New Universal Commercial? Kinda Rude...

[MouseWorshipin]

Disney will always get my vote. We used to do Universal with our trip but with me ahving young kids now there is not enough for them to do there.

There is a lot for little ones at Universal. You've got your Cat-in-the-Hat, your Carosel, your kiddie coaster, Barney (unless you were very smart and didn't let them see this! ), the Rugrats, etc, etc.

IOA is basically the Magic Kingdom with different themes and a couple thrill rides thrown in, too.

And you can eat in the Green Eggs and Ham Cafe!

I wish I'd been able to take the kids there when they were little!

 

[phamton]

I know for a fact that Universal makes fun of the Disney parks. all you have to do is go to the Horror makeup show and listen to the show. one of their favorite lines is "This isn't Disney World, we don't have to be nice to you" they say it during every show.

True but that is just clean fun. It's not an insult to say that Disney is nice to you. They also make fun of Universal in the same show: the joke about ET and the joke about the washcloth costing $20 because this is afterall Universal.

I made the hotseat at Millionaire at MGM and happened to be wearing a Kong shirt. (Long story--I wasn't planning on going to Disney that day but after dropping my son off at work, I decided to run over there for a minute.) Anyway, the host made a joke about Universal when I was in the hotseat. I thought it was funny myself.

 

[indigoxtreme]

My Dh and I will not go to Universal as most of their ride are simulators and that makes us sick. Not much to do there other than their sim rides. W do like to walk around the outside, but felt that the price of admission was too much for the little we would get to do. Disney by far offers more for the ENTIRE family. Not just little kids. So the little girl in the commercial is too "big" for Princesses. The parks at Disney offe a lot more than Princesses. Univ is just a want to be.

 

[phamton]

Huh?

There are only three simulator rides. Two in Universal (Back to the Future and Jimmy Neutron) and one in Islands of Adventure (Spiderman) which is not really a true simulator.

It's true that Disney offers a lot more than just princesses but Universal/IoA offer a lot more than just simulator rides.

 

[MouseWorshipin]

My Dh and I will not go to Universal as most of their ride are simulators and that makes us sick.

The following are not simulators:

Universal Studios
Revenge of the Mummy
Twister
The Blues Brothers
Terminator 2 3-D
Universal Horror Make-Up Show
I Love Lucy tribute thingy
Men In Black
Jaws
Fear Factor
Beetlejuice
Earthquake
Animal Planet Live
ET's Adventure
Barney
Curious George
Woody Woodpecker
Fievel's Playground

Islands of Adventure
SpiderMan
Incredible Hulk (although this could make anyone sick!)
Dr. Doom
Dudley Do-Right
Me Ship, The Olive
Jurassic Park River ride
Jurassic Park Discovery area
Pteranodon Flyers
Camp Jurassic
Dueling Dragons
The 8th Voyage of Sinbad
Poseidon's Fury
The Flying Unicorn
Cat in the Hat
Caro-Seuss-l
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
If I Ran The Zoo playground

The only things I had to leave out were Back to the Future and Jimmy Neutron.

 

[willis37862]

It's true that Disney offers a lot more than just princesses but Universal/IoA offer a lot more than just simulator rides.

I totally agree.

 

[Twinprincesses]

There is a lot for little ones at Universal. You've got your Cat-in-the-Hat, your Carosel, your kiddie coaster, Barney (unless you were very smart and didn't let them see this! ), the Rugrats, etc, etc.

The one person I cannot stand is Barney so they have never seen a Barney episode.

I might do Universal in a couple years. They have inherited mom and dads love for Disney so they would not really love Universal.

 

[goofyernmost]

I apologize if this has been posted, but I saw a new (to me) Universal commercial yesterday and I thought it was kinda rude.

Cute little girl in the commercial says...
"If I have to hug one more Princess, I'm gonna hurl."

Cute little boy says...
"Sure I liked fairy tales.......when I was five"

Another cute little boy says....
"I don't go to bed at 8 o'clock." - or something like that

I know Universal has had commercials like this before and I admit I laughed at the little girl who was going to "hurl." But really, why doesn't Universal make commercials showing what they have to offer instead of making fun of their competitor?
It's not a big thing, but I thought it was, I don't know, Mean spirited? Tacky? Sour grapes? Can't quite put my finger on it...but it didn't make me want to go to Universal...I wouldn't not go there because of the commercial, but the commercial didn't show me why I should go there. KWIM?

I have always tried to live by the thought that having a sense of humor and being able to laugh at oneself, were indications of strength. As a long time Disney fan I have to tell you that I get a lot of chuckles from Universals little jabs at Disney.

It shows that they recognise the giant and are willing to give it a shot to go up against it. If you think the Shrek, the movie, had a lot of Disney put downs you really don't want to see Shrek the attraction at Universal. I found it extremely amusing and down right funny.

Disney is big enough to laugh at itself and should be secure enough to know that any mention, direct or indirect, gives Disney free publicity.

A lot of words to just say, I don't think the ads hurt Disney at all, it just serves to show that Universal is not Disney. No harm, no foul!

 

[MouseWorshipin]

Fun Stuff For Little Ones at Universal:
Pteranodon Flyers
Camp Jurassic
The Cat in the Hat
Caro-Seuss-El
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
If I Ran the Zoo
Animal Planet (if they like animals)
E.T. (some consider this a "family" thing, but not me, I think it is a kiddie thing)
Barney
Curious George Goes to Town
Woody Woodpecker kiddie coaster
Fievel's Playground

This isn't counting stuff they could go along on. (I never thought of the Rugrats as for little kids. That's more 5-7 years, don't you think?)

...and eating at Green Eggs & Ham Cafe (can you tell I like this??)

I'm sure not trying to get people to convert. If you just wanna hang out with Mickey, that's great, too! I just want to dispel those myths:
"It's all thrill rides."
"There isn't anything for little kids."
"It is all simulators."
"Disney World is cleaner."
"The Disney staff is nicer."
...those things just aren't true!

 

[ugadog99]

I hate all the Universal commericals...my family hates thrill rides and the unimaginatvieness of those parks...we just avoid those parsk completley. We will take the princesses anyday.

 

[Ziva]

I'm first and foremost a Disney freak but I also love Universal. Universal is just plain cool, I especially love IOA, it's very well themed. I'll never tire of walking into Jurrasic park and hearing that music and I think Spiderman is probably the coolest ride ever.

I love both parks for completely different reasons and I don't even think you can compare them because they are so different.

As for the commercial, it did make me smile because I think Disney has been on Princess overload for awhile now.

 

[damo]

I'm sure not trying to get people to convert. If you just wanna hang out with Mickey, that's great, too! I just want to dispel those myths:
"It's all thrill rides."
"There isn't anything for little kids."
"It is all simulators."
"Disney World is cleaner."
"The Disney staff is nicer."
...those things just aren't true!

You forgot one. "If I love Disney, I'm sure my kids won't like Universal."

 

[Disney Girlie-Wirlie]

Ahh, I remember seeing that superhero commercial. I thought it was pretty lame to be honest, it really had nothing to do with WDW. I can see the whole superhero thing be attributed to Buzz Lightyear, Army Men, The Incredibles, etc. more than UO.

Anyway, one of my favorite commercials is the 3D one that came out late 2004 with Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto...I think Jiminy Cricket makes an apperance too

I LOVE THAT COMMERCIAL! IT'S FOR THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY, RIGHT? I SAW IT ON THE MAGICAL EXPRESS FROM THE AIRPORT TO THE POP CENTURY WHEN I WAS THERE IN OCTOBER.

 

[Fan2CSkr]

I'm a big fan of the Universal parks, and I am constantly disappointed that the company takes this route in their marketing. It should be beneath them, but aparently it isn't. On the Universal website there is a side by side comparison of Disney and Universal that paints WDW as "old and busted" and Universal as "new hotness." Pointing to "yesterday's fairytales" (under which they include Monster's, inc for some reason), for example.

The whole, "we're good and you suck" strategy is generally reserved for those who are desperate to get out of second place with no idea of how to do it.

The declining attendance paired with the fact that NBC/Universal doesn't seem interested in investing in the parks right now spell trouble, I'm afraid.

I disagree about the declining attendance. If this were the case I would not be having a hard time getting the dates I want, staying at any of the On Sites.

As far as lack of investing in the parks right now, what was Mummy? Shrek?Fear Factor Live? Getting The Original Sylvester McMonkey McBean's Very Unusual Driving Machines ready for a summer grand opening? Not to mention renovations at their On Site Hotel/Resorts. Seems like $$$ being spent.

I dont think anything is spelling trouble for Universal right now, quite the opposite.

I have never taken their marketing ploy (in this case commercials) for anything more than getting their product out there with thought. There is a difference doing it with a mean spirit and doing by shocking with humor. The later is how it grabs me.

I had a house full earlier kids ages 8-12, the commercial came on for the first time and the kids loved it, thought it was so kewl and funny! I took it at the entertainment level it supplied.

 

[Disney Girlie-Wirlie]

Haven't Seen The Commercial, But Probably Wouldn't Think Anything Of It. It's All In The Name Of A Little Humor I Guess. Sure I Think It's Better To Promote Your Own Product But At The Same Time It's A Little Ironic Because With The Commercials Uo Has It's Like They Know And They're Not Denying That Disney Is Still The #1 Theme Park In Orlando, So They're Just Trying To Bring Em Down Just A Little Tiny Bit, But With Humor, And There's No Better Way To Do It. And That Kind Of Thing Does Appeal To Some People Because Disney's Not For Everyone And They Know That.
And Just For The Record, I Just Got Back From Universal. We Stayed At The Portofino Bay. I Love It There!!! And Not For Nothing But Disney Could Take A Couple Tips From Them!

 

[Fan2CSkr]

all these threads is so making me want to see the commercial

Has it been aired on the east coast yet?

Yes we saw it in Fox 5 (NYC) This evening.

 

[MouseWorshipin]

I hate all the Universal commericals...my family hates thrill rides and the unimaginatvieness of those parks...we just avoid those parsk completley. We will take the princesses anyday.

The only things more "thrilling" ride-wise at Universal than in the Disney parks are The Hulk and Dueling Dragons. Unless you count Dr. Doom, which is the Tower of Terror, just outside (which makes it scarier, because you can SEE how high up you are.)

What did you find unimaginative?

 

[MouseWorshipin]

You forgot one. "If I love Disney, I'm sure my kids won't like Universal."

You're right. And that's the worst one of all.

Press a kid to give you the personalities of Donald, Goofy, Mickey, Minnie. Most kids just don't know.

Now ask them about Barney, Curious George, ET, the Rugrats, Jimmy Neutron, Shrek, etc. The truth is that the kids prefer Universal. These are the characters they know and love! Disney absolutely has my heart, but when the kids tell their friends they're going to Orlando, they're talking about all the cool stuff they're going to do at...Universal.

I even have to break the vacation up to switch hotels, because we just gotta have that FOTL pass so we can ride Spider-Man 1000 times in a row.

And when these kids have their own kids (which will be in about 10 years) to take to parks, I wonder if they won't want to take them to see the stuff THEY loved as a kid.

This whole competition is very interesting to me! I wish I could see 20 years down the road. Sure hope I'm still around then. And sure hope ALL the parks are, too.

 

[Disney Girlie-Wirlie]

You're right. And that's the worst one of all.

Press a kid to give you the personalities of Donald, Goofy, Mickey, Minnie. Most kids just don't know.

Now ask them about Barney, Curious George, ET, the Rugrats, Jimmy Neutron, Shrek, etc. The truth is that the kids prefer Universal. These are the characters they know and love! Disney absolutely has my heart, but when the kids tell their friends they're going to Orlando, they're talking about all the cool stuff they're going to do at...Universal.

I even have to break the vacation up to switch hotels, because we just gotta have that FOTL pass so we can ride Spider-Man 1000 times in a row.

And when these kids have their own kids (which will be in about 10 years) to take to parks, I wonder if they won't want to take them to see the stuff THEY loved as a kid.

This whole competition is very interesting to me! I wish I could see 20 years down the road. Sure hope I'm still around then. And sure hope ALL the parks are, too.

Ya know, that is very true, i couldn't agree with you more. It's all about exposure and kids these days unfortunately aren't as exposed to all of our favorite classics such as Snow White and Cinderella and Mickey Mouse, unless you just have that stuff going in you DVD player 24hours a day. But if you're just watching the Disney Channel you're watching "That's So Raven" or "Kim Possible" or "Even Stevens" and those things don't have anything to do with Disney theme parks (Thank god!). If kids relate to anything in Disney it's probably that Bear in the Blue House (?) or Jo Jo's Circus, those things that they see on TV.
But otherwise, I have to agree with Mouseworshippin. Kids now, atleast the ones I know, are excited about Spiderman and SpongeBob Squarepants and Shrek because that's what they see on TV or in the movies.
So, in conclusion, I think Disney needs to reinvent the classics and bring them back to life and make kids excited about them!

 

[bellarose23]

I haven't read every post on this since it's past my bedtime, but I felt the need to rant a bit. I found this commercial highly offensive, and here's why-I felt like UO was trying to make it sound like kids are too cool for immagination, dreams, and fairy tales, and the kids in the commercial are young!!

I'm tired of all this pushing our kids to grow up so darn fast. If you're trying to market to those who like thrill rides and the theming of the Nickelodoen characters, etc, fine. But the focus wasn't on what UO offers verses other places. Instead, IMHO, it was a blatant attack at children who want to still feel the magic of childhood, which is something I think WDW caters to and perhaps also the reason us big kids feel we can travel back to simpler times while there.

My family split a trip between WDW and UO 2 yrs ago since we'd never been to UO...we hated every minute of it!!! My twin sisters, who had just turned 9 and are huge Nickelodeon fans also, found nothing exciting there. They spent the whole time "missing Mickey", and we didn't think the rides were all that special. (and we did some of the major ones like MIB) Also, a big part of why we love WDW is the character experience, and they just weren't as available at UO on our visit.

Even when we found Sponge Bob (a family fave), we couldn't get excited cuz we were having such a terrible time. We're not crazy about coasters (except my dad and sometimes me), so IOA didn't do anything for us. My dad didn't even want to ride the coasters, which shocked me. We stayed offsite, and the hotel was horrible, especially coming off of a Disney resort stay.

Maybe we're just WDW folk, and UO couldn't compare for us.

I could go on, but I've already gone on a bit of a rant, and I apologize. I have no problem with people liking different things, but must marketing resort to mudslinging? I see enough of that in politics, keep it out of my darn vacations!!!