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

[danlb_2000]

It just seems that the negative posts far out-number the positive. You are right a one-sided discussion would be boring, but like this topic, 37 pages of how Disney missed a great opportunity in Harry Potter? Bring on Avatar, Star Wars and the Marvel heroes!

Maybe some people believe that the negatives DO out weight the positives.

 

[nor'easter]

OK,How about we get back to what this site was created for, for people who love the Disney experience?

It just seems that the negative posts far out-number the positive. You are right a one-sided discussion would be boring, but like this topic, 37 pages of how Disney missed a great opportunity in Harry Potter? Bring on Avatar, Star Wars and the Marvel heroes!

Yes, please, bring them on!!! Move your short-term profit, executive bonus, shortsighted, cost-cutting .

See, we are in agreement.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

Disney isn't playing catch up to Universal. It is the other way around. But Disney not getting Potter hurt Disney in 3 ways.

1. Disney lost out on all that Potter money.

2. Disney #1 competitor got Potter and are losing guest days and therefore money to the guys up the street.

3. Reputation. Articles like the one that was the impetus for this thread.

 

[twebber55]

Disney isn't playing catch up to Universal. It is the other way around. But Disney not getting Potter hurt Disney in 3 ways.

1. Disney lost out on all that Potter money.

2. Disney #1 competitor got Potter and are losing guest days and therefore money to the guys up the street.

3. Reputation. Articles like the one that was the impetus for this thread.

perfectly said

 

[wdisney9000]

OK, I don't post very often here, but I read many of the posts. First of all this is call WDWMagic, but the majority of posts here are so negative about Disney. I don't think Disney made an error not getting Harry Potter.

Pointing out that Disney would not have devoted as much to Potter as Uni has is NOT bashing Disney. Its NOT negative. Its just a fact. I love WDW waaaay more than Universal but Im not going to whine about people who recognize the quality of DA. Why do so many people label all comments/threads as "negative" if theyre not praising Disney to the high heavens or highlighting that Uni is doing a great job currently, especially a thread that is specifically created to discuss Uni and Disney? Nobody is forcing you to read this thread. There are dozens of others that are more "happy, happy, YAY Disney"!

Although I am not wowed by Harry Potter,

Are you "WOWED" by FLE?

How about we get back to what this site was created for, for people who love the Disney experience?

Were not allowed to discuss how that experience has diminished somewhat? Got it, we must accept the lackluster efforts, attraction layovers, cutbacks and non-stop price hikes. More M&G's and hard ticket events until Avatar Land is finished!

 

[Callum Chambers]

Although I agree with the majority of what is said here, the people who claim "Disney passed up on Harry Potter" I think are wrong. I heard JK Rowling speak at my hometown's literary festival and she said, obviously not word for word, that it wasn't who paid the most money, it was who had the best ideas. I believe all interested parties, including numerous UK theme parks, had to present concepts etc. But then I could be wrong/working for Disney...

 

[lazyboy97o]

It just seems that the negative posts far out-number the positive. You are right a one-sided discussion would be boring, but like this topic, 37 pages of how Disney missed a great opportunity in Harry Potter? Bring on Avatar, Star Wars and the Marvel heroes!

Maybe there is a reason more and more people aren't feeling wowed by Walt Disney World and maybe it goes beyond what properties are in the parks.

 

[wdisney9000]

Bring on Avatar, Star Wars and the Marvel heroes!

Wow, the IP's will solve everything, right? Who needs original content and creativity when you can just buy it and then sit on it for a few years. Thank God the original designers and Imagineers didn't think this way.

 

[Quinnmac000]

Although I agree with the majority of what is said here, the people who claim "Disney passed up on Harry Potter" I think are wrong. I heard JK Rowling speak at my hometown's literary festival and she said, obviously not word for word, that it wasn't who paid the most money, it was who had the best ideas. I believe all interested parties, including numerous UK theme parks, had to present concepts etc. But then I could be wrong/working for Disney...

Don't say that on these boards !!! Disney is the best! Disney is love! Disney is life!

 

[Gomer]

Although I agree with the majority of what is said here, the people who claim "Disney passed up on Harry Potter" I think are wrong. I heard JK Rowling speak at my hometown's literary festival and she said, obviously not word for word, that it wasn't who paid the most money, it was who had the best ideas. I believe all interested parties, including numerous UK theme parks, had to present concepts etc. But then I could be wrong/working for Disney...

I’m not saying she’s lying, but come on…you really think that if it all came down to who was willing to shell out the money for the project, that she would have told a literary festival crowd that? Never underestimate the need for public figures to uphold their reputation at all costs, even the beloved ones.

 

[seascape]

I’m not saying she’s lying, but come on…you really think that if it all came down to who was willing to shell out the money for the project, that she would have told a literary festival crowd that? Never underestimate the need for public figures to uphold their reputation at all costs, even the beloved ones.

I believe her. Once a person has so much money they could never lose it, and she is there, something become more important than money. I believe universal clearly wanted the rights more than Disney and as a result they got them. Disney never would have made HP the most important thing in the park. Only universal was able to offer that because I doubt she would have talked to Oct Parks or Six Flags. Universal did do a better job than a Disney would have. This is not a put down of Disney just a fact.

 

[Gomer]

I believe her. Once a person has so much money they could never lose it, and she is there, something become more important than money. I believe universal clearly wanted the rights more than Disney and as a result they got them. Disney never would have made HP the most important thing in the park. Only universal was able to offer that because I doubt she would have talked to Oct Parks or Six Flags. Universal did do a better job than a Disney would have. This is not a put down of Disney just a fact.

I’m not saying I don’t believe her. I’m just saying, regardless of the truth, there was no other reasoning she was giving to that crowd that day unless she wanted her brand to suffer.

 

[Mouse_Trap]

Congrats to Disney for making it a priority to have reliable wifi in the parks. Unfortunately, I'm part of the rare breed that prefers not to have my face buried in my phone after spending a hundred bucks on a theme park ticket.

Has it been improved much in the last year?

Ok, so its now 12 months since I was there last. But even though the parks were pretty quiet the wi-fi was almost non-existant.

I could find the network most places, but 95% of the time it couldn't connect let alone access anything.
I assumed that most people who post here about using the MDE app etc were connecting via the cellular connection, I couldn't do that as being international would have cost a small fortune.

 

[Mouse_Trap]

I forget who it was that said one should be able to do both parks at Universal in a day so the park park ticket is a good idea and we'll worth it. Now I have never been there and my wife and I don't like roller coasters. From what I hear we wondering like the Bank ride because of all the motion. That's too bad. In any case looking at the DVD we have I am still say we would need 2 days to see and enjoy the parks. We don't like to rush. We like to take thinks in and really see what there is. The park to park ticket is the one thing that really bothers me about Universal but if I have to pay the price I will but it will make it harder to do it more than once. The train would have to be the best ride ever to justify the need to buy a park to park ticket when I am already buying a 2 day ticket. But getting back on subject. Don't let anyone here talk you into going or out of going to the park or parks you want. Make up your own mind. Use the advice you get here to help get the most our of your vacation but not to make up your mind.

I will be asking for help I. 2015 when I plan my Universal trip. I am sure I will only get the best advice from the uni fans because they love their park and want to make the best impression.

If you've never been to USF or IOA before, and even if you dislike rollercoasters, a day each is not really enough time to see each park in full.

3 days, 1 full day each and the third split between the two parks is a possibility if you go at a very slow time of year. That's still going to feel very rushed though.

 

[FigmentJedi]

Del Toro's announced Pacific Rim 2 and an animated series.



Clearly Universal sees franchise potential so I think we can expect Disney to take another figurative tanker to the face in Orlando

 

[Mike S]

Del Toro's announced Pacific Rim 2 and an animated series.



Clearly Universal sees franchise potential so I think we can expect Disney to take another figurative tanker to the face in Orlando

Sold. I loved the first movie. Now if Universal could somehow make a ride out of piloting a Jaeger, they'd be hitting Disney with much more than just a tanker.

 

[danlb_2000]

Sold. I loved the first movie. Now if Universal could somehow make a ride out of piloting a Jaeger, they'd be hitting Disney with much more than just a tanker.

They could make it so you are battling against giant Disney characters.

 

[Beholder]

They could make it so you are battling against giant Disney characters.

We've see what happens when traditional Disney characters take on giant foes. Bambi meets Godzilla?

Jaeger vs Death Star though, I'm going with Death Star.

 

[whylightbulb]

What some have already said but only brushed over is that Universal is planning a third gate. I'm not talking about the waterpark, although that is looking to be quite spectacular in terms of waterparks and may be the first waterpark/theme park hybrid. No I'm talking about a no-holds-barred, DisneySea quality level third gate theme park. Trust me I don't use the term "DisneySea quality" lightly. Right now the resources are planned to allow that level of quality and detail. Yes I'm fully expecting that the final execution will not be as spectacular as it looks to be now by the time it goes through final budget/schedule/construction blunders, but if we end up with a full park on the level of Diagon for example, the gap between Disney and Universal will be significantly reduced.

 

[CinematicFusion]

Which is exactly what i'm saying.

They seem to half- everything now. Hence why animatronics barely work on the newest attractions.
I don't think they would have made an effort with the detail and the surroundings either personally.

What some have already said but only brushed over is that Universal is planning a third gate. I'm not talking about the waterpark, although that is looking to be quite spectacular in terms of waterparks and may be the first waterpark/theme park hybrid. No I'm talking about a no-holds-barred, DisneySea quality level third gate theme park. Trust me I don't use the term "DisneySea quality" lightly. Right now the resources are planned to allow that level of quality and detail. Yes I'm fully expecting that the final execution will not be as spectacular as it looks to be now by the time it goes through final budget/schedule/construction blunders, but if we end up with a full park on the level of Diagon for example, the gap between Disney and Universal will be significantly reduced.

You are right, that would be a game changer if they build a quality theme park with DisneySea execution.
It would start to level the playing field in attendence numbers.