Looks like Universal win this round

[jade1]

I don't know many parents who would let their 14/15/16/17 year olds out of the country on their own with just friends for a week. I traveled internationally at that age, but on school sponsored trips...never in a million years would any of our parents have signed off on us all going to Mexico on our own at 14 y/o.

The college crowd? 18-22? Yes...but I don't think most high schoolers are going to Cancun for spring break.

HaHa sorry-I did mean with parents chaperoning-it's very common up here for groups of families to hit Mexico for spring break-WDW somewhat but not even close-those are usually just individual families.

 

[Angel Ariel]

unless with the latest update they changed it but inside was just plain old shelves and displays. No feel of being in a shop that would have been in Star Wars.

As the pp pointed out, at the time star tours was built, it was meant to be like you were backstage on the set...not actually in the star wars universe like you are supposed to feel like you are out.on the frontier in frontierland.

The outside and inside combined absolutely feel like a movie set, imo.

 

[Angel Ariel]

HaHa sorry-I did mean with parents chaperoning-it's very common up here for groups of families to hit Mexico for spring break-WDW somewhat but not even close-those are usually just individual families.

lol, ok..parents chaperoning is an entirely different thing.

I'll admit, though, the concept of a parent "chaperoning" a trip comes across as the trip being for the child, and the parent tags along to keep an eye on them...that idea (if that is what is meant) is a bit foreign to me. While my parents took our likes/dislikes into account when planning vacations, ultimately they didn't take us anywhere they didn't also want to be, and we generally (at the 14-17 age and younger) spent the vacation together as a family.

As adults, we still travel as a family regularly (not yearly, but regularly)...like we're headed to OBX this summer with my parents, and my brother and his family. Now, though, families do split off and do their own thing for a while. We usually spend meal times together, but aside from that we generally do what we want. (Just wanting to illustrate that the "never splitting up" vacations of our youth have not been expected to continue as adults, that's all )

 

[Mad Hattered]

unless with the latest update they changed it but inside was just plain old shelves and displays. No feel of being in a shop that would have been in Star Wars.

The inside might as well be any other shop. It is not themed on the inside, unlike the shops in Hogsmeade. Diagon is going to be even more impressive.

I don't care what anyone says....there is no better themeing in any U.S park that tops WWOHP. And speaking of themeing...why do so many people turn their nose up at Universal in that regards?

Mythos...where you can get an immersive TS meal for literally 3 dollars more than yoiu would pay for a Universal or WDW QS burger meal...

Suess...

Even the original Dueling Dragons was cool...

And then there is London outside the entrance to Diagon Alley (photos by Hatetofly @ Orlando United)

How can anyone really argue with any of that?

 

[sethschroeder]

They had enough rights to make the store more themed than your local Target! Or to put in a restaurant.

With every menu option approved by Lucas likely... I can just imagine.

But sir they want to have serve water at the Catina.

Lucas - No way that's not realistic at all!

Well how about a roller coaster?

Lucas - where in any of my scripts do you see a roller coaster? I will tell you where the trash!

Can we at least keep the Star Wars rides open for the 24hr event?

Lucas - sorry I only stay up to 11 everything has to close then.

Lucas - haha everyone keeps thinking Disney doesn't want to do anything with Star Wars!

 

[Mad Hattered]

With every menu option approved by Lucas likely... I can just imagine.

But sir they want to have serve water at the Catina.

Lucas - No way that's not realistic at all!

Well how about a roller coaster?

Lucas - where in any of my scripts do you see a roller coaster? I will tell you where the trash!

Can we at least keep the Star Wars rides open for the 24hr event?

Lucas - sorry I only stay up to 11 everything has to close then.

Lucas - haha everyone keeps thinking Disney doesn't want to do anything with Star Wars!

Have you ever heard of that guy who is even more anal? I think his name starts with James Cameron.

 

[sethschroeder]

Have you ever heard of that guy who is even more anal? I think his name starts with James Cameron.

Difference is likely Cameron wants to work towards bringing it to life and Disney is open to it and basically will allow him to build it out with disney imagineering help. I could see Lucas caring less if anything was brought to theme parks and mostly just vetoing things and moving on.

 

[BrinkofSunshine]

How can anyone really argue with any of that?

I totally agree! It drives me nuts when people compare USF/IOA to amusement parks like Six Flags. I guess because they have three large outdoor coasters, so suddenly it's all thrills!

 

[Mad Hattered]

Difference is likely Cameron wants to work towards bringing it to life and Disney is open to it and basically will allow him to build it out with disney imagineering help. I could see Lucas caring less if anything was brought to theme parks and mostly just vetoing things and moving on.

I would be more concerned about the budget. I "think" they have went WAY over budget on MM+. And then you throw Iger's huge bonus he will get when he leaves in 2016 makes me wonder just how loose Disney will be with this endeavor.

You sound like a fan of Avatar. What is your opinion of Na'vi wearing blue Mickey ears? Do you see that happening on Camerson's watch? Better yet, do you not think Disney would try to capitalize on such a thing?

 

[Mad Hattered]

I totally agree! It drives me nuts when people compare USF/IOA to amusement parks like Six Flags. I guess because they have three large outdoor coasters, so suddenly it's all thrills!

You mean this ole' thing?

 

[Mad Hattered]

And where is all the "hoopla" over the SDMT? It's officially open now, right?

 

[Planogirl]

There are three rides in the current HP area, Dragon Challenge, Forbidden Journey and Flight of the Hippogriff. So if you bypass that section, those are the rides you'd miss

Flight of the Hippogriff is only about a rather strange but wonderful creature called Buckbeak. No magic there.

Besides TwinPrincessMermaids, if you like happy music and theming, how can you skip this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-GLuydiMe4

I am going to PLOW through that Ploughmans Platter (even the beet and apple salad)!!! I saw a ton of the food pics over on Orlando United about a month ago and was really impressed.

Butterbeer ice cream.....game, set, match!!!

So let me make a quick prediction here. When The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley opens later this summer, the longest lines in the places won't be for "Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts," the Hogwarts Express or for even the Leaky Cauldron. No, the place where people will be standing in lines that will probably reach all the way over to another Central Florida destination resort where a certain Mouse-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named hangs out will be Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. Just so these Universal Orlando visitors can then get their hands on Butterbeer-flavored ice cream.

swoon....

And where is all the "hoopla" over the SDMT? It's officially open now, right?

There hasn't been as much talk about that as I expected.

 

[jade1]

You mean this ole' thing?

Love the Hulk-but it is expensive to build mountains in and around track.

 

[Mad Hattered]

Love the Hulk-but it is expensive to build mountains in and around track.

And apparently it's even more expensive to keep the main star that resides inside some of those mountains "animated". I think Disney could actually get some Kudos for fixing the Yeti. Can you imagine the utter disdain here if the Whomping Willow in FJ was strobe lit?

And I have to be honest. If I ever get around to climbing Everest then I am totally going to take the easy route.

 

[sethschroeder]

I would be more concerned about the budget. I "think" they have went WAY over budget on MM+. And then you throw Iger's huge bonus he will get when he leaves in 2016 makes me wonder just how loose Disney will be with this endeavor.

You sound like a fan of Avatar. What is your opinion of Na'vi wearing blue Mickey ears? Do you see that happening on Camerson's watch? Better yet, do you not think Disney would try to capitalize on such a thing?

Nope not a "fan" of Avatar just liked the movie. I feel the need to defend Avatar because I know quite a few people who are diehard Avatar fans and they talk about all the people who they know who are die hards as well. A lot of people on this site seem to dismiss it like its nothing special or that is just some movie.

I think part of the reason Avatar gets a bad wrap is that it doesn't have a main character for people to fawn all over. At the same time its part of the reason it can fit so well in the Animal Kingdom realm because its not about a character.

As for the question I have no clue if they would have Mickey dress up as a Na'vi or anything like that. Personally I don't even know if they would have the characters out and about they might have hologram technology they use indoors instead?

Again I feel Cameron is more open to wanting to get his idea in the parks. While he will likely want ultimate control of the area he might possibly not care if there is a Disney spin-off (Disney characters dressing up like Na'vi).

I also don't buy into the money issues most see with Disney. I feel that Disney is forward thinking enough that they won't worry about 1-2 years of decreased revenue when the parks in general are still making money. I could see them slowing down construction but I don't see them cutting corners on new areas they develop and Cameron would likely draw the line there and would demand for the area to delayed if he didn't get the funding he wanted.

Likely Disney would look at Avatarland as a marketing option for the upcoming movies. As a note the first movie had $150 million in marketing so if you take any piece of that, thats a lot of extra money to pull into the development of this new area.

 

[Mad Hattered]

Nope not a "fan" of Avatar just liked the movie. I feel the need to defend Avatar because I know quite a few people who are diehard Avatar fans and they talk about all the people who they know who are die hards as well. A lot of people on this site seem to dismiss it like its nothing special or that is just some movie.

I think part of the reason Avatar gets a bad wrap is that it doesn't have a main character for people to fawn all over. At the same time its part of the reason it can fit so well in the Animal Kingdom realm because its not about a character.

As for the question I have no clue if they would have Mickey dress up as a Na'vi or anything like that. Personally I don't even know if they would have the characters out and about they might have hologram technology they use indoors instead?

Again I feel Cameron is more open to wanting to get his idea in the parks. While he will likely want ultimate control of the area he might possibly not care if there is a Disney spin-off (Disney characters dressing up like Na'vi).

I also don't buy into the money issues most see with Disney. I feel that Disney is forward thinking enough that they won't worry about 1-2 years of decreased revenue when the parks in general are still making money. I could see them slowing down construction but I don't see them cutting corners on new areas they develop and Cameron would likely draw the line there and would demand for the area to delayed if he didn't get the funding he wanted.

Likely Disney would look at Avatarland as a marketing option for the upcoming movies. As a note the first movie had $150 million in marketing so if you take any piece of that, thats a lot of extra money to pull into the development of this new area.

I don't defend Avatar because it's a blatant ripoff of Fern Gully (1992). The ONLY reason it made money was because of the "state of the art" 3-D aspect it had going for it at the time. 81% of it's $760 million domestic haul was 3-D. Things have changed since then. I can see Tyler Perry's stomach in 3-D now at any given multi-plex every other month if I wanted to. Avatar was far from renowned in regards to it's script.

http://dbmoviesblog.wordpress.com/2012/05/13/avatar-vs-ferngully-the-last-rainforest-a-case-of-plagiarism/

Disney has a lot riding on this IP. I don't really understand the investment but what do I know? If Avatar 2 is loosely based on any Seinfeld episode ever created then I would be all over it.

 

[jade1]

And apparently it's even more expensive to keep the main star that resides inside some of those mountains "animated". I think Disney could actually get some Kudos for fixing the Yeti. Can you imagine the utter disdain here if the Whomping Willow in FJ was strobe lit?

And I have to be honest. If I ever get around to climbing Everest then I am totally going to take the easy route.

True, but I would prefer EE as it is and a strobe Yeti than just a skeleton coaster by far.

 

[Mad Hattered]

True, but I would prefer EE as it is and a strobe Yeti than just a skeleton coaster by far.

I like to go upside down. If I do that inside of a mountain then I don't notice any of my surroundings other than darkness, therefore the theme is lost. If you've ridden the Simpsons ride then you know that sometimes guys like to see their car in the parking lot from atop a coaster.

 

[clsteve]

True, but I would prefer EE as it is and a strobe Yeti than just a skeleton coaster by far.

Love EE, but it is getting kinda ridiculous that the founding company of animatronics still can't get that silly Yeti fixed. I've heard all of the reasons why, but it's starting to seem that nobody at Disney wants to approve overtime.

I like to go upside down. If I do that inside of a mountain then I don't notice any of my surroundings other than darkness, therefore the theme is lost. If you've ridden the Simpsons ride then you know that sometimes guys like to see their car in the parking lot from atop a coaster.

I'd watch out for that upside down stuff after a Plowman's Platter, a Tennant's, and Butter Beer Ice Cream......

It looks like that Lady Grey and Lavender flavored ice cream might have just been the ticket that gets us back before Jan. DW's now full steam ahead after seeing that....

 

[TaylorsDad]

Considering Avatar was announced in September of 2011 it does make it appear a little lopsided.

I really love both WDW and Universal and Really look forward to the thought of a Star Wars Land at Disney. But I am in my mid forties and your statement above makes me wonder if only the youngest of us will still be around to enjoy a possible Star Wars Land at WDW. I mean has anyone even heard of an estimated completion date for Avatarland yet?