Seven Dwarfs mine train trains on track UPDATED! First drop test

[Postal68]

I don't know that I agree with this talk of Universal Orlando taking Disney. I'm a HUGE coaster fan; I could ride the Hulk all day! But even with Harry Potter Land, and the addition of Diagon Alley, Universal still pales in comparison to Disney. The rides may be more thrilling but the branding, service, food, merchandise, resorts, etc can't hold a candle to the Disney counterparts. My family is more interested in the full experience than just the fast, thrill rides, always has been, even when we were teenagers.

In recent years with the decrease in quality of service at Disney, I don't find the two that far apart.

 

[Son of Gadsden]

Im really surprise at how much "thrill rides" comes up in the US vs WDW debate. Personally, the lack of thrill rides (in terms of coasters) at WDW doesn't bother me because it's pretty easy to find one near me. I grew up 20 minutes from BGW and 2 hours from Kings Dominion. I know my friends from NC always rave about Carowinds, so I kind of assumed that with all the Six flags in the US and other amusement parks, that thrill rides weren't something you went out of your way to go to. They're everywhere.

When you compare the "thrill rides" at universal to the "thrill rides" at BG or any true roller coaster park, there's really nothing that thrilling about them.

Another Virginian! 100% agree! Kings Dominion is more like 4 hours from me, but I feel the same way. If I want a thrill ride, I'll go to BGW, which has better thrill rides than WDW and Universal in my opinion. However, I'm not really that into thrill rides. I'm more into the Disney experience, same with my wife. Been to a Six Flags as well, and Carowinds. The experiences just weren't that memorable. Like going to a fair, really. Where as, I never forget a Disney trip. They're just not in the same league.

I don't know that I agree with this talk of Universal Orlando taking Disney. I'm a HUGE coaster fan; I could ride the Hulk all day! But even with Harry Potter Land, and the addition of Diagon Alley, Universal still pales in comparison to Disney. The rides may be more thrilling but the branding, service, food, merchandise, resorts, etc can't hold a candle to the Disney counterparts. My family is more interested in the full experience than just the fast, thrill rides, always has been, even when we were teenagers.

Been to Universal several times, and every time, I'm just over it by a couple hours. Mummy is incredible. Wizarding World is awesome. But, besides Wizarding World, the themeing isn't on Disney's level, in my opinion. The only spot in Universal that has the 'magic' is Wizarding World. I'm just not sold on Universal, and don't think I ever will be. On our trips, Universal is always "eh, should we waste a Disney day for a 3/4 Universal day at the most?" I definitely wouldn't make the 10 hour drive for Universal.

 

[MissMaryQC]

Been to Universal several times, and every time, I'm just over it by a couple hours. Mummy is incredible. Wizarding World is awesome. But, besides Wizarding World, the themeing isn't on Disney's level, in my opinion. The only spot in Universal that has the 'magic' is Wizarding World. I'm just not sold on Universal, and don't think I ever will be. On our trips, Universal is always "eh, should we waste a Disney day for a 3/4 Universal day at the most?" I definitely wouldn't make the 10 hour drive for Universal.

I totally agree. We live in Miami, so it's not such a bad drive for us (maybe 4 hours). My mom is a huge Harry Potter fan and when we took her to Universal last year we spent almost all our time in that land, but surrounding it is basically empty space; the area set up like a middle eastern market has almost nothing to do. I am looking forward to seeing Diagon Alley, but that's about it.

 

[Son of Gadsden]

I totally agree. We live in Miami, so it's not such a bad drive for us (maybe 4 hours). My mom is a huge Harry Potter fan and when we took her to Universal last year we spent almost all our time in that land, but surrounding it is basically empty space; the area set up like a middle eastern market has almost nothing to do. I am looking forward to seeing Diagon Alley, but that's about it.

An even bigger problem for me is that there are two parks, and two admissions. We like the rides at studios, but Wizarding World at Islands of Adventure. As you said, nothing to do there in our opinion other than that. It's just a long walk through a bunch of boring lands. I believe Seuss, and "Lost Island" or something. Neither were all that impressive to us. When we got to WW, we were lucky enough to be able to eat at the Three Broomsticks, and we snuck in the exit of Olivanders by accident to get out of the rain, so we didn't have to wait in the 2 hour line. Then we went to get a closer look at the castle, decided it wasn't that worth it to wait in line for the ride, so we just walked through. My wife rode the Dueling Dragons, but I could not because my ACL injury was at serious risk because of legs being able to flail around so violently.

So after maybe 3 hours in the Wizarding World, we had done everything we cared to do, filled up on butter beers, and were ready to head back (after knowing how far the long walk is from the entrance). Universal doesn't have the "wheel and spokes" that MK has, nor the ferrys to get you across the giant lake like Epcot has. It's just an unavoidable walk. Which, for me, spells a shorter day, because of my knees.

I also didn't like their attempt at the fast pass. Pay more, shorter lines. I'm sure it makes sense for them, but it doesn't flow nearly as well as the fast pass system. I also just don't like the idea it. Never been the class warfare type, no matter how minor the situation is.

Combine all that, and you get a little bit of magic, and a Busch Gardens/Carowinds/Six Flags experience, where I have to spend TWO park admissions to get 3/4 of a day at the very most of stuff to do...whereas a few miles away, you get to go to another world and an experience like no other for almost the same price.

Some will say all this stuff doesn't matter to them or I'm dead wrong (or you might say I'm just finding a reason to hate Universal because I have some mysterious deep seeded hatred for them and a bias for WDW, in which, you'd probably be right). I respectfully disagree with those people and encourage them to go wherever they like most, I'll be in the World though.

 

[SpectroMagic*o*]

i love disney, but universal has the best ride i have ever experienced. i love the harry potter "forbidden chambers" ride. it is fantastic and worth the 2/plus hours we stood in line.

i also think jurrasic park playground with the pathways and rope climbs is great fun for parents and children. the jurrasic ride and the research lab are also terrific.

Agree, and the Spidey ride is a completely immersive simulator ride...like nothing Ive ever been on. A ride AND simulator in one.

Been to Universal several times, and every time, I'm just over it by a couple hours. Mummy is incredible. Wizarding World is awesome. But, besides Wizarding World, the themeing isn't on Disney's level, in my opinion. The only spot in Universal that has the 'magic' is Wizarding World. I'm just not sold on Universal, and don't think I ever will be. On our trips, Universal is always "eh, should we waste a Disney day for a 3/4 Universal day at the most?" I definitely wouldn't make the 10 hour drive for Universal.

I agree with the fact that once I'm done with the rides in Universal, I'm done with the park where as Disney, you're never really "done" with the park

 

[johde]

Im really surprise at how much "thrill rides" comes up in the US vs WDW debate. Personally, the lack of thrill rides (in terms of coasters) at WDW doesn't bother me because it's pretty easy to find one near me. I grew up 20 minutes from BGW and 2 hours from Kings Dominion. I know my friends from NC always rave about Carowinds, so I kind of assumed that with all the Six flags in the US and other amusement parks, that thrill rides weren't something you went out of your way to go to. They're everywhere.

When you compare the "thrill rides" at universal to the "thrill rides" at BG or any true roller coaster park, there's really nothing that thrilling about them.

Universal's virtue's come in those epic hybrid simulator type rides... HPFJ, Transformers, Spidey.. There's nothing "non family" about the ride experience, IMO. I dont see why Disney couldn't do the same kind of thing just with their own intellectual properties. Hopefully that's what the new "soarin avatar" ride evolves into.

I wouldn't assume people won't go out of their way for thrill rides. People will go out of their way to do something unique. To you, a thrill ride may be a thrill ride. But to a ride junkie, they can all be different. For example, I live in Ohio, a great place for roller coaster lovers, but on my 10 day trip to California to run the Disneyland Marathon, I did spend 4 days at Disneyland but also planned a day for Knotts Berry Farm and Six Flags Magic Mountain. On the surface, you may say "Magic Mountain is just like Cedar Point, why would you waste your time and money after crossing the country to go to a roller coaster park just like one you have at home". But, to a coaster enthusiast, there are styles of roller coasters found no where else in the United States and only a few places world wide. I am a moderate coaster fan and as soon as I decided I was going to LA I knew I had to try and put Magic Mountain on the trip.

Universal is unique in it combining of moderate thrill with top notch themeing and high tech rides. Can I get bigger thrills at the parks at home, yes. Can I get better themeing at Disney, mostly yes. Most of the technology used at Universal for rides like Spiderman and Harry Potter are mostly exclusive to them. Put off of those thing together and it's a place people will go out of their way for.

To put it another way, why do some people who visit WDW all the time want to go to Disneyland, or go through the trouble to travel oversees to visit EuroDisney, Tokyo Disney and the like.

So, no I don't find it surprising that "thrill rides" somes into the debate about Disney vs. Universal. Yes, amusement parks with thrill rides are everywhere, but possible because of that, people expect a certain degree of thrill out of their rides. Even parks like Sea World have added thrill rides to capture a certain demographic. That being said, when Disney does do a "thrill ride" it needs to be done in a Disney way. To me, Splash Mountain is a great example of thrill ride done right by Disney. At it's heart it's classic Disney with enough thrills to appeal to the tween/teen crowd. But it's also mild enough to be enjoyed by a large variety of people.

Getting back to the Original topic, I think the seven dwarf mine trains.

 

[the who #3]

i love disney and always will, have been there many times and hope to go many more times. a lot of their rides are thrill rides for little ones and other for adults or teens.

i have totally enjoyed certain parts of universal also, altho i can not say that i love it the way i love disney. but i did love jurassic park, the water flume ride and the play ground area as well as the dinosaur research area.

i did however love the harry potter area.

i don't know if it is worth going to universal every trip to orlando. disney is.

back to subject of disney's new mine train ride. i really hope it will be open then next time i am in the world. it will be fun for all ages, even if not a big guy thrill ride. that area really needs a fun ride, the rest of the new area is not much fun.