***OFFICIAL Save the Lost Continent Thread***

[rockbottomsound]

After hearing rumors that Universal Execs may have a plan to "get rid of" or "substantially alter" the Lost Continent section at IOA I thought it appropriate to have an official thread about this for everyone to pitch in to save this island.

IMO the Lost Continent section at IOA is not just my favorite section of this park, but any park in the world. I think it is brillantly themed and plans to alter it one iota I think should be scrapped. This section is a true work of art not just architecturally but in every sense of the word. Changing this section would be the equivalent of putting a mustache on the Mona Lisa.

Don't get me wrong I'm all for a Harry Potter section, just not at the expense of the LC or any other section at IOA for that matter, it should be a total add on if anything.

Please, for those of you who agree, post your opinions in the hopes that Uni execs may actually get wind of this and think otherwise.

[Notatourist]

You do realize that your thread is based on a RUMOUR?!
:confused3

[robvia]

It's tuff seeing a favorite attraction close down. But let's look at it this way.
Sinbad and Posiden's Fury don't open until 10:30am at the earliest. I don't have the Sinbad times but I'm sure it doesn't start until 11am or noon.

So two gigantic attractions sit there doing nothing every morning, Mythos doesn't open until 11:30am. The talking fountain and the shops don't open early either unless it's peak times.

Don't get me wrong, but that entire island is "dead" most mornings besides Dueling Dragons and the Flying Unicorn.

[damo]

I'm with Rob on this one. I love the architecture but I am not enamoured with the the rides. I think Universal can change these two attractions, maintain the architecture but enhance it to suit the magic theme more and we will have dramatically improved the enjoyment of the Lost Continent. I don't think the integrity of the whole area needs to change but the content does. There is a lot of wasted space in front of both Sinbad and Poseidan that can be used.

[rockbottomsound]

Well I realize that it is currently a rumor, but nonetheless.

I think what they should do is figure out other ways to get people in this section earlier if it is dead in the morning hours.

Don't get me wrong I would love to see a Harry Potter section, diagon alley, hogwarts whatever, but that should be a seperate section or a new section at the old universal side. I just don't want to see the LC altered.

If they just took out the stunt show and poisedans fury show and left the outside of the buildings and rest of the section in tact, I wouldn't have as much of a problem with it. That stunt show could go, but its the outside of those buildings that I think should stay. And especially the crumbled statue, Mythos and the other key features of that area, should not be disturbed in my opinion. That broken statue of poisieden to me is one of the most important things in the theme park world, really that whole area there.

[yaytezIOA]

You do also realize that IOA hasnt had a new attraction in quite some time, and this rumor is boasting not one but two new attractions, and a complete rehaul that will bring in loads of new visitors and lots of money that would justify them spending money on other sections of the park for new rides.........

[F-L-A]

There is a lot of wasted space in front of both Sinbad and Poseidan

How so?

[Amity 3]

don't waste your time and energy freaking out about something that isn't going to happen.

now, if you want to start a petition to reopen fire eaters grill and bring back the gyros, I'll sign it.

[lindalinda]

Sorry, not with you on this one. People are always complaining that theres no new stuff, and so if new stuff comes, I'm all for it!

[macraven]

don't waste your time and energy freaking out about something that isn't going to happen.

now, if you want to start a petition to reopen fire eaters grill and bring back the gyros, I'll sign it.



and i will be the first to sign that petition.
i love the fire eaters grill...........




i'll even sign in blood....:rolleyes1

[macraven]

if they redo LC, great.

change isn't always easy for some, but change is good.


except when they closed F.E. grill.......

[damo]

How so?

There is a lot of space outside of the Sinbad show and Poseidan that isn't even used until the attractions are up. That space can be used to increase the Potter theming quite easily. If you use this link, you can see all of the space, especially in front of Sinbad that can be utilized for theming and hold a lot of people if those two attractions were used all the time.
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=28.475082~-81.467672&style=o&lvl=1&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=3909189

[Amity 3]

if the rumors about replacing BTTF with the Simpsons - but Universal and Fox couldn't reach a financial agreement...why does anyone think Universal could reach a financial agreement with JK Rowling alone?

and then refurb 1/5 of a park that cost a billion dollars to build in the first place?

it isn't going to happen.

[F-L-A]

I'm still not seeing it (the wasted space.) Perhaps from an operational standpoint Poseidon's outdoor queue is larger than it needs to be, but that happens to be the best themed part of the park (any park, for that matter) and putting anything else there would obstruct the current view of the facade. Besides, what would they put there? Another store? I'll have none of that.

Sinbad... well, most people don't realize the show is there even after it opens. The only alteration that would make sense is gutting the show entirely in favor of a dark ride. One with higher visibility. Preferrably not themed to Harry stinkin' Potter...

[robvia]

I actually agree with Amity3 on this one. Once you've followed the parks for a while, you understand it's a business and nothing more. If you look at the attendance figures year after year, they basically stay the same no matter what.
USF ends up in 6th place behind the Disney parks. IOA is 7th or 8th depending on where DCA ends up. USH is 10th.

So why should Universal spend millions of dollars, when it won't matter? Most parents are brainwashed going to Disney year after year. Universal is sponging off that with the word of mouth advertising and billboards along I-4.

If Universal really wanted to increase attendance, they could do it by attracting more visitors from up north who are snowed in.

And the part that really brings all this home, is when you realize that the parks are just a spec of dust to GE and NBC. They'd rather sell them off like CBS did with Paramount. The suits at the top want bigger deals, and the parks can't bring it. The only thing the suits see is numbers. Sadly, we have to hope attendance drops before they'll add a big coaster.

[momof3disneyholics]

I like that area of the park, but if one of the areas has to be closed to make room for new attractions, then I think that area should be it. It seems like it is the least appealing to guests that are going for the first time.

[mark2311]

I love LC it really is one of the best themed areas in any park i've been to. The building that Poseidon is in is stunning. I love to just stand and look at it. I would hate to seem them change the way the place looks but it really does need an injection of excitment into it. Like new rides in the Poseidon building or Sinbad building. Sure it has DD but thats about it.

Changing it to a Harry Potter themed island would be wrong but i can see why the suits would want to do it. I mean what kid these days wouldn't want to go see it? It is massive and be guaranteed to bring in more visitors, in the short term at least and who knows maybe even longer.

I just wish they would add it as a whole new land and not replace LC

[F-L-A]

I actually agree with Amity3 on this one. Once you've followed the parks for a while, you understand it's a business and nothing more. If you look at the attendance figures year after year, they basically stay the same no matter what.

Err... what gave you that idea? Universal's attendance has been in freefall for several years now.

[diseyore]

Correct, free falling. They are cutting atmosphere actors and their budgets due to low attendance.

[rockbottomsound]

Sorry, not with you on this one. People are always complaining that theres no new stuff, and so if new stuff comes, I'm all for it!

I didn't say don't bring in any new stuff, I'm all for new attractions and even making a new Harry Potter section, JUST NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF THE LOST CONTINENT! Don't tear down the best themed section of any theme park in the world to bring in something new. I'm not for tearing down or substantially altering any portion of IOA, but if anything Toon Lagoon should go before the LC. Not that I want to see TL go either, but the LC is THE best.

[rockbottomsound]

I like that area of the park, but if one of the areas has to be closed to make room for new attractions, then I think that area should be it. It seems like it is the least appealing to guests that are going for the first time.

Ugh?:confused3 More so than Toon Lagoon or the Marvel Comics area? Not in my opinion, I think the LC is the best themed section of any park in the world. Not that I would like to see them tear down any portion of IOA, but seems to me Marvel or TL should go way before the LC.

And to answer the other persons input, if the suits at Universal would let real creative people make good movies and stop making BS formula, car chase, action, mad man has a nuclear weapon, or cheesy loves story movies, then maybe their movies would be doing better. Not that all of their movies are bad, they do produce good movies too, but for every good movie they produce (Gladiator) seems like they make about 10 Giglis.

"Lets put J-Lo and Ben Afflick in a picture and have them fall in love and blah blah blah yada yada crapola...."

[yaytezIOA]

Attendance is not in a freefall. Its just not going up, and it is constantly losing to almost all of the Disney parks, except for Animal Kingdom, which will change due to Everest. However, it has dipped slightly and will continue to dip even more if they do not do something with the parks.....both of them. Destroying popular rides that pull in huge lines, instead of simply rehabbing them is one reason. Not rehabbing any rides at all, cutting costs to eliminate characters, and leaving empty space to rot away is another. Over crowding your parks during key events instead of limiting tickets is yet another. If these things keep up then you will see attendance start to decrease even more. I LOVE Universal....and even I am getting a little bored with it.
While its not wise to mess with a beloved island such as LC, something is needed to boost that attendance, and Harry Potter WILL do it........now keeping diehards like Amity, Robvia and myself happy....yeah.....somehow I think thats going to be near impossible to do.

[rockbottomsound]

I'll be the first to say that I think a Harry Potter section is a great idea. It should have its own large section SOMEWHERE, just not at IOA, or by tearing down an existing IOA section.

Would you rip out Pirates of the Caribean or the Haunted Mansion? I don't think so.

I'll be the first to cheer a HP section, just seems like there are a lot of places this could go. For one thing those huge long walks and spaces in the areas between the hotels and the City Walk/Parks sections comes to mind right away. There are a lot of un-used spaces on Uni property they could utilize, they just need to get oh so slightly creative with utilizing their space and not have some knee jerk idea, "oh lets just tear down the best themed section ever created.":eek:

[damo]

When I look at how many times I have done Poseidan's Fury or Sinbad since opening I realized that I have done Poseidan 4 times and Sinbad once. I think I have been on vacation at universal about 10 times so have probably visited the parks about 40 times. I love these parks and if I don't go on those attractions, that probably means that a lot of people feel the same way.

I don't think Poseidan is IOA's equivalent to Pirates by a long shot. Now if they were going to rip out DD that would be a different story.

[MSWint]

Bottom line ... in my opinion ... is that LC would be the easiest and cheapest to "convert" to Potter related. They wouldn't need to change much but for a little themeing.

[robvia]

The 2006 figures are not out yet, it's rumored they will be soon.
USF has always been in 6th place. IOA is 7th or 8th depending on DCA.
Do you think the suits really care about a big new ride, when the attendance figures virtually remain the same? No, they don't. That's why they put in some fluff attraction like iVillage, and splash a bunch of billboards along I-4 with the word "New" all over it. USF/IOA/SWF are very lucky they get to sponge off Disney. NBC would rather have a TV show do well.

2005 Park Attendance Figures in Millions
1. Magic Kingdom; 16.1
2. Disney Land; 14.5
3. Epcot; 9.9
4. MGM Studios; 8.6
5. Animal Kingdom; 8.2
6. Universal Studios; 6.1
7. California Adventure; 5.8
8. Islands of Adventure; 5.8
9. Sea World Florida; 5.6
10. Universal Studios Hollywood; 4.7

2004 Park Attendance Figures in Millions
1. Magic Kingdom; 15.1
2. Disney Land; 13.3
3. Epcot; 9.4
4. MGM Studios; 8.2
5. Animal Kingdom; 7.8
6. Universal Studios; 6.7
7. Islands of Adventure; 6.3
8. California Adventure; 5.6
9. Sea World Florida; 5.6
10. Universal Studios Hollywood; 5.0

2003 Park Attendance Figures in Millions
1. Magic Kingdom; 14.0
2. Disney Land; 12.7
3. Epcot; 8.6
4. MGM Studios; 7.9
5. Animal Kingdom; 7.3
6. Universal Studios; 6.9
7. Islands of Adventure; 6.0
8. California Adventure; 5.3
9. Sea World Florida; 5.2
10. Universal Studios Hollywood; 4.6

2002 Park Attendance Figures in Millions
1. Magic Kingdom; 14.0
2. Disney Land; 12.7
3. Epcot; 8.3
4. MGM Studios; 8.0
5. Animal Kingdom; 7.3
6. Universal Studios; 6.9
7. Islands of Adventure; 6.1
8. Universal Studios Hollywood; 5.2
9. Sea World Florida; 5.0
10. California Adventure; 4.7

[rockbottomsound]

When I look at how many times I have done Poseidan's Fury or Sinbad since opening I realized that I have done Poseidan 4 times and Sinbad once. I think I have been on vacation at universal about 10 times so have probably visited the parks about 40 times. I love these parks and if I don't go on those attractions, that probably means that a lot of people feel the same way.

I don't think Poseidan is IOA's equivalent to Pirates by a long shot. Now if they were going to rip out DD that would be a different story.

Well I agree about the stunt show, not so much about Fury, but my main concern is that those facades would be changed, changing the INSIDE of the stunt show or even fury I wouldn't have as big of a problem with.

I'm mainly concerned over changing the outside facades of those structures, that is the main thing I would have a problem with. I could certainly live with converting the inside of the stunt show. Never thought the stunt show was that big of a deal. Its the themeing in the area I'm mainly concerned with.

But with that being said, I still see no reason why they couldn't just utilize a lot of space that is totally not in use. I mean the walks from either Portofino, or the Royal Pacific are very long, there are acres in those areas that are nothing but landscaping that seems to me could be utilized. There are spaces behind the old park (in between it and the Hard Rock). For example. I'm sure there are other un-used spaces.

Tearing down anything other than maybe BTTF to me just makes no sense, when they could utilize other space.

[macraven]

the sinbad and posideon shows i have seen only a couple of times.
the only reason for that is they cut into my park time for rides.

when i stay 4 nights on site, then i do those two shows. when it is only a 3 night stay and during hhn time period, i don't do those shows.

the wait time to get in, the show itself takes more time out of my day when i am gearing up for the dueling dragon or hulk.........



as for harry potter, i have no idea what it is all about.
never have seen the shows or plan on it.

[damo]

as for harry potter, i have no idea what it is all about.
never have seen the shows or plan on it.

In a nutshell, it is all about a kid learning to be a wizard and the obstacles he comes up against. It is very easy to follow even for those who have no idea who or what Harry Potter is. Lots of magic stuff and evil guys.

[macraven]

thanx damo

[F-L-A]

Attendance is not in a freefall. Its just not going up

It's not going up because it's too busy going down.

[Amity 3]

I'll wait a fiscal year and see how adding the blue man group increases attendance. wait a minute, those numbers won't factor in because it's an additional ticket charge. it'll be marketed toward onsite guests.

I don't foresee a huge number of offsite guests renting a car to drive to UO to see the show, they can just use free Disney transportation to Cirque.

Universal needs to make a HUGE announcement soon.

[rockbottomsound]

I'll wait a fiscal year and see how adding the blue man group increases attendance. wait a minute, those numbers won't factor in because it's an additional ticket charge. it'll be marketed toward onsite guests.

I don't foresee a huge number of offsite guests renting a car to drive to UO to see the show, they can just use free Disney transportation to Cirque.

Universal needs to make a HUGE announcement soon.

I'm all for adding new attractions. But also seems to me they could make the hotel costs more reasonable instead of 300-350 a night for Portifino and they could rake in more folks. Make it say 180, bring HR and RP down to about 150 and 100 per night or so.

[robvia]

Well, let's look at USF in more detail for a second. They added The Mummy in May of 2004 at a cost of 40 million, yet attendance dropped.
2003 - 6.9
2004 - 6.7
2005 - 6.1
The problem with the Mummy is it's marketed as a "Psychological Thrill Ride" and regular folks are actually scared to go on it. If you ask me, they need to turn the marketing around and call it a fun ride so people aren't scared of it.

So why else is attendance at USF dropping if they added The Mummy? It's like the big new thrill ride didn't bring in the big crowds. I'm sure The Mummy keeps attendance from dropping even more, but it didn't give USF the spike they were looking for. That's bad news, because a suit looking at the numbers is going to leave things "as is" and not spend 40 million if it won't bring in tons of people.

[rockbottomsound]

Well, let's look at USF in more detail for a second. They added The Mummy in May of 2004 at a cost of 40 million, yet attendance dropped.
2003 - 6.9
2004 - 6.7
2005 - 6.1
The problem with the Mummy is it's marketed as a "Psychological Thrill Ride" and regular folks are actually scared to go on it. If you ask me, they need to turn the marketing around and call it a fun ride so people aren't scared of it.

So why else is attendance at USF dropping if they added The Mummy? It's like the big new thrill ride didn't bring in the big crowds. I'm sure The Mummy keeps attendance from dropping even more, but it didn't give USF the spike they were looking for. That's bad news, because a suit looking at the numbers is going to leave things "as is" and not spend 40 million if it won't bring in tons of people.

Yeah I hear ya, 40 mil seems like a lot for that ride. I mean its a great ride, but not a "super" coaster or anything, short for a coaster, I guess all those animatronics cost mega $$$

[damo]

Well, let's look at USF in more detail for a second. They added The Mummy in May of 2004 at a cost of 40 million, yet attendance dropped.
2003 - 6.9
2004 - 6.7
2005 - 6.1
The problem with the Mummy is it's marketed as a "Psychological Thrill Ride" and regular folks are actually scared to go on it. If you ask me, they need to turn the marketing around and call it a fun ride so people aren't scared of it.

So why else is attendance at USF dropping if they added The Mummy? It's like the big new thrill ride didn't bring in the big crowds. I'm sure The Mummy keeps attendance from dropping even more, but it didn't give USF the spike they were looking for. That's bad news, because a suit looking at the numbers is going to leave things "as is" and not spend 40 million if it won't bring in tons of people.

The weird thing about those numbers though is that if you look at the reported 2004 numbers with the percent increase, it states there is an increase from 2003.
That means that the 2003 or 2004 numbers (which apparently are all estimated anyways) are wrong.

The 2003 numbers:
The Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Fla., 14 million, flat.
Disneyland, Anaheim, Calif., 12.7 million, flat.
Epcot at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Fla., 8.6 million, up 4 percent.
Disney-MGM Studios at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Fla., 7.8 million, down 2 percent.
Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Fla., 7.3 million, flat.
Universal Studios at Universal Orlando, 6.8 million, flat.
Islands of Adventure at Universal Orlando, 6 million, flat.
Disney's California Adventures, Anaheim, Calif., 5.3 million, up 13 percent.
SeaWorld Florida, Orlando, Fla., 5.2 million, up 4 percent.
Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal City, Calif., 4.5 million, down 12 percent.


The 2004 numbers according to the internet:
The Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Fla., 15.2 million, up 8%.
Disneyland, Anaheim, Calif., 13.4 million, up 5%.
Epcot at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Fla., 9.4 million, up 9%.
Disney-MGM Studios at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Fla., 8.3 million, up 5%.
Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Fla., 7.8 million, up 7%.
Universal Studios at Universal Orlando, 6.7 million, up 14%.
Islands of Adventure at Universal Orlando, 6.3 million, up 13%.
Disney's California Adventures, Anaheim, Calif., 5.6 million, up 6%.
SeaWorld Florida, Orlando, Fla., 5.6 million, up %.
Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal City, Calif., 5 million, up 8%.


The numbers and the percent changes don't jive for Universal and IOA although they are correct for Disney..

[robvia]

Right, even the 2005 number is messed up because it says there was an increase of 8.5% for USF, yet the number went down from 6.7 to 6.1.
So the percentage up/down column is wrong in most cases. Agree, the numbers are estimates, so they'll never be exact, but the order of the top 10 doesn't change much from year to year.

[mslclark]

now, if you want to start a petition to reopen fire eaters grill and bring back the gyros, I'll sign it.

Me too! we like the foot long hot dogs there, and we've missed it the last 2 trips!

[macraven]

Me too! we like the foot long hot dogs there, and we've missed it the last 2 trips!

i love everything at the fire eaters grill...........

[WebmasterPete]

The folks I've been talking to over there all confirm that something major is going to happen - soon, just can't get them to say what - either on or off the record. I think one of Universal's biggest problems is that they tend to tie their attractions FAR too closely to theme's that are destined to be dated after only a few years. A Harry Potter themed section would be a huge draw now, but it won't be 10 years from now - and for these rides to make sense financially, they have to have a long shelf life (look at Tower of Terror for instance). They're still using Earthquake and E.T. For the love of God, Earthquake was a hit in 1974 - those of you twenty-something’s out there - did you even know that was a movie? Have you ever seen it? E.T. is the same - it's cute and all, but that was from 1982! Disney does well in not tying too many of its BIG attractions to its movie properties. They come up with new stories for their attractions themed to the park/sections that they're building them in. Expedition Everest is a classic example - they work off the theme of the AREA, not a film property with limited appeal for a limited time. Universal seemed to learn that lesson well with IoA - I'm hoping they don't screw it up by throwing Harry Potter of all things into the mix. I have nothing against Harry Potter - but I'm pretty sure I'd throw up a little in my mouth if I had to endure an entire "land" themed around it.

Also keep in mind that numbers are down all around town right now. Disney's 'affordable' push (a $1600 lead in rate for a family of four is UNHEARD of for Disney) - and it's because they're having trouble filling their resorts. They're showing profitibility because they raised prices twice last year (not to mention increases in food and souvenier prices), and they draw a lot of visitors from offsite hotels. Universal's attendance issues have less to do with dated attractions, and more to do with Disney's new ticketing system that effectively makes an extra day in their parks about $10, versus the $100+ you pay at Universal.

I've grown so tired of the "universal is dead" comments, that I wrote a fairly lengthy article for the DIS that will go up on Tuesday. Universal is anything but dead - trust me, it's my job to know this stuff, and I'm rarely wrong :thumbsup2 - Now watch - GE will announce it's selling off everything tomorrow :)

Pete

[ArmandtheWise]

Getting rid of Back to the Future would be a terrible mistake. It's bad enough that they got rid of King Kong (I wish they didn't). If they wanted to put the Mummy around the new york area they should have replaced either Earthquake, or Twister with it. My money would have been on earthquake since it is greatly outdated. I bet one of the reasons why universal is losing money is because may be the mummy didn't live up to what the kong ride was.

Well anyways, Hello everyone my name is Armand and I just registered here. :)

[F-L-A]

I know you had good intentions Pete, but I think a couple of your points are a bit off. I'll agree that Earthquake was a bad choice for an attraction. In fact, I'm one of those people that had never even heard of the film. Still haven't seen it, nor do I intend to. But E.T. is one of Universal's biggest hits... ever. Citing it's age as a potential reason to get rid of it would be no different than citing the ages of any of the attractions in Fantasyland - which are more than twice as old. I also think you overlooked the fact that this film was released several decades ago, but this also means us "twenty-somethings" and many younger kids grew up with it. As a result, were likely to show it to our children. E.T. Adventure should be a mainstay of the park, and I personally think it's nothing short of ridiculous that it was removed from USH. I would like to see the ride revamped though.

I was also totally against the idea of changing Lost Continent into a Harry Potter area, and I still am to a degree. Quite frankly, I don't like this franchise. But the most recent version of the rumor I've heard is that Potter will only take up the small area between Dragons and Jurassic Park. In other words, the only attraction that would be lost is Flying Unicorn. If that's the case, so be it. I'd still prefer to see a new JP dark ride, but I'll take almost anything at this point.

[WebmasterPete]

Ah, but you can't really draw comparisons to things like Fantasyland with Universal. Areas like Fantasyland are tied, in many respects, to classic fairy tales - they tend to be a bit more timeless then a popular film. Gone with the Wind still rates as one of the best films ever made - but I don't think I'd want to see a theme park attraction based on it.

Universal Florida, for better or worse, has it fortunes tied to movie properties, and if you're going to do that, then you have to change things up a LOT more often. Hit movies will only be a draw for so long - in any form. While E.T. the movie is certainly a sentimental favorite , I would seriously challenge the notion that the attraction is a draw for that park. Universal prides itself on attracting an older, edgier audience. That's hard to do with attractions that are pushing 20 years old. As I said before, it's a cute attraction, and enjoyable - but that's not what Universal needs right now. It needs attractions that will pull in the numbers.

Pulling out attractions like Earthquake or Jaws presents a greater challenge, because they themed entire areas of the park around them (the San Francisco Wharf, and Amity respectively) - that's hard to replace. E.T. is a much easier property to rework as they wouldn't have to consider so many collateral changes.

And, while we're drawing comparisons to Disney - keep in mind that they won't think twice about pulling a dated attraction. 20,000 leagues, Mr. Toad and to a lesser degree Carousel of Progress (still open, but only sporadically, based on crowds). All of those changes were made under very vocal protest - these were sentimental favorites, but that doesn't draw in new visitors, and new visitors keep theme parks open.

If Universal wants big crowds AND longevity, some tough choices have to be made - E.T. would be first on my list.

Pete

[F-L-A]

Ah, but you can't really draw comparisons to things like Fantasyland with Universal. Areas like Fantasyland are tied, in many respects, to classic fairy tales - they tend to be a bit more timeless then a popular film. Gone with the Wind still rates as one of the best films ever made - but I don't think I'd want to see a theme park attraction based on it.

Pete

More timeless than a popular film? Huh? Those rides are all directly based on films. Fantasyland is tied to Disney's films, not the fairy tales said films originated from. Most Americans aren't even familiar with the original fairy tales themselves, only the Disney-ized representations. In fact, many people believe Walt came up with the ideas himself. :headache:

[Amity 3]

Ah, but you can't really draw comparisons to things like Fantasyland with Universal. Areas like Fantasyland are tied, in many respects, to classic fairy tales - they tend to be a bit more timeless then a popular film. Gone with the Wind still rates as one of the best films ever made - but I don't think I'd want to see a theme park attraction based on it.

Universal Florida, for better or worse, has it fortunes tied to movie properties, and if you're going to do that, then you have to change things up a LOT more often. Hit movies will only be a draw for so long - in any form. While E.T. the movie is certainly a sentimental favorite , I would seriously challenge the notion that the attraction is a draw for that park. Universal prides itself on attracting an older, edgier audience. That's hard to do with attractions that are pushing 20 years old. As I said before, it's a cute attraction, and enjoyable - but that's not what Universal needs right now. It needs attractions that will pull in the numbers.

Pulling out attractions like Earthquake or Jaws presents a greater challenge, because they themed entire areas of the park around them (the San Francisco Wharf, and Amity respectively) - that's hard to replace. E.T. is a much easier property to rework as they wouldn't have to consider so many collateral changes.

And, while we're drawing comparisons to Disney - keep in mind that they won't think twice about pulling a dated attraction. 20,000 leagues, Mr. Toad and to a lesser degree Carousel of Progress (still open, but only sporadically, based on crowds). All of those changes were made under very vocal protest - these were sentimental favorites, but that doesn't draw in new visitors, and new visitors keep theme parks open.

If Universal wants big crowds AND longevity, some tough choices have to be made - E.T. would be first on my list.

Pete

who's going to be the first one to tell Spielberg it's time to shut down ET?

the man shot the film for the Spiderman attraction on top of everything else he's done to become the silent Walt Disney of Universal Orlando.

[F-L-A]

What's Spielberg's relation to the Spider-Man ride footage? He couldn't have shot it, because there was nothing to shoot.

[WebmasterPete]

who's going to be the first one to tell Spielberg it's time to shut down ET?


I'll tell him - do you have his number? :)

[macraven]

Also keep in mind that numbers are down all around town right now. Disney's 'affordable' push (a $1600 lead in rate for a family of four is UNHEARD of for Disney) - and it's because they're having trouble filling their resorts. They're showing profitibility because they raised prices twice last year (not to mention increases in food and souvenier prices), and they draw a lot of visitors from offsite hotels. [COLOR="Red"]Universal's attendance issues have less to do with dated attractions, and more to do with Disney's new ticketing system that effectively makes an extra day in their parks about $10, versus the $100+ you pay at Universal.
[
Pete




Universal has some great deals on tickets.
different promos come up frequently.
they presently have the 7 day, 2 park pass for $85. and still the buy one adult get one child ticket free is still available.

you can get ticket discounts with MC, UO AP, AAA, Ent book, at UO.
hopefully, newbies to universal will check out the threads here to discover different ways to buy tickets cheaper.

UO can be an affordable vacation by taking advantage of discounts available to the public. 10% off in the park for merch and food when showing your AAA card, Master Card, more of a discount/15 - 20% at some places with the AP.
for 2007, there are two coupons in the Entertainment book for IOA and the studios for discounts at 6 resturants in the parks.

i know disney and universal are two different parks. the price of a disney vacation costs me more than my universal portion vacation.
My AP for UO was $179 for a 2 year pass with a renewal rate of $99 after that. also able to use the ap for various discounts at city walk and the parks and hotel stay.
my disney tickets were over $250 for one person. i can't swing their AP's.
last time i looked it was way over $350.

i spend 14 full days in orlando each year on one trip.
disney prices have increased on rooms and tickets.

i guess it is people like me that keep those prices high.
i go and do split stays for both theme parks no matter what the costs......:rolleyes1