Can Disney do it?

[Grizzly Hall 71]

June 18th, 2010 Universal Islands of Adventure is packed with Harry Potter geeks and theme park fans alike. All lining up from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter to CityWalk to experience the highest grossing movie franchise and most popular book franchise come to life. And they didn't dissappoint. They have totally put everyone in a world that they have watched and read about for a decade. No one has done something like this ever. But can Disney pull something off like this?

Ever since IOA opened I widely consider it Central Florida's top park. It has great rides for little ones, teens, and adults. But what stops them from gaining amazing attendance is a place we all know and love. But will Potter boost them to a top spot? Or will the mouse prevail?

Sure, Disney has great rides like EE, Rnrc, tot, tsmm. However IOA packs these great rides to a new level. I reply can think of 1 attraction in IOA that I could call terrible. In Mk I can new 1 (or maybe 2). My question here is, can Disney make rides like IOA has? Sure Dudley do right may not be as elaborately themed as Splash Mountain but it still packs a huge thrill punch. Something a lot of WDW rides suffer from.

Why can't Disney counter act hp with an e ticket ride? Why can they get a multi million dollar franchise while all Disney wants to build is a huge princess land (yes I'm not for this so called "great" expansion).

If Disney now just sits back and relys on their name and think that a huge princess land will attract more people than hugely immersive movie franchise land then I see Universal moving up the ladder.

Can Disney make an amazing, thrilling e ticket ride?

 

[PurpleDragon]

There is already an active thread on this subject:

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showthread.php?t=596690

 

[Master Yoda]

While you might consider IOA Central Florida's best park MK's attendance surpass it by more than 12 million people per year. By comparison WDW's #4 park AK pulls in almost twice as many people at IOA and it ranks dead last when compared to the other 6 major theme parks in central Florida. IOA does not even crack the top ten world wide and only makes it to #9 in America.

Potter will narrow the gap but I doubt it will allow IOA to even crack the top 10 in the world.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_amusement_park_attendance_figures#Amusement_park_corporations_in_terms_of_attendance

 

[Grizzly Hall 71]

You are correct about the attendance but that is because most first timers go to MK just because it is MK. Some don't even know that Universal was separate from Disney (Someone once said dhs and universal studios was the same). I think though with this large hp expansion that many will begin to see universal is just as much worth a visit as Disney is.

 

[Master Yoda]

You are correct about the attendance but that is because most first timers go to MK just because it is MK. Some don't even know that Universal was separate from Disney (Someone once said dhs and universal studios was the same). I think though with this large hp expansion that many will begin to see universal is just as much worth a visit as Disney is.

I highly doubt it. While it has made IOA more attractive there is little chance of this expansion putting much more than a dent in Disney's attendance long term.

 

[munkgirl]

You are correct about the attendance but that is because most first timers go to MK just because it is MK. Some don't even know that Universal was separate from Disney (Someone once said dhs and universal studios was the same). I think though with this large hp expansion that many will begin to see universal is just as much worth a visit as Disney is.

I've heard "Which bus goes to Universal Studios?" before. Yep.

 

[DisneyJoe]

It's easy to plan a WDW vacation of 5-7 days or longer and still not have seen everything there is to see on property. Can the same be said of Universal Orlando?

 

[cowanfamily]

Spent 5 hours in Universal and saw everything. Ioa took 7 hours. Spent 2 days in MK and still needed to go back. You can spend a week at WDW and still have stuff to. Universal is a weekend getaway, WDW a weeklong vacation.

 

[Walt Disney1955]

Ever since IOA opened I widely consider it Central Florida's top park.

I'll respect the fact that it is your favourite. But it will never be the #1 park in Orlando. Disney offers things that are unseen at other parks, and while Universal is the only place in the world that comes close to Disney as far as "aura" they are still far behind.

But will Potter boost them to a top spot? Or will the mouse prevail?

No they won't be top spot. Potter is going to be a great ride and I cant wait to check it out someday, but there's just too much to experience at WDW that it will never be replaced.

Why can't Disney counter act hp with an e ticket ride? Why can they get a multi million dollar franchise while all Disney wants to build is a huge princess land (yes I'm not for this so called "great" expansion).

If Disney now just sits back and relys on their name and think that a huge princess land will attract more people than hugely immersive movie franchise land then I see Universal moving up the ladder.

Can Disney make an amazing, thrilling e ticket ride?

Walt isn't alive anymore. He was the last person in the world to rest on his laurels. He'd be coming up with an idea even if Magic Kingdom was still blowing the tops off of Universal, and it is. But he never quit, and Disney can use that passion all the time. Always find a way to improve, this is what makes them the best.

 

[bradandsarabr]

And isn't the Harry Potter franchise sort of gone the way of American Idol? I coach junior high kids. 10 years ago Potter was in. Today, they could really care less. They are really more into Star Wars. I really like the Universal Parks but think it was really a mistake to go into a non-classic franchise. Where do the OP get the #'s for movie sales & book numbers? Whats next, the Avator Adventure??

 

[Grizzly Hall 71]

I'll respect the fact that it is your favourite. But it will never be the #1 park in Orlando. Disney offers things that are unseen at other parks, and while Universal is the only place in the world that comes close to Disney as far as "aura" they are still far behind.


What des Disney have that other parks don't have?

I will say that it is the themeing that makes disney so great. But from what I've seen from Potter, it's on a disney level and maybe even higher.

Islands is great at having amazing theming along with thrilling rides. Disney falls a little short on the second part. Islands has a nice balacne while Disney relys heavier on the theming. I my opinion an investment into a thrill ride for any park would be great. Disney thinks though that high end meet and greets and a 4 minute adventure under the sea would be a better investment to compete with the Potter powerhouse.

 

[Thrill Seeker]

I would consider IoA my favorite park because of how it's set up and of course the thrill ride aspect. Potter just makes it even better and gives you another reason to go.

Also, when you count the number of attractions in IoA compared to most of the Disney Parks, it's kinda sad.

IoA has 16 attractions, not including live action shows and exhibits. Universal Studios has 12. AK has 6... Epcot has 12 not including circle vision shows and Innoventions. Hollywood Studios has 7 (8 when Sounds Dangerous is running). Magic Kingdom has 20 not including the Treehouse or Tom Sawyer Island. That being said, of those 20, not all of them are necessarily worth doing, where as at IOA the majority of them are.

Case in point, of all the theme parks in Orlando:

IoA, MK, Universal Studios, Epcot and Sea World are full day parks.

AK and Hollywood Studios are half day parks (Studios can be a full day if you see LMA and stay for Fantasmic).

IoA a half day? Yeah right...

 

[Thrill Seeker]

And isn't the Harry Potter franchise sort of gone the way of American Idol? I coach junior high kids. 10 years ago Potter was in. Today, they could really care less. They are really more into Star Wars. I really like the Universal Parks but think it was really a mistake to go into a non-classic franchise. Where do the OP get the #'s for movie sales & book numbers? Whats next, the Avator Adventure??

You try to say that to the people who showed up for yesterday's grand opening and you'd have a hex put on you lickety split...

Harry Potter is an international phenomenon that is pretty close at least to Star Wars in terms of a fan base. I would definitely consider HP to be classic and it will continue to be long into the future.

 

[Thrill Seeker]

June 18th, 2010 Universal Islands of Adventure is packed with Harry Potter geeks and theme park fans alike. All lining up from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter to CityWalk to experience the highest grossing movie franchise and most popular book franchise come to life. And they didn't dissappoint. They have totally put everyone in a world that they have watched and read about for a decade. No one has done something like this ever. But can Disney pull something off like this?

Ever since IOA opened I widely consider it Central Florida's top park. It has great rides for little ones, teens, and adults. But what stops them from gaining amazing attendance is a place we all know and love. But will Potter boost them to a top spot? Or will the mouse prevail?

Sure, Disney has great rides like EE, Rnrc, tot, tsmm. However IOA packs these great rides to a new level. I reply can think of 1 attraction in IOA that I could call terrible. In Mk I can new 1 (or maybe 2). My question here is, can Disney make rides like IOA has? Sure Dudley do right may not be as elaborately themed as Splash Mountain but it still packs a huge thrill punch. Something a lot of WDW rides suffer from.

Why can't Disney counter act hp with an e ticket ride? Why can they get a multi million dollar franchise while all Disney wants to build is a huge princess land (yes I'm not for this so called "great" expansion).

If Disney now just sits back and relys on their name and think that a huge princess land will attract more people than hugely immersive movie franchise land then I see Universal moving up the ladder.

Can Disney make an amazing, thrilling e ticket ride?

Disney isn't trying to build a monster E-ticket to counter act Potter for one simple reason: they don't have to. The fact is, Universal will never be able to catch up with Disney because Disney is Disney. Disney is a worldwide recognized brand and has a very strong reputation that is most of the time upheld. If anything, they can just coast on the fact that Universal will be drawing more people to the area. Where are they going to go right after IoA? Disney of course. Potter will draw some crowds away from the Disney parks, so hopefully that will be enough to cause Disney to consider getting some new ride concepts going, but until it makes a significant impact on attendance, they don't have to do anything.

To answer the question: Can they? Sure. Disney has a lot more money than Universal and has developed some state of the art ride systems themselves...

Will they? Probably not.

 

[marni1971]

Disney isn't trying to build a monster E-ticket to counter act Potter for one simple reason: they don't have to.

Correction - because they scaled back or put on hold most of the projects they planned. Mermaid is the only one that has survived, just, and will open far later than originally planned.

 

[Thrill Seeker]

Correction - because they scaled back or put on hold most of the projects they planned. Mermaid is the only one that has survived, just, and will open far later than originally planned.

I stand corrected.

 

[Bluewaves]

Benn to IOA, once during a day and once during a private event, wasn't overly impressed either time, I think Potter is just going to create more disappointments more than anything else for guests waiting 10 hours to get to wait in line for another 2 hours to the one new attraction and 2 rethemed coasters that have been there for years, and to go mill around shops that you have to wait in a line for.

I'm glad Disney passed on the whole Potter thing because Rowling probably had her mitts in it the whole time and made the whole thing utterly unrealistic as a theme park.

So good for Universal let them tick off more guests by poor crowd control and ridiculous waits, if I want to ride roller coasters there is one Cedar Fair park 10 minutes from my house, Six Flags 90 minutes away and Hershey 60 minutes away, and all of them have better coasters than Universal in the first place.

 

[Hakunamatata]

Harry Potter is an international phenomenon that is pretty close at least to Star Wars in terms of a fan base. I would definitely consider HP to be classic and it will continue to be long into the future.

Harry Potter isn't in the same league as Star Wars......Harry Potter has a generation. Star Wars in generational.

 

[the-reason14]

The thing about WDW and thrill rides is yes, they don't have many and some of them wouldn't be considered "thrilling" if they were in other parks, but WDW is more about the experience. Imo, if you want real thrilling thrill rides, wdw is not the place to go.

I also agree with the poster who said wdw doesn't need to react to Hp and say, "Oh my gosh, we need to make a wonderful E ticket involving a franchise that will cater to hard core fans" because they don't need to. Make an E ticket, maybe, but one that caters to a specific fan base, I don't think so. WDW has the space to come up with some amazing attractions, will they? Who knows?

 

[disneysroyal411]

Harry Potter isn't in the same league as Star Wars......Harry Potter has a generation. Star Wars in generational.

Yes exactly, I don't run around quoting Harry Potter or telling someone to watch the movies or read the books. But like Star Wars I would say, "You HAVE to watch this movie!" Because you do, because it is awesome. I see Harry Potter lasting about five years as something big and then five years after that as something that, well I don't know what they would do to it if it wasn't as popular or ground breaking.