Universal pokes a little fun at WDW

[Fargoman2]

I've seen quite a few ads for Universal Orlando lately. I chuckle at the end when they say "Have you outgrown fairy tales and pixie dust?"

Actually, it's probably the exact marketing that will resonate with their target audiences. However, I find it painful to admit that our family will ever outgrow fairy tales and pixie dust.

 

[meganbear]

hehe, I've seen that commerical and I think it's funny---but then again I'm a huge fan of both WDW and Universal. I've always said that I will never drive to FL and not go to both parks--well this time I'm eating my words. We are talking my mother (72) and my sis and her two girls ages 8 and 5. We decided that with my mother and my youngest niece we just better stick to fairy tails and pixie dust on this trip!!!!

 

[elemusing]

We saw that commercial last night and were loving it! Just as I was saying "This is the best commercial Universal has ever put out" the tagline about the pixie dust came up. My husband and I just looked at each other with scowls and then we laughed at it.

We will never outgrow pixie dust . . . NEVER!

 

[wdw_writers]

Universal just doesn't realize how many people NEVER will outgrow fairy tales and pixie dust! they just DONT GET IT!

 

[2minny]

I'm with you, we will NEVER outgrow fairy tales and pixie dust (my 62 year old Mother won't miss our WDW trips either). BUT we do like Universal, just wish they'd focus on their own fun, and not knock Magic Kingdom! They shouldn't mess with us Disney lovers!

 

[Kaycee]

We think that commercial is funny for a different reason. Every time they say, "Have you outgrown fairy tales and pixie dust?" We shout, "No! That's why we're going to WDW instead of Universal!!"

If I haven't outgrown fairy tales and pixie dust by now, at the age of 41, I think it's safe to say I'm not going to. Sorry, Universal, but your advertising strategy is lost on this family!

 

[Lynnyl]

I think this is one of the times the ads are aimed at kids, in this case probably the early teens, instead of their parents. If they can give Disney a "babyish" image the kids might beg for Universal over Disney, or staying on site at Universal vs Disney. Its not working for me!

 

[monarchsfan16]

Universal is desperate, I think. They're definitely not Disney. We went to Universal last week, and if we hadn't had tickets that we had paid for and couldn't get refunds on we would have spent a day at WDW instead of going back for IOA. We hated Universal! I've been to some lousy theme parks, but that's the worst. We're going back to WDW next year (totally throwing off the bianual trip pattern) partly to celebrate my graduation, partly to use the new DVC membership we bought while spending at day at DTD, but mostly to make up for the terrible time we had at Universal. None of us will ever outgrow the pixie dust; it just took some people in the crew this trip to realize that.

 

[Schmeck]

"Have you outgrown fairy tales and pixie dust?" What's the next line - "Then come experience our superhero-violence based rides, our grafitti covered bathrooms and not-so-clean parks, and pay extra for a special fastpass-type pass while you're at it?"

No thanks, I'm keeping my pixie dust and fairy tales!

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

I guess one of these days we'll try Universal, but there is no way I'd travel just to tour it. Disney is magic and pixie dust; Universal seems to be <a href='http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008' target='_blank'><img src='http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/4/4_6_101v.gif' border=0></a>

 

[Disneyfreaknjw]

 

[DizBelle]

One BIG difference I notice between the two sets of parks is that with WDW, it is a whole environment. As soon as get enter the Disney property, you are transported to a fantasy world. From the roads, to the hotels, to the parks, to DTD, I feel that I'm in a different world.

At US and IoA, I feel that they are just a collection of attractions and not a cohesive "world" as each of the WDW parks and WDW as a whole is.

One thing that DH and I both notice is the music. At the WDW parks, there is always music which doesn't let you forget the fantasy. And it blends so well from land to land. You don't hear a clash of music but you also never hear a gap in the music.

Some places at US are sooooooo quiet that I easily forget the fantasy. At IoA, the music clashes as you move from land to land and it is almost painful until you move through it.

It is this kind of fit and finish that makes WDW so preferable for us.

 

[2minny]

I put Universal with MGM, neither is AWESOME in my eyes, but my kids prefer universal because of Nick Jr. stuff. However, nothing compares to my MAGIC KINGDOM!

 

[phamton]

Originally posted by Schmeck
our grafitti covered bathrooms and not-so-clean parks, and pay extra for a special fastpass-type pass while you're at it?"

I know that Universal and Islands of Adventure is not everyone's cup of tea, but come on.

I have never seen graffiti covered bathrooms there. Every restroom I have been in at UO/IoA has been clean. In fact there is almost always an employee stationed in the restroom cleaning.

Yes, they have fastpass booklets you can buy that have passes for all the rides in them but they also have free express pass machines that work just like the Disney fastpass except it gives you a choice of two different return times.

Bev

 

[Ducky4Disney]

Schmeck - you said it baby! That should be the next line!

D4D

 

[Sinclare]

We hit Universal Studios and IOA last summer. I loved IOA as it had some of the best water rides I've ever been on....completely drenched, Dueling Dragons (fire dragon) rates real high in my book, Hulk was ok but anticlimatic (nice takeoff but felt like someone needed to get out and push afterwards), spider man ride was good, I loved the fast pass system...heck I'll pay 15 extra bucks any day to be able to walk past a 60 minute line on all the good rides, and their anual pass is significantly cheaper than disney.

I didn't care much for US it's self except MIB, and back to the future. All those jaws, twister, etc...were completely boring.

My main grip with Universal is their desire to barbecue you. I had my 7yo on the outside left of the Jaws boat and the explosion terrified him. I had to put him on the other side of me real quick to shield him from the heat. It was so hot that it was painful to me so I imagine how he felt. Twister wasn't much better as the fire there was very hot too, luckily I ducked behind some other poor unprepared soul.

Of course this year I'm getting my son and I anual passes to WDW, not decided on the anual pass for IOA/US yet but the new ride at UA looks good...however I did read that they are going to try to barbecue people in it....Goverment regulations made them turn down the heat in one part of it because (and I quote) "you could litterally warm your sandwich in there, regulations said that the heat can't be over 120 degres (that may be off don't remember) on a persons forehead for x number of seconds."

Just have to remember to take 2 fire retardant hat's/ponchos to ride it......

 

[4greatboys]

Dont get me wrong our family loves to go to Disney but we also love Universal. The parks and restrooms have been clean everytime we have been. The employees have been friendly and helpful. Universal also has some very nice resorts. We hit Universal and Disney on every one of our trips.

 

[disney4us2002]

I have not seen the commercial in discussion but I must say I'm very much looking forward to our 1st trip to US/IoA. At least 3 of the 5 of us are huge thrillseekers and as much as I adore Disney, I'm not satisfied with the Disney thrillers. I don't know that a direct comparison really works in that there is different appeal to each park. I will say this though I think the onsite Univ guests get a better deal with FOTL than Disney's onsite guests with EMH.

 

[KathyT]

I think both resorts are great. They are both much better than the amusement parks we have near our home. My kids and I loved IOA and were not thrilled with Universal. It seems that all the rides there are too tame for today's generation. I think they could use alot of revamping.
As for Disney our favorites are MK and Disney Studios. We all loved the MK. The kids favorite ride was POC. I don't know why but they went on it about 7 times in a row. (This was in November so there wasn't much of a crowd) My kids didn't enjoy AK that much and were bored at Epcot.
Both resorts have the good and the not so good. I can't say bad about either. One thing we noticed at both was how clean they were. My kids even commented on that. The park at home isn't quite as nice anymore and definitely needs reburshing - it doesn't seem like they know how to empty the garbage or clean the restrooms.
You definitely can't compare the resorts. They're both different. You're always going to have the die hard Disney fans and the die hard Universal fans. Personally I love them both. We're going back to both in August. Can't wait. Love that front of line at when staying at the Universal hotels. And then I love that first view of the castle as you walk down main street.

 

[Kuzco]

I probably shouldn't say anything about this subject since I've only been to Islands of Adventure once and have never been to the Studios. However, I definitely wasn't a huge fan of IoA. The rides were fun and ok, but I didn't like the environment.

That said, I think the only reason I didn't really like it that much was because of all the time I've spent at WDW. If WDW didn't make me hold theme parks to such high expectations, I think I would have enjoyed IoA a lot more.

IoA is a great park for many people. It just wasn't my thing.