ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A theme park resort and a huge hotel in central Florida either have stopped using drones or canceled their drone-based shows after several drones collided and fell from the sky during a separate holiday celebration in downtown Orlando. The accident injured a boy who required surgery.
Universal Orlando said this week that it was pausing the drone component of its “CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular” show, while Orlando World Center Marriott posted that it was canceling its scheduled drone shows during the holiday week.
The halt in using drones follows last Saturday's accident when drones fell into a crowd of thousands of people watching a holiday show at Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando. A 7-year-old boy was hit in the chest by a drone and required heart surgery, according to his mother.
The accident is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.
Orlando World Center Marriott said other activities for its "12 Days of Seasonal Fun" celebration would continue, including visits from Santa, family games and a fireworks show on New Year's Eve.
The non-drone elements of Universal Orlando's “CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular” show, put on at the end of the night, will continue with fireworks, projections and synchronized fountains accompanied by a soundtrack from movies, theme park officials said.
“Guests can still enjoy the show nightly at Universal Studios Florida,” the theme park resort said in a statement.
Mike Schneider, The Associated Press