Universal In, Disney Out.

[luisov]

You know your post contradicts it'self right? If you were truly interested in EVERYONE's Opion then you wouldn't be in such a hurry to try to tell people what they can and can not post about. Because this discussion is exactly what you say you're interested in - a list of opinions from everyone who posts here.

I can look at the first few pages of this forum and find threads that have NOTHING to do with this subject, so no, it isn't all that difficult to move on - you just don't click on the title link and you go look for something that interests you.

You're right. Moving on

 

[Gracefulskinny]

As opposed to cookie cutter dolls? Esp the New Mermaid ride which is kind of an ill conceived joke? (they could have TRIED to cover up the lighting and the giant pole sticking out of Ariel's back.)

As for the people mover? That was kinda nice for sitting out the rain, but the Seuss train over at IOA was a lot more fun then the people mover.

I guess you are right about mermaid. I can agree with that. Especially after watching the bonus features on the Little Mermaid Blue Ray about the original plans for a mermaid ride. The planned one shown was similar but just had a bit more to it.

That said I will happily admit my total and complete bias towards the peoplemover. Nothing can come close to it.

 

[DisMama5]

I feel like you can't truly compare the two. Uni and WDW are so different just in movies alone. WDW is full of decade old classics that still live brand new, that gives uni a run for its money. I do think uni did an amazing job with HP and took a step in the right direction of the new rides for generations to come. But for me, Disney is so much more than just the rides. Just the walks around the park, the stores, the constant shows, parades and dozens upon dozens of beloved character meet and greets, with Disney I feel emursed into a "world", hense "Disney world" lol. At uni I do enjoy the rides at the bottom line is I feel like it's just a theme park besides a couple very well themed rides. I can catch some very similar coasters uni has at my local six flags for cheaper. I'm not one against uni either, I enjoy this park but to me Disney offers so much more on all levels other then just rides.

 

[bumbershoot]

It does, but it's all but dead, I was hoping to find someplace as alive as this section is.

Say what?

After going to Universal I find that Disney rides make me feel as though I'm riding through a doll house, while Universal makes me feel like I'm actually IN the movie. Disney has nothing that can compete with that feeling, at least not for me.

That's a great way of describing it. Thanks for that!

And found ET actually a little more interesting then Disney Dark Rides which are comparable. Simply because instead of showing us scenes modeled in animatronics that we have seen in the movies as Disney does, ET took the story one step further and showed ETs planet, something we never saw in the movies.

Good point. And ET really showed me that a whole lot of how we perceive a ride is in our own selves. The first time I went on ET I just felt so bored, things seemed sad and blah. Next trip I must have been in a better mood, because the whole place just seemed prettier and nicer to me. And there was no refurb in between.

But I had that "meh" feeling once at Disneyland about my favorite ride ever, small world. One day I was just bored, and found myself staring up at the ceiling tiles and noticing dust on the wires hanging down. Some days you just aren't feeling it.

Both parks are using a lot of monitors/screens in their new attractions.

I don't get where people are saying the theming of the parks is not as nice as Disney...They are wonderfully themed!

That's how I feel, too. I don't even know where people are or aren't looking when they say there's no theming.

No need for these childish twitter feud conversations. You don't like Disney/Universal, that's fine, we get it. No need to have this discussion over and over. Move on people.

But it's a conversation.

I'm actually interested in everyone's opinions. I'm not interested in the ''Disney rocks Universal sucks'' game, and viceversa. It's difficult to move on when the exact same discussion appears over and over.

Until every single thing about both parks changes, the discussion will be about the same things. No one is feuding. It's just a talk. And there are constantly new people experiencing both places and having new thoughts.



Nicky, did you go on your cruise? If so, how was it?

 

[NickyKnack]

I feel like you can't truly compare the two. Uni and WDW are so different just in movies alone. WDW is full of decade old classics that still live brand new, that gives uni a run for its money. I do think uni did an amazing job with HP and took a step in the right direction of the new rides for generations to come. But for me, Disney is so much more than just the rides. Just the walks around the park, the stores, the constant shows, parades and dozens upon dozens of beloved character meet and greets, with Disney I feel emursed into a "world", hense "Disney world" lol. At uni I do enjoy the rides at the bottom line is I feel like it's just a theme park besides a couple very well themed rides. I can catch some very similar coasters uni has at my local six flags for cheaper. I'm not one against uni either, I enjoy this park but to me Disney offers so much more on all levels other then just rides.

I
felt like there was a better range of merchandise at Uni stores, so for me the shops were better at Uni. The rest of what you mentioned really doesn't mean all that much if you don't have a child. Half the time I got treated like an unwanted step child in character meet & greets. Cursury at best and then shoved out of the way so the little ones could have more time. Ignored by characters in the parades as they focused on the little ones. I'm not a big fan of the so called Fab 5, partially because they only include boy toons and partly because non face has just never cut it for me, so that's the shows in MK. Lion king is cool - but the rest are just rehashes of movies I've already seen from the comfort of my own living room. The only show I enjoyed our whole vacation was at Uni - and that was the Horror make up show.

If you're talking about coasters like Hulk, then sure. But couldn't the same be said of Everest, BTMR and the like? But we don't have anything like Spiderman in our local theme park. Disney may offer a whole lot more if you have kids - or don't mind being treated like you're less then because you don't have them... but it's not so great for adults sans kids who notice when they get treated like second class citizens. I never once felt like I was less important then anyone else while I was at Uni. Actually one of my magical moments came when one of the ride attendants pointed out which bike to take if I wanted ET in my basket, in other words respected the child within me... something Disney has failed to do for me for a long time.

 

[NickyKnack]

Say what?

Nicky, did you go on your cruise? If so, how was it?

There is a big difference between 5 posts a day (on the uni section here) and 5 in an hour like you get in this section. One feels mostly dead to me, the other very much alive.

We went on both cruises and decided to switch over to Celebrity.
Some of that is based in that feeling like we aren't welcome because we don't have kids, add to that that we don't drink and it seems like every CM we ran into just didn't get why were even there to start with. A sentiment I very much shared while onboard the magic.

On the Dream it was a little better but only because we spent time doing things that cost money like the spa and the adult restaurants. There really wasn't much by way of activities for adults who don't drink or have kids. So I think it's time to switch to a cruise-line like Celebrity which offers tons of adult enrichment classes/programs so that I don't have to dump an extra thousand bucks on top of our cruise just to keep from being bored.

 

[ArwenMarie]

Agreed! We went to Universal in February and stayed at Portofino. Much, much cheaper than WDW and we never waited in line for more than 10 minutes, even for rides without Express Pass. My older kids loved being able to ride the coasters over and over again. Drawbacks of Universal, IMO are the food, the lack of attractions for kids under 7-8 and the tired/dated live shows.

It's definitely best for ages 7 and up. The shows need some love, I agree.

We liked the food a little bit more than Disney, in general. In the parks, we ate mostly in Springfield and Mythos. The food at Portofino was really good...breakfast at the Trattoria, the pizza and salads were good at that little deli place, Mamma Della's was great.

 

[asmit4]

I think for me- it's all about the age of the child. My son is 2....not much for him at the 'other' park

Right now disney is where it's all at for him and HE brings me the magic It's all about his reaction to things and seeing it all for the first time, 2nd time etc.

I can see though- by the time he's 9 or 10- disney will be 'too old school' for him. By then we will be hitting up places that qualify as more 'amusement park' than 'theme park'. roller coasters, water parks etc. The BIG rides

 

[Mad Hattered]

This place is the only place you need...http://www.orlandounited.com/forums/forum.php

Universal rocks!!!

Oh, and in case you want to check out what a REAL innovative ride looks like then you might want to take a peak at the Gringotts sneak peak.

Yeah...this is going to be awesome (with a 42" height requirement to boot).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=77MXfrG0EiI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=17ySA77iRyI

 

[DisMama5]

I felt like there was a better range of merchandise at Uni stores, so for me the shops were better at Uni. The rest of what you mentioned really doesn't mean all that much if you don't have a child. Half the time I got treated like an unwanted step child in character meet & greets. Cursury at best and then shoved out of the way so the little ones could have more time. Ignored by characters in the parades as they focused on the little ones. I'm not a big fan of the so called Fab 5, partially because they only include boy toons and partly because non face has just never cut it for me, so that's the shows in MK. Lion king is cool - but the rest are just rehashes of movies I've already seen from the comfort of my own living room. The only show I enjoyed our whole vacation was at Uni - and that was the Horror make up show. If you're talking about coasters like Hulk, then sure. But couldn't the same be said of Everest, BTMR and the like? But we don't have anything like Spiderman in our local theme park. Disney may offer a whole lot more if you have kids - or don't mind being treated like you're less then because you don't have them... but it's not so great for adults sans kids who notice when they get treated like second class citizens. I never once felt like I was less important then anyone else while I was at Uni. Actually one of my magical moments came when one of the ride attendants pointed out which bike to take if I wanted ET in my basket, in other words respected the child within me... something Disney has failed to do for me for a long time.

To each their own. I have never ever felt less important and a second class citizen at Disney, I feel as though that's a bit of a stretch but again to each their own. We have had "adult trips" and "kids trips" and each were just as magical. Again I stand by with saying I do not think UNI and Disney are comparable, they are just so totally different and I never said one was better then the other I was stating the clear differences, again which are UNI is more of thrills and Disney is more of classic magic, both emurse you into the parks/movies in different ways but again even the movies that are related to each park are totally different. Again what I said has nothing to do with kids specifically, I feel as though Disney (as an adult or child) emurses you into a whole magical "Disney" world, that being from the theming of the roads, stores, even the simple things like the gardens, every little detail, it's like it's own world, which is exactly what Walt was going after. I have experience pleasant an funny adult meets with characters and magical and cute meets with characters with the kids. As for mentioning parades and shows, that go on daily in the parks and the night time fireworks in which not many things can compare, I was just simply stating things that Disney offers that uni doesn't that again make the differences. My moral of the post was to simply point of they are just totally different parks. Uni can definitely appeal more to adults and older kids because of all the thrills rides in which I again think I can get very similar experiences with rides at local theme parks. I did make sure to mention I thought UNI did an amazing job with HP and are onto great ideas for future rides. I do agree I think UNI appeals to an older crowd, meaning adults/teens but it also depends on your taste, I love the classic Disney shows that I've seen a million times from my living room also, but for me it's the same magical experience every trip seeing these things every trip. I think you saying Disney is nothing unless your a kid and everything I mentioned was only kid related is way off. Disney is for all age and all events are for all ages. That's like saying MNSSHP AND MVMCP are only parties the kids can go to, when actually tons of adults only go to these events also. And no I wouldn't say Everest or BTM are ones we could find in a local theme park, not even close, those coasters have such inside theming, outside theming, the ride itself is more then just flips and rough turns, it's like your there, running from the yeti. I enjoy both parks I wasn't putting one above the other I was simply saying they are totally 100% different and offer totally different things, so it's hard to truly compare and say one is better then the other when they are so distinctly different.

 

[FLchick415]

In the two solo trips I've taken to Disney, I've NEVER felt like I was treated "less than" because I didn't have kids with me. And that includes character meets.

 

[DisMama5]

In the two solo trips I've taken to Disney, I've NEVER felt like I was treated "less than" because I didn't have kids with me. And that includes character meets.

Agreed

 

[agavegirl1]

There is a big difference between 5 posts a day (on the uni section here) and 5 in an hour like you get in this section. One feels mostly dead to me, the other very much alive.

We went on both cruises and decided to switch over to Celebrity.
Some of that is based in that feeling like we aren't welcome because we don't have kids, add to that that we don't drink and it seems like every CM we ran into just didn't get why were even there to start with. A sentiment I very much shared while onboard the magic.

On the Dream it was a little better but only because we spent time doing things that cost money like the spa and the adult restaurants. There really wasn't much by way of activities for adults who don't drink or have kids. So I think it's time to switch to a cruise-line like Celebrity which offers tons of adult enrichment classes/programs so that I don't have to dump an extra thousand bucks on top of our cruise just to keep from being bored.

Hi Nicky, I sent you a PM. Lots of cruise discussion on one of my suggested sites as well. Feel free to PM with questions...and "Welcome to the Dark Side...we have cookies"

 

[DOOM1001]

I'm going to Orlando tomorrow and had plans to do as many of the new attractions opening this year as possible,instead it looks like I might get shut out of all of them.

1.Diagon Alley at Universal with the Gringotts bank coaster and the Hogwarts express,definitely not going to be open
2.Falcons Fury at Busch Gardens,was supposed to open May1st but is delayed
3.Ihus Breakaway falls at Aquatica,was planning to go Wednesday or Thursday but the weather forecast scrubbed it
4.Seven Dwarves mine train,still have hope it might soft open and I can get on it but it's far from guaranteed
5.Planning to go over and check out the new Cabana Bay resort at Universal,at least I know I'll be able to do this

I have AP's to all the parks but the truth is the truth,Universal is doing a lot more to get people excited,out of all these rides opening up I'm more excited about Diagon Alley than anything else,and that new Cabana Bay hotel is so cool looking I'm setting aside some time to go check it out.Disney on the other hand is removing a signature piece of the Polys lobby that's making a bunch of people angry when I talk to them.The one good coming out of Disney is I was able to keep checking and switching times for FP+ and I was actually able to get a time to ride TSMM which I can never ride.

 

[disneyhousewife]

Disney and Universal are just different, but I don't think one can be better than the other. I love Disney because I grew up with it and seeing it recreated in a "World" makes me very happy. I don't like Universal as much because I personally don't really like many of the movies they revolve around, except Harry Potter. I grew up with that as well, and that's the only reason I go there, really.

I also personally believe that Disney has more things to do that Universal. Disney's got two more parks and two more water parks. When I went to Universal, I had a great time, but I only spent one day there at both parks and felt satisfied.

And, I don't mean to be snarky, but it always amazes me when people are upset that Disney World is geared towards children. I mean...it's Disney World. And I don't think that Disney itself is ever going to treat you like a "less than" if you go without kids. Some of Disney's guests, however...

 

[prudence64]

I've only been to islands of adventure and did not enjoy ourselves so won't be going back anytime soon. I would be interested in seeing the regular side when my daughter is taller and if she ends up liking thrill rides. My husband won't go on coasters or thrill rides so we didn't find enough to do at IOA. The Harry potter ride was also broken that day and the rest of the HP world was too crowded to enjoy.

 

[Ametista]

I like the Orlando forum on Trip Advisor. There are a lot of US/IOA fans there, as well as SW/DC.

 

[Ametista]

This place is the only place you need...http://www.orlandounited.com/forums/forum.php

Universal rocks!!!

Oh, and in case you want to check out what a REAL innovative ride looks like then you might want to take a peak at the Gringotts sneak peak.

Yeah...this is going to be awesome (with a 42" height requirement to boot).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=77MXfrG0EiI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=17ySA77iRyI

Wow, that new ride looks incredible!!!! US has really improved over the last couple years. Transformers is actually really good and Diagon Alley should be even better.

 

[pktbMouse]

its kinda 50/50 for us...we love Disney but one of my kids most magical moments was 3 years ago at Islands of Adventure..my kid is a Dinosaur nut and he got to see a baby dino hatch over at Jurassic Park. He was the only kid that guessed it was a raptor so they let him name it..they also gave him a special birth certificate with the name on it..he still talks about that to this day. he was totally blown away. My younger son is crazy for superheros so to him thats a really big deal to meet spiderman and the likes..so I really cant knock Universal at all..like I say...probably 50/50 BUT...I will see how we rate it in 2 weeks time when we try out the new FP+ system

 

[NickyKnack]

And, I don't mean to be snarky, but it always amazes me when people are upset that Disney World is geared towards children. I mean...it's Disney World. And I don't think that Disney itself is ever going to treat you like a "less than" if you go without kids. Some of Disney's guests, however...

I don't mind that Disney is geared towards kids and their parents. I'm just sick of spending wads of cash on a place that isn't geared towards me, if that makes any sense? I don't begrudge the local playground - but I'm not going to go play on the slide either, esp if it costs me a couple grand.