Looks like Universal win this round

[TooExcitedCantSleep]

Disney's EXTREMELY highly regarded Mystic Manor is heavily reliant on video screens. The HUGE revelation for the Dwarf coaster was the faces used video projectors. Ratatouille is essentially a series of small simulators, with screens, connected by short dark ride sections. The big Avatar ride is a film.

Can Disney build any new ride without all of them screens?????

-Jason

I don't have any animatronics at home or the video projectors that can put faces on them......but I do have a big old HDTV tv screen!!!!! What is Mystic Manor and Ratatouille???? Is this here in America??? In other countries 3D screens will probably be seen as cutting edge and very exciting because the majority of the population most likely doesn't have hdtv in every household like we do over here!!

 

[Jennasis]

I don't have any animatronics at home or the video projectors that can put faces on them......but I do have a big old HDTV tv screen!!!!! What is Mystic Manor and Ratatouille???? Is this here in America??? In other countries 3D screens will probably be seen as cutting edge and very exciting because the majority of the population most likely doesn't have hdtv in every household like we do over here!!

Mystic Manor is one of THE most cutting edge rides in all the world...and it's over in Hong Kong Disneyland. Check out the ride through on youtube. It's jaw dropping. Why we can't get one of those in WDW is beyond me.

YOU may not care for the use of "screens" but it is, simply put, next level theme park attraction tech. Animatronics are passe.

 

[EMode]

People who say Universal's rides are just rides without theming are apparently blinded by the lack of butterflies and small forest animals around every corner.

Can Universal Studios build any new ride without all of them screens???? I got hd tv here at home!!!!! Disney could build all these little 3 n' 4d rides anytime they want......they got the land and the cash to do it. Disney is spending all of their resources on building DVC......they out there building right now. Look at how fast they put those bungalows up!!!!! Do not let Disney fool you......they can hustle when they get good and ready!!

Yay DVC! I'm so glad that they are focusing alot of their resources on DVC because that is really what I'm interested in when I'm visiting the parks. Oh wait..............

 

[TooExcitedCantSleep]

Mystic Manor is one of THE most cutting edge rides in all the world...and it's over in Hong Kong Disneyland. Check out the ride through on youtube. It's jaw dropping. Why we can't get one of those in WDW is beyond me.

YOU may not care for the use of "screens" but it is, simply put, next level theme park attraction tech. Animatronics are passe.

Ha ha!!! I am neutral....I just like to make sure there is balance..... so sometimes----okay most times I will play devil's advocate. Thanks- I will go on youtube to watch it. Now- I can't argue with you about WDW because it just doesn't seem fair how WDW is last on the list for new exciting rides!!

One more thing- those little goblins that work at the bank are animatronics but because it's Universal it's okay and not passe.

 

[TooExcitedCantSleep]

Yay DVC! I'm so glad that they are focusing alot of their resources on DVC because that is really what I'm interested in when I'm visiting the parks. Oh wait..............

Don't get mad because Disney is not listening to you or me!! You may not like it but folks are buying up all those points!!!! DVC buildings are not cheap to construct.....it would be much cheaper and easier for Disney to throw up a couple of new exciting rides. So- my guess is new rides don't make Disney money and DVC must bring in boatloads of guaranteed cash flow!!!!

 

[Angel Ariel]

But, Transformers IS Spiderman. It is the EXACT same track and set. The only thing changed was the video. It's transformers instead of Spiderman.

And Dinosaur at AK IS Indiana Jones from Disneyland. It's the exact same track, with different theming.

Both parks duplicate rides within their own parks. It doesn't make sense, to me, to hold it up as a negative for one park, but not the other.

 

[johde]

But there is data, and there are opinions.

If WDW is keeping folks local at 2 far less significant parks than US/IOA (in some opinions), then who really is "winning"?

If the only WDW parks at Orlando were AK and DHS-they would still out draw US/IOA IMO because of the "Disney fix/magic" families are attracted to.

But think how vastly different they would be. DHS would be getting Fantasyland and A&E, Cars Land, probably many classics from DL as well. POTC, Splash, Space.

Point is, the thread is about Universal compared to WDW-and the 2 most recent WDW parks alone built at the same time as US/IOA outdraw them. They could have added DHS as a new land extension of EPCOT and AK off Adventureland or Fantasyland in MK to stay at 2 parks, if that would make the comparison easier.

Admitting US/IOA is overpriced in comparison to what WDW offers spread over deciding to use 4 parks, isn't much of an argument for who is winning.

You want data. From 2004-2008 WDW's attendance grew by 16% while UO attendance actually shrank by 12%

Attendance in Millions
....... 2004 2008 % change
MK....15.1 17.1 13%
EPCOT.9.4 10.9 16%
DHS...8.2 9.6 17%
DAK...7.8 9.5 22%
Total.40.5 47.1 16%

USF.. 6.7 6.2 -7%
IOA...6.3 5.3 -16%
Total.13.0 11.5 -12%

It was a dark time for Universal Orlando Resorts. From 2008 till 2012 (the most recent data available). WDW's attendance grew by 3% while UO attendance grew by 23%. An amazing 51% increase in attendance at IOA while flat down for USF.

........2008 2012
MK..... 17.1 17.6 3%
EPCOT10.9 11.1 2%
DHS....9.6 9.9 3%
DAK.....9.5 10.0 5%
Total .47.1 48.6 3%

USF.....6.2 6.2 0%
IOA.....5.3 8.0 51%
Total 11.5 14.2 23%

And a recent report at Universal sited a 20% increase in attendance since Transformers opened (June 2012). The turnaround story that is UO resorts that was sparked by the addition of the Original WWOHP. This attendance increase has occurred while aggressively increasing prices.

WDW
Ticket Prices................. 2008 today % Increase
1 day..........................$71.00 $94.00 32%
4 days Park Hopper...... $267.00 $354.00 33%

UO
Ticket Prices............... 2008 today % Increase
1 day ........................ $71.00 $96.00 35%
4 days Park hopper...... $99.00 $196.00 98%

Disney and Universal have both been fairly comparable on 1 day prices. Prior to WWoHP you could get an entire week for not too much more. With the big price increase in 2010 and another big one this year in the longer tickets, those have seen a huge % increase in price.

So the question become, who has the momentum in Orlando and who is coasting on their past sucesses?

 

[EMode]

Don't get mad because Disney is not listening to you or me!! You may not like it but folks are buying up all those points!!!! DVC buildings are not cheap to construct.....it would be much cheaper and easier for Disney to throw up a couple of new exciting rides. So- my guess is new rides don't make Disney money and DVC must bring in boatloads of guaranteed cash flow!!!!

Oh I'm not mad, I'm going to Universal

 

[DougEMG]

As other have said, neither would DHS and AK. and Mad Hattered point was DHS and AK wouldn't have near their current attendance if they weren't a cheap add on to a MK trip. There are 4 Disney themeparks, and the marginal cost the 4th day is $20 + tax. The marginal cost of the 5th - 10th days are $10 + tax each. Most people consider the MK and EPCOT to each be 2 day parks. So, once you've decided to go to WDW and spend 2 day at the MK and 1 day at EPCOT, the question is do you spend $30 for 2 days to go one day a piece to DHS and DAK or do you spend $137 + tax for a day each at USF and IOA ($177 is you want to park hop and be able ride the Hogwarts Express.) I would bet there are a large number of people who prefer USF and IOA over DHS and DAK but decide the extra $30 fits in their budget better over the extra $137-$177 per person to finish out your week.

While I like Universal a lot, the marginal cost to stay extra days at Disney (DVC + annual pass) compared with going to Universal is so much cheaper for us that we hardly ever go to Universal. Last time was when HP opened, and the next time is this summer when the new HP stuff opens. And while I like staying at WDW for weeks at a time, I can't stay that long at Universal, so for us Universal is always just an expensive add-on, never the main focus of our trips.

 

[surferdave]

I don't have any animatronics at home or the video projectors that can put faces on them......but I do have a big old HDTV tv screen!!!!! What is Mystic Manor and Ratatouille???? Is this here in America??? In other countries 3D screens will probably be seen as cutting edge and very exciting because the majority of the population most likely doesn't have hdtv in every household like we do over here!!

TV screens are all over recent WDW attractions as well. I find them distracting in Nemo, Voyage of the Little Mermaid, and especially the one in RockNRoller Coaster that is supposed to be Aerosmith behind recording studio glass. I wish they would stop using them or not be so obvious.

 

[Dallas_Lady]

It's a positive for everybody - competition is usually very good for the consumer.

If this raises the bar on the quality and quantity of Avatar and/or accelerates StarWarsLand --- even better......

This.

 

[YodaGirl]

TV screens are all over recent WDW attractions as well. I find them distracting in Nemo, Voyage of the Little Mermaid, and especially the one in RockNRoller Coaster that is supposed to be Aerosmith behind recording studio glass. I wish they would stop using them or not be so obvious.

You mean that's not really Aerosmith?!

 

[Laketravis]

Looks like some media give Universal most of the credit for saving Florida:

Harry Potter saves Florida

While the New York Times tends to agree:

Disney gets a measly one-paragraph mention

.

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

For us personally, Universal used to be part of the whole Orlando process. But ever since they added HP, we haven't been back. It just personally a detractor for us. I still love MIB etc but their rates got so much higher (and compared to Disney, whereas we used to get 7 days for $80 at Universal!) but Epcot they are not, so since 2007, it has been Disney all the way.

I am looking to go to Universal as I start pre-planning a DLR trip, because the Hollywood Universal doesn't have the HP stuff plus it still has Transformers etc.

I'm REALLY geeked about Avatar and any Star Wars tie ins. Disney is really getting our favorites with the Marvel, Avatar, Star Wars and all the usual Disney themes. Universal is wandering father off of our reservation and their rates keep going up (because the HP fans evidently will pay them.)

As far as I'm concerned, Universal has not saved Orlando, and Universal is not the winner for us. Not everyone likes HP.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Avatar, ugh.

They were in such a hurry to expand on AK and now they're stuck with Avatar.

 

[Mad Hattered]

For us personally, Universal used to be part of the whole Orlando process. But ever since they added HP, we haven't been back. It just personally a detractor for us. I still love MIB etc but their rates got so much higher (and compared to Disney, whereas we used to get 7 days for $80 at Universal!) but Epcot they are not, so since 2007, it has been Disney all the way.

I am looking to go to Universal as I start pre-planning a DLR trip, because the Hollywood Universal doesn't have the HP stuff plus it still has Transformers etc.

I'm REALLY geeked about Avatar and any Star Wars tie ins. Disney is really getting our favorites with the Marvel, Avatar, Star Wars and all the usual Disney themes. Universal is wandering father off of our reservation and their rates keep going up (because the HP fans evidently will pay them.)

As far as I'm concerned, Universal has not saved Orlando, and Universal is not the winner for us. Not everyone likes HP.

HP is being built right now in Universal Hollywood to be opened in 2016.

 

[jade1]

You want data. From 2004-2008 WDW's attendance grew by 16% while UO attendance actually shrank by 12%

Attendance in Millions
....... 2004 2008 % change
MK....15.1 17.1 13%
EPCOT.9.4 10.9 16%
DHS...8.2 9.6 17%
DAK...7.8 9.5 22%
Total.40.5 47.1 16%

USF.. 6.7 6.2 -7%
IOA...6.3 5.3 -16%
Total.13.0 11.5 -12%

It was a dark time for Universal Orlando Resorts. From 2008 till 2012 (the most recent data available). WDW's attendance grew by 3% while UO attendance grew by 23%. An amazing 51% increase in attendance at IOA while flat down for USF.

........2008 2012
MK..... 17.1 17.6 3%
EPCOT10.9 11.1 2%
DHS....9.6 9.9 3%
DAK.....9.5 10.0 5%
Total .47.1 48.6 3%

USF.....6.2 6.2 0%
IOA.....5.3 8.0 51%
Total 11.5 14.2 23%

And a recent report at Universal sited a 20% increase in attendance since Transformers opened (June 2012). The turnaround story that is UO resorts that was sparked by the addition of the Original WWOHP. This attendance increase has occurred while aggressively increasing prices.

WDW
Ticket Prices................. 2008 today % Increase
1 day..........................$71.00 $94.00 32%
4 days Park Hopper...... $267.00 $354.00 33%

UO
Ticket Prices............... 2008 today % Increase
1 day ........................ $71.00 $96.00 35%
4 days Park hopper...... $99.00 $196.00 98%

Disney and Universal have both been fairly comparable on 1 day prices. Prior to WWoHP you could get an entire week for not too much more. With the big price increase in 2010 and another big one this year in the longer tickets, those have seen a huge % increase in price.

So the question become, who has the momentum in Orlando and who is coasting on their past sucesses?

So your saying WDW grew 19% from 2004 to 2012 and US/IOA grew 13% from 2004 to 2012.

 

[Disneyglobegirl]

HP is being built right now in Universal Hollywood to be opened in 2016.

Awesome!!

 

[Mad Hattered]

So your saying WDW grew 19% from 2004 to 2012 and US/IOA grew 13% from 2004 to 2012.

Yes, with a 20% gain over Disney in the last 4 years.

 

[Hannathy]

Avatar, ugh.

They were in such a hurry to expand on AK and now they're stuck with Avatar.

yep, hope who ever ok'd that move has been fired. That movie has such a large following, so much larger than Harry Potter or Star wars! yeah remember Star Wars that massive fan base that Disney has sat on for 20 yrs. with 1 simulator ride and a box store gift shop.