Theme park suspends ride where customers shoot targets while perched with laser guns

A theme park has suspended a recently announced ride after outcries from the public, with many labelling the attraction as being in “poor taste”.

An amusement park in Orlando, Florida, is suspending the operation of an attraction it recently announced, where customers use toy laser guns to shoot far-off targets in sniper-like fashion.

ICON Park made the decision to suspend the ride after outcries over the Bullseye Blast game from the local community.

Critics cited recent mass shootings in the US, as well as one at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub in 2016 in which 49 people were killed, Fox News reports.

“Some non-guests and community members expressed that they considered the toy shooting device used to be insensitive,” a spokesperson from the communications firm representing the park said in a statement to Fox35 Orlando.

ICON Park in Orlando, Florida, is suspending the operation of the sniper-like shooting game. Picture: Alamy

“The attractions industry has many similar games which use similar shooting devices, so that is what we were limited to when exploring the game.

“However, we believe that a device can and should be designed which does not offend anyone in the community. We look forward to leading this new innovation.”

With Bullseye Blast players could go on a ride called The Wheel, a 120m-high “observation wheel,” and while perched high above the park, they look for hidden targets on rooftops that they can shoot with laser guns equipped with scopes.

“This is in poor taste!” Democratic Florida State Senator Linda Stewart tweeted in response to a news article about the attraction.

This is in poor taste! https://t.co/Dsb3sqTg0y

— Linda Stewart (@LindaStewartFL) July 15, 2022

International Theme Park Services Inc. CEO Dennis Speigel told the Orlando Sentinel that he was surprised ICON Park executives went forward with the game.

“Seeing these simulated guns pointed down at you from these heights, from all these cars, just doesn’t seem like the right decision,” Mr Speigel said. “It’s a little bizarre.”

When the attraction was first announced last week, social media users were quick to criticise it.

The Wheel at #ICONPark has added an all-new game feature called Bullseye Blast: https://t.co/ZgSP0cwEJs pic.twitter.com/uR1QTUxwFy

— LaughingPlace.com (@laughing_place) July 14, 2022

The Wheel at #ICONPark has added an all-new game feature called Bullseye Blast: https://t.co/ZgSP0cwEJs pic.twitter.com/uR1QTUxwFy

— LaughingPlace.com (@laughing_place) July 14, 2022

“How did this make it off the drawing board? Big difference between shooting aliens/robots to practising our sniper skills in a real-life urban area,” one person said.

“Mass shooter training,” said another.

Others, however, did not see a big deal in something that was a game, with one Twitter user noting that the main idea of the game has been used in other Orlando parks.

“This concept is no different than Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin at Disney’s Magic Kingdom or Men In Black at Universal Studios,” they said.

ICON Park also recently made headlines following a tragic accident in which a 14-year-old boy died after going on the park’s FreeFall ride in March.

This story originally appeared on Fox News and is republished here with permission