Hollywood Studios vs Islands of Adventure

[Walt Disney1955]

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.

 

[Rush]

The Three Broomsticks and Mythos serve better food than DHS and MK combined, imo.

 

[Schweino]

So I have eaten at Mythos (Lamb burger with pita chips + dip appetizer) and while I wasn't a big fan of the lamb burger, the appetizer was delicious. However, IMO Liberty Tree beats it, but if you're not into that kind of 'Thanksgiving' type food then I get it.

I do wonder with City Walk being at the front of the parks if it's really fare to knock US for having 'crap' offerings inside the parks. We did get a burger at the Capt America place in IoA and it was fine - I'd eat it again for sure. However Bigfire and Toothsome were really great when we went in '21.

 

[SplashJacket]

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).

I’ve found that oftentimes the food line will be the longest wait of the day

 

[Riviera Rita]

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Dudley Do Right and the vintage cartoon characters are very outdated to begin with.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]

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.

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.

 

[J4546]

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.

dudley is one of the best river rapids rides imo. way better than kali river imo. i like it a lot

 

[BlakeW39]

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.

 

[BlakeW39]

dudley is one of the best river rapids rides imo. way better than kali river imo. i like it a lot

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.

 

[J4546]

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.

oops my bad

 

[UNCgolf]

the best interactive experiences that a theme park can offer.

What are you describing with this?

 

[Rush]

What are you describing with this?

The wands in Hogsmeade and If I Ran the Zoo in Suess Landing.

 

[Skibum1970]

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.

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.

 

[StantonZ]

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.

 

[BubbaisSleep]

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. Makes me wish DHS made a spiritual successor to the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground in TSL. They could have probably even reused some of the playground items too.

 

[Tom P.]

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.]

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.

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]

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.

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.

 

[No Name]

I do not understand anyone who did not vote for Islands of Adventure. I declare all 32 of you insane!

 

[Tom P.]

I do not understand anyone who did not vote for Islands of Adventure. I declare all 32 of you insane!

I hate thrill rides and so I feel like there is little to nothing for me there...