An Angry Letter to Universal Orlando

[Skovdaddy]

I found this post on the IOA Central message boards, read the original letter here:

http://www.ioacentral.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8508

and read Universal's response here:

http://www.ioacentral.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8558

My opinion is that there are many more worse things to complain about. I believe the ride op was trying to make conversation, and even though the ride op may have failed, most people would have brushed this off their shoulder and continued on with their day. I don't see why a comment like this should make one want to "cut up" their AP and never return. What do you guys think?

[IdiotsAreEverywhere]

Haha. It could have been worse like.

Ride operator: Hey, you're all alone fatty? Just to let you know, I pity idiots like you.

[Notatourist]

conversation is one thing, blantant stupidity is another. You don't point out a guest like that without making it certain that they know you're kidding.

This didn't happen.

[mentu]

I'm glad no one has reported me based on my responses at the Mansion.

Then again, it's all in the delivery.

[techie-13]

In his original letter the guy said that he didn't have an issue when the Grinch insulted him because it was the Grinch being in character. I seem to remember a lot of sarcastic comments being traded by the two lead characters in the Men In Black movies. If the Ride Op was doing this to other guests as well, I would probably have written it off as someone trying to be in the character of the movies.

[Anna]

Actually, several of us here know the poster. He is not easily provoked. If he said the ride op was rude, I'd tend to believe him. He is a very easy-going guy and was obviously upset. I know most of the ride ops at MIB and they have always been great to me but if Barry says he was insulted then I trust him on that.

[SoarWhoreCoCo]

Actually, several of us here know the poster. He is not easily provoked. If he said the ride op was rude, I'd tend to believe him. He is a very easy-going guy and was obviously upset. I know most of the ride ops at MIB and they have always been great to me but if Barry says he was insulted then I trust him on that.

On a related note 2 yrs ago my friends and I bought a 2park annual and really enjoyed the break from WDW. We rode MIB one night and all went through the signles line. The ride kept stopping while we were in line but we waited anyway. We wound up in the same car and just as we stepped in the Ops person slammed my friends restraint doen before he was all the way in pinning his kneeand leg between the lapbar and the side of the seat. His foot was still ouside the car and when he told the operator he sent the car anyway. We were shotuing back all the way into the first scene. Well our short 3-4 minute ride turned into a hour ride as we broke down every three or four feet and once sat in the dark for five minutes moved then stopped again for another five. By this time everyone in the front row with my friend has managed to lift the bar cause my friend was in so much pain. When we got out we asked for a lead and manager right away and to make a long story short at the end of and hoour and a half we got Backdoor passes and free full course dinner at Lombardi's. Also we found out from a friend that works GR at IOA said the two CMs got termed on the spot because the manager we wound up talking to was the Theme Park's manger who happened to be there that night. But I will say that 60% of the Cast there are great people, but due to the one's who rather not be working and throw attitude we never renewed our passes this year after having them for 4 years... and Universal could have cared less... at Disney you would have heard from someone at the AP desk why you didnt renew... Huh,,, now I just go to Sea World instead :(

[Anna]

we never renewed our passes this year after having them for 4 years... and Universal could have cared less... at Disney you would have heard from someone at the AP desk why you didnt renew

I don't understand this statement. Disney doesn't contact you to ask why you didn't renew your AP. I just let my husband and two sons' APs lapse at Disneyworld last year and never heard a word.

It does seem like Universal cared or they wouldn't have given you dinner and backdoor passes and the team member wouldn't have been fired. What else could they have done to make it right for you... Have the TM shot and dismembered? I agree what was done to your friend was bad but there isn't much more they could have done to make it right. I can't imagine that Disney would have done any more if it had happened there. My husband had his arm shut in the Disney bus. After yelling and screaming and asking the driver to open the door, he just ignored us and the rest of the passengers who were yelling at the bus driver and he just drove away. (We were on the bus not outside.) Finally some other guests helped pry my husband's arm out of the door. He was pretty bruised up and sore for several days. What did Disney do? Absolutely nothing -- not even a free meal.

[SoarWhoreCoCo]

I don't understand this statement. Disney doesn't contact you to ask why you didn't renew your AP. I just let my husband and two sons' APs lapse at Disneyworld last year and never heard a word.

Sorry did not mean to ruffle feathers :( , my first story was related to how sometimes CMs can screw up, yes Universal did take care of that situation, I felt bad that the CMs got fired they may have had a bad day, we made it worse. However the other situations that caused us not to renew happened end of last year, and are totally unrelated...and I am truly sorry to hear what happened and am deeply dissapointed and shocked that Disney did nothing. My friend who works in an office said normally if a long time passholder stops renewing and laspes over a long time they try to contact the passholder to find out why.

[Anna]

Actually, it sounds like the team member deserved to be fired. Don't feel guilty for that. You helped Universal weed out a bad employee. Safety issues are very serious.

Sorry I jumped to conclusions about why you didn't renew your AP. Although I work at Universal I also have an AP for Disney and have for several years. My husband and sons weren't going enough to WDW to justify renewing their APs last year. I go a lot to WDW.