WDW vs. Universal. My definitive comparison.

[loribell]

Why are you still on this? I didn't post anything more to you directly, so give it up......I really don't care either way about the Disney vs Universal debate, as it is getting annoying now.

BTW, is that a fanny-pack you're wearing in your slide show of pictures? I'm just wondering....

Excuse me, you called his post out but he can't respond?

And what difference does it make what he is wearing?


I have known Will for a very long time and I know that picture is at least 6 years old, if not older.

 

[loribell]

Hey goofy you know you doctored those pictures to take out the Jerry Springer crowd. Go ahead and admit it!

 

[goofy!]

Hey goofy you know you doctored those pictures to take out the Jerry Springer crowd. Go ahead and admit it!

You caught me

Although, getting those bandanas off the thugs heads and replacing them with hair did prove to be a bit tricky

 

[goofy!]

Geez guys, relax. You really don't have to act like people are personally attacking you if they prefer one park to another.

To be honest, except for one poster that seems to be taking anything negative about Disney personally and being exceptionally rude to posters, I haven't seen very much attacking on either side.

People are politely saying what they don't like, which is then answered by others politely posting experiences that counter it. Basics of a good debate.

After 12 pages, it could have become much nastier.

We are debating corporate businesses, both aimed at taking your almighty dollar. . They obviously both do it extremely well if they can foster such loyalty amongst their customers!

 

[damo]

Here are a few more Universal Studios websites for anyone else who would like to research their next trip.

http://www.universalexcitement.com/
www.universalignited.com
http://www.guide2usf.com/
http://www.discoveruniversal.com/
www.orlandorocks.com

 

[crashbb]

Here are a few more Universal Studios websites for anyone else who would like to research their next trip.

http://www.universalexcitement.com/
www.universalignited.com
http://www.guide2usf.com/
http://www.discoveruniversal.com/
www.orlandorocks.com

Thanks - I'm going to Universal for the first time this fall and those sites look ver helpful.

 

[Purseval]

3. Public. The crowd at Universal, particularly on the weekend was... different. There was a much higher "Jerry Springer Audience" quotient at Universal. I'm not saying that's bad, it's just different. What was bad was there was also a significant "thug" quotient at Universal on the weekend. And I'm not using that as code for any particular ethnic group. There was equal opportunity thugishness going on. Not like it was dangerous or anything. Just a lot more tough characters around.

Since I've been to Universal/IOA plenty of times and didn't remember the "Jerry Springer" crowd being any different from the crowds I've seen at WDW I went to the US/IOA section here and browsed through the trip reports, which contain plenty of pictures. If you blacked out the backgrounds and just looked at the people I'd love to see you show us the Disney visitors. Odds are most people end up in both parks at one time or another, except for maybe the Brazilian tour groups. Do you really think the crowds are different or are you just looking for things to pick apart?

 

[bluejasmine]

We took the kids 14, 11, 7 to Universal in June and we had an HORRIBLE trip! We are a family of disney fanatatilcs so I thought we were just being prejudice so Im glad I read your comparison. Service was a joke, CM were rude! Food was cheap, cheap, cheap! Very little variety and it was served either cold, or over cooked! We went to guest services to complain twice, we recieved free meal vouchers which when we tried to use were ignored at one restaurant so we left went to another and they reluctantly seated us then ignored us, food came out not with what the menu said came with it and was nasty. We complained manager offered us more food we just wanted to leave..CityWalk in my opinion is just for party goers not at all a family atmosphere at all. My kids complained that every restaurant we seemed to go to most ppl appeared drunk..They still tell me they would have rather gone to WDW but at that time I couldnt afford to take 5 ppl to WDW I wish I would have just scrounged for more $$ and took them to WDW!

 

[Dressedinlovex]

I really don't understand why people go to Disney if they don't enjoy the magic, characters, or anything to that extent. I also don't think you can compare WDW to anywhere else.

 

[loribell]

I swear the posts against Universal that always amaze me the most are the ones about the food. From my very first visit I have raved about the food quality & variety inside the Universal parks.

 

[INeedaVacation]

We took the kids 14, 11, 7 to Universal in June and we had an HORRIBLE trip! We are a family of disney fanatatilcs so I thought we were just being prejudice so Im glad I read your comparison. Service was a joke, CM were rude! Food was cheap, cheap, cheap! Very little variety and it was served either cold, or over cooked! We went to guest services to complain twice, we recieved free meal vouchers which when we tried to use were ignored at one restaurant so we left went to another and they reluctantly seated us then ignored us, food came out not with what the menu said came with it and was nasty. We complained manager offered us more food we just wanted to leave..CityWalk in my opinion is just for party goers not at all a family atmosphere at all. My kids complained that every restaurant we seemed to go to most ppl appeared drunk..They still tell me they would have rather gone to WDW but at that time I couldnt afford to take 5 ppl to WDW I wish I would have just scrounged for more $$ and took them to WDW!

phew, read the entire thread.

This sounds more like you were extremely disappointed you didn't have the funds for WDW, so you settled for Universal. And you took your disappointment out on Universal. I would lay bets that no matter what hoops people jumped through, you would have found fault with your 2nd choice.

We love both parks. Magic Kingdom is different than Epcot, just as Islands of Adventure is different from Epcot. We view it as just more wonderful parks to visit when we go to Orlando.

I love Italian food and I love Mexican food. I don't hate one just because I love the other. They are similar in that they are both food, yet they are vastly different in tastes. It provides a wonderful variety to our diet, just as all the parks provide a wonderful variety to our vacations.

 

[secretpantssam]

To be honest, except for one poster that seems to be taking anything negative about Disney personally and being exceptionally rude to posters, I haven't seen very much attacking on either side.

People are politely saying what they don't like, which is then answered by others politely posting experiences that counter it. Basics of a good debate.

After 12 pages, it could have become much nastier.

We are debating corporate businesses, both aimed at taking your almighty dollar. . They obviously both do it extremely well if they can foster such loyalty amongst their customers!

I posted that because there were two posts basically telling me I was wrong to think Disney was special within one minute of me posting how I thought Disney paid "attention to detail". It really wasn't directed at most posters.

 

[INeedaVacation]

I really don't understand why people go to Disney if they don't enjoy the magic, characters, or anything to that extent. I also don't think you can compare WDW to anywhere else.

The same could be said for the Disney people. If they are so loyal to Disney that nothing else will be able to compare, why leave Disney property to just make yourself miserable?

You are already setting yourself up for disappointment if you go in thinking you have to compare everything to Disney.

I don't think you can compare WDW to anywhere else, just as you cannot compare Universal to anywhere else.

They are both wonderful.

But, admit it to yourself and save yourself the disappointment if you just know that Disney is the best and nothing else will ever be good enough.

 

[INeedaVacation]

Tentaguasu, you are completely right. It's the attention to detail. At Universal, it's a theme park, at WDW, it's a complete experience. Disney puts you in a completely different world, and they focus on making that world as real as possible. The one time I went to Universal, I saw a guy from The Mummy ride walking in the Hollywood area. It seems that is the only way for them to get "backstage" but Walt Disney World was build specifically so that things like this won't happen. Something so simple as seeing a character in the wrong section can ruin the whole fantasy. And I think Disney works extremely hard everyday to make a trip to WDW a complete experience and not just a day in a theme park.

Sometimes at they shoot commercials and parts of movies at Universal. They do have "backstage" areas.

I see characters from all the different sections of Disney during the parade in the afternoon. Does this bother you? After all the characters are not in their proper places. Maybe WDW should rethink their parades.

Strange. I clearly remember seeing CMs from Canada walking to their area from Future World. And last I checked, Epcot was a part of Walt Disney World.

That's right, the "tunnel" only exists at Magic Kingdom. Magic Kingdom =/= Disney World.

I posted that because there were two posts basically telling me I was wrong to think Disney was special within one minute of me posting how I thought Disney paid "attention to detail". It really wasn't directed at most posters.

You stated that part of the Disney Magic was that no character was ever out of place, yet at Universal, you saw a Mummy character out of place.

The other posters added their experiences that they had also witnessed Disney characters out of place.

So, it is ok for you to post your experience of seeing a Universal character out of place, but you get offended when somebody posts of seeing Disney characters out of place?

This entire thread (not any single poster) reeks of notion that some Disney people can sure dish it out, but can't take it when others push back and present their experiences to the contrary.

 

[bluejasmine]

You stated that part of the Disney Magic was that no character was ever out of place, yet at Universal, you saw a Mummy character out of place.

The other posters added their experiences that they had also witnessed Disney characters out of place.

So, it is ok for you to post your experience of seeing a Universal character out of place, but you get offended when somebody posts of seeing Disney characters out of place?

This entire thread (not any single poster) reeks of notion that some Disney people can sure dish it out, but can't take it when others push back and present their experiences to the contrary.

WOAH! This thread was just ppl making comparisons.. No need to take everything so personally. Just a suggestion but if you really like Universal that much we do have a part of the board you may be happier at! Everyone has a right to voice their opinion without getting attacked. Just remember your on a DISNEY board!

Cant we all just get along??

 

[DeblovesPoohbear]

Oh . . . I almost forgot. Universal's Express Pass system is simply awful. It's almost enough (and still might be enough) to make me not want to spend my money there. I know their hotels are probably really struggling in comparison to the Disney hotels, but not giving off-site guests equal access to express passes isn't winning them any friends in the long run. All it means for me is that I would never stay at a Universal resort because of how obnoxious I find the policy.

I doubt it's a coincidence that their attendance had dropped over the past several years. They've managed to nickle and dime people to keep their profits up, but they're not going to be able to manage that forever. I also don't think that the Harry Potter section will really help them that much in the long run. . . people's expectations are so high now that most will be disappointed with the end product, no matter how good it is. (I've seen several here asking about "the new Harry Potter park," for example . . . )

This is blowing my mind! Why would Universal give off-site guest equal access to unlimited express pass? We stay at the Universal Resorts because they are
absolutley beautiful, within walking distance to the parks and yes, the express pass is the best thing ever invented
Next time I stay offsite at Disney, I am going to insist that they let me attend their EMH!
BTW, you can get express pass as an offsite guest, you just have to pay extra for it and you can only use it once per ride
So yes, the express pass is pretty sweet
and just one of the reasons I return to US/IOA over and over again

 

[INeedaVacation]

WOAH! This thread was just ppl making comparisons.. No need to take everything so personally. Just a suggestion but if you really like Universal that much we do have a part of the board you may be happier at! Everyone has a right to voice their opinion without getting attacked. Just remember your on a DISNEY board!

Cant we all just get along??

If you noticed, I said I loved all the parks equally.

It is just that this thread is extremely biased.

All the mudslinging, calling people names (such as thugs, jerry springer types), asking people not to post anything negative about Disney World on this thread, reminding people they are on a DISNEY board - that is all coming from the Disney fanatics.

Almost every person defending Universal has not only mentioned that they loved both sets of parks and visit them equally, but they have just presented examples of their version of magic, presented examples of detailed theming, presented their experiences of what the Disney people say never happens at Disney really does happen at Disney.

Read the thread again. There is only one side slinging mud and calling names. And it is not the people defending Universal.

 

[INeedaVacation]

Got to give the OP credit though.

At least he posts threads about his disappointments about Disney too.


http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1423311&page=0&highlight=

And here he complains about ECV users and the increase must be due to laziness (nice)

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=18159805#post18159805&highlight=

These are just a couple you can find when you do a "find all posts by OP". I think he just likes to a bit


But back to his original OP in this thread. He complains about the Universal Resorts ($240.00 a night in his OP) and that he had problems with his express pass, yet here he states he has reservations off site.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1878891&page=1&highlight=

He also has several posts asking if the purchased express pass is necessary for his days he is visiting and says it is very expensive. Which leads one to believe that he visited the parks, staying off site and not using a purchased express pass.

How can he make a definitive comparison if he did not stay at the onsite hotel or use Express Pass? Makes his whole original "definitive comparison" pretty suspect.

 

[jillybeene71]

^^ looks like some "thug" is doing a drive-by over at circus mcgirkus, run for your lives

 

[jillybeene71]

I find it a little annoying that you accused me of being "a little harsh," yet when I defended myself you came back with the above response. Give up talking about me, and I'll give up responding to you.

What I'm wearing in my signature pic is a weird old mini messenger bag that I used to have. It was a messenger-style bag, but was worn around the waist like a fanny pack instead of shoulder slung. I got rid of it some time ago in favor of a bagless setup that allows me to skip the bag check lines (which can be as long as 20 minutes during the early morning periods):

This is off the topic of this thread, but since you asked directly, the following is excerpted from recent post I made in a different thread:

I have no manequin, and I find it difficult to take pictures of myself (I can't afford to keep replacing the broken lenses), so I just put all my crap, er, equipment on my computer chair for these photos.
Front View:
1. Mickey Photographer pin
2. Spare CF card
3. Spare camera battery
4. Remote shutter release
5. Mickey lens cloth
6. Sunglasses on neck cord
7. Mini LED flashlight (one each side)
8. ID/KTTW/FP lanyard
9. Spare CF card
10. Patriot Mickey Head pin
11. Business cards
12. Canon Digital Rebel 300D
13. Sigma 18-125 w/ petal hood
14. 2" web belt
15. SPF 50 (in summer months)
16. Cell phone

Back View:
17. LGMH
18. Brita Fill and Go filtered sports bottle
19. Rolled WalMart poncho (Mickey finally retired after 3 years)
20. Tabletop tripod

No spare lenses, no camera bags (no bags of any kind), no full-size tripod. I travel light in the parks - well, as light as a 275lb guy can travel - and don't even stop for those bag check lines at the entrances.

This is too cool... are you married?

kidding