HOW WILL UNIVERSAL'S EPIC UNIVERSE AFFECT WALT DISNEY WORLD?

[Alice a]

Let me put it this way:
As someone who travels with a best friend who also can’t ride coasters or screen rides, we did IOA once for Harry Potter and were done, because WDW had more traditional dark rides we could do.

Now that WDW has been replacing older rides with oned we can’t do, we spend more time strolling and people-watching.

That’s a lot of money for strolling. So we don’t go 3 times a year anymore. We go for a day or so if we’re in town for a trade show, and our upcoming trip is the last planned one.

With EU, which looks pretty cool, it’s worth a visit just to see. We would do all 3 parks. It might be worth multiple trips.

We usually stay in the Swan anyway, so the hotels are fine for me. For the price, they’re far better than WDW’s equivalent.

I am not the kind of person who would’ve really considered it before EU. There aren’t a lot of rides for me. But outside Magic Kingdom, there aren’t many rides left at WDW for me, either.

 

[networkpro]

Weather controlled can be night and day whenever and works well with theming and like the one in Abu Dabi it's quite impressive...

Abu Dabi is a whole different story than Florida. It makes sense where climate is extreme and not temperate. If you've lived in the Middle East for any amount of time anything but a Waterpark outside is unpleasant for 9 months of the year.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

Abu Dabi is a whole different story than Florida. It makes sense where climate is extreme and not temperate. If you've lived in the Middle East for any amount of time anything but a Waterpark outside is unpleasant for 9 months of the year.

You have to wonder with how impressive these places are. An all indoor Disney park would be huge..

 

[networkpro]

You have to wonder with how impressive these places are. An all indoor Disney park would be huge..

An indoor snow ski slope when it's 125F outside is pretty impressive.

 

[JMcMahonEsq]

Let me put it this way:
As someone who travels with a best friend who also can’t ride coasters or screen rides, we did IOA once for Harry Potter and were done, because WDW had more traditional dark rides we could do.

Now that WDW has been replacing older rides with oned we can’t do, we spend more time strolling and people-watching.

That’s a lot of money for strolling. So we don’t go 3 times a year anymore. We go for a day or so if we’re in town for a trade show, and our upcoming trip is the last planned one.

With EU, which looks pretty cool, it’s worth a visit just to see. We would do all 3 parks. It might be worth multiple trips.

We usually stay in the Swan anyway, so the hotels are fine for me. For the price, they’re far better than WDW’s equivalent.

I am not the kind of person who would’ve really considered it before EU. There aren’t a lot of rides for me. But outside Magic Kingdom, there aren’t many rides left at WDW for me, either.

Posts like this puzzle me. I too am not a coaster rider. But having gone to the parks at least once a year over the past 9 years, where are you seeing a removal of rides that such outside of MK "there aren't many rides left" at WDW for you?

Figure it on a 5 year time scale, what has been removed from Epcott as far as dark/low impact rides? They have added things like Rattatouie, the moana walk through. I am not sure of what rides were there 5 years ago that aren't now.

Similar to HS. They have added all the Star Wars land which doesn't include a single coaster, the added run away railway as well. Again i can't think of a major dark ride/low impact ride that was removed from the park in the last 5 years.

As to AK, sure just recently some of the area's of Dinoland have been removed. But other than those, again where is the decline in dark rides?

 

[Andrew25]

Until Universal builds more "Disney-style" dark rides that don't require height requirement and are scenic-heavy, they won't come close to WDW's popularity... and I hate saying that cause I love Universal's recent additions more than WDW.

Both will coexist and benefit from each other.

 

[Disstevefan1]

I think it will come down to how much money and time families have. For many it will come down to a choice. Now that choice may be a EPIC vacation with a day in MK or the other way around.

In my opinion, I think MK with retain the crown for the most visited park in the world in 2025.

In my opinion, It will depend on how well EPIC does in 2025 that will determine who wears the crown in 2026

MK is the current champ. It’s EPIC game to lose in my opinion.

 

[Tom Morrow]

I have previewed Epic (posted all my thoughts in the Universal Epic thread)... I feel pretty confident in saying this: While good, Epic is not good enough to dethrone Disney. It does not raise the bar for the theme park industry, it does not beat out Disney on an immersion level. It will likely eat into Disney's bottom line a little, but not enough for Disney to panic or really need to do any immediate moves. If Universal's goal was to dethrone Disney, then they failed by not taking every possible effort to make Epic the best theme park possible. But I don't think that was their goal.

But even if it were the best theme park ever made, WDW is still 1 theme park, 1 water park, significantly more resort hotels, and a plethora of over offerings ahead of Universal, all on top of having the benefit of a massive plot of land that can actually separate you from the real world. Plus brand legacy and loyalty.

 

[Stripes]

Until Universal builds more "Disney-style" dark rides that don't require height requirement and are scenic-heavy, they won't come close to WDW's popularity... and I hate saying that cause I love Universal's recent additions more than WDW.

Both will coexist and benefit from each other.

What recent additions do you enjoy more at Universal?

 

[Andrew25]

But even if it were the best theme park ever made, WDW is still 1 theme park, 1 water park, significantly more resort hotels, and a plethora of over offerings ahead of Universal, all on top of having the benefit of a massive plot of land that can actually separate you from the real world. Plus brand legacy and loyalty.

True, WDW has a vast advantage with their resort capacity and amenities. And obviously a strong connection to the brand at a personal level.

What recent additions do you enjoy more at Universal?

In-park, I think UOR is trying to creatively improve their food offerings like at Minion Cafe & Circus McGurkus. Not saying UOR quick service is better, worse than WDW, but it's been improving.

UOR Hotels (mainly Sapphire, Aventura, Cabana Bay) are a heck of a value.

HHN (even though it's been in a bit of a decline lately)

Cinesational - absolutely fantastic (I hate that they keep their parks closed early)

Obviously Potter.

Mind you, as big as a fan I am of UOR... I certainly don't see the improvements they need to do to appropriately "compete" with WDW. UOR's operations are abysmal compared to WDW (and that's with all the cuts WDW has done lately)

 

[Disstevefan1]

I have previewed Epic (posted all my thoughts in the Universal Epic thread)... I feel pretty confident in saying this: While good, Epic is not good enough to dethrone Disney. It does not raise the bar for the theme park industry, it does not beat out Disney on an immersion level.

This is how a Disney fan will feel no matter how much more immersive EPIC is, because they are Disney fans.

Many Disney fans may elect to not try EPIC because they are Disney fans.

Some hardcore Disney fans hate Universal simply because its not Disney.

The hardcore Disney fans will ignore EPIC. I wonder of the total visitors to MK/WDW what percentage of the total visitors are the hard core Disney fans? This is an important number because these hardcore Disney fans are "baked in" and will never leave.

For the rest, as I said in previous posts, it will come down to how much money and time families have, and for many a choice will need to be made,

As I said MK will retain the crown in 2025 in my opinion.

The MK may retain the crown forever because of the hardcore Disney fans alone depending on how many visitors that percentage is.

 

[Tom Morrow]

This is how a Disney fan will feel no matter how much more immersive EPIC is, because they are Disney fans.

Many Disney fans may elect to not try EPIC because they are Disney fans.

Some hardcore Disney fans hate Universal simply because its not Disney.

The hardcore Disney fans will ignore EPIC. I wonder of the total visitors to MK/WDW what percentage of the total visitors are the hard core Disney fans? This is an important number because these hardcore Disney fans are "baked in" and will never leave.

For the rest, as I said in previous posts, it will come down to how much money and time families have, and for many a choice will need to be made,

As I said MK will retain the crown in 2025 in my opinion.

The MK may retain the crown forever because of the hardcore Disney fans alone depending on how many visitors that percentage is.

No. I am a theme park enthusiast, not just a Disney theme park enthusiast. Epic is not the best or most immersive theme park ever made, and Universal fans are going to have to choose to accept that, or continue the mental gymnastics to handwave criticisms like you're doing here.

 

[Disstevefan1]

No. I am a theme park enthusiast, not just a Disney theme park enthusiast. Epic is not the best or most immersive theme park ever made, and Universal fans are going to have to choose to accept that, or continue the mental gymnastics to handwave criticisms like you're doing here.

Not sure who said EPIC was the most immersive park ever made because it was not me. I am just pointing out, no matter what EPIC delivers, hardcore Disney fans will ignore it and keep going to MK/WDW

The question is, how many of the other visitors who vacation at MK/WDW will elect to go to EIPC instead of WDW because of the time and money thing?

The other big question is how well the day to day operation of EPIC will be, because although a poor guest experience apparently does not hurt WDW, but a poor guest experience will greatly hurt EPIC.

 

[Tom Morrow]

Not sure who said EPIC was the most immersive park ever made because it was not me. I am just pointing out, no matter what EPIC delivers, hardcore Disney fans will ignore it and keep going to MK/WDW

The question is, how many of the other visitors who vacation at MK/WDW will elect to go to EIPC instead of WDW because of the time and money thing?

The other big question is how well the day to day operation of EPIC will be, because although a poor guest experience apparently does not hurt WDW, but a poor guest experience will greatly hurt EPIC.

Apologies, I think I misread your post. I thought you were dismissing my statements as me being just a "hardcore Disney fan" hating on Universal because it's not Disney. A lot of the online theme park enthusiast community has been improperly primed to anticipate Epic being the most amazing theme park of all time and are defending it without even seeing it themselves. They are going to need to temper their expectations.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Apologies, I think I misread your post. I thought you were dismissing my statements as me being just a "hardcore Disney fan" hating on Universal because it's not Disney. A lot of the online theme park enthusiast community has been improperly primed to anticipate Epic being the most amazing theme park of all time and are defending it without even seeing it themselves. They are going to need to temper their expectations.

Well if the folks visiting EPIC previously visited WDW they already know how to temper their expectations.

 

[Alice a]

Posts like this puzzle me. I too am not a coaster rider. But having gone to the parks at least once a year over the past 9 years, where are you seeing a removal of rides that such outside of MK "there aren't many rides left" at WDW for you?

Figure it on a 5 year time scale, what has been removed from Epcott as far as dark/low impact rides? They have added things like Rattatouie, the moana walk through. I am not sure of what rides were there 5 years ago that aren't now.

Similar to HS. They have added all the Star Wars land which doesn't include a single coaster, the added run away railway as well. Again i can't think of a major dark ride/low impact ride that was removed from the park in the last 5 years.

As to AK, sure just recently some of the area's of Dinoland have been removed. But other than those, again where is the decline in dark rides?

Did you miss the part where I said we/I can’t ride screen rides? So Rat, MMRR, FOP, Rise, etc. aren’t an option for me or my usual traveling group.

Throw in spinners as a problem, as well.

When you take into account that Energy, GMR, Backlot Tour, Food Rocks, Muppets, Snow White’s SA, and heck, even Horizons and WOM were all replaced by rides my group can’t ride, that’s a significant portion of rides in most parks.

So yeah, if it’s ride a few rides but mostly go for atmosphere, why not try EU?

 

[Tom Morrow]

Well if the folks visiting EPIC previously visited WDW they already know how to temper their expectations.

If you're suggesting that EPIC is significantly better than the WDW parks... It objectively is not. it's in the same league. Have you actually been to it?

 

[Disstevefan1]

If you're suggesting that EPIC is significantly better than the WDW parks... It objectively is not. it's in the same league. Have you actually been to it?

No, I am saying that if folks who are visiting EPIC previously visited WDW already know how to temper their expectations

 

[Tom Morrow]

No, I am saying that if folks who are visiting EPIC previously visited WDW already know how to temper their expectations

And why do they already know how to tempter their expectations?

 

[Disstevefan1]

And why do they already know how to tempter their expectations?

Have you visited WDW lately?

I have trained myself to keep my expectations as low as possible when visiting WDW. Anything good that happens is a win for me.