Two days before Tivoli opens for its annual Halloween season, the world famous amusement park found itself living a bit of a nightmare, as one of its new rides is under heavy fire due to its name and concept.
’Det hjemsøgte børnehjem’ (‘The haunted orphanage’) ride, which is supposed to creep out guests as they meander down dour corridors hiding untold atrocities committed against orphans of yesteryear, has hit a little too close to home for some people – particularly those who themselves spent rough times in an orphanage.
“As a former orphanage kid, I honestly find it very tasteless and lacking empathy to make a ride based on abuse we suffered,” one commenter, Peter Bjørn Hviid, wrote on Tivoli’s Facebook page.
READ MORE: Scream-inducing rides and pumpkins aplenty at Tivoli for Halloween
Poor judgement
Tivoli has been quick to admit the name was perhaps not very well considered and the park has changed it to ‘Det Hjemsøgte’ (‘The Haunted’).
Accordingly, the content has been adjusted to avoid any direct references to children.
“We admit we’ve made a miscalculation in regards to the haunted house. Some people have made us aware of that, so we are making the changes as quickly as possible,” Torben Plank, the head of communications for Tivoli, told TV2 News.
“The idea was to play on the scary elements that exist in books, films and on TV. It was not our intention to be insensitive or insult anyone.”
Tivoli’s Halloween season kicks off tomorrow on Friday the 13th – unlucky for some.
