Impressed by Universal

[Miss Bella]

WDW and Universal each have their pros and cons, but I don't understand the competitive feelings, either. I love them both, too, and like you, my family is more interested in Universal at present (at least until WDW has new stuff to offer -- we're thinking maybe 2021 for our next WDW visit). Our upcoming Orlando vacation this year will include a family member with some unpredictable health issues, so the ability to tour smaller parks, at a more relaxed pace and without having to stick to a rigid plan of FP+ and ADRs (plus the option to stay at a hotel with Unlimited Express Pass at a reduced passholder rate - equivalent to the cost of a Disney moderate with no such perks - all thanks to the low pricetag of Universal's seasonal annual passes, which cost less than 3 days worth' of WDW MYW tickets), makes Universal a far better choice for us.

This year we are annual passholders to WDW. It was a spontaneous maybe one drink too many upgrade I made at the food and wine in September LOL. I guess I picked a good year because they have returned the 40% off deluxe resorts passholder discount. I'm guessing bookings are down because people are waiting for Star Wars land to open. Next year we'll do Universal...most likely with annual passes. LIke you I want to return to WDW in 2021, but I'm kind of afraid of what prices are going to look like then.

 

[DeletedAccount55555]

Disney pays attention to the details. Universal couldn't care less.
I'll also point out that the best TMs on Universal property are positioned in the Wizarding World. Due to JKR demands.

Yes, a single speaker hidden behind a grate changes EVERYTHING.

It's no use arguing with people like this. Disney could take a dump in his lunch and he'd call it magical.

 

[JT3000]

I really hate these arguments, but here we go again. At Universal, there are screen rides that are motion simulators
with the 3D affects. Transformers, Minions, Fallon, Spiderman, King Kong and The Simpsons are all, almost, the same ride,
with a very similar "story". You are out of control, racing from here to there, fall off something tall and almost crash and
are somehow saved. Stop reaching calling a ride like Figment or The Seas with Nemo screen rides, because they have
some projections on the way. And Mission Space, yes, you are looking at a screen, but you a pulling 7Gs of centrifugal
force, much more than a screen ride. Stop reaching, just to be obtuse.

I should've stopped reading when you claimed all those rides are almost the same, which is a blatant lie, but I'm glad I kept going long enough for you to describe the difference between a screen ride and a screen ride that pulls 7 Gs. Clearly an important distinction being made here.

 

[RustySpork]

A good summary of the difference between Disney and Universal:
Speaker hole that was lazily cut and covered. The hole cut in the wall is far too big for the metal plate which looks incredibly cheap and sloppy, further the plate itself doesn't even try to hide the fact that there's a speaker there. It's blatantly obvious, it's an afterthought. This is in the best themed land on Universal property.
View attachment 338178
A speaker insert that's been very nicely designed into the building architecture, you wouldn't even know one was there.
View attachment 338179

Disney pays attention to the details. Universal couldn't care less.
I'll also point out that the best TMs on Universal property are positioned in the Wizarding World. Due to JKR demands.

Amazing how you've compared a wall to a themed building, definitely apples and apples.

You can find an equal or greater number of things not done right at WDW, like every other gun being broken on BLSRS, or the scent of eau de who crapped themselves in between mission space and test track.

How about that stall door quality in Morocco?

Hey, wait a minute I could use a picture of the most beautiful area of UO and compare it to an overflowing trash can at WDW or a monorail that's missing a door or a flying carpet that's broken and covered with a tarp and by your logic that would be perfectly fair.

 

[RustySpork]

I should've stopped reading when you claimed all those rides are almost the same, which is a blatant lie, but I'm glad I kept going long enough for you to describe the difference between a screen ride and a screen ride that pulls 7 Gs. Clearly an important distinction being made here.

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE Feeble&Failing WASN'T IN THAT LIST!

Spoiler

 

[RustySpork]

I compared two speaker implementations in two newer areas (NFL and DA), one regarded as the best UOR has to offer. It's a completely fair comparison. Either you didn't read my post very well, or Disney is just that good.

I'm not talking about maintenance here. And because we could go on forever complaining about maintenance at both resorts, I'm not going to go there. Suffice to say, both have their fair share of problems.

Let's not sugar coat it.. You went out of your way to make two selections that tried to sell a story that suited your agenda. Really, it spoke more about you than it did Disney or Universal.

 

[RustySpork]

I don't have any agenda. My argument is that UC's best can't hold a candle to WDI's best. Feel free to provide a rebuttal, but the ad hominem just doesn't work. You won't find me defending Toy Story Land for its terrible, cheap execution. But I will point out that the walls and columns in Gringotts are lined in the same cheap vinyl that's used in the TSMM queue.

I didn't attack your character, sorry. UC's best and WDI's best are roughly equal. If the best you can do to show that one is better than the other is a picture of a speaker grate, there's nothing left to say.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

Wow, @DoubleJ21, just about everything you said in your little rant is incorrect. You are so far off base it's almost not worth addressing, but here goes.

First off, the speaker covers ARE themed to Victorian era exterior vent registers, which actually exist, and are not out of theme. Diagon is a mix of Georgian and Victorian design elements. The rough hewed application is because they are too look like they were added to Georgian buildings during the Victorian period. The building design is mainly Georgian with the bricks and stucco. The glass canopy above Carkitt Market was added during the Victorian period like the vent registers. The London Waterfront is Edwardian and all the cast iron work was done by the same foundry that did the benches and light posts using the same molds that were used when King Edward was alive. The level of thought and detail put into Diagon Alley is amazing.

About the vinyl wraps on the columns. It is the same wrap that was used for the movie, which is what they were replicating. There is no actual marble that looks like that. But I notice you missed the 45' tall and 2- 30' tall Austrian crystal chandeliers. Universal didn't skimp on the budget as you imply.

And as far as hired vendors, Universal Creative, not Warner Bros., hired them. That is how Universal Creative does things. And that is how they keep costs down compared to Imagineering. They have vendors bid against each other for projects. They sort of have a bad reputation for having vendors ending up bidding so low that the vendors make almost no money. A few have even gone bankrupt because of working with Universal.

You try so hard most of the time to find fault with Universal that sometimes you sound rather idiotic.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

But that's just it, Diagon Alley is barely a Universal creation. Overwhelmingly, it was created by Warner Bros and their vendors.

That is blatantly NOT true. See my above post.

 

[RustySpork]

But that's just it, Diagon Alley is barely a Universal creation. Overwhelmingly, it was created by Warner Bros and their vendors.

Wrong. It was overwhelmingly created by JK Rowling and Universal Creative after the deal fell through with Disney because Disney wouldn't give her the control she required to allow them to use her intellectual property.

Look at the concrete in this picture, not only is it not grass (unrealistic theming) it was installed so poorly that it has to be filled and they couldn't even match the color! Pathetic!

The theming is so incomplete and awful, it simply pales in comparison to Universal!

 

[Disneyhead'71]

Wrong. It was overwhelmingly created by JK Rowling and Universal Creative after the deal fell through with Disney because Disney wouldn't give her the control she required to allow them to use her intellectual property.

Look at the concrete in this picture, not only is it not grass (unrealistic theming) it was installed so poorly that it has to be filled and they couldn't even match the color! Pathetic!

The theming is so incomplete and awful, it simply pales in comparison to Universal!

To be fair, the walkway surface in Dinorama is supposed to look like that. It is actually a sculpted colored plaster concrete.

Unlike the actual failing asphalt along the lagoon between NYC and Dan Francisco in USF.

 

[RustySpork]

To be fair, the walkway surface in Dinorama is supposed to look like that. It is actually a sculpted plaster concrete.

Unlike the actual failing asphalt along the lagoon between NYC and Dan Francisco in USF.

Yeah, that wasn't a real complaint I was trying to make it so obvious that it wouldn't need a /s

The whole area around SanFran at UO needs a refresh, it's awful.

 

[wdwfan22]

Disney is nice to visit, but it's not Universal. Disney has too many boat based attractions. The Pandora attraction is nice, but that's the only area in the park that's as themed as Harry Potter. The Pandora land is so small that when it opened you had to wait hours in line before you could even get into it, and the only gift shop, there's a line to get in there too! That's not enjoyable by any means.

Disagree. The entire Animal Kingdom park is themed perfectly. The level of theming at Disney suprases Universal.

 

[RustySpork]

Disagree. The entire Animal Kingdom park is themed perfectly. The level of theming at Disney suprases Universal.

Especially Dino-Rama!

 

[lebeau]

You know what feature I haven't used in a long time? Ignore. It's been so long I forgot its many benefits. I think this thread will be a lot more pleasant going forward.

 

[RustySpork]

Perfect! Finally a solid rebuttal. Now, let's get into this.

They are clearly vent registers, appropriately themed to the era. But, in their choice, Universal and WB decided to fully recreate the Diagon Alley facades from the movies. In making such an uncreative choice, they must go all in on authenticity. There are no such vents in the actual movie set. So you deal with it, and hide the speakers some other way. Instead, they sloppily cut holes in the walls, apparently without any help from a stencil, and stuck a cover on it. I don't think Victorian era construction workers would've been quite so lazy. I'll also say that much of the detail in the brickwork of Diagon Alley completely misses the mark when it comes to authenticity. The brickwork should be aged to more closely resemble the brickwall entrance (with exception to WWW), instead it looks like brand new brickwork with some staining applied. Don't even get me started on the AAs. Again, cheap.

Yep, another example of cost cutting. Vinyl and theme parks do not mix. Have you taken a look at the columns? I'll tell you what they should've done. They should've painted the columns to make the theming more durable. Instead, they thought that movie set vinyl would withstand the daily beating from guests. Moronic.

As to the chandeliers, crystal can be cheap or expensive. Simply being "Austrian crystal" is no indication of cost or quality.

I know exactly how they work. I also know that it was Warner Bros who contracted the concept vendors. I published a full list of the vendors. Go search up some of their Linkedin accounts. You will note that all the concept artists were "Hired by Warner Bros for Universal Project 722". But yes, Universal is overreliant on low-bids that often produce lower quality product.

You know what feature I haven't used in a long time? Ignore. It's been so long I forgot its many benefits. I think this thread will be a lot more pleasant going forward.

 

[Stripes]

You know what feature I haven't used in a long time? Ignore. It's been so long I forgot its many benefits. I think this thread will be a lot more pleasant going forward.

Tell you what, I'll make it easy for you. I enjoy having some good friendly debates. But this side of the forum is just never in the mood. I'm gonna say bye to the Universal side of the forum.

 

[RustySpork]

Tell you what, I'll make it easy for you. I enjoy having some good friendly debates. But this side of the forum is just never in the mood. I'm gonna say bye to the Universal side of the forum.

Spoiler

 

[DeletedAccount55555]

The "Universal side" of the forum seems to mean anyone who doesn't blindly agree that Disney is always better.

 

[fosse76]

Perfect! Finally a solid rebuttal. Now, let's get into this.

They are clearly vent registers, appropriately themed to the era. But, in their choice, Universal and WB decided to fully recreate the Diagon Alley facades from the movies.

Some, yes. However, most of those buildings do not exist in the film.

In making such an uncreative choice, they must go all in on authenticity.

Ummm, guests would be expecting Diagon Alley to look like the movie, so no, it's not an "uncreative choice."

There are no such vents in the actual movie set.

So what, it's not a movie set. The sets don't have interiors, should Universal have just made Diagon Alley a backlot instead?

So you deal with it, and hide the speakers some other way. Instead, they sloppily cut holes in the walls, apparently without any help from a stencil, and stuck a cover on it. I don't think Victorian era construction workers would've been quite so lazy. I'll also say that much of the detail in the brickwork of Diagon Alley completely misses the mark when it comes to authenticity. The brickwork should be aged to more closely resemble the brickwall entrance (with exception to WWW), instead it looks like brand new brickwork with some staining applied. Don't even get me started on the AAs. Again, cheap.

The AAs are anything but cheap, and are certainly more realistic than the AA's at Disney, which move exactly the way they are portrayed in parodies, lagged motion. That said, it's a theme park. There must be allowances for the practicality of the structures and their function. I guaranty that you are the only one complaining moronically about grates.

Yep, another example of cost cutting. Vinyl and theme parks do not mix. Have you taken a look at the columns? I'll tell you what they should've done. They should've painted the columns to make the theming more durable. Instead, they thought that movie set vinyl would withstand the daily beating from guests. Moronic.

I've looked at them, and it's fine. Should the prop gold bars be real gold bars? The gold coins being counted by the goblins? Should they have forgone the moving pictures/paintings because they have to use video to make it work?

As to the chandeliers, crystal can be cheap or expensive. Simply being "Austrian crystal" is no indication of cost or quality.

True, but it's a theme park. Does it really matter so long as it looks good and fits the theme?

I know exactly how they work. I also know that it was Warner Bros who contracted the concept vendors. I published a full list of the vendors. Go search up some of their Linkedin accounts. You will note that all the concept artists were "Hired by Warner Bros for Universal Project 722". But yes, Universal is overreliant on low-bids that often produce lower quality product.

Whereas Disney significantly overpays for its low-quality products.