If you do not think Universal smelled blood in the water before...

draybook

Well-Known Member
What Comcast fails to understand is that most (if not the overwhelming majority of visitors) to Orlando plan a Disney vacation and add Universal to their plans. While US is a wonderful resort they still carry a large share of locals whereas disney carries both national and international visitors. With that said -I do like competition.


No no, I'm pretty sure that they have an enormous room full of analysts that know exactly what they're getting themselves in to. And based on our vacation back in September, I'd say a majority (70-80%) of the visitors were NOT U.S. citizens.
 

englanddg

One Little Spark...
Hrm... I didnt read it like that:
I'll have to dig it up, there's a different article I read where they said that is certainly their plan, which is why they are ramping up attraction improvements at the parks to support said rooms...

Not gonna google or go through my internet history right now, but it wasn't the article linked in the OP...
 

Soarin' Over Pgh

Well-Known Member
A Universal vs. Disney thread. Finally!



Bruce-from-Finding-Nemo.jpg


Fish are friends, not food.
 

ParentsOf4

Well-Known Member
What Comcast fails to understand is that most (if not the overwhelming majority of visitors) to Orlando plan a Disney vacation and add Universal to their plans. While US is a wonderful resort they still carry a large share of locals whereas disney carries both national and international visitors. With that said -I do like competition.
Universal still has a long way to go before it becomes a one-stop vacation destination but it's also not resting on its laurels like WDW.

Consider the following quote from NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke:

"So I think our feeling is, first of all, the economy is seems to be positive for theme park attendance and people are coming to Florida and Southern California. But within what’s going on a macro level if we can continue to invest in innovative attractions, get the right kind of marketing that explains to people what Universal Studios is – that it’s a destiny, a family destination in and of itself, not an add-on attraction for somebody who’s spent three or four days someplace else – that we can continue to grow that business and that’s our plan."​

Universal is serious about becoming a complete vacation destination.

The simple truth is this summer, vacationers are going to be planning their Orlando trips to Universal for Diagon Alley and will be tacking on a few days at SeaWorld and WDW.

All the excitement this summer will center around what promises to be the most amazing addition to a theme park since the Wizzarding World Of Harry Potter in 2010.

No one's going to care about the rubber bands Disney is playing with.
 

ParentsOf4

Well-Known Member
I'll have to dig it up, there's a different article I read where they said that is certainly their plan, which is why they are ramping up attraction improvements at the parks to support said rooms...

Not gonna google or go through my internet history right now, but it wasn't the article linked in the OP...
The full quote is from Comcast's investor call back in September:

"We love the Theme Park business. We think there’s a real opportunity to increase the pace of new attractions. We have far too few hotel rooms in Orlando and the one thing we know, when people stay in our hotels, they stay – they visit our parks an extra day or two – and so we have 2,400 hotel rooms. We think we have room and capacity for 10,000 hotel rooms. So you’ll see us add attractions at a more rapid rate, add hotel rooms at a more rapid rate, and we think the returns in that business are great and there’s great running room."​

And later:

"Well. Our park business continues to be strong. We’re on a cadence now of opening one attraction in Florida and one attraction in California every year. We opened Transformers, the Transformers attraction in Hollywood two years ago – and it was so successful we sped up the development of Transformers in Orlando and opened that in the beginning of this summer. We have two parks in Orlando, but the park where we opened Transformers has been up 20% most weeks since that attraction opened. And our feeling is that if we open the right kind of attractions – they have to be well executed, they have to be things that are easy and created a market – that we can really grow these businesses.

"The thing that we’re most excited about, what really transformed our park in Orlando was opening Harry Potter, which happened a few years ago. We’re opening a second Harry Potter attraction in Orlando, which I think is one of the most creative ideas I’ve ever seen in the theme park business. The first attraction is in one of our gates – it’s called Islands of Adventure. The second attraction is in the other gate and the way you get from one gate to the second gate is you take a train, and the train is the Hogwarts Express, and so the actual transition or the movement from one gate to another gate is part of the attraction which has never been done before and it’s a wonderful, creative idea. That opens next spring. We think that’s going to be a very big draw. And then we’re opening Harry Potter in Hollywood and in Japan.

"So I think our feeling is, first of all, the economy is seems to be positive for theme park attendance and people are coming to Florida and Southern California. But within what’s going on a macro level if we can continue to invest in innovative attractions, get the right kind of marketing that explains to people what Universal Studios is – that it’s a destiny, a family destination in and of itself, not an add-on attraction for somebody who’s spent three or four days someplace else – that we can continue to grow that business and that’s our plan."​

Universal is going for the jugular while corporate Disney plays with a $2B wristband designed to squeeze a few more percent out of their already grossly overcharged "guests".

Burbank has no clue about the pending train wreck in Orlando. At least they can count on an Avatar Land and a value engineered Star Wars Land to save the day.:rolleyes:

In about 3-to-7 years. :banghead:
 

englanddg

One Little Spark...
The full quote is from Comcast's investor call back in September:

"We love the Theme Park business. We think there’s a real opportunity to increase the pace of new attractions. We have far too few hotel rooms in Orlando and the one thing we know, when people stay in our hotels, they stay – they visit our parks an extra day or two – and so we have 2,400 hotel rooms. We think we have room and capacity for 10,000 hotel rooms. So you’ll see us add attractions at a more rapid rate, add hotel rooms at a more rapid rate, and we think the returns in that business are great and there’s great running room."​

And later:

"Well. Our park business continues to be strong. We’re on a cadence now of opening one attraction in Florida and one attraction in California every year. We opened Transformers, the Transformers attraction in Hollywood two years ago – and it was so successful we sped up the development of Transformers in Orlando and opened that in the beginning of this summer. We have two parks in Orlando, but the park where we opened Transformers has been up 20% most weeks since that attraction opened. And our feeling is that if we open the right kind of attractions – they have to be well executed, they have to be things that are easy and created a market – that we can really grow these businesses.

"The thing that we’re most excited about, what really transformed our park in Orlando was opening Harry Potter, which happened a few years ago. We’re opening a second Harry Potter attraction in Orlando, which I think is one of the most creative ideas I’ve ever seen in the theme park business. The first attraction is in one of our gates – it’s called Islands of Adventure. The second attraction is in the other gate and the way you get from one gate to the second gate is you take a train, and the train is the Hogwarts Express, and so the actual transition or the movement from one gate to another gate is part of the attraction which has never been done before and it’s a wonderful, creative idea. That opens next spring. We think that’s going to be a very big draw. And then we’re opening Harry Potter in Hollywood and in Japan.

"So I think our feeling is, first of all, the economy is seems to be positive for theme park attendance and people are coming to Florida and Southern California. But within what’s going on a macro level if we can continue to invest in innovative attractions, get the right kind of marketing that explains to people what Universal Studios is – that it’s a destiny, a family destination in and of itself, not an add-on attraction for somebody who’s spent three or four days someplace else – that we can continue to grow that business and that’s our plan."​

Universal is going for the jugular while corporate Disney plays with a $2B wristband designed to squeeze a few more percent out of their already grossly overcharged "guests".

Burbank has no clue about the pending train wreck in Orlando. At least they can count on an Avatar Land and a value engineered Star Wars Land to save the day.:rolleyes:

In about 3-to-7 years. :banghead:
THAT is the one. Thanks!
 

71jason

Well-Known Member
What Comcast fails to understand is that most (if not the overwhelming majority of visitors) to Orlando plan a Disney vacation and add Universal to their plans. While US is a wonderful resort they still carry a large share of locals whereas disney carries both national and international visitors. With that said -I do like competition.

Two points. First, international visitors flock to Potter and Transformers.

Second, WDW's biggest problem isn't losing 2 or 3 days to Universal (and Sea World and Orlando Eye...). It's that guests who spend 2 or 3 days off property need a car, and once you have a car anyway, it's far cheaper to stay offsite. Never forget, WDW is in the hotel business, the theme parks are basically just a loss leader.
 

Tim Lohr

Well-Known Member
I live outside Philadelphia PA, which is Comcast's head quarters, and everybody around here hates Comcast, because they "act" like there the best thing in the world and you should believe it but it's total b.s.

Their service for cable, internet, & phone starts off at a super low rate, never works all that great, and then they slowly they raise the rates to something insane... hoping you don't notice it. If you drop the service, like I did, they then pester you to come back at the original low rate. I had the Verizon guy just finish installing their service and some one from Comcast was at my front door if I wanted to come back they'd give me this great rate.

This CEO of theirs is out of touch with reality, he bought NBC the 4th placed network, and Universal... name the last time Universal had a hit movie... and now he thinks they can beat out Disney at theme parks? This is a great news story if you're a sucker
 

DisneyDaver

Well-Known Member
What Comcast fails to understand is that most (if not the overwhelming majority of visitors) to Orlando plan a Disney vacation and add Universal to their plans. While US is a wonderful resort they still carry a large share of locals whereas disney carries both national and international visitors. With that said -I do like competition.

That was true for me until this year. I have always stayed on-site at WDW and spent a day or two at Universal. During my WDW trip last year, I had more fun at Universal than WDW. This year I plan to stay on-site at Universal and spend a day or two at WDW.

It wouldn't surprise me if I decide to continue staying on-site at Universal for my Orlando trips until Avatar or something else big opens at WDW. And by big, I don't mean big wastes like the multi billion dollar bracelets.

I'm a huge WDW fan, but the past few years have been very disappointing there.

There must be others who are thinking (and planning trips) like me ...

... and that is exactly what Universal is banking on.
 

Voice of Disney sanity

Well-Known Member
What Comcast fails to understand is that most (if not the overwhelming majority of visitors) to Orlando plan a Disney vacation and add Universal to their plans. While US is a wonderful resort they still carry a large share of locals whereas disney carries both national and international visitors. With that said -I do like competition.
Just keep chanting this over and over and everything will be alright :)
 

Skip

Well-Known Member
I live outside Philadelphia PA, which is Comcast's head quarters, and everybody around here hates Comcast, because they "act" like there the best thing in the world and you should believe it but it's total b.s.

Their service for cable, internet, & phone starts off at a super low rate, never works all that great, and then they slowly they raise the rates to something insane... hoping you don't notice it. If you drop the service, like I did, they then pester you to come back at the original low rate. I had the Verizon guy just finish installing their service and some one from Comcast was at my front door if I wanted to come back they'd give me this great rate.

This CEO of theirs is out of touch with reality, he bought NBC the 4th placed network, and Universal... name the last time Universal had a hit movie... and now he thinks they can beat out Disney at theme parks? This is a great news story if you're a sucker

Despicable Me 2 and Fast & Furious 6 both came out in 2013 and were some of the top grossing films of the year (especially the former). Next question?
 

Jimmy Thick

Well-Known Member
The full quote is from Comcast's investor call back in September:

"We love the Theme Park business. We think there’s a real opportunity to increase the pace of new attractions. We have far too few hotel rooms in Orlando and the one thing we know, when people stay in our hotels, they stay – they visit our parks an extra day or two – and so we have 2,400 hotel rooms. We think we have room and capacity for 10,000 hotel rooms. So you’ll see us add attractions at a more rapid rate, add hotel rooms at a more rapid rate, and we think the returns in that business are great and there’s great running room."​

And later:

"Well. Our park business continues to be strong. We’re on a cadence now of opening one attraction in Florida and one attraction in California every year. We opened Transformers, the Transformers attraction in Hollywood two years ago – and it was so successful we sped up the development of Transformers in Orlando and opened that in the beginning of this summer. We have two parks in Orlando, but the park where we opened Transformers has been up 20% most weeks since that attraction opened. And our feeling is that if we open the right kind of attractions – they have to be well executed, they have to be things that are easy and created a market – that we can really grow these businesses.

"The thing that we’re most excited about, what really transformed our park in Orlando was opening Harry Potter, which happened a few years ago. We’re opening a second Harry Potter attraction in Orlando, which I think is one of the most creative ideas I’ve ever seen in the theme park business. The first attraction is in one of our gates – it’s called Islands of Adventure. The second attraction is in the other gate and the way you get from one gate to the second gate is you take a train, and the train is the Hogwarts Express, and so the actual transition or the movement from one gate to another gate is part of the attraction which has never been done before and it’s a wonderful, creative idea. That opens next spring. We think that’s going to be a very big draw. And then we’re opening Harry Potter in Hollywood and in Japan.

"So I think our feeling is, first of all, the economy is seems to be positive for theme park attendance and people are coming to Florida and Southern California. But within what’s going on a macro level if we can continue to invest in innovative attractions, get the right kind of marketing that explains to people what Universal Studios is – that it’s a destiny, a family destination in and of itself, not an add-on attraction for somebody who’s spent three or four days someplace else – that we can continue to grow that business and that’s our plan."​

Universal is going for the jugular while corporate Disney plays with a $2B wristband designed to squeeze a few more percent out of their already grossly overcharged "guests".

Burbank has no clue about the pending train wreck in Orlando. At least they can count on an Avatar Land and a value engineered Star Wars Land to save the day.:rolleyes:

In about 3-to-7 years. :banghead:

Where does it say in that mess of corporate pep rally that they are going to build 10k new hotel rooms?

I just don't see it.

Jimmy Thick- Gimmie a U...
 

Jimmy Thick

Well-Known Member
Now, to address the topic.

Universal has to keep building to keep what little momentum they have got. They have to keep building, once they stop, they become an afterthought.

But this is the scenario I keep seeing when people mention how great Potter phase 2 will be.

First off, if you look at attendance after the first full year of Potter, it went from 5.9 to 7.6 million at IoA. That's a game changer no doubt.

But...

Is more Potter going to bring those same people back? The Potter fanboi's, for lack of a better term, are they going to want to go back? Do you seriously think attendance will go up another 1.7 million? That's absurd, no matter how great the new area is. Potter as it is right now is themed ok, but there is just not a lot to do. The coaster is nothing but a value engineered repackage which was better before the repack. I personally know of some people who were disappointed with the Potter area as being way to small, now you want more of there money, or really think people are going to pay thousands of dollars again?

Down the road, like it or not, A Disney vacation has plenty to do, and always will have more and seem like the better value. Believe it or not.

I think some people want to believe this stuff, and I say let them eat cake.

But until a Universal park in Florida can beat any Disney park, even those half day parks like AK of DHS, Universal will always have these little pep rallies and talk about how they are going to do this and that, but last I checked, they got quite a way to go to be even considered competition.

Jimmy Thick- Fad is a fad...XF..cough..L.
 

Californian Elitist

Well-Known Member
This CEO of theirs is out of touch with reality, he bought NBC the 4th placed network, and Universal... name the last time Universal had a hit movie... and now he thinks they can beat out Disney at theme parks? This is a great news story if you're a sucker

Hmm, the most recent I can think of is Rush, which is currently up for two Golden Globes and more than likely Oscar nominations, as well as nominations for other organizations. BOO-YA.
 

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