A theme park resort and a massive hotel in Central Florida have either stopped using drones or canceled their drone shows after several drones collided and fell from the sky during separate holiday celebrations in downtown Orlando, injuring a boy who required surgery.
Universal Orlando said this week that it is suspending the drone portion of CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular, while the Orlando World Center Marriott said it is canceling scheduled drone light shows during the holiday week.
The traffic stop follows an accident Saturday when drones flew into a crowd of thousands of people watching a holiday show at Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando. According to his mother, a seven-year-old boy was hit in the chest by a drone and required heart surgery.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the accident.
Orlando World Center Marriott said other 12 Days of Seasonal Fun activities will continue, including visits from Santa Claus, family games and a fireworks display on New Year's Eve.
Theme park officials said the non-drone elements of Universal Orlando's CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular show at the end of the evening will continue with fireworks, projections and synchronized fountains accompanied by a soundtrack from the films.
“Guests can still enjoy a nightly show at Universal Studios Florida,” the theme park resort said in a statement.