Is Universal Studios Resort actually “The Dark Side”?

[PulsarIII]

Years ago the term “The Dark Side” started showing up in discussions on these boards. Probably right after that castle popped up and there seemed to be a new wave of interest in that place down the road from WDW. The irony is that now the “Dark Side’s World” is coming to life down the road from “The resort not to be named”. Does anyone know which resort is “The Dark Side”?

G’day
III

 

[Felicis]

hahaha, you raise a very fair point! Love it!

 

[Metro West]

Macraven has always called Disney "The Mother Land" and Universal "The Dark Side". Many people have picked up on it.

 

[keishashadow]

The Dark Side will indeed be represented soon enough @ the house of mouse, however, the Dark Universe is emerging

Thrilled Universal will be finally re-envisioning their classic monster catalog and hope to see a presence in the parks

 

[jagafen]

Maybe we can start calling it "The Theme Park that Shall Not Be Named".....Not to bust Macraven's groove or anything, but if people are going to start getting confused....

 

[Metro West]

Maybe we can start calling it "The Theme Park that Shall Not Be Named".....Not to bust Macraven's groove or anything, but if people are going to start getting confused....

Not sure why anyone would be confused if they've been on the DIS for a while...but call it what you like.

 

[jagafen]

Not sure why anyone would be confused if they've been on the DIS for a while...but call it what you like.

I was trying to be humorous...based upon OP's irony.

 

[tink1957]

Technically it is one word...darkside so no reason to be confused

 

[wookiebeck]

With the parks nicknamed by macraven those years ago, I have been free to proclaim, "I was seduced by the darkside."

 

[Metro West]

I was trying to be humorous...based upon OP's irony.

 

[agavegirl1]

I kind of like being a "homie" here on the darkside (we have cookies!) but I have to admit, I really like "The theme park that shall not be named". I usually refer to it as Universal or US/IOA however so as not to confuse the frequent newbies coming in with questions.

 

[hdnwaters]

We travel a lot and I ran into an elderly couple in Alaska last month with Disney lanyards on. I struck up a conversation and they love WDW but then admitted that recently they really like Universal. Me too! They told me they were really excited about the new holiday experience and Harry Potter! They were so cute and were converts to the "Dark Side".

 

[jagafen]

For us, it's more of an ages/stages issue. I like Disney for what it is. We've been often enough that we have some really great family memories there. Like I said in an earlier thread, I've cried at Disney...Universal has never made me cry (yet). The private meet and greet with Pooh brought me to tears, as did my then 5 y/o son sitting on my lap during the pirate cruise, making a wish to be a superhero during wishes when Jiminey says that anything is possible if you wish hard enough. Being able to experience Disney through his eyes at 5, 7, and 9 (well, notsomuchat9) has been one of my happy moments in raising him. Now, he thinks he's too old for characters, too old for Disney, and is all about thrill and adventure...he's at more of a Universal stage. We've only been once (when he was 9), so I'm looking forward to seeing him re-experience the park with an older, teen set of eyes.

 

[kohlby]

We started doing Universal and Disney trips combined many years ago - before kids and before IOA existed. So, for us, it was never the "other" park. We enjoyed both parks for different reasons. We continued to bring our kids to both. My eldest's first ride ever was actually Spiderman right after he turned 3. (Can't remember second child's first ride - she was 2 months old that trip. By third child, most dates of firsts weren't remembered). I was confused about darkside when I first came to this board - thinking that on a Universal forum, darkside would be Disney. If I had seen it referred to darkside over on the Disney forums first, then I wouldn't have been confused. I've been here long enough to figure it out though. I do think it can still be called the darkside. Disney is still a much larger empire, both in Orlando and worldwide. And though both have been must-dos for us since the 90's, I think more still prioritize Disney. Also, add in the types of rides and attractions. Universal has a higher percentage of rides that could be frightening. HHN is much more darkside than MNSSHP too. Other events have a different tone too - I haven't seen shot girls wandering around at any Disney event yet. (The only place where I think Disney does win the darkside title over Universal is from talking to current and former employees of both).

 

[danielocha30]

I feel sorry for Seaworld

 

[jeffbeardreams]

The REAL Dark Side is Busch Gardens :0)

 

[macraven]

See my post in the sister thread in this forum

Sure UO is the darkside and Disney is the motherland

All named affectionally

 

[Chuckers]

See my post in the sister thread in this forum

Sure UO is the darkside and Disney is the motherland

All named affectionally

I still find the irony of calling UO a name that references a Disney product pretty humorous.

 

[keishashadow]

For us, it's more of an ages/stages issue. I like Disney for what it is. We've been often enough that we have some really great family memories there. Like I said in an earlier thread, I've cried at Disney...Universal has never made me cry (yet). The private meet and greet with Pooh brought me to tears, as did my then 5 y/o son sitting on my lap during the pirate cruise, making a wish to be a superhero during wishes when Jiminey says that anything is possible if you wish hard enough. Being able to experience Disney through his eyes at 5, 7, and 9 (well, notsomuchat9) has been one of my happy moments in raising him. Now, he thinks he's too old for characters, too old for Disney, and is all about thrill and adventure...he's at more of a Universal stage. We've only been once (when he was 9), so I'm looking forward to seeing him re-experience the park with an older, teen set of eyes.

Have fun exploring it again with your kiddo

I don't subscribe to the aging out theory, even if that's what U happens to be focusing on in their TV advertisements lol

I still take my 'kids' to WDW (& U)...they range from early 20's to mid 30's . They, and I, immediately turn into 'really' big kids as soon as we enter the parks.

It's all good in whatever neighborhood

 

[kohlby]

Have fun exploring it again with your kiddo

I don't subscribe to the aging out theory, even if that's what U happens to be focusing on in their TV advertisements lol

I still take my 'kids' to WDW (& U)...they range from early 20's to mid 30's . They, and I, immediately turn into 'really' big kids as soon as we enter the parks.

It's all good in whatever neighborhood

My kids started outgrowing Disney much earlier than I expected. But - I don't think outgrowing Disney is a permanent thing. I think it happens among a lot of kids, though not all, and then they come around again. I only went to Disney twice my entire childhood - and not until a teen - so that may play a part too. I don't feel like I ever outgrew it though there were times we happily skipped the stroller-mess of Fantasyland before we had kids. (We would go between Christmas and New Year's so we were quite happy to spend less time in Fantasyland). My kids have been doing both Universal and Disney since they were babies so they may be focusing on the progression of rides they couldn't and could do at different ages as well, making it seem more like there are a lot of "little kid rides." Luckily, I can now go without the kids so hubby and I go and do the rides they don't like anymore. We still bring the kids sometimes but don't do full days with them so we can focus on the rides they like best and skip the ones that none of them want to do anymore.