UnivStu vs. Disney : I know I am going to get flamed for this but...

[ruadisneyfan2]

What new RollerCoaster??

http://www.universalorlando.com/hollywoodrockit.html

 

[perla75]

Also, to defend Disney. They do have plans for new coasters and rides to open up in 2010-11 which is when HP world will open.

What's HP World???

 

[Natalie_89]

no flaming here..i like universal the rides are great im lookin forward to harry potter opening i think its guna be but i dont jst like disney for the rides its the fact its disney.the characters, the themes, the parades..everythin.universal could get the best rides ever but i will always and forever prefer disney. disneys not a multi millions making corparation to me..

 

[cgbsilver@hotmail.co]

http://www.universalorlando.com/hollywoodrockit.html

That looks really cool. It seems to be similar to RRRC. To bad I don't do Coasters anymore.

 

[Natalie_89]

My family really, really likes Universal. The attractions are awesome, and their onsite hotels put Disney to shame, especially price-wise. I think Unversal is doing a great job competing with WDW. That said, Universal just doesn't have the "feel" of Disney. There's no warm fuzzy emotion involved when we go to Universal. I know that sounds silly, but it's true for us. Even just walking around WDW without going to any attractions makes us feel good.

I'm so glad there's Unversal, and that it's getting better and better, and we
ll continue to go there when we don't go to WDW. But we never yearn to go back the way we do about WDW.

agreed...u do feel all fuzzy wen u just enter..when the monorail gets to the station and say enjoy your stay at the magic kingdom i get all goosebumpy...its magic

 

[troydjames]

let me start by saying I love disney, took my girls for the first time in march, and could not put a price on the expressions on there face while meeting princesses, but as far as I am concerned if you are just going for rides, for an older set it is not even close, US is far superior. My wife and I stayed at hard rock 7-8 years ago, before children, and loved it we spent much of our vacation time going to theme parks like cedar point, we are close to kings island and were familiar with larger thrill rides, we could not get over how fast we could access the rides with the front of the line access, the hulk and my favorite spiderman were great rides that long ago. Back to disney I rode all the rides with all the buzz, rocking roller coaster, tower of terror, which was my favorite, exp. everest and they were all fun but nothing special from a thrill aspect, themed better but that seemed like the best part quite a few times to me. Before anyone gets mad let me say I am already planning my trip to disney for 09 you cannot beat the magic for the kids it is great. If our kids grow up like my wife and I loving the thrill more than the theme I do believe there will be a shift of parks when the get older.

 

[Lynn5700]

What's HP World???

Harry Potter

 

[inkkognito]

Does anyone remember the Universal commercial of a few years ago where the kid says, "If I see another princess, I'm gonna puke!" I tried to find it on Youtube but no dice. For some reason this thread is reminding me of it...I loved it, but I don't know if they showed it nationwide or just here in Orlando.

 

[the Dark Marauder]

 

[Cool-Beans]

I love MK, Epcot, AK, US, IoA and Sea World.

I think it is crazy to avoid a theme park because Disney doesn't own it. It matters little to me who owns what so long as it is fun.

Uni is fun and has some amazing stuff. If you don't go check it out, you miss out on all that.

 

[thepwa]

I love roller coasters, so I go to Universal for a day or two before I spend a week at Disney.

Universal, to me, is a place to go for thrill rides, and Disney is all about the Magic.

As much as I like Universal, it is not "Magical".

You will get no flames from me for saying good things about Universal.

 

[PEANUT1]

We really like US/IOA but we haven't been in 3 years. I have a hard time taking time away from Disney

When the kids are a little older, we will be back. I personally can't wait for Harry Potter

 

[bubba's mom]

I don't even consider it comparing apples and oranges...it's black and white.

We've been to WDW. We've been to UO. We prefer UO. We are AP holders at UO. And we CHOOSE to pay extra to stay onsite...why? because we choose to spend our vacation NOT standing in lines and running/crisscrossing the park to do the FP thing That is the beautiful thing about onsite hotels, if you CHOOSE to spend the extra money, you can. And, as far as "i can't afford it....it's not fair"...oh puhleeze. Going to WDW is WAY more expensive than UO, so if you can afford WDW, you can afford 1 night onsite at UO. Besides, everyone seems to claim you don't need more than 1 night anway

Harry Potter-land will help boost attendance for a while, but I think once people realize that HP will be two rides and some shops, and that at most people will be able to spend a few hours there, it won't lead to a significant market share increase.

please indicate where that fact is? HP is going to be a whole land...not just 2 rides. There is going to be a Hogwarts castle and restaurants....you probably have NO idea how large this land is going to be. We were just there and I've seen the wall....I know where they are building.....It's going to be huge.

AND, by the sounds of it, there are a LOT of Disney lovers who plan to visit Harry Potter and IOA. As a regular poster on the UNIVERSAL side of the DIS, I cannot keep track of how many peeps come over and ask us about the 7 day ticket and 'will it be good for when Harry Potter opens?' And, when the Disney people DO come to visit IoA, I think many will be surprised and want to return...if not them, their kids.

Universal is just another theme park, like Six Flags or Sesame Place. Disney, however, is DISNEY.

Can't remember who said it, but Disney IS a themepark also. It ranks with Universal, Six Flags, Cedar Point.... I don't understand why people think Disney is not a themepark? Universal is more online in comparsion with Disney than a Cedar Point or Six Flags.

Yep, happened to me last year, my first ever IOA trip, i was shouted at for daring to ask if i could leave my Crocs on the side while i rode it, and told in a horrible tone of voice that i'd have to hold them.

Not got a problem with this being a rule, but the way i was told, was bang out of order

How would YOU react if you encountered the same thing every 5 minutes all day? (Granted, there should be a sign posted, but if you aren't seeing people coming back and unloading where they loaded, wouldn't you think you unload somewhere else and take your shoes with you?)

I don't agree that Universal is more "new" or "fresh" than WDW. I was an AP holder at US/IOA for years before we started going to WDW, and most of the things that were there when I was in HIGH SCHOOL almost 20 years ago are still there!!! The Horror Makeup Show, Beetle Juice (my God, how long must we endure that one?), Terminator, basically everything. The only things "new" and "fresh" that have come out within the last 10 yrs. or so have been The Mummy and Simpsons (not a big Simpsons fan, so I haven't gone over to see it).

How old is Peter Pan? Snow White? Space Mtn. Not fair to rip Universal for having "older" attractions when WDW is JUST as guilty.

Wow, that Kool Aid must be tasty...

Our family loves US/IOA. We didn't our first visit though. We constantly compared it to Disney and looked for the "magic." We scrutinized every little thing and looked for the negatives. (You could walk thru WDW and point out negatives too if you were trying to.) Then we realized, it's not trying to be Disney. When we want magic, we go to WDW. When we crave something different, we go to US/IOA.

I don't get the 'magic' thing either? When we were at Disney, we didn't see any of the 'magic'....in the words of a Disney loving friend of mine: 'magic' is something YOU feel....not something to 'see'...

The whole ADR scene at WDW is ridiculous too. It's crazy to plot each and every meal location 6 mos in advance. That's just too much stress to call it a vacation.

This is one of my major turn offs to Disney too. I don't know where I'll feel like eating tomorrow, and you want me to decide 6 mths in advance?

Does anyone remember the Universal commercial of a few years ago where the kid says, "If I see another princess, I'm gonna puke!" I tried to find it on Youtube but no dice. For some reason this thread is reminding me of it...I loved it, but I don't know if they showed it nationwide or just here in Orlando.

I remember


Forgot to add: While I don't watch the Simpsons, you don't need to like the show to enjoy the ride...the ride is great!

 

[OneTreeHillAddict]

I love US and Disney! Dollar for dollar US is a much better deal! I think the ticket offer is exceptionally smart marketing. You get the people in there they will spend money on drinks, food, and merchandise! Disney's tickets are way too high! (As far as a one day or two day pass goes!) Disney continues to raise prices every year and what they offer consistently falls back. US is always adding something new or throwing in free concerts and such. If we were going just for the rides....we'd always choose US. It's just has more to offer.

US is priced so everyone can afford to go there. Disney, not so much.

 

[RVGal]

I don't get the 'magic' thing either? When we were at Disney, we didn't see any of the 'magic'....in the words of a Disney loving friend of mine: 'magic' is something YOU feel....not something to 'see'...

Would you, perhaps, be speaking of me?

Disney holds the market on nostalgia. Hands down. We are spoon-fed Disney from the cradle. We sleep on Mickey sheet, cuddle Mickey plushes, get Mickey toys in our Happy Meal (at Mickey D's... HA!), watch the Disney Channel and the Wonderful World of Disney, see Disney movies, and visit the Disney theme parks.

There are only 3 company logos that my children could recognize at 18 months of age. McDonald's, Coca-Cola, and Disney. These folks know how to brand and how to brand early. They raise the next generation of consumers. It breeds a customer loyalty base that knows no bounds.

There is nothing wrong with that. I'm just trying to make the point that the "feeling" that we get when arriving at Disney is one that can't be compared to anything else because, well, no other company has been bombarding us the same amount of sensory stuff.

Again, there is nothing wrong with that. Just making a point that to try and say that Universal doesn't have the Disney "magic" is like saying that Burger King doesn't have the McDonald's magic. They don't. But it is because of the nostalgic emotions that are attached to the brand name. I hope that makes sense.

Disney World is made of concrete and steel and people (CMs). The "magic" that you feel when you arrive comes from inside you. Universal is made of concrete and steel and people (TMs). There is magic to be found there too, if you immerse yourself in the experience. True, you have to actually make an effort because you haven't been pre-programmed (and I don't mean that in a Kool Aid sorta way, just a that is life sorta way) to ooooh and aaaah when you see how well done the Spiderman or the Mummy ride is. The feeling is different. It is an isn't this cool thing instead of a childhood memory come to life thing.

All of the parks in Orlando are wonderful. I love Disney. I love Universal. I agree with the others that have said that having them both right there together creates healthy competition and we benefit. You don't have to put any of them down in order to lift others up. They can all stand just fine on what they each have to offer.

JMHO. Carry on.

 

[macraven]

Does anyone remember the Universal commercial of a few years ago where the kid says, "If I see another princess, I'm gonna puke!" I tried to find it on Youtube but no dice. For some reason this thread is reminding me of it...I loved it, but I don't know if they showed it nationwide or just here in Orlando.

i think the little girl said hurl not puke. she looked at the camera and the hulk ride was shown behind her.

it is a long story but when the hulk opened, many hurled afterwards, a little too much roller coaster for some.

tshirts were made up then with that phrase, going to hurl.

the commercial was in shown in the chicago area. not a regular ad but it came on late evening.


i saw it on youtube and also while i was in orlando the year it aired.

 

[damo]

We try to do a day at Disney each year when we do our week at Universal to ride what is new. We always find ourselves whining and complaining about how much time we are wasting when we could be over at Universal riding rides instead of standing in line or waiting for a bus.

I love Universal. I like Disney. Heck, I'll even spend a day at Six Flags. I'm crazy like that.

 

[Tizzy_Meliss]

While we love Disney, our Universal Studios onsite experiences have spoiled us from any other park experience. The short walk or boat ride to the parks, the exciting rides, FOTL access (which I have never waited longer than 10 minutes to ride any ride, Thanksgiving Week, in comparison to Disney's wait of 90 minutes) to the play areas for the little ones, not having to plan out every meal 18 months in advance, or wait over an hour to meet a character (Snow White.) Then there is the beautiful hotels with large rooms to spread out in, awesome pools, and great dining. For all that we get from US/IOA Disney doesn't come close for us.

 

[jillybeene71]

Sure IOA may have some neat attractions, but has anyone been to US lately? The last time I was there (Spring 2007), that park was depressing. It's getting decrepit and it only took us a day to do both parks because I find it lacking.

my 2 cents
Defination of Decrepit

Main Entry: de·crep·it
Pronunciation: \di-ˈkre-pət\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Latin decrepitus
Date: 15th century
1: wasted and weakened by or as if by the infirmities of old age
2 a: impaired by use or wear : worn-out b: fallen into ruin or disrepair
3: dilapidated, run-down

Id like to know where. We have gone twice a year since 06...and there is no place in either park that could be described by using the word "decrepit".

Universal Orlando (parks and on-site hotels) is what makes my family happy...and if the kiddies are happy, mamas happy. we've been to Disney for Christmas and all I heard was "I wanna go back to Universal" Everybody has an opinion, I know that, but using the word decrepit is false.

 

[Cinders1]

Me, I am a Disney nut but, my sons prefer Universal. They would rather stay on site and ride the Hulk 100 times in a row than stand in line for anything at Disney. I will say I do love the P. Bay hotel. The pools a great place to relax.