Land running out for ioa

[mkt]

Originally posted by EPCOTMonorail



Are you referring to Dragons as the big steel beam?

.... yes!!!


if they went through the trouble of building a castle around the ride, they could've covered the damned rails in the castle as well. The second the remove the word "theme" from their title, the second my objections drop

it's still a fun park tho... damned fine Themed Amusement Park

 

[MrPromey]

Originally posted by Luau Cove


I mean, if it wasn't for Disney, this would be THE park.

-->LUAU

Actually, if it wasn't for disney this park wouldn't exist

 

[woofboy111]

Originally posted by mktiggerman


.... yes!!!


if they went through the trouble of building a castle around the ride, they could've covered the damned rails in the castle as well. The second the remove the word "theme" from their title, the second my objections drop

it's still a fun park tho... damned fine Themed Amusement Park

I don't know why everyones saying that Islands of Adventure isn't a theme park. It IS a theme park, but the themeing isn't perfect. If it was an amusement park instead of a theme park, you wouldn't be walking to different "islands," and they would have rides like Busch Gardens has.

I also think their theming is quite good for someone trying to compete with disney. With the exception of Marvel Superhero Island (even though it has some of the best rides, you can see out of the park from ground level of this land) everything is greatly themed where you feel like you are in a different place.

Just because Dueling Dragons isn't indoors, thats no reason not to call it a theme park. Being able to see the coaster track probably attracts more people then walking by a medival castle would. It could even be mistaken for a show like Posidons fury...

 

[Quentin Disney]

Big nitpick alert!

I don't really have any problems as a whole with Islands of Adventure, but why must they call their lands "Islands"? They're all connected to land!

 

[woofboy111]

Originally posted by Quentin Disney
Big nitpick alert!

I don't really have any problems as a whole with Islands of Adventure, but why must they call their lands "Islands"? They're all connected to land!

True, they are all connected by land, but you cross over canals to get to each island with the exception of Marvel Superhero Island. (Don't know what they were thinking with this one)

 

[MrPromey]

Originally posted by woofboy111


True, they are all connected by land, but you cross over canals to get to each island with the exception of Marvel Superhero Island. (Don't know what they were thinking with this one)

Actually, you pass over a bridge when you go under the Hulk on your way into that area, don't you?

 

[woofboy111]

Originally posted by MrPromey


Actually, you pass over a bridge when you go under the Hulk on your way into that area, don't you?

On that side, but not going into toon lagoon.

 

[CUMBY]

Thanks for the replies but we are meant to be disgussing Land running out not slaggig it of.(ioa is one of the best parks in the world,ask nearly anyone)

 

[disneyquestfan]

Show me the speed

I want to add the comment that I think a rollercoaster should be seen by the general audience. IMO there is nothing cooler than going into BGT and seeing the Kumba and Montu going right over your head at close range. Similarly I love being able to see the near miss loop of DD just beyound the two dragon icons at the entrance.

 

[The Mom]

I'm just happy Orlando has more than one fun place to visit! Sometimes I feel like a Disney day, sometimes, I want US/IOA. I'm just happy I can split my time between both of them!!

And Cumby, thread drift is the norm, rather than exception, around here!

 

[Luau Cove]

It's true. My vacations I must include rides like BTTF, Spider-Man and T2. It's a really good add to a Disney Vacation. You get to see some things you don't see at Disney, and then you go back to the mouse's place.
I think Universal Studios is really great. I'm a globe-trotter and visited parks from Uruguay to South Africa and I can tell you that IoA and US are two marvels. I repeat, this places are eclypsed by Disney, because if not, these places would be on top.
-->LUAU

 

[ksdave]

OK, here's my opinion (although I'm a newbie to this board, I've been on another one for quite a while and I also have a little experience with WDW).
My DD is now 12 and my DS is 10. They have been to both WDW and USF/IOA quite a few times. When they were younger, WDW was virtually everything to them and USF was just a one-day deal to see a few rides and attractions. BUT now, they are definitely more interested in going to USF/IOA then WDW, especially my DS. It used to be that MK took us two full days because we had to do every attraction they had. The last family trip we did in May 2001, they were only interested in the mountains, HM, Pirates and a few others. Things like Dumbo, Pooh, etc., just don't excite them anymore (too much Nintendo, I guess), and neither do the characters.
Also, it is my opinion that USF/IOA is doing quite a few things (dare I say it) BETTER than Disney. Their parking situation is 1000 times better (no more trams, no more endless black sea of asphalt), MIB outshines Buzz by alot, their coasters pack alot more excitement into a ride, and the hotels they have are just amazing. Plus, if you stay with them, you get front-of-the-line treatment at all the big attractions versus losing EE mornings at WDW.
So, before you slam USF/IOA, remember us folks with pre-teens and teens. We need a park that keeps our kids entertained too.

 

[NowInc]

Oh..there is NO question abuot it...Teens prefer US/IOA 9 times out of 10....but that alone isnt enough to be a winning park...they are STARTING to get the idea (Seus island)...maybe a few more "additions" will push them over the edge that they need...

 

[Wackywitch]

I went to US/IOA on my last trip in Feb 01 and LOVED it! I just wish their hotels weren't so expensive. I get geeked when I hear Mods at Disney for $99.00 a night, but $150.00 for HRH plus the cost of tickets is a little too much for my budget. (Forget Portifino, never be able to afford that!)

I stayed at the round Sheraton (?) when I was there. (Can't remember the nam but it was a round hotel) but I would have preferred to stay on-site. I think when they get a little more reasonable on-site hotels, THEN you'll see much more competition with Disney.

Maybe that's what they need more room for? (See, I can stay in thread!)

 

[The Mom]

Originally posted by Wackywitch
I went to US/IOA on my last trip in Feb 01 and LOVED it! I just wish their hotels weren't so expensive. I get geeked when I hear Mods at Disney for $99.00 a night, but $150.00 for HRH plus the cost of tickets is a little too much for my budget. (Forget Portifino, never be able to afford that!)

I stayed at the round Sheraton (?) when I was there. (Can't remember the nam but it was a round hotel) but I would have preferred to stay on-site. I think when they get a little more reasonable on-site hotels, THEN you'll see much more competition with Disney.

Maybe that's what they need more room for? (See, I can stay in thread!)

$150 a night may seem like a lot for Portofino (we got it for $99 in November when the parks were really hurting) but you get a lot for your buck!! You can either walk or take a boat to the parks, then you have front of the line privileges when you get there! Plus, the rooms are as nice as any deluxe at WDW, and nicer than some! The first time we went, when it first opened, the service and facilities were sub-par, and I mentioned some problems on the guest card you fill out and mail back. They removed the charge for the room from my MC bill!!! That's never happened for me at Disney!! Although WDW will always remain my favorite, I think a trip to US/IOA from time to time is well worth the money!

 

[MrPromey]

Originally posted by ksdave
OK, here's my opinion (although I'm a newbie to this board, I've been on another one for quite a while and I also have a little experience with WDW).
My DD is now 12 and my DS is 10. They have been to both WDW and USF/IOA quite a few times. When they were younger, WDW was virtually everything to them and USF was just a one-day deal to see a few rides and attractions. BUT now, they are definitely more interested in going to USF/IOA then WDW, especially my DS. It used to be that MK took us two full days because we had to do every attraction they had. The last family trip we did in May 2001, they were only interested in the mountains, HM, Pirates and a few others. Things like Dumbo, Pooh, etc., just don't excite them anymore (too much Nintendo, I guess), and neither do the characters.
Also, it is my opinion that USF/IOA is doing quite a few things (dare I say it) BETTER than Disney. Their parking situation is 1000 times better (no more trams, no more endless black sea of asphalt), MIB outshines Buzz by alot, their coasters pack alot more excitement into a ride, and the hotels they have are just amazing. Plus, if you stay with them, you get front-of-the-line treatment at all the big attractions versus losing EE mornings at WDW.
So, before you slam USF/IOA, remember us folks with pre-teens and teens. We need a park that keeps our kids entertained too.

Well, the coaster thing has a lot to do with what you consider a theme park and has been debated a lot. Most of us agree that the type of coasters you see at IOA are better suited for an amusement park. Comparing Buzz Lightyear to Men In Black is like comparing RnR to the tomorrowland speedway - they are appealing to two totally different demographics... As for the parking garages - Don't think universal wouldn't have such with the big parking lots if they'd had enough land to. The only reason they have garages is that they didn't have space. Personally I prefer the trams that take you right up to the entrance of a park as apposed to walking half a mile to get to the Mouth of Citywalk (most of the time, many of the conveyors and escalators are not working) and then having to walk through all of Citywalk just to get to the entrance of a park. Being mostly full of bars and night clubs, Citywalk is not exactly a family place and yet thousands of families are forced to walk through it in the evenings when the parks close. Front of the line access will only last as long as Universal's resort offerings stay small. If they ever get to an occupancy point with what they have an what they are building that meets their projected goals, front of the line will amount to a second line for resort guests that will presumably be shorter, resulting in even longer lines for the people not staying on property since there is no way of limiting the use of this system like there is with fast pass (in an extreme example, all resort guests could use their front of the line access for Spiderman all day long non-stop resulting in additional hours of wait time for no resort guests. In the mean time they continue to alienate the majority of their park visitors who aren't staying on site but are still paying full price for admission by making them wait longer. I don't think it's any mistake that Disney has not implemented this two tier social status in their parks...

 

[The Mom]

Originally posted by MrPromey

In the mean time they continue to alienate the majority of their park visitors who aren't staying on site but are still paying full price for admission by making them wait longer. I don't think it's any mistake that Disney has not implemented this two tier social status in their parks...

I guess I'm just an elitist royalist at heart! I loved scooting to the front...I felt I "paid" for it with my room rate, sort of like EE days, and resort guest only E-nights! But I agree, it won't be around much longer, especially as they build more hotels.

 

[MrPromey]

Originally posted by The Mom


I guess I'm just an elitist royalist at heart! I loved scooting to the front...I felt I "paid" for it with my room rate, sort of like EE days, and resort guest only E-nights! But I agree, it won't be around much longer, especially as they build more hotels.

There is a major difference though. EE days and E-ticket nights are features that are/were offered beyond normal park operating hours so neither directly affected other park guests. The MK closes early on the days that are E-Ticket nights but guests know the hours before they go into the park. Front of the line access doesn't seem to matter much at all in Universal at the moment because there really isn't much in the way of lines for anything at the moment but on days when the park is crowded, it creates an unregulated amount of backups for the regular lines...

Universal seems to be in a pretty hard place when it comes to promoting their resorts. There really isn't a lot else they have to offer at the moment that could be considered "special" Proximity isn't that much of an advantage when some off property hotels can actually be seen from inside IOA on rides and they have a water park that is closer to other hotels than to their own... I do sort of understand their reasoning with all of this. What I don't understand is why they are trying to build up as much as they are. They don't have the land to actually compete with Disney for a full tourist guests attention and everything that they buy they are paying a small fortune for. The Orlando area is already starting to reach saturation in regards to hotel rooms for most times of the year and at the prices for their hotels, I don't understand why many out of state visitors would choose to stay there. There isn't much more than two days worth of activities available with what Universal has to offer and getting to everything else (mostly Sea World & Disney) from there is a big hassle even with a rental car.

From where you and I are, IOA is closer than a six flags but most of what's in there seems like that kind of entertainment packaged in expensive exteriors. The studios, while quaint has mostly out dated attractions now with little indication that they plan to do anything about it... It's funny, the last time I was there I did Earthquake which I haven't done in quite a while. They go through the process of explaining how that expensive model was built and destroyed for "breath taking scenes" that that aren't at all impressive by today's standards. You then go into another area where they explain the process of doing complex scenes using technology that is far outdated and almost never used anymore... I also did the art of making movies which I hadn't done for a long time and was very disappointed to see how they all but got rid of everything after the 3-D movie part of the tour (actually, all of the live shows at US seem to be going down in quality with age, having things removed - anyone remember when the western stunt show had horses?) ...

I don't blame the company for trying to take advantage of the local industry in building a park (or even parks) in the Orlando area but all of their plans all the way up to park layouts seem short sighted. Although my statements sometimes may seem to the contrary, I have no resentment of Universal. I just go through many of the outdated attractions at the old park as well as the attractions in the new park, most (not all) of which are nothing more memorable than what many out of state visitors can find closer to home and I wonder how they think they are going to convince people to plan a weeks vacation with them. Even after the less than expected increase in business brought on by their newer park and all the troubles they are having with Citywalk they continue to build these hotels like it's the field of dreams... Disney has it's faults and they've done a lot of things in recent years that I'm less than happy about but Universal seems to think that their brand has a lot more value in that industry than it does.

 

[The Mom]

Originally posted by MrPromey


There is a major difference though. EE days and E-ticket nights are features that are/were offered beyond normal park operating hours so neither directly affected other park guests. The MK closes early on the days that are E-Ticket nights but guests know the hours before they go into the park. Front of the line access doesn't seem to matter much at all in Universal at the moment because there really isn't much in the way of lines for anything at the moment but on days when the park is crowded, it creates an unregulated amount of backups for the regular lines...

Universal seems to be in a pretty hard place when it comes to promoting their resorts. There really isn't a lot else they have to offer at the moment that could be considered "special" Proximity isn't that much of an advantage when some off property hotels can actually be seen from inside IOA on rides and they have a water park that is closer to other hotels than to their own... I do sort of understand their reasoning with all of this. What I don't understand is why they are trying to build up as much as they are. They don't have the land to actually compete with Disney for a full tourist guests attention and everything that they buy they are paying a small fortune for. The Orlando area is already starting to reach saturation in regards to hotel rooms for most times of the year and at the prices for their hotels, I don't understand why many out of state visitors would choose to stay there. There isn't much more than two days worth of activities available with what Universal has to offer and getting to everything else (mostly Sea World & Disney) from there is a big hassle even with a rental car.

From where you and I are, IOA is closer than a six flags but most of what's in there seems like that kind of entertainment packaged in expensive exteriors. The studios, while quaint has mostly out dated attractions now with little indication that they plan to do anything about it... It's funny, the last time I was there I did Earthquake which I haven't done in quite a while. They go through the process of explaining how that expensive model was built and destroyed for "breath taking scenes" that that aren't at all impressive by today's standards. You then go into another area where they explain the process of doing complex scenes using technology that is far outdated and almost never used anymore... I also did the art of making movies which I hadn't done for a long time and was very disappointed to see how they all but got rid of everything after the 3-D movie part of the tour (actually, all of the live shows at US seem to be going down in quality with age, having things removed - anyone remember when the western stunt show had horses?) ...

I don't blame the company for trying to take advantage of the local industry in building a park (or even parks) in the Orlando area but all of their plans all the way up to park layouts seem short sighted. Although my statements sometimes may seem to the contrary, I have no resentment of Universal. I just go through many of the outdated attractions at the old park as well as the attractions in the new park, most (not all) of which are nothing more memorable than what many out of state visitors can find closer to home and I wonder how they think they are going to convince people to plan a weeks vacation with them. Even after the less than expected increase in business brought on by their newer park and all the troubles they are having with Citywalk they continue to build these hotels like it's the field of dreams... Disney has it's faults and they've done a lot of things in recent years that I'm less than happy about but Universal seems to think that their brand has a lot more value in that industry than it does.

Well!!! I guess you told me!!! :kiss:

 

[MrPromey]

Originally posted by The Mom


Well!!! I guess you told me!!! :kiss:

Sorry. I wasn't trying to tell you, honest ... I know some times it seems like I'm getting confrontational, but I don't mean to come across that way at all... I guess I'm just a mean one at heart