UnivStu vs. Disney : I know I am going to get flamed for this but...

[agame2323]

I have to put this out there.

How do you feel about the advancement of Universal Studios? Personally, I give them credit. They seem to have some pretty exciting things going on and 2009 could possibly be a big year for them. With the addition of the new Roller Coaster, the Simpsons Ride and Harry Potter the development seems to on the right track. Disney...where are you? Thus far all we have received is Toy Story Mania, which I understand is a great ride, but US have just added a completely new section of there park with the addition of Harry Potter.

I love WDW. I still think when it comes to overall satisfaction they are the best in the business. However, theme park development seems slow at the moment. So far, with regards to new attractions, there's nothing scheduled for 2009. Pleasure Island is taking a hit and Hollywood studios is still under-developed.

I know WDW is much larger and has twice as much to focus on than US, so maybe there is some justification here. Perhaps one day US will encounter this problem too. However, at the present time, Disney is in the spotlight. There are a lot of guest that visit Disney yearly. I sometimes wonder how they feel. If I was spending that much money to visit Disney every year, I would like to see some changes in the parks. That's where the majority of the time and money is spent. I tend to do Disney every other year, and at times its feels like a haven't be gone very long because nothing has changed.

Just wondering if anyone feels the same. Universal is keeping things fresh and exciting. Is Disney doing the same??:confused:

[futreWDI]

No flaming here...:goodvibes

I just want to say, universal up-ing their game is only better for Disney. I do not believe Disney would be where it is today without the competition from universal. If there was no competition, there would be no reason for either park to add new things or update old ones.

Also, to defend Disney. They do have plans for new coasters and rides to open up in 2010-11 which is when HP world will open.

[BriBri1984]

Mentioning Universal is like the plague haha ..

It doesnt bug me.. I personally would like them to Combine Forces ( Jeez at least they would have a HUGE Profit margin.. But i know it is soooo much more complicated. The politics, rules ect...

Disney, in my opinion, Does things in a Much Larger Scale. Like the new DVC's Or yr of a million Dreams..

They do not just put out 1 new ride.. They make it 1 new ride plus all this other awesome stuff..

If Disney did not keep it exciting ppl would not love it or keep going..

Another example.. They are not closing one Club at PI.. But ALL and redoing it all..

Craziness to me :)

Bri

[terribm]

While I see what you are saying, don't you think that many of us "DisneyFreaks" love it because it (for a certain degree) stays the same. That is what many of us thinks makes it so special.

I am somewhat excited about things that US is doing especially the Harry Potter themed land but, in my eyes, it doesn't come close to Disney. In fact, they could put in as many big roller coasters and interactive rides and it wouldn't hold a candle to WDW.

That's just me.:flower3:

[sbell111]

Honestly, I'm always just a little amazed that US is still open. It seams that they always have some sort of promotion for multi-day park tickets for just a tiny amount of money.

When I was living in Winter Park a dozen years ago, the deal was buy one day get one day free. The other day, we were in SamsCo and noticed US 90-day passes on sale for something like $85.

I think that next years promotion will be three days at US for three chicklets and a piece of pocket lint.

[nanceliz]

I agree with you that Disney doesn't appear to be expanding as fast.
There doesn't seem to be anything major on the horizon. Part of why we are waiting until late next year is for the opening of the new Harry Potter section at Universal.
It seems Disney resources have been diverted to the Disney cruises rather than the parks.
Hopefully, something new will be on the horizon soon.

[KatMark]

No flaming here. Universal will do what Universal has to do. Personally, as we have gotten older, we aren't into roller coasters as much as we used to be so we always do the "old" Universal; and cannot stand the Simpsons and never read the Harry Potter books (nor did my kids). Universal will be Universal; but DISNEY will ALWAYS BE DISNEY!

[eliza61]

I always think a little healthy competition is good. I love WDW but some times I think they are guilty of taking their customers for granted.

I'm not a big Harry Potter fan so Universal is always a "side" trip if we are in Florida for more than 7 days but it may get the "imagineers" over at WDW fired up. That can only be a good thing, I wouldn't mind some thing to replace that awful Drew Carey attraction at HS.

[qanita92]

I actually think what US is doing is great! More competition means WDW has some great ideas up their sleeves. When Disney plans something, they go all out, thats what makes them so great. I'm planning on going to WDW in the end of 2009 which is about the same time HP is opening. Maybe that results in less crowds.:confused3

[galnar]

Universal has two great parks, and I love Citywalk, but for us it's not a destination itself yet.... We'll keep spending a day or two there every trip but I don't see us staying onsite anytime in the forseeable future.

[nanceliz]

It is true that when Disney adds something new, it is on a much Grander scale. I do agree that Universal will NEVER be Disney!!

[kakiegirl]

I like Universal okay and enjoy going sometimes. However, I don't think the things Universal are adding will hurt Disney. I know many others feel different but the Simpsons (yuck we have never liked that show). I was sad they took away Back to the Future it was the first ride of its kind I ever rode and I thought it was really neat. Harry Potter I know has legions of fans but no one in my family including DD 9 has ever had any interest in it. So neither of the new things universal is doing are a big draw to us. As others have said maybe it will make Disney step up to the plate and counter with something new for their parks. Hopefully something a little more exciting than American Idol.

[USCGamecocks]

Universal will always be the "other park" that you go to when you go to Disney. I agree that US has added more rides etc, but Disney just seems to do more magnificent things when they choose to add to its property.

[Feralpeg]

No flames from me. People are allowed to love other things in addition to Disney. US has a couple of great parks. I'm very happy they are expanding. Unfortunately, they are pretty land-locked, so I don't think they will ever rival Disney. That's okay. They are still a fun place for a little non-Disney entertainment and very reasonably priced.

[minnie61650]

I guess you haven't seen the Blue Sky rumors for new rides at WDW Fantasyland......

The Little Mermaid ride rumors for WDW are once again surfacing along with a couple of other ride rumors for WDW Fantsyland.

From the Blue Sky Buzz......

http://blueskydisney.blogspot.com/2008/07/blue-sky-buzz-orlando-its-just-fantasy.html

Here is an excerpt......
Blue Sky Buzz (Orlando): It's Just A Fantasy...


...............
Imagine that Little Mermaid attraction we talked about before... it's basically going to be the ride we have here, although it might be a bit smaller and the exterior should be envisioned differently, but all around Fantasyland you'll notice a great deal of detail and a great deal of difference in a bout four or five years if it all comes to pass.

How would you like to get through with your adventures with Ariel and Sebastian and walk out looking around the Florida sunshine basking in that new roller coaster that's been put in for Disney Fans/Geeks to ride. A roller coaster? What are you talking about? The one themed to the Seven Dwarfs, that one. Lavishly made up with details that are closer to something you'd see in Tokyo that stateside, but it's there...........

----------------------------------------------------

Or the rumor of the new coaster for DHS:

Recently, the Imagineers are working on a Monsters, Inc. roller coaster (http://disneyetc.blogspot.com/2008/07/monsters-inc-roller-coaster-coming-to.html) set to open in Fall of 2011.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From what I read about it the coaster is going to be a family-friendly attraction & will be housed inside of Soundstage One.


I think a coaster like the one below but in a darkened room with a forced perspective and sceans in blacklight (Think Peter Pan ) might be a trill ride for little ones and a fun adventure for adults alike.

This is a coaster from Carowinds and I think the Monsters Inc, coaster may be a lot like this one (without the water of course!) & about the same size.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a175/minnie61650/Carowindscoaster.jpg

Looks like fun!

[MickeyNicki]

No flames from me either but I love WDW and just feel so-so about Universal. We went last summer for 3 days (DH had a business trip) and loved the Royal Pacific resort and some of the attractions were great but I really missed WDW.

[J.C.&ALI'SMOM]

There is expansion going on. Toy Story Mania just opened and it is a great ride! We rode it at DLR, but it is the same at WDW.

US is a great complex, nice parks (especially IOA), CityWalk is fun, and the hotels are awesome (more deluxe than WDW deluxe). It's nice that the Orlando area has things for everyone, because there are lots of people who are not Disney people.

I just had some friends come back from an Orlando vacation. I asked them if they had a good time and they said they loved SeaWorld! Not WDW was great, but SeaWorld. So to each his own ;) Less people at WDW mean a shorter line at Splash Mtn. for us!!

[everylastbreath]

I'm going to take you out of the hot seat to get "Flamed" and probably put myself there by saying this, but it has to be said- Universal is not Disney, but they do have it head and shoulder over Disney with their FOTL passes. Disney should have that perk for onsite guests.

There- I said it....

[Nie0214]

WDW takes days to experience, while you can do Universal in 2 days tops. I do enjoy Universal/IoA, though I don't think I could take a vacation just to there because it doesn't seem like you need a whole week in the place (especially if you stay onsite and get FotL).

[Disney1976]

I'm going to take you out of the hot seat to get "Flamed" and probably put myself there by saying this, but it has to be said- Universal is not Disney, but they do have it head and shoulder over Disney with their FOTL passes. Disney should have that perk for onsite guests.

There- I said it....

Well, logistically, I don't think it'd work. Universal has 3 hotels. Disney has what, 20? With over 20,000 rooms on property? I don't know how full Universal's hotels usually are, but Disney doesn't have a problem most of the time filling their rooms with bodies. Also, my recent experience at Universal has shown me FOTL acccess doesn't work well for guests that don't have it. Maybe Universal is just really bad at line management, but on certain attractions especially (*Cough* Hulk *Cough*) were at least an hour almost right from park opening. It was NEVER that bad before FOTL access. Most of that was from FOTL guests filling up entire ride vehicles. It wasn't just on Hulk, either.

Sorry, but I don't think it would be fair for locals or offsite guests to have to deal with hundreds of people getting in front of them in line. Nor do I think it's fair to ask people to spend another $30-$50 on top of their ticket to have the "privilege" of FOTL access if they aren't an onsite guest.

[ransom]

How do I feel about Universal improving their theme parks?

I feel nothing about it.

[skier_pete]

I'm going to take you out of the hot seat to get "Flamed" and probably put myself there by saying this, but it has to be said- Universal is not Disney, but they do have it head and shoulder over Disney with their FOTL passes. Disney should have that perk for onsite guests.

There- I said it....

Here's the problem with this suggestion - Disney has something like 12,000 on-site rooms, averaging around 30,000 to 40,000 on-site guests a day. They already have a FOTL line for that group of people - it's called the stand-by line. Seriously, the # of guests are too great to give favor to them without seriously affecting the off-site crowd, which is still a significant portion of guests. If they did anything it would be a deluxe hotel FOTL pass (staying at certain hotels would give you this priveledge) and I would HATE it if they did that, seeing as I would never be able to afford it.

Getting back to the original topic- competition from Universal is what led to both The Studios and AK parks, as well as the on-site hotels....Disney wanted to keep you there longer and it worked. My opinion are that the Universal parks are great theme parks - but they are geared more towards older kids and young adults, and thus will never have the multi-generational appeal of WDW. The reason they constantly have these "multi-day" discounts is that most people would only spend a day there, and they need to drive people to come for longer times.

Harry Potter-land will help boost attendance for a while, but I think once people realize that HP will be two rides and some shops, and that at most people will be able to spend a few hours there, it won't lead to a significant market share increase.

I think WDW is making the right moves - getting more rides in DHS so that people will want to spend the whole day there is there #1 priority. I personally think they should get 2-3 more rides there and quit pretending there's a backlot there anymore. The rumored Little Mermaid ride in MK would be fantastic...finally something new replacing 20,000 Leagues! Truthfully the average Joe probably knows nothing about any of these things...it's us theme park geeks that care.

SkierPete

[everylastbreath]

Well, logistically, I don't think it'd work. Universal has 3 hotels. Disney has what, 20? With over 20,000 rooms on property? I don't know how full Universal's hotels usually are, but Disney doesn't have a problem most of the time filling their rooms with bodies. Also, my recent experience at Universal has shown me FOTL acccess doesn't work well for guests that don't have it. Maybe Universal is just really bad at line management, but on certain attractions especially (*Cough* Hulk *Cough*) were at least an hour almost right from park opening. It was NEVER that bad before FOTL access. Most of that was from FOTL guests filling up entire ride vehicles. It wasn't just on Hulk, either.

Sorry, but I don't think it would be fair for locals or offsite guests to have to deal with hundreds of people getting in front of them in line. Nor do I think it's fair to ask people to spend another $30-$50 on top of their ticket to have the "privilege" of FOTL access if they aren't an onsite guest.

Ok- here I go... Logistically it would work, if it was a perk of Deluxe hotels only, because if I choose to spend probably 4-5x's the price of a value per night for a room, it would be a nice perk. As far as not being "fair"- life is not fair, there are always people who can afford more and to say they should not receive "more" in exchange is not fair either.

I'm gonna stand back, because my computer is probably going to explode...:laughing:

[imthatgirl]

I have to put this out there.

How do you feel about the advancement of Universal Studios? Personally, I give them credit. They seem to have some pretty exciting things going on and 2009 could possibly be a big year for them. With the addition of the new Roller Coaster, the Simpsons Ride and Harry Potter the development seems to on the right track. Disney...where are you? Thus far all we have received is Toy Story Mania, which I understand is a great ride, but US have just added a completely new section of there park with the addition of Harry Potter.

I love WDW. I still think when it comes to overall satisfaction they are the best in the business. However, theme park development seems slow at the moment. So far, with regards to new attractions, there's nothing scheduled for 2009. Pleasure Island is taking a hit and Hollywood studios is still under-developed.

I know WDW is much larger and has twice as much to focus on than US, so maybe there is some justification here. Perhaps one day US will encounter this problem too. However, at the present time, Disney is in the spotlight. There are a lot of guest that visit Disney yearly. I sometimes wonder how they feel. If I was spending that much money to visit Disney every year, I would like to see some changes in the parks. That's where the majority of the time and money is spent. I tend to do Disney every other year, and at times its feels like a haven't be gone very long because nothing has changed.

Just wondering if anyone feels the same. Universal is keeping things fresh and exciting. Is Disney doing the same??:confused:

but wait a minute, everytime disney does change something they suffer a huge backlash from online communities like this. look at pleasure island. im excited for the change, but the general consensus, leave it alone. how about when a ride leaves? what happens? people freak out. there are still people talking about mr toads wild ride.
so we want change, but we arent willing to give anything up? sorry, cant have it both ways.
disney went through a huge expansion period. first with MGM, then with Animal Kingdom. now we are seeing universal doing the same, but should we keep expecting DW to keep expanding?
no way. what happens if the parks start to get larger. lets say they add 2 more parks, then what? will you want to go knowing you cant possibly do all of it in your weeks vacation? its already gotten to that point where you have to maximize every minute of your day to fit in most everything you want to do.
so yes i agree they do need to update some things, but in doing so we have to learn to leave it for what it is, the change we desire.

[WhateverLolaWants]

Sure IOA may have some neat attractions, but has anyone been to US lately? The last time I was there (Spring 2007), that park was depressing. It's getting decrepit and it only took us a day to do both parks because I find it lacking.

[iluvpluto27]

I'm really happy Universal has some exciting new attractions coming along. Competition is a good thing and I think Harry Potter will be a big pull for uni, so hopefully Disney will create something equally as exciting.

Also, I really love universal and always spend a few days of every trip there, staying on site for FOTL, and I'm looking forward to experiencing the new rides myself.

[QueueCT]

I think it's summed up pretty easily. If I want thrill rides I go to IOA. Nothing at Disney can touch what they have. If I want a relaxing day where there's attention to detail and a comfortable environment I go to Disney.

As a young adult it would have been IOA hands down. As an older adult it's mostly Disney but a day at IOA to hit The Hulk and Spiderman (not terrifically thrilling but very innovative) is welcome. Bulk of the time is Disney but there's nothing wrong with a side trip.

[Lynn5700]

I can not wait till HP Land opens up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When it opens we will stay on site at Disney and go to universal for the day...we have not been in a couple years. I think it is good to do every now and then.

[PixieDust32]

I don't care what US does, we went there once and it was OK but that was it, we go there for Disney regarless how many new attractions they have the service is not like Disney's, the WDW resort alone rocks.

[SplashMtnCrew]

Ok- here I go... Logistically it would work, if it was a perk of Deluxe hotels only, because if I choose to spend probably 4-5x's the price of a value per night for a room, it would be a nice perk. As far as not being "fair"- life is not fair, there are always people who can afford more and to say they should not receive "more" in exchange is not fair either.

I'm gonna stand back, because my computer is probably going to explode...:laughing:

That would be labeled "discrimination" and Disney wouldn't touch that w/a ten foot pole! :hippie:

We've come to the point in our lives that we don't consider staying anything other than deluxe at WDW, and we wouldn't want to be *first* in line over people who were in mods or values just b/c we choose to stay deluxe. BTW if anybody should be *first* shouldn't that be DVC owners? Ownership has its rewards so it goes :thumbsup2

[PixieDust32]

but wait a minute, everytime disney does change something they suffer a huge backlash from online communities like this. look at pleasure island. im excited for the change, but the general consensus, leave it alone. how about when a ride leaves? what happens? people freak out. there are still people talking about mr toads wild ride.
so we want change, but we arent willing to give anything up? sorry, cant have it both ways.
disney went through a huge expansion period. first with MGM, then with Animal Kingdom. now we are seeing universal doing the same, but should we keep expecting DW to keep expanding?
no way. what happens if the parks start to get larger. lets say they add 2 more parks, then what? will you want to go knowing you cant possibly do all of it in your weeks vacation? its already gotten to that point where you have to maximize every minute of your day to fit in most everything you want to do.
so yes i agree they do need to update some things, but in doing so we have to learn to leave it for what it is, the change we desire.


Well said! If they do renovations they do too much and if the don't do, well there you have it.

[jamie&Greg]

Originally Posted by everylastbreath
Ok- here I go... Logistically it would work, if it was a perk of Deluxe hotels only, because if I choose to spend probably 4-5x's the price of a value per night for a room, it would be a nice perk. As far as not being "fair"- life is not fair, there are always people who can afford more and to say they should not receive "more" in exchange is not fair either.

I'm gonna stand back, because my computer is probably going to explode...
************************************************** ****

I hope they don't do that, and as an adult I stay at deluxes all the time!! There are many people who can't afford it or choose not to.

[fuji]

We have been to WDW three times in the last three years and are going again this year:goodvibes . We love WDW and have never even considered US because our kids are still young, but when HP land opens, we will visit US and I would consider even staying in one of their hotels for a day or two. Nothing against Disney, but my whole house are HUGE Harry Potter fans and can't wait to see what they come up with.:)

[Worfiedoodles]

My turn to get flamed -- if I got the perks at Disney's deluxe hotels that I get at the Loews' US ones, I'd upgrade to deluxe. As it is, my needs are met at a mod. I have stayed deluxe at the BC, and it was very nice but not so much so that I feel I have to do it again. But for FOTL, I would be willing to pay the current deluxe pricing. I'm not sure how willing I would be if the prices jumped $100/nt.

[inkkognito]

I've always felt that Universal/IOA is very underrated. You can't compare it directly to Disney because it's a different animal...sort of like the edgy teen sibling. But the quality in theming and the innovation are on a par with Disney's, if not often better. IOA was an innovator with Spiderman, and Terminator 3-D puts any Disney 3-D show to shame, with live actors running in and out of the screen. When they rennovated Disaster, they actually improved it (unlike Alien to Stitch's Great Mistake or...cough...cough...Journey Into Ruination). Think of Disney's most popular current ride, next to TSM. It's Soarin', which I love dearly but which isn't at all innovative...it's just a motion-simiulation Imax with scents and an awesome musical score. TSM is just taking Spiderman one more level up by adding interactivity. The only truly innovative thing I've seen come from Disney in a while is Turtle Talk (Monsters is a red-haired stepchild of Crush).

Granted, Universal has more freedom to aim at teens and thrill seekers. When WDW tried to implement an intense ride with Mission Space, look what happened. To a large part, they are constrained by their tame, wholesome reputation while Universal is freed by its wild, edgy reputation.

USF/IOA do indeed know how to treat their onsite guests (much easier with so few hotel rooms) and their AP holders too. We have Premier Passes which get us free valet parking and FOTL after 4 p.m., so they have siphoned off a lot of our Disney time and entertainment dollars, since we usually eat when we're over there too.

It's okay to (gasp!) love both Universal and Disney and to point out the flaws in both.

[jctwizzer]

Went to Universal several years ago. Line jumping was rampant; parks were filthy; posted times were about half the actual....Some of the attractions were good but it wasn't worth it. Haven't been back. You may want to take a look at the freebies Universal has to give away to get people in the parks. People wonder why Disney doesn't have those types of giveaways. It's easy, they don't have to. If and when Disney gets like that, you may have a point. Until then, there's no comparison.:cool1:

[Benducci]

I don't think the parks are competition for each other - they are different, imho - Universal is more rollercoaster rides - Disney is more attractions. They each satisfy.

[snykymom]

Universal is just another theme park, like Six Flags or Sesame Place. Disney, however, is DISNEY.

[BlondeAlligator]

That would be labeled "discrimination" and Disney wouldn't touch that w/a ten foot pole! :hippie:

We've come to the point in our lives that we don't consider staying anything other than deluxe at WDW, and we wouldn't want to be *first* in line over people who were in mods or values just b/c we choose to stay deluxe. BTW if anybody should be *first* shouldn't that be DVC owners? Ownership has its rewards so it goes :thumbsup2

I don't think it's discrimination...no more so than having better shampoo, robes, turn-down service, more restaurants, better pools, etc. If it's a Deluxe resort, then perks like FOTL passes would not be unreasonable considering what people pay per night.

That said, I still agree that FOTL passes are not as efficient as the FastPass system...refer to the Hulk line disaster of a PP...too many people using FOTL would bring the standby line to a standSTILL! I think Disney knows what they are doing & they obviously do it well or we wouldn't all be here almost everyday chatting about it! :thumbsup2

[fan of the TTA]

While I see what you are saying, don't you think that many of us "DisneyFreaks" love it because it (for a certain degree) stays the same. That is what many of us thinks makes it so special.

I am somewhat excited about things that US is doing especially the Harry Potter themed land but, in my eyes, it doesn't come close to Disney. In fact, they could put in as many big roller coasters and interactive rides and it wouldn't hold a candle to WDW.

That's just me.:flower3:



i have a question actually, is the harry potter place gonna be part of US/IOA or a brand new universal theme park.

on the subject of universal and disney, i think they are both equal. okay, disney's more for families (with the exception of a few rides) but hey, universal is for all ages as well!.

disney is still the best, although i really like IOA/ they are really making an effert!

[Darcy03231]

I've always felt that Universal/IOA is very underrated. You can't compare it directly to Disney because it's a different animal...sort of like the edgy teen sibling. But the quality in theming and the innovation are on a par with Disney's, if not often better. IOA was an innovator with Spiderman, and Terminator 3-D puts any Disney 3-D show to shame, with live actors running in and out of the screen. When they rennovated Disaster, they actually improved it (unlike Alien to Stitch's Great Mistake or...cough...cough...Journey Into Ruination). Think of Disney's most popular current ride, next to TSM. It's Soarin', which I love dearly but which isn't at all innovative...it's just a motion-simiulation Imax with scents and an awesome musical score. TSM is just taking Spiderman one more level up by adding interactivity. The only truly innovative thing I've seen come from Disney in a while is Turtle Talk (Monsters is a red-haired stepchild of Crush).

Granted, Universal has more freedom to aim at teens and thrill seekers. When WDW tried to implement an intense ride with Mission Space, look what happened. To a large part, they are constrained by their tame, wholesome reputation while Universal is freed by its wild, edgy reputation.

USF/IOA do indeed know how to treat their onsite guests (much easier with so few hotel rooms) and their AP holders too. We have Premier Passes which get us free valet parking and FOTL after 4 p.m., so they have siphoned off a lot of our Disney time and entertainment dollars, since we usually eat when we're over there too.

It's okay to (gasp!) love both Universal and Disney and to point out the flaws in both.

Great post:thumbsup2

We spent 16 days last summer in the Orlando area and spent about 7 of them between US/IOA. Conversely we only spent one evening at WDW for Pirates & Princesses Party. Other days were filled with Busch Gardens, SeaWorld, Wet n' Wild and Ripley's. There were nine of us, ages 3 (DN) to 71 (my mom). All of us agreed that US/IOA had a lot to offer for all ages. While we love WDW and have been multiple times, we also had a blast at US/IOA and will definitely go back.

[mefordis]

I completely agree. Also better rides IMO (Mummy, Jurassic Park, Simpsons blows Toy Story out of the water, too). Better hotels. Disney is great for my 4 1/2 year old, though. She loves the characters.

I'm going to take you out of the hot seat to get "Flamed" and probably put myself there by saying this, but it has to be said- Universal is not Disney, but they do have it head and shoulder over Disney with their FOTL passes. Disney should have that perk for onsite guests.

There- I said it....

[tinknsnow]

Apples and oranges... :)

When we visit WDW we don't leave. We choose to have all-Disney.

We took a trip to Universal one year (did Sea World, too). We stayed at the Portofino Bay Hotel. It was pretty... but I could fill this box with complaints about the service there. OMG. Ranging from the non-helpful desk staff, to the laundry service losing part of my child's car seat, to housekeeping that didn't happen until we called to complain 2-3 times, the experience was less than luxurious. We found the parks to be just "meh"-- my DH enjoyed the rides (at the time, my kids were too young to ride the thrill rides) but the restrooms were dirty and the food was BAD. That goes for the City Walk restaurants, too... it was like everything was Rainforest Cafe quality. I am sure we will go back in a few years but only because the Harry Potter stuff will open.

When we heard about the Harry Potter development, DH and I both lamented that it would happen at Universal. I wish Disney had the rights to it! :wizard:

The 'front of the line' perk was nice, but very few people at the park seem to be staying onsite at Universal. As has been pointed out, that wouldn't be feasible at WDW with so many onsite guests. Anyone noticed how crowded the EMH are? Oy.

[sbell111]

My turn to get flamed -- if I got the perks at Disney's deluxe hotels that I get at the Loews' US ones, I'd upgrade to deluxe. As it is, my needs are met at a mod. I have stayed deluxe at the BC, and it was very nice but not so much so that I feel I have to do it again. But for FOTL, I would be willing to pay the current deluxe pricing. I'm not sure how willing I would be if the prices jumped $100/nt.I completely agree, but PLEASE don't tell TPTB because I'd just as soon not pay for a deluxe, even if it means that I don't get FOTL but if FOTL was offered, I'd pay for it. Maybe not every time, but definitely furing the busiest times.

(Wow. That's one ugly sentence.)

[figmentedpixie]

I have to agree with those who says US can't come close to Disney.

Last summer I went to US for the first time. My sister and I were in Disney and my Aunt came to visit with our two young cousins and wanted to know if we wanted to go to US. We hadn't been before so we said sure.

Now my sister is a rollercoaster junkie. To her, the RnR is the best thing EVER. (She thought Everest was just okay -- it's a constant source of argument). And she was not impressed by US at all. Neither was the 10 year old.

Maybe we're just spoiled by Disney, but we expected so much more out the Mummy Ride. Basically we expected DL's Indy ride but with Brenden Fraiser. What we got was a dark coaster with some heat tricks.

It just...it did nothing for us and it was empty...in the middle of August...while Disney was wall to wall.

[sbell111]

i have a question actually, is the harry potter place gonna be part of US/IOA or a brand new universal theme park.My understanding is that it is to be a 'land' within IOA.

[Buzz's Buddy]

My understanding is that it is to be a 'land' within IOA.

You are correct. It will include re-theming a couple of rides. In fact, if you check their website, it indicates that The Flying Unicorn is currently closed during the work on HP. I also understand that Dueling Dragons may be re-themed although it is currently open.

[ExBellhop]

Universal is keeping things fresh and exciting. Is Disney doing the same??:confused:

Here's my problem (more a frustration, really) with Universal. They don't KEEP things fresh. Harry Potter - looks awesome, can't wait. Rip Rockit Whatever Coaster - great concept, nice looking layout, love the soundtrack, etc.

But what happens after the first couple years?

I was lucky enough to visit Islands of Adventure multiple times during it's first year of operation. Beautiful park. Great "Cast Members". All the theming is pristine. Everyone is playing along with the story.

Then I visited about 2 years ago, and it's all (well, much of it has) gone to crap. Can I say crap here? Anyway...

Smoke effects on Spiderman - gone/broken. Jurassic Park - dino's just chillin' in the water. Poseidon... big disappointment. Dueling Dragons queue was a mess of gum, garbage, and stink. Cast Members - screaming at guests on the Dragons platform. Plus, I saw multiple times, including our ride, where the darn things didn't even duel. What do you call them then? Dragons Flying Near Each Other?!

Studios has similar problems. Men In Black lost smoke FX, Jaws has FX troubles everytime I visit.

I realize that Disney has similar ride upkeep troubles, but they have twice (or more) the ride roster that Universal does.

To me, it just seems like Universal doesn't care about it's parks as much. And for me, that lessens my enjoyment and my desire to return.

Just my thoughts,
ExBellhop

[rutgers1]

All I know is that the summer of 2009 will be my first trip to US, and the main reason that this Disney nut is going is because my family's perception is that there is more change and innovation going on over there - and we don't want to miss it. As a teacher, I have watched kids come back from DW and US for years, and it seems like US is definitely starting to get the edge in the "cool" department, as much as it pains me to say that. I realize that Disney went through some major growing pains a few years back, but it seems like they should get back on the horse and start drumming up some excitement with new rides. If there were a few more rides and a few other new things to keep our attention, we wouldn't be leaving our Disney trip mid-trip to stay in a US hotel. I have a lot of friends and acquaintances who have done likewise.

[KirstenB]

I've always felt that Universal/IOA is very underrated. You can't compare it directly to Disney because it's a different animal...sort of like the edgy teen sibling. But the quality in theming and the innovation are on a par with Disney's, if not often better. IOA was an innovator with Spiderman, and Terminator 3-D puts any Disney 3-D show to shame, with live actors running in and out of the screen. When they rennovated Disaster, they actually improved it (unlike Alien to Stitch's Great Mistake or...cough...cough...Journey Into Ruination). Think of Disney's most popular current ride, next to TSM. It's Soarin', which I love dearly but which isn't at all innovative...it's just a motion-simiulation Imax with scents and an awesome musical score. TSM is just taking Spiderman one more level up by adding interactivity. The only truly innovative thing I've seen come from Disney in a while is Turtle Talk (Monsters is a red-haired stepchild of Crush).

Granted, Universal has more freedom to aim at teens and thrill seekers. When WDW tried to implement an intense ride with Mission Space, look what happened. To a large part, they are constrained by their tame, wholesome reputation while Universal is freed by its wild, edgy reputation.

USF/IOA do indeed know how to treat their onsite guests (much easier with so few hotel rooms) and their AP holders too. We have Premier Passes which get us free valet parking and FOTL after 4 p.m., so they have siphoned off a lot of our Disney time and entertainment dollars, since we usually eat when we're over there too.

It's okay to (gasp!) love both Universal and Disney and to point out the flaws in both.

We visited US/IOA for the first time this May with our 10 yr old dd and 2 yr old dd. We absolutely loved these parks!!! We're DVC'rs, so we obviously enjoy WDW, but wow, Universal was so much better than we expected. Believe it or not, we found tons of rides the 2 yr old could go on too. She went on Disaster, Jaws, Shrek, Terminator, all the Woody Woodpecker stuff, ET, saw the Beetlejuice show, saw the Horror special effects show, enjoyed Seussland, and Jurassic Park. I know I'm forgetting some stuff...

For us, these parks will only get better as our youngest dd gets old enough to do coasters, etc. I actually thought the CS food was a notch above WDW's too.

At the end of the day, it was nice to return to a car that hadn't been sitting in the sun all day, too.

[exwdwcm]

i think it is almost an apples to oranges comparison. i think of them very differently. i think it is nice US is there to offer folks something different, especially the teen market and thrill seekers. My family isn't huge into the thrill rides and DH gets motion sickness, so disney works for us.

I've done Universal, but not IOA yet. I've checked out citywalk too. they are all nice, but jsut not disney to me. In fact, we have planned many times to build in a US day on our trips, but we always end up decided not to. when HP land is opened, we probably will then, since our family is very into HP. But that would be our main reason for going over there.

i think the competition is healthy and Disney has a lot more limitations with opening new attractions due to its size, complexity and probably more red tape internally, not to mention the high standards it holds itself to.

[luke]

Cast Members - screaming at guests on the Dragons platform.

Yep, happened to me last year, my first ever IOA trip, i was shouted at for daring to ask if i could leave my Crocs on the side while i rode it, and told in a horrible tone of voice that i'd have to hold them.

Not got a problem with this being a rule, but the way i was told, was bang out of order

:goodvibes

[seadd67]

Nothing tops WDW, universal could not add enough Rides to top the Mouse:cool1: :worship: the mouse. Universal Is good for the extreme riders but for the Disney fans It could never compete:dance3: :dance3:

[KIRSTIN'S MOMMY]

While I agree that it's comparing apples to oranges, I don't agree that Universal is more "new" or "fresh" than WDW. I was an AP holder at US/IOA for years before we started going to WDW, and most of the things that were there when I was in HIGH SCHOOL almost 20 years ago are still there!!! The Horror Makeup Show, Beetle Juice (my God, how long must we endure that one?), Terminator, basically everything. The only things "new" and "fresh" that have come out within the last 10 yrs. or so have been The Mummy and Simpsons (not a big Simpsons fan, so I haven't gone over to see it). I also agree with the PP who said that they don't seem to care as much about their parks. Last time I went was for a travel conference a couple of years ago. I got FREE tickets, and went in, took a look around, rode 2 rides, and left. The employees were complaining to each other at the rides, some of them with their pants halfway down to their knees (a particular pet peeve of mine). The whole park just seemed to be a shadow of it's former self. I loved it back when it was new and innovative, but they seem to have lost so much of that. I hope Harry Potter helps bring it back, I would love to see it brought back to the condition it was in before, I would actually consider revisiting it if that happens.

[Worfiedoodles]

I love both US and WDW, but we leave WDW and stay onsite at US in the middle of our vacation. US has to be last, because I can't stand waiting in line at WDW after I've sailed through US. US is the more relaxing part of our vacation. But that's just us.

For me WDW is not relaxing. It is a great, fun vacation, but I am not totally relaxed. US does that for us. We feel more pampered in the hotels, we don't feel like we have to sprint from ride to ride because we are just going to stroll on, we actually get some peace at the pools.

If I felt like I could enjoy that relaxed pace at WDW (and yes, I'm fully aware that it's self-inflicted), we would consider that as a wind-down for our vacation. As it is, WDW is the happy, we're here! Let's go have fun! part, and we also enjoy that very much.

I like the variety offered by both complexes, it feels like we get two vacations in one!

[Goofy'slady]

I tend to agree with those who prefer WDW and all it's glory to US and all it's medora racy. My family and I have been going to US since I was in my early teen's and even in it's younger years US seemed to have more "out of order" attractions than functioning ones and it's seem to never really bounce back. Later when US/IOA opened we loved Spiderman, Duelling(sp) Dragons, and the Hulk but pretty much that was it. The food at both parks is gross & has the nerve to be EXPENSIVE...like the taste merits the price, the employee's(I dare not call them CM's) seemed as though they'd much rather be anywhere but there and since they already had an attitude they weren't much help if you had any questions. The show's are a joke, so much so I really can't remember any.

Our last visit was to US/IOA back in 2003 when my husband who lived all of his life in Holland until 2002 when we where married and we went on our first vacation as husband and wife to WDW with a side trip to US/IOA. I should add it was his first visit to WDW too. I had such high hopes that he would love Disney with the same kind of zeal as my family & I do and he did. He loved the details, the fact that Disney tells a story from begining to end with everything they do, the wonderful CM's and the resorts that offer sooo much more than just fancy rooms to sleep in. He however disliked US/IOA for some of the same reasons we had grown to dislike it over the years. Since that year we've been to WDW 3 additional times with our family vaca for next May in the works and even with the promise of new rollercoasters and Harry Potter-land it's just not enough pull to lull us away from our beloved Disney. Then again we've never been HP fans anyway, even with 2 kids; I just can't seem to stay awake to get thru the first movie.

I'm sure for a while HP-land and whatever else US has up it's sleeves, will pump new life into their lifeless parks but after a while things will make a turn for the worst just like it did in the past. It's called history repeating itself.

T.

[DisFlan]

The competition is good for WDW. If it weren't for US and Sea World, WDW probably wouldn't have the 4 parks we have now.

DisFlan

[florep1]

I agree. WDW should institute some form of FOTL pass like universal strictly for deluxe and DVC guests. I like Universal but I can finish both parks in 2 days without FOTL. With FOTL, I'm ready to move on after one day. And please don't tell me that WDW giving FOTL pass to deluxe guests will be discriminating against the other resorts and offsite guests. FOTL guests at Universal pay deluxe rates. Life's not fair. We've all learned to live with it.

[BEASLYBOO]

It's strange to me the way some people view the liking of another park/attraction as a complete betrayal of Disney. I've been a Disney fan since before the park had attractions (yes, just a gift shop and a mock up of MK) and I bought into DVC because of it. Does my love of Disney mean that I can't enjoy something different along w/ Disney. We go to Disney, Sea World, Medieval Times, Busch Gardens, Wet & Wild, US & IOA. We sometimes encorporate Cape Canaveral and who knows what else. These attractions in my mind don't compete w/ Disney, they have an appeal all their own. It's amazes me when I read poster who say "they come to do Disney and nothing else". Disney's done a great job but they are no longer the only kid on the block and maybe now, they'll work on DHS, I've always thought of it as a dud!

[Shir Kahn]

Some of us don't look at the Simpsons ride as being an improvement. I was seriously disappointed when they took out Back to the Future. :sad2:

There are some fantastic rides at US, but it will always be a sidetrip type of place for us.

[tinknsnow]

It's amazes me when I read poster who say "they come to do Disney and nothing else". !

Why does that "amaze" you? It's my vacation. :confused3

[minnie61650]

I agree. WDW should institute some form of FOTL pass like universal strictly for deluxe and DVC guests. I like Universal but I can finish both parks in 2 days without FOTL. With FOTL, I'm ready to move on after one day. And please don't tell me that WDW giving FOTL pass to deluxe guests will be discriminating against the other resorts and offsite guests. FOTL guests at Universal pay deluxe rates. Life's not fair. We've all learned to live with it.

Sorry....

I think there are too many deluxe rooms to have FOTL for all the deluxe guests.

AKL.............. 1293 rooms (before renovtions for DVC)
BC...................580 rooms
BCV.................205 rooms
BWI...............191 rooms
BWV...............532 rooms
CR..................1,041 (before Noth wing was torn down, but when the new tower is finished there should be about the same # of rooms as before.)
GF...................900 rooms
Poly..................853 rooms
WL....................728 rooms
WLV...................136 rooms
YC......................634 rooms

Add to those OKW, AKV and SSR There will be too many guests to offer a FOTL option.

IF WDW does offer FOTL I think they would offered to the CL and Suite guests who are staying at a deluxe monorail or deluxe Epcot resort.

I think that would be since the CL and Suites at the monorail and Epcot resorts are paying much more than a deluxe guest staying in a standard room.

Life's not fair. We've all learned to live with it.

JMHO

[rie'smom]

Went to Universal several years ago. Line jumping was rampant; parks were filthy; posted times were about half the actual....Some of the attractions were good but it wasn't worth it. Haven't been back. You may want to take a look at the freebies Universal has to give away to get people in the parks. People wonder why Disney doesn't have those types of giveaways. It's easy, they don't have to. If and when Disney gets like that, you may have a point. Until then, there's no comparison.:cool1:

Line jumping? Do you read the DIS- there are always posts or threads about this very topic at WDW. Filthy? I went to grab toilet paper in an MK bathroom and someone had smeared poop on the toilet tissue holder. There aren't any freebies at Universal-if you find some, let me know because I'd take advantage when we go in Nov. You might want to revisit before you base your opinions on a visit several years ago.

Op, I love the changes at Universal.
It's been several years since we began going to Universal and now WDW is the other park for us. We always start our trips at Disney and save Universal until the last few days because we can relax with the FOTL access.

Universal is just another theme park, like Six Flags or Sesame Place. Disney, however, is DISNEY.

They are all theme parks including Disney.

[Belle5]

No flaming here. Universal will do what Universal has to do. Personally, as we have gotten older, we aren't into roller coasters as much as we used to be so we always do the "old" Universal; and cannot stand the Simpsons and never read the Harry Potter books (nor did my kids). Universal will be Universal; but DISNEY will ALWAYS BE DISNEY!

Could have written this post myself. ITA!:thumbsup2

[jctwizzer]

[QUOTE=rie'smom;26569069]Line jumping? Do you read the DIS- there are always posts or threads about this very topic at WDW. Filthy? I went to grab toilet paper in an MK bathroom and someone had smeared poop on the toilet tissue holder. There aren't any freebies at Universal-if you find some, let me know because I'd take advantage when we go in Nov. You might want to revisit before you base your opinions on a visit several years ago.


Yes, I read DIS...and I've been to WDW approx. 100 times in the last ten years...mostly in the off season. I can remember two incidents of line jumping during that time......I saw that many in two minutes at Universal....."no freebies at Universal" ...you're not looking very hard...look elsewhere on DIS ...seven days admission for $89.95---basically 5 free days....good luck in November it will probably be even more
beneficial...I don't need to go back; they lost me the last time....have fun.

[chipndales]

I hope they do something because we visited last trip and as it stands right now? I'll never, ever go back. It was awful, such a let down.

[mickeyluv'r]

No flames, but the last time I went to Universal, I got the feeling that it seriously in need of new rides.

I also kind of feel that way about WDW, too. I thikn for example that the Muppets show is seriously outdated. I think CBJ could use a little revision. Certainly the CoP is no longer an apt title at all...BUT WDW has more thigns, and they have added some new thing. They are quite a bit bigger, obviously.
I think since Universal is smaller, and themed around movies - revision is more important.

Take the two comparable rides: Star Tours and Back to the Future. Both were in serious need of revision...but at least folks still get intothe Star Wars thing. BttF has all but been forgotten..

[KristineN]

We went to Universal for the first time this past June....

I am a total Disney girl...but I will say that we were very impressed by their VIP tour that we did....I hate to say it...but their VIP tour was run A LOT better than Disney's VIP tour....

[CanadianGuy]

A gentle reminder - sharing your thots and feelings on the topic at hand is great.

Attacking the thoughts and feelings of others - NOT COOL.

Keep it civil, respectful and courteous please.

Thanks,

Knox

[DonaldTDuck]

We're heading to CA in Oct and will get the city pass that includes 3 days at DL and 1 at US. I will ride the Simpsons there and the other rides. I have been to USO about 5 times and come away each time with the same impression. It's a half day park, even with IoA. Poseidon is possibly the only thing in Orlando worse than Sounds Stupid, err Dangerous. Last time we were there was March 2, 2002, the Suesscintenial, or 100th anniversary of Dr. Suess's birth. There were celebrations all over the country, but in the Suess area of IoA, no one was aware of it, and 2 of the 4 rides were closed. We rode everything in both parks that was open that we wanted to ride, saw the Blues Brothers 3 times and all the other shows, and were gone by 4:30. Don't think I'll ever be back.

[Charleyann]

I love both parks. Mind you I spend more time at Disney because of the size, I do the same at US/IOA if it were the same size!

It is affordable and my son loves this place too! One of my favorite rides/ attractions is Spiderman. Oh, do I love How the Grinch Stole Christmas production and how beautiful Suess Landing is at Christmas!



Charleyann

[Laurabearz]

We own lots of DVC points...

And we have been proud US/IOA AP holders for 5 years and WDW pass holders for only 1.

We get joy out of all the parks, but there is something about IOA... I LOVE IT. I get all warm and tingley walking into the Port Of Entry. Love it love it LOVE IT.

My family can't wait for all the new things to come there!! Cant wait!!

[Zippa D Doodah]

I have to give props to Universal for introducing several astounding new attractions recently. When paired with what they have actually announced for the near future, it is enough to warrant anyone's attention.

I am a total WDW fan, but I find it rather sad that WDW can't eke out much of anything at this time when UO is blossoming, perhaps 'coming into its own'. I'm sure TSMM is a wonderful attraction, and I can't wait to ride it, but all in all it looks like WDW is circling the wagons just a bit right now.

I suspect this is mostly a cyclical thing, and that WDW will come out with something amazing soon. FWIW, rumors like the widely circulated Blue Sky blog stuff can't be counted yet IMO. I doubt half of that comes to pass.

[Condorman]

Never compare WDW to IoA/USO. They are theme parks the way the apple and the orange are fruits, but similar in no other way. Disney may be doing things on the cheap, or at least cheaper than they used to, but nobody does it better than Disney when it comes to theming. Proof: When Disney decided not to do the Beastly Kingdomme at AK, they laid off many Imagineers who then went to USO and designed for them the Dueling Dragons coaster and the Unicorn thingy; take a look at the DD coaster. Yeah, it's fun, suspended, but completely indicative of what all non-Disney parks do with their rides. They paint it red and blue and ta-da, that's it. Disney builds a coaster and then constructs a mountain around it, literally. They theme it, they spend $300m on it, whether it's in space, a western mesa, the Himalayas, etc. US could have built their park anywhere - they chose Orlando because of WDW. As far as I'm concerned, they are an exponent, a sidekick, the run-off, like a 5th and 6th gate, but never 1, 2, 3 or 4. They're enjoyable for a few hours, a few thrills, and then it's on to the best, the real reason you came to Orlando, or the true reason why Orlando ever came to be.

[magicalfoursome]

I absolutely love WDW but also really had a great time in US in '06. We stayed at the Royal Pacific which is beautiful and enjoyed the preferred lines in the parks. Of course it is not Disney but it has lots of fun, well themed rides. In fact our family preferred Men in Black in comparison to Buzz Lightyear and Spiderman is great! Us, in my opinion lacks that warm, fuzzy, magical feeling that Disney does so well. I do agree that Disney does need to add/update rides esp. in DHS. Our family is waiting for Harry Potter to open to go back to US but we will still save a few days for Disney!:lovestruc

[rie'smom]

We own lots of DVC points...

And we have been proud US/IOA AP holders for 5 years and WDW pass holders for only 1.

We get joy out of all the parks, but there is something about IOA... I LOVE IT. I get all warm and tingley walking into the Port Of Entry. Love it love it LOVE IT.

My family can't wait for all the new things to come there!! Cant wait!!

We have 300 BWV points and I always say that I wish Universal had something similar.
I agree when walking near the giant Globe at US or the Port of Entry at IOA, I feel the magic.

[ruadisneyfan2]

Wow, that Kool Aid must be tasty...

I love both. Yes, it's possible. WDW isn't the only fun place in FL. It's not a betrayal to Walt to go some place else. (That's why they created ME so you don't rent a car and see for yourself.)

Our family loves US/IOA. We didn't our first visit though. We constantly compared it to Disney and looked for the "magic." We scrutinized every little thing and looked for the negatives. (You could walk thru WDW and point out negatives too if you were trying to.) Then we realized, it's not trying to be Disney. When we want magic, we go to WDW. When we crave something different, we go to US/IOA. (Like the old 7up commercial that said "It's the Un-cola.")
We've stayed at all 3 hotels and loved them all for different reasons. Our fav is the Hard Rock Hotel. I love the lobby and pool area and that it's only a 5 min walk to the parks. I love the water taxis. No cramped, sweaty sardines in a bus. I've always had excellent service and polite employees. When I call ahead to get my car from the valet, I get, "We'll have it right out for you. Is there anything else I can do for you Mrs. Bxxxx." I've always felt pampered.
The guy at the luggage storage room remembered my ds11 from a previous trip (2 mos prior) when they chatted about video games and he "asked" my ds for advice on which game platform he should buy. lol! My ds remembered him too and felt so special that this cool, hip guy remembered him.

Their APs are affordable and give us great discounts on the hotels. Just today booked a Labor Day weekend getaway at the Royal Pacific. Yes, 2 park days leisurely cover everything but then we have time to relax. When we go to WDW, we have to go back to work to relax. Dh always says, "this is more work than work."
We still love Disney too and will be returning end of Sept. for another getaway. It's not the center of the universe though.
We also loved KSC and Sea World too, not enough to visit every trip but once in a while is fine.

Let's face it, WDW food isn't great either and it's expensive too so you can't knock only US on that point. In all fairness, the food basically sucks at all theme parks. The whole ADR scene at WDW is ridiculous too. It's crazy to plot each and every meal location 6 mos in advance. That's just too much stress to call it a vacation.

ETA: We went to Busch Gardens, Williamsburg last summer and loved that too.

[TDC Nala]

but wait a minute, everytime disney does change something they suffer a huge backlash from online communities like this. look at pleasure island. im excited for the change, but the general consensus, leave it alone. how about when a ride leaves? what happens? people freak out. there are still people talking about mr toads wild ride.
so we want change, but we arent willing to give anything up? sorry, cant have it both ways.


There are always those that have favorites. I don't care what they do with most of the rides, or about a lot of the new things coming out, but closing the Adventurers Club will detract seriously from my Disney trips and I doubt they'll be able to come up with something that will replace it - closing that for me is a bit like closing the Magic Kingdom would be for most Disney fanatics. Others are saying "good, tear that Adventurers place down and build something NEW." So there will always be those who want certain changes and those who resist them.

Universal's never been more than a day trip as far as I was concerned and probably never will be.

[Aisling]

My family really, really likes Universal. The attractions are awesome, and their onsite hotels put Disney to shame, especially price-wise. I think Unversal is doing a great job competing with WDW. That said, Universal just doesn't have the "feel" of Disney. There's no warm fuzzy emotion involved when we go to Universal. I know that sounds silly, but it's true for us. Even just walking around WDW without going to any attractions makes us feel good.

I'm so glad there's Unversal, and that it's getting better and better, and we
ll continue to go there when we don't go to WDW. But we never yearn to go back the way we do about WDW.

[cgbsilver@hotmail.co]

[QUOTE=agame2323;26557941]I have to put this out there.

How do you feel about the advancement of Universal Studios? Personally, I give them credit. They seem to have some pretty exciting things going on and 2009 could possibly be a big year for them. With the addition of the new Roller Coaster, the Simpsons Ride and Harry Potter the development seems to on the right track. Disney...where are you? Thus far all we have received is Toy Story Mania, which I understand is a great ride, but US have just added a completely new section of there park with the addition of Harry Potter.


What new RollerCoaster??

[ruadisneyfan2]

What new RollerCoaster??

http://www.universalorlando.com/hollywoodrockit.html

[perla75]

Also, to defend Disney. They do have plans for new coasters and rides to open up in 2010-11 which is when HP world will open.

What's HP World???

[Natalie_89]

no flaming here..i like universal the rides are great im lookin forward to harry potter opening i think its guna be :thumbsup2 but i dont jst like disney for the rides its the fact its disney.the characters, the themes, the parades..everythin.universal could get the best rides ever but i will always and forever prefer disney. disneys not a multi millions making corparation to me..:cutie: :cutie:

[cgbsilver@hotmail.co]

http://www.universalorlando.com/hollywoodrockit.html

That looks really cool. It seems to be similar to RRRC. To bad I don't do Coasters anymore.

[Natalie_89]

My family really, really likes Universal. The attractions are awesome, and their onsite hotels put Disney to shame, especially price-wise. I think Unversal is doing a great job competing with WDW. That said, Universal just doesn't have the "feel" of Disney. There's no warm fuzzy emotion involved when we go to Universal. I know that sounds silly, but it's true for us. Even just walking around WDW without going to any attractions makes us feel good.

I'm so glad there's Unversal, and that it's getting better and better, and we
ll continue to go there when we don't go to WDW. But we never yearn to go back the way we do about WDW.

agreed...u do feel all fuzzy wen u just enter..when the monorail gets to the station and say enjoy your stay at the magic kingdom i get all goosebumpy...its magic :wizard:

[troydjames]

let me start by saying I love disney, took my girls for the first time in march, and could not put a price on the expressions on there face while meeting princesses, but as far as I am concerned if you are just going for rides, for an older set it is not even close, US is far superior. My wife and I stayed at hard rock 7-8 years ago, before children, and loved it we spent much of our vacation time going to theme parks like cedar point, we are close to kings island and were familiar with larger thrill rides, we could not get over how fast we could access the rides with the front of the line access, the hulk and my favorite spiderman were great rides that long ago. Back to disney I rode all the rides with all the buzz, rocking roller coaster, tower of terror, which was my favorite, exp. everest and they were all fun but nothing special from a thrill aspect, themed better but that seemed like the best part quite a few times to me. Before anyone gets mad let me say I am already planning my trip to disney for 09 you cannot beat the magic for the kids it is great. If our kids grow up like my wife and I loving the thrill more than the theme I do believe there will be a shift of parks when the get older.

[Lynn5700]

What's HP World???

Harry Potter:thumbsup2

[inkkognito]

Does anyone remember the Universal commercial of a few years ago where the kid says, "If I see another princess, I'm gonna puke!" I tried to find it on Youtube but no dice. For some reason this thread is reminding me of it...I loved it, but I don't know if they showed it nationwide or just here in Orlando.

[the Dark Marauder]

http://www.gearsandwidgets.com/external/wherethisthreadgoing.jpg

[Cool-Beans]

I love MK, Epcot, AK, US, IoA and Sea World.

I think it is crazy to avoid a theme park because Disney doesn't own it. It matters little to me who owns what so long as it is fun.

Uni is fun and has some amazing stuff. If you don't go check it out, you miss out on all that.

[thepwa]

I love roller coasters, so I go to Universal for a day or two before I spend a week at Disney.

Universal, to me, is a place to go for thrill rides, and Disney is all about the Magic.

As much as I like Universal, it is not "Magical".

You will get no flames from me for saying good things about Universal.

[PEANUT1]

We really like US/IOA but we haven't been in 3 years. I have a hard time taking time away from Disney:)

When the kids are a little older, we will be back. I personally can't wait for Harry Potter:thumbsup2

[bubba's mom]

I don't even consider it comparing apples and oranges...it's black and white.

We've been to WDW. We've been to UO. We prefer UO. We are AP holders at UO. And we CHOOSE to pay extra to stay onsite...why? because we choose to spend our vacation NOT standing in lines and running/crisscrossing the park to do the FP thing :sad2: That is the beautiful thing about onsite hotels, if you CHOOSE to spend the extra money, you can. And, as far as "i can't afford it....it's not fair"...oh puhleeze. Going to WDW is WAY more expensive than UO, so if you can afford WDW, you can afford 1 night onsite at UO. Besides, everyone seems to claim you don't need more than 1 night anway :confused3


Harry Potter-land will help boost attendance for a while, but I think once people realize that HP will be two rides and some shops, and that at most people will be able to spend a few hours there, it won't lead to a significant market share increase.


please indicate where that fact is? HP is going to be a whole land...not just 2 rides. There is going to be a Hogwarts castle and restaurants....you probably have NO idea how large this land is going to be. We were just there and I've seen the wall....I know where they are building.....It's going to be huge.

AND, by the sounds of it, there are a LOT of Disney lovers who plan to visit Harry Potter and IOA. As a regular poster on the UNIVERSAL side of the DIS, I cannot keep track of how many peeps come over and ask us about the 7 day ticket and 'will it be good for when Harry Potter opens?' And, when the Disney people DO come to visit IoA, I think many will be surprised and want to return...if not them, their kids.

Universal is just another theme park, like Six Flags or Sesame Place. Disney, however, is DISNEY.

Can't remember who said it, but Disney IS a themepark also. It ranks with Universal, Six Flags, Cedar Point.... I don't understand why people think Disney is not a themepark? :confused3 Universal is more online in comparsion with Disney than a Cedar Point or Six Flags.


Yep, happened to me last year, my first ever IOA trip, i was shouted at for daring to ask if i could leave my Crocs on the side while i rode it, and told in a horrible tone of voice that i'd have to hold them.

Not got a problem with this being a rule, but the way i was told, was bang out of order

:goodvibes

How would YOU react if you encountered the same thing every 5 minutes all day? :confused3 (Granted, there should be a sign posted, but if you aren't seeing people coming back and unloading where they loaded, wouldn't you think you unload somewhere else and take your shoes with you?)

I don't agree that Universal is more "new" or "fresh" than WDW. I was an AP holder at US/IOA for years before we started going to WDW, and most of the things that were there when I was in HIGH SCHOOL almost 20 years ago are still there!!! The Horror Makeup Show, Beetle Juice (my God, how long must we endure that one?), Terminator, basically everything. The only things "new" and "fresh" that have come out within the last 10 yrs. or so have been The Mummy and Simpsons (not a big Simpsons fan, so I haven't gone over to see it).

How old is Peter Pan? Snow White? Space Mtn. Not fair to rip Universal for having "older" attractions when WDW is JUST as guilty. :sad2:

Wow, that Kool Aid must be tasty...

Our family loves US/IOA. We didn't our first visit though. We constantly compared it to Disney and looked for the "magic." We scrutinized every little thing and looked for the negatives. (You could walk thru WDW and point out negatives too if you were trying to.) Then we realized, it's not trying to be Disney. When we want magic, we go to WDW. When we crave something different, we go to US/IOA.

I don't get the 'magic' thing either? When we were at Disney, we didn't see any of the 'magic'....in the words of a Disney loving friend of mine: 'magic' is something YOU feel....not something to 'see'...

The whole ADR scene at WDW is ridiculous too. It's crazy to plot each and every meal location 6 mos in advance. That's just too much stress to call it a vacation.


This is one of my major turn offs to Disney too. I don't know where I'll feel like eating tomorrow, and you want me to decide 6 mths in advance? :eek:

Does anyone remember the Universal commercial of a few years ago where the kid says, "If I see another princess, I'm gonna puke!" I tried to find it on Youtube but no dice. For some reason this thread is reminding me of it...I loved it, but I don't know if they showed it nationwide or just here in Orlando.

I remember ;)


Forgot to add: While I don't watch the Simpsons, you don't need to like the show to enjoy the ride...the ride is great!

[OneTreeHillAddict]

I love US and Disney! Dollar for dollar US is a much better deal! I think the ticket offer is exceptionally smart marketing. You get the people in there they will spend money on drinks, food, and merchandise! Disney's tickets are way too high! (As far as a one day or two day pass goes!) Disney continues to raise prices every year and what they offer consistently falls back. US is always adding something new or throwing in free concerts and such. If we were going just for the rides....we'd always choose US. It's just has more to offer.

US is priced so everyone can afford to go there. Disney, not so much.

[RVGal]

I don't get the 'magic' thing either? When we were at Disney, we didn't see any of the 'magic'....in the words of a Disney loving friend of mine: 'magic' is something YOU feel....not something to 'see'...



Would you, perhaps, be speaking of me? :goodvibes

Disney holds the market on nostalgia. Hands down. We are spoon-fed Disney from the cradle. We sleep on Mickey sheet, cuddle Mickey plushes, get Mickey toys in our Happy Meal (at Mickey D's... HA!), watch the Disney Channel and the Wonderful World of Disney, see Disney movies, and visit the Disney theme parks.

There are only 3 company logos that my children could recognize at 18 months of age. McDonald's, Coca-Cola, and Disney. These folks know how to brand and how to brand early. They raise the next generation of consumers. It breeds a customer loyalty base that knows no bounds.

There is nothing wrong with that. I'm just trying to make the point that the "feeling" that we get when arriving at Disney is one that can't be compared to anything else because, well, no other company has been bombarding us the same amount of sensory stuff.

Again, there is nothing wrong with that. Just making a point that to try and say that Universal doesn't have the Disney "magic" is like saying that Burger King doesn't have the McDonald's magic. They don't. But it is because of the nostalgic emotions that are attached to the brand name. I hope that makes sense.

Disney World is made of concrete and steel and people (CMs). The "magic" that you feel when you arrive comes from inside you. Universal is made of concrete and steel and people (TMs). There is magic to be found there too, if you immerse yourself in the experience. True, you have to actually make an effort because you haven't been pre-programmed (and I don't mean that in a Kool Aid sorta way, just a that is life sorta way) to ooooh and aaaah when you see how well done the Spiderman or the Mummy ride is. The feeling is different. It is an isn't this cool thing instead of a childhood memory come to life thing.

All of the parks in Orlando are wonderful. I love Disney. I love Universal. I agree with the others that have said that having them both right there together creates healthy competition and we benefit. You don't have to put any of them down in order to lift others up. They can all stand just fine on what they each have to offer.

JMHO. Carry on.

[macraven]

Does anyone remember the Universal commercial of a few years ago where the kid says, "If I see another princess, I'm gonna puke!" I tried to find it on Youtube but no dice. For some reason this thread is reminding me of it...I loved it, but I don't know if they showed it nationwide or just here in Orlando.

i think the little girl said hurl not puke. she looked at the camera and the hulk ride was shown behind her.

it is a long story but when the hulk opened, many hurled afterwards, a little too much roller coaster for some.

tshirts were made up then with that phrase, going to hurl.

the commercial was in shown in the chicago area. not a regular ad but it came on late evening.


i saw it on youtube and also while i was in orlando the year it aired.

[damo]

We try to do a day at Disney each year when we do our week at Universal to ride what is new. We always find ourselves whining and complaining about how much time we are wasting when we could be over at Universal riding rides instead of standing in line or waiting for a bus.

I love Universal. I like Disney. Heck, I'll even spend a day at Six Flags. I'm crazy like that.

[Tizzy_Meliss]

While we love Disney, our Universal Studios onsite experiences have spoiled us from any other park experience. The short walk or boat ride to the parks, the exciting rides, FOTL access (which I have never waited longer than 10 minutes to ride any ride, Thanksgiving Week, in comparison to Disney's wait of 90 minutes) to the play areas for the little ones, not having to plan out every meal 18 months in advance, or wait over an hour to meet a character (Snow White.) Then there is the beautiful hotels with large rooms to spread out in, awesome pools, and great dining. For all that we get from US/IOA Disney doesn't come close for us. :sad2:

[jillybeene71]

Sure IOA may have some neat attractions, but has anyone been to US lately? The last time I was there (Spring 2007), that park was depressing. It's getting decrepit and it only took us a day to do both parks because I find it lacking.

my 2 cents
Defination of Decrepit

Main Entry: de·crep·it
Pronunciation: \di-ˈkre-pət\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Latin decrepitus
Date: 15th century
1: wasted and weakened by or as if by the infirmities of old age
2 a: impaired by use or wear : worn-out b: fallen into ruin or disrepair
3: dilapidated, run-down

Id like to know where. We have gone twice a year since 06...and there is no place in either park that could be described by using the word "decrepit".

Universal Orlando (parks and on-site hotels) is what makes my family happy...and if the kiddies are happy, mamas happy. we've been to Disney for Christmas and all I heard was "I wanna go back to Universal" Everybody has an opinion, I know that, but using the word decrepit is false.

[Cinders1]

Me, I am a Disney nut but, my sons prefer Universal. They would rather stay on site and ride the Hulk 100 times in a row than stand in line for anything at Disney. I will say I do love the P. Bay hotel. The pools a great place to relax.

[Cdn Friends of Pooh]

We are AP holders for both Universal and WDW and are are proud to say we enjoy both experiences, and never visit only one or the other when on vacation - we always do both - something we've been doing annually since 2003. That is our choice.

As the others have said, WDW and US cannot be compared as they both offer totally different experiences and cater to people with different interests. Even Universal Studios and IOA are completely different environments. Many have said that as their kids grow up, they find Disney more "childish" as compared to Universal. Universal/IOA is definitely more "grown up" overall however there are still plenty of attractions for all age groups.

I should also add that one of our pet peeves is food at Disney. While we like the variety of restaurants at Disney, they also can't compare to Universal/IOA. We've found that Disney offers a lot of the same food at their restaurants but at Universal/IOA and Citywalk you have a number of restaurants each offering something unique.

We do stay on-site at Disney because of the AP discount we get on resort rooms, however, we are looking forward to experiencing the hotels at Universal where we can take advantage of the Front of the Line perk and be in close proximity to the parks.

Arguing about which park is better is just silly - it's like arguing over which flavor of ice cream is best. Bottom line is what's right for you and your family, might not be right for someone else, and just because you prefer one over the other does not mean it's wrong or that person should be flamed because they don't share the same opinion as you.

Bonny

[Tinker-tude]

We used to be die-hard Disney fans. We planned vacations to WDW as often as was feasible for us. I think I've been 20+ times in my life. We never went to US/IoA because how could ANYTHING hold a candle to Disney? Especially when everything in the world costs less than Disney, and you get what you pay for, right?

Then it happened. We had the WORST vacation of our lives while staying at the Grand Floridian. It was an endless string of disasters that were never resolved. So we decided to give US/IoA a try the next year. We had wanted to for several years, but there was just never enough time when you had to spend your whole vacation in line at Disney. We went expecting it to be less than Disney. Boy, were we surprised! It was fantastic!

There's a lot of truth to what RVGal said about nostalgia and being immersed in marketing that creates the magic for you. I checked the parks out online, got familiar with what they had to do and see, and started watching the movies, shows, and reading the books we'd be experiencing in the Universal parks with the kids. We felt the same magic while meeting Spiderman, seeing the different sections of the parks, and the theming of the rides as we had felt at Disney. Some of it was actually quite a bit better. I guess everyone who complains about the condition of the parks and the employees was either there on a really bad day, or they're looking to criticize, thinking that Mickey will be hurt if they find good things elsewhere. When we were there, the parks were pristine, the employees were courteous and friendly, the HRH staff was wonderful, etc., etc., etc. The attention to detail and artistry in the theming was amazing. Especially in IoA. We were amazed, delighted, thrilled, happy, and wondered how we had let ourselves miss out for so long. We are hooked on UO/IoA now and can't wait to go back. And when people say they can do everything in 1-2 days, there's no way to do everything there in that amount of time. They just don't know how many cool things they missed.

Disney doesn't really need to expand or change because they have such a loyal fanbase already. Which is also why they continue to raise prices on EVERYTHING while offering less. They do it simply because they can. We, the loyal fans, support them in this. I still love the nostalgia of Disney. I always will. But that doesn't mean that Disney World is the only great thing in the world. We'll probably be back someday, but like someone else said, now WDW is the other set of parks for us.

:flower3:

[cgbsilver@hotmail.co]

People who prefer Universal will not convince people who prefer Disney or viceversa. So this bickering is useless. Some people prefer one some the other, buth have their flaws and advantages, neither perfect. What is the point of arguing?

This is just my opinion, No offense meant to either side.

[breebella]

First let me start by saying, I've always been a die hard Disney fan. As a matter of fact, we are leaving in 2 wks for our yearly DIS vacation. However, last year I had the pleasure of staying at both Disney (on-site) and Universal (on-site). I have to agree that they both have a completely different feel about them. With Disney, I get immersed in Mickeyville and love watching my younger ones face light up when she spots one of the characters:lovestruc .

That being said, once we checked into Universal's Royal Pacific and was given my first glass of complimentary guava juice, I was in love (with the juice and the place itself):love: The beds were so comfy and the rooms so spacious! The pool was huge with plenty of room to swim and what's this? Pool hopping is encouraged? :cool1: Wow, we headed over to Hard Rock to check out their zero entry pool, along with poolside games & activities for the kiddos and poolside movies at night! I'm in heaven. City Walk has tons of great restaurants to choose from if you don't want to dine in the park. What can I say about the FOTL? It was the icing on the cake! I didn't have to worry about getting up super early in the morning to make rope drop or hit the park with EMH. I have to say though, I actually felt kinda bad for all the hot sweaty people waiting in line for Spiderman, as we jumped off and on again. For those who don't think there is enough to do at Universal, they also offer complimentary shuttle service to Wet n Wild and Sea World/Aquatica! As for the cost to stay at a Lowes hotel, I got an excellent rate that was cheaper than AKL & WL. It was quite the vacation and I can't wait to go back next summer.:thumbsup2

[Metro West]

People who prefer Universal will not convince people who prefer Disney or viceversa. So this bickering is useless. Some people prefer one some the other, buth have their flaws and advantages, neither perfect. What is the point of arguing?

This is just my opinion, No offense meant to either side.I couldn't agree more. :thumbsup2

I love MK, Epcot, AK, US, IoA and Sea World.

I think it is crazy to avoid a theme park because Disney doesn't own it. It matters little to me who owns what so long as it is fun.

Uni is fun and has some amazing stuff. If you don't go check it out, you miss out on all that. And that's the shame of it. :sad2:

[k5thbeatle]

...Arguing about which park is better is just silly - it's like arguing over which flavor of ice cream is best. Bottom line is what's right for you and your family, might not be right for someone else, and just because you prefer one over the other does not mean it's wrong or that person should be flamed because they don't share the same opinion as you.

Bonny

Best post on the thread. Reading the thread is entertaining though!:happytv:

Why does that "amaze" you? It's my vacation. :confused3
Exactly! If a person likes going to "Boringville" USA for their vacation and it pleases them then why would that amaze anyone?

It's funny too...every complaint or fault listed in this thread can be experienced at either park given the right circumstance or time. Last time I checked both were operated by humans who all have their good and bad days and no park is infallible!

[keishashadow]

Thread reminds me of the trash-talking that professional sports teams rivalries generate:confused3 .

Funny how invested peeps can get with their entertainent choices. Speaking of investments;) we bought into Disney, hook line & sinker:laughing:. I love going 'home' to Disney:goodvibes gives me the warm & fuzzies. Yet, I get energized going to the Universal parks too...a whole 'nuther world. Guess:idea: it lets me indulge my split personality.

IMO, for DVC'rs trying to save pricey weekend points (and eak out yet another repeat visit); Universal onsite is the true 'best kept secret', with the FOTL perc...positively VIP experience. Especially, since Disney has increased the weekend resort rates so dramatically.:rolleyes1

It is true that when Disney adds something new, it is on a much Grander scale. I do agree that Universal will NEVER be Disney!!

and, therein lies it's charm:thumbsup2

We have 300 BWV points and I always say that I wish Universal had something similar.
I agree when walking near the giant Globe at US or the Port of Entry at IOA, I feel the magic.

the line forms behind me:)

[goofybabe2001]

Disney will always be special and magical to all of us but I think Disney really needs to step it up a notch or two. I remember first coming to disney and thinking WOW that was a cool ride or show and now it seems so many things are just cookie cutter replicas of something else. Everthing new is great don't get me wrong but it seems there is nothing really over the top like it was so many years ago. My 2 dds love disney for the characters and not for the rides or shows. I really wish disney would go back to basics of each park...Animal Kingdom add some more animals...Epcot needs more countries and what happened to the future no imagination...Hollywood studios show me how movies are made( too much animation...Playhouse disney) But on the same note I can't wait to go back

[KStarfish82]

popcorn::

[CanadianGuy]

Moving this one to the ThemeParks Community Board as it is a more a discussion of personal choice and taste than an actual planning thread.

Thanks,

Knox

[Cool-Beans]

I didn't even know there was a CB for Theme Parks. I think it is an excellent thing, though. So many threads are too OT for TPAS but still waaay too Theme Parky for the CB.

For a while there, they were sending all kinds of threads to the CB and everyone was saying, "Why are all these Theme Park threads being sent here?" This is excellent.

Learn something new every day.

[Princess Jenny]

This is a long thread and I didn't read every post, but I wouldn't say Disney needs to step it up. We go to Disney every 2 years and every 2 years there has been a new ride. They are opening the American Idol stage in January and I still feel like Expedition is still new. I belive the way Disney comes out with something new every couple of years is smart. I just keeps you coming back for more and gives you something to look forward to :cool1: .

And I've just seen on the Travel Channel that they are already in the works for building their new theme park. Which im sure takes time planning and oodles and oodles of money :rotfl2:

[Buckeyemouse]

While I like some of the things US has to offer. It is not Disney for DW or myself. If we want to ride coasters we can go to Cedar Point (the best coaster park in the world). I dislike standing in lines for more than 30 minutes for a ride (FP is awesome). We go during the summer months to Disney and I have never waited for more than 40 minutes for a ride. Plus we prefer the sights, sounds, and smells of WDW (exception of monorail late at night after many people were riding it). Things have changed so much since we were last down there 05. They will continue to add and grow. The service that Disney provides is second to none.

[ruadisneyfan2]

While I like some of the things US has to offer. It is not Disney for DW or myself. If we want to ride coasters we can go to Cedar Point (the best coaster park in the world). I dislike standing in lines for more than 30 minutes for a ride (FP is awesome). We go during the summer months to Disney and I have never waited for more than 40 minutes for a ride. Plus we prefer the sights, sounds, and smells of WDW (exception of monorail late at night after many people were riding it). Things have changed so much since we were last down there 05. They will continue to add and grow. The service that Disney provides is second to none.

Once you've done US's FOTL and get used to usually walking right onto a ride, a 40 min wait seems like eternity. After 2 days at US/IOA, we went to MK. BTMR had a 20 min. wait. Ds7 stomped his little foot and said, "I am NOT waiting in a 20 min. line!" :headache:

US/IOA is often thought of as a roller coaster park by the Disney crowd but really only has 2 and they're both in IOA. There's so much more than coasters. :3dglasses My kids love Shrek, Spiderman, Jimmy Neutron, Dr. Seuss land, Jurassic Park, Mummy, Men in Black (revved up Buzz Lightyear) I could go on and on....