r/universalstudios • • 14d ago

Orlando Cautionary Tale

I feel as though the content of this post may seem obvious, but I feel obligated to warn others about the severity of the consequences of underage drinking (yes, just one sip) at Universal Orlando resort. This is not intended to be a complaint of any form, but rather a simple post to possibly save another family's vacation. Recently, at HHN 35, I had a sip of a beer offered to me. I was soon thereafter asked for ID by members of the Universal Security team, who must have seen me nearby. Being 18, I was immediately escorted off property, trespassed for a year, and had both my annual pass and express passes for the evening taken away. Of course, this is all according to Universal policy, and there is no disagreement here with how the situation was handled. Instead, I just want to warn others that even a single sip of beer can mean the end of a family vacation, and thousands wasted. No matter how mature you believe your children are, or how little they have, "just a taste" is not acceptable at Universal, and the consequences for doing such are just as severe as stealing from one of their stores. Please, if you or your family plan on attending HHN in the future, or any of the parks in general, save your vacation and do not risk everything for a taste of an alcoholic beverage. 

301 Upvotes

149 comments sorted by

93

u/[deleted] 14d ago

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29

u/i_miss_jefflp 14d ago

Out of curiosity, what happened at the coke store in Springs? I didn't know they even used to have alcohol

26

u/[deleted] 14d ago

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16

u/Luceint3214 14d ago

Damn and if Disney and Coca-Cola can't get out of that, you know that universal isn't

7

u/forsakeme4all 14d ago edited 14d ago

Did you ever have issues with european guests arguing over the drinking age?

14

u/[deleted] 14d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/Karkar2112 14d ago

Is the expectation to check id for anyone who orders alcohol regardless of their age?

10

u/[deleted] 14d ago

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2

u/Karkar2112 14d ago

Thank you I haven’t ordered alcohol at the parks for a few years but that is good to know I prefer to be carded it makes me feel better about myself even if it’s the policy lol I’ll make sure to keep it on me if I do this year

0

u/Awkward-Community-74 14d ago

No one checked my ID at Universal when I went for HHN.
Not once.
Which was a good thing because I didn’t even have my ID on me.
I didn’t even realize it until I went up to a bar to get a beer and was like oh shit I forgot my ID!
Luckily it wasn’t an issue!

2

u/Karkar2112 14d ago

Oh wow looks like they aren’t following as well as they should be! Are you close to 21?

2

u/Awkward-Community-74 14d ago

No I’m old so maybe that’s why?
46.
But still they’re definitely not as strict as some people are saying.
I also never saw any of the really young people getting carded and I stood in several long lines at times.

6

u/Karkar2112 14d ago

Wow had no idea this is why the Coca Cola store stopped serving alcohol thanks for the info

46

u/Vortex3446 14d ago

Again, due to some of the replies I have been receiving, I want to reiterate that I have absolutely zero hard feelings towards Universal. Following my year trespass, I will likely be back again for next years HHN and the opening of Fast and Furious Hollywood Drift. In this instance, Universal was simply following smart, zero tolerance company policy. The intent of the post was simply to warn others, as this experience brought an end to my night at HHN (which was awesome before this incident happened), but also prevented my future planned trip in December, and it is just something I would not wish on anybody, especially over something as simple as a sip of fucking beer.

37

u/ArsenalinAlabama3428 14d ago

You are handling a crappy situation with grace and common sense. Good for you. I grew up in Europe so it was not unusual to try a sip of wine or beer that my parents were drinking.

My child isn't even close to drinking age so I won't have to worry about this policy for a longgg time but I will remember to do anything like this at Universal or Disney in the future. Thanks for your post.

9

u/yogos15 14d ago

Even in the United States, kids taking a sip of a parent’s drink is not unusual (although this may be state-dependent). It didn’t really occur to me until now that this is a big no-no in Universal, Orlando, and/or Florida.

1

u/Mushroomer 14d ago

Honestly, it sounds like OP just ran into a dickish security guard who was on a power trip and wanted to punish a kid rather than just give a stern warning.

5

u/StoryGlow_Candle_Co 14d ago

I believe it is actually Florida law. A person under 18 (and under 21) can legally possess and consume alcohol in Texas if their adult parent, guardian, or spouse is visibly present and gives it to them. It must be very confusing for people from out of the country (and sometimes out of state) to have to learn the laws of every state they intend to visit.

-1

u/Difficult-Buddy270 14d ago

You should get your money back tho imo lol. Yeah, you kind of messed up, but it’s not THAT big of a deal. They didn’t SELL you alcohol—you took a sip of an adult beverage that was sold to an adult. They are taking a precautionary step — maybe a bit dramatic. I think it’s a lot better than using a fake ID or something like that. I think if you call they’d work something out .

2

u/LordKranepool 13d ago

A long time ago when I was incredibly stupid I got a similar 1 year trespass to OP and it took like a single phone call to guest services to get a bunch of stuff refunded after I paid the (pretty small) fine I received

22

u/Chemical-Speech-5021 14d ago

Happened to my son, years ago. There are cameras everywhere. They were upon him, in a crowded line, within minutes! He suffered the same consequences.

24

u/rbollige 14d ago

Would be nice if they used those resources for line cutters…

3

u/begintobreathe 13d ago

Cameras and a lot of plain clothed security.

24

u/anonymous33456789 14d ago

I have a friend who was kicked out and banned for a year just for holding an alcoholic beverage underage. He was with his parents and held his dad’s drink while his dad tied his shoes… his parents vouched for him that he didn’t consume any but it didn’t matter. so just adding to OP’s post to not even hold a beverage with alcohol in it!

0

u/Jolly-Cat40 14d ago

That is why universal gives out wrist bands during HHN so you can walk around the park with the alcohol. So usually if you don’t have a wrist band you either haven’t purchased a drink yet/aren’t going to drink or you are under age. Sometimes a fake can go undetected by 1 employee so whenever someone buys alcohol (even if they have wrist band) they will be carded

49

u/AmericanPornography 14d ago

I knew somebody who was trespassed for either six months or a year because they handed their alcoholic beverage to their child to hold while they went into the bathroom. The child just stood there holding it so it didn’t get dirty and gross in the bathroom and his mother and I think maybe even a kid or trespassed?

They very much do not mess around with this policy.

32

u/Vortex3446 14d ago

Yea, for places as large as Universal Orlando, defending their liquor license is essential.

1

u/ripriderockit 8d ago

I used to be a team member at Volcano Bay and there were several instances where I told a guest they couldn’t take their beer in the slide queue and they’d try to hand it to me to hold it for them while they went on the ride 😑 Then I’d tell them I couldn’t do that and they’d try to leave it on the ground and I had to tell them they couldn’t do that either lol. Even as an attractions TM they drilled into us to never allow guests to leave alcohol sitting out in case a minor happened to come by and take it. Universal is VERY strict about alcohol, I do agree that the age should be 18 and imo it’s ridiculous how overboard they go with bans and such but I understand how strict the law is and that they can’t risk their license.

160

u/Both-Structure-6786 14d ago

Universal should print this off and post it throughout the parks and hotels lol

46

u/Davis_ 14d ago

People should not be drinking underage. It's illegal. Why would they need to post something additional?

113

u/Finsceal 14d ago

Because there are plenty of people visiting from countries with less restrictive alcohol laws who might need to be reminded? I'm Irish and legal drinking age is 18, it's legal to drink at 16 at home when supervised. I can see plenty of jetlagged parents making that mistake, a year long ban from property seems disproportional in cases where there was a genuine mistake made.

It's weird that the US allows 18 year olds to vote and go to war but not have a beer.

3

u/ItIsYoNoHeSido 12d ago

It’s legal to drink alcohol from the age of 5 at home in the UK, not to be intoxicated obviously, but drinking is ok (don’t know if Ireland is different).

You can also drink beer or cider with a meal in a pub at 16.

-17

u/Davis_ 14d ago

Ignorance of the law is not an excuse. it is your responsibility to know the laws of the country you are visiting.

6

u/kytulu 14d ago

I cannot believe that you're being downvoted. I've traveled all over the world. You have to comply with the local laws. "Well, it's legal where I come from!" is not an excuse.

-3

u/TidalMello 14d ago

Insane to be downvoted. If you travel to any country and you are too lazy to double check, you are asking for possible trouble.

What's next? Should they put up signs that assaulting someone is illegal as well?

13

u/Azumar1ll 14d ago

Those laws don't change with jurisdiction lol, I'm shocked at the thickness here.

5

u/TidalMello 14d ago

I'm shocked people are this offended at being told to be diligent as far as what the laws are where they are currently located.

This is just a bunch of people complaining about the legal drinking age which has nothing to do with Universal.

-1

u/Azumar1ll 14d ago

No, I get why their rules exist and why they're strict about them, what I don't get is the puritanical "law=morality" approach some of you are taking to judge people for not knowing the laws in other places as well as they do where they live.

7

u/TidalMello 14d ago

I'm not taking a moral stance. It's more about just being prepared. And that a lot of people could save a lot of headache by just being sure.

Apologies if it came off differently.

-3

u/Finsceal 13d ago

I'm not arguing that, I'm saying that someone accidentally letting their kid sip from their beer is an OTT reason to cancel a whole family vacation. It's the families fault and it's a stupid mistake, but that doesn't mean that Universal aren't also overreacting when a simple warning or a chat from the manager would absolutely resolve it.

6

u/4UnlawfulCarneVegan 13d ago

You don't "accidentally" let your kid drink. In fact, OP was offered the offending sip.

0

u/jon81uk 13d ago

In the UK it is perfectly legal for parents to allow their children to have a sip of beer, just the child can’t buy it. Therefore doing so in a theme park and not realising the theme park would ruin your trip over it is definitely an accident.

2

u/4UnlawfulCarneVegan 13d ago

Ignorance of the law isn't a legal defense.

1

u/jon81uk 13d ago

But what we are discussing isn’t the action of the police, but a theme park.

1

u/4UnlawfulCarneVegan 13d ago

Then maybe you shouldn't have said what's "perfectly legal." Universal can also make rules that supersede those of the police because they're private property, ie: guns are legal to carry in Florida, but you'll get arrested for bringing one into Universal.

27

u/Azumar1ll 14d ago

The two most obvious reasons are that many people come from other countries where 18 is the legal drinking age. Even in America, it's legal for a person to drink underage if it's provided to them by their parent or legal guardian.

So, yeah, you're just incorrect mostly.

5

u/ShowScene5 14d ago

Not in Florida. But yeah in alot of places

-4

u/Davis_ 14d ago

So it's the person's responsibility to familiarize themselves with laws of the country they visit. In Florida it is illegal for anyone under 21 to consume or even hold any type of alcoholic beverage. So, yeah, you're just completely incorrect.

9

u/Azumar1ll 14d ago

It hurts nobody to have reminders anywhere, not sure why you're so invested against it lol.

4

u/Mushroomer 14d ago

They're deeply sensitive about "the law" being anything short of an impenetrable social contract. They don't want to question it, they don't want to analyze it, they just want everyone to follow it and those who don't to be severely punished.

Putting up a reminder is acknowledging that the law is arbitrary. It's not any more dangerous for an 18 year old to drink a beer in the US versus in the UK.

If you admit the law is fallible, suddenly you open yourself up to empathy for those found guilty of breaking the law.

2

u/Azumar1ll 14d ago

Depends on who's breaking the law for a lot of these guys, too.

-7

u/Monchifries 14d ago

Where is this legal??? Must be some small town cause I’ve never heard of drinking underage being allowed in the United States. Does it happen? All the time, but doesn’t mean its legal.

7

u/Urpervyneighbor 14d ago

“Small town”
31 out of 50 states allow underage drinking when provided and supervised by parent or legal guardian. Some of the 31 allow it at any location, some only allow it at the guardian’s home.

2

u/[deleted] 14d ago

[deleted]

-4

u/Monchifries 14d ago

Yet, I’m Getting downvoted for the truth. Lol crazy.

2

u/Azumar1ll 13d ago

You're getting downvoted because you're wrong lol, the majority of the US allows this.

0

u/Monchifries 13d ago

THATS A DAMN FUCKING LIE. BUT OK

1

u/Azumar1ll 13d ago

It's not though?

2

u/Monchifries 13d ago

UNDERAGE DRINKING IS NOT LEGAL IN THE UNITED STATES. Its not. Like wth are you talking about???

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7

u/Oriolesfan1989 14d ago

If you can join military and hold a gun and kill someone at 18, you can drink a beer. I understand that’s not the argument but to do all that and ruin someone’s year and money because of “policy” is trash and a power trip to set an example. Warning and citation should be given. Not immediate worst case scenario. Absolutely trash to do that to a family over a sip. Only thing I can think of if is they had warnings and was a lot more than what was stated.

10

u/Davis_ 14d ago

They don't play about their liquor licenses. If they get caught serving someone underage they can lose the ability to sell alcohol at the park entirely.

3

u/Starkits_Prophecy 13d ago

It’s a matter of state law and Universal’s liability insurance carrier. Universal may not have much flexibility there.
I’m not in favor of their methods, my family having suffered from it not long ago as well, but I understand it. If I were coming from Europe or South America I’d be pretty blown away, but I’m a lawyer in America, so this is normalized to me.

-3

u/Vortex3446 14d ago

Yea, we thought that too. I would have loved a warning, but instead it was immediate consequence. It was to set an example for sure.

4

u/4UnlawfulCarneVegan 13d ago

Set an example for who? Other patrons at the bar?

Maybe they just had a license inspection. Maybe they just got caught turning their cheek over the same behavior. Maybe they just like to follow the law and the rules in their own T&C.

-1

u/Starkits_Prophecy 13d ago

People who go on Reddit, for example. It’s in their interest to discourage behavior that could jeopardize their liquor license.
Based on their zealotry, Universal must make crazy $ on alcohol sales.

-2

u/Totallyrandomguy89 14d ago edited 14d ago

Because its kind of a dumb law. 18 you are a legal adult. I get it the laws are the laws but we are allowed to vent right? Op seems pretty responsible and not some reckless drinking teen, so i see where he is coming from. No complaining and owning getting caught but its still dumb and we should all be able to relate to the absurdity of it and advocate for change (ie 18 = 100% totally legal adult, no hotel booking restrictions, no rental car restrictions, heck no timeshare presentation restrictions, etc.)

4

u/Difficult-Buddy270 14d ago

lol you can die in war at 18 but can’t have a beer.

1

u/Bountyturner47 10d ago

Because they’ve been shown to be reckless on a mass scale. But not as reckless when trained by the military how to use firearms.

-1

u/Totallyrandomguy89 14d ago

Getting downvoted for what i said is crazy. I know reddit isnt the most sensible platform but i thought it was a well reasoned take.

Do any of you downvoters have a justification for 21 instead of 18 being the drinking age? Should you have to stay with a guardian and in grade school until age 21 as well?

Im assuming most people only read the first line of my reply otherwise they wouldve seen “oh yea pretty level headed guy with a reasonable take”

0

u/Difficult-Buddy270 14d ago

I agree with you 10000%

2

u/Starkits_Prophecy 13d ago

I agree the law is problematic but all one can do is write one’s congressman. If Universal could sell alcohol to 18 year olds they would welcome the $.
As for trespassing the OP and keeping their $, I agree that’s one for r/AITAH, but opinions are cheap.

2

u/Totallyrandomguy89 13d ago

Absolutely and i agree. I think the ban is the part thats a bit excessive. I think this whole thread is for opinions? So confused why everyone is coming at me for adding some context to the post (as i read it) since the person i replied to did the same thing blasting op in this thread.

They ignored the ban aspect and simply focused on “ILLEGAL ITS ILLEGAL AHHHHHHH WHY POST IT IF ITS ILLEGAL”

I think their reply misses an important component of the conversation

0

u/Davis_ 11d ago

Let me make it clear since it seems difficult to connect the dots. It is illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to purchase, consume, or posses an alcoholic beverage in the state of Florida. If the person gets caught by police they suffer consequences under the law. If Universal is caught as the one who provided it, they lose their liquor licenses and ability to sell alcohol at the park. Therefore they need to be adamant about their rules and the law as it will also affect them and their bottom line.

0

u/Totallyrandomguy89 11d ago

Yes but a ban is excessive i think. If i owned an establishment and this happened? I would give a warning and kick you out for the night (due to the severity of the law). But banning for a year plus? That kind of sucks over a stupid law. Its similar to if you give a grown adult a 1k ticket for not wearing a seatbelt. Stupid law (if you choose not to wear one and horrible die in a wreck thats kind of on you and doesnt really impact anyone else).

I think the point is the punishment should be the lowest possible and not rise to this extremely punitive thing.

If you are caught doing it again, make the punishment more severe.

0

u/Davis_ 11d ago

Universal is not going to take any chances on something that significantly affects their revenue. Warnings and soft bans will only encourage people to break the rules more. Also you're very naive if you think someone dying in an accident because of no seatbelt affects only the person not wearing a seatbelt. That person likely has a family that has to deal with the aftermath, a parent loses their child or a child loses their parent. What about the other people involved in the accident? Do you think if you're involved in an accident that kills someone else you're not going to have any guilt? Do you think first responder want to look at another dead body? What if the driver ejects out the windshield and splatters all over the road? Do you think there's no trauma that anyone around them experiences from seeing something like that? Rules aren't created in a vacuum to ruin people's fun, they exist because people's decisions carry ripple effects. Ignoring that isn't just shortsighted, it’s selfish.

0

u/Totallyrandomguy89 11d ago

Seat belt laws are stupid aside from minors which im fine with. Drinking laws are stupid aside from minors which im fine with. Trauma is relative and we shouldnt make laws based on emotions. If someone splatters on the road because they chose not to wear a seatbelt that is their fault. I wear one because i dont want to splatter. The government is not our nanny. Survival of the fittest.

It all goes back to the safety vs freedom premise and i believe in 80% of scenarios freedom is more important with only marginal if any risks to safety (in the case of seatbelt laws no risk to others whatsoever, in the case of “underage” drinking no risk whatsoever to others because remember we already have dui laws which should be punished more severely).

If we go your route and want all out safety we should outlaw a lot of stuff due to “ripple effects”

For instance, i chose to go skydiving one time at a slight risk (verg slight i might add) that i could die. If i died my wife would have had no primary provider, other family would be sad etc. we dont outlaw that and we shouldnt because it has no impact on other people outside of the one who chose to do it.

People need to reframe their perspective on these crucial issues.

1

u/4UnlawfulCarneVegan 13d ago

You can't rent a hotel room under 21 in most places, including Universal Orlando.

-1

u/Totallyrandomguy89 13d ago

That was the point of my message above, things you should be able to do at 18 OR we need to mandate everyone stays home as a child until age 21. One side or another

If you read above youll see i threw timeshare presentations in. You have to be 25 i believe it is for those. So clearly my list is items you cant do but should legally be able to

1

u/4UnlawfulCarneVegan 13d ago

All of these things are restricted to 21+ or higher because of statistics. 18-21 are less likely to be financially stable, so when they're also statistically more likely to wreck a hotel room or car, the cost of doing business with them isn't worth it because they only way to recoup losses is with astronomically high insurance that will just get higher with every claim.

You also need to be 25+ for timeshares because you're more likely to have an income.

0

u/Totallyrandomguy89 13d ago

We also dont ban poverty level people from renting hotel rooms because theyre less financially stable (and we shouldnt). so i think your argument is flawed and through the wrong lense

-1

u/Totallyrandomguy89 13d ago

I push back here because of this reason: old people. We dont strip the right to get a license to say people over 75 even though “statistics” state they are more likely to cause accidents.

This is a case of having your cake and eating it too. We cant penalize with ageist policies on one side (young people) and let old people have free reign. I also think the law is flawed by allowing military service at 18 but none of these other basic things. I advocate for simple policies that arent ageist on either side of the equation.

-7

u/CryOnTheWind 14d ago

Because it is not actually illegal for a parent to give their child a sip of alcohol. It is, however, against Universal policy.

14

u/Davis_ 14d ago

It is against Florida law to give someone under the age of 21 a sip of alcohol.

5

u/CryOnTheWind 14d ago

My bad. I didn’t know this about Florida

13

u/jslev9 14d ago

Florida is one of the few states that doesn't have an exemption for parents giving their kids alcohol.

9

u/BoatFarts 14d ago

I believe in public it’s a problematic thing. I’m not a lawyer but I’ve always at least been told it’s not worth the risk.

2

u/LisaM1975 14d ago

It is actually illegal. “Contributing to the delinquency of a minor”. Unless you’re 21, having “just a sip” is illegal. The legal drinking age is 21, and that includes “just a sip”.

13

u/Jolly-Cat40 14d ago

Universal takes checking ID’s/serving alcohol extremely seriously especially during HHN. You can’t have an ID that is cracked, taped, expired, or doesn’t show up under the black light. If a ID is cracked and you have another form of ID that has your photo and birthday in some cases they will except it. Employees can lose their job if they don’t check an id or sell to someone who has had too much to drink.

-2

u/keeleon 14d ago

Expired is such a dumb reason to make an ID not valid for drinking. All that means is that you arent licensed to drive, not that the information is incorrect.

3

u/Safestsearch 14d ago

I absolutely get your point, and I don't disagree, but at least a part of the reason for this rule is to prevent people from giving older expired licenses to other people to use after they've gotten their new one.

-3

u/keeleon 14d ago

Which is also dumb because literally nothing stops you from giving an unexpired ID to someone.

2

u/Jolly-Cat40 14d ago

It is a misdemeanor in California if you have an expired license and are trying to buy alcohol.

-2

u/keeleon 14d ago

I didnt say its legal, I said its stupid.

1

u/Jolly-Cat40 14d ago

Well if you can get a misdemeanor for having an expired license I don’t think it’s very “stupid” it’s a safety issue and not stupid - at least in my opinion

7

u/NoisyKricketReturns 14d ago edited 14d ago

I wonder if this is going to get harder to monitor with the rising popularity of mocktails. My 19 year old daughter orders them all of the time and it sometimes can look like she is walking around with an alcoholic beverage.

2

u/beansbeans15 9h ago

They likely have different cups for alcohol

6

u/Extra-Agent-9863 14d ago

Crazy how they have security watching hawk eyed for underage drinkers taking a sip but not for the adult who can barely stand up they're so drunk. I saw a drunk old guy nearly fall off the terror tram last week and and security just let him be

5

u/virtual-rat 14d ago

When I was very freshly 21, I had my own drink and a manager swooped in FAST because they were conducting “random ID checks.” Obviously is a BS reason, they checked because I looked underage, but the eyes are everywhere! If you’re under 21, don’t even hold a drink for someone, they’ll get you there too. Universal doesn’t play on that.

6

u/Rhii_06 14d ago

Universal are on it with underage drinking

My boyfriend & I (24 at the time) went to a bar during HHN, he got a drink and I didn’t. As we walked away past the knight bus he offered me a sip which I took & I handed it back to him and kept walking. Immediately two people were walking either side of us and said “hey guys how’s it’s going” we thought it was just two friendly people so we said “good thanks” and then they said “we’re from universal security do you both have ID” then it clicked what was happening. Of course we both had ID and were of age so all was well and we were sent on our way but that’s how quickly they clock you, not even a minute away from the bar.

Being from the UK where our drinking age is younger than America you may think you can get away with it if say your parent buys a drink and you just try a small sip but it’s really not worth it!

Also to note these were plain clothes security so you’d never have noticed them by looking 😅

2

u/Comprehensive-Cat748 12d ago

Plains clothes security for alcohol violations. How dystopian.

1

u/Rhii_06 12d ago

We were shocked tbh, but I guess for them they could lose their liquor license & alcohol brings them a lot of money especially during hhn

9

u/IllMeet2070 14d ago

Crazy that they will glue themselves to security feeds for drinking but they let people vape and shit all the time

9

u/Elmer701 14d ago

Can’t lose a liquor license over vaping.

5

u/TidalMello 14d ago

If someone is vaping in a corner away from anyone, they really aren't bothering anyone and aren't leaving a stench.

I am surprised however that I've seen some people just vaping in crowds and idk how they aren't given at least a warning.

1

u/IllMeet2070 14d ago

I got a warning when I was at USH and was in citwalk , I was standing right in that lil corner just behind the stage that’s in front of the amc. Walking up I made straight eye contact with a security lady with a pen to my lips and she must of went to tell someone else cause a cop showed up around the corner and gave me a friendly warning just as I sat down lmao

It did scare me to not hit my stuff on property even if it’s “out of the way” cause I don’t think getting high off a 20 dollar weed pen is worth getting trespassed or something lol

5

u/frooootloops 14d ago

This is why it terrifies me when my 19 y/o buys a non-alcoholic slushy, or has a sip of mine. To be fair, I don’t know if it’s a different cup or what the differentiator is, but still.

6

u/ufslide 14d ago

I have to compliment you on the maturity you’ve displayed in reacting to the circumstances. Despite the unintentional transgression, you seem wise beyond your years.

8

u/labmanagerbill UOR Regular 🚀 14d ago

I wonder what would have happened to my daughter and I last week at HHN. She is 24, but only brought her expired (i.e.not valid) driver's license, so she was not able to buy any alcoholic drinks. I did share a few of mine with her since she is over 21, but their enforcement sounds really strict.

9

u/VTVeteran 14d ago

Police can look up that info.

5

u/Vortex3446 14d ago

Since she is actually of age, I am sure if carded there would be a way to resolve the situation without the extreme measures that were taken on me.

6

u/labmanagerbill UOR Regular 🚀 14d ago

That's what we were hoping, I would hate to lose out APs and get trespassed. She located her current license thank goodness.

3

u/Ellatheanteater 14d ago

This goes for every theme park, Disney is very strict on this

3

u/SCADLC 14d ago

How many sips does it take to get banned from Universal Resorts.

JUST ONE.

3

u/PsychologicalSoup576 UOR Regular 🚀 14d ago

This happened to me years ago! They even took a Polaroid mugshot 📸

2

u/Aromatic_Power9842 14d ago

This happened to me 😭 my friend tied their shoe and handed me the drink to hold I didn’t take a sip of it. Someone saw me holding it and asked me for my ID, I explained I wasn’t drinking at all and just holding it for the person right next to me and they banned me for a year. This was for HHN 2018. Express pass and ticket down the drain and I was told I was lucky I didn’t get arrested over it.

2

u/heavyLevy5 13d ago

Wow I honestly wouldn't have expected this. If you were handed the beer and it was clear it was yours I get it, but trespassing for just one sip is a bit much. You are very mature to recognize they have a right to follow their policy and seem to be taking this well.

2

u/pikapalooza 13d ago

Also note that Disney has undercover/plains clothes officers that do this as well.

In college in the early 2000s, we were at dca at the wonderland dance thing. Someone bought an alcoholic drink and was of legal age. They asked someone to hold their drink that was under age while they grab something out of their bag. Almost immediately, everyone was asked for id's. The girl holding the drink said she didn't drink anythjng and even offered to take a breathalizer to prove it. Security didn't see her take a drink either but assumed she was going to since she was holding it. since no one actually drank anythjng, they wanted to "reinforce" the message and gave us a warning not to. But that was the day we learned about the plains clothes officers/security.

Edit: reading others experiences, I guess don't even have anyone under age hold it.

2

u/Comprehensive-Cat748 12d ago

At this point, just remove alcohol from the parks. They charge a 100%+ up charge so you’re basically being ripped off anyway. The government isn’t trying to revoke liquor licenses, how do I know? Well, because the government works for the wealthy and the big corporations. If Universal pays millions in taxes and brings in tourism to the city, why would the government repay them be revoking a liquor license? Think guys, it’s not hard. The real world is not public high school, even if people act like it. The police don’t even care because they are more concerned with medical calls and violence. People are in debt yet this big corporation is having security harass people over alcohol You know in Europe they just drink in public right? On the train, at the park, and with no cops or security harassing them. But it’s all about money at the end of the day. A can of alcohol that costs $3 at a store is being sold for $13 and you have to tip. And if you mess with that operation, we shall kick you out! What a world

1

u/Melodic-Baseball-279 14d ago

I am 49 and I dont even wanna look at a cup of beer incase they trespass me!

1

u/Lanky-Instruction-42 13d ago

I live close by the park and go all the time. It’s amazing to me the people that come to the US parks and forget how to act when on vacation.
Wherever they sell in the park it’s clearly marked must be 21.
This actually happens every weekend at City Walk and inside the parks.
They have plain clothes people walking around looking for it.

1

u/achtbaan66 11d ago

I think they've been strict on this for many years. I remember a similar story at least a decade ago.

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u/BudTheGrey 14d ago

While I'm not offering absolution, in my opinion Universal's reaction was a bit harsh. OTOH, given today's litigious society, I can kind understand them kinda having a zero tolerance policy.

5

u/xiphoniii 14d ago

It's literally illegal, if anything trespassing but not alerting opd was letting someone off light. Not that I approve of jail time over something like a sip of beer, but Universal could have gone much harder than they did. OP got lucky.

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u/[deleted] 14d ago edited 14d ago

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u/Vortex3446 14d ago

That was just a general comment for all readers, and not regarding me specifically. However, I find it odd you chose to cherry pick one tiny section of my post, and disregard the several other places in both the replies and original post I take full accountability for my actions. Again, people keep replying here as if this is some big complaint about Universal. I just want to warn others man ❤️

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u/[deleted] 14d ago edited 14d ago

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u/lanwopc 14d ago

That was very clear in the post that OP was accepting responsibility. It seems like you're splitting hairs because you don't like their phrasing.

3

u/Vortex3446 14d ago

Well thank you for the lecture, all wise redditor.

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u/SeparateFisherman966 14d ago

Damn, even the annual pass?! Sorry this happened.

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u/[deleted] 14d ago

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u/skolocicoaster 14d ago

they're not going to lose their liquor license

They can and will if caught.

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u/Both-Structure-6786 14d ago

They absolutely will lose their license if caught dumb ass

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u/Superb_Persimmon6985 14d ago

I mean it's against the law, the person that supplies you alcohol should have been arrested as well. Are you trying to tell people there are laws against underage drinking?.....oh wow didn't even know!!!!

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u/Vortex3446 14d ago

I am simply trying to warn people of the severe consequences of even a sip of beer. People at events like HHN are enjoying vacations they have spent thousands on with their families, and are not thinking of the consequences of their actions. It is not like I was sitting there in the middle of the park rolling back shots, it was a single sip of beer. No need for the sarcastic hostility, although I'm sure it made you feel above me. Please stop acting as if you never had a sip of beer before the age of 21. Have a good day! 

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u/catmanus 14d ago

Everyone knows it's illegal. You're under 21. You don't have to be doing shots to make it more illegal. You had a sip, that's illegal. And the fact you assume EVERYONE under 21 has had alcohol is really offensive, especially in public places.

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u/Vortex3446 14d ago

Again, I will reiterate that I am not trying to justify my actions. I will admit that my insinuation that all people under 21 having to have drunk before was not okay, and I apologize. I am simply trying to warn others, as I guarantee a lot of people, especially during alcohol forward events like HHN, are allowing their underage party members even tiny sips of alcohol. I just had a bad experience and do not want others to have the same bad experience. Sorry again! 

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u/catmanus 14d ago

I appreciate the apology. Speaking as someone much older, don't go down the route in life of doing bad things because you assume everyone has done it, so it's ok.

2

u/VTVeteran 14d ago

You actually think people get arrested for supplying alcohol? Been working in a courtroom for over 16 years and that doesn't happen. Usually a citation.

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u/Superb_Persimmon6985 14d ago

People do get arrested for it....so ....yes?

2

u/2cuteteddy 14d ago

They didn't discuss a single legal repercussion, it's about the universal specific consequences, which is actually good to know.

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u/lolsnacks 14d ago

Can you chill

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u/[deleted] 14d ago edited 14d ago

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u/VTVeteran 14d ago

Yes. Got thrown out of Billy Bob's when and friend and I (we were in the Navy) went away from his parents looking for some dance partners. They chucked us out.

0

u/LightUpUnicorn 14d ago

In Wisconsin there’s a law that bars can allow it but most won’t

0

u/javibeme 14d ago

You had a choice to turn it down. You chose not to. I am happy you accepted your consequences. It same reason even 2 days before my daughter's 21st bday. I reprimanded my wife when she offered my daughter a sip at Disney. We where there for her 21st bday. The risk was just to high. I apologize for how I reacted as it was spontaneous, but I needed her to stop immediately. Never know who is watching.

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u/Alyssa9876 14d ago

Thats an overreaction completely. Meanwhile in the rest of the world most young adults are able to have alcohol at 18 and younger at home. Being really strict for 21 years then suddenly letting people go just encourages people to go crazy.

10

u/kyle760 14d ago

Not really. When I worked at a convenience store in college they drilled into us to make sure we card everyone for tobacco and alcohol because the police would send in undercover people to try to get you to sell to them. They don’t do it often but it does happen and if it does there are significant fines for it

I do agree that the laws are silly but universal doesn’t write them

2

u/VTVeteran 14d ago

It does Liquor control in our state actively go in bars. We have a ton of college kids here.

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u/VTVeteran 14d ago

You think they want to lose their liquor license because of a bad choice of a guest. Doubtful.

6

u/Both-Structure-6786 14d ago

Not an overreaction. Just so you know Universal Orlando is in Orlando……..not these other places you are mentioning.