Just Got Back... Have To Say....

[Chefjason1974]

I just got back form another 3 days in orlando. I know what all of you are gonna say but, we went to Universal!!

This was my first trip to Universal in 10 years & I was really really impressed!!!
At first all we did was notice the difference between WDW hotels & UN Hotels. But after they cleaned our room for the second time it was great. We stayed at the Royal Pacific hotel which was very nice. I am, & have always been a man of details. I notice small things that many people do not. This is probably why i was so impressed with Universal Orlando. 1st detail noticed: they make everyone pay to park (even self parking at the hotel)!!! this was a bad thing but still i noticed, Then i noticed that on the boat ride to the parks they play music that is specific to the hotel you are staying at, Nice touch. The rivers that connect the hotels & the parks are landscaped & maintained much nicer than any of the WDW rivers, Ive seen all of them. Even the bridges were made out of decorative stone not the utilitarian look that WDW has. The food was as good as WDW but IMO more $$$ because the hotels do not have a quick serve area. As for the parks,
IOA is the most amazing park i have ever been to, heres why. Ioa is a new park, Only 5 years old however, the park is complete. Not like AK that opened up as halfway built & is just now adding more attractions to make it better. This park has the most amazing coaster i have ever been on (Hulk) and the most amazing Dark ride as well (spiderman) However Disney has the classics that are great too, Universal is reinventing the "classic" ride with old yet new characters such as betty boop, popeye, dudley do right etc..

I just wanted some comments about this on a Disney fan site.. I still love disney, but until now i thought WDW had no local competition. Now i can see that Universal Orlando with its limited space has done an outstanding job with what they have. I also think that WDW can stand to learn a thing from Universal Orlando such as: Better maintanance of grounds, river beds & road ways. I also think that if The SSE ride was tranformed into something similar to Spiderman it would be out of this world!!!

 

[Pixie Duster]

Real quick when was the last time you were at WDW?

 

[MagicalMonorail]

We are glad that you had a good time. Thanks to your report, I will give more heavy consideration on visiting Universal. I have never been to the park in Orlando before. But really, how can you go to Orlando and not go to Walt Disney World? It's the only reason I go!

 

[shopgirl146]

I also think that if The SSE ride was tranformed into something similar to Spiderman it would be out of this world!!!

I do LOVE Spiderman, but I don't know if I'd want a classic ride like SSE to be turned into something like that. Maybe a Spiderman like ride could be put somewhere else, but i just don't think that SSE would be the place to have it.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

I also think that if The SSE ride was tranformed into something similar to Spiderman it would be out of this world!!!

Well then it would no longer be Space Ship Earth, it would be Space Ship Out Of This Earth.

 

[peter11435]

I just got back form another 3 days in orlando. I know what all of you are gonna say but, we went to Universal!!

This was my first trip to Universal in 10 years & I was really really impressed!!!
At first all we did was notice the difference between WDW hotels & UN Hotels. But after they cleaned our room for the second time it was great. We stayed at the Royal Pacific hotel which was very nice. I am, & have always been a man of details. I notice small things that many people do not. This is probably why i was so impressed with Universal Orlando. 1st detail noticed: they make everyone pay to park (even self parking at the hotel)!!! this was a bad thing but still i noticed, Then i noticed that on the boat ride to the parks they play music that is specific to the hotel you are staying at, Nice touch. The rivers that connect the hotels & the parks are landscaped & maintained much nicer than any of the WDW rivers, Ive seen all of them. Even the bridges were made out of decorative stone not the utilitarian look that WDW has. The food was as good as WDW but IMO more $$$ because the hotels do not have a quick serve area. As for the parks,
IOA is the most amazing park i have ever been to, heres why. Ioa is a new park, Only 5 years old however, the park is complete. Not like AK that opened up as halfway built & is just now adding more attractions to make it better. This park has the most amazing coaster i have ever been on (Hulk) and the most amazing Dark ride as well (spiderman) However Disney has the classics that are great too, Universal is reinventing the "classic" ride with old yet new characters such as betty boop, popeye, dudley do right etc..

I just wanted some comments about this on a Disney fan site.. I still love disney, but until now i thought WDW had no local competition. Now i can see that Universal Orlando with its limited space has done an outstanding job with what they have. I also think that WDW can stand to learn a thing from Universal Orlando such as: Better maintanance of grounds, river beds & road ways. I also think that if The SSE ride was tranformed into something similar to Spiderman it would be out of this world!!!

WDW rivers have been purposely left in their natural state. Therefore un maintained. As far as bridges go, Disney's resorts have what you’re talking about. For example all the bridges throughout PO. They are all stone and wood and themed wonderfully. Unfortunately the area between resorts could never be done up like this, although very nice, WDW is way to large. It would cost a fortune for things that money could be better-spent elsewhere on. In Universals case all of their bridges are in resort areas. They have so little land that nothing is just between guest areas left undeveloped. It is also much easier to develop and maintain a few hundred acres, over tens of thousands.

 

[Superstretch]

well...

I'm sorry but, for someone that has been to WDW all his life, I don't enjoy Universal because there is a lack of magic IMO. I know it sounds cliche but, I just don't get "that feeling" there. I was last there in 2002 and thought it was OK but, just a poor disneyesque wanna-be (only my opinion). Upkeep was not that great--on that attraction where you walk through the tunnel of water (?), the building facade had chunks taken out by unruly guests, exposing the foam base. Also, I wasn't that impressed with the spiderman ride either. When I was there it looked as if it needed painting in the queue area--paint was peeling etc. I think Disney has better rides with M:S and ToT, just to name a few, anyways. Therefore, you'll never find be back at Universal unless they totally impress me--but they still will never have that Disney magic.

 

[barnum42]

I liked Universal Studios, but was not all that taken by Islands of Adventure. Whilst the rides are great (apart from Dr Doom), the gengeral ambiance was somewhat lacking - most of the employees I encountered at IOA were less than enthusiastic about their jobs. It seemed more Six Flags with a bigger budget and better theming to me.

 

[1stStarIC2nite]

--but they still will never have that Disney magic.

I agree 100%

 

[Figment1986]

I do not want a UNI WDW Fight...

(They each have pros and cons... they however cannot be competing, one has mroe resorts and parks... the other has other thigns... i think that UNI orlando is compairable to DLR though.... hehe)

 

[Jekyll Baker]

I went to Universal/IOA for the first time back in April (however since I have a WDW AP, I stayed at POFQ - just as inexpensive as most area hotels and lots less expensive than staying at Universal hotels). All I have to say about US/IOA is "been there, done that." I finished each park in about 5 hours and had no desire to ride anything more than once - even Hulk and Spiderman. which were probably the best rides in both parks combined. I found most of the attractions lacking (admittedly I was often comparing them all to Disney's equivalents) and I got tired of being spritzed by water on every single ride. I did plan for a week in Orlando and had gotten Univeral's 5-day pass (being cheaper than a 2-day pass). So I spent a few hours at Universal, then went back 'home' to Port Orleans to relax a bit, and then browsed WDW parks for the rest of the afternoon/evening to counter the boredom.

But I will probably stop by US on one of my next trips down to Orlando just to try out Revenge of the Mummy (which opened just a couple weeks after I was there), since when I picked up my ticket at the ceOsk, there was also a 1-day/1-park ticket with it. Other than that, I may wait a few years before I try to go back and see if they come up with anything new or interesting.

 

[AEfx]

It really just depends on what you are looking for. I think many people enjoy both for different reasons.

Of course, Universal does not have the "magic" of WDW. But it also has a refreshing edge that you won't find at WDW either. Sometimes you feel like a nut...sometimes you don't.

Universal has some excellent rides - sure, the queue at Spiderman isn't the best (though it does get better themed the further you go in - there are some neat deatils in the newspaper office), but that ride is absoultely amazing. It's become a victim of it's own hype at this point, but for dark ride fans it's absolutely stunning.

But...it makes me think, "Wow, what could Disney do with this if they dared?" Imagine if a dark ride like Spiderman was combined with the theme of, oh, Alladin? Imagine how cool.

I will always love WDW over any other, but I can't say that going to Universal isn't a big thrill either. The new attractions at WDW, while fun and interesting, just don't pack the same punch to me. The last great WDW attraction really was Splash Mountain to me - even ToT left me thinking, "That's it?" the first time I rode (I was expecting many more set pieces before the drop).

So I usually try to go to both - though obviously spending more time at WDW just because of the size and that "magic". People that refuse to go to Universal, or always look at it with a super-critical eye, are just missing the point - it's about choice and balance, not "either or". If you don't like Universal, that's fine - but if you don't give it a chance to entertain you because you feel like you are betraying Disney are really just missing out on what could be a ton of fun.

AEfx

 

[Sherm00]

When we wnet on our honeymoon we decided to take 2 days and go to universal. WE figured we never been there so we thought we would spend 2 days one in each park. welll IMHO both universal parks are half day parks. US Had better rides but I was amazed how short they were. In IOA since I don;t ride rollercoasters there were only a few rides I could ride. US/IOA and City walk are put together well with artistic detail. The ambiance of the park is really good but we were in and out of IOA in about 5 hours. And there FASTPASS system or whatever universal calls it is terrible. They let people get as many of them as they want and they are all gone by mid afternoon. Also resort guests are able to use the fastpass lines That makes the Fast line just as slow as the standby line. Disney know how to do fastpass. Disney spaces how many fastpasses you get so fastpasses are available to guests all day. Now that I have a little girl when we do go back to disney I would go to universal again but only for 1 day.

 

[Kadee]

My family and I have been to US twice and IOA once. I LOVED the Spiderman ride. But everything else was just OK at best. We did both US and IOA in one day. The only time we spent an entire day at US was when Wheel of Fortune was filming there and we got to sit in the audience (Quite Cool!!! Pat Sajak is VERY short) We rode ET, Back to the Future and Jaws several times just to pass the time until filming started. Once you've done them, there is nothing more to see. At any of the Disney parks, just being IN the park is special....as someone else stated, it has the "Magic". Disney is cleaner, too. To most people, that isn't important... but it is the main reason I will NEVER stay off Disney property again. I love Disney (and everything about it). Will I go back to US/IOA?...Probably... but just for a day. Will I go back to Disney? Most Definitely for many days.....over and over and over, again. I'd live in the Castle if they would let me!!!!

I'm sure Disney could make an unforgetable ride using similar technology to the Spiderman ride. But what could it be????? Anyone have any ideas?

 

[AEfx]

I'm sure Disney could make an unforgetable ride using similar technology to the Spiderman ride. But what could it be????? Anyone have any ideas?

I suggested Alladin above. I think of all the modern-day Disney films that one deserves a ride the most - along with The Little Mermaid.

The motion simulation used for the skyscraper scene in Spidey would be great on a flying carpet. I just think Alladin deserves more than that carny-clone it has now.

AEfx

 

[MagicalMonorail]

I suggested Alladin above. I think of all the modern-day Disney films that one deserves a ride the most - along with The Little Mermaid.

The motion simulation used for the skyscraper scene in Spidey would be great on a flying carpet. I just think Alladin deserves more than that carny-clone it has now.

AEfx

I completely agree. If Disney takes advantage of the technology and the characters it has, it could completely knock Universal from its perch. To me, that's an advantage that Disney has over Universal. Characters. What little girl would love to sit down with and meet E.T. or Spider Man? Not many. Girls would rather meet there favorite princess. Disney has a lot of potential. That potential combined with what it already has makes it a clear point that it is the best theme park resort in the world.

 

[Merlin]

I just got back form another 3 days in orlando. I know what all of you are gonna say but, we went to Universal!!

This was my first trip to Universal in 10 years & I was really really impressed!!!
At first all we did was notice the difference between WDW hotels & UN Hotels. But after they cleaned our room for the second time it was great. We stayed at the Royal Pacific hotel which was very nice. I am, & have always been a man of details. I notice small things that many people do not. This is probably why i was so impressed with Universal Orlando. 1st detail noticed: they make everyone pay to park (even self parking at the hotel)!!! this was a bad thing but still i noticed, Then i noticed that on the boat ride to the parks they play music that is specific to the hotel you are staying at, Nice touch. The rivers that connect the hotels & the parks are landscaped & maintained much nicer than any of the WDW rivers, Ive seen all of them. Even the bridges were made out of decorative stone not the utilitarian look that WDW has. The food was as good as WDW but IMO more $$$ because the hotels do not have a quick serve area. As for the parks,
IOA is the most amazing park i have ever been to, heres why. Ioa is a new park, Only 5 years old however, the park is complete. Not like AK that opened up as halfway built & is just now adding more attractions to make it better. This park has the most amazing coaster i have ever been on (Hulk) and the most amazing Dark ride as well (spiderman) However Disney has the classics that are great too, Universal is reinventing the "classic" ride with old yet new characters such as betty boop, popeye, dudley do right etc..

I just wanted some comments about this on a Disney fan site.. I still love disney, but until now i thought WDW had no local competition. Now i can see that Universal Orlando with its limited space has done an outstanding job with what they have. I also think that WDW can stand to learn a thing from Universal Orlando such as: Better maintanance of grounds, river beds & road ways. I also think that if The SSE ride was tranformed into something similar to Spiderman it would be out of this world!!!

Chefjason1974, it's so nice to read such an open-minded post regarding the comparison between WDW and Universal (very refreshing actually). I couldn't agree with you more! I've been a huge Disney fan all my life (and still am). However, if I'm going to be honest, I have to admit that Universal's two parks in Orlando are vastly superior to Disney's parks. Disney has just been resting on their laurels for too long and there's been an increasing decline over the years. Meanwhile, Universal's parks have incredible attention to detail, outstanding attractions and excellent guest service. I'm amazed when I read comments that Universal's Cast Members are "like Six Flags employees". My experience has been that they consistently blow Disney's Cast Members away in terms of professionalism, enthusiasm and service. Where Disney will pretty much hire anyone these days, Universal seems to have the high standards that Disney used to have. It's no surprise to learn that many of the designers of Universal are former Disney Imagineers from Disney's heyday of theme park quality. Universal definitely deserves credit for the incredible parks they've built.

 

[CubbieMan]

Can anyone tell me why this thread was placed in the WDW news and rumors section? I see nothing of the sort...

Anyway that being said...I have been to universal studios twice..and IOA once...I am not a harsh critic..I went with an open mind even excited about it....but I don't see what is so great about the theming...

Before i went to IOA..I heard it was perhaps the best theming of any park to date...I beg to differ..I was rather disappointed..and I was really excited before i went..I just did not feel completely immersed in the theme...Disney does so much more..you feel completely immersed in the attraction once you step in most queues.

 

[Merlin]

Can anyone tell me why this thread was placed in the WDW news and rumors section? I see nothing of the sort...

Anyway that being said...I have been to universal studios twice..and IOA once...I am not a harsh critic..I went with an open mind even excited about it....but I don't see what is so great about the theming...

Before i went to IOA..I heard it was perhaps the best theming of any park to date...I beg to differ..I was rather disappointed..and I was really excited before i went..I just did not feel completely immersed in the theme...Disney does so much more..you feel completely immersed in the attraction once you step in most queues.

I think it varies from one attraction to the next. There are some attractions at Disney parks where I feel "completely immersed in the theme", but there are others in which I don't at all (Soarin' is one such example...Fun ride, but horrible themeing, particularly in the queue). That is less so at Universal's parks. Nearly all of their attractions are very elaborately themed. And when you look at each park as a whole, you're definitely more immersed at Universal. In fact, many fans often describe the appeal of Disney as feeling as though you're "in another world". I think Disney certainly still has that to some degree, but not nearly as much as Universal. IOA is an absolutely beautiful park and USO has unbelievable attention to detail. There are sections in the New York and San Francisco areas, for example, where they just have little alleys and nooks that are just as elaborately themed as the more obvious sections. If Michael Eisner were in charge of Universal, he'd probably be fuming at the fact that they don't use these spaces to put up souvenir carts. Universal, on the other hand, seems to understand that people get tired of seeing cash registers everywhere they look, and that this can ruin the park's image in the long run (Gee, Walt kinda understood that too, didn't he?). Disney, on the other hand, seems to be after the quick buck at every turn. This move has made their parks less of an escape than they used to be.

 

[KevinPage]

I still don't understand why people LOVE "The Hulk" so much. The ride, aside from the launch is almost a carbon copy of any other B&M coaster you can find at any Six Flags park around.

Dueling Dragons, also a B&M coaster, has a far superior queue, theming, and original elements to the ride and is faaaaaaar better IMHO.

I thoroughly enjoyed IOA the 1st time I visited in 1999 (there was no crowds at all) but the park has alot of problems. It is not worthy of repeated visits, unlike any Disney park in Orlando. They don't have room to expand for future attractions. You are unable to walk across the water to the back of the park, the walkways are VERY narrow and with any sort of crowds is insane.

Dudley Do Right and Jurassic Park are surpremenly underwhelming. I enjoyed Spiderman, but I'm bored with it. It doesn't hold anything special for me, unlike a Disney ride with its characters and music.

My AP just expired before I could get to ride RoTM. but to be honest, the source material was so bad, I wasn't "excited" to get to it.

I always detest the parking situation at Universal. It's like parking in Miami and walking to Orlando to get into the park, takes an eternity even with the moving walkways :lol: