Run down and dirty

[luvthemouse71]

I have been to both WDW and Universal and WDW wins(for me) hands down. Universal has theming but IMO, it's one step up from a regular amusement park. Now, I love amusement parks so this is not necessarily a bad thing.However, I am not a thrill ride junkie compared to some, so things like The Hulk coaster, Dueling Dragons etc..wouldn't impress me.

I think both sets of parks do a pretty darn good job of maintanance considering how many people go through there every day.

I just find it silly how some of us feel the need to slam the other park..some people are all about coasters and "thrills" and that's fine..some like WDW better because they are Disney fans and/or they have many happy family memories made there(this is me), and that's fine too.

Can you imagine the crowds if we all loved the same park?

 

[luvthemouse71]

Wow, are you always this negative? Do you have some sort of a grudge against WDW?

I believe I have seen this poster on other threads..the answer to both your questions is "yes".

 

[PebblesMK]

AMEN PebblesMK AMEN!
I am taking 2 of my grandkids this trip (11 & 12 yrs old) and family budget restraints don't allow there families to travel. They have never even been out of the state of Texas SO................I am sooooo excited to share this magical experience with each of them. Planning the trip has been a wonderful experience and I can't wait to see their faces when they walk into each park. It is going to be a memory that I will be able to charish for the rest of my life!

Your post made me smile. That's what Disney is all about. I read another post about somebody disagreeing with me about it not being about nostalgia or cleanliness.....but honestly, for those who haven't been or only go on the very rare occasion, it's the excitement.

I truely hope your vacation is beyond wonderful and the grandkids remember it for years to come. I also hope that someday the family budget does allow everybody to go (I'm assuming their parents aren't going?)...and then it will be even more magical! Please keep us (or at least me) updated as to the joy of your vacation!

 

[PebblesMK]

It's a huge park with about a million people schleping through it on a daily basis. We were there last year and yes there was the occasional piece of garbage on the ground - but I fault the moron who threw it there and not the people trying to keep the grounds clean.

I will agree that it's the morons who choose not to walk an extra five feet to a garbage can. I don't fault Disney (or any place for that matter) for not being able to keep up with everything. And because of that, I do my part and if I come across a peice of trash, I throw it away. We all have to do our part and it takes but a moment of time.

 

[melly]

I believe I have seen this poster on other threads..the answer to both your questions is "yes".

no Im not. I simply have a balanced opinion rather than being blinded by pixie dust and thinking that WDW is faultless. To anyone who is offended by that then may a I suggest that an internet forum is not the best place for them if they cant handle debate and different opinion.

 

[fla4fun]

There will always be people who prefer Universal, and people who prefer Disney. It has nothing to do with age or whether you have small children or older children in your family. It just has to do with which you like better. I'm a Disney fan. I have been my entire life. The first book I can remember reading as a child is "A Day At Disneyland". I've gone to WDW every year since it opened, multiple times per year, and finally moved here because I couldn't go often enough. I don't have any children, and don't plan to.

Universal I don't like. In fact, due to where I work, I often get to visit theme parks for free. I don't even go to Universal when it's free (although I do go to Sea World when it's free - but I don't pay to go there either). Universal is just not my kind of park. I think their parks are laid out poorly, and the ratio of line time to ride length is horrible, and not being a thrill junkie, there's not so much for me to do there. But that's just MY opinion. I know there are plenty of people out there who don't share it, and that's fine. Even in our office, there are some people who don't take advantage of the free Disney visits like I don't take advantage of the free Universal visits. We just laugh about it.

I'm not blind. I can see that it's become harder and harder over the years for Disney to keep the park in pristine condition. But that's more a result of the visitors being careless than Disney dropping the ball. I can remember when people would actually pick up after themselves - but now, they leave their garbage everywhere, on the ground, on benches, in planters, even on roofs if they can get it there. People think it's "fun" to trash a place. I don't see this situation improving any time soon, so I just do my small part to make sure I'm not leaving trash behind for someone else to deal with.

 

[melly]

Universal is just not my kind of park. I think their parks are laid out poorly, .

aye, if only they were laid out like DHS with dead ends everywhere or AK with the world narrowest walkways

and the ratio of line time to ride length is horrible, .

You seen the wait times for Disney rides of equivalent ride lengths?

 

[Kumquatmelon]

I love both US and WDW but, if I'm looking for thrill rides then I go to US but, if I'm looking for the magic, family time, and an all around good feeling I go to WDW.
I grew up with both, and have great memories of both parks, but there is just that special "Umpf" behind WDW.
My family, even just last night said that they missed Disney, but never have we said that we honestly, miss US.
I respect everyone's opinions on the parks.
The last person I met who didn't enjoy WDW, and actually said that they hated the whole Walt Disney Company (and insulted my love constantly) was my ex-boyfriend, and you can see why he's an ex now.

 

[fla4fun]

aye, if only they were laid out like DHS with dead ends everywhere or AK with the world narrowest walkways

You seen the wait times for Disney rides of equivalent ride lengths?

Universal and IOA are laid out in a big loop with little ability to cross the park (especially IOA). It's a real pain to get around, especially if you are trying to just visit specific areas instead of the entire park. I agree that AK is the worst laid out of the Disney parks, but I can still navigate that park more easily than either of the Universal parks. My opinion - yours may differ.

One word - Fastpass. The only way to get FOTL access at Universal is to pay for it (either through Express Pass or on property hotel stay). Of course, you always have the option of traveling when it's not as busy, but if you can only go when it's slammed, a free system wins over a paid system in my book. Again, my opinion - yours may differ.

I'm not saying Disney parks are always better. I'm saying they are better for me and my vacation needs. Obviously, Disney, Universal, and Sea World have quality products or people wouldn't keep coming back year after year. I just don't enjoy the other parks as much, or in the same way, as I enjoy Disney.

 

[Experiment_626]

I simply have a balanced opinion rather than being blinded by pixie dust and thinking that WDW is faultless.

I've often told people that Disney may not be perfect, but that doesn't mean they aren't the best.

That said, I enjoy Universal well enough that I wish I could go more often than I do.

SSB

 

[M-I-C-K-E-Y]

Just remember, when in Florida, visitors prefer Disney parks 2:1 over Universal.

 

[WillCAD]

I love both US and WDW but, if I'm looking for thrill rides then I go to US but, if I'm looking for the magic, family time, and an all around good feeling I go to WDW.
I grew up with both, and have great memories of both parks, but there is just that special "Umpf" behind WDW.
My family, even just last night said that they missed Disney, but never have we said that we honestly, miss US.
I respect everyone's opinions on the parks.
The last person I met who didn't enjoy WDW, and actually said that they hated the whole Walt Disney Company (and insulted my love constantly) was my ex-boyfriend, and you can see why he's an ex now.

It never ceases to amaze me how people can entirely miss the magic at Universal, and claim that there is no magic to be found there.

Universal is full of magic - Movie Magic. At least, it is for those of us who are open to it.

The E.T. Adventure puts you in the middle of the movie, starting with the most amazing queue area in the whole park (the forest from the movie, with E.T.'s Speek-n-Speel communicator "phoning home" and the notes of John Williams' Oscar-winning score playing softly in the background) and continuing through a night version of the bicycle chase through the forest and then out above the city (though frankly, even I could do without the acid trip visit to E.T.'s home planet).

Terminator 2 3D: Battle Accross Time was one of the first interactive 3D movie/show combinations in Orlando, and its combination of effects, an innovative script, and appearances in the film portions by the original stars make it a better addition to the Terminator saga than the lame Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.

Jaws is pure camp. It's the Jungle River Cruise, set in Amity. Prepare to be soaked, and prepare to groan at corny dialogue. And the shark even looks real.

Men In Black begins with a World's Fair and ends with a Will Smith appearance. Zed and the Worm Guys and a whole lotta aliens in New York City come in between. It's a fun, challenging, and innovative ride that beats the pants off Buzz Lightyear's Spaceranger Spin.

The late, lamented Back to the Future ride had Doc Brown directing you in a chase to recover a stolen time vehicle from the despicable Biff Tannen. Appearences by the original stars, including the incomparable Christopher Loyd, were only part of the story, as clips played throughout the queue area, and artifacts in the pre-show rooms, really put you into the BTTF movies. The only bad part of BTTF was that tall people got bad headaches if they were seated in the back of the ride vehicles; the tops curved over and there was not enough head room.

BTTF has been replaced by the Simpsons Ride, with more hillarious queues and even more hillarious ride scenes. If you're a Simpsons fan, nothing is better than this trip to Springfield.

The Mummy's Revenge, besides being a terrific thrill ride, is another immersive ride with an immersive queue that puts you in the middle of a Mummy adventure, with Brendan Fraser making an appearance that brings together the whole experience.

And that's just at the old park. IOA has even more to offer.

If you're not a movie fan, you might not get it. You might not feel the magic at Universal. But that doesn't mean it's not there. For those of us who are true movie buffs, and carry the magic in our hearts, Universal is as special and wonderful a place as WDW, with as many adventures and thrills and tears of joy as the Disney parks and just as many happy memories.

 

[jkstewart1800]

I'm waiting expectantly for my next trip (end of October) to see how clean the parks are.

During the travel slump that followed 9/11, Disney made major cutbacks in the janitorial and maintenance departments in the theme parks. All of the parks wound up with dirty walkways, rusty railings, cracked concrete, faded paint, and especially filthy bathrooms, which got gradually worse over the course of about two years. By December 2004, I could not find a single bathroom in any of the 4 parks that was not disgustingly filthy (during this time, Universal was making slight improvements, and had Disney beat, hands-down, at least in bathroom and street cleanliness). Epcot was particularly hard-hit, with paint fading, signs falling down, sidewalks crackiing, and railings rusting all around the World Showcase Lagoon. Basically, the WDW parks had become dirty and run-down.

However, travel began picking up in late 2004, and with the beginning of the Happiest Celebration on Earth in May 2005, Disney re-hired a lot of the laid-off workers and spruced up the whole property. Between my trips in December 2004 and May 2005, the parks underwent a huge transformation, and were almost back to the pristine condition they were in when I first visited in August 1990.

Since we're in a pretty bad recession right now, I have been wondering whether this pattern will be repeated, with Disney slimming down their maintenance and janitorial budgets to stretch profits, and allowing the parks to become dirty and unmaintained again. I'll have to wait and see for myself, of course, and compare conditions when I go in October to conditions on my previous trips over the last 19 years.

I'm hoping that the comment the OP heard was an exaggeration by someone who had never been to WDW before and wasn't paying attention.

I remember our trip in 2004... We were riding the monorail and the air conditioner was dripping water from the ceiling onto the seats. When I alerted a CM about it, he just put a rag down to sop up the water.

I was mortified!!!

In 2008 we went again... things did seem much cleaner.

But I will tell you what...I HATE those loud street sweeper machines they use after parades..... talk about ruining the magic..... I don't remember those from when I was a kid.

I do agree with the PP who mentioned that Disney is more nostalgic now a days. It use to be that WDW was on the cutting edge of technology.... and they are with some of their new rides... but speaking of the monorail... it no longer looks high tech and fancy...

I have come to learn that you either LOVE WDW or you don't ... you can learn to appreciate it... but you will never really LOVE it the way others do

 

[LilMommyBug]

Disney is not the end all be all. Please people.

I'm glad so many people dislike Universal - more room for people who aren't brainwashed by the Mouse.

 

[jkstewart1800]

I'm not sure I agree with the first part of that. Back in the 1980's, the two things people always spoke about first when they talked about Disney were the cleanliness of the parks and the customer service. In my opinion, that is where WDW built its reputation.
When I first started posting on these boards (using a different, long-lost account) around 2001, there were a lot of debates/complaints about how the standards had fallen. But I think since these boards grew in popularity, the 'newer' people who (hadn't spent time in Disney back in the '80s) have come to far outnumber those of us who remember the 'heyday.' So you don't see many of those debates anymore. I don't think there's any doubt that WDW standards have fallen, I just think most of the people on these boards don't talk about it.
So perhaps that mom that was talking about 'rundown and dirty' was comparing WDW to how it was 25 years ago. Because in that context, the words 'rundown and dirty' aren't THAT far off base.

I also had one more thing to add. On our last trip in 2008 in the MK I noticed a high percentage of counter cashier CMs that did not speak english very well. It may have been my bad luck, but it seemed like everytime I went to buy something (snack or toy or whatever) I would ask a question to the CM and 'try' to have a conversation with them and time and time again I noticed that english was not at a functional level.

Interestingly I noticed that in WS in EPCOT, the OPPOSITE was true. Not only did all the CM in WS in EPCOT speak their native language but they also spoke perfect english.

I found it quite frustrating that in such a busy, hectic place as the MK I couldn't get a straight answer about simple questions....

 

[melly]

Universal and IOA are laid out in a big loop with little ability to cross the park (especially IOA). .

So a bit like EPCOT then ?

It's a real pain to get around, especially if you are trying to just visit specific areas instead of the entire park. .

Its pretty straightforward really. You follow the semicircle that is nearest to the bit you want. Its not a treck over mountainous terrain.

One word - Fastpass. The only way to get FOTL access at Universal is to pay for it (either through Express Pass or on property hotel stay). Of course, you always have the option of traveling when it's not as busy, but if you can only go when it's slammed, a free system wins over a paid system in my book. Again, my opinion - yours may differ..

in this instance mine doesnt differ from yours.

 

[Timmy Boy]

For all you people who think Disney is the best place in the world, get your head out of the clouds. Please. Do yourself a favor, take the Mickey ears off (you look ridiculous), stop claiming that the Dumbo ride is such an amazing ride, and stop saying Universal's parks are like Six Flags. If you ever go (wait, you never will, because you would feel like you are betraying Jesus if you go) go through the Dragons line and look at the theming. Go through Mummy's go through MIB;s, go through ET;s go through Bluto's, any of them. Wait, Fantasyland attractions are simply back and forth queues, yet because their Disney, they are the best queues EVER!!!!

 

[JLTraveling]

If you're not a movie fan, you might not get it. You might not feel the magic at Universal. But that doesn't mean it's not there. For those of us who are true movie buffs, and carry the magic in our hearts, Universal is as special and wonderful a place as WDW, with as many adventures and thrills and tears of joy as the Disney parks and just as many happy memories.

This entire post is simply brilliant! I was a 14-year-old theater kid and film buff when Universal opened in Orlando. I was there on the disastrous opening day that so closely mirrored opening day of Disneyland, and despite all the problems, I knew there was movie magic to be had. I've loved watching the parks grow and evolve, even if I'm still bitter over some of the changes (closing Hitchcock for Shrek and Kong for the Mummy? Really?). But I lament Mr. Toad, 20K and the original Journey Into Imagination too. I still adore Disney, but Universal definitely carries a magic all its own. I'm glad I never have to choose between the two!

 

[jkstewart1800]

For all you people who think Disney is the best place in the world, get your head out of the clouds. Please. Do yourself a favor, take the Mickey ears off (you look ridiculous), stop claiming that the Dumbo ride is such an amazing ride, and stop saying Universal's parks are like Six Flags. If you ever go (wait, you never will, because you would feel like you are betraying Jesus if you go) go through the Dragons line and look at the theming. Go through Mummy's go through MIB;s, go through ET;s go through Bluto's, any of them. Wait, Fantasyland attractions are simply back and forth queues, yet because their Disney, they are the best queues EVER!!!!

You understand that you are on a DISNEY website... for people who want to go to disney world... you understand that your words are hateful and will fall of deaf ears...

What I do find interesting is that for whatever odd reason you hate WDW so much, YOU SUBSCRIBE to this chat board

You must seriously have some time to kill!

 

[luvthemouse71]

no Im not. I simply have a balanced opinion rather than being blinded by pixie dust and thinking that WDW is faultless. To anyone who is offended by that then may a I suggest that an internet forum is not the best place for them if they cant handle debate and different opinion.

I'm not offended..just stating that I had seen previous posts of yours, and they can be a tad bit snarky, that's all. In these posts, you pretty much slam Disney...but whatever..

I find it amusing if anything that some(not all) of the Universal devotees get so nasty and defensive..It's okay, really. It comes across as "middle child syndrome"..you know, the middle kid has an inferiority complex, so they lash out.