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Disney Playing catch up with Universal... Potter Disney's biggest mistake in 20 years...

M

mahnamahna101

Well-Known Member
SJN1279 said:
Instead Universal gave us 20 meaningless shops(because JK gets a cut of the merchandise), a puke machine, a very expensive transportation screen based train, and a screen based 3D coaster that really isn't a coaster.
Click to expand...
Instead Universal gave us a place someone over the age of 8 can enjoy ;)

and all Disney was going to do is give us a Wii video game with wands, a MAGICAL petting zoo, and one crappy shop with plenty of HP-themed Mickey ears. As an adult, I'd take a "puke machine" and "screen based 3D coaster that really isn't a coaster" over a TSMM-style dark ride. It's easily the most lazy and poorly executed dark ride WDI has done since Superstar Limo IMO.

All New Fantasyland gave us was a kiddie coaster, a mediocre Omnimover, two M&Gs - one of which replaced a classic dark ride, a restaurant (More profits!! just like the apparently 20 shops... is that both combined? Because last I counted, it was 8-10 for both) and an extra spinner.

All Pandora will have is Soarin' 2.0 and an AA boat ride.

All Cars Land has is a Test Track copy, and two flat rides ;)

If you don't see what I'm getting at, you're a hopeless pixie duster :rolleyes:
 
Pumbas Nakasak

Pumbas Nakasak

Heading for the great escape.
SJN1279 said:
Instead Universal gave us 20 meaningless shops(because JK gets a cut of the merchandise), a puke machine, a very expensive transportation screen based train, and a screen based 3D coaster that really isn't a coaster.
Click to expand...

post-28281-Ken-Jeong-snarfing-gif-damn-yo-XT7K.gif
46221458.jpg
 
flynnibus

flynnibus

Premium Member
CT2 said:
Let me get this straight....Disney was really "burned" by not getting Potter? And they learned their lesson?
It was a huge "mistake"?

Exactly how did they get burned, make a mistae or learn a lesson?

The crowds at Disney as so huge that you its hard to walk around the parks. Hotels are packed, thousands and thousands are coming from everywhere in the world. Money flows into Disney's pockets easily.
And they somehow got burned or made mistake.

Really?
Click to expand...

There's one born every minute...
 
Pieter

Pieter

Member
Disclaimer: I am a Disney fanatic, but decided this year to buy Universal Annual Pass this year for a change.

With the success Uni is having with Potter I am concerned they will rely on this IP too much. There are a lot of people out there that could care less about Potter. I love FJ but I have not been in the shops since I have no interest in Potter merch. I want to see them do the same level of design and ingenuity on other IPs as well. And please no Lord of the Rings. They need to keep the variety.
 
kap91

kap91

Well-Known Member
flynnibus said:
Yet, he didn't stop making new movies or new projects either... or shutdown his animation studio with the mindset 'I have all the films I need'. The point was the company knew that they needed to keep looking forward for the next thing.. even if the old stuff still made money.
Click to expand...

Not really my argument to be getting in, just want to point out WDW hasn't stopped building new attractions, there are no signs that it will, and certainly hasn't shut down Imagineering. They haven't necessarily built anything truly amazing in several years either, though that's not to say that they haven't been completely innovation less (Maurice's mirror, lumiere, Dwarves are just some things that come to mind and they're definitely being innovative on the guest experience/tech front. Leading the way I'd say). Just trying to keep the conversation a bit more balanced. I agree with your general sentiment.
 
kap91

kap91

Well-Known Member
Animaniac93-98 said:
I think UNI is actually doing this better than Disney ever did. Old World Antiques looked nice, but not many people bought anything there. The Harry stuff is selling like hotcakes.
Click to expand...

That's less evidence of quality merchandise and more evidence of the popularity of Harry Potter. Personally, I find the merchandise of HP to be the most disappointing thing. Butterbeer is great but what am I going to do with a tin robot, wax seal set, or decidedly unattractive pins? Which is a shame because in general, I much prefer the concept of unique and attraction specific merchandise. And I'm a huge HP fan.

Universal could have sold nothing but real Buckbeak turds and they still would have sold out.
 
flynnibus

flynnibus

Premium Member
kap91 said:
Not really my argument to be getting in, just want to point out WDW hasn't stopped building new attractions, there are no signs that it will, and certainly hasn't shut down Imagineering.
Click to expand...

But they have been behind on many fronts... in the hotel spaces (decor, services), in mobile apps (they finally have them, but how late?), transportation tech, etc just to name a few. The conversation is not about your volume of activities... but about their performance on evaluating and executing on opportunities.
 
M

mahnamahna101

Well-Known Member
Disney's biggest mistake isn't passing on Potter or MyMagic+.

Its biggest mistake is letting Universal potentially do this from 2010-2025:

  1. Hogsmeade
  2. Mini-Golf Courses at Citywalk
  3. Despicable Me - Minion Mayhem
  4. Superstar Parade
  5. Cinematic Spectacular
  6. Transformers - The Ride 3D
  7. Springfield
  8. Cabana Bay
  9. Diagon Alley
  10. CityWalk 2.0
  11. Interactive Gardens of Allah museum
  12. Kong E-ticket
  13. Hotel 5
  14. KidZone revamp/replacement
  15. JP expansion/revamp
  16. Nighttime show for IOA
  17. Shrek replacement
  18. Twister and T2 upgrades/replacements
  19. Disaster replacement
  20. Wondersea Island (waterpark at a 2nd resort or by Cabana Bay)
  21. Middle Earth
  22. Seuss expansion
  23. Potter 3.0
  24. mystery plot
  25. Fear Factor replacement
  26. new entry plaza for USF
  27. 2nd CityWalk-type area
  28. Hotels 6 and 7
  29. a monorail/transit between the two separate resorts
  30. 3rd gate
While the WDW parks may only get this until 2020-2021:
  1. Star Tours II
  2. New Fantasyland
  3. Frozen sing-a-long at DHS
  4. Disney Springs
  5. Pandora
  6. New hotel
  7. New restaurant at World Showcase
 
SJN1279

SJN1279

Well-Known Member
kap91 said:
Ok I literally almost laughed out loud at your post, only because it resembles the tone most of the critiques Disney get's these days...I think you might be going a tad too far though.

Though I would think the reviews of the Hogwarts Express should be interesting. If mine train can only be considered a D+ ticket at best with a coaster and state-of-the-art animatronics, then I fail to see how an essentially motionless room with two Tv's can be considered anything more. Let me state now though that I haven't been on the Express yet (hoping to tomorrow if I'm really lucky) so I can't fully judge it with authority.
Click to expand...

Hogwarts Express is a C or D ticket up-charge attraction. A cute ride, but not to the level of pre-opening hype.
 
kap91

kap91

Well-Known Member
flynnibus said:
But they have been behind on many fronts... in the hotel spaces (decor, services), in mobile apps (they finally have them, but how late?), transportation tech, etc just to name a few. The conversation is not about your volume of activities... but about their performance on evaluating and executing on opportunities.
Click to expand...

I fail to see how they've been behind in any of those spaces, especially with the latter two as Universal has neither, and Disney seems to be on the front lines of what a theme park app can do (and has been for a while, even before MM+ they had Mobile Magic). Universal still can't even get it's turnstiles to work properly.
 
flynnibus

flynnibus

Premium Member
kap91 said:
That's less evidence of quality merchandise and more evidence of the popularity of Harry Potter. Personally, I find the merchandise of HP to be the most disappointing thing. Butterbeer is great but what am I going to do with a tin robot, wax seal set, or decidedly unattractive pins? Which is a shame because in general, I much prefer the concept of unique and attraction specific merchandise. And I'm a huge HP fan.
Click to expand...

Huh? The shirts... the scarves.. the other clothing. Just to name a few
Then there is that whole 'wand' thing...
Then there's that whole themed candy thing...

And this isn't even touching on the food stuff...

Contrast that with Disney's offers of..
mostly ugly clothing
stuffed animals
housewares
picture frames
scrapbook kits

Oh yeah, and all of it you can just pickup at World of Disney since everything is the same everywhere
 
Bairstow

Bairstow

Well-Known Member
mahnamahna101 said:
Disney's biggest mistake isn't passing on Potter or MyMagic+.

Its biggest mistake is letting Universal potentially do this from 2010-2025:

  1. Hogsmeade
  2. Mini-Golf Courses at Citywalk
  3. Despicable Me - Minion Mayhem
  4. Superstar Parade
  5. Cinematic Spectacular
  6. Transformers - The Ride 3D
  7. Springfield
  8. Cabana Bay
  9. Diagon Alley
  10. CityWalk 2.0
  11. Interactive Gardens of Allah museum
  12. Kong E-ticket
  13. Hotel 5
  14. KidZone revamp/replacement
  15. JP expansion/revamp
  16. Nighttime show for IOA
  17. Shrek replacement
  18. Twister and T2 upgrades/replacements
  19. Disaster replacement
  20. Wondersea Island (waterpark at a 2nd resort or by Cabana Bay)
  21. Middle Earth
  22. Seuss expansion
  23. Potter 3.0
  24. mystery plot
  25. Fear Factor replacement
  26. new entry plaza for USF
  27. 2nd CityWalk-type area
  28. Hotels 6 and 7
  29. a monorail/transit between the two separate resorts
  30. 3rd gate
While the WDW parks may only get this until 2020-2021:
  1. Star Tours II
  2. New Fantasyland
  3. Frozen sing-a-long at DHS
  4. Disney Springs
  5. Pandora
Click to expand...

Alright, c'mon, almost all of that is pure speculation, especially the bit about Christopher Tolkien letting anything Lord of the Rings get built.
 
flynnibus

flynnibus

Premium Member
kap91 said:
I fail to see how they've been behind in any of those spaces, especially with the latter two as Universal has neither, and Disney seems to be on the front lines of what a theme park app can do (and has been for a while, even before MM+ they had Mobile Magic). Universal still can't even get it's turnstiles to work properly.
Click to expand...

Uhh... the world isn't just about Disney vs Universal.

When guests come on property.. they didn't emerge from Universal.. they came out from the rest of the world.

Nothing of what I've been talking about is about Disney vs Universal.. It's about Disney and it's customers
 

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