Comcast CEO: "Universal will compete aggressively with Disney"

danlb_2000

danlb_2000

Premium Member
WDWDad13 said:
because UNI would start to become identified/represented as the Harry Potter theme park - some would argue they are referred to that way now.

I don't blame them for building more... but to put it in their OTHER park I thought was interesting. (I know why though...and if Disney were to do that people would be bashing them about just wanting more $ from people) - seems though if they keep building HP "stuff" - maybe they should have made 1 of their theme parks solely themed to that instead...I don't know?
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Even if you put all of Potter in one park it still wouldn't be more then 25% of the park. Big difference between that and a whole park devoted to it. The problem with a single IP park is that if people don't have an interest in the IP they aren't likely to even give it a chance. With it only being part of a part there are still other things to attract people if they aren't interested in one specific IP.
 
WDWDad13

WDWDad13

Well-Known Member
wm49rs said:
No more than WDW is being referred to as the Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Minnie Mouse etc. one.....

And yes, you do know. It's one thing to find critiques, it's another to pick nits over a proposed hotel.
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haha... I don't care if they build 15 Harry Potter themed hotels and fill them up... it would be good for them... I just think they need to be sure not to put all of their eggs in 1 basket so to speak and try to ride this wave with more than HP stuff before the tide goes back out
 
draybook

draybook

Well-Known Member
WDWDad13 said:
wow... if they build a harry potter themed hotel... then I have to say they are squeezing for every last drop out of ol' harry's teet

I know a lot of people like HP... but to me a hotel themed to that while they are already putting areas in BOTH theme parks for it already seems like overkill to me? I don't know
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Kind of like how they built a section of AoA themed to Nemo even though there's a Nemo based attraction in Epcot and a Nemo show at Animal Kingdom?
 
D

dman1373

Active Member
wm49rs said:
No more than WDW is being referred to as the Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Minnie Mouse etc. one.....

And yes, you do know. It's one thing to find critiques, it's another to pick nits over a proposed hotel.
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So is harry potter the new mascot for universal? Your comparing apples and oranges.

Harry Potter is a recent addition to universal, and its only major draw. It just seems to some that instead of developing other draws universal is just using potter to solve all of their problems. They made a land in island of adventure, now one the original park, and now maybe a hotel. All withing a small window of time(relatively speaking). And i see why there doing it as wwohp is by far the best part of universal, put they are clearly milking the harry potter franchise.
 
wm49rs

wm49rs

A naughty bit o' crumpet
Premium Member
dman1373 said:
So is harry potter the new mascot for universal? Your comparing apples and oranges.

Harry Potter is a recent addition to universal, and its only major draw. It just seems to some that instead of developing other draws universal is just using potter to solve all of their problems. They made a land in island of adventure, now one the original park, and now maybe a hotel. All withing a small window of time(relatively speaking). And i see why there doing it as wwohp is by far the best part of universal, put they are clearly milking the harry potter franchise.
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No more so than Marvel characters are recent mascots, or now Star Wars. How old are Nemo characters, Lion King ones, etc.? The discussion was hotel overkill. Universal building a HP-themed hotel would no more be overkill than the ones WDW is or will be (or have) building now.
 
draybook

draybook

Well-Known Member
dman1373 said:
So is harry potter the new mascot for universal? Your comparing apples and oranges.

Harry Potter is a recent addition to universal, and its only major draw. It just seems to some that instead of developing other draws universal is just using potter to solve all of their problems. They made a land in island of adventure, now one the original park, and now maybe a hotel. All withing a small window of time(relatively speaking). And i see why there doing it as wwohp is by far the best part of universal, put they are clearly milking the harry potter franchise.
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Even if they were "milking" it, don't you think that would be wise? When you find a successful setup would you not continue to follow it?
 
WDWDad13

WDWDad13

Well-Known Member
wm49rs said:
No more so than Marvel characters are recent mascots, or now Star Wars. How old are Nemo characters, Lion King ones, etc.? The discussion was hotel overkill. Universal building a HP-themed hotel would no more be overkill than the ones WDW is or will be (or have) building now.
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@dman1373 explained the point I was making - I wouldn't compare the milking of HP to Disney building Grand Floridian or Poly villas
 
WDWDad13

WDWDad13

Well-Known Member
draybook said:
Even if they were "milking" it, don't you think that would be wise? When you find a successful setup would you not continue to follow it?
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maybe...certainly don't blame them for trying all they can...

but what if Disney had built a cars themed resort in California? we all know how this board would react if they did
 
wm49rs

wm49rs

A naughty bit o' crumpet
Premium Member
WDWDad13 said:
@dman1373 explained the point I was making - I wouldn't compare the milking of HP to Disney building Grand Floridian or Poly villas
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No, but it would be the milking of DVC when tying those resorts into the monorail ones. But, considering it's a seemingly successful endeavor, one would expect Disney to continue. Just as you would Universal with HP.
 
DougK

DougK

Well-Known Member
ParentsOf4 said:
MyMagic+ is corporate's play to fill those rooms. However, with Uni moving forward on both the theme park and hotel fronts, MyMagic+ no longer looks like the "can't miss" strategy it once was considered to be.
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@ParentsOf4 - I enjoy your posts more than almost anyone else's on WDWMagic and I believe what you are saying is what Disney management believes, but one thing I do not understand is why those management people think that MM+ will fill a substantial number of hotel rooms. I mean, the prices they charge for those rooms is insane. I remember only a few years ago when I could stay at Port Orleans Riverside for $99 per night or Poly for $225 per night on an Annual Passholder discount. Now those rooms at Port Orleans average over $200 per night! Not to mention Poly and the other Deluxe hotels are now in the $450 to $700 per night range (and higher). Do they really think people will spend that kind of money for a few extra FastPass + selections? Plus you can stay at a really nice Deluxe hotel at Universal for under $300 per night and get free Front Of The Line passes for ALL rides good ALL day and night. It just makes no sense to me that FP+ and MM+ will increase non-discounted hotel occupancy at WDW by very much if at all.
 
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rnese

rnese

Well-Known Member
How can anyone blame Uni for building a HP themed resort when Disney plans on building the Apple Dumpling Gang, Pete's Dragon, and Bedknobs and Broomsticks themed resorts in 2016, 2018 and 2020?:D
 
draybook

draybook

Well-Known Member
WDWDad13 said:
maybe...certainly don't blame them for trying all they can...

but what if Disney had built a cars themed resort in California? we all know how this board would react if they did
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Well, considering that most of the people on this board are WDW'ers, I don't think it would be quite the violent riot that you think it would be......
 
M

maxairmike

Well-Known Member
dman1373 said:
So is harry potter the new mascot for universal? Your comparing apples and oranges.

Harry Potter is a recent addition to universal, and its only major draw. It just seems to some that instead of developing other draws universal is just using potter to solve all of their problems. They made a land in island of adventure, now one the original park, and now maybe a hotel. All withing a small window of time(relatively speaking). And i see why there doing it as wwohp is by far the best part of universal, put they are clearly milking the harry potter franchise.
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You haven't been paying much attention, have you? Potter may be the biggest draw, but it isn't the only major draw. After all, they just opened a dark ride this past summer that rivals the former dark ride standard-bearer in the park next door based on an IP that has been popular for only about 20-30 years and contributed to an increase in attendance of around 20% for that park. Their dino land is based on nothing much more than probably the most iconic dino movie, which happens to be getting a reboot in the next few years (and just got a fancy 3D theater release). They just rethemed an area of the Studios park to the most successful and longest running animated show on TV, not very popular at all. So yeah, Potter is Universal's only major draw and money maker.

EDIT: Oh yeah, and also those cute, lovable Minions (mentioned by the post after mine), but no one really likes them at all, so whatever.
 

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