Guests will not be separated from the monsters at Universal Orlando‘s Halloween Horror Nights this year.
Universal is not installing flexible plastic dividers between the performers and guests in its haunted houses in 2022, a safety measure introduced during 2020’s limited event and used again last year to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, spokeswoman Alyson Sologaistoa said.
The dividers are gone because Halloween Horror Nights is returning to normal operations, she said. The resort has also made face coverings optional for all event employees this year after they were required last fall.
Universal representatives first confirmed the removal of the plastic dividers to USA Today, who reported it as part of an article previewing this year’s event. The annual Halloween haunt, which draws thousands of people each night, starts Friday.
Universal confirmed to the Orlando Sentinel a week before the 2021 event that workers installed clear vinyl dividers in the haunted houses. The barriers were placed in locations where scare actors would be in close contact with crowds of guests in single-file lines through the houses’ narrow corridors.
The announcement concerned some members of the Halloween Horror Nights community, who worried the dividers would be ineffective against spreading the virus and make some otherwise startling scares predictable. Others appreciated Universal’s steps toward keeping employees and guests safe.
Last fall’s COVID precautions also included mandatory face coverings for haunted house attendants and performers working indoors, though masks were optional for guests. Actors who were not wearing monster masks were seen wearing cloth masks as part of their costumes.
krice@orlandosentinel.com and @katievrice on Twitter
