The guest reactions

As the day wore on, people began to come unglued. The employees remained as professional as they could, but they were under nearly impossible pressure. Beyond the standard issues that need to be ironed out at any major opening, nothing that was happening was under their control. They were simply trying to keep guests calm as technology and communications failed them at every level. I don’t recall any of them acting inappropriately, but they were clearly overwhelmed.

Meanwhile, the rumor mill began to churn amongst the guests. With little official word on anything throughout the day, guests tried to communicate with each other, sharing information on when a ride was expected to open or a celebrity guest was supposed to appear. But as usually happens, what started as helpful tidbits quickly turned into outlandish rumors. We heard unfounded stories about fights, restaurants running out of food, water fountains not working, and so forth.

The one that was apparently true, or at least has become part of the lore of that day, was that Steven Spielberg and his family were stuck for hours out in the Jaws lagoon. The ride had opened and closed a few times throughout the day, but it did not reopen after that.

By late afternoon, many guests had finally had enough. I distinctly remember sitting on a curb taking a break when a random guy walked up to me, chomping on a turkey leg. “Did you hear they’re giving out refunds? To anyone who asks. About time, if you ask me. This place is a disaster.”

We weren’t sure whether to believe him, so we headed over to Guest Services. Sure enough, the frazzled-looking team members handling the extremely long line kept repeating over and over, “Yes, this is the line for refunds. Yes, you will get one.” We shrugged and joined the line.

More than an hour later, we finally made it inside Guest Services. By that point, they weren’t even asking anyone why they wanted a refund. As each person stepped up to the counter, it was a short and sweet transaction. “Refund? Here ya go.” Of course, that didn’t stop the angrier guests from going into tirades anyway. Some people accepted their refunds and went on their way, while others shouted about how horrible Universal was and how they were never coming back.

I actually didn’t have a particularly bad day. There were some definite disappointments, but some high points as well. I saw a lot of potential in the park, especially in its intentional edginess and sharp contrast to Disney. I wasn’t the only one.

I talked with a lot of other guests throughout the day, gathering their opinions on everything that was going on. They seemed to fall into a few distinct groups, depending on what their expectations had been. Those who showed up to watch Universal fail were vindicated. They could not see any good in the Universal experience, and they were full of stories about how rotten their day was.

Those who hated Disney and expected Universal to be a saving grace were angry and bitter. It was as if they felt personally let down and betrayed. They tended to talk about all the wasted potential, and how the park could have been great “if only.”

Most guests seemed to fall into a gray area somewhere in the middle. Autograph hounds were disappointed or upset about how the celebrity aspect was handled, but generally managed to find something positive to say about the rest of it. Many people viewed the situation pragmatically, talking about the potential but acknowledging the difficulties of opening a brand new park. They tended to talk in worried tones, though. No park had ever managed to challenge Disney on its own Central Florida turf and come out victorious. Parks like SeaWorld Orlando were hanging on, slurping up some of the excess tourism, but were not considered real contenders. With such a poor showing, Universal was clearly doomed to failure, right?

The media

The media had turned out in full force to cover the gala opening, and were all too eager to hang around for the drama that was unfolding all around them. Reporters from TV channels, newspapers, and radio stations were everywhere. I was even interviewed on the radio, though the reporter quickly let me go when I told him I had a pretty decent day.

In the days and weeks that followed, the message was loud and clear: Universal’s opening day was an unmitigated disaster. In the words of Orlando Sentinel reporter Mary Meehan, “They came, they stood, they left mad.” Although only around 10 percent of visitors got refunds, that detail was generally buried deep within the media reports. It didn’t fit the sensationalized concept of utter failure that had become the story of the day.

The aftermath

In those days, before social media and moment by moment trip reports from people inside the park, the narrative that was being spun became the de facto reality. Across the country, legions of people who had never set foot inside Universal Studios Florida declared it a waste of time and money. In its Central Florida home, locals turned against the park. It seemed clear that it was only a matter of time before MCA would admit defeat, cut its losses, and go home to Hollywood.

Instead, MCA responded swiftly and decisively in a way that nobody could have predicted. The first order of business was to get the park operating properly. No matter what anyone thought of opening day, the reality was that the rides had to work. So everyone rolled up their sleeves and worked together. From front line employees to ride techs to high level managers, the Universal Studios Florida team united. Kongfrontation and Earthquake eventually came out of technical rehearsals (although this took months), but Jaws remained a real problem and was eventually shut completely.

Meanwhile, Universal management understood that it would take a lot to regain the public trust. The company immediately began a highly publicized “second day free” campaign in which the free tickets would never expire. This helped draw in new visitors by assuring them that even if things did not work properly on their first visit, they could always come back later for the full experience. Annual pass holders got an even better deal—their pass expiration dates were pushed back by six full months, plus they got the second day free tickets whenever they visited. Lots of friends and relatives of locals got free tickets to Universal for holidays and birthdays over the next year!

Things were starting to look up, and Universal Studios Florida earned the moniker, “The Little Park That Could.” But it wasn’t until October 1991 that Universal’s fortunes would permanently change. With a strong legacy in horror films, and attractions such as Alfred Hitchcock: The Art of Making Movies and The Phantom of the Opera Horror Makeup Show receiving rave reviews, Universal decided to take a gamble on a three-night Halloween Party dubbed Fright Nights. With one haunted house, a handful of stage shows, and some roaming scare actors, Fright Nights was a sensation. The next year, it morphed into Halloween Horror Nights, which has been one of the top-rated Halloween events in the nation ever since. Add to that a strong opening for Back to the Future: The Ride, and the park was saved.

The way Universal responded to its opening day black eye set the tone for a corporate culture that has never significantly changed. Even today, Universal has a strong “roll up your sleeves and get it done” mentality that focuses heavily on teamwork, goal setting, and transparent leadership. The company has changed hands several times, but at the theme park level, the focus has always been, and remains today, on innovative solutions to create an excellent guest experience. And now, as then, annual pass holders and locals are a key part of that equation, receiving tremendous benefits as a genuine thank-you for the support.

Universal Orlando has come a long way since opening day, and it is tough to imagine that the hugely successful multi-park enterprise had such humble beginnings. Yet without that experience, I don’t believe that Universal Orlando could have become what it is today. The company learned some harsh lessons, responded admirably, and went on to succeed beyond its own expectations. Sounds kind of like another theme park franchise, doesn’t it?