Harry Potter IS making a difference!!

[JimboJones123]

No rose-tinting here. But despite a great job on WWOHP, there isn't enough other stuff to keep me going back. No matter how good WWOHP is, it isn't worth a day's admission by itself. :shrug:

A VERY expensive day's admission.

We would totally visit both parks every trip for a $80-100 two day park hopper, but $83 to go to one park one day is too much.

The $99 7-day pass would be awesome now -- but it died with the birth of HP. As died my interest in going. It just becomes too expensive. Especially when going drone a 7 day Disney ticket to an 8 day only costs $4 more.

 

[JimboJones123]

This thread (and forum) is so funny. No matter how many times you beat it into the thick headed skulls of the Disney fans wearing rose-tinted glass on this site about what an excellent job Universal did on WWoHP, they continue to come up with terrible "excuses" as to why it isn't.

Yeah, when WDW can give us something more impressive than Toy Story Mania again, then we'll talk.

And without the capicity issues of TSM as well. When fastpasses are gone before the fastpass lineup empties every day -- there is a major problem with the ride and the other offerings at the park.

 

[thelookingglass]

No rose-tinting here. But despite a great job on WWOHP, there isn't enough other stuff to keep me going back. No matter how good WWOHP is, it isn't worth a day's admission by itself. :shrug:

Maybe not, but you could say the same thing for any land or attraction at WDW, really. IOA also has an excellent lineup of attractions - I find it much easier to justify the one day one park ticket price for IOA or US than I do for DAK or DHS.

 

[pax_65]

Maybe not, but you could say the same thing for any land or attraction at WDW, really. IOA also has an excellent lineup of attractions - I find it much easier to justify the one day one park ticket price for IOA or US than I do for DAK or DHS.

That's kind of what I was thinking. I mean, don't get me wrong, I LOVE Disney. I could walk around MK or Epcot and just look around at the scenery and have a good time without doing a single attraction. But when you start looking at dollars and thinking, "How many days do I really need to do everything?" especially considering there's very little new in these parks in the last few years, you really start to wonder.

Personally, on our next trip we're cutting a few days off our Disney park passes and using that savings toward Universal. Keep in mind, we never go to Universal so just saying that is strange for us - that shows the impact of Harry Potter for our family.

 

[Alektronic]

I never said it wasn't currently good for Universal, but the point is there may very well be many like me who won't go back. If there are, the thread title that "Harry Potter IS making a difference" will be a short-lived occurrence. So the proof will come in a year or two when WWOHP's novelty has worn off. Because despite enjoying the addition, the rest of their parks have absolutely no appeal to me or my teenage son. I'm guessing that extends to a lot of the current surge of guests.

Since the article quoted above says lines at other attractions were short to non-existent despite the increased attendance, I'm thinking it won't sustain itself. And you're right, it's just my opinion.

But the whole idea for the post is that "Harry Potter IS making a Difference" not "Harry Potter WILL BE making a difference in the Future" and IMO it will last for years.

But, I think the true test will be that if Universal goes ahead and keeps building high quality and immersive attractions or will they be like Disney and build something and then try to rest on their laurels and don't maintain the attractions that they have. Then just add a parade or a new show and hoping people will still come.

 

[tonythetigerasn]

I've been keeping up with the thread without replying, but feel this merits saying.

I did not say that Universal as a whole would decline. I'm sure it will flatten out to be what it was before Potter if not increased. If you look at my response, I said that WWoHP's attendance would decline due to the small amount of attractions...just the WWoHP, not Universal overall.

I do think that the increase that Universal is seeing right now due to HP will not last. Right now, its new, its fresh, its great. BUT once you have been there and are going ONLY to experience HP (as many Potter fans are) I don't think they will repeat the vacation if HP is their only interest.

I don't think the INCREASE from Harry Potter will last either. Universal saw a 36% increase in attendance. If this lasted for even a few years, IOA would have MK-like levels of attendance. The point is attendance has jumped to this level and, even if the rates of growth go down, Universal will SUSTAIN higher attendance.

Compared to Disney, who's biggest jumps in attendance in the recent past have been standard increases based on growth. Now those numbers are stagnant. Even though they have much higher annual numbers than Universal, their amount of growth this year is 0%, probably a slight loss. A slight loss is not a good sign, in any economy.

IOA is gaining, even if they're still a very long way off.

 

[Pete C]

Maybe not, but you could say the same thing for any land or attraction at WDW, really. IOA also has an excellent lineup of attractions - I find it much easier to justify the one day one park ticket price for IOA or US than I do for DAK or DHS.

This is spot on. Both IOA and US can easily stand up to DHS and DAK. I love both of those Disney parks for their atmosphere, but both are thin on rides.

How anyone could short change IOA is beyond my comprehension. It is loaded with excellent rides, arguably some of the best in their class. Seriously, you could make a case for any of the following:

Jurassic Park for best shoot the chutes
Popeye's for best rapids ride
Ripsaw falls for best log flume
Spiderman for best dark ride
Harry Potter for best dark ride

Not to mention that Hulk and Dragon Challenge are excellent coasters in their own right (though Hulk needs some new wheels). I mean, you might not agree with the above, but one could easily make a strong case for any of those.

 

[T-1MILLION]

And let's not forget that The Wizarding World of Harry Potter just opened up mid June...let's see what it does next year when it has a full year of operation and continuing word of mouth.

 

[plaz10]

Just for the record...I'm not hating on WWoHP. I do think that they did an amazing job with the details of the movies. I personally enjoy the movies and the books. All I am simply trying to say is that WWoHP as it stands right now will not be THIS popular in the years to come. It's not an insult. It's just my opinion. If people are Potter fans, visiting just to see HP...their return is less likely BASED ON POTTER ATTRACTIONS alone. It's not a comparison between Disney and WWoHP. I never even mentioned Disney.

People may fall in love with Universal and IoA and continue to go to the parks. But people only looking for the Potter experience (like Monty) will not return year after year for those 4 attractions. If Disney only had Animal Kingdom...people would not return year after year for a weeks vacation with only a few rides/attractions. It's nothing against WWoHP. It's just saying that a park with such little attractions is popular right now but the levels will decrease once everything to experience has been experienced.

 

[lebeau]

Just for the record...I'm not hating on WWoHP. I do think that they did an amazing job with the details of the movies. I personally enjoy the movies and the books. All I am simply trying to say is that WWoHP as it stands right now will not be THIS popular in the years to come. It's not an insult. It's just my opinion. If people are Potter fans, visiting just to see HP...their return is less likely BASED ON POTTER ATTRACTIONS alone. It's not a comparison between Disney and WWoHP. I never even mentioned Disney.

People may fall in love with Universal and IoA and continue to go to the parks. But people only looking for the Potter experience (like Monty) will not return year after year for those 4 attractions. If Disney only had Animal Kingdom...people would not return year after year for a weeks vacation with only a few rides/attractions. It's nothing against WWoHP. It's just saying that a park with such little attractions is popular right now but the levels will decrease once everything to experience has been experienced.

I believe it's been pointed out several times on this thread already, but Uni is going to expand WWoHP. Will the expansion be as popular as the original? Who knows. But it's not like Uni is going to build this and then let it die out. Rumor has it that the success of Potter has Uni looking to invest more. Whereas Disney is taking the opposite approach.

If this continues, Uni could keep slowly grabbing more and more of the pie from Disney. I seriously doubt they will ever be #1, but that's not their goal.

The question is, how much of the pie will Disney let Uni have before they decide to do something about it?

 

[trr1]

A VERY expensive day's admission.

We would totally visit both parks every trip for a $80-100 two day park hopper, but $83 to go to one park one day is too much.

The $99 7-day pass would be awesome now -- but it died with the birth of HP. As died my interest in going. It just becomes too expensive. Especially when going drone a 7 day Disney ticket to an 8 day only costs $4 more.

disney's is $87.33 USD for one park one day

 

[Mouse Detective]

Because despite enjoying the addition, the rest of their parks have absolutely no appeal to me or my teenage son.

Your teenage son finds nothing else of interest (besides WWHP) at Universal's two parks? That's odd. What thrills him at Disney World?

 

[Monty]

Your teenage son finds nothing else of interest (besides WWHP) at Universal's two parks? That's odd. What thrills him at Disney World?

Theming and not having hucksters trying to gouge money out of him between rides. :shrug:

The thrill rides at Universal were "OK" for both of us, not bad, not great, just OK. The theming wasn't of interest and the areas between rides were totally uninteresting. We reached the conclusion that the parks simply weren't for us.

It may be he's brainwashed by my love of Disney [I don't impose my feelings on him, but he does try very hard to please me] or he may simply prefer doing things with me regardless of what it is, but he certainly didn't seem any more impressed with Universal than I was. The two significant exceptions for both of us were WWOHP and Bubba Gump's :slurp:

 

[cheezbat]

Theming and not having hucksters trying to gouge money out of him between rides. :shrug:

The thrill rides at Universal were "OK" for both of us, not bad, not great, just OK. The theming wasn't of interest and the areas between rides were totally uninteresting. We reached the conclusion that the parks simply weren't for us.

It may be he's brainwashed by my love of Disney [I don't impose my feelings on him, but he does try very hard to please me] or he may simply prefer doing things with me regardless of what it is, but he certainly didn't seem any more impressed with Universal than I was. The two significant exceptions for both of us were WWOHP and Bubba Gump's :slurp:

Ahh so you guys didn't take off your Rose-colored Disney glasses when you walked into Universal, huh?

I know the parks aren't for everyone, but I seriously find it hard to believe that you couldn't find Spiderman, or Popeye and Bluto or Jurassic Park as entertaining. Just Potter? Wow. Sad day for you guys.

 

[Monty]

Ahh so you guys didn't take off your Rose-colored Disney glasses when you walked into Universal, huh?

I know the parks aren't for everyone, but I seriously find it hard to believe that you couldn't find Spiderman, or Popeye and Bluto or Jurassic Park as entertaining. Just Potter? Wow. Sad day for you guys.

Not so much "Rose-colored Disney glasses" as personal preference. :shrug:

Spiderman was OK, not earth-shattering. Rip, Ride, Rockit was good, but not a particularly comfortable ride, having a headache from my head being constantly jarred by the hard plastic "headrest" dring the decidedly rough ride was certainly not fun. Hulk was enjoyable as a ride, but the theming was iffy at best. Even though Forbidden Journey was a great experience, its re-rideability was not as good as I would hope for. Once you've been through a few times and start looking around, you see a lot more "bad show" elements than what everybody complains about inside the mountain of Expedition Everest.

Denigrate my opinions by trying to say I'm wearing "Rose-colored Disney glasses" all you like, the opinions are still perfectly valid. The overall ambience and detailing at Universal simply don't measure up to WDW and IMO never will. I won't even start on the attitudes of staff at Uni compared to the quality service provided by WDW CMs....

And it's more accurately a "sad day" for Universal because we went with every hope of enjoying ourselves and were genuinely disappointed.

 

[sueuk]

I think they've slipped up by not making more of an effort for next years 40th anni (unless we all get a surprise!); something special then would have bridged the gap before the expansion opens.
Montymon - I know what you mean -while we really enjoy some of the rides at US and IoA; Spiderman, The Mummy, Simpsons etc (have yet to see HP) - we just don't get the same feeling while we're there, and although we visit both parks during our stay in Orlando, it's only ever 2 days out of our 2 weeks there. We never want to linger in the US parks.

 

[fosse76]

Denigrate my opinions by trying to say I'm wearing "Rose-colored Disney glasses" all you like, the opinions are still perfectly valid. The overall ambience and detailing at Universal simply don't measure up to WDW and IMO never will. I won't even start on the attitudes of staff at Uni compared to the quality service provided by WDW CMs....

Nonsense. I have spent 7 non-consecutive days at Universal this year. Not once did I come across any employees who were discourteous or who weren't just as friendly as their Disney counterparts. I may have come across a disinterested employee or two, but I came across a lot more of those at Disney.

As for the "hucksters" comment, that is also ridiculous. There aren't that many carnival games in Universal, and I didn't find any of it agressive or intrusive. And Disney ALSO has you exit major attractions through a gift shop.

And it's more accurately a "sad day" for Universal because we went with every hope of enjoying ourselves and were genuinely disappointed.

No, you weren't. You were biased going in, and nothing Universal did was going to change your opinion. And if your teenage son didn't find anything thrilling about Universal's thrill rides, he must be completely bored at Disney. The themeing is mostly just as good as Disney (if not better) in some places.

That said, you can be biased all you want. But don't pretend it is a result of a fair and open-mind...you were determined to not like Universal.

 

[Monty]

Nonsense. I have spent 7 non-consecutive days at Universal this year. Not once did I come across any employees who were discourteous or who weren't just as friendly as their Disney counterparts. I may have come across a disinterested employee or two, but I came across a lot more of those at Disney.

As for the "hucksters" comment, that is also ridiculous. There aren't that many carnival games in Universal, and I didn't find any of it agressive or intrusive. And Disney ALSO has you exit major attractions through a gift shop.


No, you weren't. You were biased going in, and nothing Universal did was going to change your opinion. And if your teenage son didn't find anything thrilling about Universal's thrill rides, he must be completely bored at Disney. The themeing is mostly just as good as Disney (if not better) in some places.

That said, you can be biased all you want. But don't pretend it is a result of a fair and open-mind...you were determined to not like Universal.

Funny that I would spend the money on a Premier Pass for parks I was determined not to like! You attribute to both myself and my son, neither of whom you know from Adam, a whole lot of bias that you seem to ignore in yourself. My son thoroughly enjoys WDW and was unimpressed by Universal. It's really that simple. Universal isn't for everybody, just as WDW isn't for everybody. Your arrogance may not allow you to acknowledge that, but that's your problem, not mine. If you enjoy what Universal serves up as entertainment, more power to you, but don't presume that you are capable of thinking for the rest of us.

As for staff, I was ignored by Universal staff on numerous occasions, their personal discussions on at least three occasions were clearly more important than customer service. In five visits that is entirely unacceptable and has NEVER happened to me at Disney in ten years of multiple visits.

 

[Pete C]

Not so much "Rose-colored Disney glasses" as personal preference. :shrug:

Spiderman was OK, not earth-shattering. Rip, Ride, Rockit was good, but not a particularly comfortable ride, having a headache from my head being constantly jarred by the hard plastic "headrest" dring the decidedly rough ride was certainly not fun. Hulk was enjoyable as a ride, but the theming was iffy at best. Even though Forbidden Journey was a great experience, its re-rideability was not as good as I would hope for. Once you've been through a few times and start looking around, you see a lot more "bad show" elements than what everybody complains about inside the mountain of Expedition Everest.

Denigrate my opinions by trying to say I'm wearing "Rose-colored Disney glasses" all you like, the opinions are still perfectly valid. The overall ambience and detailing at Universal simply don't measure up to WDW and IMO never will. I won't even start on the attitudes of staff at Uni compared to the quality service provided by WDW CMs....

And it's more accurately a "sad day" for Universal because we went with every hope of enjoying ourselves and were genuinely disappointed.

Are you serious?? At least it HAS show elements!! :ROFLOL:

 

[cheezbat]

Funny that I would spend the money on a Premier Pass for parks I was determined not to like! You attribute to both myself and my son, neither of whom you know from Adam, a whole lot of bias that you seem to ignore in yourself. My son thoroughly enjoys WDW and was unimpressed by Universal. It's really that simple. Universal isn't for everybody, just as WDW isn't for everybody. Your arrogance may not allow you to acknowledge that, but that's your problem, not mine. If you enjoy what Universal serves up as entertainment, more power to you, but don't presume that you are capable of thinking for the rest of us.

As for staff, I was ignored by Universal staff on numerous occasions, their personal discussions on at least three occasions were clearly more important than customer service. In five visits that is entirely unacceptable and has NEVER happened to me at Disney in ten years of multiple visits.

Wow talk about unlucky. I've been a Universal passholder for 7 years now and can think of only one situation where their cast didn't impress me. I can't even count on both hands how many times I've been let down by employees at WDW. I guess we all have our moments at different times and different places. I will NEVER forget going to Muppetvision 3-D one time and watching one of the cast members scream at guests since they weren't moving fast enough...and then she mumbled a profanity under her breath, but loud enough for some of us to hear. Not my idea of Disney magic.
And as for the themeing...well, i have to agree with fosse76...Universal has it. But both Universal AND Disney miss the mark in some places. Look at parts of Hollywood Studios...and Animal Kingdom...Chester and Hester...and eyesore...and Stitch and Monsters Inc. in Tomorrowland? As for Universal, Dudley Do Right...and the Rockit...yep. See, so both parks have their lack of themeing in some places. Doesn't mean either resort sucks or doesn't have good rides though.

Disney and Universal is basically comparing apples to oranges. Everyone is entitled to their own preference. I prefer both.