Hollywood Studios vs Islands of Adventure

Which is the better park?

  • Total voters
    117
SplashJacket

SplashJacket

Well-Known Member
UNCgolf said:
We had a horrendous meal at Confisco -- the place was almost empty and yet the service was abysmal, and then the food itself was lukewarm as though they'd cooked it then forgot to actually bring it to us. It also wasn't good in general; actually being hot would have been nice but would not have made a huge difference. We waited for like 20 minutes before anyone took our order, then we waited forever for the food, then we waited another 20+ minutes for anyone to come and let us actually pay. That final wait was long enough that I actually considered just getting up and leaving without paying because we were wasting so much time.

You're not the first person I've heard say it's pretty good, but our experience was so bad that I'll never go back. Next time I'm there I'd just walk out to CityWalk to eat instead (which has several good options).
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I’ve found that oftentimes the food line will be the longest wait of the day
 
Riviera Rita

Riviera Rita

Well-Known Member
I can do IoA in half a day and be done, whereas there is a lot more, beyond the attractions in DHS.
Dudley Do Right and the vintage cartoon characters are very outdated to begin with.
 
Rush

Rush

Well-Known Member
Riviera Rita said:
I can do IoA in half a day and be done, whereas there is a lot more, beyond the attractions in DHS.
Dudley Do Right and the vintage cartoon characters are very outdated to begin with.
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IoA has nearly double the amount of rides AND the best interactive experiences that a theme park can offer. Toon Lagoon features vintage cartoons. That's no different than DHS featuring old and outdated properties like the Twighlight Zone.
 
BlakeW39

BlakeW39

Well-Known Member
Can I just give some, in my opinion, much needed love to Marvel Superhero Island?

As a Marvel Comics fan (not so much an MCU fan, at least anymore), the land is like a fever dream of comics, culminating in the spectucular experience that is The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man. X-Men everywhere, Doom and Magnus, etc.... even the soundtrack is just so cool. Sure, it's cardboard cut outs but it reallu captures the feel of 90s Marvel Comics and I really value that about the land. Although I think the Hulk ride was better pre-2017.
 
Skibum1970

Skibum1970

Well-Known Member
BlakeW39 said:
Dudley isn't the river rapids ride, Popeye and Bluto's is. Dudley is basically a flume, but I think it's technically considered a water coaster (??) or something.
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Dudley is still considered a flume ride. The only rail section is the drop but that is like one of Splash's drops.

I do like IoA more than DHS. More rides and I honestly enjoy the rides more. In some ways, the parks have similarities in that each has a series of e-tickets. However, IoA tends to stay consistent with its theme and immersiveness in each of the areas. Obviously, some of the rides are not themed that heavily (including Dudley) but overall a fun park that for us requires a full day or even two days.
 
S

StantonZ

Active Member
Both are good parks, and both have unique IPs (Star Wars and Harry Potter). However, I think it's safe to say the food is better in Disney (in general)...and that counts more for some than others (we like have a good meal in a theme park).
The fact that both are successful is what makes the world go 'round. Now that we are locals, we visit both on a fairly regular basis. :p
 
Tom P.

Tom P.

Well-Known Member
There's no one answer to this. For me and my family, thrill rides hold little interest. That significantly diminishes the value of anything Universal for us. But I recognize that other people want different things and Hollywood Studios does have its flaws. Still, for us, Hollywood Studios by a mile.
 
Tom P.

Tom P.

Well-Known Member
Walt Disney1955 said:
Honestly, maybe I am in the minority but I never "get" the idea of having great dining in a theme park. Maybe it is just me as I never go to a park and feel I have time to sit down and enjoy a meal for an hour or whatever. For me it is just about getting something to tide you over and move on. A burger and fries and a shake and that's all I need. If I have one day to spend at each park the dining options are never even on my radar.
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For us, the dining is one of the highlights of the experience. We can't go non-stop with just quick breaks for burgers and fries. We are not "park commando" type people. Taking an hour or so out for a nice sit-down meal is a highlight of the day. It gives us a chance to relax and recharge before heading back out into the park.
 
SplashJacket

SplashJacket

Well-Known Member
Tom P. said:
For us, the dining is one of the highlights of the experience. We can't go non-stop with just quick breaks for burgers and fries. We are not "park commando" type people. Taking an hour or so out for a nice sit-down meal is a highlight of the day. It gives us a chance to relax and recharge before heading back out into the park.
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As a park commando person, I love me a nice sit-down. You can only go so-long without stopping for a minute, and usually the sit-down allows your return times to simmer to a delicious ready.
 
UNCgolf

UNCgolf

Well-Known Member
Tom P. said:
I hate thrill rides and so I feel like there is little to nothing for me there...
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I don't hate thrill rides, but they need something beyond the thrill to really interest me. Rides like the Incredible Hulk feel like a waste of my time. There's not much at IoA that I really enjoy riding/would be willing to wait in line for -- I absolutely love the Jurassic Park River Adventure, and Spider-Man is excellent, but... that's basically it. Forbidden Journey has a few excellent sections, but it focuses far too heavily on a boring broom simulation, plus it's also one of the least comfortable rides I've ever been on. I enjoyed the queue more than the ride. Kong is kind of like Forbidden Journey in that I find all the simulator portions yawn inducing.

I do think I'd like Hagrid's, but I haven't been on it.

That said, there's not many attractions I really like at Hollywood Studios either. Tower of Terror is fantastic, Rise looks great (but I haven't been on), MMRR looks decent (also haven't been on), and Slinky Dog Dash is fun but certainly not worth waiting more than 15-20 minutes to ride (which never happens). That's pretty much it there. It's a half day park for me.
 
Rush

Rush

Well-Known Member
BubbaisSleep said:
People sleep on Camp Jurassic too, probably one of the best playgrounds ever. Especially that 2 story cave with the geyser, so fun even for adults.
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To extend on the interactivity at IoA, one of my favorite and frankly underrated things is the extra touch UC added to the flats in Suess Landing. Bringing the Suess characters of the Caro-Suess-el to life by making them blink, move ears and noses, and the addition of a gaming aspect to the spinner (One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish) make those simple family rides all more special.
 

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