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

[BigTxEars]

All my kids are well above any ride height requirement these days but at one point the fact that the youngest could ride anything at WDW was a huge positive for us as a family on vacation. In fact that made us choose WDW over Uni one year as we wanted the little one to be able to ride everything we rode. I know every family is different but in this case Disney had our business over Uni because of the height issue. I would guess that goes into their planning.

Now a new gate with big boy rides only would be nice at WDW, that way a family with little ones could just skip that park and not have an issue.

 

[lazyboy97o]

All my kids are well above any ride height requirement these days but at one point the fact that the youngest could ride anything at WDW was a huge positive for us as a family on vacation. In fact that made us choose WDW over Uni one year as we wanted the little one to be able to ride everything we rode. I know every family is different but in this case Disney had our business over Uni because of the height issue. I would guess that goes into their planning.

Now a new gate with big boy rides only would be nice at WDW, that way a family with little ones could just skip that park and not have an issue.

In some ways Universal Orlando Resort may consider it a blessing not to have so many little ones. Think of the resources (space, money, man power) Walt Disney World has to put into handling just strollers that Universal Orlando Resort does not deal with. Older kids also tend to eat more, so that probably helps with food and beverage numbers as well.

 

[mahnamahna101]

All my kids are well above any ride height requirement these days but at one point the fact that the youngest could ride anything at WDW was a huge positive for us as a family on vacation. In fact that made us choose WDW over Uni one year as we wanted the little one to be able to ride everything we rode. I know every family is different but in this case Disney had our business over Uni because of the height issue. I would guess that goes into their planning.

Now a new gate with big boy rides only would be nice at WDW, that way a family with little ones could just skip that park and not have an issue.

Nothing wrong with one or two big boy rides. Indiana Jones Adventure at DL has a 46", the Indy coaster and Space Mountain at DL Paris have 54" height requirements.

There's nothing wrong with one or two big boy rides at MK (44"-52") considering everything else is accessible to 8 and under aside from Space Mountain.

Similar to how Universal neglected young kids for a while, Disney has neglected teens/adults at MK for 20 years (SDMT is a kids version of Big Thunder, essentially).

Balance is necessary for any park. MK will always be a family park, but some well themed attractions meant for adults (some mountains) and all-ages dark rides not skewed towards kids (Western River Expedition, for example)

Fire Mountain and Bald Mountain would provide some much needed adult appeal that the park hasn't seen since Alien Encounter and Timekeeper

Having some true thrill rides (Space Mountain being the only one that's a true thrill ride right now) would give kids something to look forward to next time they visit. Either way, those over the age of 7 have gotten the short change for a while.

 

[BigTxEars]

Nothing wrong with one or two big boy rides. Indiana Jones Adventure at DL has a 46", the Indy coaster and Space Mountain at DL Paris have 54" height requirements.

There's nothing wrong with one or two big boy rides at MK (44"-52") considering everything else is accessible to 8 and under aside from Space Mountain.

Similar to how Universal neglected young kids for a while, Disney has neglected teens/adults at MK for 20 years (SDMT is a kids version of Big Thunder, essentially).

Balance is necessary for any park. MK will always be a family park, but some well themed attractions meant for adults (some mountains) and all-ages dark rides not skewed towards kids (Western River Expedition, for example)

Fire Mountain and Bald Mountain would provide some much needed adult appeal that the park hasn't seen since Alien Encounter and Timekeeper

Having some true thrill rides (Space Mountain being the only one that's a true thrill ride right now) would give kids something to look forward to next time they visit. Either way, those over the age of 7 have gotten the short change for a while.

I agree that it would give them something to look forward too on the next trip. When we took our first trip as a family we had no ideal we would return so often so that trip was one built around what we could all do then. Now my youngest was 8 at the time so he could ride everything. My thought process would have been different had he been younger I would guess.

As I said I am not huge ride hound, I enjoy the resort aspect of WDW more than the rides. I am fine with some bigger rides at the parks but honestly they would not make me want to go more. But I am getting to be a old fuddy duddy so that may be why

 

[TubaGeek]

...I'm confused as to how the poster I responded to can fail to see why Universal's latest entry could be more exciting to many potential guests than Disney's latest entry.

 

[draybook]

Think of the resources (space, money, man power) Walt Disney World has to put into handling just strollers that Universal Orlando Resort does not deal with.

Thread over, USO declared the winner based on this statement alone!

 

[Penelope]

Also, I'm still not buying the supposed increased numbers of female video game players is...a lot of that is dealing with things like facebook and smartphone games, and don't lend themselves to theme parks well unless its Angry Birds.

I know that I'm showing my age, but as a female, I would happily visit a park with attractions that featured Mario, Zelda, Bond's Goldeneye (Oh I loved sniper shooting my friends in college in multiplayer mode!!) and even GTA. I think more women have played or play video games than one gives us credit for …

 

[wm49rs]

If Universal is close to building a third gate you can be sure Disney will build a 5th. No matter what any of the Disney fans say about Disney considering a studio park before Universal announced they were coming, I and most other people can see the studio was designed after universal California. And they built it fast to open first. Disney would do the same thing now. They would have to. They would also expand and improve all 3 of the parks that need it. I don't see anyway they wouldn't fight back and in a big way.

No, you can't. But perhaps WDW will finally expand the monorails....

 

[Mouse_Trap]

We'll see.
At present there still is not enough to do in Orlando to occupy the average vacationing family for 5-6 days without spending time at Disney.

I would disagree, you can easily spend 3 maybe 4 days between, USF and IOA. Then a day at Sea World, at that point you have probably purchased the Orlando Flexticket so you can go to Wet n' Wild for a day, then a shopping day/pool day etc.

 

[Magenta Panther]

New Fantasyland is especially annoying when you think about what could have been. 7DMT could have actually been the E Ticket we needed. Instead it's budget and track length were cut until we have what's there today.View attachment 57666 Thanks to marni for this pic, the dark sections represent indoor show scenes.

And that's what ALWAYS happens these days. TDO starts off with a great idea for a ride, and then the budget cutters barge in and snip here and snip there, and the attitude seems to be "ahhh, that's good enough for the dumb tourists". That's the part that gets me the most - the CONTEMPT that TDO and Iger seem to feel about park guests. They REALLY believe that they can get away with the cheap stuff because after all IT'S DISNEY!!! I bet when they read these message boards they think, well, who cares, let them complain, these are Disney nuts, not the average consumer. Um, hello? THIS IS THE INTERNET AGE. News gets around EVERYWHERE. How does Disney know that the next generation will have anything like the veneration for Disney that still lingers in our generation? Universal is not just catching up, it's surpassing Disney in innovative, immersive theme park experiences. If Disney continues to nickel-and-dime the parks, and if Universal continues to come up with great stuff like the Hogwarts Express and Diagon Alley, then why wouldn't the next generation do most of its vacationing at Universal? It's like that old saying: "How do you keep them down on the farm after they've seen the city?"

I'll tell you this - if it weren't for my admiration for Walt Disney himself, I would definitely spend ALL of my vacation time in Universal. Disney's Hollywood Studios is my fave WDW land - but I have to frankly say that in terms of atmosphere and architecture, Universal's Hollywood blows it out of the water. I was shocked when I saw it. It was so well done. Only DL's Buena Vista Street comes close to it. It's like Universal watches what Disney does, notices the flaws and errors (and penny-pinching), and applies the lessons learned to what it builds for park guests. I feel like Universal RESPECTS park guests more, and tries harder, than Disney. And man that hurts to type that. That's not how Walt felt about things. Damn. Gets me down sometimes...

 

[Prince-1]

SOYLENT. GREEN. IS... should I spoil it? Charlton Heston and Edward G Robinson - solid cast for a sci-fi movie

Solent Green is....delicious?

 

[TubaGeek]

If Universal is close to building a third gate you can be sure Disney will build a 5th.

God, I hope not. What it all comes down to is maintenance. Like everyone has been saying: four well-maintained and cared for parks are better than five lesser parks. Quality above quantity.

Because they haven't yet. And they've had 4 years to counter HP.

They still haven't countered Spidey! And that's been 15 years!

 

[Mouse_Trap]

Okay 3, still not even close to a coaster heavy park... MK has BTMRR, Space, Splash, and 7dmt, no one considers it coaster heavy.
Even at 2 days, uni is cheaper per day.

If you're throwing in Splash, then at IoA you should probably include Jurassic Park River Adventure and Ripsaw Falls.

I don't think any of the Orlando parks are coaster heavy, Busch is probably the better bet for that.

 

[BigTxEars]

I know that I'm showing my age, but as a female, I would happily visit a park with attractions that featured Mario, Zelda, Bond's Goldeneye (Oh I loved sniper shooting my friends in college in multiplayer mode!!) and even GTA. I think more women have played or play video games than one gives us credit for …

I am with you on all of this except GTA, not sure what they could do with that game at a park. Maybe bumper cars vs pedestrians!

 

[BigTxEars]

Thread over, USO declared the winner based on this statement alone!

I do hate it when you use your demigod like powers!

 

[BigTxEars]

I would disagree, you can easily spend 3 maybe 4 days between, USF and IOA. Then a day at Sea World, at that point you have probably purchased the Orlando Flexticket so you can go to Wet n' Wild for a day, then a shopping day/pool day etc.

I think 3 days per week at Uni is about the most we would ever plan for in the future. We did a week one year and that is way too long for us, it was repetitive. For a 7 day week I would do:

1 at IOA
1 at US
1 at AK
1 at DHS
1 at Epcot
2 at MK

But I can't hang for 7 days in a row anymore so we always have a "off day" in the middle of the week. I guess I would give up a day at MK above.

 

[mahnamahna101]

Regarding video game themed lands/attractions, Nintendo could absolutely pull it off. Its popular and accessible enough to work. Announce a Nintendo land and people would guaranteed be more excited than they ever will be for Avatar land.

I'd also love to see something like a attraction based around Halo. It's also popular enough to work. Think something like Transformers or MIB.


This was pretty much my exact experience eating at Le Chefs de France. Its so weird to walk in to what looks like and is clearly trying to present itself as a fancy, quiet restaurant, only kids are running around everywhere screaming, its packed, you can hear the conversations of the tables around you because you are practically right next to them. And then the food itself, while not terrible, was bland and forgettable, certainly not what the prices warrant.

Of all the WDW table service restaurants I have tried, I'd say about 1/3rd are genuinely good, and the other 2/3rds are bland and forgettable. Its hard to recommend them when the dining options around Orlando are growing and getting better year after year.

Nintendo would need a couple lands or even its own park... its IP library is on par with Disney.

Mushroom Kingdom (Mario)
Yoshi/DK/Animal Crossing area
Kid Icarus/Fire Emblem area
Hyrule
Dream Land
Kanto
Earthbound/Chibi Robo, etc area
Sci-fi area
Retro area

 

[tahqa]

I dont thik they will be buying Lockheed Martin’s land. According to the Sunshine State News.

http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/blog/lockheed-martin-expanding-orlando
Lockheed Martin Expanding in Orlando

By: Allison Nielsen | Posted: March 26, 2014 2:45 PM

Gov. Rick Rick Scott announced Wednesday that Lockheed Martin’s mission systems and training facility in Orlando will be expanding, bringing up to 200 jobs and a capital investment of approximately $80 million.

The company currently employs nearly 7,000 in Orlando and is expanding the location due to a corporation-wide consolidation. Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.

The company is currently the largest industrial employer in Florida, with a workforce of nearly 11,000 employees across the state.

“This expansion of Lockheed Martin is great news for Florida families in Orlando," began Scott. "Florida has proven to be the perfect business climate for companies like Lockheed Martin. Since December 2010, Florida businesses have created more than 503,500 private-sector jobs. Let’s keep working to create an opportunity economy that will create jobs for future generations.”

“Lockheed Martin’s mission systems and training facility in Orlando will add great value to Florida’s extensive aviation and aerospace sector, " said Gray Swoope, president and CEO of Enterprise Florida. "Lockheed Martin is a world leader in the industry and has created thousands of employment opportunities and millions in economic impact in the state for more than 58 years. They are a great community partner and we look forward to seeing their continued legacy of success in the Sunshine

Lockheed Martin MST is on the UCF side of town and has plenty of land there on which to expand.

 

[CentralFLlife]

.

If you're throwing in Splash, then at IoA you should probably include Jurassic Park River Adventure and Ripsaw Falls.

I don't think any of the Orlando parks are coaster heavy, Busch is probably the better bet for that.

Working in a coaster centric park (CP) they are over rated and boring, unless they have truly great coasters like millennium.

 

[Prototype82]

Harry Potter fans (including myself) should rejoice in the good fortune that Disney did not get their hands on that franchise. Could you imagine Harry, Ron, and Hermione wearing Mickey ears??? (((shutters at the horror)))

In all seriousness, Disney never would have done Potter justice in the way Universal has. This has become something massive and Potter fans like myself are blessed we're being able to fully be engulfed by that world. If anything, I feel like Avatar has more of a Disney feel to it. With this competition becoming fierce, it'll be fun to see what they build....