Spirited News, Observations & Thoughts Tres

[wdwfan22]

Just from personal experience, based on my family, yes it will continue to peel off a day or two from WDW only vacations. Myself and my two daughters and families are presently talking about a short, but busy trip to Universal ONLY. That has never happened in our family before. All are lovers of Disney, but, can sense the excitement that Uni has brought to the area. I went there myself last January and I could feel the excitement in both Uni Studios and IOA. It was palpable. Compared to Uni, Disney felt non stimulating and terribly unsatisfying (Boring). The attitude is changing a lot faster then anyone thinks. One of my daughters, always a fan of Disney said, just today. "I'm tired of seeing the same thing over and over. They don't have to completely replace attractions but they need to freshen them with new shows, new films and new story lines. I used to get all excited about visiting WDW, now, meh!"

So for the first time ever we are planning a trip to Central Florida without any visit to WDW. I wouldn't have believed it possible just two years ago.

I can not imagine visitng Central Florida and not visiting WDW. Universal & Sea World are nice but not worth a weeks visit.

 

[yoyoflamingo]

Any guesses on what the specialty Cantina beverage will be? Come on...you know it's coming...

Something with foam. It's not a specialty drink without foam, right?

 

[englanddg]

Just from personal experience, based on my family, yes it will continue to peel off a day or two from WDW only vacations. Myself and my two daughters and families are presently talking about a short, but busy trip to Universal ONLY. That has never happened in our family before. All are lovers of Disney, but, can sense the excitement that Uni has brought to the area. I went there myself last January and I could feel the excitement in both Uni Studios and IOA. It was palpable. Compared to Uni, Disney felt non stimulating and terribly unsatisfying (Boring). The attitude is changing a lot faster then anyone thinks. One of my daughters, always a fan of Disney said, just today. "I'm tired of seeing the same thing over and over. They don't have to completely replace attractions but they need to freshen them with new shows, new films and new story lines. I used to get all excited about visiting WDW, now, meh!"

So for the first time ever we are planning a trip to Central Florida without any visit to WDW. I wouldn't have believed it possible just two years ago.

I'm of a similar mindset. The parks are just so...stale. While there is much more to do on property outside of the parks...Orlando has many of the same offerings.

Last year we did 3 days at Universal, just to shake things up, and I really wish we had stayed a bit longer. the 11 days at Disney got stale after a while...we know the parks too well. Not that we didn't enjoy ourselves, and not that we won't this year either, because we will. But, as @flynnibus noted, once the walls were down for us when planning, other Parks became a reality.

I also agree with you about the energy. The whole place felt vibrant. It could be that it was something "new" for us, but, reading through my trip report, I had a lot more positive CM experiences there than I did at Disney. I was also truly impressed by things I wouldn't consider impressive, looking at a park map online. For example, the Jurrasic Park playground area puts Disney's Boneyard and HISTK playgrounds to SHAME!

 

[GoofGoof]

The question I'm most interested in hearing opinions on is: Can Uni steal more days from WDW?

Prior to 2010, WDW could count on guests spending most of their time (and money) within the World. Since then, a growing number have started making the drive up I-4. It seems Uni has peeled off a day or two from what used to be "WDW only" vacations. (Other opinions? Has Uni taken more? Less?)

What's going to happen? Will the upcoming work at Uni be enough to steal more "Disney days"? Alternatively, has WWOHP run its course and the Uni additions are needed simply to maintain gains? Will the upcoming rumored WDW changes be enough to bring more guests back?

Remember, there is no right or wrong answer, just speculation.

I think for regular visitors Uni will go from 2 days to 1 on average on the next 4 to 5 years. After that who knows. Can Uni keep up this pace and keep up with maintenance and deal with potentially larger crowds and lines? Yet to be seen.

For casual tourists the issue is more muddled. People not familiar with the area like to book a package with hotel, park tickets, bus from airport and meals all wrapped up in one payment. They are also much less likely to think AK and DHS are half day parks. If you are new to WDW and plan to hit every show and ride its very difficult to take even 1 day away from a week to leave the Disney property and do everything you want to do. If Universal continues to draw additional days from regular visitors who come back at least once a year than Disney will continue to focus more and more on the casual tourist crowd.

 

[Nemo14]

Just from personal experience, based on my family, yes it will continue to peel off a day or two from WDW only vacations. Myself and my two daughters and families are presently talking about a short, but busy trip to Universal ONLY. That has never happened in our family before. All are lovers of Disney, but, can sense the excitement that Uni has brought to the area. I went there myself last January and I could feel the excitement in both Uni Studios and IOA. It was palpable. Compared to Uni, Disney felt non stimulating and terribly unsatisfying (Boring). The attitude is changing a lot faster then anyone thinks. One of my daughters, always a fan of Disney said, just today. "I'm tired of seeing the same thing over and over. They don't have to completely replace attractions but they need to freshen them with new shows, new films and new story lines. I used to get all excited about visiting WDW, now, meh!"

So for the first time ever we are planning a trip to Central Florida without any visit to WDW. I wouldn't have believed it possible just two years ago.

We spent 6 weeks in central FL this past winter and went to the Disney parks exactly once. I never would have believed that a few years ago.

 

[Tim_4]

I can not imagine visitng Central Florida and not visiting WDW. Universal & Sea World are nice but not worth a weeks visit.

They don't pretend to be. They're most successful attracting locals with events like Halloween Horror Nights and by picking off a day or two from Disney trips.

 

[doctornick]

Just to clarify once and for all, since you're mentioning it and others keep bringing it up every so often...DHS will not expand across World Dr. Ever. Not going to happen. World Drive is not going to be rerouted, either.

I've theorized that they might put some backstage stuff and/or cast member parking on the other side of World Dr and use shuttles (or a pedestrian overpass) to get the CMs into the park. Do you think that is possible? That would at least open up some backstage areas on the east side of World Drive for park expansion.

(I'm not talking about happening soon or related to this potential expansion, but theoretically in the future.)

 

[Pixiedustmaker]

I think this is one of the major successes of WWoHP. It got people into Uni who had never been there before and showed them that these parks are actually worth visiting even beyond Harry Potter.

If it brought new tourists into Orlando who hadn't considered going there, then that's a boost for Disney, though this percentage of the pie probably isn't that big.

The last Star Wars Convention, Celebration VI was held in Orlando, at the convention center, and was tied in with the last flight to Endor. Then Disney bought Star Wars. How many people attend these things? 30,000 for 3 days? Can't help but think that future conventions, perhaps not in the near future, will be held on property. Having a bonafide StarWarsland would sure help introduce/reintroduce StarWars fans all around the country to WDW.

 

[DougK]

I know we disagree quite often but you understand the Orlando Game of Thrones better than most here. Disney's #1 goal is to prevent you from renting a car. That's the name of the game. Potter's function was to crack that armor. Once people understand that, the business sense of NextGen starts to make sense. You still might hate it, but the logic is there.

We rent a car every time.

First of all car rentals are generally cheap in Orlando except of course at the busiest times of the year like Easter and Christmas. I rented a full-size car from National in April for 10 days for a total of $169 including taxes and fees. It was something like $68 per week and $9.99 per extra day.

Second, renting a car frees us to easily go to Universal, Sea World, and all of the other local attractions.

Third, and this is a big deal to us, having a car allows us to eat off property so we do not need to pay Disney prices for food or use the Disney Dining Plan. We do occasionally enjoy a meal at a Disney restaurant but we have the freedom to eat anywhere we want. We go often enough that missing some park time during the course of the day is not a big deal to us. And we save so much on food it more than pays for the car rental.

Renting a car may not work for everyone but works extremely well for us.

So believe me when Tim_4 says Disney does not want you to rent a car, he knows what he is talking about.

 

[Pixiedustmaker]

I know we disagree quite often but you understand the Orlando Game of Thrones better than most here. Disney's #1 goal is to prevent you from renting a car. That's the name of the game. Potter's function was to crack that armor. Once people understand that, the business sense of NextGen starts to make sense. You still might hate it, but the logic is there.

I think that first and foremost, Potterland's goal was to help IOA . . . it succeeded and WDW's attendance hasn't dropped off a cliff. I.e. Potterland brought in new people into Orlando, though I guess you could say theoretically that WDW should be up 6% instead of just 2.8% . . .

 

[englanddg]

If it brought new tourists into Orlando who hadn't considered going there, then that's a boost for Disney, though this percentage of the pie probably isn't that big.

The last Star Wars Convention, Celebration VI was held in Orlando, at the convention center, and was tied in with the last flight to Endor. Then Disney bought Star Wars. How many people attend these things? 30,000 for 3 days? Can't help but think that future conventions, perhaps not in the near future, will be held on property. Having a bonafide StarWarsland would sure help introduce/reintroduce StarWars fans all around the country to WDW.

The Last Tour to Endor event was connected to Celebration V. Celebration VI was also held in the Orlando Convention Center, but had no connected special event at HS.

As of now, the word is there will be no Celebration VII anytime in the near future (if ever).

However, combining the event using Disney convention hotels to host it and an off season special event would be a stroke of genius on their part. May the 4th anyone?

 

[GoofGoof]

We rent a car every time.

First of all car rentals are generally cheap in Orlando except of course at the busiest times of the year like Easter and Christmas. I rented a full-size car from National in April for 10 days for a total of $169 including taxes and fees. It was something like $68 per week and $9.99 per extra day.

Second, renting a car frees us to easily go to Universal, Sea World, and all of the other local attractions.

Third, and this is a big deal to us, having a car allows us to eat off property so we do not need to pay Disney prices for food or use the Disney Dining Plan. We do occasionally enjoy a meal at a Disney restaurant but we have the freedom to eat anywhere we want. We go often enough so missing some park time is not a big deal. And we save so much on food it more than pays for the car rental.

So believe me when Tim_4 says Disney does not want you to rent a car, he knows what he is talking about.

We drove our own car down for a number of recent trips since my kids were so young and they don't travel light. It was my first time in the Disney area with a car. We also stayed off property in a timeshare condo next to Sea World. It is amazing how built up the International Drive area is and equally amazing that I never knew it was there. Our next trip down we are flying and doing the DME so we won't have a car, but I can say that in the future we will be renting a car at least some of the time.

 

[GoofGoof]

The Last Tour to Endor event was connected to Celebration V. Celebration VI was also held in the Orlando Convention Center, but had no connected special event at HS.

As of now, the word is there will be no Celebration VII anytime in the near future (if ever).

However, combining the event using Disney convention hotels to host it and an off season special event would be a stroke of genius on their part. May the 4th anyone?

If they actually build Star Wars Land no question this should happen.

 

[Pixiedustmaker]

The Last Tour to Endor event was connected to Celebration V. Celebration VI was also held in the Orlando Convention Center, but had no connected special event at HS.

As of now, the word is there will be no Celebration VII anytime in the near future (if ever).

However, combining the event using Disney convention hotels to host it and an off season special event would be a stroke of genius on their part. May the 4th anyone?

That's right, forgot about the timeline.

Though there will be a Celebration in Germany (from Wiki):

It was announced at the Closing Ceremonies of Celebration VI (and confirmed on StarWarsCelebration.com) that Celebration Europe II will be held in Essen, Germany, at the Messe Essen fair venue from July 26–28, 2013.

 

[Funmeister]

I know we disagree quite often but you understand the Orlando Game of Thrones better than most here. Disney's #1 goal is to prevent you from renting a car. That's the name of the game. Potter's function was to crack that armor. Once people understand that, the business sense of NextGen starts to make sense. You still might hate it, but the logic is there.

Scary that I agree with most of your post. If you do not mind can you explain what you are talking about when it comes to people understanding the business sense of NextGen? It is WAY over budget so it does not make any business sense and it has not even officially launched. What is up to now? Pushing $1.5+ billion with a B? It will take decades to get that money back. They will be opening the New NEW Fantasyland by the time NextGen is profitable. Thanks Tim!

 

[Pixiedustmaker]

If they actually build Star Wars Land no question this should happen.

I think they could:

Have a Celebration/StarWarsConvention on property. 35,000 hardcore fans, and their family members who aren't hardcore fans could come along (maybe another 20,000), they could enjoy the parks if they don't want to watch Boba Fett act out his role again. Make it a week long, special merch (of course) for the fans, plus a private party/event in StarWarsland . . .wherever that may be built. Some families would schedule the vacation with dad's/mom's convention, stay a week.

Oh, and should a special film like Episode VII be premiered on property, they could have a special event for that. No need for fans to sit in lawn chairs at movie theatres for days if there is a virtual line.

 

[spaceghost]

Scary that I agree with most of your post. If you do not mind can you explain what you are talking about when it comes to people understanding the business sense of NextGen? It is WAY over budget so it does not make any business sense and it has not even officially launched. What is up to now? Pushing $1.5+ billion with a B? It will take decades to get that money back. They will be opening the New NEW Fantasyland by the time NextGen is profitable. Thanks Tim!

I believe his point was that NextGen would be an enticement to stay on property, like the Magical Express bus service. Another way to (potentially) keep people staying on property.

 

[articos]

I've theorized that they might put some backstage stuff and/or cast member parking on the other side of World Dr and use shuttles (or a pedestrian overpass) to get the CMs into the park. Do you think that is possible? That would at least open up some backstage areas on the east side of World Drive for park expansion.

(I'm not talking about happening soon or related to this potential expansion, but theoretically in the future.)

Completely theoretically, they could possibly put a cast parking area across World Dr. and build a link into the Buena Vista Dr. loop for a shuttle using the existing BV Drive overpass, but that's a lot of money when they could just build a separate cast lot off of Victory and shuttle employees, or more likely, if they really decide they need parking lot space for the park, they'd just build a garage.

 

[GoofGoof]

I believe his point was that NextGen would be an enticement to stay on property, like the Magical Express bus service. Another way to (potentially) keep people staying on property.

Plus the rumors that resort guests may have exclusive use of FP+ or at least more advanced reservations than off property guests.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I can not imagine visitng Central Florida and not visiting WDW. Universal & Sea World are nice but not worth a weeks visit.

I agree but we are not thinking about going for a week, just three days. Those are three days that we would usually go to WDW. Not this time, however! If I were to go for a to Central Florida for a week, it would be 3 days at Uni and the rest at WDW. That used to be a week at WDW.