Universal Orlando Temporarily Closing Several Attractions During Phased Reopening
Universal Orlando theme parkreopened back in June, but it's still in the process of getting the park back to normal operations. As part of their phased reopening, Universal has decided to place more attention on their marquee attractions, so they'll be temporarily closing a handful of attractions.
These are the Universal Orlando attractions closed temporarily during the park's phased reopening:
Here's the official statement from Universal Studios Orlando:
As we continue to evaluate our offerings during this phase of our reopening, we've decided to focus on our marquee guest experiences. Therefore, we're going to temporarily close the following effective Sunday, August 9: A Day in the Park with Barney, Fast & Furious: Supercharged, Kang & Kodos' Twirl 'n' Hurl, Fear Factor Live, Poseidon's Fury and Storm Force Accelatron. We're working to move team members at these experiences to other roles within Universal Orlando.
These are some of the less popular attractions at the theme park, and obviously Universal would be better served focusing their attention on the attractions that crowds are actually flocking to. Thankfully, the team members working these attractions won't be laid off, but they'll be relocated to other roles during this time.
Unfortunately, not everyone will be so lucky. As Universal tries to stay up and running during the coronavirus pandemic, they will be laying off another round of employees. In a statement provided to Click Orlando:
"We continue to manage our business through challenging times, focusing on the health and safety of our guests and team members and working to remain as resilient as possible. We are prioritizing daily operations and shorter-term projects and continuing our pause on longer-term projects such as Epic Universe as we allow the tourism industry to recover. We have again made the difficult decision to reduce our workforce to reflect current priorities and needs. As always, we are aware of the impact this will have on those affected by this decision and their families. We are grateful for their contribution and we will support them through this process with severance pay, subsidized health benefits and reemployment assistance. We continue to have confidence in the long term future of our business, our industry and our community."
This news follows the announcement that Universal Orlando will also be adjusting their operating hours slightly. Starting August 2, Universal's Islands of Adventure will be open only from 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. and Universal Studios Florida will be open from 9:00 A.M. to 5:oo P.M.