Universal Studios rant

[Oglet]

US is a one day park in my opinion. Much of US seems very dated and in need of a major upgrade. Take ET for example its a nice ride but could be updated to some newer technology to make it more realistic.

T2 show is a good show but just like ET its showing signs of being out dated especially with the pre show that features shaq when he was playing for the Lakers.

The horror effects show whatever it is called is mildly amusing and entertaining however once you've done it the need to go back and see it again is somewhat diminished.

Probably my biggest peeve about US (besides all the timeshare people) would be Jaws, the whole attraction looks totally fake and unbelievable. Jaws is something that is somewhat iconic for the park and is shown around the world as a feature attraction so why not bring it up to 2010 standards and spruce it up a bit.

One thing US does extremely well is thrill rides, RRR, Mummy are awesome, The Simpsons and MIB are also very well done, although I wouldn't really call the last two thrill rides.

Shrek feels like something ive seen at Disney before only with cheap jabs at the mouse throughout it, Disaster Movie and Twister are very low quality attractions as well.

The animal show is cute but not something I would do over and over.

IOA on the other hand is by far the superior park, Its modern, full of rides and I really enjoy going there over and over.

US cant survive in its current state its gone from being the park to the other park. Long gone are the days when families would swarm to it when Nickelodeon would do kids TV shows there.

Jimmy Neutron is a ride my kids like a lot but it really doesn't give them their Nickelodeon fix. Since my children have been raised Disney kids they have become accustomed to having characters autograph once again with the Nick characters they are left somewhat let down when all they get is a stamp from a team member with select characters that look generic at the best.

Now with Harry Potter that's just one less reason to spend time at US and some extra time at IOA.

US needs to do whatever it must to get back to the classic days there. Make an agreement with someone to do some live TV there that's kid orientated. I am sorry Fivel? Fivel who? Kids today don't know who you are so why would they want to drag a parent off to see you?

Spend 1/10th the money on bringing US up to date as you did on Harry Potter and it could be a hit again however as of right now its just surviving on its bigger, more popular sister IOA.

 

[Dollyrar]

US is still my favourite park in the world, and it's for the simple fact that they do still have their classic rides such as Jaws (which I think still looks great! ).
You're probably right about it being a one day park, but I would also say that IOA, Seaworld, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, Busch Gardens are all one day parks as well. Why is this a negative point?
US does not need to just ram itself full of thrill rides to 'match' IOA. It is more reliant on shows and different experiences as a counterpoint to this, and I like that families of all ages can enjoy most of the attractions at the same time. If I'm in the mood for coasters, I'll go to IOA. If I'm in the mood for
experiencing my favourite movies in unique environments, then I'll go to US. (I am a coaster nut by the way, so don't think it's because I'm not a fan!)
Universal have been constantly updating their rides over the last two years (including Disaster, Jaws etc), and I'm sure the extra revenue generated by Mr Potter will fund a big need ride/show at Universal eventually, in order to balance the crowds out again. As for saying that it's not going to survive in its current state, I really don't feel that this is true?! I can't exactly see a Cypress Gardens type situation happening anytime soon.

 

[yaytezIOA]

I say the same exact same thing about Magic Kingdom, and EPCOT...except I add that the crowds are too much for me to handle and I won't go back

 

[jarrdisney]

How do you feel about Small world, Peter Pan, Space Mountain (even with the refurb), Carousel of Progress, etc?

 

[Oglet]

I actually started writing that post in reply to another persons question about how many days should they spend at US. I got so far off track and didn't want to hi-jack the topic that I decided to just go ahead and post a rant about it so let me clarify there is nothing wrong with being a one day park

To me a one day park is a park where you can get through everything in one day without skipping much at all. My personal feeling is US is a one day park with a return every once in a while to experience it again.

I am not sure if IOA is really a one day park since the addition of Potter, its possible that its still a one day park however there is so much to do there that i doubt that it could be done in one day without missing quite a few very good attractions.

There is nothing wrong with iconic attractions that are older, I believe that Disney has proven with classics such as Splash Mountain that you don't need to know the story behind it to enjoy the ride. The concept of JAWS is great and probably shouldn't be changed, I cant say the same for the effects and quality of the overall production. If your attraction relies primarily on effects then at least make sure they are good effects.

If IOA were owned by a totally different company do you think US has enough quality and variety to survive on its own? even with IOA the parks struggle with attendance and profits imagine how it would be if IOA were not there to help feed people in?

 

[damo]

How do you feel about Small world, Peter Pan, Space Mountain (even with the refurb), Carousel of Progress, etc?

Add into that Jungle Cruise and the Indy Speedway.

 

[Oglet]

How do you feel about Small world, Peter Pan, Space Mountain (even with the refurb), Carousel of Progress, etc?

Space Mountain is awesome when its working

Carousel of Progress needs updated and just isn't my cup of tea (especially since it had a hiccup and we got stuck watching the same scene 7 times over and over in a loop)

Peter Pan is a nice ride that also needs updated, the thing about MK is its the total experience, the parades, fireworks and many other things that make it what it is.

Honestly take the Disney Magic out of MK and your left with a few good rides and that's about it. You can meet peter pan, Wendy and other characters and then experience their story in a ride and while the ride might not be the greatest experience its helped by what happens outside of the ride.

Add into that Jungle Cruise and the Indy Speedway.

Indy Speedway is horrible and a huge waste of space and the Jungle Cruise while is iconic needs some major updates as well.

Disney is just as bad as Universal with updating many things its just that Disney has so many other things happening we tend to overlook or not notice it as much.

 

[patster734]

I can get through any park in a day, and for some, in half a day. That doesn't mean that I won't spend an additional day redoing the rides and shows that I enjoy. If there's something I enjoy, I don't mind doing it again. I guess I'm odd that way!

 

[damo]

Indy Speedway is horrible and a huge waste of space and the Jungle Cruise while is iconic needs some major updates as well.

Disney is just as bad as Universal with updating many things its just that Disney has so many other things happening we tend to overlook or not notice it as much.

I sure notice. I just don't see any point in ranting about it because I know a lot of people love it and see it differently and if they want to spend their money and time there, that is fine with me.

 

[xApril]

I guess it's all up to personal opinion.

I love the park exactly the way it is. I have been going multiple times a week since the end of January. Some days, I will do a bunch of rides and I'll have fun. Other days, I just see my favorite show - the Horror Make-Up Show (which I don't think gets old after one time) over and over. Heck, I enjoyed myself yesterday when I went to the park. I did 2 FJ rides, 2 Horror Make-Up Shows, and the rest of the day, I hung out in the Horror Make-Up lobby and just chatted with a team member for a few hours. I enjoyed myself!

I just skip the attractions that I don't care for so much (but I still do them every once in awhile) and I'm perfectly fine.

I love that the park isn't swarming with people. It's just a better experience.

edit: I actually prefer USF over IOA. I feel IOA is the less superior and more of a one day park if anything.

 

[PlutoLuvr]

I also like the classic feel to Universal. I actually miss King Kong! I wished they'd put the Mummy over at the "new ride" park, LOL!

There are lots of people and whole families that like theme parks without extreme thrill rides. Universal is really a perfect park for some of us. And the thrill seekers have only a short walk to find the coasters.

If you want to talk about spending some $$$ in an O-Town theme park to bring it up to date, let's talk about the bathrooms in Epcot.

 

[tedmundson]

Our family isn't militant about Disney or Universal and we don't come to Orlando every year. We rotate through cruises, all inclusives in the Carribean and beach house rentals. However, in comparison this 8 night, 7 day Universal vacation is turning out to be better than our Disney trip.

We did a full day at IOA on Sunday (three trips on FJ), a full day at US on Monday, a split day between IOA and US on Tuesday and a full day at SeaWorld today (Wednesday). Now we are looking forward to taking it easy on the last three days of our vacation, casually going to the parks if we want to do a few rides with Universal Express hotel perk, hang out at the hotel pools and maybe go to Aquatica (we bought the Orlando Flex Ticket).

It is just more laid back than our week at Disney was - particularly with the late nights of some dinner event and late night fireworks.

I agree that some updating at US is in order. Frankly, the best thing is the Universal Express Pass - makes the hotels worth every penny.