Re: The "If I have to hug one more princess" Universal ads

[DLP Fan]

I always love this! http://www.universalorlando.com/disney_comparision.html
Does anyone know where I can find these adverts for Universal you are all talking about online? I live in the UK and have never seen them.

 

[Thessair]

I always love this! http://www.universalorlando.com/disney_comparision.html
Does anyone know where I can find these adverts for Universal you are all talking about online? I live in the UK and have never seen them.

I haven’t been to Universal since 2003, so correct me if I’m wrong, but as I recall the ‘Universal Express’ thing is similar to the Fast Pass system – except you pay for it. So when they say in the comparison ‘Disney's Hotel Guests — No’, it wouldn’t be entirely accurate since everyone gets free Fast Pass. Of course, they may just be saying that Disney Resort guests don’t get the ‘Universal Express’ free, which I’m completely fine with. All things considered, it just seems a little silly to me. Universal Orlando may not be trying to appeal to children, but they do seem to want to attract the childish. (But since I’m critizing, who am I to talk! )

 

[coasterphil]

No, Universal hotel guests get front of the line access all day as many times as they want. Disney resort guests don't get front of the line access, just extra magic hours. Universal's system definitely in unmatched in the theme park world.

 

[Thessair]

Thanks for the correction. I suppose if Universal is your cup of tea that works out nicely.

 

[Timmay]

What I find interesting is that most of the people who "hate" the Universal ads are people that probably would never go there in the first place (You get this feeling from some that going to any other park is "cheating" on Disney...okay, what ever then). As I have said before...those ads are not for you folks at all.

Another funny thing is post after post of people saying that "Disney has way too much class to have an ad like that". Well, Disney doesn't have to have ads like that...they are on top, so no need. It has nothing to do with "class" at all. Let's just say Universal was on top (I know, not going to happen, but just pretend for the sake of it, okay) Disney might do whatever was needed to get on top...even if it meant taking jabs at the guy that was number 1. Now some you loyalists will dismiss this without giving it one minute of thought, and that is fine, but niether of us have a way of knowing for sure. I could very well be wrong.

One last thing, as someone else mentioned already, for something you really have no interest in, a lot of you are sure doing a lot of talking about it. You love Disney, but hate Universal...which again is fine. Just remember, the opposite of love is not hate, it is indifference. Seems pretty clear to me many here really are worried about Universal, or care more than they wish to admit.

 

[Shaman]

What I find interesting is that most of the people who "hate" the Universal ads are people that probably would never go there in the first place (You get this feeling from some that going to any other park is "cheating" on Disney...okay, what ever then). As I have said before...those ads are not for you folks at all.

Another funny thing is post after post of people saying that "Disney has way too much class to have an ad like that". Well, Disney doesn't have to have ads like that...they are on top, so no need. It has nothing to do with "class" at all. Let's just say Universal was on top (I know, not going to happen, but just pretend for the sake of it, okay) Disney might do whatever was needed to get on top...even if it meant taking jabs at the guy that was number 1. Now some you you loyalists will dismiss this without giving it one minute of thought, and that is fine, but niether of us have a way of knowing for sure. I could very well be wrong.

One last thing, as someone else mentioned already, for something you really have no interest in, a lot of you are sure are doing a lot of talking about it. You love Disney, but hate Universal...which again is fine. Just remember, the opposite of love is not hate, it is indifference. Seems pretty clear to me many here really are worried about Universal, or care more than than they wish to admit.

Well said. I agree. :sohappy: :wave:

 

[Thessair]

I admit I don’t care what Universal does; I enjoy the debate. Personally, I don’t think it’s worry about Universal that is getting people all riled up. It’s a matter of defending something folks care about. If somebody insulted your sister, you wouldn’t be worried about them, you’d be ticked. So it’s jump to the defense time. I’m not trying to slight anyone, don’t get me wrong. There are Universal fans, there are Disney fans, and there are fans of both. (For the record, count me squarely in the Disney column.) It just seems to me that Group A is a little tweaked at the perceived attack on Disney and Group B gets their backs up when people lash back out at Universal. In the end, nobody really sees eye to eye. It can be fairly amusing sometimes.

 

[Timmay]

Well, I agree with that. I am a Disney fan for a couple of reasons...we have always received great customer service when there and it is just a downright cool place to be.

But...I like Universal too. The two can and do co-exhist in my vacation world becuase I can see the difference between the two and enjoy those differences.

 

[dizneycrazy09]

Like I said before, without Disney, there would be no Universal. If Universal was not as close as it is to Disney, I bet there attendance would be nowhere near what it is now. They attract guests from Disney who take a skip over to Universal or IOA for a day while visiting Disney. IMO, Universal needs to be thanking Disney World, not slamming it.

 

[WDWCP]

These threads always make me laugh. I don't understand how people can't see how great Universal is because they are so blinded by love of Disney.



The truth is, there are many parents that have families that don't want the sappy magical vacation and would rather just have some great, thrilling rides in an equally wonderful environment. Not everyone wants to feel like a 5 year old again, so some people just aren't going to like Disney as much.

Somewhat along these same lines...

I think it's hard to say that one is better than the other. We're all here on a Disney message board because of our shared love for all things Disney. That right there makes us extremely biased.

Disney and Universal try to go after slightly different markets anyway. Sure there is some overlap, but Universal hasn't really TRIED to make their rides with all the same level of story or theming that Disney has prided itself on. At the same time, Disney hasn't tried to make many EXTREME rides that flip you over and over with the exception of RnR and possibly MS.

See how that's really two different markets? It's incredibly tough to make a cutting edge coaster and have it properly storied and themed to Disney standards because by the nature of it being an totally extreme coaster, riders won't be able to focus on things other than the G-forces that they experience...

We all have our opinions on which is better and for what reasons, but try to keep an open mind that they aren't always competing for the exact same type of users in the first place.

I still see no need for taking shots at your competitors in your ads. I would be greatly dissapointed to see Disney do that back at them.

 

[alice]

That is the same mud-slinging tactics that politicians use when they know that they are behind in a race. Did you see how low Universal's attendance was in 2005? The 50th celebration really hurt them. They know they are slipping, and they are sinking to this disgusting level to try to get their numbers up. Instead of marketing what they have, they knock those that are a threat to them. Personally, this kind of advertising does not work on me. I have never been to or plan to step foot at Universal, because faerie tales and pixie dust ARE MY THING!!! :sohappy:

 

[Thessair]

...because faerie tales and pixie dust ARE MY THING!!! :sohappy:

I agree. Pixie dust does, in fact, rock hardcore.

 

[pintraderpayee]

Drifting into an argument as usual...... No, I do not think that WDW will fire back with similar ammo. Can we stick to the question posed by the OP?:lol:

3 days until we are ºoºrlando bound with 27 teens on a school bus for 930 miles of smiles:hammer: :sohappy:

 

[ruca]

Cue the Price is Right "loser horns."
Bomp bomp bomp bomp bwwaaaahhhh.
:drevil:

For the record, I have no beef with Universal itself, or that people want to go there. My beef is with low-blow adverts like this.

I totally agree. I went there once, it was fun. Not Disney by any means. But there is no reason to rip on Disney. This is the theme park business. It is supposed to be happy, not mean.

 

[wdwishes2005]

No, Universal hotel guests get front of the line access all day as many times as they want. Disney resort guests don't get front of the line access, just extra magic hours. Universal's system definitely in unmatched in the theme park world.

I'd take a fast pass over those profit monger's meager attempt at a shot at Disney any day of the week, and in response to your earlier reply, Disney always has been making thrill rides. The matterhorn was the first steel coaster with tubular tracks. SM was a thrill ride back in the day, and EE is thrilling now.

 

[goofyfan13]

I'd take a fast pass over those profit monger's meager attempt at a shot at Disney any day of the week, and in response to your earlier reply, Disney always has been making thrill rides. The matterhorn was the first steel coaster with tubular tracks. SM was a thrill ride back in the day, and EE is thrilling now.

Yea, with that, Universal can only do it because they really don't have that many resorts. If their resort as a whole was as big as Disney, and they still did that, I'd be willing to bet that in peak season, the Express Pass line would be just as long as the standby. While I like the idea of hotel guests going to the front of the line, I prefer the extra 3 hours at night, but that's just me.

 

[coasterphil]

I'd take a fast pass over those profit monger's meager attempt at a shot at Disney any day of the week, and in response to your earlier reply, Disney always has been making thrill rides. The matterhorn was the first steel coaster with tubular tracks. SM was a thrill ride back in the day, and EE is thrilling now.

I'd much rather get front of line access for the length of my stay at the Royal Pacific than pay the same amount just to be on the monorail at Disney. There is no doubt Universal gives you more for your money in that respect.

Also, to try and say that Disney has always been about thrills is ridiculous. I can almost guarentee that Universal has an effect on decision made at WDW, and vice versa. RnRC, TT, MS and EE were all responses to Disney's fear of losing families with teens. Their has been a noticable shift to the thrill department in the most recent time.

 

[wdwishes2005]

Disney has always had thrills. Bottom line is they were making thrilling ( for the time ) rides before Universal Orlando came out of the mind that spawned it.

 

[NemoRocks78]

I don't hate Universal, it does have some really good coasters and old favorites - BUT I hate that gag if I gotta hug a princess commercial.

We normally go to WDW for 5 days in December. We take turns going to US, IOA or Sea World every other year. We normally go to one of these parks and then head back to our resort so we can go to MVMCP. I enjoy visiting Universal, plus it makes me love Disney even more.

Wear Disney merchandise to Universal and see their reaction to that. About 4 years ago, my daughter was wearing a sweatshirt with Mickey on it. When we went thru the turnstiles - two men stepped in front of her and said "sorry we can't let you in here with that rat on your shirt". I said the "rat" is what made your parks possible. They had no reply. A couple more times that day negative remarks were made about her sweatshirt. It was annoying because it upset her.

When I wore a Scooby-Doo sweatshirt to MK no one said a word.......

The EXACT SAME THING happens at WDW....whenever I wear an ROTM shirt/hat or a Universal fleece, I get comments from everyone. Scooby-Doo really has nothing to do with Universal except for the characters being there so of course no one is going to say anything.

 

[Thessair]

The EXACT SAME THING happens at WDW....whenever I wear an ROTM shirt/hat or a Universal fleece, I get comments from everyone. Scooby-Doo really has nothing to do with Universal except for the characters being there so of course no one is going to say anything.

I can't say I've personally seen that happen. One of the friends I go to WDW with is a big Universal fan and he wears their merchandise all the time and no one has ever made a comment to him. That's not to say it doesn't happen, and I'm not doubting you, but in the 6 times we've gone not one word has been said. I have seen the reverse, however, but that was a few years ago.