The number of problems and giant assumptions here are mind boggling.
A "glorified six flags"? Your disney fanboyism is showing, zip up your fly. Have you ever been to a Six Flags? It has zero themeing. Zero. The technology at a 6 flags is limited to roller coaster, spinning ride, and kids ride. Throw in an elevated swing and maybe a superman drop tower, and there ya have it.
The idea that Universal is only for thrill seekers is incredibly misplaced. The only thrill ride at USF is Rockin Roller Coaster. That's it. The Mummy and Escape From Gringotts are pretty mild rides. No worse than Big Thunder. Over at IOA you have the Hulk, Dragon Challenge, and Doom Drop. Forbidden Journey has a somewhat high height requirement, but isn't exactly a "thrill ride" by any stretch of the definition. The height is due to the seat size and motion of the KUKA arm. Every single other ride is perfectly fine for an adventurous 5 year old (I know, because my 5 year old has done it all). I actually made a list of all the rides that she could do before I took her last time, and was surprised myself how much there was for her age.
You laud Disney for making names out of second and third tier Marvel characters? I hate to break it to you, but Universal ONLY owns the rights to rides on the eastern half of the US. They can't just go and make a marvel movie and build a ride based on it. You seem to think that Universal could have made Guardians of the Galaxy or something else to add value or redefine Marvel characters. Disney isn't "beating them at their own game". Universal can't make marvel movies and never could.
The biggest weakness at IoA is Toon Lagoon. Marvel Island, Seussland, JP, HP, and even the remnants of the Mythic area all stand strong. Over at USF things do change on a regular basis. It's called "a different business model". The irony is, the one ride that would likely cause the biggest uproar if it got pulled is E.T. One of the weakest rides there. But it is important to folks because many of them rode it as kids. As soon as people grow up and put their rose colored glasses on, everything from their past becomes an untouchable idol. Disney faces this for two prime reasons. One, they have been around so long. Two, more of their rides are designed for mass family throughput. While a 5 year old CAN ride a ton of stuff at Universal, many may choose not to. I love Disney and all, but there was a time when the rides over relied on sitting in a boat\buggy and moving slowly through a dark ride. It was safe, easy to replicate, and any age or size could ride it.
Let me wrap it up like this. If Small World was built tomorrow, what would the world's response to it be? Hint: negative. It's popular because people grew up on it, and introduce their kids to it, and then they grow up on it. For adults who ride it for the first time, there is an assumed value attached to it due to its age. In other words - it gets a free pass. Universal doesn't rely on that. They rebuild. They aren't trying to create an alter to your childhood where you can go back and ride a really dated Jaws or King Kong ride just because you did as a kid. Their busines smodel is to reinvent and keep giving families new reasons to come back
Nice. Your Universal is showing. In your next post, please recount your tats and piercings for us. 
