Universal is taking advantage of Disney's weak spot

[Tramp68]

Its a Friday night, and Universal Studios and IoA are open until......

6pm.

https://www.universalorlando.com/Resort-Information/Theme-Park-Hours.aspx



I'm sure Disney is very worried.

You make fun of them closing at 6PM yet that makes them more profitable. They collected the same admissions for the day yet have 5 hours less to pay their employees. Most have already spent their money for the day by 6, so...more profit...

 

[sheetz]

The thing I got from listening to the DIS podcast is that even though WDW is much bigger, UOR appears to have a competitive advantage over its main rival in terms of speed at which it can move on new projects. And I've heard elsewhere that UNI even has a significant cost advantage (Transformers is rumored to have cost about the same as Little Mermaid). That means that for every Avatarland Disney builds, Universal could probably build 2 equivalent lands given the same amount of time and money.

Things could change in the future, but at the going rate Universal would have to really screw up to not gain even more market share.

 

[Broker]

I think they both attract some of the same consumer groups but neither one is going anywhere. They are both doing really well with keeping up with needs and changes.

 

[dsdeleon]

I forgot to mention one more super important thing that really gave me the warm fuzzies @Universal last week. The interaction with my children from the characters and staff themselves was hands down AMAZING at Universal. Take the Spiderman vs the Anna/Elsa M&G. Spiderman was allowed to go off script and really, really get to know my children for a nice period of time, and we just happened to walk right up to him. With A&E I had to practically beg to jump in one pic as they were just kind of using prerecorded lines and quickly serving up the next kid. It was quite impersonal to me.

The staff took the time to bend down and look my children in the eye and answer their questions at Universal. At Disney, they were just too busy 'directing' my kids to obey the constant rules. "Move here, turn your wrist, keep walking."

Lastly one of my children is special needs and it was almost comical for guest services to go off on me on the amount of abuse of the old GAC. Yes, I get it was abused. I am just trying to help my son experience a decent day (which honestly is RD, not the DAS). Universal guest services was much more nice and helpful. It even has a better policy for when I am touring with him.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

This sort of reminds me of the twitter fights I see middle schoolers get in about which sport is better: hockey vs. Basketball and baseball vs. Lacrosse.

Especially when the answer is American Football.

 

[luisov]

I see lots of people complaining over and over about Disney, yet they keep spending lots of money there every single year. I know it's good to give some constructive criticism to Disney, but come on, some of the twitter fight arguments I've seen lately are simply childish.

If you don't like Disney anymore, stop giving them your money and move on.

 

[sethschroeder]

Harry Potter DWARFS Avatar in terms of fan devotion. And as I mentioned, it's the kind of attraction that makes people buy plane tickets even if they don't care about anything else at Universal. Disney hasn't added an attraction of that magnitude in nearly 2 decades.

Someone upstream summed it up best. WWoHP is a "game changer" kind of attraction. Even if Avatarland ends being a "better" attraction, it won't ever have that kind of draw. And they're slow to the punch anyway. If Universal had a chance to do a major "Frozen" attraction, they'd be launching it within 2 years tops. What does Disney have planned? Anything?

Again disney won't make an attraction on a short term reaction. Avatar is starting its trilogy run as only 1 movie has come out and the 2nd will be around the launch of the area so it will be 20 years before it's old news.

Again think anything you want about Harry Potter but unless they relaunch the series or add more content in 10 years it WILL start to become old news. I know this as many of the die hard potter fans I know have now moved on to other series like Hunger Games or diving back into Lord of the Rings with the recent movie releases. Pop Culture will fade unless you keep it fresh and releasing new content. I love harry potter from a series perspective but the next big thing is around the corner and will take the limelight of Harry and point it in another direction, but that next big thing could be Hogwartz 500 years in the future or past....

 

[powellrj]

We will be going back to Universal more often if for no other reason than its an easier vacation for us. No fastpasses, we have the express pass we get for staying on-site. No ADRs, we can decide what and where we want to eat when we are there. I also find the food to be better and cheaper than it is at WDW. The hotels at Universal put WDW to shame. They are so much nicer and cheaper for what you get. I get to stay in a deluxe hotel for what I would pay for a moderate at WDW.

My DD went to Universal in March with her bffs family and they have already made plans to go back next March. They have no plans to visit WDW anytime soon.

 

[Disneychick75]

Between my middle school kids, my wife who is a teacher, and various friends with school age kids, I often hear about people being excited that they are going to Disney. I've never heard anybody exclaiming that they're going to Universal.

So that means since you've never heard it, then it never happens.
My friend and her husband took their kids to Universal for the first time. Their vacation began at WDW. She said they're Uni converts because they loved the resort (RPR), the parks were more fun, and it was relaxing. They felt like they were on vacation at Uni.

We will be going back to Universal more often if for no other reason than its an easier vacation for us. No fastpasses, we have the express pass we get for staying on-site. No ADRs, we can decide what and where we want to eat when we are there. I also find the food to be better and cheaper than it is at WDW. The hotels at Universal put WDW to shame. They are so much nicer and cheaper for what you get. I get to stay in a deluxe hotel for what I would pay for a moderate at WDW.

My DD went to Universal in March with her bffs family and they have already made plans to go back next March. They have no plans to visit WDW anytime soon.

Yes to all you posted. I hate feeling like a military commander planning an assault when we go to WDW.

 

[fairyprincess88]

Again think anything you want about Harry Potter but unless they relaunch the series or add more content in 10 years it WILL start to become old news. I know this as many of the die hard potter fans I know have now moved on to other series like Hunger Games or diving back into Lord of the Rings with the recent movie releases. Pop Culture will fade unless you keep it fresh and releasing new content. I love harry potter from a series perspective but the next big thing is around the corner and will take the limelight of Harry and point it in another direction, but that next big thing could be Hogwartz 500 years in the future or past....

All this shows is that you have zero knowledge of Harry Potter and it's demographics. For one, there is new content coming out. In fact, 3 new movies of content. That's not to mention the absolute insane popularity of Pottermore, or the new Broadway show being developed or the fact that website such as Mugglenet, Snitch Seeker and Leaky Cauldron still pull in more daily hits on their own than most other fandom driven sites pull in collectively.

Then there is the fact that Potter merch is still created and sold in the same numbers it was during the height of the film franchise and events such as various Potter fan conventions still drawl the same amount of ticket sales as it did during the past.

Of course the biggest factor is the books. My young nieces and nephews are just starting them at ages 10-11. They are now wanting their own robes, wands and joining Pottermore to get sorted. Honestly, if JKR set down and said "I think I will start a new Potter" then any loss in popularity would just reignite.

Sorry, but as someone who actually is in the Potter fandom and saw how it was and and how it still is, it just makes me laugh when I read this whole "no one still cares or will care" stuff because it's just flat out wrong.

 

[Magpie]

All this shows is that you have zero knowledge of Harry Potter and it's demographics. For one, there is new content coming out. In fact, 3 new movies of content. That's not to mention the absolute insane popularity of Pottermore, or the new Broadway show being developed or the fact that website such as Mugglenet, Snitch Seeker and Leaky Cauldron still pull in more daily hits on their own than most other fandom driven sites pull in collectively.

Then there is the fact that Potter merch is still created and sold in the same numbers it was during the height of the film franchise and events such as various Potter fan conventions still drawl the same amount of ticket sales as it did during the past.

Of course the biggest factor is the books. My young nieces and nephews are just starting them at ages 10-11. They are now wanting their own robes, wands and joining Pottermore to get sorted. Honestly, if JKR set down and said "I think I will start a new Potter" then any loss in popularity would just reignite.

Sorry, but as someone who actually is in the Potter fandom and saw how it was and and how it still is, it just makes me laugh when I read this whole "no one still cares or will care" stuff because it's just flat out wrong.

Seconding this!

I was just in London, England and had an opportunity to visit an enormous Harry Potter exhibit over at Warner Bros Studios. Several airplane hangers full of props and settings, plus a backlot - it's an entire day's worth of things to see, with a break halfway through for Butterbeer. It's been open for years - and it's still packed! We met people who'd travelled from Texas, especially to see it.

Harry Potter is a lot more than just a series of movies. For us, it was the first novel my daughter fell in love with. I remember her sitting on the couch with the book (before there even was any talk about a movie), saying, "This book makes a Harry Potter movie happen in my head!"

When we first stepped into Hogsmede in Universal, she literally cried. There's nothing else that can even come close, for her, to the experience of a childhood fantasy suddenly made real.

And there's a whole generation of kids, just like her, who grew up with these books. And they'll pass their love on to their kids, and their grandkids. Harry Potter will no more go out of popularity than Mary Poppins or Peter Pan. It's one for the ages!

 

[Disneychick75]

Again disney won't make an attraction on a short term reaction. Avatar is starting its trilogy run as only 1 movie has come out and the 2nd will be around the launch of the area so it will be 20 years before it's old news.

Again think anything you want about Harry Potter but unless they relaunch the series or add more content in 10 years it WILL start to become old news. I know this as many of the die hard potter fans I know have now moved on to other series like Hunger Games or diving back into Lord of the Rings with the recent movie releases. Pop Culture will fade unless you keep it fresh and releasing new content. I love harry potter from a series perspective but the next big thing is around the corner and will take the limelight of Harry and point it in another direction, but that next big thing could be Hogwartz 500 years in the future or past....

Have these become old news?
Mickey Mouse = 86 years old
Snow White= 77 years old
Cinderella = 64 years old

 

[JeremyGNJ]

Harry Potter is a lot more than just a series of movies. For us, it was the first novel my daughter fell in love with. I remember her sitting on the couch with the book (before there even was any talk about a movie), saying, "This book makes a Harry Potter movie happen in my head!"

When we first stepped into Hogsmede in Universal, she literally cried. There's nothing else that can even come close, for her, to the experience of a childhood fantasy suddenly made real.

And there's a whole generation of kids, just like her, who grew up with these books. And they'll pass their love on to their kids, and their grandkids. Harry Potter will no more go out of popularity than Mary Poppins or Peter Pan. It's one for the ages!

Harry Potter is definitely this generation's StarWars.

My daughter will introduce her kids to HP the way I introduced her to StarWars.

Some things are just plain "good" and timeless. Harry Potter is one of them.

 

[EMode]

Have these become old news?
Mickey Mouse = 86 years old
Snow White= 77 years old
Cinderella = 64 years old

But they are Disney characters and we all know that nobody else but Disney creates characters with staying power

 

[kbelle8995]

But they are Disney characters and we all know that nobody else but Disney creates characters with staying power

Yes that would be quite a shocker to people who love Warner Brother cartoons.
And no one has ever heard of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck.

Harry Potter will continue to gain new fans. The books are well written and throughly magical. Disney does not have a copyright to that word.

 

[surferdave]

But they are Disney characters and we all know that nobody else but Disney creates characters with staying power

Do characters get staying power when Disney buys them? If not, poor Buzz Lightyear, Kermit, Ironman and Darth Vader.

 

[dizneyjill]

I love universal..I really do..but........I have a son that is over 300 pounds and he can ride very little at Universal..he can ride EVERYTHING at Disney....I don't get why they will build new attractions that people of size can not ride...Disney can do it..why can't Universal? He can ride Men in Black, but could not ride Dispicable Me. It was brand new at the time..Forget roller coasters, no way he will fit in those..so I guess Disney is my only choice when he is with me...wake up Universal...you are missing a whole lot of paying customers because of this!

 

[RMulieri]

We will be going back to Universal more often if for no other reason than its an easier vacation for us. No fastpasses, we have the express pass we get for staying on-site. No ADRs, we can decide what and where we want to eat when we are there. I also find the food to be better and cheaper than it is at WDW. The hotels at Universal put WDW to shame. They are so much nicer and cheaper for what you get. I get to stay in a deluxe hotel for what I would pay for a moderate at WDW.

My DD went to Universal in March with her bffs family and they have already made plans to go back next March. They have no plans to visit WDW anytime soon.

Exactly why we fell in love with Universal..It felt like Disney did in the 80's..No commando touring, express pass for EVERY RIDE AND SHOW ( except harry Potter but early entry or single rider takes ccare of that).No waiting , no limit to 3 attractions.Anytime, as many times as I want..Just for being a resort guests.The Tms went out of their way at Universal for me and my family( I broke 3 fingers on my left hand and they went above and beyond).The hotels were GORGEOUS and I paid HALF of what I pay for a disney deluxe and I was literally a 5 min walk or dedicated boat ride...We honestly never expected to love it, but we do and at the end of this year we are going back for our 3rd Universal trip..not even bothering with Disney .

 

[RMulieri]

The fact is Comcast has slated to put a HUGE amount of money directly into its Universal parks...Diagon alley is JUST the beginning of it.There is supposed to be more harry potter( rumored Ministry of magic going into the Fear factor space),Lorax is coming to seussland, The Kidzone area at the studios is going to be gutted and replaced( no word on what is replacing it, but it supposed to be very themed and very kid geared), Jurassic park is getting redone and a coaster and another attraction ( rumored )and King Kong and Skull Island is rumored to be coming to Islands of Adventure, Another resort is in the works, revamping Wet and Wild waterpark ( which they now own outright)..All between now and 2017.Those are just the projects discussed right now..I am looking forward to seeing all the growth over there

 

[alicia080979]

With everything we keep hearing about US and IOA lately, DH & I decided that for our week in late spring 2015, instead of Disney for the week we are going to switch over to Universal. A couple years ago this would have never even been a thought in my mind or I would have called blasphemy if DH mentioned it. I am not a HP fan but I just personally keep feeling more and more disappointed with Disney with each trip. As you can see by my signature once we started Disney in 2009 we got hooked but it has lost its luster. We had planned to buy DVC this year but once our trips started feeling not so magical, FP+ came out, no new land announcement (not counting Avatarland bc they announced that forever ago during one of our trips and still no visible progress) we put DVC on the back burner.

There are many things I love about Disney (feeling like a kid again and forgetting the rest of the world even exists to name a couple) but there are more that I don't love anymore. I don't love planning my rides 2 months in advance. I don't love that service has gone downhill in our experience. I don't love that their prices are getting too high for my taste considering the lack of new attractions at DHS and Ecpot. I hated Avatar so am not even remotely excited about (and waiting a few years for) Avatarland. I would love to see Pixar Place a reality that doesn't consist of TSM and a TS meet & greet. I would really love to see Star Wars Land but let's face it...IF that happens...at Disney's pace we are looking at 2018-2020 before that becomes a reality. I hate FP+. Admittedly I loved FP- and love the MBs but I wish they would have left the FP machines/locations, add a couple central locations and then just tap your band to have the FP added. If you don't like the time, get in standby. Seems like it would work like before without the cluster of the app, long kiosk lines and scheduling 2 months in advance (how we can do this with weather, little ones, etc. is still hard for me to understand).

I hope Disney reveals new plans to get us excited again for those long trips but for now, we will enjoy our scheduled June and Sept. trips and move on to the dark side in the Spring and see how we like that. I feel like it doesn't have to be either/or because they offer so many different things but I haven't been to Universal and for the first time, really looking forward to trying it.