A simulated human sacrifice has been removed from an attraction at one of Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights. The move was a “creative decision” according to Universal Orlando spokesman Tom Schroder.
“Our entertainment team makes a lot of real-time creative decisions as they watch guests interact with the experience they create for them,” he said, according to the Orlando Sentinel. “They add things, they remove things, they modify things — all in the interest of making for a great guest experience.”
The sacrifice was part of the Bayou of Blood attraction in which a voodoo queen performs a fatal ritual. In the video of the ritual, uploaded to YouTube by BigFatPanda, the queen’s henchmen bring a scared man onto the stage and she eventually stabs him in the stomach.
What follows is the resemblance of disembowelment, although it’s meant to be in good fun and not taken so seriously. Universal trusts their guests know the difference between reality and pretend.
Busch Gardens in Tampa removed some of their props in a haunted house attraction in the wake of the ISIS beheading. Some guests were complaining about a similar event happening in the attraction. But again, meant for entertainment. “This event is not about reality, and we believe our guests are able to make that distinction,” Universal said then.
At the time, no changes were made at the Orlando theme park.
Halloween Horror Nights is now in it’s 24th year running and requires a separate ticket to get in, although the events take place at the same theme park and during normal park hours. All the events are described as having a PG-13 rating.
