Is Disney Building Up Dhs Because Of Universal?

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MickeyMind

Active Member
Original Poster
Is Disney plussing DHS because of what Universal's about to bring to the table? Universal has some pretty big plans in the work, and I'm wondering if Disney is shifting more attention to DHS just because Universal's out to give DHS a little competition..I mean it WOULD make sense to me being that dhs and uni studios have the same feel, and wasnt the reason that dhs opened in the first place was to give the newly opening universal some competition?either way I'm all for disney adding more to dhs, but its WHAT they're adding that really doesnt seem to be too much of a competition to what uni is adding, I mean if you were to compare side by side, the new things that both parks are getting, uni is looking more appealing than dhs.. dhs got tsm, which you can compare to the simpsons ride, being that they both opened around the same time, they both look like good rides...dhs is getting american idol, I guess you can compare it to blue man group over at uni just cuz its the newest show theyve added there (and I would much rather see blue man group then ai wannabes ).. and then DHS is getting what after that?.. a star tours revamp and MAYBE a little family coaster in pixar place? while UNI is getting the harry potter land and the new rockit...it just seems to me that if disney is trying to bulk up dhs to try and compete with uni a little stronger, they're not doing as good a job as uni is doing..to put it simply

If I only had one day to go to the parks,and could only go to either dhs or uni.. I'd pick uni (only once potterland and rockit are open ofcourse).. nonetheless though does anyone feel you would get more for your money going to universal rather than going to dhs? I mean dont you get 2 parks (uni and ioa) for the prics of admission for dhs?....

your thoughts on uni vs dhs? not uni vs wdw, just uni vs dhs?
 
DisneyDellsDude

DisneyDellsDude

New Member
I think it has little to do with what Universal is doing. DHS needs more family attractions badly! DHS has about 10 more years under it's belt than AK, but AK is almost ahead of DHS in yearly attendance.
DHS would have needed a fixing even if Universal wasn't getting any thing new imo, so I'm glad that they are getting it!

And yes, DHS did open fast and small because of Universal. It was just originally going to be a plan for an EPCOT attraction, but they saw enough potential in it to create another theme park.:)
 
devoy1701

devoy1701

Well-Known Member
MickeyMind said:
If I only had one day to go to the parks,and could only go to either dhs or uni.. I'd pick uni (only once potterland and rockit are open ofcourse).. nonetheless though does anyone feel you would get more for your money going to universal rather than going to dhs? I mean dont you get 2 parks (uni and ioa) for the prics of admission for dhs?....

your thoughts on uni vs dhs? not uni vs wdw, just uni vs dhs?
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You're comparing two parks to just one...Potterland is going in Islands of Adventure and Rockit is going in the Studios... So I don't think it's fair to say look what Uni is getting in it's two parks vs what DHS is getting. And for the most part Potterland is just a retheming of part of the lost continent area....there might be one or two new attractions, but most likely we'll see Dueling Dragons and The Flying Unicorn rethemed to the Harry Potter World to add to the size of the land. They've still yet to announce any NEW attractions for the land anyway...and the Simpsons was just a retheme of Back to the Future...so as far as I'm concerned, the only NEW idea coming to Universal Orlando is the Rockit rollercoaster...DHS has nothing to worry about.
 
haveyoumetmark

haveyoumetmark

Well-Known Member
I actually think Disney is building DHS up simply because DHS needs it badly. It was a lame excuse for a park. I can't fathom picking DHS over Epcot, MK, or even DAK. DHS sucked badly. Now it's getting the attention it needs to expand and shine. Hopefully with a few more additions and improvements, it'll be a strong park with a cohesive theme. The backlot in particular weighs it down. It's a tired attraction and needs to go.
 
Thiger

Thiger

New Member
Cant we all just get along?

While I love Disney I have to say that Potterland will be great once they get a handful of rides going on. That being said is that I believe that each time they 'plus' a park its a win-win for us!

TSM sounds like super fun and Pottlerland will be great! I hope that this plussing keeps going and gives us new rides every year to enjoy!

*although 'm secretly hoping for super mario world*
 
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DivineMadness7

New Member
I never understand all the criticism DHS gets, especially recently. I love the park. Everyone has their favorites, I just don't get the hate.

If anything, DHS is getting the attention now that it lacked when it first opened. I remember visiting within the first few months of the park opening and there was little there. It was rushed to open. Universal opening was the major reason for the rush. Is Universal the reason for the DHS focus now? Yes, but not in the way that you mention.
 
jonnyc

jonnyc

Well-Known Member
If I was a Florida resident presented with the option of Universal Studios for a day or DHS for a day, both at no expenses, i would go for Universal. But presented with the option of staying in WDW on property for a week, or Universal Studios Resort for a week, i would go to WDW everytime.

I think, at least for the moment, the key market for Disney is guests staying on property, or taking extended stays in Florida. Magic Kingdom and Epcot, are parks you could get a full (crammed) day from, but i think currently DHS and AK serve as extra weight on the scales for Guests spending 7 days + at WDW. Although i am not discrediting DHS and AK as being 'full-day parks', with this being adressed in other threads, as i will spend around 2-3 days at DHS in a 14 day stay.

The type of rides being built, for me, are an indication of the direction of the organisations. Universal has that new rollercoaster planned, which for me is a statement of intent for them going for the casual teenage park goer. Whilst TSM is a family ride, and with rumours of family dark ride in Pixar place, it suggests that Disney will continue in the Family demographic.
 
krankenstein

krankenstein

Well-Known Member
I think it is very early to say Disney is building up DHS. They have only added one attraction since the 50th celebration to the park. I know we have heard rumors of possible refurbs and other new attractions, but nothing has been officially announced or confirmed by Disney. Until we hear anything official we shouldn't take rumors as fact that major changes are coming.

That said, if Disney does continue to add to and work on DHS (as has been speculated by reliable sources on this site) it is two fold. It is answer to the additions to both Sea World and Universal. How can that not be a part of the thinking of the executives at the Team Disney Building? The other reason why the additions would happen is b/c DHS needs them. The park has become sort of stale and needs additions and pluses in my opinion.
 
Legacy

Legacy

Well-Known Member
Universal brought in Blue Man Group as competition for Cirque du Solei. It's a seperate ticket and the Sharp Aquos Theater is part of CityWalk, not the Studios themselves.

The closing "competition" for the American Idol Experience is Rising Star, a new kareoke bar that opened in CityWalk a couple of months ago. Rather than singing with a track, the people selected to perform sing with a live band and backup singers. Plus, since it's a kareoke BAR, there is drinking and it has a different atmosphere and audience than AI will have. However, since you go without entering a park it's not really direct competition.

Rip, Ride, Rockit, the new coaster going into the Studios, is a new mainline draw for the Studios themselves, and will probably be more competition for Seaworld's new Manta coaster than anything at DHS. Granted, RRR is (most likely) going to make RnRC look like a mouse-coaster when comparing "music coaster" to "music coaster."

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (not "Potterland" :rolleyes:), IS going into IoA rather than the Studios. However, much like Everest was the main draw for all of WDW Resort, WWHP is going to be a huge draw for Universal as a whole, not just the Studios. Yes, Dueling Dragons and the Flying Unicorn are just getting rethemed (Triwizard Cup and Hagrid's Hipogryph.... but the Kuka Robocoaster attraction (you know... the one Disney wanted by now can't get for ten years) is being built and will probably rival the Adventures of Spiderman attraction in terms of shear awesomeness. Throw-in a (rumored) fully-explorable Hoggwarts castle, and you have something that WILL get people's attention.

Frankly... Disney had better thinking about Universal right now. Starting the end of this year, the theme park competition is going to start getting down-right insane.
 
devoy1701

devoy1701

Well-Known Member
Legacy said:
Frankly... Disney had better thinking about Universal right now. Starting the end of this year, the theme park competition is going to start getting down-right insane.
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Looking simply at attendance figures....MK almost triples Universal Studios attendance...and it does MORE than triple IoA's attendance.

comparing one studios park to another...DHS had more than 3 million more visitors... So I STILL don't see much of a competition...no way even a whole new Harry Potter area will make Universal Orlando competitive with a Disney Park....even if wdw continues to just take babysteps in improving DHS.
 
Legacy

Legacy

Well-Known Member
devoy1701 said:
Looking simply at attendance figures....MK almost triples Universal Studios attendance...and it does MORE than triple IoA's attendance.

comparing one studios park to another...DHS had more than 3 million more visitors... So I STILL don't see much of a competition...no way even a whole new Harry Potter area will make Universal Orlando competitive with a Disney Park....even if wdw continues to just take babysteps in improving DHS.
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*headdesk*

Listen, if in the first year Universal pulls in 5 million people off Disney property want to check out WWoHP, then that's a tally for Universal.

If Universal's attendence numbers go up more than 10% with WWoHP, that's a HUGE tally for Universal.

Universal doesn't have to beat Disney in order to freak the Mouse House out... all Universal has to do is make a dent.

And Harry Potter is, most likely, going to be a Universal-shaped sludgehammer to the hood of Disney's Escalade.
 
nibblesandbits

nibblesandbits

Well-Known Member
Legacy said:
*headdesk*

Listen, if in the first year Universal pulls in 5 million people off Disney property want to check out WWoHP, then that's a tally for Universal.

If Universal's attendence numbers go up more than 10% with WWoHP, that's a HUGE tally for Universal.

Universal doesn't have to beat Disney in order to freak the Mouse House out... all Universal has to do is make a dent.

And Harry Potter is, most likely, going to be a Universal-shaped sludgehammer to the hood of Disney's Escalade.
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I agree.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is going to be HUGE, even if most of you don't think so. I know I will try to make the trek over there once it opens and will be bringing my best friend along for the ride too, as we are both BIG Harry Potter nuts. (That's not to say we won't visit Disney too.) Harry Potter is popular...and this new land is going to draw a ton of people. And if you don't think it will make a dent in Disney's tallies, even just a tiny dent, I would bet you'd be wrong.
 
al5957

al5957

Member
I don't know whats going to happen in the future, I left my crystal ball in my other desk today. I do know this though, if universal steps up their game (which they are) I don't see how this can be bad. This just sets the bar higher for Disney and will force them to make some changes. This doesn't mean that they are actually going to do anything major, but I don't see how they could get by without it.
 

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