The Spirited Seventh Heaven ...

[SJN1279]

IOA has Forbidden Journey, Dragon Challenge and Flight of the Hippogriff.

If you will insist on this strange little vendetta against Universal, at least do some research before you throw around baseless, agenda-driven inaccuracies.

I said one new ride for each land. Unicorn and Dueling Dragons anyone? Potter actually ruined the awesome queue for Dueling Dragons, but I think the Buckbeat animatronic on Hippogriff is a nice tough.

 

[wdwfan4ver]

They should have created a Haunted Mansion style dark ride where guests use wands to make things happen. A Hogwart's open house for Muggles where we get to explore the castle and learn how to do spells. It would have been an epic ride that the whole family could have enjoyed together(which was the point of the Potter books and movies in the first place).

They could have also built Forbidden Journey as a ride where we are students in Hagrid's Care of Magic Creatures class, something goes wrong, and off we go through the Forbidden Forrest.

2 rides for two different audiences that would have satisfied everyone.

I never went to Universal in my life, but I feel Universal actually handled Harry Potter properly considering the space Universal has unlike what Disney would have done with Harry Potter unlike what you typed.

Disney was offered Harry Potter first by J.K. Rowling in terms of attractions and she didn't like what Jay Rasulo presented to her. Disney didn't had any plans of making Harry Potter into land, but only one attraction that would be similar to Toy Story Midway Mania that Jay presented to her.

You may only like Disney, but part of New Fantasy Land has issues. You wouldn't be criticizing Universal catering an attraction to certain age based what Disney did with New Fantasy Land. While New Fantasy Land was catered to a certain age, the Mermaid ride was not done properly based on DCA had their cloned version of the Mermaid ride under refurbishment earlier this year for making the ride than it was before.

If you don't believe the New Fantasy Land Expansion catered to a certain age group, how do you explain all the meet and Greets New Fantasy Land got including Enchanted Tales with Belle? Don't give line the meet and greet catered for all ages since Ricky Brigante loves Meet and Greets because most adults wouldn't go to meet and greets on their own unlike Ricky.

 

[GLaDOS]

You could have removed that awful Voyage of Sinbad show to put another Potter attraction. Each Potter land is actually only one new ride. Didn't Cameron say, one ride doesn't make a land?

Forbidden Journey, Gringotts, Hogwarts Express are all new rides. Add in 3 coasters, and you have six rides.

The Potter IP draws people in, but Universal lacks an epic family dark ride. Hogwarts was the missed opportunity.

You say "lacks" like people are going and expecting that.

 

[AEfx]

Wow.... so many stereotypes. So gay guys and straight women are normal, but straight guys are creepy? Just for wanting to meet a female they crush on?

Eh, you might want to read the context of the discussion before you prattle on about the poor plight of the straight male...oops, too late.

Is it not creepy for a gay guy to want to meet a Disney prince? Or Spider-Man? Or Darth Vader?

You missed the point - it wasn't about simply meeting the characters, if you followed the discussion it was about some guy going bat crap crazy on Twitter because he didn't get to meet some princesses.

It seems anything a straight guy does is "creepy" - that word is so overused, much more than "bossy" is used towards women.

Again, meeting a character is one thing - making a big stink about it and being overzealous is what is creepy. When it's a straight guy, wanting to meet a princess, and acting all weird about it and being upset at not being able to, yes, it tends to skew on the creepy side.

I could care less if a guy likes Britney, the Disney princesses or My Little Pony. Society keeps saying we have to be more tolerant, how about we show tolerance for straight guys who happen to want to meet a female character they liked growing up? Disney is for the child at heart.

There is nothing wrong with that. Though the Princesses were from Frozen in this case, so anyone who liked them growing up should still be growing up unless they have a time machine. I answered the question asked about specific behavior seeming creepy. And knowing some friends of Princesses, I can certainly say that those girls definitely get their share of creeps trying to look down their cleavage, or being a little too "friendly" with their hands while posing for pics.

It was not a general indictment of the straight male lifestyle, but I can understand why you took it as such because they are such a discriminated class it's all too common for someone to speak derogatorily about them.

 

[SJN1279]

Why does it matter when Universal Orlando Resort is so disappointing to you to begin with? You're either a fool who just blows money on things you don't like or a liar who has no intention of going but wants to to try and stir up drama.

I used to stay at Portofino Resort yearly. I loved Islands of Adventure when it first opened. It was just the best themed park that I ever have been to IMHO. I also love The Simpsons, and thought the Simpsons ride was very well done. I was super excited for Potter, having read all the books, but I was very underwhelmed with Forbidden Journey and still am. I think it is the worst land in all of IOA, and I think certain Uni fans blow it up to be something much greater than it actually is.

To each their own though.

 

[flynnibus]

I love how you and your ilk always seem to forget either the Hogwarts Express or Harry Potter and Escape from Gringotts when trying to peddle this stupid idea that there is only one [new] ride in each portion of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Or that some of the diversions that are not rides are actually more entertaining and immersive than other parks 'rides'

 

[SJN1279]

Forbidden Journey, Gringotts, Hogwarts Express are all new rides. Add in 3 coasters, and you have six rides.



You say "lacks" like people are going and expecting that.

Hogwarts Express isn't part of either land. You need a two park ticket for what amounts to a nice D ticket simulator.

 

[GLaDOS]

I used to stay at Portofino Resort yearly. I loved Islands of Adventure when it first opened. It was just the best themed park that I ever have been to IMHO. I also love The Simpsons, and thought the Simpsons ride was very well done. I was super excited for Potter, having read all the books, but I was very underwhelmed with Forbidden Journey and still am. I think it is the worst land in all of IOA, and I think certain Uni fans blow it up to be something much greater than it actually is.

To each their own though.

Yea, I'm 100% sure you've never been there.

Hogwarts Express isn't part of either land.

That's a load of horse crap.

 

[flynnibus]

Hogwarts Express isn't part of either land. You need a two park ticket for what amounts to a nice D ticket simulator.

So you don't consider the monorail part of tomorrowland in Disneyland either? It just falls between the cracks and isn't anywhere by your view..

 

[lazyboy97o]

So you don't consider the monorail part of tomorrowland in Disneyland either? It just falls between the cracks and isn't anywhere by your view..

And the only railroad that counts is Western River Railroad.

 

[Cesar R M]

Does this not scream deluxe to you?
The iHome Ipod dock... easily worth an additional $120 per night alone!

I've seen better hotels at downtown pittsburgh for less

 

[Bolna]

People, please, why take the thread through twenty pages of arguing wether the Hogwarts Express should be counted as a ride in any theme park etc.! We all know where this ends!!

 

[CDavid]

That's what I really don't know. I've seen so many people in WDW just rushing from one ride to another, and with FP skipping the queues that were meant to set the mood for the ride. Did the Disney powers that be create this attitude or is it a reflection of the current "I want it now" mentality that has permeated so much of society in general?

Whatever the extent to which Disney is enabling the 'commando' mindset, it lessens the park experience. Circa 1980, before Epcot Center, I recall Disney suggesting 2 or 3 days in the Magic Kingdom to really "enjoy it to its fullest". Certainly as guests we saw it as a multi-day experience (though often only part of a Central Florida vacation). Guests are never going to slow down and appreciate the details and themed environments of Animal Kingdom - or Pandora - when they are conditioned to rushing through a theme park a day.

Does this not scream deluxe to you?
The iHome Ipod dock... easily worth an additional $120 per night alone!

This is the Grand Floridian??? Until your next post, I had no idea. Nobody may believe me, but I was seriously going to guess a Comfort Inn or maybe a Best Western.

I would just love to see Disney do anything different! I don't feel immersed in the "lands" anymore at Disney. Animal Kingdom does an excellent job of transporting you elsewhere but outside of that... Disney hasn't delivered imo.
I know they like to cater to families and children but come one! Give us at least one true thrill ride.
I can't tell you how many times I have rolled my eyes watching that Disney World Documentary and the imagineers are talking about people wanting thrill rides and then promptly show Test Track & Mission Space

Where's my E-ticket for Fantasyland? What's that - Fantasyland should be all ages-only? From looking at the park map, the whole place is all-ages

Yep, only 3 to 7 yr olds like Fantasyland... teens and adults can't possibly enjoy an attraction placed in this area, or really the MK in general

Haha you can definitely tell MK's main demo from the additions over the last 10 years. Hasn't seen an E-ticket in 20 yrs. And yet Fire Mountain and Bald Mountain are nowhere in sight...

Walt Disney World in general, and the Magic Kingdom in particular, has a rather common misconception anymore about exactly who the parks' primary audience is. With three "thrill rides" at the Magic Kingdom, there is somehow a perception that those few rides are for teens and adults and everything else is aimed at children, when in reality nearly all park attractions are intended to be enjoyed by the entire family. Certainly some attractions hold greater appeal for particular age groups than others, but the construction of additional and more extreme "thrill rides" alienates too much of Walt Disney World's core audience and feeds the misconception of separate kids and adult experiences.

That is not to say certain thrill rides (and, at the opposite extreme, character meet & greets) are not appropriate in the Disney theme parks, but building an extreme coaster won't change the Magic Kingdom's mistaken image as a "park for kids" as well as creating big-scale, epic attractions (Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Spaceship Earth, etc.) which hold appeal for everyone. Considering how few and far between new attractions are anymore at Disney, building attractions which appeal more to children (New Fantasyland) or more to teens and young adults (mega coasters) leaves everyone else with nothing new. The idea that the Magic Kingdom is for children (and Epcot is for adults) is potentially a serious problem for Walt Disney World's future attendance patterns.

 

[lebeau]

The Potter IP draws people in, but Universal lacks an epic family dark ride. Hogwarts was the missed opportunity.

Definition of a "dark ride":

A dark ride or is an indoor amusement ride where riders in guided vehicles travel through specially lit scenes that typically contain animation, sound, music, and special effects.

I think they have that covered.

New Fantasyland has a dark ride for the entire family. A surprisingly fun well themed coaster. An extremely well themed restaurant with great food, and increased capacity for Dumbo and the land as a whole. It may have taken a while to open, but it is a very well balance and well themed land.

I agree that everything in New Fantasyland was for the entire family. We were all equally underwhelmed. My Ariel-obsessed 5-year-old didn't even bother riding the Little Mermaid ride this year. I had 2 sets of FPs for the 7 Dwarfs Mine Train. I asked the kids if they wanted to ride again, they said "no" so we cancelled the second set.

BoG is a solid add and I like the doubling of Dumbo. But considering how little Disney has added over the last several years, it's just not enough. Especially when you consider how little Disney is adding for the next several years.

If Disney was adding new attractions to the other three parks (which desperately need them) I would be okay with the modest scope and scale of NFL. But since that is all Disney has opened, modest additions are not enough.

I mean really, when you have to cite doubling down on Dumbo as one of their primary accomplishments in the 21st century, I think that says it all.

 

[AEfx]

Hogwarts Express isn't part of either land. You need a two park ticket for what amounts to a nice D ticket simulator.

Which is what is spectacular about it. Sure makes the monorail a bit bland, LOL.

The whole "two park ticket" thing is funny at best - kind of like folks that talk about $100/day Disney tickets. Very few folks ever pay that price, just like most folks who go to Universal have a two-park pass.

I'm one of the folks that actually likes New Fantasyland, I think it was long overdue - we had the most pathetic Fantasyland of them all before, now we are in the top 2. It was embarrassing the state it was in. And I quite like both TLM and the Mine Train. That said, it took more than a half a decade to build, when in the same time Universal has added not one but two new spectacular lands with state-of-the-art attractions, immaculate theming that Disney doesn't even attempt stateside these days, and oh yeah - nearly a half-dozen other new big headliner attractions on top of it in various spots.

There isn't even a contest; Disney isn't playing the game anymore. When it comes to big newsworthy attractions, Universal is playing in a league of their own at this point.

 

[Funmeister]

This thread has gone to crap. Reboot please?

 

[mahnamahna101]

Eh, you might want to read the context of the discussion before you prattle on about the poor plight of the straight male...oops, too late.



You missed the point - it wasn't about simply meeting the characters, if you followed the discussion it was about some guy going bat crap crazy on Twitter because he didn't get to meet some princesses.



Again, meeting a character is one thing - making a big stink about it and being overzealous is what is creepy. When it's a straight guy, wanting to meet a princess, and acting all weird about it and being upset at not being able to, yes, it tends to skew on the creepy side.



There is nothing wrong with that. Though the Princesses were from Frozen in this case, so anyone who liked them growing up should still be growing up unless they have a time machine. I answered the question asked about specific behavior seeming creepy. And knowing some friends of Princesses, I can certainly say that those girls definitely get their share of creeps trying to look down their cleavage, or being a little too "friendly" with their hands while posing for pics.

It was not a general indictment of the straight male lifestyle, but I can understand why you took it as such because they are such a discriminated class it's all too common for someone to speak derogatorily about them.

...notice I never explicitly criticized women (well the "larger than life" thing ) or gay men in my post. I just turned the tables on the situation... and I'm sure there's cases where male characters were sexually harassed. But I have no problem with them meeting any character they want, just like straight guys should be able to.

It just came across like you were saying they're all creeps. I even said that the one creep who threw a tantrum on Twitter over the M&G was indeed creepy. Plus the word is slightly overused. Sexual harassment is the better term for the stuff above. If there's inappropriate behavior, they need to be thrown out and handled by security. It's not okay for ANYONE to be doing such activity... and Disney probably needs to get on top of it.

Sorry for taking it the wrong way. I can tell you didn't mean any offense toward anyone. I apologize if my post seemed directed towards you. And I don't think straight guys are discriminated against for the most part. We have it pretty good, honestly, and I don't have much to complain about at all. But I just don't see how they're the only ones who are capable of acting creepy/inappropriate. I've met plenty of weirdos/off-kilter folks from all walks of life. But generally I try to treat everyone with respect, regardless of race, sexual orientation, height, weight, economic status, etc... plus at Disney, no one should feel ostracized

 

[PrincessNelly_NJ]

The Potter IP draws people in, but Universal lacks an epic family dark ride. Hogwarts was the missed opportunity.

New Fantasyland has a dark ride for the entire family. A surprisingly fun well themed coaster. An extremely well themed restaurant with great food, and increased capacity for Dumbo and the land as a whole. It may have taken a while to open, but it is a very well balance and well themed land.

Uni does not pretend to be a family park!
They cater to the older crowd just like Disney caters to families with small children!
Hogwarts was not a missed opportunity, it is an amazing ride.

NFL has a dark ride for the entire family, where? You mean the ride that has seats that many adults can't even be seated comfortably?
There are no rides in Fantasyland for "thrill seekers."

 

[PrincessNelly_NJ]

This is the Grand Floridian??? Until your next post, I had no idea. Nobody may believe me, but I was seriously going to guess a Comfort Inn or maybe a Best Western.

Yup, these are the newly refurbished rooms. I guess they tried to tie them into the new look of the villas.

 

[Cesar R M]

I don't see how Azkaban could be added convincingly since it's supposed to be in the middle of the ocean nowhere near Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley. The best expansions they could do IMO is adding the Forbidden Forest in IoA and the Ministry of Magic in USF.

They could start in the ministry of magic.. like a "teleporter".

Example, you supposedly are wrongly accused of being a dark wizard (the visitor) and you are pushed by aurors to the Prison thru the ministry of magic)

so the dark ride would start at the Ministry of Magic (the magic trial, where you get declared wrongly as a bad wizard or unlawful wizard by a dolores umbridge animatronic... then the ride mechanism goes downwards while 2 aurors follow you.... then you get "teleported (aparition, portkey, floo network " to askaban) where you start the dark ride.
then you end "being rescued" by the Potter gang.