No water bottles?

[Planogirl]

I don't believe that they wouldn't allow formula. Even the articles say that formula is fine.

I think that Universal is shooting themselves in the foot doing this. I'm glad that it is just temporary and hopefully they'll rethink it.

 

[missnic]

We were not allowed to bring our Starbucks (purchased at Cabana Bay) in on Sunday afternoon. I was not very pleased about that considering I could have waited to buy it inside. On Monday morning we saw a dad given a hard time over a bottle of Pedialyte, and many people chugging bottles of water in line.

 

[ultimate_ed]

Saw the article this morning on the front page of Google News. Not cool, Universal. Even if it is temporary for Mardi Gras, a change like this needs to be well communicated both to the screeners and to guests - not this hamfisted absurdity as people arrive at the front gates.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Perhaps I'm in the minority, but this doesn't stir my ire like it obviously does for many others (the associated thread on the Theme Parks board got pretty heated....and subsequently locked).

If we bring anything into the parks, its the refillable cup (and we bring it empty, filling it for a nominal fee as we want additional beverages). We don't haul in a whole bunch of full drinks. I, for one, don't want to be carrying that kind of weight around a theme park.

Universal's refillable cup program is so affordable that its easy to absorb into the budget (and water refills are free).

We also don't tend to arrive at the park with drinks in hand....we generally eat and drink prior to arrival, or have breakfast in the park when we get there.

If they truly were denying guests the ability to bring in baby formula or Pedialite, then that would upset me as a parent. But not allowing bottled water? I guess I'm an oddball in saying that policy won't bother me, even if they don't make it a temporary measure.

I'm not saying I don't appreciate why the new policy is upsetting to others. It just doesn't upset me.

 

[schumigirl]

Gina I'm with you.......this doesn't bother me in the slightest.

I have no desire to drag drinks in with me to the parks. We buy bottled water from the parks every day as we need it. We have occasionally asked for filtered water and it's never been a problem.

People moaning about not being able to drink Florida water.....which is disgusting, but there's no need......you get filtered water for free from not only CS places but those freestyle machines dispense as much as you like.

I think some people saw it as a chance to attack. No surprise there. Some people seemed to miss the point or ignore the point that free filtered water is always available.........

I doubt the story of the mother emptying out formula to save the bottles. What did she plan to feed her baby the rest of the day? No, you would not have left your baby with no food and carried on into a theme park. So I don't buy that story at all.

Here in the UK it's quite normal when you go to some events you can't take any liquids or sometimes food in, nothing unusual. I'm sure it's the same in a lot of places.

 

[snoopboop]

There's an easy way to protest - every Universal patron should enter CS lines and ask for a cup and water every hour and order nothing. It would completely overwhelm their personnel while simultaneously earning them $0 revenue. The policy would end in a day, or at least by the end of the week.

Meh, this is what we already do anyway. I never bring bottled water into the parks. I don't buy it in the parks either. We just ask for a glass of water (with or without ice) when we're thirsty. I assume many people do the same thing. I doubt that they'd be completely overwhelmed, but I guess I don't know for sure. *shrug*

 

[CyndiLooWho]

And we put flavor packets in our cargo pockets for those times we have to do the water fountain water b/c we don't want to wait in line for CS water.

 

[goofyfigment]

from what i found it, universal does this around mardi gras "week" because of past experience. Doesnt really surprise me because when we were there sunday a girl was going on and on about how she sneaks alcohol in the park all the time. I know (from experience) you are not allowed to bring any bottles opened or not through the security check points coming from the parking garage after 5pm on any night. I do think the baby formula is a little over the top but once again none of us know exactly how that conversation went down (actually if it was me i would have brought it back to my room and put in fridge instead of dumping out)

 

[damo]

Something pretty severe must have happened to make them take on this policy overnight. I'm sure we'll find out soon enough.

Spokesperson for Universal, Tom Schroder, stated that the water restriction isn’t permanent and that visitors are still allowed to bring in liquid medications and baby formula.

 

[Planogirl]

Maybe Uni got in trouble over the underage drinking problem? That can cause a company a world of hurt.

 

[nkereina]

I'm of the opinion that the policy doesn't bother me either. Not only do I not want to schlep bottles around, they'd also be warm by the time I'm ready to drink them. It's my understanding that coolers have never been permitted.

Cups of ice water are still free. In my experience, the water is poured from the fountain beverage dispenser so I'm not sure if it's filtered, but it has never had that funky Florida water taste. And as previously mentioned, you can still bring in flavor packets to mask the taste. If you're staying onsite, the resorts are in such close proximity that its very quick and easy to head back and have lunch with your own food you brought to save some money.

Many of us travel on airplanes to get to Orlando and no one says boo about TSA not allowing drinks through security. It's just par for the course when flying and we're all used to it now. We're all forced to buy it after security, and I bet few airport concession stands will give out free water. We understand it's part of security, and frankly Universal's policy is too. I don't want to be hanging around a bunch of drunks that brought in booze. If its the lack of communication that's the annoyance, I'm not sure what else they could have done save for maybe more advanced notice. Maybe take out a billboard next time? IDK.

 

[soniam]

Most of us are hopefully not hanging out at the airport for 8+ hours in the sun and wind, while walking miles.

I drink a lot of water due to digestion problems, allergies, and medication. I only bring one already full reusable water bottle in though and refill it at the drinking fountains or with purchased water. Waiting in a QS line at WDW can be a hassle and take a lot of time. I haven't been to Uni yet, so maybe it's not as big of an issue. Do they have drinking fountains at Uni?

I'm of the opinion that the policy doesn't bother me either. Not only do I not want to schlep bottles around, they'd also be warm by the time I'm ready to drink them. It's my understanding that coolers have never been permitted.

Cups of ice water are still free. In my experience, the water is poured from the fountain beverage dispenser so I'm not sure if it's filtered, but it has never had that funky Florida water taste. And as previously mentioned, you can still bring in flavor packets to mask the taste. If you're staying onsite, the resorts are in such close proximity that its very quick and easy to head back and have lunch with your own food you brought to save some money.

Many of us travel on airplanes to get to Orlando and no one says boo about TSA not allowing drinks through security. It's just par for the course when flying and we're all used to it now. We're all forced to buy it after security, and I bet few airport concession stands will give out free water. We understand it's part of security, and frankly Universal's policy is too. I don't want to be hanging around a bunch of drunks that brought in booze. If its the lack of communication that's the annoyance, I'm not sure what else they could have done save for maybe more advanced notice. Maybe take out a billboard next time? IDK.

 

[bumbershoot]

People moaning about not being able to drink Florida water.....which is disgusting, but there's no need......you get filtered water for free from not only CS places but those freestyle machines dispense as much as you like.

The filtered water that is free is...Orlando water. And some of us have dainty stomachs that cannot handle it. (I can't deal with Anaheim water either) Which is why I don't drink Dasani, because they use local, filtered, municipal water (and charge the earth for it). Dasani is the same as you can get in the parks, and I don't want either one of them.



I'm going to bet $10 that this is the reason: http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/...its-universal-orlando-with-9-day.html?ana=twt

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3899796/

Don't want anyone bringing anything that might be bad when Vanilla Ice might be filming! (he's on the IMDB page for it, LOL)

 

[schumigirl]

The filtered water that is free is...Orlando water. And some of us have dainty stomachs that cannot handle it. (I can't deal with Anaheim water either) Which is why I don't drink Dasani, because they use local, filtered, municipal water (and charge the earth for it). Dasani is the same as you can get in the parks, and I don't want either one of them.
)

Well........don't know what to tell you........I don't think 2.75 is charging the earth for it either. We buy 3 bottles at a time couple of times a day at least.......it's worth it to us as we don't want to get dehydrated.

Did some people actually see this is a temporary thing? It's the same at HHN.....they don't let you take in liquids. So I'm sure whenever you go back unless it's Mardi Gras or HHN you won't have any worries about bringing in your own water.



Soniam.......they do have drinking fountains around the park. And getting free filtered water has never been time consuming at all. Any of the concessions stalls around the park that sell water will have free water.......very rarely have we queued at those.

 

[pcstang]

Well........don't know what to tell you........I don't think 2.75 is charging the earth for it either. We buy 3 bottles at a time couple of times a day at least.......it's worth it to us as we don't want to get dehydrated.

Did some people actually see this is a temporary thing? It's the same at HHN.....they don't let you take in liquids. So I'm sure whenever you go back unless it's Mardi Gras or HHN you won't have any worries about bringing in your own water.



Soniam.......they do have drinking fountains around the park. And getting free filtered water has never been time consuming at all. Any of the concessions stalls around the park that sell water will have free water.......very rarely have we queued at those.

I pay almost $7 a beer in the parks. I know the price going in to it. Overpriced? Yes. Do I have a great time anyway? Hell yes!

 

[schumigirl]

I pay almost $7 a beer in the parks. I know the price going in to it. Overpriced? Yes. Do I have a great time anyway? Hell yes!

Exactly!!!

I'm a great believer if something doesn't suit you......don't go! My friend thinks we're nuts paying $15-20 a cocktail.........is that overpriced.....probably.......but we have a great time too........Hell....yes........

 

[pcstang]

Not to belittle any of the other posters with my responses but, going to a theme park isn't cheap. There are ways to be frugal while at USO, I just choose to enjoy what I want, when I want.

 

[pcstang]

Tried to quote you schumi....didn't work

 

[schumigirl]

Not to belittle any of the other posters with my responses but, going to a theme park isn't cheap. There are ways to be frugal while at USO, I just choose to enjoy what I want, when I want.

I agree..........although my husband tells me I don't know the meaning of frugal...............it's true though!!

Tried to quote you schumi....didn't work

............lol.......well it is very late over there.............

 

[tmmalave]

A Facebook site is stating that US is changing their policy and not allowing any beverages including bottled water to be brought into the park. The stated reason is adults trying to sneak alcohol into Mardi Gras parties. Has anyone heard anymore about this?

Hi all,

Like a previous poster, I experienced the change in policy this weekend. We went to Universal Studios on Sunday February 15 and Monday February 16. On the 15th was one of the Mardi Gras concerts, as Bare Naked Ladies was playing that night. We arrived at the bag check point at 10:00 am and went through with three bottles of water. No problem. On the 16th there was no concert or Mardi Gras parade scheduled. We arrived at the park at 9:15 to massive chaos at the bag check point. They were making everyone throw away any liquids that they had. I understand restricting to Mardi Gras, but it does not make any sense to me that they would do it on day where there was no concert scheduled....