As Universal Orlando Resort prepares to open its highly anticipated third gate, Epic Universe, a wave of enthusiasm is sweeping through the theme park community. Passholders, team members, and select media have already had the chance to explore the park’s new offerings ahead of the official grand opening in May.
Early impressions have been glowing. Epic Universe is divided into five immersive lands—Celestial Park, Dark Universe, SUPER NINTENDO WORLD, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, and How to Train Your Dragon: Isle of Berk—each promising a new level of themed storytelling. From cutting-edge rides to interactive environments, the park is already drawing comparisons to the best of Disney and Universal’s past innovations.
Yet amid the praise and celebration, one character meet-and-greet is making headlines for the wrong reasons.
Hiccup Performer Faces Harassment at Epic Universe
Within the Isle of Berk, guests can interact with Hiccup and Toothless from the How to Train Your Dragon trilogy. Designed to reflect the coming-of-age warmth of the DreamWorks franchise, the area invites visitors into a Viking village filled with dragons, festive games, and memorable character encounters.
Unfortunately, not all guests are behaving appropriately during their time in Berk.
“PLEASE be respectful and I’m begging y’all, do NOT do this,” wrote one fan on X, formerly known as Twitter, referring to recent guest behavior toward the Hiccup performer. “They’re still real people under those costumes, and they don’t get paid enough to deal with harassment from obnoxious ppl like these…”
someone who works at the park said this about the Hiccup actors in isle of berk
PLEASE be respectful and i’m begging yall, do NOT do this. they’re still real people under those costumes, and they don’t get paid enough to deal with harassment from obnoxious ppl like these…
someone who works at the park said this about the Hiccup actors in isle of berk
PLEASE be respectful and i’m begging yall, do NOT do this. they’re still real people under those costumes, and they don’t get paid enough to deal with harassment from obnoxious ppl like these… pic.twitter.com/jyKyIWVCIO
— mics (@MicsHaddock) April 16, 2025
Reports suggest that some guests have been making inappropriate comments, attempting to flirt with or touch the performer, and even posing suggestively during photo opportunities. Though the behavior appears to come from a minority, it’s been enough to spark backlash online.
A Pattern of Disrespect Toward Performers
“I always worry for the actors of these characters, they get put through so much, their jobs must be tough,” one user said. “People are so disgusting.”
Another added, “I’ve been seeing some really concerning behavior from a few people, and it really bothers me. And the people posting ‘Daddy’s home’ edits on [TikTok] are just as bad, doesn’t matter if it’s a joke.”
The situation echoes past incidents involving guests crossing boundaries with character performers at other parks. In December 2024, some Disney fans were criticized for their inappropriate behavior toward Tally the Elf during seasonal festivities. The issue isn’t new—back in 2019, multiple Disney cast members, including those portraying classic characters like Mickey and Minnie, filed police reports after being touched inappropriately by parkgoers.
It’s a reminder that while the costumes and fantasy worlds are built for escapism, the performers inside them are real people navigating high-stakes public-facing jobs.
As more guests prepare to enter Epic Universe when it officially opens, many are calling on Universal to enforce clearer boundaries and provide more support for its character performers. For now, those already attending previews are being reminded of the obvious: characters may be fictional, but consent is not.
