Animaniac93-98
Well-Known Member
Will MK ever get better? I guess there's no incentive to try. It's even more of a captive audience situation with the parking lot so far away.
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How will Universal's Epic Universe effect Disney?
- Thread starter yensid67
- Start date
Will MK ever get better? I guess there's no incentive to try. It's even more of a captive audience situation with the parking lot so far away.
Andrew25
Well-Known Member
I think that's the general idea that Disney has. Most of my trips to DAK are mostly focused on eating dinner there, whereas my visits to MK are focused on the attractions themselves. If it weren't for the great options at DAK, I would be visiting that park less often than I do now. I usually stop by somewhere off property to eat before going to MK.
Smugpugmug
Well-Known Member
I agree 100%. I defend Universal when it gets unfairly bashed at times but yeah even I can't defend their food options. The majority of them are horrendously bad. I had a burger that was so bad at Burger Digs that I wished I was at Cosmic Ray's instead. In terms of food at Studios specifically, I went to Finnegans in early Feb and thought that was terrible as well.
The sit down places at City Walk are pretty good, though. I love Cowfish. Food there is consistency fantastic.
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THEMEPARKPIONEER
Well-Known Member
Hopefully great crowd distribution between all the parks
Vegas Disney Fan
Well-Known Member
I’m genuinely curious what quality level ends up at Epic, a lot of the older Uni stuff feels like Six Flags quality but the new stuff like the Potter lands are as good as it gets, Velocicoaster is my new favorite ride anywhere, Hagrids is in a close race for #2, but I’m not a fan of Forbidden Journey or the Gringots ride and the new Nintendo stuff at Uni Hollywood looks very meh to me… but Donkey Kong coaster looks like it could be very cool… long story short I currently have a love/hate relationship with Uni so I don’t know what to expect. It could genuinely be the best park in the world or meh, but I can’t wait to experience it. Universal is currently an add on day to a Disney trip for us, with epic I suspect it’ll probably be 2 days, so soon will be 4 days at WDW and 2 at Uni instead of the current 5 and 1.
cjack300zx
Well-Known Member
The “ Theme Park “ food has gotten better at Universal in my opinion. My last two stays at dockside resort the food was actually good . The Wellington burger at Wimpy’s is by far my favorite “Theme Park “ burger
Smugpugmug
Well-Known Member
I've only been going to Universal within the last few years and I've found the food to be mediocre at best. The only thing that I think is really good is the hot Butterbeer. Their food reminds me a lot of MK food, which I think objectively has the worst food of any WDW park.
SpectreJordan
Well-Known Member
The food in the Potter lands is pretty good, especially the Fish & Chips. The burger over at Wimpy's in Islands is pretty good too, atleast for a theme park burger.
I have a lot of faith in Epic Universe. Universal's expanded upon Islands of Adventures in brilliant ways, as you've listed. I think Epic Universe will be more similar to the quality Islands's been getting, rather than Studios.
I will say that the Mario land looks a lot better in Japan; I agree that it looks lackluster in Hollywood, but that entire park does tbh. I imagine the EU version will be more spacious than either one so far too.
I imagine there'll be one or two duds in the vein of Fallon or Fast, but if they have a couple Velocicoasters or Hagrids to balance it out we should be good.
GimpYancIent
Well-Known Member
Universal has a distinct different vibe than Disney while matching up nicely to Disney's offerings. Sheer square mileage of park land is in Disney's favor but what is being done with it is steadily tipping in Universals favor. Overall Universal is steadily eroding Disney's lofty entertainment position. Though low key and not drastic there is a perceptible and distinct shift in popularity away from Disney and more toward Universal.
GoneViral
Well-Known Member
Disney has a lead of 100+ million annual tourists on Universal. A gradual shift would make them viable competition in about 50 years or so. At this point, Universal's goal should be passing Chimelong -- which it probably won't -- and Merlin Entertainments, the latter of which should happen over the next decade. There's nothing wrong with working to be Pepsi or Burger King.
I think that is a lot of Hyperbole.
And viable competition? That is nonsense. Any major attraction is competition. No one at Disney likes to lose a few hundred dollars a family if they take one day out to see Sea World or Busch Gardens, or even Legoland. They don't even want people spending hundreds on dining or staying elsewhere vs in their bubble.
The word Viable is silly if we are talking Universal Orlando Resort.
Vegas Disney Fan
Well-Known Member
I don’t see them as a threat to Disney either, primarily because demand exceeds supply, Disney can afford to lose a day or 2 to Universal because they have enough demand to backfill the losses. I also think Universal is drawing people to Orlando that will ultimately add a day or 2 at Disney. They both benefit from the success of the other.
When Disney opens a new ride a lot of the people it draws to Orlando will also visit Uni while in town, when Epic opens a lot of those people it draws to Orlando will also visit Disney while in town.
They both win as a result of the others wins.
Ultimately we, the fans, are the biggest winners as they attempt to one up each other. To be honest I wish Disney felt Universal was a bigger threat, then they’d continue the “arms race” that’s been going for the last decade giving us new rides or lands every year. The silence on new rides from Disney is deafening.
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GoneViral
Well-Known Member
No, that was fact. During the last year before the pandemic, Disney parks hosted 156 million guests. Universal was at 51 million. Merlin had 67 million, but Chimelong would have passed it quickly if not for the pandemic. Its parks doubled in five years to 54 million by 2019.
Poseidon Quest
Well-Known Member
Yeah, but now Universal has Beijing which could bring in huge numbers once China resumes some form of normality. They're not comparable to Merlin either, as their attendance numbers are so high just because they own so many parks. The only competition that really matters is in Hollywood and Florida.
If we look at this with actual context, the Universal Florida parks very much have the ability to outperform Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom in attendance numbers, something that may realistically happen as Epic continues to entice new visitors as Disney pushes them away. I doubt Hollywood would ever stack up to Disneyland, but they're certainly expanding aggressively. The point isn't topping Disney in attendance numbers, so much as it is making them lose enough people to send them into a panic. Universal is on course to do that. We can easily see how the introduction of Hogsmeade completely changed the trajectory of Disney parks as a response and they're about to do the same thing on a much larger scale.
TalkToEthan
Well-Known Member
You're chiming in with Chimelong. What's that all about?
This exercise, at least I thought, is about Epic's inevitable impact on WDW.
Scarecrowing
This exercise, at least I thought, is about Epic's inevitable impact on WDW.
Scarecrowing
Rich Brownn
Well-Known Member
They might have 100 million admissions but not 100 million people. The average person visits the Magic Kingdom at least 2 days so that counts as 2 admissions but it's still one person. The entire state saw 137 million visitors, and I sincerely doubt all but 37 million wicked off to Disney.
UNCgolf
Well-Known Member
I think he was talking at all parks worldwide -- which doesn't work as a comparison anyways because Disney has more parks than Universal.
Disney has the same number of parks just in the United States as Universal has in the world.
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wdwfan4ver
Well-Known Member
Your numbers have nothing to do with Tourism in Florida since your number are only for all theme park totals worldwide This Topic is talking about Florida, not worldwide.
I know a lot of about numbers. You don't like the fact Universal is a potential threat to WDW in Florida and your combining figures worldwide to make it sound like Universal is not a threat to Disney anywhere on earth.
The people who the Florida theme park market is aiming for is people who live in parts of Canada, Some regions of United States, and Europe.
People look at Universal as a threat in Florida, not Worldwide. The theme parks in Universal Orlando has the capabilities of outdrawing Epcot, DHS and Animal Kingdom. Universal themselves even mentioned their aim to increase the percentage of guests going to Orlando. The only WDW theme park that none of Universal Orlando's theme park can' touch is Magic Kingdom.
People look at theme park numbers by individual theme parks instead of combining also. You also are ignoring the fact Disney has more theme park gates worldwide than Universal Studios goes Worldwide. Outside of Florida, the only Universal Studios theme park that has capabilities to expand for a 2nd gate is in Beijing. Disney theme parks outside of Shanghai and Hong Kong have multiple parks.
JusticeDisney
Well-Known Member
Universal is a phenomenal company. I have family who works for their film division. And they do theme parks unbelievably well. That said - as someone above mentioned - they will always be the Pepsi to WDW’s Coke. I’m not saying they can’t make gains on WDW. Heck, they already are. But they will never overtake WDW, in Florida or anywhere else. Facts.
Vegas Disney Fan
Well-Known Member
Just looking at Florida is closer but still a huge difference in attendance.
Looking at 2019, the last apples to apples year with no Covid, the numbers were:
MK - 21 million
AK - 13.9 million
EP - 12.4 million
HS - 11.5 million
WDW total - 57.8 million
USF - 10.9 million
IOA - 10.4 million
Uni FL total - 21.3 million
Assuming Epic adds another 10 million visits that still leaves Disney a 25 million guest lead.
The reality is none of that likely matters to either company though, both companies are worried about making a profit, not beating the guy down the street, there’s probably a little competition over bragging rights but ultimately money is all that matters. At the end of the year Uni isn’t going to care about being #2 if they add 10 million guests and another billion dollars to the bank.