If you ran the park...

[dragonfly32837]

Of course they are unhappy as they are paid poorly and are forced to work using the guideline of BEING NICE TO CUSTOMERS......At Universal they are paid poorly also but can get away with treating the customers like crap.....

This is not true. This is just a misconception.

 

[Metro West]

Of course they are unhappy as they are paid poorly and are forced to work using the guideline of BEING NICE TO CUSTOMERS......At Universal they are paid poorly also but can get away with treating the customers like crap.....

You know of course a lot of the TM's at Universal also work as CM's at Disney...right?

 

[Pooh Fan]

Fascist .
Go back to the old express pass, run like disney's FP. People are paying out a lot of money to come on vacation and we can't all afford to stay at Loews hotels or buy express passes, especially in the high season. We want to enjoy our trip without someone with more money rubbing our noses in it about how they can afford to stay on-site by going on 3 or 4 times while us paupers are queuing up in the blazing sun.

I have to disagree with going back to the old system. First, the cost of admission at Universal is SO much cheaper than Disney's cost of admission. Because of that we do not see a problem with Universal offering the perk to onsite guests or selling it. (If you buy the 7 day unlimited ticket, it runs you $14 a day (99 for 7 days) to visit Universal. The 7 day park hopper at Disney runs you $40 a day (278 for 7 days). For a family of 4, when you add the cost of 4 express passes to the cost of a decent local hotel, you can stay onsite--so for us it is an easy decision to stay onsite. Regardless, if you add the cost of admission plus the cost of an express ticket, Universal is still cheaper than Disney.

If you choose not to stay onsite or purchase the express pass, I do not feel you should complain or say I am rubbing your nose in the fact that you chose to save money. We have had snide comments made to us from guests waiting in the regular line as we breeze past them in the express line several times. To me, it is all about the choices we make. If I chose to save some money--then I would have more to spend elsewhere and would not complain about waiting in line. Instead, I choose to eat at home and be thrifty for most of the year so that when I go on a trip, I have more to spend. I do not complain when I am tired and still have to go home and cook for the family because I know that if I went out to eat I would be spending money that I could be putting towards one of our vacations.

I do love your ideas about getting rid of the timeshare and credit card people and having a gate between the 2 parks though.

 

[ChrisFL]

I do not know what orly means. But please don't send me to check out anything because I know really well how the parks are layed out.

ORLY= oh really?

The parks ARE right next to each other, and as someone else mentioned, during the HHN event a few years ago, they DID have people going between both parks with no issues.

The closest spot is where Seuss Landing is, right next to where Nickelodeon used to be (now Blue Man Group):

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=orlan...468371&spn=0.002405,0.003455&t=h&z=18&iwloc=A

Trust me, if Universal really wanted to, there's at least 2-3 different places where they could build a gate between the parks, even if it meant putting in a walking bridge over the production areas.

 

[Planogirl]

Of course they are unhappy as they are paid poorly and are forced to work using the guideline of BEING NICE TO CUSTOMERS......At Universal they are paid poorly also but can get away with treating the customers like crap.....

Bored?

 

[Planogirl]

I have to disagree with going back to the old system. First, the cost of admission at Universal is SO much cheaper than Disney's cost of admission. Because of that we do not see a problem with Universal offering the perk to onsite guests or selling it. (If you buy the 7 day unlimited ticket, it runs you $14 a day (99 for 7 days) to visit Universal. The 7 day park hopper at Disney runs you $40 a day (278 for 7 days). For a family of 4, when you add the cost of 4 express passes to the cost of a decent local hotel, you can stay onsite--so for us it is an easy decision to stay onsite. Regardless, if you add the cost of admission plus the cost of an express ticket, Universal is still cheaper than Disney.

If you choose not to stay onsite or purchase the express pass, I do not feel you should complain or say I am rubbing your nose in the fact that you chose to save money. We have had snide comments made to us from guests waiting in the regular line as we breeze past them in the express line several times. To me, it is all about the choices we make. If I chose to save some money--then I would have more to spend elsewhere and would not complain about waiting in line. Instead, I choose to eat at home and be thrifty for most of the year so that when I go on a trip, I have more to spend. I do not complain when I am tired and still have to go home and cook for the family because I know that if I went out to eat I would be spending money that I could be putting towards one of our vacations.

I do love your ideas about getting rid of the timeshare and credit card people and having a gate between the 2 parks though.

I've heard snide comments from people we pass when we use Fast Pass at WDW too. People get hot and tired and just feel like being snide sometimes I guess.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

If I could change anything then....

1) ALL attractions/rides would open at 9am.
2) The exit from the parks to the car park would be better, the bag security checks are in the wrong place. Had to move a barrier myself last month to get my son's wheelchair through.
3) On the subject of the bag checks, I would ensure each bag is checked, too many inconsistencies in the thoroughness.

 

[dragonfly32837]

ORLY= oh really?

The parks ARE right next to each other, and as someone else mentioned, during the HHN event a few years ago, they DID have people going between both parks with no issues.

The closest spot is where Seuss Landing is, right next to where Nickelodeon used to be (now Blue Man Group):

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=orlan...468371&spn=0.002405,0.003455&t=h&z=18&iwloc=A

Trust me, if Universal really wanted to, there's at least 2-3 different places where they could build a gate between the parks, even if it meant putting in a walking bridge over the production areas.

Like I mentioned earlier... I do not need maps of the parks... I know exactly how they do it for hhn... I don't think that opening a gate between both parks would be a good idea because it would be too much traffic in the backstage areas... If you don't feel that way than that is fine... Just let it go! This thread is about expressing opinions and that is it.

 

[AlexandNessa]

I want all the timeshare people gone.

I want them to change up the Horror Make Up Show. It's time. Really.

It's also time to replace Twister with something else.

I can judge for myself how much I want to or can drink during HHN or not, thankyouverymuch.

Both sides of MIB should be open, even during slow times. It's no fun when you don't have an opposing exhaust port to hit.

 

[bahama97]

- Easier/quicker way to get from one park to the other.

- Later closing times on Friday and Saturdays, no matter what the season. US closed at 6pm this past Friday We would have loved to had another couple hours.

- Free lockers at water attractions (like the ones they have at Hulk, MIB, etc)

 

[phamton]

walking thru the park at 9am and having 90% of the attractions closed........

Well it has now been proven that 88% of statistics are made up right there on the spot. 63% of the people know that they are made up and 72% don't care.

I love your "90% of the attractions closed" statement. It's more like 5% are closed which is almost identical to Disney who also does not open all the attractions at 9:00 AM.

And your statements about the team members are just laughable.

 

[Dolby1000]

How about some decent signage when leaving the garages on how to get back to Universal Avenue, International Ave and I4?

When I visited the parks 2 weeks ago, I parked in the south garage (or is it west) once and the north (or is it east) garage twice. Leaving from the North or East garage the signage to get you to I4 and Universal Avenue is either not there or confusing. From the South or West garage, it was much easier. This was the garage they used in the afternoon.

But, when arriving in the morning and going to the other garage (this one is accessed via the further of the two walkways from the central pavillion), I got lost coming out of the garages both times. All I wanted to do was get back on Universal Ave to get to Int'l Ave (at Wet and Wild) to get back to my hotel. For the life of me I just could not get to that intersection when leaving the garages. Normally, I am a very good navigator, but when I leave a park via a different street/method than when I drove in, I just get turned around and one time it took me 30 minutes to figure out how to get a back to my hotel, 2.8 miles away! Give me some decent and much more visible signs.

Also:
Fix or turn on the many moving walkways in the garage area.
If you open at 9, then everything should open at 9.
If you are open, then everything should operate. If you are going to charge the same rate for a weekday as a weekend, then the available attractions need to be the same as well. (Terminator is not run Monday - Thursday, no Fear Factor Live and a couple of other items that I don't remember just now).
Stop the charge more/offer less philosophy adopted by so many companies during this recession. If you want more customers, go get them by charging less and offering more.
Build more coasters! (I know, there is only so much room).
As someone else said, play better themed music (I only recal hearing relevant movie themes in the Jurassic Park area which endlessly played John Williams theme).
Better Movie Memorabilia shops. Perhaps I missed them, but I didn't see a really good movie/TV memorbilia shop, only the usual assorments of t-shirts and crap made in China.

Dolby1000

 

[Timmy Boy]

^Terminator was down for a refurbishment. It's now open everyday.

Play themed music? IOA has some of the best music selections of any park.

 

[ChrisFL]

As someone else said, play better themed music (I only recal hearing relevant movie themes in the Jurassic Park area which endlessly played John Williams theme).

Actually that's not entirely accurate, there are custom versions of the Jurassic Park score that were created for the land, and there are MANY great, original songs that are played at IOA and for several years they offered a CD sountrack, not sure if it's being sold now or not, but it is VERY good.

One of IOA's greatest assets when it first opened was its music and the seamless transitions between the lands.

 

[v_gan]

For one thing, I would have ONLY movie clips and movie theme song music playing in the parks. starting from the second you get out of your car in the parking deck. no more music unless it was related to a Universal movie. I want to feel like I'm in a movie studio theme park. not a 6 flags!

No timeshare, credit card, survey people either.

Ciggarettes would be outlawed, and no more alcohol served at Horror nights.

I like all these, although the last one will never happen.

I also hate the locker time limits. It's just so frustrating to deal with that. Having to get a new locker to start the time over before jumping back in line to ride the same ride is not fun. On our last trip, the locker time limits did not reflect the wait times for the rides. We had to pay a fee multiple times because of this. I really like how Disney allows bags on all of their rides. It's so much more convenient.

Also: more Universal Monsters! Ok, they're in the Beetlejuice show and they have a cafe. But, really? Is this the best Universal can do for the characters that pretty much launched the company into the big-time? They deserve a real attraction. An exciting dark ride would be awesome. Universal doesn't have enough of those, as it is.

Umm.. That's all I can think of right now. Oh, wait! I never got to see the Triceratops Encounter at IOA, so I'd like to see some form of that come back. I love dinos I'd also like to see some form of the Boneyard in Universal come back. Those props never should have been left in the sun and rain like they were, but I'd like to see some sort of walk-through museum for memorable movie props.

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

You guys don't want me to get started on "If I ran the park.." Haha.. But I will respond to some of the things said in this thread.

CityWalk is a different entity than the Universal Parks.. I don't necessarily feel its necessary for there to be movie-themed music in the moving walkways as you enter or exit CityWalk. I think it's part of the fun hearing songs you know and enjoy as you're heading to the parks.

I do agree with the park hours. Whoever said they should do late closures on the weekend, that's a great idea. I'd love to see them close no earlier than 8 or 9 on Friday and Saturday. When else am I supposed to ride Jaws at night??

As for varying opening times, I've never had an issue with it. I feel like it's a part of every theme park.. Some open later, some close earlier. Just check the guide and plan your day accordingly. Sometimes I wanna run to World Showcase at Epcot, but I just can't. Not until 11am at least.

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

Oh and I disagree about using that back area to get into both parks easier. It's convenient and for HHN it's fine.. but to see all the backstage stuff and kill the magic on a regular basis, no.

Why are people complaining about this? It's a 5-minute walk as it is.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

As for varying opening times, I've never had an issue with it. I feel like it's a part of every theme park.. Some open later, some close earlier. Just check the guide and plan your day accordingly. Sometimes I wanna run to World Showcase at Epcot, but I just can't. Not until 11am at least.

You make some good points, but when the park opens and you have several attractions at Universal Studios not open it kind of makes you wonder why they just don't open all the park at 11.

I suppose I am talking through my son's perspective really, he has autism/non verbal, the majority of the rides he enjoys don't open till at least 10 and often more like 11. I also get the feeling they open Barney 'any time they choose to', on that side of the park including Amity you only have MIB and The Simpsons open.

We suffer as our son is such an early riser, so getting to the parks early is always our plan. You also have to bear in mind the heat, we usually visit during the summer or Easter so it's nice to arrive at park opening when the crowds & heat are more suited to touring the parks.
Hence it's an ideal opportunity to get a couple of hours in on the rides he loves before the crowds build and before the temperatures rise...but you can't do that if the rides are closed.

Naturally with a disabled child our position is different, others have more options to vary their touring plans, for us that is more difficult - when your plan is ET, Curious George, Fievel's, Barney and Jaws it's a different picture....you can adapt for sure, go to IOA first instead perhaps...yeah we did that, and Popeye's wasn't open till 11, a couple of rides at Suess weren't open till 10.

Sure there are similarities at Disney, but on here that is irrelevant as we are talking about Universal.
As far as I am concerned all parks open at 9 all rides open at 9 too.

There are just the 3 of us, in the big picture of the 1000s who visit each year we are insignificant, we have enjoyed many good times over the years and been Annual Pass holders too, but just can't see us visiting US on our holiday next year. I just think that's a shame, especially as ALL the parks should be looking to cater for disabled guests more.

On leaving the park we even had to move the barriers *where the security bag checks are* because we couldn't get through to the car parks with Joshua's wheelchair.

 

[cbdmhgp]

You guys don't want me to get started on "If I ran the park.." Haha.. But I will respond to some of the things said in this thread.

Same here, I just have too much to say.

The main points: The hours being longer, maybe something like Disney's magical hours?

Also some of the rides have got to go......Twister is the main one for me. I love terminator now, cause the latest movie was AMAZING! But if it werent for the movie then it would be gone.

Tower of Terror and Aerosmith should make the transaction over to Universal, I think.

Ghostbusters show would come back for me, as well hanna-barbara and most importantly BTTF!!!!

Universal 360......year round

 

[Metro West]

Tower of Terror and Aerosmith should make the transaction over to Universal, I think.