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

[TubaGeek]

An CG animated sequel, is a lot less to produce than the original because some much of the pre-production cost of character design and voice casting is already done

Could it also have anything to do with the fact that Illumination's entire business model is based on keeping budgets low while still delivering a high-quality product? And why, then, are all animated sequels made with HIGHER budgets... Seriously, your arguments hold no water.
And to reference this little speech:

Ummmm... Despicable Me 2 had it's entire theatrical run during the 2013 calendar year, Frozen opened in 2013 and is still in theaters in first place at the box office in 2014. but the IMDB page that was posted only covers the 2013 box office totals.

Maybe take a minute and read what people are actually talking about next time -thanks

I again defer to this:

And Frozen is still making impressive money, but DM2 will win, especially considering it won't open in China, the second-largest global market, for another two days.

You're either not read what people are actually talking about, or just choosing to ignore things that debase your entire argument.

 

[Jimmy Thick]

"We think we have room and capacity for 10,000 hotel rooms."

They already have 2400 rooms in their 3 Deluxe and Cabana Bay brings another 1800 onboard.

I don't believe Universal is ready for 10,000 hotel rooms, at least not until they figure out a way to expand in the parks. However, we all should expect one more Universal hotel soon.

Really, these new Universal hotels are going to have a bigger impact on Universal's "Partner Hotels" than on WDW. Universal’s moves might end up hurting other hotels in the area. WDW's hotels should sale through.

DLR has a more interesting model. For their 2 theme parks, they've kept 3 hotels (2500 rooms) at the high end of the market and partner with "Good Neighbor Hotels" for the rest. DLR’s situation is a little different though. A lot of these hotels are within walking distance.

Universal needs a third gate to seriously challenge WDW. Until then, most of Universal's moves (e.g. Diagon Alley) will end up helping WDW by drawing more tourists to Orlando. At best, Universal is a 4-day vacation and I think that’s being generous. I suspect most typically are done after 2. People need to spend the rest of their vacations somewhere and WDW is ready for them.

We’ll see over the next few years how serious Universal is about capturing market share. A few skirmishes have been fought. However, the main battle has not yet begun.

There won't be 10k hotel rooms ever at Universal unless they buy up a few hundred acres.

Not gonna happen.

Jimmy Thick- Disney will have 50k hotel rooms before Universal gets to 10k.

 

[Jimmy Thick]

Jimmy Think - you seen to measure other venues success only if they can surpass attendance at a Disney park.

The more people there is the more spending money which is the argument de jour.

Jimmy Thick- Disney wins, no new attractions even.

 

[marni1971]

There won't be 10k hotel rooms ever at Universal unless they buy up a few hundred acres.

Not gonna happen.

Jimmy Thick- Disney will have 50k hotel rooms before Universal gets to 10k.

Quoted for posterity. And copied to be sure:

Jimmy Thick: There won't be 10k hotel rooms ever at Universal unless they buy up a few hundred acres.

Not gonna happen.

 

[marni1971]

The more people there is the more spending money which is the argument de jour.

Jimmy Thick- Disney wins, no new attractions even.

Comcast are quite happy.

Nah. They're ecstatic.

And once again you continue to bang the WDW vs Universal drum.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

An CG animated sequel, is a lot less to produce than the original because some much of the pre-production cost of character design and voice casting is already done

Actually, Despicable Me cost $69 Million to produce and Despicable Me 2 cost $76 million. And as of today Frozen is at $642,421,753.00. Despicable Me 2 is sitting pretty at $920,771,865.00.

And let's not forget that Frozen cost $150,000,000.00 to produce.

 

[BryceM]

I also know of people who don't even know Universal parks exist nor care, yet they go to Disney all the time. Its a big big world out there outside of internet forums, with lots of people, and most of them prefer and go to WDW.

As a Florida Resident, most of the people I know frequent Universal more and Disney less. Some haven't been to Disney since they were a baby. I dunno. I just feel like Universal Orlando is more of a "locals" parks(s)/resort. I know that they want to change that, but I do like that about it a lot.

 

[BryceM]

Never underestimate the power of the Minions.

 

[Jimmy Thick]

Comcast are quite happy.

Nah. They're ecstatic.

And once again you continue to bang the WDW vs Universal drum.

And as a Disney stockholder, I cannot be more happy with the performance Iger has done.

Jimmy Thick- Substantial.

 

[marni1971]

And as a Disney stockholder, I cannot be more happy with the performance Iger has done.

Jimmy Thick- Substantial.

And?

 

[MichWolv]

A good announcement, although it was pretty obvious already that Comcast sees the parks as a growth/profit engine.

 

[ParentsOf4]

Jimmy Thick- Disney will have 50k hotel rooms before Universal gets to 10k.

If you count everything on Disney property, then WDW already has 34,000 rooms.

ParentsOf4 - 50k is not that far away.

 

[flynnibus]

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

Which network is on top is truely 'flavor of the month' - The networks just swap places as whomever has the hot show becomes #1 for a period of time. CBS was in the cellar for ages, while NBC was on top... ABC floated in the middle... then NBC's heavy hitters aged and they didn't do reality like CBS and ABC did.. now they are on top for awhile.. There is no permanent rankings there.

Same thing with movie studios... they are a business shell... the talent and movies are made by the producers and production companies. The studio is the front who funds it and then tries to market it.

Internet service quality is a regional thing... Comcast is generally very solid.. but as the incumbent cable provider, they are never going to sell on price alone. They know they have their hooks in most and most don't have viable alternatives. And with Verizon stopping FIOS expansion... Comcast has basically weathered the storm.

 

[flynnibus]

I still giggle at the naivete of people who think Harry Potter is some kind of "fad." That's not even a point worth arguing at this juncture.

It's not a fad - but it's also unlikely to be the source content for your next 10 year cycle... will the next IP picked pay off as handsomely? That is the risk long term... 'who's up next' and making sure they don't extend themselves to the point that if the next guy isn't as big as HP.. they faulter hard.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

It's not a fad - but it's also unlikely to be the source content for your next 10 year cycle... will the next IP picked pay off as handsomely? That is the risk long term... 'who's up next' and making sure they don't extend themselves to the point that if the next guy isn't as big as HP.. they faulter hard.

Modest Jurassic Park expansion then a full blown Kong E-Ticket/Miniland.

 

[whylightbulb]

These are nothing more than assumptions.

I don't know if people will come back to Universal for phase 2, its hard to imagine there will be another million people on top of the million people Potter already brought in. Thast assuming a lot. You cannot predict they will come back, I would safely assume on the side of caution they will not because the economy says differently. I don't have a crystal ball, but common sense says Iam more right than being wrong. Were dealing with a fad audience, a fad audience that already got Potter once, its not exact to assume they will want more Potter.

Universal will benefit more from the Seven Dwarfs mine ride than Potter phase 2.

As for people not liking Potter, um, yes, there are people who don't like it. Sadly, it true. Iam not one of them of course, but I know plenty. I also know of people who don't even know Universal parks exist nor care, yet they go to Disney all the time. Its a big big world out there outside of internet forums, with lots of people, and most of them prefer and go to WDW.


Jimmy Thick- And attendance proves it beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Jimmy you are a hoot! It is much harder to imagine that there will NOT be another million or more people on top of the million people Phase One already brought in. Most of the attendance this year will not come from Potter fans but from theme park fans and travelers. You continue to assume that Universal is only benefiting because of the Potter IP and yet it has been proven time and time again that a quality new attraction product will increase Gate revenue regardless of the IP. Those Disney corporate drones that you worship know very little about why theme parks are successful and in fact could care less as long as they can continue to rape from the brand that the early Disney innovators built.

Your comment about the SDMT benefiting Universal had me laughing harder than Happy the Dwarf. If you think that that short little mediocre family coaster (not to take away from its beauty but it's no Splash Mountain) will draw anymore than some Disney theme park fans and those that normally fall for Disney's misleading marketing I've got a Diamond Mine to sell you. Diagon Alley on the other hand will be a fully immersive land adding four new attractions to Universal's roster (2 of which are full blown E-tickets) notwithstanding the IP it is based on. Of course if this were Disney they would also count Leaky Cauldron and the highly detailed restrooms as attractions also. Let me add once again that these new attractions will be innovative and will be enjoyed by millions far more than some of those same millions that get off SDMT and think that the small coaster with one show scene was a mildly amusing experience.

When I walk through Diagon Alley, even though it is still only partially complete, I get the sense that it will once again raise the bar in Theme Park quality for domestic parks. The sheer size and detail and complexity will be jaw dropping. I walk around the mostly complete Fantasyland and I shake my head thinking about how much it lacks in detail and substance.

What you are saying is not at all common sense especially when you continue to believe that because Potter is a fad that Universal won't be successful with Diagon Alley. People will love it, they will tell others about it, and it will draw even more than Phase One. Mark my words.

 

[wdwfan4ver]

I am not shock that Jimmy Thick as a stockholder likes what Bob Iger is doing. Jimmy is looking as profits, not what will happen in the long term. Bob Iger wants stockholders happy and that means looking at the short term and cutting corners in the name of profit.

What Jimmy isn't looking at companies that do stuff to make profits for the short term, will bite the company in the long term in terms of costing them more money.

A good example of this was the lack of maintenance of Splash Mountain for a couple years and it ended up with a lot of stuff not working. Another good example of not doing something proper as a way to save money short term was how cheap the Space Mountain refurbishment for WDW was done. Space Mountain has problems as a result of the refurbishment done on the cheap side and Disney's answer is making the ride slower as a band aide before being forced to do a proper refurbishment that is going to cost than them more money than if the refurbishment was done properly the first time.

 

[71jason]

It's not a fad - but it's also unlikely to be the source content for your next 10 year cycle... will the next IP picked pay off as handsomely? That is the risk long term... 'who's up next' and making sure they don't extend themselves to the point that if the next guy isn't as big as HP.. they faulter hard.

In Universal's defense, Transformers, Minions and Walking Dead have all paid off handsomely. For that matter, Jurassic Park has held up better than I thought it would. Whoever is in charge of picking their IPs seems to have a good eye.

 

[wdwfan4ver]

I think Jimmy Think is way off base calling Harry Potter a fad. There has been things that was called fads, but those people have been wrong before. The best way is put is people back in 1983-1984 thought video games was a fad and the video game industry is still alive to this day.

The other thing is Harry Potter got started as a book, not a movie. There has been books that many generations has read such as Lord of the rings, and Tom Sawyer.

When legendary for Disney imagineer Tony Baxter during an interview with theme park insider called Harry Potter a once a lifetime property from a theme park standpoint, that speaks volumes since Tony Baxter is well known in the theme park industry. The fact is Tony Baxter thinks Disney screwed up royally not getting Harry Potter. Tony looked at Harry Potter at the time J.K. Rowling as another Star Wars in terms of the amount possibilities to do attractions from the material. Tony Baxter also was the person who told Disney back in the 1980's to do a Star Wars ride.

 

[danlb_2000]

I am not shock that Jimmy Thick as a stockholder likes what Bob Iger is doing. Jimmy is looking as profits, not what will happen in the long term. Bob Iger wants stockholders happy and that means looking at the short term and cutting corners in the name of profit.

What Jimmy isn't looking at companies that do stuff to make profits for the short term, will bite the company in the long term in terms of costing them more money.

A good example of this was the lack of maintenance of Splash Mountain for a couple years and it ended up with a lot of stuff not working. Another good example of not doing something proper as a way to save money short term was how cheap the Space Mountain refurbishment for WDW was done. Space Mountain has problems as a result of the refurbishment done on the cheap side and Disney's answer is making the ride slower as a band aide before being forced to due a proper refurbishment that is going to cost than them more money than if the refurbishment was done properly the first time.

I think Jimmy is also looking long term, I think he actually believes that Disney is untouchable. Since they were first, and king of the theme parks business for so long he believes that people will just keep coming to matter what Disney does. Pretty much everything he said is based on the incorrect belief that the status quo cannot change.