Is it really that bad, and is it really that good?

[Runmyhorse]

HORSE!! How ya been ya lil devil? Keepin' 'em straight down there? I am really really sorry that y'all didn't have a great time on your recent WDW trip. That just sucks. I wish that I could fix it for you.

When I see them Brazilian butt cheeks I think, "You got a single, older sister/cousin/aunt? Or maybe your Mom is single and looking?"

You know I am. I see you couldn't be stopped. Lol. I looked around waiting on ya. thank you for the kind words about disney. I guess it was just so different everytime we go. I mean I still have love for disney and I still would love to visit the parks I just wish the standards to what we use to go. Course there is always room for improvement at anyplace.

You should have been with use this trip those beautiful brizilian were out and about.

 

[ToyStorygirl]

I think draybook was more referring to the girls where there shorts were in tue butty crack and all the way up the sides with more then half the cheeks out. These girls were like 15 maybe 2 yrs older than my daughter. There is no way and heck she would even walk out of the house in those.

Yeah fair enough. I guess I don't notice them so much as over here you get lots of girls dressed inappropriately. I suppose at least with Brazilians you get tanned bum cheeks rather than a white wobbly bottom. Haha

 

[Runmyhorse]

Yeah fair enough. I guess I don't notice them so much as over here you get lots of girls dressed inappropriately. I suppose at least with Brazilians you get tanned bum cheeks rather than a white wobbly bottom. Haha

That is so true. We have them here too, but i guess when you think of disney you think of a dress code and it be family friendly. I mean tub tops and ect is fine but when you can see everything im thinking its all over the top.i have a picture of my kids and in the background a 14 maybe 15 yr old dressed like that. For another it dont seem comfortable.

 

[ToyStorygirl]

That is so true. We have them here too, but i guess when you think of disney you think of a dress code and it be family friendly. I mean tub tops and ect is fine but when you can see everything im thinking its all over the top.i have a picture of my kids and in the background a 14 maybe 15 yr old dressed like that. For another it dont seem comfortable.

I totally agree and if I had a daughter there's no way I'd let her dress like that in Disney or out! Damn sure my parents wouldn't have let me either (at least in my metal clothes I was covered up and just looked a twat head to toe in black in 90degrees heat. My Dad used to tease that the Haunted Mansion would keep me as one of the features in it)

 

[Mark In KY]

You know I am. I see you couldn't be stopped. Lol. I looked around waiting on ya. thank you for the kind words about disney. I guess it was just so different everytime we go. I mean I still have love for disney and I still would love to visit the parks I just wish the standards to what we use to go. Course there is always room for improvement at anyplace.

You should have been with use this trip those beautiful brizilian were out and about.

It took a while, but a return had to be made. Speaking of returns, I'll be at WDW for a week in 12 days! Perhaps an older Brazilian lady will take pity. Maybe if I hung out my butt cheeks?? LOLOLOLOLOLOL!

Gotta get ready for a 12 hr. in the ED.

 

[ChevisMickey]

I just re-read my two posts that you quoted. Help me out, where are you coming up with I focused on the size? Did I read correctly you have not been to the Uni parks in almost a decade? In fairness it is difficult to be critical of two parks that have been updated dramatically since your last trip.

Is that really the only difference you see is size between the two mountains and building? You don't see the difference in the rock imagineering, you don't see the difference in the landscaping? You don't see the difference in the building details? My post that you originally quoted listed the differences and you are condensing that to comparing sizes? That was to the point a few posts ago, some guests can only find fault with Uni and not give them the Kudos they deserve when their imagineers hit one out of the park.

I'm still in awe of the details Uni's imagineers created all these years later. I don't believe you have to be a Harry Potter fan to look up and admire what they pulled off.

Gabe, read my posts. I was there last week. I gave proper kudos to Hogwarts. I never said I liked Beast's Castle, my daughter does. I only asked why you are comparing the two, and you explained. Even against Prince Eric's Castle, Hogwarts easily wins.

 

[ChevisMickey]

I believe that this past year will be the worst for construction walls. Potter doesn't impede traffic flow. The JP expansion will mostly be behind Thunder Falls Terrace and in the Triceratops Encounter plot which are currently inaccessible to guests. The Lorax ride will be outside of the current parks boundaries so that won't effect guest flow. So the next major project that will be inconvenient for guests will be the Toon Lagoon replacement and given the size of the land and the project I wouldn't be surprised if the whole area is closed off forcing people to go the other way around the park. And that will be inconvenient. But sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. Oh, and look for KidZone to be completely walled off too when they get to that redo.

The new HP construction area at Uni was very unobtrusive. If they can maintain that then all is good.

 

[Runmyhorse]

It took a while, but a return had to be made. Speaking of returns, I'll be at WDW for a week in 12 days! Perhaps an older Brazilian lady will take pity. Maybe if I hung out my butt cheeks?? LOLOLOLOLOLOL!

Gotta get ready for a 12 hr. in the ED.

Well you have fun at wdw for me. Are you going to the halloween party? If you go with your cheeks out you have got to get a picture. Im sure thats a site to see on a man.

 

[Gabe1]

Gabe, read my posts. I was there last week. I gave proper kudos to Hogwarts. I never said I liked Beast's Castle, my daughter does. I only asked why you are comparing the two, and you explained. Even against Prince Eric's Castle Hogwarts easily wins.

Indeed you did. Did I explain clearly enough why I compared the two structures atop each of their mountains and the mountains and landscape?

So I'm clear are you saying this, Prince Eric's Castle

to this structure of of HP and saying Prince Eric is superior?

If so, I am curious what makes Eric's place superior?

 

[ChevisMickey]

Indeed you did. Did I explain clearly enough why I compared the two structures atop each of their mountains and the mountains and landscape?

So I'm clear are you saying this, Prince Eric's Castle

to this structure of of HP and saying Prince Eric is superior?

If so, I am curious what makes Eric's place superior?

Hogwarts is superior. I only asked why you originally compared 3mp zoomed-in Beast's Castle to 18mp+ pro shot Hogwarts. I only used Eric's Castle as an alternative. Now if you want to straight up compare castles I would say nothing beats this one:

 

[Disneyhead'71]

IDK, this one is pretty awesome.

 

[Gabe1]

Hogwarts is superior. I only asked why you originally compared 3mp zoomed-in Beast's Castle to 18mp+ pro shot Hogwarts. I only used Eric's Castle as an alternative. Now if you want to straight up compare castles I would say nothing beats this one:

Oh I couldn't agree more. Disney's original imagineers went all out. Walt and his imagineers would have nothing else but details, details, details. Somewhere along the line they lost that type of imagineering over the years. Sometimes they get it right, as example queue at Under the Seas and other times they miss the mark, Under the Seas dark ride. BOG will be a crown jewel for generations to come. I pray they do a better job with Dwarf inside the mountain than they did with Under the Seas. Very hit or miss.

 

[draybook]

Hogwarts is superior. I only asked why you originally compared 3mp zoomed-in Beast's Castle to 18mp+ pro shot Hogwarts. I only used Eric's Castle as an alternative. Now if you want to straight up compare castles I would say nothing beats this one:

Comparing an expansion to the main.....not really the same thing. And the sad part is that Hogwarts is still as nice if not better. Cinderella castle has fireworks and net lighting while Hogwarts is all natural.....

 

[ChevisMickey]

Comparing an expansion to the main.....not really the same thing. And the sad part is that Hogwarts is still as nice if not better. Cinderella castle has fireworks and net lighting while Hogwarts is all natural.....

Is it not the same thing. Cinderella's Castle is the icon for not only the Magic Kingdom, but for Disney in general. Right now Hogwarts is the closest thing that Universal has. Folks can make the argument that Hogwarts is better, however they really have to convince themselves first because the rest of us aren't buying it. Anyone who does make the arguement needs to lay off the Butterbeer!

Like I said, Hogwarts is awesome, inside and out. I stood out in the hot, hot sun admiring it for several minutes when I first saw it. My kids, though, haven't mentioned it then or now and they really liked TWWoHP. I think, in hindsight, Uni should have made it more of a centerpiece. It is hidden in the back of the park, not easy to get a family photo with, and I did not see Uni showcasing it in any way. I hope to get that night view when I go back next month since I only caught it during daylight hours.

 

[draybook]

And convincing me that Disney is better than Universal right now would have me telling you to lay off of the regular beer.

And no, it's not the same thing because one is a central icon from which the hub of the whole park flows. The other is an icon that stand for the expansion piece and is a necessary part and is an essential stort piece to said land.

I love Disney as much as anyone on this site but how some people here can be so blinded is beyond my comprehension.

 

[Runmyhorse]

And convincing me that Disney is better than Universal right now would have me telling you to lay off of the regular beer.

And no, it's not the same thing because one is a central icon from which the hub of the whole park flows. The other is an icon that stand for the expansion piece and is a necessary part and is an essential stort piece to said land.

I love Disney as much as anyone on this site but how some people here can be so blinded is beyond my comprehension.

I would day they need to lay off the pixie dust.

 

[ChevisMickey]

And convincing me that Disney is better than Universal right now would have me telling you to lay off of the regular beer.

And no, it's not the same thing because one is a central icon from which the hub of the whole park flows. The other is an icon that stand for the expansion piece and is a necessary part and is an essential stort piece to said land.

I love Disney as much as anyone on this site but how some people here can be so blinded is beyond my comprehension.

I will be spending money at both over the next year and probably splitting my time between them. I will try the resorts at Universal soon and expect to have a better experience than a like-priced resort at Disney. I still have a lot to do, and do again, at Uni and IOA, but for now I just cannot see, beyond TWWoHP, what it is that has everyone frothing at the mouth over them. Is Uni really that good, or is it that Disney is just screwing up that bad lately? By the end of the year I may change my mind about the quality of Uni, and in the next few years more so. Right now Uni is as good as Disney has ever been on an average day, but not near the level Disney has been at their peak. Disney is declining in many areas, but it is far from the point where the two have switched places, so far.

 

[draybook]

I will be spending money at both over the next year and probably splitting my time between them. I will try the resorts at Universal soon and expect to have a better experience than a like-priced resort at Disney. I still have a lot to do, and do again, at Uni and IOA, but for now I just cannot see, beyond TWWoHP, what it is that has everyone frothing at the mouth over them. Is Uni really that good, or is it that Disney is just screwing up that bad lately? By the end of the year I may change my mind about the quality of Uni, and in the next few years more so. Right now Uni is as good as Disney has ever been on an average day, but not near the level Disney has been at their peak. Disney is declining in many areas, but it is far from the point where the two have switched places, so far.

Like I said in my trip report, for me it's the attitude of the workers that made the difference. Seriously, you can count the number of things my son and I do at Universal on both hands but it's the fun that the Uni workers provided that made the difference.

 

[Dragonrider1227]

The only thing in Universal that really has my attention is Islands of Adventure. I mean, I like the Simpsons and Despicable Me, but if I have to choose between those and park with Harry Potter, Dr. Seuss and SPIDER-MAN, yeah I know where I'm going Though I've yet to actually step foot into this park, IoA seems pretty equal to Disney in my opinion.
CityWalk is interesting but it seems to focus mostly on night clubs and night life stuff and I'm not into that.
For the record, I actually really liked the Little Mermaid ride's queue. Possibly more than the ride itself.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

Ok, here is where I think UOR is beating WDW:

Attractions: With HPatFJ, Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem, and Transformers all coming on line in the past 3 years, UOR has a lot of excitement going on. The FLE just fails at generating that kind of energy.

High End Hotels: The quality and service of Uni's 3 hotels blows the Disney Deluxes out of the water.

Signature Dining: UOR's 4 signature restaurants are all top notch with impressive menus and service. Disney's Signature restaurants have taken a beating in quality and offerings because of DDP.

CM/TMs: Because of the excitement happening at UOR, the TMs convey a sense of pride in what their resort is doing. On the other hand, the CMs at WDW seem to put as much effort into their jobs that Upper Management puts into the resort. There is a feeling property wide of "going through the motions". There is no doubt that there are still a lot of great CMs at WDW, but it's palpable that they have to "crank themselves up" because they aren't feeding off of the energy created by the resort itself.

I am having a hard time coming up with areas where WDW is beating UOR now except that WDW had an 18 year head start and their past management set out to impress.