The Hometown Rivalry. Even Meg Crofton was impressed by Potter.

[askmike1]

And hanging around people who are 8?

Just here Lee, just here.

And to just to make a point.... since when did being around kids become a bad thing?

Not sure on exact dates but it was like that from the 70s and some the 80s. The trees eventually grew in.

But that's the point. This was back in the early years of the park where for many reasons, show did not always win out (money, Walt passing, company troubles, etc). Universal on the other hand has had years of theme park experience in the bag and a load of money to spend on this land. And they proved without a doubt that they have the ability to do great things (just go inside the castle to see that), so its just ashame that they didn't take the extra effort to finish the parts that can be seen from within the park (I don't mind the main show building's view from outside the park... the building is monstrous and I wouldn't expect that to ever be hidden). There are no pine trees in these areas to grow, just empty walls and shrubs. A decent cover-up could have just been brown paint (or even go-away-grey) vs the bright white they picked. This was universal's big chance to redefine themselves and while they did a great job, they just didn't quite make it to 'above and beyond'.

The area that feautres the greenouse is an extended queue

The area that features the greenhouse is the queue. It contains extended portions, but you need to go through the greenhouse to get to into the castle. In order for there to be no backup in the greenhouse, the wait would have to be under 30 minutes (which just is not going to happen for a decent while at least).

The showbuilding is only visible from ertain points.

Now I'll concede that much... it is only visible from certain points... unfortunately one of those points is right outside the building at the entrance

(this pic just shows a small glimpse of it as I was going for the castle, but I'll be happy to go back with a regular camera and take some better pics)

...and just a few steps to the left right around the Jurassic Park sign

Never mind the positions of the queue you have to walk by where the show building is clear as day. And they didn't even try and hide it (which is ashame since in many places, they just had to continue brown paint an extra few feet). But like I said, I'll take better pictures that do it more justice (or perhaps just an excuse to go back ).

 

[T-1MILLION]

The loyalty is just scary. You say those were the troublesome years of Disney (never mind the years of experience of design they did have) and you make it sound like Universal Orlando (which only has 20 years of actual having theme park resort experience and have to deal with MUCH less land than Disney's unreal amount)

Just..wow.

So what's Disney's excuse for bad show like Yeti? and Soarin's and Philharmagic's buildings?

If those decades were the bad days of Disney. I don't know what to call these ones.

 

[CRO-Magnum]

You hit the nail on the head...

Fact of the matter is, Disney is becoming less appealing to people

...regarding the demise of Disney's appeal. I think alot of it has to do with saturation on television. And for those, like me, who do not suffer from overexposure there is the rising cost which far outstrips inflation. We just cancelled our planned trip to WDW in February simply because of the cost of admission to WDW for a family of six. I can't justify spending the $1800. When we queried the kids (three daughters 13, 11, and 9 and one son 5) one would rather go on a cruise and the other three would rather go to Universal and see Harry Potter. My wife and I were amazed - not a single complaint - what does that say about Disney? My second daughter even commented "Disney World is boring; it's always the same". Wow!

And although each day at Universal is about the same cost, it only takes 2-3days to do it all (especially in the off season). A four day Uni pass with park hopping is a $800 savings off Disney!

 

[Wilt Dasney]

Because their viewers don't know the difference.

Most people don't know the difference between Shi'ite and Sunni Islam either, but a decent reporter can boil that down for the consumer in a relevant story.

It's not really the media's fault. Universal has referred to it as a theme park since the first press release. The media is basically only reading off the sheet that Universal has written.

OK, so I'm happy to share some of the blame with Universal's over-exuberant copy writers. But just copying a press release is the height of lazy reporting. As a reporter, you ALWAYS assume you're getting fluffy spin from a press release. That's why you do some independent research, get out there and see it yourself. It's called "reporting" for a reason.

Like I said, I think it comes down to the fact that "serious" journalists don't think the difference is important enough to bother with.

 

[SeaCastle]

The loyalty is just scary. You say those were the troublesome years of Disney (never mind the years of experience of design they did have) and you make it sound like Universal Orlando (which only has 20 years of actual having theme park resort experience and have to deal with MUCH less land than Disney's unreal amount)

Just..wow.

So what's Disney's excuse for bad show like Yeti? and Soarin's and Philharmagic's buildings?

If those decades were the bad days of Disney. I don't know what to call these ones.

Wait a second, you're comparing a broken Yeti to showbuildings?

The yeti, according to Lee MacDonald on Laughing Place, wasn't designed correctly. However, no one has taken responsibility or coughed up the dough to fix him (as far as we know) . (Barely) visible showbuildings are a totally different ballgame. They aren't due to shortsighted management decisions. They just occur...you can find such visual intrusions anywhere if you look hard enough.

Guests are much more likely to complain about real issues, like a broken Yeti, generic merchandise, rude cast members, high prices, etc. before they start mitching and boaning about seeing a sliver of Soarin's showbuilding across the lake at EPCOT.

 

[wishesjake]

Wait a second, you're comparing a broken Yeti to showbuildings?

The yeti, according to Lee MacDonald on Laughing Place, wasn't designed correctly. However, no one has taken responsibility or coughed up the dough to fix him (as far as we know) . (Barely) visible showbuildings are a totally different ballgame. They aren't due to shortsighted management decisions. They just occur...you can find such visual intrusions anywhere if you look hard enough.

Guests are much more likely to complain about real issues, like a broken Yeti, generic merchandise, rude cast members, high prices, etc. before they start mitching and boaning about seeing a sliver of Soarin's showbuilding across the lake at EPCOT.

Well put. Sometimes it seems like people go over the edge with criticism.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Just here Lee, just here.

And to just to make a point.... since when did being around kids become a bad thing?



.

No one said it was, just pointing out that my "kids" are your age, and their needs have varied greatly since they were 8.

And to avoid any confusion, the point being that Disneys marketing and current focus appears to be on the very young family. Leaving those of us with older families to re ride the same old fayre or as per the thread subject pop up the road and visit the other parks who cater for a broader spectrum. And yes my mother rode DD at the age of 72.

 

[biggy H]

Hereis my perception of the WWoHP increasing Uni bottom dollar.

- Its new so everybody wants to have a look

- The merchandise on sale is also new and different but how many people will buy anything if they go back again? They would have to keep changing the products.

- Here in the UK WWoHP is promoted heavily by one of the major tour operators with early entry etc so its more people tend to take advantage of that.

1.6 million increase over 4 months is approx a daily increase of 13500 (using the park capacity of 40,000 per day). How does that compare to the figures for the 4 disney parks?

I've just spoken to some-one who went over christmas for the first time and they weren't too impressed with WWoHP, they feltit was too small and not planning on going back (and that the butterbeer was terrible!!).

I'm not planning on going to IoA/US/WWoHP this year but even if we did we would go at the expense of shopping, not a Disney park.

 

[Lee]

...(and that the butterbeer was terrible!!).

Beware!
That individual is obviously mentally unstable and should be avoided at all costs! It is a well known fact that dislike of Butterbeer, in either of it's forms, is a sign of mental illness and potentially violent and erratic behavior.
I advise caution...

:slurp:

 

[biggy H]

Beware!
That individual is obviously mentally unstable and should be avoided at all costs! It is a well known fact that dislike of Butterbeer, in either of it's forms, is a sign of mental illness and potentially violent and erratic behavior.
I advise caution...

:slurp:

I cannot comment on that.........:zipit:

 

[imagineer boy]

Beware!
That individual is obviously mentally unstable and should be avoided at all costs! It is a well known fact that dislike of Butterbeer, in either of it's forms, is a sign of mental illness and potentially violent and erratic behavior.
I advise caution...

:slurp:

Acutally I didn't like the Butterbeer either. :lol: Nor the pumpkin juice. I thought the Butterbeer was too thick, sweet, and rootbeer-like and I thought the pumpkin juice had to much spice added to it. Oh well, I still adored the rest of WWoHP.

 

[bryPOD]

Really? Does this argument have to happen for the 4,815,162,342nd time?

Literally quoting for the Lost numbers and nothing more...

 

[fosse76]

Why do you just keep repeating facts? They don't change nor have I disputed any of them.

There really isn't any addition to the discussion.

I've been very clear that it's not dismissive, simply not the boon that 36% would imply.

I agreed that 36% is a bit misleading because IOA has a lower attendance than Magic Kingdom. But that 1.6 million guests is a lot of guests, even for Disney. None of the Disney parks has seen an increase of 1.6 million guests (over the course of a year) in the last couple of years. IOA did it in four months. You dismiss that as a small number of guests. It isn't. Disney, even in times or prosperity, would be jumping for joy to increase attendance by 1.6 million guests. And this number is for a 4 month period, which many people seem to forget. It's not for a full year.

 

[huntzilla]

I don't think trees will ever grow big enough to block the Forbidden Journey ride building. It sticks out like a sore thumb. Would it have been expensive to cover it in rockwork? Yes. But it would have been nice.

I'm sorry but this photo is really messing with me. Shouldn't the water be on the other side? What year is this photo?

 

[ToTBellHop]

I'm sorry but this photo is really messing with me. Shouldn't the water be on the other side? What year is this photo?

It looks right to me, we've just had 40 years of tree growth in a subtropical climate.

 

[fosse76]

Because Disney would never build a show building that's so obviously visible.

 

[jakeman]

I agreed that 36% is a bit misleading because IOA has a lower attendance than Magic Kingdom. But that 1.6 million guests is a lot of guests, even for Disney. None of the Disney parks has seen an increase of 1.6 million guests (over the course of a year) in the last couple of years. IOA did it in four months. You dismiss that as a small number of guests. It isn't. Disney, even in times or prosperity, would be jumping for joy to increase attendance by 1.6 million guests. And this number is for a 4 month period, which many people seem to forget. It's not for a full year.

I haven't dismissed anything. I've been very clear in my context.

You are simply once again inferring what you want from my post, as you have done with others.

I am pointing out the dichotomy and hypocrisy of the situation.

This brings IoA back to the level they were at 8 years ago. If attendance had slipped that long at any of the WDW (which it hasn't) and something, anything, was brought in to restore that level of attendance, people would just be saying that "this is what Disney should be doing all along".

If this were Disney they would grudgingly accept the accomplishment and then proceed to tear the area apart. People would complain that the Hogwart's Express train isn't functioning. They would complain that the promised "working" wands never materialized. It would go on and on.

So perhaps, while congratulating Uni on a job well done, which they deserve, we should also acknowledge that this is the same company who let a theme park stagnate for almost a decade and accepted an almost 36% drop in attendance.

To me that would worry me about the future of the HP area. However, it seems that you and others are too busy nailing Disney's coffin shut with Harry Potter wands to think critically about the long term implication.

You and others have demonstrated such little faith in Disney over the years, yet a company with a worse track record on growing their parks does one thing right, you just simply can't shut up about it.

Let me also re-emphasize, so you don't revert to a "I'm just a fan boy" argument, I thoroughly enjoyed the HP area and commented to my wife on the way out through the rest of Mystic Island (or whatever it is called) that the area was ripe for conversion. I also really hope that happens.

 

[xdan0920]

Jake, I feel you are missing the point.

Disney will always have more guests then UNI. No one is saying what Uni did the previous 7 or so years between opening, and starting WWoHP is acceptable. What we are all saying, rightly I might add, is that TDO has not done anything in the past decade or more to rival what UNI has just accomplished. It is frustrating to us Disney nuts that WWoHP is now the cutting edge of theme park theming and technology. That should be Disney's crown. And now the attendance numbers are increasing at IOA which proves our point. Thats all.

 

[jakeman]

Jake, I feel you are missing the point.

Disney will always have more guests then UNI. No one is saying what Uni did the previous 7 or so years between opening, and starting WWoHP is acceptable. What we are all saying, rightly I might add, is that TDO has not done anything in the past decade or more to rival what UNI has just accomplished. It is frustrating to us Disney nuts that WWoHP is now the cutting edge of theme park theming and technology. That should be Disney's crown. And now the attendance numbers are increasing at IOA which proves our point. Thats all.

It is exactly as Master Yoda put it a few pages back.

You are ready to call the game over after only seeing one half of the first quarter. To continue with the metaphor, Disney has been going four and out the past decade and Uni has continuously fumbled the punt. The one time they actual get possession of the ball you are in the stand turning your reversible jersey inside out.

I haven't read very much frustration, more like preening that you knew HP would be successful, in thread after thread, after thread, after thread.

The endless metaphorical pointing and saying, "Ha TDO! You see that! I was right! I WAS RIGHT!" is getting tired.

 

[djkidkaz]

I haven't dismissed anything. I've been very clear in my context.

You are simply once again inferring what you want from my post, as you have done with others.

I am pointing out the dichotomy and hypocrisy of the situation.

This brings IoA back to the level they were at 8 years ago. If attendance had slipped that long at any of the WDW (which it hasn't) and something, anything, was brought in to restore that level of attendance, people would just be saying that "this is what Disney should be doing all along".

If this were Disney they would grudgingly accept the accomplishment and then proceed to tear the area apart. People would complain that the Hogwart's Express train isn't functioning. They would complain that the promised "working" wands never materialized. It would go on and on.

So perhaps, while congratulating Uni on a job well done, which they deserve, we should also acknowledge that this is the same company who let a theme park stagnate for almost a decade and accepted an almost 36% drop in attendance.

To me that would worry me about the future of the HP area. However, it seems that you and others are too busy nailing Disney's coffin shut with Harry Potter wands to think critically about the long term implication.

You and others have demonstrated such little faith in Disney over the years, yet a company with a worse track record on growing their parks does one thing right, you just simply can't shut up about it.

Let me also re-emphasize, so you don't revert to a "I'm just a fan boy" argument, I thoroughly enjoyed the HP area and commented to my wife on the way out through the rest of Mystic Island (or whatever it is called) that the area was ripe for conversion. I also really hope that happens.

Thank you for posting this. It is spot on.