Am I the only who ignores Universal?

G

GrandRoyale

Member
draybook said:
Well, this blind defender spends just as much time split from his wife and daughter while they ride: Soarin, Star Tours, ToT, RnRc, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Expedition Everest, spinning ride in dinoland, Tea Cups, Mission Space, Test Track and soon to be the Dwarves Mine Train ride.

So, this blind defender knows what he's talking about when he says that Universal has just as much for sissies as WDW.
Click to expand...

You listed 13 rides out of four parks. That ratio is quite different than what's found at Universal parks. The number of rides that out-thrill the tea cups, roller coasters, and simulators at Universal versus Disney is larger and makes up a larger percentage of their overall ride count.

It's great that we all love Universal, but I love it because it's a little more irreverent, thrilling, and aimed at an older crowd. That's actually what I enjoy about it. There's no need for everyone to get defensive about the opinion that Universal is second in family entertainment to Disney in that it's what makes them unique (in my eyes).
 
Disneyhead'71

Disneyhead'71

Well-Known Member
Universal has some great attractions, themeing, and dining. But it's not Disney and isn't trying to be. Either you take it for what it is or you don't. Disney has cornered the market in things for toddlers and people with pacemakers. For my family (Me50, DD17, DD13) we prefer UOR.
It is one thing to say, "it's not for us". It's another to call it Six Flags, an amusement park, or cheap. UOR is far superior to Six Flags or any regional amusement park. I love traditional amusement parks. I love Cedar Point, Kennywood, and parks like Lakeside Amusement Park in Denver. Traditional Amusement Parks have their own history and legacy. I even like the new breed amusement parks like Kings Island, Kings Dominion, Carowinds, and Hersheypark. But I like them all for what they are. Six Flags is the one park operator that I have little respect for. But there are a few Theme Park like Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Dollywood, and UOR that simply don't get the respect they deserve on this forum.
 
awoogala

awoogala

Well-Known Member
Disneyhead'71 said:
Universal has some great attractions, themeing, and dining. But it's not Disney and isn't trying to be. Either you take it for what it is or you don't. Disney has cornered the market in things for toddlers and people with pacemakers. For my family (Me50, DD17, DD13) we prefer UOR.
It is one thing to say, "it's not for us". It's another to call it Six Flags, an amusement park, or cheap. UOR is far superior to Six Flags or any regional amusement park. I love traditional amusement parks. I love Cedar Point, Kennywood, and parks like Lakeside Amusement Park in Denver. Traditional Amusement Parks have their own history and legacy. I even like the new breed amusement parks like Kings Island, Kings Dominion, Carowinds, and Hersheypark. But I like them all for what they are. Six Flags is the one park operator that I have little respect for. But there are a few Theme Park like Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Dollywood, and UOR that simply don't get the respect they deserve on this forum.
Click to expand...
ooh. I need to go back to Dollywood- loved it when I was a child!
 
draybook

draybook

Well-Known Member
GrandRoyale said:
You listed 13 rides out of four parks. That ratio is quite different than what's found at Universal parks. The number of rides that out-thrill the tea cups, roller coasters, and simulators at Universal versus Disney is larger and makes up a larger percentage of their overall ride count.

It's great that we all love Universal, but I love it because it's a little more irreverent, thrilling, and aimed at an older crowd. That's actually what I enjoy about it. There's no need for everyone to get defensive about the opinion that Universal is second in family entertainment to Disney in that it's what makes them unique (in my eyes).
Click to expand...


Well, when you compare those rides to the total amount, it's a pretty hefty ratio.
 
Disneyhead'71

Disneyhead'71

Well-Known Member
Most Disney fans simply don't understand the variety of offerings available at UOR. They just see the coasters and close down their minds. I have found that the energy level at UOR in general, is too much for a lot of Disney fans. I wish I could tour them around the resort because I cut my teeth at WDW and have found many delightful quiet spots in and around UOR that I think would give a different perspective than what most Disney fans find when they spend a day at UOR from their base camp at WDW. You can't really "get" UOR from a day visit unless you have a competent tour guide. It's like spending a day at WDW from a base camp at UOR. I can show you great Sushi in a serene atmosphere at the Orchid Court Sushi Bar at The Royal Pacific. A delightful bottle of vino and a cheese board at The Thirsty Fish harborside at Portofino Bay that is more peaceful that anything in World Showcase. Fantastic family attractions like ET, and Cat in the Hat. Great kids playground like Camp Jurassic that blows Dinoland out of the water. Just tell me what it is about WDW that you like best and I'll show you how Universal does that. But to be honest, throwing in SeaWorld, or better yet Discovery Cove, and I can show you a comparable vacation to WDW cheaper (including Discovery Cove) than a WDW vacation at one of their Deluxes.
6 nights at Portofino Bay, 3 days at Universal, 1 at World and 1 at Discovery Cove. And throw in 2 dinners on restaurant row (Ocean Prime, Morton's, Ruth Chris, Roy's, Timpano's, etc) and while it's not a bubble like WDW, it is a world class vacation.
 
Last edited:
G

GrandRoyale

Member
Disneyhead'71 said:
Most Disney fans simply don't understand the variety of offerings available at UOR. They just see the coasters and close down their minds. I have found that the energy level at UOR in general, is too much for a lot of Disney fans. I wish I could tour them around the resort because I cut my teeth at WDW and have found many delightful quiet spots in and around UOR that I think would give a different perspective than what most Disney fans find when they spend a day at UOR from their base camp at WDW. You can't really "get" UOR from a day visit unless you have a competent tour guide. It's like spending a day at WDW from a base camp at UOR. I can show you great Sushi in a serene atmosphere at the Orchid Court Sushi Bar at The Royal Pacific. A delightful bottle of vino and a cheese board at The Thirsty Fish harborside at Portofino Bay that is more peaceful that anything in World Showcase. Fantastic family attractions like ET, and Cat in the Hat. Great kids playground like Camp Jurassic that blows Dinoland out of the water. Just tell me what it is about WDW that you like best and I'll show you how Universal does that. But to be honest, throwing in SeaWorld, or better yet Discovery Cove, and I can show you a comparable vacation to WDW cheaper (including Discovery Cove) than a WDW vacation at one of their Deluxes.
6 nights at Portofino Bay, 3 days at Universal, 1 at World and 1 at Discovery Cove. And throw in 2 dinners on restaurant row (Ocean Prime, Morton's, Ruth Chris, Roy's, Timpano's, etc) and while it's not a bubble like WDW, it is a world class vacation.
Click to expand...

You're not understanding the point though...nobody has denied that there aren't good family rides, restaurants, or family rides at Universal. Simply that these offerings are more plentiful and high-quality at Disney.

I think the problem with this thread is that everyone thinks its one or the other--that's not the case. I love both. Disney excels at what you mentioned...family rides, quiet spots, and fine dining. That's not to say it's nonexistent at Universal, just that it's not quite as abundant. However, many people can easily admit that Universal excels at having more contemporary properties, better thrill rides, more technologically-advanced/innovative attractions, and better rate of new attractions.

There's no need for you to get all defensive. No park is 100% perfect, and there's no use trying to argue that one is. You can like Universal without ****ting on Disney and vice versa. Just relax. Each park has its pros and cons, but they do different things better than the other.
 
polynesiangirl

polynesiangirl

Well-Known Member
I've never done Universal. As a kid in the 90s it didn't really appeal to my family (except I did always wish we could go to Nickelodeon studios!) and now as an adult it's just always been too much of a hassle. I never want to arrange for transportation, or move hotels, or buy more park tickets. Plus now I have little kids and so I like to keep things simple and stay in one spot on our trips when I can. We'd like to visit Universal eventually, but it'll be a good few years yet I think.
 
D

doctornick

Well-Known Member
GrandRoyale said:
...I'm not sure what math you're using, but not really lol. The amount of family-friendly attractions (ones everyone can enjoy) versus thrill rides at Disney is a lot larger than the count at Universal.
Click to expand...

Yep. I actually posted on this very thread about this already: http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/am-i-the-only-who-ignores-universal.875674/page-7#post-5766965

WDW
-------
POTC
Jungle Cruise
HM
PPF
IASW
TLM
Pooh
Buzz
Peoplemover
Railroad
SSE
Nemo
Imagination
Energy
Mexico
Maelstrom
GMR
TSMM


You could potentially add the safari (it's a bit bumpy though), Backlot Tour and the monorail (it's transport, but also sort of an attraction) to this list.

Meanwhile....

Uni
-----
ET
Disaster
MiB
Cat in the Hat
High in the Sky

The number of all ages family friendly rides in WDW vs Uni is a large different. I enjoy Uni and recognize they have a lot of great offering, many superior to anything that WDW has. But it's pretty obviously true that if you want a certain style of ride and experience that WDW would be more appealing.
 
danlb_2000

danlb_2000

Premium Member
doctornick said:
Yep. I actually posted on this very thread about this already: http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/am-i-the-only-who-ignores-universal.875674/page-7#post-5766965

WDW
-------
POTC
Jungle Cruise
HM
PPF
IASW
TLM
Pooh
Buzz
Peoplemover
Railroad
SSE
Nemo
Imagination
Energy
Mexico
Maelstrom
GMR
TSMM


You could potentially add the safari (it's a bit bumpy though), Backlot Tour and the monorail (it's transport, but also sort of an attraction) to this list.

Meanwhile....

Uni
-----
ET
Disaster
MiB
Cat in the Hat
High in the Sky

The number of all ages family friendly rides in WDW vs Uni is a large different. I enjoy Uni and recognize they have a lot of great offering, many superior to anything that WDW has. But it's pretty obviously true that if you want a certain style of ride and experience that WDW would be more appealing.
Click to expand...

What about Shrek and Despicable Me?
 
D

doctornick

Well-Known Member
danlb_2000 said:
What about Shrek and Despicable Me?
Click to expand...

Shrek is a theater show and I deliberately did not count that (you'll note I don't have Tough to be a Bug or Captain Eo, etc on there either). I was just listing rides.

Despicable Me is a simulator with a height restriction. I wouldn't consider that an all ages ride and some people can't tolerate such rides. I didn't list Star Tours either.

I was going for a list of rides that pretty much everyone can go on (you have to look at my original post to see that, I guess). If we expand the list to all "attractions" that are family friendly, sure Uni would get a number more... but so would WDW which has a large number of shows (movies, stage shows, AAs) as well. I don't think that would help Uni's case in this regard much.

Uni has a lot of stuff to do for everyone, but it is certainly reasonable to point out that WDW has a lot more to offer when it comes to family friendly rides. For people with young children or folks who don't tolerate a lot of movement on rides, it is understandable why they might prefer WDW due to the sheer number of things they can do.
 
Last edited:
D

doctornick

Well-Known Member
draybook said:
Except that Shrek has non motion seats so technically you could take any age in there.
Click to expand...

I haven't been on it, but I'm under the impression it is a 4D theater show like It's Tough to Be a Bug, isn't it? That's why I did not list it, because I was listing rides, not shows. I didn't list any shows for WDW either.

I don't think adding in shows helps Uni's case much when it comes to total number of all ages attractions. Shows for WDW include.... Tough to be a Bug, FOLTK, Nemo the Musical, bird show, Muppets, VOTLM, BatB, Indy stunt show, LMA, AIE, Jack Sparrow, Disney Jr, China, France, Canada, American Adventure, Turtle Time, Captain Eo, Circle of Life, Philharmagic, Tiki Room, HoP, Country Bears, Laugh Floor, CoP. Plus all the larger entertainment things like parades and night time shows.
 
Disneyhead'71

Disneyhead'71

Well-Known Member
doctornick said:
Yep. I actually posted on this very thread about this already: http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/am-i-the-only-who-ignores-universal.875674/page-7#post-5766965

WDW
-------
POTC
Jungle Cruise
HM
PPF
IASW
TLM
Pooh
Buzz
Peoplemover
Railroad
SSE
Nemo
Imagination
Energy
Mexico
Maelstrom
GMR
TSMM


You could potentially add the safari (it's a bit bumpy though), Backlot Tour and the monorail (it's transport, but also sort of an attraction) to this list.

Meanwhile....

Uni
-----
ET
Disaster
MiB
Cat in the Hat
High in the Sky

The number of all ages family friendly rides in WDW vs Uni is a large different. I enjoy Uni and recognize they have a lot of great offering, many superior to anything that WDW has. But it's pretty obviously true that if you want a certain style of ride and experience that WDW would be more appealing.
Click to expand...
What if you are looking for new state of the art attractions? Yeah, Disney wins in the really old moving park bench rides. Yea!!!! If that is what you're looking for and LOVE paying ridiculous amounts of $$$$ for a big batch of "nothing new".
 
Ginzuishou

Ginzuishou

Active Member
What about:

Twister
Popeye Rapids ride
Dudley Splashboat
One Fish Two Fish spinner ride
Harry Potter Ride
Simpsons
Shrek
Despicable Me
Jurassic Splashboat
Spiderman
Transformers
X-men tea cups
hippogriff coaster
woody woodpecker coaster


.... all family friendly
 
Disneyhead'71

Disneyhead'71

Well-Known Member
I believe "Family Friendly" is actually a subjective term. My family finds most of WDW's "attractions" to be coma inducing.

To sum it up nicely, when we got comped in for New Fantasyland Cast Previews, my oldest Princess chose to stay home and do homework.
 
draybook

draybook

Well-Known Member
I was going to actually take the time to work out a list of comparable items, but I'd rather watch my dogs poo wither away. I think we can all agree that it boils down to the individual family as to what is considered "family friendly". We can also agree to disagree. That being said, I will now remove myself from the conversation. See you gents and ladies in the 4,083,286 other threads!!
 
danlb_2000

danlb_2000

Premium Member
Ginzuishou said:
What about:

Twister
Popeye Rapids ride
Dudley Splashboat
One Fish Two Fish spinner ride
Harry Potter Ride
Simpsons
Shrek
Despicable Me
Jurassic Splashboat
Spiderman
Transformers
X-men tea cups
hippogriff coaster
woody woodpecker coaster


.... all family friendly
Click to expand...

Popeye, Forbidden Journey, Simpsons, Spiderman, Transformers, Hippogriff, Wood Woodpecker all have height limits.
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom