Continued: Nobody at IOA Am I daydreaming?? lol..

So ... whats wrong with a amusement park>?? Everything doesn't have to be a theme park... All though Universal calls it a Theme Park it is more like a amusement park.. But whats wrong with that?? The storm ride is a teacup attraction...


~ Justin...

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I don't think it's so much that there is anything wrong with an amusement park. It's just that they call it a theme park and (at one point) were calling it the most technologically advanced theme park in the world (BTW, what ever happened to that statement?)

someone probably sued them for false advertisement HAHA...the problem with an amusement park versus a themepark is that they charge about $10 more for theme park admission, so I am paying $50 to go to Universal's amusement park. No problem with amusement parks...but I have one an hour away, and I, like most people, don't spend hundreds of dollars to get to florida, hundreds of dollars for a bed, and fifty bucks to get from my resort to Universal for an amusement park...personally, I'd rather go to a Six Flags park for $40, and ride ten coasters than pay $50 for Universal's two...they got in the WRONG business...this is not the time to jump into the thrill ride business--you would have to open with ten coasters to stand a chance against Six Flags...it terms of AMUSEMENT parks...six flags (and Cedar Fair) is the master...I mean, you look at Magic Mountain...you would be ridiculous to try to compete with that on the basis of thrills. Big problem with IoA...most people live relatively close to a Six Flags, a Busch Gardens, etc, and see no reason to go out of their way to get to a thrill park with two coasters...no offense to Universal, but I have no reason to return there...and obviously a lot of people feel the same way...even with Animal Kingdom's faults, it still sees millions of visitors more than IoA each year...

You guys have it all wrong. Islands of Adventure is NOT an amusement park, its painfully obvious that its a theme park! Every part of it is themed. Each "Island" is a different land, exactly like the lands of the Magic Kingdom!

I'd also like to point something out: Here are the top 20 attendance figures for 2001:

1. The Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida, 14.7 million, down 4 percent

2. Disneyland, Anaheim, California, 12.3 million, down 11 percent

3. Epcot at Walt Disney World, 9 million, down 15 percent

4. Disney-MGM Studios at Walt Disney World, 8.3 million, down 6 percent

5. Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World, 7.7 million, down 7 percent

6. Universal Studios at Universal Orlando, 7.2 million, down 10 percent

7. Islands of Adventure at Universal Orlando, 5.5 million, down 8 percent

8. SeaWorld Orlando, 5.1 million, down 2 percent

9. Disney's California Adventure in Anaheim, California, 5 million, opened in 2001

10. Universal Studios Hollywood, 4.7 million, down 9 percent

11. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Florida, 4.6 million, down 8 percent

12. SeaWorld California in San Diego, 4.1 million, up 13 percent

13. Knott's Berry Farm, Buena Park, California, 3.58 million, down 3 percent

14. Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, New Jersey, 3.56 million, up 1.7 percent

15. Morey's Piers, Wildwood, New Jersey, 3.4 million, up 3 percent

16. Adventuredome at Circus Circus, Las Vegas, Nevada, 3.4 million, up 7 percent

17. Paramount's Kings Island, Mason, Ohio, 3.36 million, up 4 percent

18. Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia, California, 3.2 million, down 3 percent

19. Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio, 3.1 million, down 9 percent

20. Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, California, 3 million, no change

Look! Universal and Islands of Adventure are RIGHT behind Disney! Which is exactly what they want. Not too shabby if you ask me.

they spent far too much money to have 2 million fewer guests than Animal Kingdom...they clearly have more attractions than Animal Kingdom. There is a difference between a theme park and an amusement park with attractions grouped together. Six Flags is capable of the latter, but a theme park has a purpose, other than just letting guests have fun...I see no purpose behind Island of Adventure and certainly didn't leave the park with anything. Also, Sea World has THREE RIDES and it did about as good as IoA! What's that say?!

Originally posted by DogsRule!
they spent far too much money to have 2 million fewer guests than Animal Kingdom...they clearly have more attractions than Animal Kingdom. There is a difference between a theme park and an amusement park with attractions grouped together. Six Flags is capable of the latter, but a theme park has a purpose, other than just letting guests have fun...I see no purpose behind Island of Adventure and certainly didn't leave the park with anything. Also, Sea World has THREE RIDES and it did about as good as IoA! What's that say?!

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Like you said, the main reason most people go to Orlando for fun is because of Disney, which is true. Which is why both Sea World and IoA ride off of Disney's guests. Many people visit Disney, and take one day for Sea World and one day for Universal, which is why they both have the same attendance figures. If Sea World was placed, say, in Wisconsin(even though that wouldn't work), its attendance figures would be MUCH lower than they are now. Universal is NOT trying to conquer WDW, because they know they can't. They just want to take advantage of WDW being there, and they are.

Also, I'd really like to know what your idea of a theme park is, because IoA, like the Magic Kingdom, is as much of a theme park as you can get. You say IoA doesn't have a purpose, well, by that logic, neither does the Magic Kingdom.

the magic kingdom's purpose lies in the first word in its name. IoA going for "adventure" is kinda ambiguous...every park goes for that...I don't honestly see anything linking the lands, whereas the Magic Kingdom has the unity of being a...KINGDOM!

TomMorrow, where did you get that statistics information?


Thanks

Originally posted by Tom Morrow


Universal is NOT trying to conquer WDW, because they know they can't. They just want to take advantage of WDW being there, and they are.

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Finally, somebody said it. This is extremely true. Don't you see Universal's bussiness is not beating Disney, but Disney itself ? Universal needs Disney World functioning and being the number one because this way they make sure people will come to Orlando and so by the way: visit Universal. Being number one or being better than Disney is impossible at this point. Disney started before, has better background and thus, more history which leads to years of hard work that made it what it is today. Universal just can't come out one day with IoA and suddenly make people abandon Disney for this NEW park, no matter how great it is, people unconsciously have Disney at the top of the list and it's too late to make them change their minds. There are millions of number two which can't do nothing about it: Pepsi,Burguer King, Fugi, Avis...Avis even get a famous campaign saying they are NUMBER 2 and succeeded. It's a law of marketing that when you are forbidden to be number one and there's nothing you can do about, just aim for the second place, it's not bad. So, understand Universal's president can say "We will be number #1" , it's not bad, they are just not accepting it publicly, but believe me, they know their position, and they know what it's convenient for them. It's not staying at Disney's shadows, just stand by Disney's right side.

-->Luau

Originally posted by OrlandoDisney
TomMorrow, where did you get that statistics information?


Thanks

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I made it up.

No, just kidding! It was originally posted on Coaster Forum/Thrillnetwork.com in this thread. The source was a CNN.com article, but that link is broken now, and I couldn't find it on CNN.com, so here is a similar one from another site:

http://www.solarius.com/dvp/wdw/attendance_figures.htm
(scroll down to the bottom)

For all of you IOA bashers, have you ever actually been to the park, or are you just going by what your friend's mother's father's nephew's roomate's sister-in-law told you?

Honestly, a visit to the park should change your minds considerably. IOA is as much of an "amusement park" as WDW's own Magic Kingdom. Both have very different themed areas with incredible rides in each section.

I think sometimes some people on here see everything through mouse tinted glasses. I love disney. But I do think the other parks are great for there own reasons. That is why I vist all the parks. Disney makes me feel like a little kid. Universal I go because i enjoy the older rides. IOA because it has some of the best rides out there. Sea World because I enjoy the shows and the front row of Kraken is like no other that I have rode. Busch Gardens because of the animals and the ice show.(Free beer is nice also.) I think they are all great and all have there own place.

The truth is, you don't even have to compare IOA to Disney's offerings. Just compare it to the other Universal park. When US opened, I would say it was more entertaining than MGM. MGM felt like an add-on park that wouldn't have been able to stand on its own. Over the years, I think MGM has caught up with Universal in terms of standalone offerings (and it gets more people each year so I must not be alone in this thinking) but all in all, US was not all that bad of a park. I say "was not" because much of that park is dated and in need of some sort of work but I'll leave that alone for now.
If you look at the overall quality of IOA and US and you take into account, the time periods they were built in, US carries a much higher degree of quality. IOA has Spiderman. That is their single claim to fame in regards to innovation and unique ride experience. You might be able to include Cat in the Hat in with it but all of the rest of the rides (including the Jurassic Park River Adventure) are spruced up versions of typical amusement park offerings. Sure, you can say the Hulk and DD are good coasters but are they are by no stretch of the imagination, super-coasters and single amusement parks found in other parts of this country offer better and more thrilling rides than these. In contrast, almost every single ride in US is a unique experience with nothing quite like it anywhere else. So what happened with IOA? It's an inconsistent mash of themes and mostly typical amusement park style rides. Without even brining Disney into the picture, it seems as though Universal was taking a step back in regards to quality with IOA.

agreed. Also, I HAVE been to IoA and was not in the least bit impressed...I see no value in paying $50 for Six Flags rides with Spidey added on...do I see every amusement park through "mouse-tinted glasses"? YES! That's why I'm a Disney fan and not a Universal fan! I judge every park based on Disney standards, especially if they feel the need to charge MORE than Disney charges to get into their parks!

Originally posted by MrPromey
IOA has Spiderman. That is their single claim to fame in regards to innovation and unique ride experience. You might be able to include Cat in the Hat in with it but all of the rest of the rides (including the Jurassic Park River Adventure) are spruced up versions of typical amusement park offerings.

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True, but most rides at WDW are just spruced up versions of existing rides, too.

Sure, you can say the Hulk and DD are good coasters but are they are by no stretch of the imagination, super-coasters and single amusement parks found in other parts of this country offer better and more thrilling rides than these.

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For the 2001 steel coaster ratings, Hulk was rated # 9, and Dueling Dragons was rated # 12. Some of the coasters ahead of them are only ranked so high because they are "classics", like Magnum XL - 200. Hulk is also the only launched B&M and one of few coasters to have a launched lift hill, and Dueling Dragons is the only dueling inverted coaster (and there aren't very many dueling coasters, period).
Click here to view the full list.

In contrast, almost every single ride in US is a unique experience with nothing quite like it anywhere else. So what happened with IOA? It's an inconsistent mash of themes and mostly typical amusement park style rides. Without even brining Disney into the picture, it seems as though Universal was taking a step back in regards to quality with IOA.

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Thats basically what the purpose of IoA is - a highly themed traditional amusement park. Most people consider IoA to be a very high quality park, and I do too. Of course, I still believe Disney is the absolute best, but I think Universal is a great park too.

Something tells me that IOA bashers don't have much theme park/amusement park experience outside of Orlando.....

Originally posted by Tom Morrow

True, but most rides at WDW are just spruced up versions of existing rides, too.



For the 2001 steel coaster ratings, Hulk was rated # 9, and Dueling Dragons was rated # 12. Some of the coasters ahead of them are only ranked so high because they are "classics", like Magnum XL - 200. Hulk is also the only launched B&M and one of few coasters to have a launched lift hill, and Dueling Dragons is the only dueling inverted coaster (and there aren't very many dueling coasters, period).
Click here to view the full list.


Thats basically what the purpose of IoA is - a highly themed traditional amusement park. Most people consider IoA to be a very high quality park, and I do too. Of course, I still believe Disney is the absolute best, but I think Universal is a great park too.

Something tells me that IOA bashers don't have much theme park/amusement park experience outside of Orlando.....

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Most rides at WDW are? Hmm… Well the cars you ride in at the Haunted Mansion, in Spaceship Earth, In JIIYI, and In Living Seas (used to, anyway) are called Omni Movers. Disney invented them. Actually, most of the ride systems found at WDW were created by Disney. The boats that you have in so many rides? That began with Disney. How about Peter Pan’s Flight? As boring as it seems today, it was cutting edge when Disney first introduced it. Actually, I can’t think of many rides besides the Dumbo style and perhaps Snow White which are that run of the mill at all. There are a few others - in reality, there isn’t anything all that unique about Space Mountain other than the fact that it’s inside and in the dark but I would say that amusement park style rides are the exception in WDW at this time rather than the rule. When we think Disney is being cheap, we get a ride like Triceratops Spin but nobody thinks poorly for it’s Unicorn coaster which is actually smaller and more poorly themed.

I followed the link to that site in your post and noticed something interesting: Bush Gardens Florida has a coaster listed as #5 (Montu) and #13 (Kumba). By my math those numbers would give them a higher overall coaster rating in those charts than IOA has and both of those BG coasters are older but by no means (classics). With a total of 6 coasters compared to IOA’s 3 (counting dragons as 2). For that matter, take away the building and the animatronics and BG also has the Jurassic Park River Adventure.

Well, you say that IOA is a highly themed traditional amusement park but apparently Universal doesn’t want people to think that since they bill it as a theme park and for a few years, were calling it the most technologically advanced theme park in the world. At least with me, you would be right in saying that I don’t have a lot of theme park/amusement park experience outside of Florida. I’ve been to Six Flags over Georgia and to Kennywood but since I live close to 8 large parks, I’ve never felt the need to search out others. I’m not aware of theme parks being that prevalent across North America. In fact, besides Bush Entertainment, Disney and Universal, I’m not aware of any major players in this field located anywhere else in the country. By no means would I say that IOA is a bad amusement park. To be honest, from what I saw with Six Flags, it seems like the amusement parks are starting to pay a little more attention to theme in regards to rides these days as well… I’m only saying that compared to what’s offered in the neighborhood, it isn’t as great as some people would tend to believe it is. On the whole, most of what’s in Universal Studios seems more innovative than IOA and most of that stuff is a decade or more old. Even with IOA being the park that’s gotten the bulk of national advertising and even with it being newer, Universal Studios still pulled in nearly two million more guests last year than IOA. How does something like that happen? The entrances to the two parks are only a few hundred feet apart. They are both about the same distance from the parking garages. I’m pretty sure the signs directing people between the two are pretty clear… IOA may be one of the best amusement parks out there but for the last 30 years, people have been coming to the Orlando area do something more than an amusement park. Sure, there are enthusiasts that will travel to the area to do the two coasters there and the one in Sea world, and the ones at Bush Gardens but I don’t think that’s what the average family is thinking about when they are planning their once in a lifetime trip to the Orlando area. Rides like Hulk and Dragons have things that put them towards the tops of lists today but that is an ever evolving field and do you really expect a ride that just barely makes the top ten of that list to stay there long? I think Universal chose to take the cheap thrill route with IOA. Compared to rides like Back to the Future (US) and Tower of Terror (MGM), rides like the Hulk and Dragons are just that -cheap. They also have the convenience of B&M handling everything from basic design to construction so it’s a simple matter. Do I like coasters? Sure. I’ve ridden the Hulk and the Dragons Multiple times, I’ve ridden all the coasters at Bush Gardens FL and I’ve also ridden them in my limited experience in parks outside of Florida. I like roller coasters but coasters have a limited audience to appeal to. Most amusement parks invest in coasters because it gives them the best bang for their buck on limited budgets. When BG FL wanted to punch up their park and offer something special they didn’t build another coaster, they built Dino Rally. Some parks such as Cedar Point pride themselves for their coasters and make it a fulltime obsession but IOA has a long ways to go before it can compare itself to a park like that. They may have Six Flags and Paramount beat in overall quality but in Orlando, that doesn’t mean a whole lot and that is my point.

Islands of Adventure is a theme park. If you have ever been to Six Flags or Cedar Point you will know what it means to lack any theme.

They are not trying to beat Six Flags in coasters. They are trying to create a theme park that thrill riders and little kids will enjoy.

Quite frankly I think IOA has better theming then EPCOT and MGM.

Hulk and the Dragons are the unique. Hulk for being a launched B&M, and Dragons for being Dueling Inverts.

Now a question... what is DCA? A theme park? An ammusement park?

If DCA is a theme park and IOA is not... well someone is spoon fed by disney.

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theme park (plural theme parks) noun
amusement park with theme: an amusement park in which all of the entertainments and facilities are designed around a particular subject or idea

a·muse·ment park (plural a·muse·ment parks) noun
an outdoor area with a variety of mechanical rides, games, and other attractions that people pay to use

Wow I'm very shocked on how far this thread is going by me showing a picture of the empty parkinglot.... hehe..

~ Justin...

Originally posted by DogsRule!
I judge every park based on Disney standards

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That's a problem most people have. As I said before, comparing to Disney is like comparing all to Microsoft. Disney is stable as the number one in parks,and is far beyond any other park, but that doesn't mean the other parks are trash.
You simply cannot compare Six Flags with IoA, Dogsrule. IoA is in fact a very well themed park, though you can say the theming is just a complement to the thrill rides, but in that case the same goes with Disney, specially nowadays where after a movie we get something re-named after it or just a ride with the movie's name. When I first entered Jurassic Park Island I was really excited to pass through the arch and hearing dino sounds in the bushes, while listened to the JP theme. Marvel Island was constructed and painted based on comics books, with every single detail, like the flashes in the windows or the bricks being marked, so don't tell it's not a well-themed park, because it is.
I continue thinking you haven't experienced such a bad amusment park - like, believe me, I did - to say IoA is not fine.

-->LuAu

why should I not hold parks that charge as much as disney and plug themselves as theme parks up to disney standards??? Have you been to one of the GOOD Six Flags parks lately (Magic Mountain, Worlds of Adventure, Great Adventure)? They theme their queue lines on new coasters extremely well, but the theming stops once the ride starts. That is what I see at Islands of Adventure, except they only have two coasters--I would much rather ride Worlds of Adventure's 10 coasters. Six Flags does have some moderate theming...I know Worlds of Adventure has separate sections of the park (Gotham City, Loony Toons BoomTown, a 1950s area), but like Islands of Adventure, there is nothing joining the areas, and, again, the theming stops once you board your ride vehicles. What is the theme of California Adventure??? Um...how bout the history of California as well as present day Cali? You learn about farming, aviation history, national parks, amusement parks, and you see production studios. They are exhibiting California...letting guests have fun as they learn. You can say "what exactly am I learning from this", but if you have never been to California, and visit this park for one day, you will have seen much of the state and its history.

If IOA is just a bunch of dressed up amusement park rides then...

How is Storm Force different from the Mad Tea Party?
How is Dudley Doright / Jurassic Park different from Splash Mountain or Maelstrom?
How is Camp Jurassic different from HISTK:Adventure Zone?
How is Jurassic Park Discovery Center different from almost anything in World Showcase?
How is Flying Unicorn different from the Barnstormer?
How is Popeye's Bilgerat Barges different from Kali River Rapids?
How is Sindbad different from Indiana Jones?
How is Poseidon different from say...well....it's pretty unique by itself
How is Cat In The Hat different from any Fantasyland dark-ride?

IOA meets the Disney-standard for theming, and beats it on a number of rides. The park offers an unbeatable amount of detail in every direction. I've explored that park from front to back, and I know that there are things that I haven't seen.

My only complaint about the park is the horrible employees. Even with this drawback, IOA is my favorite park of all time. FYI, I rank USF below all the WDW parks. I'm not a Universal-fanboy.