Universal Studios - Don't Ask, Don't Tell

If you go to Universal Studios and desire to ride ANY rides, do not let them know that you have a pacemaker. I took my children there (Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida) last week for spring break and they were banned from ALL rides when the park discovered they both had pacemakers. I hope sharing this helps someone else, it was devastating to my children who had looked forward to riding the rides at Harry Potter World for months. Ironically, at Disney in Florida we have requested and received cut-the-line passes when we visit in the summer because my daughter has vagal/syncope episodes in heat/sun. My kids are thrill seekers and they have the blessing of their cardiologist and pacer nurse to ride the rides - we've never had any problem. My son, 8 years old, is the biggest thrill seeker and he often goes as a single rider over and over -- there has never, ever been any kind of interference or cardiac episode recorded.

In this case, the kids' pacemakers (and implied heart conditions) were "disclosed" when we encountered the Rip Ride Rocket rollercoaster where metal detectors were recently installed in front to catch people with coins/keys in their pockets that could fall out and hurt someone. I explained that my kids could not go through the metal detectors due to the pacemakers and they sent me to guest services - they suggested that it was to receive an accommodation pass or express passes to another ride. Instead the park manager came out and told us for their liability, we were not permitted to ride any further rides. This was because we had disclosed a heart condition. Although their rider guide advises against people with "heart conditions" riding any of the rides (like most theme parks), it doesn't mandate - however, they can really pull anyone off their rides for any reason. They gave us our money back and a nominal gift card to get lunch, as well as priority passes to shows - but my kids were really there for the rides and most of the shows are also a ride. My son (age 8) has read all the Harry Potter books and was heart broken to be limited to the shops and restaurants.

If we had said nothing and not tried to ride Rip Ride Rocket, we would have had a full day of the other rides. So the moral of the story is if you are a ride fan - at Universal and maybe other theme parks, Don't Ask Don't Tell.

5 Comments

Ridiculous Liability rules

by Busdriver - 2015-04-12 07:04:14

Whatever happened to the good old days when you could do just about anything you wanted and businesses were protected as long as a business posted a "play/enter at your own risk?" I hope you pursue this and prove that your kids do NOT have a "heart condition" because any medical problem (which is none of their business) was remedied by an approved medical device, resolving aforementioned "issue."

letter forthcoming

by slarnerd - 2015-04-12 09:04:31

I will be sending a letter but the best possible outcome is that they have some kind of waiver available in these cases in the future. As Tracey said, any theme park can deny access to any ride on the basis of "safety concern" - it doesn't even have to be articulated ... it's a clear exemption in the federal regulations that apply the ADA to theme parks. Trust me, I've looked at it extensively. By disclosing the pacemakers we basically created an ultimate liability situation if something had occurred, coincidental or not. In the future, we will accept the risk - as the signs presume, implicating a waiver - without outing ourselves to their caution.
The worst thing is that this is the first time in their lives that someone has told my kids that they can't do something that they want to do due to their AV Block or pacemaker.

that's crazy

by Tracey_E - 2015-04-12 09:04:47

I'm so sorry that happened to your kids!! What a disappointment. I've been to Universal quite a few times and rode whatever I wanted. I do know that getting the passes to bypass the lines means they scrutinize you more and keep you off some rides, but never heard of them refusing all rides.

Busdriver, we don't have an inherent right to ride any ride. If they feel we are a risk, they can refuse. We all have heart conditions, whether we think of it that way or not, and most rides have heart warnings in order to cover the park. It's a cya world.

metal detectors

by slarnerd - 2015-04-15 04:04:21

You are so right PJ - it is perfectly safe to walk through the metal detectors - the kids' electrophysiologist and pacer nurse both told us that from the beginning. However, something in my son always sets them off -- I always assumed it was the pacemaker case but after reading your post I am wondering if it could be some other surgical matter like where his sternum was wired closed? We've only tried walking through 3 times - the first time (my son was about 3 months old) the TSA lady yelled at me and loudly accused me of being a careless parent because they're taught it is not safe. All three times it has gone off. My daughter has gone through without issue - she has a larger device and did not have a sternotomy or any extra procedures like my son. We typically go through the body scanner if the airport has them -- about 40% of the time my son ends up needing a patdown too (he is 8 and weighs 50 lbs) because the offsite reader can't reconcile whatever is in his anatomy, surgical or otherwise -- he has had several surgeries so I can just assume it's goretex or wires they're seeing. My daughter has never had a problem and her pacemaker is also epicardial.

I've also been concerned that if we set the machine off, the TSA agent would make the kids stand near the machine if it went off. Our EP and pacer nurse said there would be no interference walking through quickly but there would be if they stand within a few inches of the machine, depending on the setting. My daughter experienced dizziness and verified interference standing right next to a store security screener - those are also ok to pass through but don't linger by them. It was around Christmas and the store manager told me they were set extra high.

I guess if it was a ride they really wanted to go on, we could wait until we had done everything else and then try to go through it - we might try that if we elect to go back at some point.

Ironically....

by PJinSC - 2015-04-15 12:04:40

The other sad part is that you or your children do not have to fear metal detectors. They will not detect the PM, and the detector will not affect the PM. I have gone through the metal detectors at airports, cruise ships, and others, and never told them because I know it will not bother me. I did disclose it at the nuclear power plant I worked at, and Security said it was my choice to go through, see if there was an effect or go through pat down each time. Because at times I went through them several times a day, I chose to go through, it did not affect me or detect me, and I never looked back.

Myself, Theknotguy and others have several posts here on this subject, trying to debunk these myths.

Wish your children Good Luck and Good Life, PJ

You know you're wired when...

Your device acts like a police scanner.

Member Quotes

I have earned my Black Belt. I now teach class!