So my parents are down in Orlando now for just a few days (my dad had to travel for business) and they decided to take advantage of the free ticket that we recieved during Universal's Super Bowl campaign and make a rare visit. Being such a Disney family, they probably never would have gone if not for the free ticket, but there were a few things that my dad reported back to me that set them far behind Disney World in his eyes. Some of these things included:
-"Sloppy employees": Apparently it's not uncommon to see wrinkled uniforms and un-tucked shirts that make the staff at Universal look not so hot. In fact he said as they got to the end of one of lines there stood a female employee leaning against a guardrail, on her cell, texting.
-"Attractions": Although I never rode it myself, I was told "The Simpsons Ride" is nothing to write home about. Basically a motion simulator, that comes with a warning not to ride if you're claustrophobic. Also, my dad made a good point that although both Disney and Universal have their attractions based on old and sometimes very old movies, the Disney ones are in place because they are timeless classics. Terminator? The Hulk? Twister? Sure they were exciting when these movies were a part of pop culture 10, 20 years ago...but now they seem so dated - and thus LAME.
-"Mardi Gras": I'm told that around this time of year the park features a Mardi Gras themed parade. Apparently the floats are pretty low budget, and even more intresting to me - some or all of the floats are pulled by pick-up trucks. The trucks aren't even themed but simply feature the logo of the local car dealer that sponsors/provides the vehicles.
-"Alcohol": Saved the best for last here... Not only is alcohol served throughout Universal Studios, but as my parents were waiting for the afternoon parade, girls were walking up and down the street selling Jello shots. Can you imagine THAT on Main Street USA?!
Just found some of this stuff intresting. Can anyone else add to any big differences they've seen or experiened themselves?
-"Sloppy employees": Apparently it's not uncommon to see wrinkled uniforms and un-tucked shirts that make the staff at Universal look not so hot. In fact he said as they got to the end of one of lines there stood a female employee leaning against a guardrail, on her cell, texting.
-"Attractions": Although I never rode it myself, I was told "The Simpsons Ride" is nothing to write home about. Basically a motion simulator, that comes with a warning not to ride if you're claustrophobic. Also, my dad made a good point that although both Disney and Universal have their attractions based on old and sometimes very old movies, the Disney ones are in place because they are timeless classics. Terminator? The Hulk? Twister? Sure they were exciting when these movies were a part of pop culture 10, 20 years ago...but now they seem so dated - and thus LAME.
-"Mardi Gras": I'm told that around this time of year the park features a Mardi Gras themed parade. Apparently the floats are pretty low budget, and even more intresting to me - some or all of the floats are pulled by pick-up trucks. The trucks aren't even themed but simply feature the logo of the local car dealer that sponsors/provides the vehicles.
-"Alcohol": Saved the best for last here... Not only is alcohol served throughout Universal Studios, but as my parents were waiting for the afternoon parade, girls were walking up and down the street selling Jello shots. Can you imagine THAT on Main Street USA?!
Just found some of this stuff intresting. Can anyone else add to any big differences they've seen or experiened themselves?
