Ouch! New Universal Commerical Takes shot at Disney

[HauntedPirate]

The fact that I can walk down the street at a Disney park and literally not run into a beer cart? That happened to me at Universal once.... Yes, I know there are beer vendors at some Disney parks but this one at Universal was literally in the middle of a walkway.

I simply believe that the attractions at Universal are dated, short, and relatively uninteresting to me (I haven't been on ROTM, though). ET - bland. Twister - totally uninspired. Shrek - never liked the movies. I liked Dueling Dragons at IOA, and couldn't get on The Hulk, but nothing else there appealed to me.

 

[wdwjmp239]

...So, the commerical ends with (in what seems to be a later added side note- and I'm paraphrasing) "Fairy tales and pixie dust not your thing, visit Universal online at universalorlando.com" Now this just isn't necessary. I t was a great commercial up until that moment....

I've heard that commercial several times and it's not all that "new" to be honest with you. I will tell you though that between Universal Studios and Disneyworld... Disney is definitely the busier park. The Universal Studios marketing crew isn't really doing a good job with getting people to go to Uni. Studios.

 

[bigcarolina77]

the old universal park sucks...i mean back to the future...come on

never been to IOA but it looks like six flags

 

[KumbaRider]

the old universal park sucks...i mean back to the future...come on

never been to IOA but it looks like six flags

When was your last visit?

Back to the Future may be old but it's still a great ride with a fun storyline. Revenge of the Mummy is an amazing attraction and Men In Black is waaay better than Buzz Lightyear. These two alone make a visit to Universal worthwhile.

Islands of Adventure is NOT like Six Flags. It has wonderful attractions and immersive themed lands. Spiderman is one of the greatest rides of ANY theme park.

Although the attention to detail is not quite at a Disney level and the employees are not always as good as Cast Members, Universal Orlando is a great place to visit. It has excellent attractions in an exciting atmosphere and is by NO means similar to the Six Flags parks.

 

[freediverdude]

Well I just think that rather than feature bratty girls tired of the princesses and "pixie dust not your thing?", Universal should be advertising their strengths, and getting people interested in going there. They've got plenty of nice stuff that appeals- they just need to get the word out there. They should be playing up things, such as, want some coaster rides? We've got Hulk and Dueling Dragons (showing pictures of coasters). Picture some people eating real green eggs and ham with a Dr. Seuss character. Scared of the water? (showing people almost getting eaten by Jaws) Stuff like that would make people want to come and see and do. I think positive and informative commercials work a lot better than negative or "we're not them" commercials.

 

[bigcarolina77]

I was at Universal last June...it stinks...believe me. Most of the rides are from movies that wer out 15-25 years ago. As for saying that something is better than Buzz Lightyear...well, that's not really an accomplishment. Buzz is one cheap looking attraction too. That's in my opinion Disney's main problem lately...building a number of cheap attractions to compete with Universal. Aside from Everest and Soarin' not much that "magical" has been done. I'm glad to see that may finally be changing.

I still think Universal is in the same league as Six Flags, Carowinds, etc. They are the Chevys and Fords of the theme park work and Disney is the BMW or Mercedes.

 

[Merlin]

As far as "six flags" - have you seen DCA ?

Excellent example!!! There's really no way to argue with a straight face that DCA is any less of a "Six Flags-like" park than IOA. Quite the opposite actually. IOA has substantially better themeing, immersiveness and originality. Dueling Dragons and Incredible Hulk are two (or THREE actually) of the best coasters on the planet. What does DCA have...Screamin'? You gotta be kidding. No contest!

 

[pat_naughty05]

I was at Universal last June...it stinks...believe me. Most of the rides are from movies that wer out 15-25 years ago. As for saying that something is better than Buzz Lightyear...well, that's not really an accomplishment. Buzz is one cheap looking attraction too. That's in my opinion Disney's main problem lately...building a number of cheap attractions to compete with Universal. Aside from Everest and Soarin' not much that "magical" has been done. I'm glad to see that may finally be changing.

I still think Universal is in the same league as Six Flags, Carowinds, etc. They are the Chevys and Fords of the theme park work and Disney is the BMW or Mercedes.

There are several attractions at Disney based on movies even older then those at Universal:

Peter Pan (1953)
Snow White (1937)
Twilight Zone (oldest date I can find is 1959)
Star Wars (original in 1977)
Swiss Family Robinson (several, with the oldest dating back to 1903)
Song of the South (1946)
Winnie the Pooh (dating back to 1966, at least what I can find)
Dumbo (1941)
The Muppet Show (dating back to the 1970's)
Indiana Jones (first one in 1981)

Even Aladdin(1992), Toy Story(1995) and The Lion King(1994) are more than ten years old. Just because a movie is older doesn't mean an attraction based on it won't be worth seeing. Both Universal and Disney have proven that.

By the way, I was at Universal last October and it was awesome, as always.

 

[thejohn]

if you want to talk about bashing...

last summer Six Flags Worlds of Adventure tried to play hard ball with Cedar POint...

in the commerical they interviewed (it was so fake) a woman saying "we drove PAST Cedar POint just to get here" the backlash was amazing...that month the attendance dropped so fast that Six Flags publicly appolozed....it was great...

Cedar Point!!!

yeahgo ceder point

 

[thejohn]

I can see how the commercial might appear like a low blow but I consider it just an honest statement. It says nothing negative about Disney but rather says that their parks are more teen oriented. Pixie Dust IS my thing so I will continue going to Disney. By the way.... If you want to see what a REAL Disney basher is, watch Shrek. It has more jokes about Disney than any film in history. Great movie though.

maybe i see your point but its still wrong

 

[ILLmaticS0ldier]

The fact that I can walk down the street at a Disney park and literally not run into a beer cart? That happened to me at Universal once.... Yes, I know there are beer vendors at some Disney parks but this one at Universal was literally in the middle of a walkway.

I simply believe that the attractions at Universal are dated, short, and relatively uninteresting to me (I haven't been on ROTM, though). ET - bland. Twister - totally uninspired. Shrek - never liked the movies. I liked Dueling Dragons at IOA, and couldn't get on The Hulk, but nothing else there appealed to me.

Um spiderman?

 

[ILLmaticS0ldier]

the old universal park sucks...i mean back to the future...come on

never been to IOA but it looks like six flags

Get out of here man IOA is not six flags i think its much beter than USF and its beautifuly themed u will enjoy this park more than you will animal kingdom and i love disney.I've also been to six falgs great adventure and to me its was fun but it was jsu thsi big carnival to me .

 

[Feta]

Get out of here man IOA is not six flags i think its much beter than USF and its beautifuly themed u will enjoy this park more than you will animal kingdom and i love disney.I've also been to six falgs great adventure and to me its was fun but it was jsu thsi big carnival to me .

Come on how!!!

"Beautifully themed" is quite a stretch for IOA in my opinion. Most people agree that Universal might have a slight edge on thrill rides (even that's debatable in these days of EE, MS, Soarin'). However, we all know Universal doesn't come close to Disney when it comes to theming.

 

[Merlin]

However, we all know Universal doesn't come close to Disney when it comes to theming.

Gonna have to disagree with you wholeheartedly on that one. USF is much better themed than MGM, no question about it. When I was there a few weeks ago, I was pointing out to my brother (who had never been there before) all the little nooks and crannies in the New York area. My brother laughed and said, "If this were Disney, they'd say this was wasted spaced because there aren't any gift shops here". He totally had a point.

IOA is also beautifully themed. The Jurassic Park area is incredibly lush, and I love the Port of Entry. It is very well done and kind of reminds me of what Disney had in mind with Discovery Bay.

 

[lamarvenoy]

IoA is a nice place and has a few great rides and some ahh nice ones too. What sets Disney apart from ANY theme park to me is 2 words atmosphere and style. I have fun at Universal but honestly I'm still thinking in the back of my head- I'm waisting my "Disney time". While I may have fun at Universal I actually get what I can only describe as an emotional feeling of bliss while at Disney. I can have a great time just staring at the flowers or walking on the paths. Disney jumps lightyears ahead of anyone else when it comes to such things as background music, smells, forced perspective, landscape, and most importantly suspended disbelief. I am a kid again, whether strolling around the MK or shopping in a store at the Contemporary or riding SE,I FORGET MY AGE and my personal sense of reality. At Universal I ride rides,eat junkfood, have fun.At Disney I have a mental and emotional experience that is blissful and unexplainable. That's why I'm here-why most of us I think are. Disney for me is more than a place on a map its a place in my heart and in my head.

 

[Merlin]

Disney for me is more than a place on a map its a place in my heart and in my head.

I think that's great, and I can relate as I'm that way with a lot of places myself (the Cayman Islands for example). But now you've got to admit...Don't you think that mindset kind of skews your opinion slightly and causes you to not allow yourself to enjoy all that Universal has to offer?

 

[NemoRocks78]

I think the Universal commercials are funny. I think It's funny how badly they hate disney, for example, I went to Universal wearing a disney shirt and hat... :brick: let just say ... it's NOT the best thing to wear in Universal. SO MUCH HATRED.

And it's exactly the same at WDW....I receive many, many comments whenever I wear Universal fleece or ROTM shirt/hat.

The fact that I can walk down the street at a Disney park and literally not run into a beer cart? That happened to me at Universal once.... Yes, I know there are beer vendors at some Disney parks but this one at Universal was literally in the middle of a walkway.

I find it hard to believe that a beer cart would be in the dead center of a street --- where did this happen?

 

[clarksfan95]

I agree with Merlin totally on his last comment....for those people who love Disney with everything they are and then visit someplace like Universal (or where ever)...that person already, from the moment they walk through those gates is comparing and not giving anything a fair chance. A persons love of Disney can bias them against almost every other place like it, especially when it's competition that sits right up the highway. I would almost guarentee that if you had never visited Disney and went to Universal first...you would hold that same bias against Disney.

It's just human nature tho. I've only ever gone to Disney - I have no inclination to go to Universal. It looks fun and I'm sure I'd like...I love roller coasters and whatnots - but I guess that's why there's Cedar Point in Ohio.

 

[jaredliu]

the old universal park sucks...i mean back to the future...come on

never been to IOA but it looks like six flags

stupidest comment I've ever read.

 

[ILLmaticS0ldier]

IoA is a nice place and has a few great rides and some ahh nice ones too. What sets Disney apart from ANY theme park to me is 2 words atmosphere and style. I have fun at Universal but honestly I'm still thinking in the back of my head- I'm waisting my "Disney time". While I may have fun at Universal I actually get what I can only describe as an emotional feeling of bliss while at Disney. I can have a great time just staring at the flowers or walking on the paths. Disney jumps lightyears ahead of anyone else when it comes to such things as background music, smells, forced perspective, landscape, and most importantly suspended disbelief. I am a kid again, whether strolling around the MK or shopping in a store at the Contemporary or riding SE,I FORGET MY AGE and my personal sense of reality. At Universal I ride rides,eat junkfood, have fun.At Disney I have a mental and emotional experience that is blissful and unexplainable. That's why I'm here-why most of us I think are. Disney for me is more than a place on a map its a place in my heart and in my head.

Man i coudn't agree with you more theres nothing like walking up mainstreet usa seeing the castle or sitting in tomorowland and have a talking garbage can make fun of your sister.Or be in complete silence when the fireworks go off and your staring at the dark sky.Disney is disney man.Nothing like it in the world.IOA love it greatly themed and i bet if it was a disney park it would be having attedance of 8 million or more every a year.I llove both resorts but u don get goosebumps when u enter universal.But some people don even like that its all about your own prefrences.