I posted this in the Disneyland forum but thought it'd fit in while here also with many of the observations applicable to both coasts.
So, a family friend of mine is an executive at Universal Studios Hollywood. I hadn't seen him in a few years, but back in my teen years we would often talk theme parks.
During our brief interaction a few weeks ago, I basically said that it really felt like Universal Studios was in a renaissance, while Disney seems to be trying to find their footing.
He laughed, talked about how Universal basically dictated the direction of the industry with Harry Potter (which directly played into Galaxy's Edge) and now with their new park in Orlando. He then said that internally, their mantra has been "Don't do what Disney is doing" for the last few years.
I think if you had asked anyone if they though Universal had a chance at catching up to Disney 15 years ago, they would have laughed. But now? It's a different story.
Disney has made it a habit to reduce the guest experience since covid, all while raising prices.
You want to book a one day one park to Disneyland? Too bad, it's full- but they'll still let you buy a park hopper with Disneyland as the starting park. That's not hospitality.
Once you're there, parking is the most expensive it's been- but the security stations are often backed up. They don't even have trays for your pocket items anymore.
Fastpass, a once free perk? That's gonna be an extra $30 per person if you don't want to wait in artificially inflated wait times.
And don't even bother trying to order food at the register. They'll only have one open, and the line will be backed up. You have to download their app and schedule a time to get food. That also costs the most it ever has, all while the portion sizes continue to shrink. Thanks Christine!
But then while you're on that ride you paid extra for, it's unmaintained and staffed by grumpy CM's.
My point is- Disney has to get back on track or their foothold as the leader in themed entertainment is going to crumble in the next 15 years.