If I have to hug one more princess, I am going to hurl!

[ChrisFL]

Only 2 rides at USF are motion simulators

 

[Patch'sD]

I find it amazing that the disneyite would even go to the Univeral park pay good money and force themselves to have a bad time. These people have paid so much money to wait in line for cardboard cut out rides, stay in Closet sized rooms, wait and ride a bus for 30 minutes to get anywhere, pay premium dollars to get a Garden view room. They have to knock Universal to Justify the big bucks they just paid. Hurl away those dollars. By the way for seven years there has been a Universal portion on these boards. That is where I got all the information on Unversal. And I believe this is a community board that does discuss things other than Disney.

 

[noodleknitter]

Competition keeps everyone on their toes! Disney settled in for many years, adding relatively few new attractions. But once there was some competition all things improved.

US makes a different magic. I loved the original studios, love the spook films, and love the Princess who is really a troll!

I think it is odd that people feel a need to be nasty to others over a theme park!

 

[rejobako]

I love Disney, but I am not beholden. I also have a sense of humor that allows for a gentle poke in the ribs like this one. So I think the commercials are funny, even more so when I see how it brings out the

DEFENDERS OF DISNEY

 

[rejobako]

Thinking more about the issue, the commercials may actually be genius. Let's face it, there are more vacationers in Orlando who do Disney than Universal, and this isn't going to change. Many people probably have no idea that the parks are radically different. As I said on another thread recently, Disney is typically soft, cuddly, character-oriented and white-bread. Universal's primary marketing is to older kids and younger single adults. At Disney you have sit-down rides that glide; at Universal you're more likely to encounter coasters that are supposed to scare the snot out of you. It's louder, rowdier, looser, and hipper.

So how does Universal market itself? It's going to be tough for them to encapsulate the differences in the parks within the time-frame allowed by a 30-second commercial. Some kid saying "If I have to hug another princess I'm gonna hurl" is a perfect shorthand for what Universal wants you to know about their experience. It's not about princesses and "Small World" fantasyland. It's about what older kids think is cool -- things like saying "hurl", for example. And things like acting irreverently toward a cultural icon like the great and powerful Walt. Thumbing your nose at someone bigger than you is a rite of passage for most kids -- sounds like Universal has decided to apply that philosophy to its ad campaign.

It appears the ad has offended some hard-core Disney fans -- I would suggest the ad isn't aimed at them. It's supposed to inform/remind people that Universal offers an experience different from Disney, and if you or your kids want an alternative to the relatively "safe" Disney environment, you can always go "hurl" on a Universal coaster and hang with Woody Woodpecker instead of Ariel.

 

[helenabear]

Pity I missed the shirt... sounds like it could be cute, though I would laugh at those who think the Hulk is that bad of a ride As I said, I am a coaster snob, spoiled by my parks in Ohio

I guess I still don't see how it is a joke about the Hulk instead of a jab at princesses, even understanding the story behind it. Seems kind of sad to me to do that.

For everyone that is highly offended by this commercial I have a question. Do you also get offended at other commercials that poke fun of products you like? Do you get mad at Pepsi and write them letters because you drink Coke and don't like them poking fun at Coke?

Not highly offended by any commercial like that, but no, I don't like Pepsi's tactics either. Fortunately I don't drink soda pretty much at all, so it isn't something I really care about one way or another.

I don't think you have to poke fun at someone/thing else to get people to try your product.

I only really can't stand the one part about the girl hurling. Showing USF/IoA as more hard core does make more sense. But sadly they never won me there anyway since they still aren't quite as Hard Core as Cedar Point or KI

 

[Yookeroo]

I love Disney, but I am not beholden. I also have a sense of humor that allows for a gentle poke in the ribs like this one. So I think the commercials are funny, even more so when I see how it brings out the

DEFENDERS OF DISNEY

Their sacred cows got gored. There's more to life than Disney. I love WDW. And I love IOA.

 

[F1Julie]

I think the Universal commercial is very funny. DD6 is outgrowing princesses. I don't think a kid is a brat because she has outgrown Disney. I look forward to taking DD6 to Universal when she is tall enough to be able to go on most of the rides. We love WDW, but I do think kids outgrow a lot of it by the time they reach the preteen age.

 

[cteddiesgirl]

I may not like it either. But hey! It's free advertising for Disney!
It's basically saying that if you really want magic, go to Disney.

If you want miles of concrete with a few coasters to make you throw up, go to US.

 

[Mister Incredible]

We love WDW, but I do think kids outgrow a lot of it by the time they reach the preteen age.

<--41 and still haven't outgrown Disney

 

[ChrisFL]

If you want miles of concrete with a few coasters to make you throw up, go to US.

So you've never seen US or IOA have you? No pictures or anything? What a nice cave that must be

 

[MosMom]

It hasn't offended me, I just think that little snot doesn't deseve to go to Disney. I noticed that around here they stopped playing the "Who wants to go to bed at 7" part of the commercial. That part never made sense to me. We've never gone to bed even close to 7 at Disney. I wish we could some nights!

 

[cteddiesgirl]

So you've never seen US or IOA have you? No pictures or anything? What a nice cave that must be

What cave are you referring to? The cave of Indianapolis & Pittsburgh? Of being to far away and too poor to actually go see the park? The last time I was in Florida was in '96. And that was to take my niece to WDW and to do nothing else. Was US even open then? Are you trying to say that US is better than WDW? I don't care if you think so or not. I don't think that WDW is necessarily better (well I do), just a different breed of park.
I've only seen pictures of the coasters. Nothing else. And you can't deny that there has to be miles of concrete there. Or do you walk on only grass there?
So, what a nice jerk you sound like.

 

[azgal81]

I saw the commercial for the first time last night. I wouldn't really call it offensive. It's the same as all the others commercials out there with competition saying how the product they are advertising is better.

People are seriously finding this commercial offensive?? I don't really see why!

 

[Conservative Hippie]

I'm not offended, but I don't particularly care for ads that bash another company's product (like the Coke/Pepsi machine ad Pepsi ran). If your product is so good, you should be able to sell it on it's own merits.

 

[LuluLovesDisney]

I'm not offended, but I don't particularly care for ads that bash another company's product (like the Coke/Pepsi machine ad Pepsi ran). If your product is so good, you should be able to sell it on it's own merits.

Absolutely.

While I"m not really offended, I think it alienated me and a lot of other Disney fans. I would bet that a few people might have considered a day or two in US while in FL and after that commercial changed their mind. Not out of protest, but like "If the things I love most in the world are causing this little spokeschild to want to vomit, maybe I won't enjoy it." She doesn't like hugging princesses but she likes US. Maybe I won't like US anymore than she likes hugging princesses.

It's ironic, because whenever the US vs. Disney threads come up, some poster always says "Don't compare them" or "It's not a competition" or "People can like both" but I think the number one reason for the "competition" is Universal's ad campaign. It pits US against Disney. Whenever that happens, people pick sides. Just look at the "Camp Aniston" and "Camp Jolie" shirts out there! I've tried US./IOA and I wasn't impressed. Count me in "Camp Disney Princess!"

I also think they alienate people with the image of the child- saying the word "hurl" and standing with a stoic expression, looking "tough" ( I thought she was a boy at first, to be honest, until I realized her hair was pulled back.) Many parents don't like that kind of attitude and wouldn't want to bring their child to a place that encourages that. Many prefer the idealized Disney environment where in those commercials, smiling kids of all ages rush to hug princesses, characters and each other. Where parents are too excited to sleep. Where women become real life Cinderellas when they are proposed to with a glass slipper. Those are the commercials I'd see myself in, for sure.

 

[LuluLovesDisney]

It hasn't offended me, I just think that little snot doesn't deseve to go to Disney. I noticed that around here they stopped playing the "Who wants to go to bed at 7" part of the commercial. That part never made sense to me. We've never gone to bed even close to 7 at Disney. I wish we could some nights!

I never even heard that part. They must have realized it made no sense. Umm- four or more fireworks shows nightly? Fireworks Cruises? Spectromagic? Water pageant? PI? Jellyrolls? Atlantic Dance? Evening EMH? All of this and more happens after 7.

 

[AnaheimGirl]

I also think they alienate people with the image of the child- saying the word "hurl" and standing with a stoic expression, looking "tough" ( I thought she was a boy at first, to be honest, until I realized her hair was pulled back.) Many parents don't like that kind of attitude and wouldn't want to bring their child to a place that encourages that. Many prefer the idealized Disney environment where in those commercials, smiling kids of all ages rush to hug princesses, characters and each other. Where parents are too excited to sleep. Where women become real life Cinderellas when they are proposed to with a glass slipper. Those are the commercials I'd see myself in, for sure.

Well, clearly they do alienate certain Disney fanatics who want to live in a fantasy land (pun intended) where all children are perfect little prince/princesses. But there are also many parents who appreciate the humor in a more true-to-life approach. Look how popular the TV show "Roseanne" was for so many years, and that was a snotty and obnoxious family!

 

[LuluLovesDisney]

Well, clearly they do alienate certain Disney fanatics who want to live in a fantasy land (pun intended) where all children are perfect little prince/princesses. But there are also many parents who appreciate the humor in a more true-to-life approach. Look how popular the TV show "Roseanne" was for so many years, and that was a snotty and obnoxious family!

Agreed.

(and I do love the Fantasyland comment. )

But, if you remember, when Roseanne and fam went to WDW, everyone ended up happy and sappy- even grunge fan Darlene went skipping around with Winnie the Pooh, even "exchanged addresses" at the end.

True to lifers and fantasy worlders both enjoyed that.

 

[ChrisFL]

What cave are you referring to? The cave of Indianapolis & Pittsburgh? Of being to far away and too poor to actually go see the park? The last time I was in Florida was in '96. And that was to take my niece to WDW and to do nothing else. Was US even open then? Are you trying to say that US is better than WDW? I don't care if you think so or not. I don't think that WDW is necessarily better (well I do), just a different breed of park.
I've only seen pictures of the coasters. Nothing else. And you can't deny that there has to be miles of concrete there. Or do you walk on only grass there?
So, what a nice jerk you sound like.

So you admit you've never seen the place, and yet you claim that there's miles of concrete? Wow, that's absoutely incredible. Do you have psychic powers?

BTW, Universal Studios opened in 1990, Islands of Adventure opened in 1999.

This is a collage from Islands of Adventure, where do you see miles of concrete?