I just got back from a 4-day stay at the Universal property. It was my second time visiting Potter, and I love it.
But Disney, however stagnant and boring it has become at this point with absolutely no updates in the past half-decade, still holds the advantage.
That's because Universal has an absolutely terrible way of handling certain things, the biggest being traffic. Islands of Adventure was filled to the brim this week, and the small park isn't meant to hold all those people. The pathways are narrow and traffic generally flows in one direction. If you're going the other way, you're practically screwed.
Wizarding World amplifies this to a startlingly degree. I understand that it's accurate to the mythos, but the tiny pathways and small shops are extremely frustrating. I waited for Olivander's and absolutely loved the show. I wanted to buy some merchandise. However, the store was so clogged with people that - after enduring crossing arms and legs with just about everyone there - I gave up and walked out. It's hard to breathe, and I just don't care about buying anything at that point. I'll buy a shirt at the Universal store at CityWalk.
On top of that, there's a gigantic warehouse sitting behind Hogwarts castle, obviously where the Forbidden Journey ride takes place in. Coming from Jurassic Park, you'll see the plain-looking building with Hogwarts peaking right behind it. When waiting in line for FJ, you have front-row seats to the plain-o-rama that is a beige building plopped right in the middle of the action. It's incredibly lazy and distracting, and destroys the illusion completely. This has always been a problem with Universal, as they really don't care that you buy into it - they just jam pack as many attractions and shops into one spot as they can. In most case, Islands is a glorified amusement park.
Finally, I had the Express pass because I was staying on property. The cool thing is that you can use it at any time. The bad news is, you can use it at any time. Express pass lines sometimes grew to 15 minutes, and while that's a far cry from 75 minute waits, I still shouldn't have to wait in line. The Express Pass for E.T. is especially awful, as you get in the Express line, merge with everyone else, and then back into another Express line, which is hidden behind a mob of confused people. Some employees don't even check for your pass.
Don't even get me started on the absolutely atrocious way that Universal is handling Harry Potter traffic. Rather than asking at the door of the park and giving everyone a time there at the entrance, they created a new ticket/stand-by line that clutters Jurassic Park and some of Toon Island. It's messy and it gets ugly quick between the guests, especially tourists who aren't accustomed to this or haven't read up on the forums before.
I love Universal and Islands of Adventure, and I recommend Potter. But I know that the parks come up very short in some big ways, so when people compare the parks to Disney, I just want them to remember how far attention to detail goes with the Mouse House. They might not have built a franchise-driven attraction to suit your needs, but they know how to make a park work. Magic Kingdom is the best theme park in the world, in my opinion, as it's mostly timeless and built with such attention to the smallest detail. The heart and soul of all its creators can be found in most of that park. Harry Potter, while thrilling to see in person, will become just another aged property.
I mean, who goes to Universal now, excited to see aged franchises like Twister, Terminator 2, Jimmy Neutron and The Mummy? More than half of these are barely relevant. Terminator 2 is a joke, in dire need of a makeover.
