. They informed by that on certain rides they have to wait for the mechanics to retrieve items. I asked when they were company and they said they are a third party company and were not sure when they would be servicing that particular ride. They also asked if I filled out a form and suggested that I have the access pin listed to verify my identity upon finding the phone. Once again I explained I was not comfortable with this. On the evening of Feb 28th the pin on the location of the find my iphone moved from men in black to the lost in found area. I called again and was told that they had not logged the phone, but it was possible it would be logged in the am. Staff suggested I come to guest services the following day..

Feb 19th - I went back to universal guest services, provided claim number and was told that the phone has not been documented in the lost and found. I showed staff members the photos of the phone’s location showing that it was within ten feet of where I was standing. They explained that they searched the area and the phone was not there. I asked if I could go to the lost and found so that I could ping the phone and they said that I needed a ticket to go to the lost and found and would need to stay at guest services. I spoke with a manger and showed them the location change. They agreed that it was strange, but also could not locate phone.

Feb 20th - no updates. Phone last location Feb 20th 11am near guest services.

I supposedly spoke to a member of Vin Diesel's management team, Kevin.
I was advised of 3 Fast Family memberships, each had their own perks. I purchased the VIP package for $2,000.
I received an email confirming my payment & issued documents stating I legitimate member.
I then received a letter & a text stating the franchise jet would be picking me up for the event but I had to pay $4,563 for aviation fees.
I didn't pay that fee.
I paid $2,500 due to extra fees & charges.
Attached are supporting documents, email address, & messages received.
I was also speaking with someone impersonating Vin Diesel.

Park personnel were harassing my son . He was told he couldn't ride the ride because he had coins in his wallet. They told him he could put his wallet in a locker, but he refuses.

I'm pretty sure this is not a rule and they were just screwing with him. It was probably racial discrimination. He waited in line for an hour just to get harassed and miss the ride.

This happened at approximately 3:45 pm on 19 Nov 22

To get refund for a express pass due to Covid-19, we have made 30+ cell phone calls most of which was left unanswered with no good reason. Finally, one room service department 'offered' to transfer our complaint to the custom service department. The room service guy was rude and said nothing more than 'we cannot guarantee the time you need to wait...' even when there was no more than 2 days before the express pass expires. However, as echoed by the room service guy, 'the refund request should be responded ...'.

Costumer attended responded to line [protected], on 04/26/2022 at 1:49 pm EST named MICHELLE. Was extremely rude, incapable to give a straight answer, raised her voice, and hang up on me.

I dropped my phone in the water at Islands of Adventure on Tuesday 3/8/22. I was not allowed to get it out of the water d/t "hazard". They recovered by phone on Tuesday night. Ownership was verified on the following day by providing them with my IMEI number. We paid to have it shipped back to me. Today is Friday 3/11/22. The lost and found department at Universal Orlando told us they do not have the shipping materials to ship my phone back to me (as of an hour ago). We have spoken to over a dozen people about this. My phone works and they have it turned on. They wanted me to unlock my phone for them to look thru even though the IMEI number could be verified by pulling out the sims card. I have been able to see my phone location for past 3 days at the Lost and Found on my laptop. We have been told the Lost and Found does not have any supervisors to speak to. We were guests at Hard Rock Hotel 3/6-3/9/22.

I recently purchased a 2 day (2/23 and 2/24) Universal 3 park hopper for 2 days for my family ( 4 children and 5 adults. We stayed at the Dockside hotel in Universal and it was great. On day 1 we went to Universal Studios and it was also great, on day 2 we went to Volcano Bay water park and it was also great. In late afternoon we went to Islands of adventure and were shocked that all of the rides were closed, the only thing that was open was the playgrounds. Since King Kong, Spider Man, Harry Potter, and all of the other main attractions are in this park, my grandchildren were totally disappointed. Why would Universal sell a 3 park pass when all of the main rides attractions were closed? TOTALLY DISAPPOINTED!

I attended the Hollywood CA Universal Studios New Years Eve Event. I am truly mad & disappointed with the fact most of all the attractions were closed early due to a variety of reasons per park staff. I spent over 3 hours in line @ Minions attractions, which is the only attractions available during my time at the park. I spent $279 for two adult tickets. Also spent $35 for parking and lastly $38 for hot dog at Mel's. My frustration is outrage & disbelief with how an establishment this experienced and wealthy could put on an event and not be prepared to host their guest in a fair equitable way. Even exiting the park was awful, herding us behind the buildings with no bathrooms before arriving at parking lots. This evening was horrible and Universal should be ashamed of taking advantage of their guest time and wasted money on an event that promised fun, food and attractions to usher in 2022. That was not the case at all.. Signed Disappointed guest, Myrna Brown :(

I went the water ride Popeye & Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges and the water in there is definitely not safe. I got really bad rash and my and legs and foot. The Jurassic park dinosaur while I was talking pictures it hit me so hard on my hand . I have a big bruise, edema and it hurts a lot. It wasn't worth coming all the way from Chicago and spending so much money to get injured. I recommend cleaning the water.

I tried to log in to see Halloween Horror Pricing and Preferred Pass options. I could not log in. I called. I was told "since you paid cash for your tickets at the park, you must get Halloween tickets at the park, also." I was shocked because we live 1 1/2 hours away, are seniors, and do not want to risk it being sold out as we book a room also.. I wanted advice and help. After getting no where she just HUNG UP ON ME. I call back and ask to speak to a supervisor. She stated that what I was told was not true and that the reason I could not get on the web site for info was because tickets were not being sold yet. Well, I called my daughter and she said THIS WAS NOT TRUE as she could see the schedule and prices! I am disgusted as a repeat annual pass holder. I also stay at your resorts. I have utilized the parks twice since last Oct. 31st. at the cost of almost $800. I would like you to make amends in a way you see fit. If I do not agree I will demand a prorated refund. As a customer service professional, I can say the customer service I received and the rudeness was horrendous. My husband heard the conversations and is also very angry. Please respond Rhonda Clapprood #[protected] Still can not get on!

On Tuesday July 20, we arrived at universal at approx. 2 pm, I noticed certain food booths were either to crowded, understaffed, or closed. I also noticed how people were able to cut into lines with out any security to stop them, I angered by this, and I was not going to argue with them over this(not worth a fight) . I came all the way from Pennsylvania with my family, and mostly did this for my son, who has touretts, anxiety, adhd and ocd. You could imagine the frustration he was going through. Its a shame that a place like universal is like this. We had people cutting in line at transformers, fast and furious, and Harry potter, ( pictures included) The girl in picture boldly just went right in while we all waited like others. We also had two young men, (pictures included) who just did the same thing, when I said loudly the lines back there, they just kept walking in... No on the 22nd, we went again and arrived at 10 am, only to see so many busses, and cars lined up, seeing hundreds of people walking in, so we turned around, and went back to hotel. we went later in day, about 4pm, we had to wait at security, you will see a picture of one of your staff, that woman let two ladies in who looked like they were going to buy souvenirs, but cut through and went right through, passed all waiting ... I don't know if i will recommend, nor want to ever return to universal. One more thing, we decided to leave early, as we did we went on merry go round at dr seuss, your staff member allows two people to go before 8 people waiting, which we were part of the 8. That was dumb, and inconsiderate.