Can You Wear Fanny Packs on Rides at Universal Studios?
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Fanny packs are great for Universal Studios. They keep your phone, wallet, and small belongings close and let you ride hands-free.
You can wear a fanny pack on most rides at Universal Orlando in 2026. The exception is rides covered by Universal’s loose-articles policy, where every loose item must go in a free locker. The rules vary by park and by ride, so this guide breaks the policy down ride-by-ride.
Universal’s loose-articles policy is much more lenient towards bum bags than backpacks. A backpack triggers a locker or cubby requirement on far more rides than a slim bum bag does, so if you can pack light, bring a bum bag instead of a backpack.
Fanny Pack Rules at Universal Studios Florida
You can wear a fanny pack on every ride at Universal Studios Florida. However the ride operator may ask you to unclip and place it at your feet before restraints come down.
Rides that allow fanny packs (worn or at feet):
- The Simpsons Ride
- Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon
- Revenge of the Mummy
- MEN IN BLACK Alien Attack
- Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
- Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
Fanny Pack Rules at Islands of Adventure
Islands of Adventure has four rides where loose articles, including fanny packs, are not permitted.
Rides that allow fanny packs (worn or at feet):
- The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
- Skull Island: Reign of Kong
- Doctor Doom’s Fearfall
- Flight of the Hippogriff
- Pteranodon Flyers
- The Cat in the Hat
- Storm Force Accelatron
Rides that require lockers:
- The Incredible Hulk Coaster (metal detector at queue entry)
- Jurassic World VelociCoaster (metal detector at queue entry)
- Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure (no metal detector, attendant visual check)
- Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey (no metal detector, attendant visual check)
Fanny Pack Rules at Universal Epic Universe
Epic Universe is the new theme park at Universal Orlando. There are two rides at this theme park that do not permit loose articles.
Rides that allow fanny packs (worn or at feet):
- Constellation Carousel (Celestial Park, worn on body)
- Fyre Drill (Isle of Berk, worn on body, water battle ride)
- Mine-Cart Madness (Donkey Kong Country, boarding cubby)
- Battle at the Ministry (Ministry of Magic, boarding cubby)
- Dragon Racer’s Rally (Isle of Berk, open boarding cubby)
- Curse of the Werewolf (Dark Universe, at your feet, no lockers offered)
- Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment (Dark Universe, boarding cubby)
Rides that require lockers:
- Stardust Racers (Celestial Park, metal detector at queue)
- Hiccup’s Wing Gliders (Isle of Berk, no metal detector, free lockers required)
Stardust Racers is intense enough that Universal recommends not wearing glasses. On my May 2026 ride I wore prescription glasses held with a strap and still had to reach for them several times. Even if a bum bag were allowed on this coaster, you would not want to ride with one.
Where To Store a Fanny Pack When Going on Rides
Every ride that bans fanny packs has free locker or cubby access at the queue entrance. Universal uses three storage systems:
- Metal detector plus free photo-validation lockers (zero tolerance): Hulk, VelociCoaster, and Stardust Racers. You go through a scanner at the queue entry, so anything you carry must go in the locker.
- Free lockers without metal detector (visual check at boarding): Hagrid’s, Forbidden Journey, and Hiccup’s Wing Gliders. Universal still requires a locker for every loose article, but enforcement relies on ride attendants visually checking guests.
- Cubbies at boarding stations (no scanner, no locker): Battle at the Ministry, Monsters Unchained, Mine-Cart Madness, Dragon Racer’s Rally, Curse of the Werewolf, and most dark rides. Drop your bag into an open cubby at the boarding station and grab it on exit.
At Epic Universe, the photo-validation lockers measure 11.8 by 11 by 13 inches (about 30 by 28 by 33 cm). They use a double-door system where you load your bag from the queue-entry side and retrieve it from the ride-exit side.
On my May 2026 Epic Universe VIP tour, the team member assigned to our group held our belongings during every ride so we didn’t need to use a locker at Stardust Racers and Hiccup’s Wing Gliders.
Tips for Riding Comfortably With a Fanny Pack
- Wear it on the front, not the side: The harness clears your stomach better than your hip.
- Tighten before queueing: Loose belts shift mid-ride and get flagged at the load station.
- Move hard items to the inside zip: Phones, sunglasses, and wallets are less likely to fly out from a deep inner pocket than a shallow front pouch.
- Use a ziplock for water rides: Fyre Drill, Popeye and Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges, and Jurassic Park River Adventure will soak the contents of an unprotected fanny pack.
- Carry a backup ziplock for your phone: Universal does not replace electronics damaged in lockers or on water rides.
Can you wear a fanny pack on rides at Universal Orlando?
You can wear a secured fanny pack on most rides, but four attractions enforce a strict no-loose-articles rule via metal detectors. Those are Hulk Coaster, Jurassic World VelociCoaster, Stardust Racers at Epic Universe, and any future high-thrill coaster with security wands. On those, all bags must go in a free locker.
Which Universal Studios Florida rides ban fanny packs?
Universal Studios Florida no longer has a coaster that bans fanny packs outright (Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit was demolished in 2025). Team members may still ask you to stow a pack in a free locker on Revenge of the Mummy, Men in Black Alien Attack, and Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts.
Can you wear a fanny pack on Stardust Racers at Epic Universe?
No, Stardust Racers uses metal detectors and a mandatory free locker, so fanny packs are not allowed in the queue or on the ride. Hiccup’s Wing Gliders and Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment also have free lockers, though policies on small secured packs are more flexible there.
Will Universal staff ask you to take off a fanny pack on a ride?
Sometimes, yes. On rides that accept fanny packs, the ride operator may ask you to unclip it and place it at your feet so the harness sits properly. This is at team-member discretion and usually happens on lap-bar rides such as Revenge of the Mummy.
Can you hide a fanny pack under a shirt on a Universal ride?
On rides without metal detectors, a small fanny pack tucked under a shirt is generally tolerated. On rides with security wands (Hulk, VelociCoaster, Stardust Racers), the detector picks up anything, so the locker is the only option.
Will my fanny pack fit through the metal detector?
No. The metal detectors at Hulk, VelociCoaster, and Stardust Racers pick up zipper hardware, belt buckles, and phones inside any fanny pack. Even a fabric-only bag will trigger the scanner if it contains anything. The free locker is the only option for these rides.
Are sling bags treated as fanny packs?
Universal treats both as loose articles, but sling bags get flagged more often because the single strap shifts during turns. On rides where a slim bum bag passes a visual check, a sling bag will more often be sent to a cubby or locker.
Can I share a locker?
Yes. The free photo-validation lockers at Hulk, VelociCoaster, Hagrid’s, Stardust Racers, and Hiccup’s Wing Gliders fit one to two daypacks plus several small items. The first person to scan their photo or fingerprint sets the unlock credential. Everyone in the group must wait for that person to retrieve the bag.
