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A Universal Epic Universe guest says she was left shaken after team members pulled her from Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, claiming her outfit accessory looked like a weapon. The woman spoke out on TikTok, saying she was humiliated by how Universal Orlando Resort handled the incident.
A Day That Took a Turn
Credit: Andrew Boardwine, Inside the Magic
TikTok user @gabrielasilent had purchased an Express Pass for her August visit to Universal Epic Universe, spending time in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic and How to Train Your Dragon — Isle of Berk before making her way through a portal into SUPER NINTENDO WORLD. She chose to use her Express Pass on Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, the popular 3-D/4-D ride that lets fans race alongside Nintendo characters. But when she sat down in the ride vehicle, she says everything changed.
@gabrielasilent Me bajaron de un juego en Epic Universe por ser darks xd Story time de mi momento más humilde tipo la rosa de Guadalupe 🤣🤣 A ustedes les ha pasado algo así en los parques??? #epicuniverse #storytime #chisme #mimomentomashumilde #bowserschallenge
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“The truth is that I was already very tired,” she explained. “I had already been in the park for two days, and I was super dehydrated…I want you to take that into consideration when you judge my reaction that day.”
(*Note: This video has been translated from Spanish. Some phrases may not be exact, but the meaning has been preserved.)
The guest’s outfit included a black chest harness, which she said was simply a fashion choice inspired by her Hogwarts house: Slytherin. “Everyone knows that this harness is like an accessory, a type of belt,” she noted. “It’s an accessory, 100%.”
Ride Shutdown and Confusion
Credit: Universal
According to the guest, Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge team members began watching her closely as soon as she boarded the ride. One asked if she was wearing a backpack, and she turned around to show that nothing was on her back. “Okay,” the employee reportedly said before walking away, leaving guests waiting for the ride to begin.
Moments later, another Universal Orlando Resort team member asked the guest to leave the ride vehicle. “I didn’t like the way they handled it,” she recalled. “They took me out of the ride and left me standing there for ten minutes…I felt so vulnerable.”
She said she stood in the loading area, with everyone staring, for over ten minutes. “I was on the verge of collapse,” she remembered. “…I even started to shake at one point. I saw my life go before my eyes.”
Supervisor Response
Credit: Andrew Boardwine, Inside the Magic
After waiting for a supervisor, she was told that employees thought her harness might be a weapon. The theme park ride had been shut down temporarily until the situation could be reviewed. When the supervisor examined the accessory, they quickly realized it was harmless.
“That’s the reason why you took me out of the ride and had me standing here for ten minutes while everyone has been looking at me funny?” she asked. “Including your team, who just stared at me?”
She says the humiliation left her in tears. “I didn’t like the way they treated me, but obviously I didn’t want to go on the defensive,” she admitted. “…I have a lot to lose. I’m a Universal travel agent, so I can’t risk being banned…I let it go with tears…sobbing.”
Apology Too Late
Credit: Universal
The supervisor apologized and invited her to board again, but she declined. Instead, she waited at the exit, where the supervisor returned with five Universal Orlando Resort Express Passes as an apology. Unfortunately, she couldn’t use them.
“By then, it was 7:30 p.m., the park closed at 9:00 p.m., it was raining, and everything was already closed,” she explained. “…I already had the Express Pass, so the only things I needed to do were the two Mario rides…Now, I couldn’t.”
At this time, Universal Orlando Resort has not issued a public statement about the incident.
How would you have responded if you were the Universal guest in this situation? Let Disney Tips know in the comments!
