Looks like Universal win this round

[kathy884]

I have to agree with you OP. the HP stuff new and old they have been doing sure looks incredible

We typically prefer Disney and SeaWorld to Universal. And I only went to Universal back in 1989 and didn't care for the vibe or attractions. DS (now 18) went about six year ago to IOA and US and thought they were nice parks, but prefers SeaWorld and Disney too. And back then there was nothing there that pulled us over for another visit.

Finally in 2010 I was interested in seeing the new IOA Harry Potter area, but as we travel high season we didn't like the idea of dealing with the crowds we were seeing. And we didn't care about going enough to move to a Universal hotel for a night. We stuck to Disney and SeaWorld.

But OMG factors are coming together that will get me to get a park hopper at Universal on my next trip. DS's finals next year will be over before the Christmas crowds, meaning we can visit parks on crowd level three days. And the new HP stuff plus the old is definitely enough to get us over for a day. There are a few other attractions at US and IOA DS wouldn't mind doing again either, so no we're not spending a bunch of time there. But a one day park hopper will be perfect. We'll do a Disney day too and a SeaWorld day and stay in an offsite condo. One day at Disney is plenty for me per trip these days too (love the parks), but not that much is really new, so a park day once a year seems perfect. SeaWorld hasn't changed much either. We will probably do a second day there too, but that's just because we can go for just $10 and we do like that place.

For something new and different, Universal though is certainly winning this year.

Like others have said it's win/win. Our interest in multiple places is what is getting us to do the trip (our love of the MK and SeaWorld and interest in seeing something new). Disney / SeaWorld without too much that's new wouldn't really be enough to interest us in the trip. And Universal by itself wouldn't get us down as we're not big fans despite being curious to see the new stuff. It took the combination for us to say, "Hey let's do a little December trip".

 

[OnSpaceshipEarth]

I added a day to my Sept Vacation for Diagon Alley. Added. I didn't take away any planned days from my already bought 7day Park Hopper that includes 3 planned MK trips.

And that extra day? I added a deluxe room on-site at Disney. I'll prob eat a extra meal at Disney because of it as well.

Disney didn't lose anything by me deciding to go see Diagon Alley; they gained more business from me because of it.

I think this is more grey than black and white winner/loser.

True...but I wouldn't say what you are doing is what is done by the majority. Just a guess. I *will* say that if I was ever interested in going to Universal during my Disney trip I would stay at my Disney Resort the whole time, too. I wouldn't want to hassle with switching hotels, tbh.

 

[Planogirl]

I find that people really don't give the theming at Universal enough credit. Even with HP aside, the rest of both parks is extremely immersive.

In USF, Production Central is supposed to look like a studio because it is. It is the largest working production facility outside of Hollywood. They still shoot commercials, television shows and films in those soundstages. The New York section is beautiful.. in my opinion, better than the one at DHS which lacks depth and looks way more like a facade. I love the alleyways in the USF NY. Even though I'm not a Simpsons fan, I think the Springfield area looks great and offers a ton of great eating choices. Also, many of the queues are wonderful, even if the show building isn't- Despicable Me, Mummy, Men in Black, E.T., etc... really immersive queue lines.

Islands of Adventure is also beautifully themed. Port of Entry has so many fun details if you stop to look. Seuss Landing is really well done, with bright colors, no straight lines, so it's as if you're walking through a Seuss book. The Lost Continent has some spectacular architecture, particularly Mythos (the inside is incredible) and the Poseidon Fury show building.

I believe they're going to do an amazing job on Diagon Alley, from the pictures I've seen. Hogsmeade and Hogwarts are spectacular and I can't see why this wouldn't be just as good. For people complaining about crowds, yes, Hogsmeade could be crazy busy but there are many times during the year where it isn't nearly as busy. I've seen just as big crowds at MK.

I agree. I particularly love the studio look of the Studios. It's not a jumbled mess like DHS. The alleys in New York are amazing.

Jurassic Park is excellent too. It just needs a bit of growing to completely block the view of Hogwarts and it'll be perfect.

The part about crowds in US is a good point too. Yes, WDW is never crowded.

 

[rastuso]

I find that people really don't give the theming at Universal enough credit. Even with HP aside, the rest of both parks is extremely immersive. In USF, Production Central is supposed to look like a studio because it is. It is the largest working production facility outside of Hollywood. They still shoot commercials, television shows and films in those soundstages. The New York section is beautiful.. in my opinion, better than the one at DHS which lacks depth and looks way more like a facade. I love the alleyways in the USF NY. Even though I'm not a Simpsons fan, I think the Springfield area looks great and offers a ton of great eating choices. Also, many of the queues are wonderful, even if the show building isn't- Despicable Me, Mummy, Men in Black, E.T., etc... really immersive queue lines. Islands of Adventure is also beautifully themed. Port of Entry has so many fun details if you stop to look. Seuss Landing is really well done, with bright colors, no straight lines, so it's as if you're walking through a Seuss book. The Lost Continent has some spectacular architecture, particularly Mythos (the inside is incredible) and the Poseidon Fury show building. I believe they're going to do an amazing job on Diagon Alley, from the pictures I've seen. Hogsmeade and Hogwarts are spectacular and I can't see why this wouldn't be just as good. For people complaining about crowds, yes, Hogsmeade could be crazy busy but there are many times during the year where it isn't nearly as busy. I've seen just as big crowds at MK.

It's clear many people will always love everything Disney does, going into long detailed reasons, and then simply say Universal didn't do it for them. There is no rhyme or reason for it other than they simply have their mind made up. This is why people pay $150 a night for a Days Inn room with a giant football out front, agree to get kidnapped at the airport, and are told the Nee Fantasyland is the epitome of themed rock work.

Springfield has NO rock work. How can it be anything but Six Flags quality trash? The new Dwarf coaster has glowing gems in it for Christs sake. Do you understand the incredibleness of that?

And Simpsons are just a flash in the pan, not a forever enduring franchise like Beauty and the Beast, which contains one real movie, and has been selling untold millions of merch for decades. Um... Yeah....

-Jason

 

[macphisto96]

I never really liked Harry Potter in IOA. Theres like 4 wand stands within 50 yards of each other and find the wand show where they basically force parents to buy the chosen kid a want really bad. I feel bad for the parent that has to tell a crying child they cant get it after they left the show.
Theming is great and i really enjoy the queue for Forbidden Journey a lot better then the actual ride. Mobing from one projection screen to another with badly fitting dummys in between is just not doing it for me. Can appreciate the technique though.
And in IS theyre just basically rebuilding buildings from London? Like in Epcot right? And then you jump into a modified Mummy ride. Again the new tricks will be cool but im sceptial about the rest. I always feel at Universal theyre after my money. Ofcourse at Disney theyre also after it but it to me it aint that obvious.

Having seen NFL and ridden the dwarf coaster I thouroughly enjoy it more, least more then Hogsmeade. The theming is ageless and more original. New animatronic dwarves are awesome and the rest of NFL is equally amazing. Fastpass + aint so bad either.

Other then that the competion is great as so many have noted. All WDW parks need a boost (some parts of Epcot and lack of things to do in AK make me sad) but if it keeps going this way we all win!

Last I checked, they didn't have carts and carts of wands. Most of the wands are in the wand shop.

Forbidden Journey is a really advanced ride. What's really incredible is their innovated loading system for the disabled. It's seamless and anyone on the main ride never knows. They divert a car to a special loading spot where you are let off (if you were diverted) and people can transfer from a wheelchair, etc. The car is digitally tagged for diversion after the cycle and then put back in with the other cars if they have no one else to load there.

That's another place I must give Universal a lot of credit. Their loading and unloading systems are mostly better thought out than Disney. They innovated the single riders queue and have it at most all of their large attractions. They also more consistently deploy loading and unloading zones to maximize efficiency. I've spent tons of time on line and out observing loads, counting, and timing them. SeaWorld/BGT are the worst (not a shock), but Universal is the best. They have faster turnarounds than Disney and fill up all the seats more consistently. They also have great load systems, like the dual platform setup at Mummy.

Disney's loading systems are inconsistent and can be inefficient. Toy Story Mania is one that drives me nuts. I've observed that one many times and estimate they lose about 100 seats an hour to empty slots by having no singles queue. That could be up to an additional 1200 more people seated on a normal day.

Not trying to slag on Disney because they do so many things better than Universal. They have parking down. Crowd control is incredible. How they manage the parades is second to none. Details on the rides and show buildings is unparalleled. And the food at Disney is consistently better than Universal. But Universal lines move faster, and not just because of the exclusivity of Express (though the Express system was better than Fastpass back a decade or so ago - you had options on your time. Initially, as an annual passholder, they would let us have three Express reservations at a time - and we could do them cross park). Even with Express, they don't just dump you into the queue usually like Fastpass does, but instead have a separate loading area for Express users. This allows the regular line to move more regularly, instead of slowing down when new people are inserted ahead of you. A friend at Universal Creative told me that they did this after much research showed that people stay more positive when they keep moving, so they designed a way to keep them moving more consistently.

 

[d-r]

I think Universal has a edge but you have to remember, disney is way more family friendly than Universal and a fire breathing dragon.

not really. We are "Disney people" but our kids love USF. There is a ton of things for kids to do there, from Seuss landing to the whole kiddie area at universal studios, and the ride swap areas for rides with height restrictions are much better than Disney's. Well, not that Disney has any. I think it is great that are family is lucky enough to go to both and enjoy them.

 

[surferdave]

What's really incredible is their innovated loading system for the disabled. It's seamless and anyone on the main ride never knows. They divert a car to a special loading spot where you are let off (if you were diverted) and people can transfer from a wheelchair, etc. The car is digitally tagged for diversion after the cycle and then put back in with the other cars if they have no one else to load there.

You mean the whole thing doesn't come to a screeching halt 5 times while you're on it? Where's the fun in that?

 

[d-r]

Also our kids love the universal resorts, and I think that they are as nice or nicer as Disney deluxes. I wouldn't trade my dvc for them, but I would rather stay at Hard Rock than a regular hotel room at disney world deluxes. I think overall the food is better at usf also, and you don't have to deal with a lot of the stuff. And when the guy with a front of a line pass meets the guy with a magic band the guy with the front of the line pass wins every time.

 

[disneymac000]

One thing people tend to forget when comparing Disney to Universal is the company that owns Universal now aka Comcast tried to buy Disney in 2004. So right now, Comcast is using Universal as a way to show the Disney company hey we meant business beforehand and we can get as much power as you. And we see it with taking Harry Potter away from Disney etc. So I think Universal has a lot more in store soon and they are rumblings they are making more family based rides.

Disney needs to stop wasting money on DVCs which only help stock values and actually spend it on getting people to go to Disney via actual attractions.

 

[boltfan]

Computer literacy is actually just as important as reading literacy in the coming years and likely will be MORE important in the long run as computers start to take over our menial daily tasks.

I have to say that I'm guessing you are not a teacher. I agree that computer literacy is extremely important, but if you can't read, what good is a computer? And as a teacher AND a librarian, I can tell you that Harry Potter will never lose it's potency for children. These books continue to fly off the library shelves at all the area schools and bookstores.

And as for which is better, that's a personal opinion. It's like comparing apples and oranges. We've never been to Universal, but we hope to make it there in the next year. We HAVE been to the Harry Potter Experience in England and it was great. Will we ever lose our love for Disney because we enjoy another park? Never.

 

[hsmamato2]

I agree with a pp (and OP) Universal has knocked it out of the park with their new stuff and Disney....hasn't. They are banking heavily at Disney on nostalgia,and at Universal they're building things quickly that we are interested in NOW. And making it easier to access (no FP+? yes please)
I am a Disney-o-phile but Universal is way ahead right now, which will hopefully be a win-win for US.... I am hoping that Disney ups it's game to match or beat Universal.....if it doesn't,then we shall see. I like seeing both places, but Universal parks are currently more interesting.

 

[hsmamato2]

I noted a pp mentioned too many wand stands at Uni... OMG are you seriously trying to say that Disney doesn't try to upsell the air we're breathing back to us while we're on property? Come on now..... no one beats the Disney 'sell it to them NOW' m.o.

 

[cel_disney]

I noted a pp mentioned too many wand stands at Uni... OMG are you seriously trying to say that Disney doesn't try to upsell the air we're breathing back to us while we're on property? Come on now..... no one beats the Disney 'sell it to them NOW' m.o.

THIS post ROCKS!!!

 

[OnSpaceshipEarth]

It's clear many people will always love everything Disney does, going into long detailed reasons, and then simply say Universal didn't do it for them. There is no rhyme or reason for it other than they simply have their mind made up. -Jason

So what? People like to talk in length about things they are passionate about and minimally about things they are not.

I'm happy that Universal is doing gangbuster business because it will make WDW even better in the long run.

 

[jade1]

So what? People like to talk in length about things they are passionate about and minimally about things they are not.

I'm happy that Universal is doing gangbuster business because it will make WDW even better in the long run.

Such a great post.

We have no real "passion" for US/IOA, but still do a 1/2 day over there for some great thrills. But they have nothing for the heart strings. WDW just crushes it in that category for us. That is why we spend most of our time at WDW instead.

And we also win the more they add at US/IOA-may even become a full day or even 2 half days eventually. But either way more is better for us, and if it keeps WDW spending it's better yet.

If Donald Trump built of massive them park (pick your theme/s) from the ground up between US and WDW-we would likely have to say he is the "current" champ for spending/improving. Who cares-more choices for all of us and more pressure for US and WDW to improve further-but it doesn't mean it would have any passion for most of us, even though we would try it out, and maybe do a day there each trip.

 

[EMode]

I am super excited for our Universal trip, I cant wait to immerse myself in all things HP. I can't say the same about WDW, the mine train ride just doesn't do it for me.
That being said I will always love WDW but for my family Universal offers us much more. I don't consider them "winning" anything though it was just a matter of time before our family reached the point where our kids want something more thrilling and Universal fills that need, whereas Disney's focus is on more nostalgia and rides/attractions for younger kids. I think they fill 2 different needs for families and they both do it well.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

It's clear many people will always love everything Disney does, going into long detailed reasons, and then simply say Universal didn't do it for them. There is no rhyme or reason for it other than they simply have their mind made up. This is why people pay $150 a night for a Days Inn room with a giant football out front, agree to get kidnapped at the airport, and are told the Nee Fantasyland is the epitome of themed rock work.

Springfield has NO rock work. How can it be anything but Six Flags quality trash? The new Dwarf coaster has glowing gems in it for Christs sake. Do you understand the incredibleness of that?

And Simpsons are just a flash in the pan, not a forever enduring franchise like Beauty and the Beast, which contains one real movie, and has been selling untold millions of merch for decades. Um... Yeah....

-Jason

In your post, it seems your mind is made up. Ironic, no?

IOA--I lOVED HP, I think Seuss land rocks, Jurassic is okay--but mostly because I love tropical like theming and I do enjoy the one ride that is there (they have two, but the fall risk from the supposed kiddy ride just has me too freaked to ride it--did it once and ). The super hero section? Truly does NOTHING for me. I do not like the genre, one bit. (my husband sees all those movies solo because they bore me). While well themed, it is visually noisy to me. I don't like the spiderman ride--and I'm a hit or miss on roller coasters and just about injuried out of them. But still ride some. So though my kids love Hulk--I'm not sure I will ever ride it again.

Then there is the cartoon section. It's okay. It doesn't excite me. The water ride was closed on our last visit--the last time I rode it, I don't remember it wow-ing me.

Will I be back? Sure--I think HP is that good. I haven't been to Universal in ages. I LOVE the movie studio look. Hollywood Studios has lost all of their production, and what it was in 1989 excited me, what it is now doesn't as much.

However, none of that matters--so long as my small fry remains small, Disney will see the large majority of our dollars. She isn't too keen on being a window shopper when there are rides everywhere. Baby swap doesn't matter if she has to do it on the large majority of rides present. So logically, since we like for her to enjoy her vacation as well, our time will be limited at the land of HP. I'm perfectly fine to plop down a one day admission and just do HP. But HP didn't account for short 3 year olds. So I won't go as much as we could.

It seems by your post that you are a huge Universal fan. There are rides at Disney you could ride, but feel your money is better spent at Universal. If you could ride no rides at Disney, or just a select few, and Universal wasn't even an option, would you waste your money?

All that said, I'm perturbed that to rider he new HP train (pardon my lack of naming knowledge )--you have to have a 2 park ticket at Universal. I get why they did it, but it does seem that profit was a prime reason and logistics secondary. I hope they advertise it will or they will upset many unsuspecting guests who want to line up and can only do so with a ticket upgrade.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Hmmm, I had a post, right after OP's, and now it is gone.

 

[MightyGitis]

It was not half the time. Construction began on New Fantasyland (the storybook circus end) in late 2011 and construction on Diagon Alley began with the demolition of Amity in January of 2012.

As to quality it's massively subjective. I'm very excited about Diagon Alley as an HP fan. But if you aren't an HP fan it doesn't matter as much to you.

I really like New Fantasyland because it is beautiful. I haven't ridden the mine train but the whole area is targeted at a different consumer group than Diagon alley.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Snow White is timeless... Harry Potter is not. I think it's a huge expansion for a dying franchise.

In a short decade that entire area will be as relevant as Beetlejuice and Fantasyland will still be timeless.

But at the end of the day, I don't think it's worth it to compare them since most people just do both anyways (a few days at USF and the rest at Disney World).

I would venture a lot more.kids these days know/have seen HP than know/have actually seen snow white.