Deciding what you’re going to wear on a day at a theme park is a key decision. It needs to be comfortable in whatever weather you’re going to be out in. I've been caught in the rain at Universal Orlando wearing the wrong clothes for it. But of course, you also want to look good, as lots of people will see you, even if they are all strangers you’ll never talk to. However, it also needs to be something that the theme park in question is actually going to let you inside with. Disney World and Universal Orlando fight this battle on a daily basis.
It’s not uncommon for people who are “dress-coded” to make their way to social media. Frequently, it’s Walt Disney World that seems to be the hub of dress code violations, but today the TikTok going viral comes from Universal Orlando and a mom who literally lost her shirt at the security checkpoint.
@mommashive ♬ original sound - Sadie
The video shows the woman putting on a sweatshirt to cover her t-shirt, which reads “Women don’t owe you shit.” However, in the post, the woman claims that Universal Orlando actually took the shirt from her and that simply covering it was not acceptable. I’m assuming she was given an option of taking it back to the car or the hotel, but likely didn’t want to make the trip.
It’s a bit unusual to see this sort of thing happen at Universal Orlando but we have more than our share of instances taking place down the road at Walt Disney World. There was something of a rash of problems there as people seemed to see getting a dress code violation as a “hack” to free merch, as Cast Members would offer the offending party a free shirt to replace whatever the guest couldn’t wear.
This would work occasionally but it’s not a requirement, instead is something Cast members are empowered to do. If they see any guest not having a great time, they have some ability to fix problems, which can include spending some money. A Cast Member who thinks they’re being taken advantage of can just as easily refuse entry to the park if a guest’s clothing is deemed offensive. We know that some of the people angling for a free spirit jersey have just been turned away.
This wasn’t a case of somebody looking for a free shirt, but just a case of somebody either not thinking their shirt would be a problem or simply not considering it in that light at all. I honestly wouldn’t have much of an issue with a shirt like this in a theme park, even if my kids happened to notice it. Honestly, it’s a sentiment I hope my daughters take to heart, but I also get that not every parent would feel the same way.
This is something to keep in mind when Epic Universe opens next year. You wouldn't want to spend your one day at Universal's new theme park having to deal with a dress code violation.
