Islands of Adventure voted best park

[ProfesserBaxter]

Buzz Lightyear was out before MIB. Just some info. So the laser game was done by disney first, but Universal just made a more high tech more adult version. MIB tops Buzzlightyear anyday. I always take my friends and family on MIB and then when we go to Disney we go on the Wed Way People Mover and when we pass Buzz Lightyear, nobody wants to ride it after being on MIB.
Wonder why that is? Disney has poor technology on their rides and its kind of sad to say their older stuff is better then their newer stuff. Two of their newest rides are redo of Dumbo. Don't get me wrong I'm a big thrill ride/ coaster freak, but Disney is lacking their imaginations. Universal has more areas to expand by putting new attractions in with orginal characters. Two of our newest upcoming ones for example are Jimmy Neutron and Shrek.

 

[Uncleromulus]

IOA and Universal are nice places to visit. We went in May. We won't be going back anytime soon--.
Just a quick couple of stories. Ever get up to a ride loading area and find NOBODY there supervising getting in and out of the ride vehicles?? Well--it happened at IOA on the Ripsaw Falls Flume ride. We got to the loading area and there was nobody there!! About a dozen or so ride vehicles came and went w/o anyone around to help loading. Several patrons almost got into the vehicles themselves (thankfully they didn't) until the people working the ride finally realized it was unattended!! Amazing---.
And on the Bilge rat Barge ride, we found ourselve a bit confused in finding the way thru all the guide ropes to the ride entrance. We took what was obviously the wrong path and wound up going thru Universal's version of the fast Pass entrance. And again--NOBODY there to redirect us or even tell us we were in the wrong area. We just walked on in and got on the ride ahead of all the other patrons.

 

[EUROPA]

Originally posted by Uncleromulus
IOA and Universal are nice places to visit. We went in May. We won't be going back anytime soon--.
Just a quick couple of stories. Ever get up to a ride loading area and find NOBODY there supervising getting in and out of the ride vehicles?? Well--it happened at IOA on the Ripsaw Falls Flume ride. We got to the loading area and there was nobody there!! About a dozen or so ride vehicles came and went w/o anyone around to help loading. Several patrons almost got into the vehicles themselves (thankfully they didn't) until the people working the ride finally realized it was unattended!! Amazing---.
And on the Bilge rat Barge ride, we found ourselve a bit confused in finding the way thru all the guide ropes to the ride entrance. We took what was obviously the wrong path and wound up going thru Universal's version of the fast Pass entrance. And again--NOBODY there to redirect us or even tell us we were in the wrong area. We just walked on in and got on the ride ahead of all the other patrons.

You have hit upon one of the biggest problems and really the only problem that I've had a Universal. The queue for most rides is overly complicated and there is never an employee around to guide people through them. Often the queue areas are out of sight of the employees and this can cause problems with line jumpers. It is a major problem with nobody in front of you to follow like cattle. Several times we found people in the maze lost themselves and guess what happened next...yep some just left mad and the rest of us just started jumping rails until we got to where we needed to be. We would often come to a point where they could have easily shortened the queue by opening a gate here or moving a rope here which I thought it the reason why they had those pieces there.

 

[EUROPA]

Originally posted by ProfesserBaxter
Buzz Lightyear was out before MIB. Just some info. So the laser game was done by disney first, but Universal just made a more high tech more adult version. MIB tops Buzzlightyear anyday. I always take my friends and family on MIB and then when we go to Disney we go on the Wed Way People Mover and when we pass Buzz Lightyear, nobody wants to ride it after being on MIB.
Wonder why that is? Disney has poor technology on their rides and its kind of sad to say their older stuff is better then their newer stuff. Two of their newest rides are redo of Dumbo. Don't get me wrong I'm a big thrill ride/ coaster freak, but Disney is lacking their imaginations. Universal has more areas to expand by putting new attractions in with orginal characters. Two of our newest upcoming ones for example are Jimmy Neutron and Shrek.

I'm a huge fan of Disney and Universal..but Disney's current problems have noting to do with a lack of imagination. Have you seen "The Disney Sea" in Japan? Disney's problems are related to money issues and Esiner milking the parks for money while he funds the rest of the underperforming pieces of the Company...(ABC, films, Internet, buying cartoons that kids no longer watch). In several cases the budget for attractions is slashed down to nothing which leaves little for the Imagineers to work with. Trust me as soon as Esiner (or whoever replaces him when this mess is over) starts spending money on the parks again you will see much better versions of the rides.

Lets hope the Universal has seen the light in the way that Disney is currently handling their parks and Universal continues to put money into it's parks.

 

[ProfesserBaxter]

Well I sure hope so, because their last attractions aren't attracting a large crowd. Rockin roller coaster is the only one I believe that Disney been bombing the parks for a few years. I slipped on the whole Animal Kingdom. They had to have to first park because Universal was opening IOA (my baby) and rushed and they got a blow to the head when IOA opened in 1999. Test Track isn't all that its cracked up to be, first it took such along time to open the attraction and I know wh, Disney had a fight with GM and the whole idea of me sitting in a car and it speeds up to 60 mph and then slams on the brakes. I can go do that on Interstate 4. So I hope Disney get their act together, because if the rumor is true, about Busch taking over Universal. Sh*t will hit the fan. Because they would own Busch Gardens, SeaWorld, Wet and Wild, Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, the orange county convention center and that entire chunk of land behind I-drive.

 

[msr709]

I don't see why they (Disney and IOA) should be compared at all. When I go to Disney I'm looking for something totally different from what I look for at IOA. Disney is more of a classic feeling, I grew up with Disney movies and I guess they trigger the child in me. I like the feeling of Disney. When I go to IOA, its more of a coaster thrill I'm seeking and I enjoy it just as much. I'm grateful that they are so different and I feel that in one vacation I can get the best of both worlds. JMHO.

 

[EUROPA]

IOA and Disney are largley going after different crowds. There is alot of spill over..but Universal could never hope to compete with the "MAGIC" that is so hard to define and people like to attribute to Disney. You can see parts of the "Magic" at Universal in the themeing of the Various lands but something just does not click on all of the rides. Examples include Ripsaw VS Splash Mt at Disney. Ripsaw is by far the better ride but many people including myself think that Splash is a better overall experience. Spiderman has no equal right now in Orlado or any any Park right now. Or think of Tower of Terror VS Dr. Doom. Dr. Doom will make your heart jump out of you chest...but Tower of Terror is a far better attraction.

Still I love IOA and USF is stealing 3 days away from my Disney Vacation this year. Which is really all that Universal is after right now. If they can can keep that pace up and add a 3rd gate then we might really see some big hits to Disney's attandace if Disney continues to not invest money back in the parks like they have been for the past few years. Only time will tell.

 

[skiwee1]

My favorite is and always will be WDW. On the other hand, my 14 y/o son is really looking forward to US/IOA in October. He dislikes WDW so much that he has not came with me the last 3 times! He is a coaster kid. When I mentioned that I would tack on 5 extra days on my next WDW trip and take him to US/IOA he jumped at the chance. He and my husband are flying in at the end of my WDW vacation so they still get to avoid WDW. So even within the same family there are likes and dislikes. I am looking forward to checking out US/IOA myself as we haven't been there since the opening of US. I like coasters too.

 

[johare]

gcurling pretty much said it all with this quote:

I find voting at the turnstiles to be the most significant measure of a theme park's popularity. I'm sure the theme park owners would agree.

Using this logic McDonald's has the best hamburgers in the world and Walmart is the best place to shop.

 

[Buschfan]

I agree with IOA as the best park. Having only gone to the park for the first time in May and never liking the the stale offerings and overpricing of annual passes at Disney. It is certainly worthy of this honor. The food alone won me over.

 

[patman]

Johare, excelent analogy. IOA is my favorite park and of course itis my 17 year old sons favorite. MGM is 2nd on my list.
the theming of the whole place is better than anything Disney has. I don't know why maybe it going to disney 7 times in the last 15 years. My 3rd favorite is Busch Gardens Williamsburg which is the "prettiest" park i found.

 

[Buschfan]

I have to agree on Busch in Williamsburg being the 'prettiest'. We aren't alone as it has been voted the world’s “Most Beautiful Theme Park” for nine consecutive years by the National Amusement Park Historical Association (NAPHA).