Just 16 minutes into Universal Knights ticket reservation going live last week, UCF tweeted there was an issue with the Ticketmaster checkout process preventing some students from successfully claiming tickets to the limited capacity event.
Only 11,000 tickets were available for the April 12 event, compared to the 12,000 tickets available two years ago, due to COVID-19 safety protocols.
UCF SG directed UCF students to acquire tickets for the event through Ticketmaster stating the “tickets are limited and will be first come, first served.”
The event, which is free to students, was canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19 safety precautions.
UCF SG said access to both Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure will help students keep physical distance throughout the theme parks.
UCF SG Director of Communications Vanessa Reyna said Ticketmaster received a high volume of traffic leading to issues like long processing time on the website and students getting stuck at checkout part of the process, leading to confusion.
“At the time when we said tickets were sold out, it was because Ticketmaster had communicated that to us, but we meant that all the tickets had been claimed and were in people’s shopping carts,” Reyna said.
Reyna explained SG realized that the first communication on the Instagram story was misleading — UCF SG deleted its post and updated its Instagram story with a message stating all tickets were claimed but still waiting to be processed.
UCF information technology major Bradley Orisakwe said he waited hours on the checkout page of Ticketmaster while other students had a quick and easy reservation process.
“I was stuck at the checkout page for a good three hours while everyone else got a ticket,” Orisakwe said. “So, yeah my experience wasn’t fun.”
The issues that ensued last week frustrated some UCF students and left some with more questions than answers.
UCF SG’s Instagram post for Universal Knights received over a thousand comments with some students receiving an error code upon checkout and others seemingly being able to claim a ticket easier than others.
“I get it’s a big school with a large population but I think there could be a better method of doing tickets,” Imarmil Sollet, UCF biomedical science major, said.
COVID-19 protocols remain the same for Universal Knights as communicated by UCF from the Ticketmaster emails being sent out to the individuals who were able to secure a reservation for tickets.
The protocols include wearing facial coverings, social distancing, and completion of the COVID Self-Checker.
UCF computer engineering major Ervin Dupuis said he had a different take on the situation.
Although some students had issues with Ticketmaster, Dupuis said he was able to secure a ticket within 30 minutes.
Dupuis said he believes the 2020 graduates should have been able to attend Universal Knights, given what they endured their senior year due to the ongoing pandemic.
“2020 students got everything taken away. Some students waited their entire lives to walk across that stage to receive a diploma,” Dupuis said.
UCF has since release information pertaining to limited capacity, in-person graduations, but Dupuis said the Class of 2020 should have priority to an event like Universal Knights.
“I believe that we should have prioritized UCF graduates from 2020 as a way of ‘I see you, and I’m sorry that the last year was less than ideal. Please, take this night to celebrate with your friends,'” he said.
But he said he is not concerned with the event being held and is confident in the COVID-19 protocols in place.
“I personally go to Disney frequently,” he said. “With temperature checks and proper distancing between groups … I think it would be fine! As well as UCF going beyond that and asking students to fill out the COVID checker, I feel secure about it.”
Dupuis said his only concern is the line for Hagrid’s Magical Creatures and Motorbike Adventure ride.
Check back with Knight News for updates.
