Many guests are calling for Universal to implement a chaperone policy for Halloween Horror Nights after dealing with unruly, unattended teenagers at the event.
Halloween Horror Nights Chaperone Policy
The discussion is underway across social media, in part fueled by Six Flags and Knott’s Berry Farm introducing chaperone policies after merging with Cedar Fair and adopting their rules. At Knott’s Berry Farm and all Six Flags parks (and consequently, the Knott’s Scary Farm and Six Flags Fright Fest events), all guests under 15 must be accompanied by someone 21+ after 4 p.m.
Halloween Horror Nights doesn’t have an age limit, although Universal does not recommend it for children under 13. The Universal Orlando Resort FAQ page also notes the theme parks don’t have a chaperone policy but they “recommend that all guest below the age of 14 have a supervising companion that is 14 years of age or older and meets all other attraction ridership requirements.” But these are just recommendations that aren’t enforced.
Following a 2022 incident, Universal CityWalk Orlando introduced a curfew for young guests. Today’s CityWalk policies state:
Guests under the age of 18 without passes to the theme parks (or separately ticketed events, as applicable) are required to depart at 8 p.m.* unless they are accompanied by a parent/guardian or staying at a Universal hotel, have documented reservations at a CityWalk restaurant or have purchased tickets for Hollywood Drive-In Golf or Universal’s Great Movie Escape. A Universal Orlando Team Member will be available to assist guests under the age of 18 looking to purchase tickets for a specific venue or event at or after the designated departure time.
Team Members check guest IDs at the security plaza after 8 p.m.
Guests report teens being physically aggressive and rude to other guests as well as Team Members, particularly Scareactors.
One Facebook post from an anonymous Scareactor that has been passed around social media reads, “They are hurting us. They are assaulting us. People are quitting over it. The teens are creating an environment inside the houses that is breaking props, damaging sets, and ruining the experience for other guests with their overdramatic collapsing scream trains.”
A post on the HHN Subreddit by user IKnowMoreThanYouu reads:
This can no longer be ignored or swept under the rug. The teen issue (especially on the weekends) has become a massive problem. I’ve been stunned by the number of members of the HHN community who have reached out to me scared, angry, disappointed, and mortified at the teen take over of HHN. They are jumping lines, intimidating those in lines around them, showing signs of violence, and displaying complete and utter disrespect for the customers, the employees (especially the scare actors), and the event in general. Some scare actors have been attacked (both verbally and physically) and are considering quitting the business. Enough is enough and this situation needs to be brought to light for the good of the entire community.
While many note that it’s not all teens and have seen Team Members intervene, others think Universal can do more. IKnowMoreThanYouu continues to say that the “most I’ve (and others) have seen is a ‘good talking to’ by security. Then they go on their merry way and continue with the bad behavior. Something needs to be done – RIGHT NOW – or this escalation will eventually lead to serious injury or worse, which will then lead to legal troubles for the company.”
User THE1andonlyAUZ replied to talk about their experience with Knott’s Scary Farm and said, “I do feel for the teenagers who aren’t part of the problem, but I’m definitely in favor of a chaperone policy for these types of events. I hope Universal takes some action to avoid it becoming an even worse problem.”
Others disagree with a chaperone policy. They point out that many of those complaining about teenagers began going to the event as teens and that going as a teenager shaped their love of the event.
Robert Niles of Orange County Register wrote about the pros and cons of chaperone policies.
“But at some point,” Niles said, “teenagers need spaces where they can do all the dumb, offensive stuff to each other that kids do before they learn better.” He agreed that Halloween Horror Nights wasn’t the ideal place for kids to learn those lessons but “if children are to have chaperones watching over them every waking moment until they become legal adults, a lot of them never will learn how to self-regulate.”
“If we want young people to grow into respectful adults,” Niles concluded, “we need to allow them space in which to learn how to do that. If that’s not to be in a theme park, then we need to find other spaces for teens to call their own.”
How do you feel about a potential Halloween Horror Nights chaperone policy? Let us know in the comments.
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