One of the best-loved parts of Halloween Horror Nights is Bill and Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure. This irreverent celebration of pop culture has been a fixture of Universal’s annual Halloween event since 1992, skewing popular film, tv, celebrities and even other theme parks (particularly Walt Disney World) for 25 years. But earlier this week Universal shocked longtime Halloween Horror Nights fans by announcing that this show, which has been a part of this event since its second year, would be having its last year of performances in 2017, and would not be a part of Halloween Horror Nights in 2018.
This was obviously a huge blow to fans of this event, who have long considered Bill and Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure to be an integral part of the culture of Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights. And while Universal hasn’t officially said why they are retiring this show, we have a feeling that a certain Boy Wizard is involved….
A legally problematic show
Image: Universal
Bill & Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure has always walked a very fine line between edgy and controversial. In fact, in 2013, controversy hit the west coast version of this show, resulting in the cancellation of Bill & Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure at Universal Studios Hollywood. However, while the Orlando version of this show had thus far managed to avoid any serious controversy, that doesn’t mean this show didn’t have its issues.
If you have ever been to Bill & Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure, one thing you might notice right off the bat is that Universal REALLY enforces its no photos/no videos rule at this show. If you so much as even pull out your smartphone for a selfie, a Team Member will be right there to tap you on the shoulder to tell you to put your device away. And if you are caught recording video or taking pictures, you may be required to delete whatever you captured before you leave the theater.
Image: Universal
This might seem a little excessive for a theme park, but Universal has a pretty good reason to keep the content of Bill & Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure under wraps: lawsuits. In theory, Universal’s use of characters from the world of pop culture should be protected under laws that deal with satire and commentary, but Universal’s legal department reportedly still received some serious threats of legal action in the early 2000s as Halloween Horror Nights was increasing in popularity, which led to the complete shutdown of photos and video in the park today.
Given all this, its easy to see how Bill & Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure is a pretty problematic show for Universal to run year after year. However, this isn’t the only issue likely contributing to the demise of this show…
Goodbye Fear Factor Live! Theater, Hello Ministry of Magic?
Image: Warner Bros.
Earlier this year Universal Orlando Resort announced that the Dragon Challenge at Islands of Adventure would be closing to make way for a thrilling new dark ride experience based on the world of Harry Potter. However, if rumors are to be believed, it looks like a second new Harry Potter attraction is coming soon to Universal Orlando Resort, but on the Universal Studios Florida side.
According to inside sources, the Fear Factor Live theater is going to be demolished before the end of next year, to make way for the iconic Ministry of Magic to be built, expanding The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley even further into the park.
Though we don’t know exactly what kind of attraction is going to go here (or when it might open) current rumblings indicate that this project will be announced soon, potentially in the next few days.
But why couldn’t this show just be moved?
While the Bill and Ted show has made the Fear Factor Live! theater its home for over a decade, it has been performed at other venues around the resort before. Couldn’t Universal just move the show again? After all, the Animal Actors stage isn’t in use during Halloween Horror Nights, and would be a perfect replacement venue. However, unfortunately it looks like this live entertainment venue is also set for demolition sometime in the next year as construction gets ready to begin on Universal Studios Florida’s NintendoLand project, making this show officially homeless and Universal out of options for relocation at Universal Studios Florida.
So where does this leave stage-based entertainment at Halloween Horror Nights?
Image: Universal
Though the main attraction at Halloween Horror Nights is of course the houses and scarezones, live, stage-based entertainment has always been a big presence at the event, and though Universal has promised they’ll have something great lined up for 2018, with the loss of both venues (and the pop-up stage presumably being used for another Academy of Fear entry), its unknown what (if any) kind of experience Universal could possibly be replacing this iconic show with.
The cancelation of the Bill & Ted show at Halloween Horror Nights is definitely a major bummer, but with the imminent expansion of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley, plus the legal headaches Universal faced every year with this show, we can see why such a tough decision had to be made. However, that doesn’t change the fact that for many, this show was the heart and soul of Halloween Horror Nights, and its loss will be keenly felt next year. How do you feel about the end of the Bill & Tell Excellent Halloween Adventure? Let us know in the comments below!
