Disney has spoiled me forever

[Baklava]

We've done Legoland, and knowing exactly what it is (and isn't) there's enough there for a 1 time, 1 day trip to satisfy my 6 year old and the adult Lego fans who are asking to go on our next DL trip. It is definitely a one and done for us though. (Technically we've been once, but DD was an infant.)

We do want to see the Harry Potter stuff at Universal, but we're assuming that's going to be about the theming more than the rides and that the rest of the park will be a wash. If it's better, we'll be pleased, but our expectations are low.

I just can't face another 6 Flags park. We won't be trying Knott's or Dollywood or Hershey. We bought DVC and we'll stick to Disney.

 

[smartlabelprint]

Great post! I can 'come out' now also and admit I felt this at a day at Universal. I know a lot of people like it I mean no offense this was just my experience. As a wheelchair user it did not work for me. Too many high thrill rides and not enough show type attractions. Cms not as good when it came to my needs. Harry Potter was good but man I could hardly get down Diagon Alley or in the stores.

For us it just lacked something. An atmosphere? At Disney we can sit and just soak the atmosphere up. I didn't feel that at Universal maybe that was just us.

Seaworld I did enjoy and Aquatica very nice. Staff were excellant. Still not Disney though lol..

It's totally a difference in atmosphere.

I think the guests affect that as well as the employees. There was non-English speaking older person wandering around smoking a pipe in USH. When I told an employee they just shrugged.

 

[GatorChris]

I used to feel this way a lot more. Not sure if it's just my age or if it's the bubble feeling I used to get at WDW that I don't get at DL. Again, that could be an age thing.

At a local 6Flags, the attractions were really fun, but the feel of the park wasn't very nice. Then we went to Legoland and I really loved the theming and attention to detail. However, attractions couldn't touch Disney. Especially the live entertainment (off-pitch singers!) and 4-D movie - lousy!

But I'll tell you where Legoland has Disneyland beat, at least for us, is the hotel. We've done PPH and DLH. And while the waterslides and headboards at DLH were cool, the rest of it just couldn't touch LegoLand Hotel. The awesome theming in every room to lego, the hallways were lego, the lobby was a giant lego building area with fun entertainment at night, and the walk to the park was maybe 200 feet. Even their cafeteria was good with characters coming by. It really reminded me of the WDW resorts. I would love to go back there again.

 

[Winnowill]

You know where Disney has really spoiled me? The fireworks. Nobody else can hold a candle to Disney fireworks and, when you've been to a Disney park right before the 4th of July and attend a regular fireworks show, it's a major letdown. Regular fireworks just leave me cold, now.

We have some friends who joined us and Disneyland last year but decided to go to LL this summer. When I asked her about it, she just groaned and opined that one thing they did well was to have a bar near one of the kids' play areas, because there was no way they could have spent the day there completely sober.

 

[smartlabelprint]

You know where Disney has really spoiled me? The fireworks. Nobody else can hold a candle to Disney fireworks and, when you've been to a Disney park right before the 4th of July and attend a regular fireworks show, it's a major letdown. Regular fireworks just leave me cold, now.

We have some friends who joined us and Disneyland last year but decided to go to LL this summer. When I asked her about it, she just groaned and opined that one thing they did well was to have a bar near one of the kids' play areas, because there was no way they could have spent the day there completely sober.

For em I think it's the music that makes the fireworks. And waterworks.

 

[ChloroformSdxn]

Yes to all the above. My son is now just 48 inches (which means next trip he can do California Screamin!), and really wants to ride a roller coaster. There's a local park with rides, including a historic wooden coaster. He had a fun day, but there's no theming, the music is just Nickleback and Katy Perry all day. The staff aren't really well trained, and everything is dirty. So, so gross. He had fun, but as an adult, you can see the differences. For example, the log flume ride. It was just an open track. You had water sliding down, and at the bottom, but the upper tracks were dry. No decor, etc. It was just open. Nothing of interest outside of the rides or carnival games, so it's not like you could sit in a nice area and admire the theming or look for hidden Mickey's or cool historic bits.

A friend was at Disneyland last week, and they spent one day at Universal (I've never been, since my kids are below the height requirements for most stuff.) She said aside from Harry Potter, it was incredibly disappointing. Everyone she interacted with was rude. The friends she was with were larger people, but not ridiculous compared to what we've seen in the States. They were PULLED OUT of a line, with no explanation at first, then asked if they had tried the sample seats and how they would feel because it was confining, etc. Finally, one of them asked if they were saying they were too fat to go on the ride. Meanwhile, at least 75 people had gone past them (note - they were not too big to go on the ride and had no issues.) My friend is slender, but was so embarrassed at how it was handled.

 

[Mysteryincorp]

We just went to Knotts and while the coasters were great, almost every train left with empty seats. The lines for food were so long and inefficient I could feel my blood pressure skyrocketing. The lines for rides were absolutely ridiculous, I'm talking 60 to 120 minutes for almost every big ride in the park! I will say, customer service was excellent, every employee I came into contact was friendly and helpful. And the food (once I finally got it) was actually pretty good.