Harry Potter IS making a difference!!

[Lee]

Keep in mind that everytime one of the folks you describe ride Spiderman and then buy anything MARVEL a cash register rings at Disney.

That drives Uni nuts.

Heh.

Probably right.

 

[T-1MILLION]

Funny story.

HP has put Universal on the map this year. If they can capitalize on that in the future while Disney continues resting on past glory, Uni could one day be a player. I could see future generations being as devoted to Uni as current generations are to Disney.

It is certainly a closing margin when you have Universal Growing so much and Disney with no Growth/Flat attendance reports already this year.

Something else I learned was confimed yesterday...

For those who do not know of The Grinchmas show. Usually it is held in the streets of 'the island' of Suess Landing, but with the huge crowds flowing in they knew for Christmas break time it would really be packed so Grinchmas even had to move off of its usual outside stage performing area into a Soundstage between the two paks themed inside to Mt Crumpit and Whoville thanks to the draw of Potter.

 

[jt04]

I think it will take more time to know for sure if the increase in Uni's ticket sales is more a result of substance as opposed to a very expensive marketing campaign and any residual momentum gained by those marketing dollars. Once BatB and LM and ST2 opens at WDW we will have a much more accurate idea as to the impact HP has had or if it is a lasting effect.

 

[lebeau]

Keep in mind that everytime one of the folks you describe ride Spiderman and then buy anything MARVEL a cash register rings at Disney.

That drives Uni nuts.

Heh.

Slightly off topic but I seem to recall when the Marvel purchase was announced you predicted that Uni would voluntarily hand the Marvel rights over to Disney by now.

What happened?

 

[Captain Chaos]

Where's that "game changer"? Please. The truth is in the numbers. The article reports a 36% increase in attendance.

Let's see... Let's for the sake of argument that IOA sees that number hold for the entire year. 36%.

Last year that park saw attendance at 4,500,000. Plus 36% = 6,120,000. That would still place the park WAY behind DAK at 9,590,000 and only slightly ahead of DCA at 6,095,000.

Now, no way the 36% will hold. Game changer? Nope. Good for Universal? Without a doubt.

HAHAHA This is what I was waiting for. Some REAL common sense.. Universal's attendance was so bismal that 1 more person would have jumped their attendance almost 100%.. geez... You woudl think Universal's attendance jumped to over 10 million.. Nope.. only to 6 million.. i mean really... 4 million guests a year to 6 million and fanboys are saying this is great??? This is still a joke... 6 Million?? HAHAHA that makes me laugh.. I'll say Potter actually helped Universal when they hit 10 million and overtake Magic Kingdom... LOL... But congrats to Uni.. Still can't over take WDW's parks, even with the Potter franchise open...

But hey, good for Universal.... Not bad for a bad who takes medicore attendance numbers and calls it a success... In 3 years, their numbers will be back to 4-5 million.. Potter is the NKOTB... Even those "boys" got old and forgotten...

I do say things in jest... Good for Uni for creating something people actually enjoy... Disney, sadly, is NOT going to shake in their boots until their attendance domination is in doubt.. And it isn't... Let's just hope the merchandising numbers get them rattled.. THAT is there the true profit margin is.... Not attendance.. And there is where Universal succeeded.. And good for them!!!!

 

[lebeau]

But hey, good for Universal.... Not bad for a bad who takes medicore attendance numbers and calls it a success... In 3 years, their numbers will be back to 4-5 million.. Potter is the NKOTB... Even those "boys" got old and forgotten...

I'm sure that made sense in your head... :lookaroun

 

[Captain Chaos]

I'm sure that made sense in your head... :lookaroun

Obviously you didn't finish my post.. I said I said things in Jest.. you do know what that means right? :wave:

 

[JimboJones123]

Yeah. I have read some even claim it has ONLY helped Walt Disney World.

That is downright scary.

This was a fun thing to hear last Sunday evening that honestly took me back. In Honeydukes waiting in line to buy a cauldron cake I looked to my right because of a begging noise. Two little girls were begging and excited with expressions to their mother about buying some Chocolate Frogs and some other things in their palms including their mother's hands. The mom let them know that this was their next to last day at Universal and they had not bought anything at Disney World yet and this was the last of their spending allowance for gifts. The girls just started shaking their heads. "Disney has mostly baby stuff. This is the stuff we want. We don't want anything from Disney."

I knew somewhere, that a Universal Exec had a nice little tear of joy in his eye.

But honestly, if that is any representaiton of what this has done...wake up WDW!

The fact that you can even say "In Honeydukes waiting in line to buy a cauldron cake" is still amazing to me and millions of others.

 

[lebeau]

Obviously you didn't finish my post.. I said I said things in Jest.. you do know what that means right? :wave:

Is it bad for a bad? Maybe that makes me NKOTB? I am old and forgotten. :shrug:

 

[jt04]

Slightly off topic but I seem to recall when the Marvel purchase was announced you predicted that Uni would voluntarily hand the Marvel rights over to Disney by now.

What happened?

I think what I said was that they would replace the Marvel characters at UNI with something new. Disney owns the rights to the characters as they own all of the characters inculding Spidey. There is a clause, however, that prohibits Disney from using IoA characters in Orlando Disney parks. I still believe Universal will make the decision to stop featuring a Disney owned product in any of its parks. These things take time and Uni had already committed a boatlaod of money to HP when the Marvel deal went down.

So, keep watching. And my prediction for what will replace Marvel? Easy, Transformers.

 

[T-1MILLION]

Since you were wondering I actually heard that Universal's merch was up over 300 percent from this time last year. A side non attendance and non merch note. Butterbeer alone has made Universal so much money. Just about every perosn who has gone to the Wizarding World wants to try it and there is always a line at the 3 locations for it. Take that for what its worth. I had a hard time ever believing that until I saw just how many costumes and wands there were attached to people of all ages. Not to mention the fact that they have sold out of Plushies, particularly Pygmy Puffs many times.

With Disney laying near flat in terms of attendance growth when Universal rises 36 percent in just this short amount of time...that does say something. I am sure it has big shareholders asking some questions. Let's not forget the smaller WDW parks like Hollywood Studios and AK who people often always push the fact that even they slam dunk on Universal Orlando's parks. I would be interested to see just how closer that margin is as well.

 

[GLaDOS]

So, keep watching. And my prediction for what will replace Marvel? Easy, Transformers.

Doubtful. Transformers isn't nearly big enough to cover a whole land and make a splash.

If something does happen with Marvel, it won't be until after Potter Phase II has come.

And I wouldn't be surprised if they shell out some money to DC and Six Flags and open up what they originally planned anyway.

 

[Captain Chaos]

Is it bad for a bad? Maybe that makes me NKOTB? I am old and forgotten. :shrug:

Again, you didn't understand that the post was NOT MEANT TO BE SERIOUS!!!

I meant that post in jest... I am glad Universal finally created something that has people excited... I have yet to experience it in person, and I can't wait to.. I won't call myself a major Potter fan like other people do... I read the books and enjoyed them... I watched the movies, numerous times, and enjoyed them... I can't wait to visit Wizarding World..

So, before people want to chastise my post... let me clarify...

THE POST IS NOT MEANT TO ME TAKEN SERIOUS!!!!!!!!

 

[lazyboy97o]

Yeah. I have read some even claim it has ONLY helped Walt Disney World.

That is downright scary.

Since the purchase, I have wondering if any of Marvel's royalties were based on park attendance. If that is at all the case, the increased attendance has been some extra money in Disney's pocket.

 

[RSoxNo1]

First off, when IOA opened, it helped Disney's attendance and severely hurt Universal Studios' attendance. Sure, the "resort"/Universal Escape had an overall increase, but it didn't damage Disney at all.

The attendance at IOA has been decreasing the past few years with it's high coming back in 2004 at 6.3 million. It should also be noted that 2004 was the last time that Universal Studios had more than 20% of the total theme park attendance in Central Florida.

Ever since, Disney has seen their percentage rise primarily at the cost of Universal. This year it's likely going in the other direction.

A 36% increase in attendance is a significant trend in the right direction, but that number needs to continue to increase. It can't just be a blip on the radar.

In Universal's case there seem to be quite a few other projects being discussed for IOA. An expansion to Potterland (into The Lost Continent) seems logical, another Jurassic Park movie could revitalize that area, and talks of Avatar or Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit taking up shop in the Toon Lagoon area seem to all be distinct possibilities.

With all this said, the last time Universal saw an increase over Disney was in 2004. In 2005 and 2006 Disney added Expedition Everest, Lights Motors Action and Soarin'. Here's hoping for a similar reaction this time around.

 

[T-1MILLION]

Since the purchase, I have wondering if any of Marvel's royalties were based on park attendance. If that is at all the case, the increased attendance has been some extra money in Disney's pocket.

No they aren't as far as anything I or anyone else I have talked to has read. Attendance is a property deal. Marvel's profit could only be on merch. It is such a small margin...I don't even think Universal is all that concerned about it..especially not right now.

Also for IP irony. ABC (Disney fo those who don't know) just purchased the rights to show the last two Potter films on ABC Family.
I just find that funny the way the world works.

 

[stitch2008]

First off, when IOA opened, it helped Disney's attendance and severely hurt Universal Studios' attendance. Sure, the "resort"/Universal Escape had an overall increase, but it didn't damage Disney at all.

The attendance at IOA has been decreasing the past few years with it's high coming back in 2004 at 6.3 million. It should also be noted that 2004 was the last time that Universal Studios had more than 20% of the total theme park attendance in Central Florida.

Ever since, Disney has seen their percentage rise primarily at the cost of Universal. This year it's likely going in the other direction.

A 36% increase in attendance is a significant trend in the right direction, but that number needs to continue to increase. It can't just be a blip on the radar.

In Universal's case there seem to be quite a few other projects being discussed for IOA. An expansion to Potterland (into The Lost Continent) seems logical, another Jurassic Park movie could revitalize that area, and talks of Avatar or Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit taking up shop in the Toon Lagoon area seem to all be distinct possibilities.

With all this said, the last time Universal saw an increase over Disney was in 2004. In 2005 and 2006 Disney added Expedition Everest, Lights Motors Action and Soarin'. Here's hoping for a similar reaction this time around.

This. These numbers mean nothing.....yet. Let's see what happens now. The ride has only been open for one fiscal quarter. While these signs are encouraging, Uni must be looking for more. Their attendance has been down the last few years. Let's see if they can keep it up.

 

[JimboJones123]

No they aren't as far as anything I or anyone else I have talked to has read. Attendance is a property deal. Marvel's profit could only be on merch. It is such a small margin...I don't even think Universal is all that concerned about it..especially not right now.

Also for IP irony. ABC (Disney fo those who don't know) just purchased the rights to show the last two Potter films on ABC Family.
I just find that funny the way the world works.

Too bad they blew first pick at production and distribution of the films.

In a deep dark urban legend, they also blew a chance at printing rights too.

 

[T-1MILLION]

Too bad they blew first pick at production and distribution of the films.

In a deep dark urban legend, they also blew a chance at printing rights too.

For the film studio divison. I agree. But theme park wise I say better off with the way they did it. Comic Book/toon versionf of the heroes=timeless. Spiderman is already getting a movie reboot for 2012.

 

[lazyboy97o]

o for IP irony. ABC (Disney fo those who don't know) just purchased the rights to show the last two Potter films on ABC Family.
I just find that funny the way the world works.

Now Universal Orlando just needs to pay to be the presenter of these films. I can hear it now, "You're watching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I, presented by the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, only at Universal Orlando Resort, on ABC Family."