California Adventure vs Universal Studios Hollywood

[DavidDL]

I’ve read this thread and my conclusion is:

why are we arguing over our preferences? It’s sort of… pointless.

I personally love DCA and USH… I’ll enjoy both when I finally get back to California.

First off, let me just say that you deserve a medal for reading through all those obscenely long posts.

Second, I'm normally of the same mindset. People enjoy what they want to enjoy and no one should tell them otherwise. Love what you love, even if it's not what I do. This was obviously meant to just be a scenario where people vote, explain their reasoning for their choice then live and let live.

When it starts to devolve, I think, for me and others, is when other members can't handle our reasoning/difference of opinion and decide to confront us directly with claims of being "unfair" in our decision making. As if doing so is meant to convince us that the way we've come to our personal opinions is wrong.

I'm down for sharing the way I feel. I'm down for others sharing the way they feel, even if I disagree. I'm down to civilly discuss both sides in a way that explains where folks like myself are coming from and I am down to empathize and understand where those who feel the opposite are coming from, too. But I'm not down to try and belittle either side or when others try to.

 

[Disney Analyst]

First off, let me just say that you deserve a medal for reading through all those obscenely long posts.

Second, I'm normally of the same mindset. People enjoy what they want to enjoy and no one should tell them otherwise. Love what you love, even if it's not what I do. This was obviously meant to just be a scenario where people vote, explain their reasoning for their choice then live and let live.

When it starts to devolve, I think, for me and others, is when other members can't handle our reasoning/difference of opinion and decide to confront us directly with claims of being "unfair" in our decision making. As if doing so is meant to convince us that the way we've come to our personal opinions is wrong.

I'm down for sharing the way I feel. I'm down for others sharing the way they feel, even if I disagree. I'm down to civilly discuss both sides in a way that explains where folks like myself are coming from and I am down to empathize and understand where those who feel the opposite are coming from, too. But I'm not down to try and belittle either side or when others try to.

Okay let me be honest, I read a lot of it… but I did skim some of those huge posts. but I think I got the general idea.

 

[DavidDL]

Okay let me be honest, I read a lot of it… but I did skim some of those huge posts. but I think I got the general idea.

Hey, can't say I blame you.

 

[Professortango1]

10 years ago, DCA all the way. Since they removed TOT, TTBAB, and ruined the progress they were making with Paradise Pier, the park just doesn't have the same spark for me.

While I don't like some of the changes to Jurassic Park/World The Ride (RIP Jeep), the park has been improving. SLOP is a well done dark ride and Nintendo will bring some new flavours to the park's line up. I feel like USH is going the right direction whereas DCA is slipping backwards.

 

[PiratesMansion]

True, I’m just not convinced honesty matters all that much in the context we’re discussing. At the end of the day, I place more emphasis on quality than honesty. DCA has a lot of issues, but those issues are a lack of high-quality rides and attractions and disjointed theming - not “dishonesty.”

The pricing implies that it's equal to Disneyland, which we all know is nonsense. Obviously that's Disney/industry standard, it's not changing, etc, but nonetheless it is an example.

But I guess the real aspect of "honesty," if we must go along that tract (and by "honesty" I suppose it's more accurate to say "self-awareness"), is that USH basically knows and understands what it is, and is operated by people who have a clear understanding of the park and what it needs. I see less evidence of that at DCA.

If a product/business is operated by people with a genuine understanding for it, that will tends to result in a better, more coherent experience for the guest, even if all the other particulars (i.e. rides) don't 100% measure up in some people's minds.

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

I'd choose DCA. It's far from perfect, but I really enjoy themed areas and Cars Land, Buena Vista Street, and Grizzly Peak area are all pretty well done. The major attraction line up is more appealing to me than Universal.

 

[BeentoallDParks]

People get all hung up about IP and theming and immersion, but for me, the simple fact is I have more FUN at California Adventure. USH’s rides feel cheap (The Mummy is a joke compare to USF’s) and the studio tour isn’t something you want to do every visit.

Now, in a matchup between DCA and Universal Studios in Florida, Universal would win. I don’t go to place because it promises I can ride the movies. I go to have fun. That’s my entire goal. And USH, while not awful, is not the most fun park I’ve been to by a long shot.

 

[bryanfze55]

People get all hung up about IP and theming and immersion, but for me, the simple fact is I have more FUN at California Adventure. USH’s rides feel cheap (The Mummy is a joke compare to USF’s) and the studio tour isn’t something you want to do every visit.

Now, in a matchup between DCA and Universal Studios in Florida, Universal would win. I don’t go to place because it promises I can ride the movies. I go to have fun. That’s my entire goal. And USH, while not awful, is not the most fun park I’ve been to by a long shot.

Well when you’re paying Disney prices, I think the benchmark needs to be higher than “fun.” Incredicoaster is “fun” and a good coaster, but you can find the exact same thing at almost any Six Flags, sans the babies on sticks.

 

[Professortango1]

People get all hung up about IP and theming and immersion, but for me, the simple fact is I have more FUN at California Adventure. USH’s rides feel cheap (The Mummy is a joke compare to USF’s) and the studio tour isn’t something you want to do every visit.

Now, in a matchup between DCA and Universal Studios in Florida, Universal would win. I don’t go to place because it promises I can ride the movies. I go to have fun. That’s my entire goal. And USH, while not awful, is not the most fun park I’ve been to by a long shot.

I'd still take USH's Mummy over Incredicoaster. Transformers is a better ride that Mission BO. SLOP is better than Mermaid/Monsters Inc. Jurassic World is better than GRR. Simpsons is more entertaining than Soarin'. I'd argue Kung Fu Panda is a little more engaging than Philharmagic. Then you add that USH has Forbidden Journey and Hogsmede which trumps DCA's best, Cars Land. USH is far from perfect, especially when compared to USO, but the rides present are stronger than DCA's. The only quality DCA ride that I feel USH doesn't have an answer to is Midway Mania.

 

[mickEblu]

I'd still take USH's Mummy over Incredicoaster. Transformers is a better ride that Mission BO. SLOP is better than Mermaid/Monsters Inc. Jurassic World is better than GRR. Simpsons is more entertaining than Soarin'. I'd argue Kung Fu Panda is a little more engaging than Philharmagic. Then you add that USH has Forbidden Journey and Hogsmede which trumps DCA's best, Cars Land. USH is far from perfect, especially when compared to USO, but the rides present are stronger than DCA's. The only quality DCA ride that I feel USH doesn't have an answer to is Midway Mania.

I agree that Jurassic World is better than GRR, although not as repeatable. And that Kung Fu Panda is better than Philharmagic. Soarin (even the World version) is light years better than Simpson’s. Mission BO is much more fun than Transformers. Not in love with Mermaid or Monsters but find them both more enjoyable than SLOP and its ridiculous ride vehicles that are uncomfortable and don’t even accommodate a family of 4. I think Cars Land kills USH’s version of Potter land. Incredicoaster and Mummy is close but the former is longer and a more fun ride experience.

 

[Professortango1]

I agree that Jurassic World is better than GRR, although not as repeatable. And that Kung Fu Panda is better than Philharmagic. Soarin (even the World version) is light years better than Simpson’s. Mission BO is much more fun than Transformers. Not in love with Mermaid or Monsters but find them both more enjoyable than SLOP and its ridiculous ride vehicles that are uncomfortable and don’t even accommodate a family of 4. I think Cars Land kills USH’s version of Potter land. Incredicoaster and Mummy is close but the former is longer and a more fun ride experience.

For me, Simpsons has an incredibly entertaining queue and immersive ride. Soarin has a bland queue and a showbuilding with exposed ride systems and no storytelling magic. I wouldn't call Simpsons a great ride, but I do have a lot more fun on that than Soarin. But then again, I've always felt Soarin' was a ride concept mock up that never was integrated into an actual Disney ride (until FOP). Mission BO reminds me of a USH version of a USO ride. Both Transformers and Mission BO use screens, but at least Transformers has the screens integrated within the set much better and have some practical effects. I can also hear Transformers' ride script whereas Mission BO has the dialogue constantly drowned out. SLOP does have some tiny stupid cars, but I appreciate how long the ride is and the variation of scenes. Mummy is a worse coaster than Incredicoaster, but a more fun experience with the queue and ride theme than just flying past static figures. Incredicoaster always makes me feel so uncomfortable, like I'm riding a cheap Disney knock off ride at some state fair.

 

[DavidDL]

It's funny because apparently, when folks from opposite coasts tend to talk Mummy, it's like they prefer the other coast's version more. Over here in Cali I always hear folks talking about how much better Florida has it because of their longer show scenes. But apparently, lots of folks over there prefer ours because it they prefer the longer backwards portion of our ride and the "coaster" element more.

I guess it comes down to which is more important to you: the coaster or the show. I'd tend to agree that here in Hollywood we have a pretty solid (albeit seemingly short) coaster experience. While over there, they definitely have a more fleshed out storyline and better, longer show scenes.

 

[DavidDL]

Since we're drawing comparisons between somewhat applicable attractions, I'll share my two cents, too!

For me it's:

Jurassic World > GRR. Love them both and it's fun to never know whose gonna get wet on GRR but I'd rather repeat JW and take in the show scenes.

Mummy > Incredicoaster. Somehow it feels cheaper than before with what they've added and the loss of the soundtrack and replacement of characters shouting in my ear is beyond devastating, for me. What I find interesting is that Disney has used the composer of the Incredibles before to create new music for Space Mountain's new iteration but didn't try that hard to make the Incredibles music sync as well with the ride as the previous soundtrack? Probably because they knew there'd be characters talking over it. If this were original Screamin', the soundtrack alone would probably push it over Mummy in my case (because our Mummy has such a broken ending).

Soarin' (any iteration) > Simpsons. Yeah, I'm sorry, it just never felt like it belonged to me. I love the Simpsons and the ride is "fun" but for me, it's painfully obvious that it's forcing itself to try and work within the confines of the building and ride system of Back to the Future. I don't feel the transformation was enough to get me to buy into it.

Forbidden Journey > Radiator Springs Racers. I guess Potter > Cars, in general. I'm just not a big Cars fan. The rock work is incredible but the subject matter of Potter is more interesting to me as a franchise. The merchandise, food and marquee attraction are all just better, in my opinion (Forbidden Journey established a new level of what theme parks could achieve to me, back in 2010). I'd rather be waiting in line inside of Hogwarts than out in the heat staring at glass bottles, too.

Mermaid = Pets > Monsters Inc. I can't quite make up my mind here. They both have some flaws but I enjoy riding both very much. I think the first two are both better than Monsters, though. I think Monsters does have some charm about it but it doesn't quite feel like it belongs in the area (even less so now that Pixar Pier is open).

Transformers > Mission: Breakout! It depends on your tolerance level, but in general I think it's safe to say that Guardians is more intense and thrilling. So if that's what you're looking for, your mileage will vary here. That said, for me, Transformers takes the cake because I love the ride system and overall experience much more. I just think the ride is more fun and get a kick out some of the transitions and the "how did they do that" moments. Ever since riding Spidey in Orlando, I've also always wished we had a similar ride system here. So when TF was announced, being a huge fan of the franchise (Beast Wars, baby!), collector and theme park fan, it ended up being a match made in heaven. Show building needs to be repainted or totally reworked, though.

That's all just me, though! I do find fun in both parks but I definitely would prefer to pay for a one day, one park ticket to USH over DCA. Like others have said, it feels more like an "add-on" park to me right now with the things it currently offers for me. An extra $50? Sure, that's fine, as long as I get Disneyland.

 

[bryanfze55]

Mummy > Incredicoaster. One has actual physical sets, the other has plastic props. USH 1, DCA 0

RSR > FJ. Not really comparable rides, but they are the flagship attraction in each park. I just prefer RSR and it’s extensive animatronic use and physical sets - simple and pure good ole’ fashioned Disney imagineering with modern tech. Tie 1-1

Soarin > Simpsons & Minions. The curved screen on Soarin’ is the only downside. Otherwise, the music, queue, and imagery all combine to make a pretty cool experience. DCA 2, USH 1

Jurassic > GRR. I’m biased towards GRR and think it’s the best rapids ride in the country when considering length, thrill, and scenery. But it has no physical sets. Tie 2-2

Mission: Breakout > Transformers. This is pretty clear to me. Yes, MB has a garish exterior and it’s overly irreverent. But Transformers is pretty over-the-top, too, we just forgive it because it’s Uni. Motion simulators are a dime a dozen these days (and Transformers is a good one), but there’s nothing else in the USA like MB other than ToT on the East Coast. Everything else is just an exposed tower with short cheap trills (see Doctor Doom in Orlando). MB is more than a ride, it’s a unique and enthralling experience. DCA 3, USH 2

Kung Fu > PhilharMagic. They’re both fine. Panda’s probably a little better. Tie 3-3

Studio Tour > TSMM. Again, not really comparable but they’re the “unique” experience in each park. The hour long experience beats the glorified video game. USH 4, DCA 3

I’ve not ridden SLOP, but I’d imagine it’s better than Monsters Inc and certainly Little Mermaid. Still, if you have young children, the fact that Monsters and Mermaid have no height requirement and SLOP inexplicably has one needs to be factored in. In addition, the number of other solid attractions kids can experience in DCA (Redwood Creek, Animation Building, and the Cars rides). USH probably has a better overall top-5 ride lineup, but DCA is the better choice for my family right now

 

[DavidDL]

...
Soarin > Simpsons & Minions. The curved screen on Soarin’ is the only downside. Otherwise, the music, queue, and imagery all combine to make a pretty cool experience. DCA 2, USH 1
...

Minions is an absolute disaster, in my eyes. I get that it's for kids but man, it's some next level amounts of "motion simulator" bad. A Minion dark ride, even if as short or simple as some Fantasyland offerings, would have been a much better use of the space in that area, I think. I've heard there are some restrictions in that zone because it's directly over a parking structure but I have a hard time believing they could build a Super Silly Fun Land spinner and water play area and not have built something better for Minions.

I also forget that Pets has a height requirement. I don't currently have children but I imagine some day, when I do, that's definitely going to be a bummer. I think your assessment of DCA offering more for the kiddos to partake in, is spot-on.

So spot-on, in fact, that Universal themselves admit this and provide discount admission to Guests under a certain height and age, because they realize that most of their current offerings won't be accessible to the little ones:

I could definitely understand someone with small kids preferring DCA to USH for this alone.

 

[bryanfze55]

I w

Minions is an absolute disaster, in my eyes. I get that it's for kids but man, it's some next level amounts of "motion simulator" bad. A Minion dark ride, even if as short or simple as some Fantasyland offerings, would have been a much better use of the space in that area, I think. I've heard there are some restrictions in that zone because it's directly over a parking structure but I have a hard time believing they could build a Super Silly Fun Land spinner and water play area and not have built something better for Minions.

I also forget that Pets has a height requirement. I don't currently have children but I imagine some day, when I do, that's definitely going to be a bummer. I think your assessment of DCA offering more for the kiddos to partake in, is spot-on.

So spot-on, in fact, that Universal themselves admit this and provide discount admission to Guests under a certain height and age, because they realize that most of their current offerings won't be accessible to the little ones:

View attachment 560221

I could definitely understand someone with small kids preferring DCA to USH for this alone.

I wonder how big the discount is. Disneyland tickets are cheaper for kids under 10, as well, though it’s a pretty small discount.

 

[Professortango1]

It's funny because apparently, when folks from opposite coasts tend to talk Mummy, it's like they prefer the other coast's version more. Over here in Cali I always hear folks talking about how much better Florida has it because of their longer show scenes. But apparently, lots of folks over there prefer ours because it they prefer the longer backwards portion of our ride and the "coaster" element more.

I guess it comes down to which is more important to you: the coaster or the show. I'd tend to agree that here in Hollywood we have a pretty solid (albeit seemingly short) coaster experience. While over there, they definitely have a more fleshed out storyline and better, longer show scenes.

I never minded Hollywood's. But, when I went to Florida, I really dug the coaster elements and bigger drops. My direct comparison over there was Rockin' Rollercoaster and Mummy blew it out of the water without issue for me. I must have ridden it a good 6 times that trip.

 

[DavidDL]

I wonder how big the discount is. Disneyland tickets are cheaper for kids under 10, as well, though it’s a pretty small discount.

Good question, one that I can't find an answer, atm.

On a related note, I just found out that while Flight of the Hippogriff has a height requirement of 39 inches, Minion Mayhem actually demands one more inch with a height requirement of 40 inches (the same as Transformers)!

Something about that seems screwy, to me.

 

[Professortango1]

Good question, one that I can't find an answer, atm.

On a related note, I just found out that while Flight of the Hippogriff has a height requirement of 39 inches, Minion Mayhem actually demands one more inch with a height requirement of 40 inches (the same as Transformers)!

Something about that seems screwy, to me.

Its probably the restraint system and how it sits. I only went on Minions once, so I have no horse in that race.

 

[DavidDL]

Its probably the restraint system and how it sits. I only went on Minions once, so I have no horse in that race.

It's just a trip for me to try and imagine even needing to be restrained on something like Minion Mayhem when folks are allowed sit freely, with no height requirement and get tossed around by King Kong on the Studio Tour.

Maybe I just haven't been on it for so long but like Pets, it just doesn't seem like it'd be needed. Though with Pets, I wonder if one of the logistical reasons for locking folks in place is so that the filter technology that "transforms" you, works better? I don't actually know.