Voyager604373
12 Oct 2024
My husband and I had the most disturbing encounter this evening at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. Let me share what happened.
We were simply enjoying the park, captivated by the Halloween displays. My husband, excited about the festive decorations, asked me to take a picture of him near one of the displays. There were no signs indicating we couldn’t take photos, so we thought nothing of it. Then, out of nowhere, an employee harshly told us, "Move away." Surprised but compliant, we stepped back. My husband calmly suggested that they should put up a sign to avoid confusion. As we continued walking, we were suddenly confronted by security officers, who told us we couldn’t leave. We were bewildered. We hadn’t done anything wrong. When we asked why we were being detained, the answer was shocking: an employee had falsely accused my Christian Husband of using the “F-word” towards him, which he absolutely did not. The story from the employee kept changing—first, he said my husband swore at him, then he backtracked. It became a chaotic back-and-forth, but we still weren’t given any clear explanation as to why we were being held.
Feeling increasingly dehumanized and our First Amendment rights violated, we were now surrounded by Universal Studios security and Orlando police officers. Yet, none of them could provide a legitimate reason for our detainment. The situation escalated, and all we wanted to do was leave because we no longer felt safe. My husband, wanting to have things on record, asked to file a police report, but the officers told him it couldn’t be done there.
As we made our way to the King Kong Parking Lot 312, my husband called the police department directly. But before we could get any further, a sheriff on duty, along with two officers, aggressively approached us. My husband explained that the police had advised him to remain in the lot until an officer arrived. Yet, the sheriff rudely interrupted, threatening to arrest him. She gave him just three seconds to get in the car, and her hand went towards her pocket as if reaching for something. We were terrified for our lives.
There was no reasoning with her—she was hostile and refused to even give us her badge number. This experience wasn’t just unsettling, it was a stark reminder of how those who are meant to protect us can misuse their authority. Instead of feeling safe, we felt terrorized by those in uniform. The sheriff’s behavior was not only aggressive but inhumane. This is exactly why so many people have lost faith in law enforcement—they abuse their power and intimidate law-abiding citizens to assert dominance.
This night has left us emotionally shattered. I no longer trust our justice system, a system that is supposed to protect, not persecute. I will never again set foot in Orlando nor any o its parks ever again. Florida State is off our travel list. Law enforcement is failing its people, and the trauma we experienced tonight is a testament to that failure. My advise Disney World has better customer service.
DottieLottie122019
22 Sep 2024
We are from the UK.
We absolutely love it at Universal Studios, Island of Adventure, city walk and Volcano Bay.
This is our 3rd time visiting these amazing places. Every time we visit we are never disappointed. Everyone is so friendly and the whole parks are clean. We love the refill fizzy drink cups they are such great value for money. HHN was a blast too, our RIP tour guide Kayan/Cayan was extremely good and we can’t wait to visit a 4th time.
We can’t wait for Epic to open next year either.