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My thoughts on Universal Orlando....
- Thread starter JesusJuice
- Start date
matt88mph
New Member
Well, this looks like a job for...(insert heroic theme here)...
matt88mph's (Not-So) Brief Comparison of USF to WDW!!!
While USF has tried to outdo WDW in its cutting-edge attraction techniques, (for example, MIB to outdo Buzz Lightyear, JAWS to outdo Jungle Cruise, etc.) WDW has kept close to their theme of family and childlike wonder. USF has unofficialy labeled itself: "The Anti-Disney," in a way to show two sides of Orlando. USF has tried to stay one step ahead of WDW.
WDW has always been first in customer service, far ahead of USF. For example, I went to USF in February half an hour after the park opened. I was going to get the Express Pass Plus, but they were sold out already for the day. Whereas with FASTPASS, there is no "pay more money and get better service" plan. It runs till the FP's run out and its free any way you look at it.
Don't get me wrong, I love USF. I love MIB, Spider-Man, Posideon, and of course, BTTF. But I think WDW offers so much more on so many different levels.
In conclusion, if given a choice between a vacation between USF and WDW, after much consideration, I would have to pick WDW because of its caring attitude, whereas USF is so ahead of the times that it's tripping over itself.
My Advice: Give USF a few more years to find itself. If it's still the same way it is now, then it has already lost the race.
matt88mph's (Not-So) Brief Comparison of USF to WDW!!!
While USF has tried to outdo WDW in its cutting-edge attraction techniques, (for example, MIB to outdo Buzz Lightyear, JAWS to outdo Jungle Cruise, etc.) WDW has kept close to their theme of family and childlike wonder. USF has unofficialy labeled itself: "The Anti-Disney," in a way to show two sides of Orlando. USF has tried to stay one step ahead of WDW.
WDW has always been first in customer service, far ahead of USF. For example, I went to USF in February half an hour after the park opened. I was going to get the Express Pass Plus, but they were sold out already for the day. Whereas with FASTPASS, there is no "pay more money and get better service" plan. It runs till the FP's run out and its free any way you look at it.
Don't get me wrong, I love USF. I love MIB, Spider-Man, Posideon, and of course, BTTF. But I think WDW offers so much more on so many different levels.
In conclusion, if given a choice between a vacation between USF and WDW, after much consideration, I would have to pick WDW because of its caring attitude, whereas USF is so ahead of the times that it's tripping over itself.
My Advice: Give USF a few more years to find itself. If it's still the same way it is now, then it has already lost the race.
NemoRocks78
Seized
You still could have gotten an Express Pass....the exact same thing as a FP.
I have always found the Express service to be better than the FastPass service. I have never waited more than 10-15 minutes in an Express line while at WDW I have sometimes waited a 1/2 hour in the FP line. Another good thing about the Express Pass system is that they give out a smaller number of passes per day. Al Lutz wrote a good article on this situtation a while back, here is a link to it.
By no means is Universal Orlando a bad place. I love it almost as much as I love WDW and I visit at least once a month. The attractions are top notch, and the employees are great, who I believe are better than your normal WDW cast members. I don't understand why a lot of people bash it....in fact, a lot of the bad stories I read about UO seem to be made up to make it look bad.
I agree with everyone about the music though....I'm sick and tired of hearing Ricky Martin's "She Bangs" all the time in New York.
It's just like they say at the Horror Make-Up Show....."this isn't Disney. We don't have to be nice to you." :lol:
dxwwf3
Well-Known Member
NemoRocks78 said:
Yeah if there are still tickets available. This is why Fastpass is a much better system than Express. You are much more likely to get a FP ticket than you are an Express ticket. Revenge of the Mummy and Spider Man are the two most popular attractions on Universal property and you can forget about getting passes for those two, unless you get them at about 10 am.
Sure FP runs out, but not 1/2 as quick as Express does. Express is mainly for on-site hotel guests. They even got rid of regular passes for Shrek 4D (WONDERFUL Idea) and now only the resort guests or those paying for booklets can use the Express lane there.
Sure you might wait a little bit less at Universal, but overall I like the FastPass system better personally.
NemoRocks78
Seized
dxwwf3 said:
Actually, only hotel guests can use it now. All Express Plus tickets now say "VOID AT SHREK 4D."
dxwwf3
Well-Known Member
NemoRocks78 said:Actually, only hotel guests can use it now. All Express Plus tickets now say "VOID AT SHREK 4D."
Even better. Of course I would never actually pay for those things, so I didn't know if they voided 4D or not. I'm tired of waiting an hour and a half to see this show. Now hopefully I'll only have to wait one hour :lol: .
NemoRocks78
Seized
I paid $37 for one on a trip in July....used it only five times (Earthquake, Jaws, MIB: Alien Attack, Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast, and Back to the Future) because a storm came in later in the day and I had to leave. 
dxwwf3
Well-Known Member
NemoRocks78 said:I paid $37 for one on a trip in July....used it only five times (Earthquake, Jaws, MIB: Alien Attack, Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast, and Back to the Future) because a storm came in later in the day and I had to leave.
Those things are $37!!! I thought they were like $15 or $20 and that is still too much for me :lol:
NemoRocks78
Seized
dxwwf3 said:
Prices vary during season. In January they only wanted $15 for it.
NemoRocks78
Seized
speck76 said:
That's true....I have edited my post. :wave:
Another thing that I forgot to mention was the problelm with shirtless men at IoA. I understand that there are two water rides, but that doesn't give you the excuse to expose your man to everyone. I can tolerate looking at this at a beach/water park, but this is a theme park!!! I can't tell you how many old shirtless men I saw there! :hurl: Disney wouldn't allow it, but this is universal we are talking about....
DisneyFan 2000
Well-Known Member
That's just being picky.... Yes, Universal is different but you shouldn't have expected anything else....