The Spirited Seventh Heaven ...

[Nubs70]

on the brighter side i just smooshed a 1 n 1/2 inch cockroach with my right flip flopped foot...

#florida

FYI - You may want to discard that flip flop. Roach eggs are viable even after you smoosh mom.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Disney had come to the conclusion that the Orlando market was about as big as it would get. As such they moved away from trying to attraction more people to Orlando to getting more people who already planned to come to stay on property and getting people to spend more. Universal Orlando Resort was able to grow the Orlando market in a way Disney thought impossible. This shift has been compounded by a rather long standing strategy of creating growth through cuts, so just as Disney is trying to get people to spend more they're reducing the pace of new offerings and reducing existing offerings.

What this growth in the Orlando market has also proven is that Universal Orlando Resort is not dependent on Walt Disney World. It can attract people on its own.

I understand what you are saying, but, I think it is a tad premature to think that Uni can do for Orlando what Disney has if Disney no longer existed. They neither have the size or draw of Disney. I would say that they are moving in the right direction, but, until they have established the same reputation (whether currently true or not) that Disney has concerning Theme Parks in general and focus in particular, they will never carry the area on their own. They might survive, no doubt, but it would be disastrous for the Orlando/Kissimmee area.

It's not that folks don't understand it - and I'm sure it is well organized. That said, from an administrative standpoint and from a user standpoint, what is "plentiful" is going to be debatable.

For me, it has nothing to do with my understanding or not of it - it's the practical application. It takes me an average of 45min-1hr to get from one park to another via the bus. Sometimes it's closer to 30 min, but a lot of times it's over an hour. I can drive myself in an average of 20 minutes. Sometimes 15, occasionally 25 (if I've parked far away - the MK takes longer than any of the other parks where you can walk right out to the parking lot).

Well, driving your car and mass transit are two different animals and are juggled about to fit your needs. If you aren't in any hurry you take public transit. If you are in a hurry you take your car. They were really never designed to be fast transportation, just convenient and necessary if no other means exists. If you are going to park hop to 3 different parks in one day, it is obvious that buses are not going to work with your plans. That is not a sign of incompetence on the part of the bus system, that is a sign that it was not designed for your specific needs.

I agree that it takes a while to get from MK to the parking lot. If I wasn't enjoying my time there as much as I do, I would be mighty upset by that myself. But, I am not at all upset because it is all part of the show. I can speed past the fun or I can linger and enjoy it. The choice is yours and mine. Just don't expect things from something that they were never designed to do.

I think underestimating the lifetime of Potter is like folks who say the same about Star Wars - Potter Mania has been going on for nearly 20 years now, it's not going anywhere. There are more books coming. More films. But, even so, Disney has pretty much disowned Song of the South for decades now, most folks don't even know Splash Mountain is based on it - but it's still a headliner attraction because of the experience.

Universal is building quality attractions. Spiderman spending nearly a decade as the top theme park ride in the world wasn't due to Spiderman fans, it was due to the ride, as one of countless other examples.

The association with Potter, no matter what, will always be better than "that park that hasn't added a major headliner attraction since Bush I was in office", which is what the MK is often looked at as.

You have misunderstood my comment. There is nothing wrong with having a "talk about" attraction. Where the danger lies is being completely associated with the HP part of it. The reason is that you have then focused on only one group and that would be Harry Potter fans, to the exclusion of everyone else. We have seen it come up a number of times in these threads... "I don't care about HP so I'm not going to UNI." Disney has never been defined by one attraction (and/or land). That is an extreme advantage.

I absolutely agree that Uni has many top notch attractions, which is why I have shared my vacation time with them as well as Disney, SeaWorld and the 57 other varieties of entertainment in the area. You are preaching to the choir. It's a little bit extreme to say that Disney hasn't had anything built since Bush was president. The proper wording would have to be...that Disney hasn't built anything that you have liked since Bush was president.

Can I ask you something? Are you associated with any Disney blogging site? Podcast? Friends with any Lifestylers? ... Have a Disney travel agency in the family?

Just have to ask ...

No, you didn't have to ask. The fact is that unless people agree with the opinions of you or your fanbois, they are labeled as bloggers, lifestylers or Disney associated. It would certainly be justified to ask if you are a Uni blogger, lifestyler or associated with them, because of your negative stance on all things Disney. I know, I know... it's your love of Disney that makes you be critical of everything they do. Well, the old saying, "with friends like you, who needs enemies" applies here.

 

[Soarin' Over Pgh]

I know that's the obvious choice, but...I. WANT. JABBA'S. PALACE.

I want to walk in that gate, I want to sit down in the throne room, I want to be served a severely overpriced mediocre meal, I want to be entertained by animatronics of Salacious, the Max Rebo Band (CLASSIC MEMBERS ONLY - NO SE MUPPET CRAP!), and of course, Jabba himself, with walk around characters like Boba Fett and Bib Fortuna, I want to be sold souvenir drink mugs, I want to overpay for a replica of myself as a pewter Bear in Carbonite, and I want some G-rated Jabba's Dancers (though, Jabba was an affable guy, so at least one slave boy to balance out the girls).

I fully and willingly expect to pay at least $150/pp for the experience, plus drop another $100+ on photo package and souvenirs, and I would walk out one happy mother frakking guest who would probably do it at least twice on a week-long trip. Every trip.

I'm glad you already are aware that everything will be overpriced and the food will be borderline gross but I hope it's not DTD.

It may be asking too much but I'd love to see half of DHS transformed into Star Wars Universe. That's just about the only way I would ever bother with that park.

 

[danlb_2000]

And about Harry Potter's rides ... I mean, if people don't like them, they don't like them. I don't get why some are so up in arms over people not liking them (I like them, just saying ... even having not ridden Gringotts I know I will love it). But there is also a difference in an opinion being expressed (such as "I wasn't a fan of it because it made me way too sick" -- not mine, just an example) and trolling by saying you don't like them. There is a difference. And I think most of the posters here are smart enough to tell the difference.

I don't have a problem with people expressing their opinion, I just have a problem with people who try to imply that their opinion is fact. Just because you don't like a ride, or the ride makes you sick, doesn't mean it's a bad ride. I do not like drop tower rides so I have never gone on Tower of Terror but I still recognize that it is a great ride.

 

[seascape]

Was at uni last weekend and can say they seemed about the same with the edge being to uni.

So people here are saying universal is going to pass WDW in attendance. I don't think so and I don't think they will pass any of the WDW parks. They will still be number 5 and 6 in Orlando.

 

[danlb_2000]

So people here are saying universal is going to pass WDW in attendance. I don't think so and I don't think they will pass any of the WDW parks. They will still be number 5 and 6 in Orlando.

No body who has a clue is saying that Uni will pass WDW in total attendance, at least not for the foreseeable future. But it's entirely possible a single park at Uni would be having higher attendance then one at WDW on any given day.

 

[Kman101]

I don't have a problem with people expressing their opinion, I just have a problem with people who try to imply that their opinion is fact. Just because you don't like a ride, or the ride makes you sick, doesn't mean it's a bad ride. I do not like drop tower rides so I have never gone on Tower of Terror but I still recognize that it is a great ride.

I definitely agree with you on that.

 

[Kman101]

No body who has a clue is saying that Uni will pass WDW in total attendance, at least not for the foreseeable future. But it's entirely possible a single park at Uni would be having higher attendance then one at WDW on any given day.

And I'm very happy to see attendance there go up. I've always enjoyed Universal and it was somewhat discouraging to go years ago and see it so ... dead. It's really nice that new life has been breathed into it and it's the resort it should be. Not the resort it could be.

 

[bhg469]

No body who has a clue is saying that Uni will pass WDW in total attendance, at least not for the foreseeable future. But it's entirely possible a single park at Uni would be having higher attendance then one at WDW on any given day.

This is absolutely feasible and probable for a few weeks in July and possibly into November.

 

[SJN1279]

My itinerary when I go to Islands of Adventure has usually been: Spiderman, Doctor Doom, Dudley Doo-Right, Popeye, Jurrassic Park, Suess trolley, One Fish, and then the Cat in the Hat Ride. I also love laying at the Discovery Center and Me Ship, The Olive. It really has some awesome attractions and is easy to navigate if you get there at park opening. I'm hoping that Kong adds to it(since I loved Kong 360 in Hollywood).

 

[FigmentJedi]

I know that's the obvious choice, but...I. WANT. JABBA'S. PALACE.

I want to walk in that gate, I want to sit down in the throne room, I want to be served a severely overpriced mediocre meal, I want to be entertained by animatronics of Salacious, the Max Rebo Band (CLASSIC MEMBERS ONLY - NO SE MUPPET CRAP!), and of course, Jabba himself, with walk around characters like Boba Fett and Bib Fortuna, I want to be sold souvenir drink mugs, I want to overpay for a replica of myself as a pewter Bear in Carbonite, and I want some G-rated Jabba's Dancers (though, Jabba was an affable guy, so at least one slave boy to balance out the girls).

But the original Max Rebo Band were all puppets. The SE crap was them forcing crappy CG in.

 

[Soarin' Over Pgh]

MC's part three of Diagon Alley coverage has been posted.

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but that level do detail, with all the itty nooks and crannies is mind blowing.

Universal is going to make unbelievable amounts of money.

@PhotoDave219 you had mentioned they fed you...what did you try and how was it? The photos on MC's article literally made my stomach growl and mouth water.

 

[Soarin' Over Pgh]

This is absolutely feasible and probable for a few weeks in July and possibly into November.

No doubt in my mind the attendance will be through the roof. And honestly I can see people going back just to explore more of DA.

I'm curious to see how numbers affect Disneys attendance numbers. I would personally be more than happy to skip three of disneys parks for extra time just to wander DA. It looks incredible.

 

[StageFrenzy]

My itinerary when I go to Islands of Adventure has usually been: Spiderman, Doctor Doom, Dudley Doo-Right, Popeye, Jurrassic Park, Suess trolley, One Fish, and then the Cat in the Hat Ride. I also love laying at the Discovery Center and Me Ship, The Olive. It really has some awesome attractions and is easy to navigate if you get there at park opening. I'm hoping that Kong adds to it(since I loved Kong 360 in Hollywood).

In other words you hang a left

 

[marni1971]

So people here are saying universal is going to pass WDW in attendance. I don't think so and I don't think they will pass any of the WDW parks..

Guess what? People do think that! Shocking huh?

And if they don't what's wrong with that?

You sound like you want people to be proven wrong.

 

[justavoice]

I understand what you are saying, but, I think it is a tad premature to think that Uni can do for Orlando what Disney has if Disney no longer existed. They neither have the size or draw of Disney. I would say that they are moving in the right direction, but, until they have established the same reputation (whether currently true or not) that Disney has concerning Theme Parks in general and focus in particular, they will never carry the area on their own. They might survive, no doubt, but it would be disastrous for the Orlando/Kissimmee area.


Well, driving your car and mass transit are two different animals and are juggled about to fit your needs. If you aren't in any hurry you take public transit. If you are in a hurry you take your car. They were really never designed to be fast transportation, just convenient and necessary if no other means exists. If you are going to park hop to 3 different parks in one day, it is obvious that buses are not going to work with your plans. That is not a sign of incompetence on the part of the bus system, that is a sign that it was not designed for your specific needs.

I agree that it takes a while to get from MK to the parking lot. If I wasn't enjoying my time there as much as I do, I would be mighty upset by that myself. But, I am not at all upset because it is all part of the show. I can speed past the fun or I can linger and enjoy it. The choice is yours and mine. Just don't expect things from something that they were never designed to do.


You have misunderstood my comment. There is nothing wrong with having a "talk about" attraction. Where the danger lies is being completely associated with the HP part of it. The reason is that you have then focused on only one group and that would be Harry Potter fans, to the exclusion of everyone else. We have seen it come up a number of times in these threads... "I don't care about HP so I'm not going to UNI." Disney has never been defined by one attraction (and/or land). That is an extreme advantage.

I absolutely agree that Uni has many top notch attractions, which is why I have shared my vacation time with them as well as Disney, SeaWorld and the 57 other varieties of entertainment in the area. You are preaching to the choir. It's a little bit extreme to say that Disney hasn't had anything built since Bush was president. The proper wording would have to be...that Disney hasn't built anything that you have liked since Bush was president.


No, you didn't have to ask. The fact is that unless people agree with the opinions of you or your fanbois, they are labeled as bloggers, lifestylers or Disney associated. It would certainly be justified to ask if you are a Uni blogger, lifestyler or associated with them, because of your negative stance on all things Disney. I know, I know... it's your love of Disney that makes you be critical of everything they do. Well, the old saying, "with friends like you, who needs enemies" applies here.

I believe it should read "with fronds like these, who needs anemones".

Seriously WDW74 can be harsh at times because he tires of us experts that come down to Otown once a year, hear bus drivers stories that we all know is a scoop fact and want to show we are smarter. The guy has sound business acumen, a different take that is not all is perfect, and he has fun. Do not like it, don't read it. offended sorry, but it is refreshing to hear frank statements.

 

[mahnamahna101]

So people here are saying universal is going to pass WDW in attendance. I don't think so and I don't think they will pass any of the WDW parks. They will still be number 5 and 6 in Orlando.

This year... yes, by 2017? Hollywood Studios is #6, while Animal Kingdom is only a million ahead. Epcot not too far behind. By 2024, Universal very well could frog-hop AK and Epcot in terms of attendance. Comcast shows no signs of stopping. And those parks are mainly stagnant. It's not illogical to assume a park that's adding immersive, exciting worlds and attractions will soar past two half day ones and another that's in need of a massive update

 

[Goofyernmost]

I believe it should read "with fronds like these, who needs anemones".

Seriously WDW74 can be harsh at times because he tires of us experts that come down to Otown once a year, hear bus drivers stories that we all know is a scoop fact and want to show we are smarter. The guy has sound business acumen, a different take that is not all is perfect, and he has fun. Do not like it, don't read it. offended sorry, but it is refreshing to hear frank statements.

Never said he wasn't quite extremely knowledgeable. Just saying that ridicule or degrading are not really good debating tools unless, of course, you're running for political office. Debate involves counter points, not name calling and labeling in a demeaning manner. That just makes it seem more like middle school bullying.

 

[AEfx]

Well, driving your car and mass transit are two different animals and are juggled about to fit your needs. If you aren't in any hurry you take public transit. If you are in a hurry you take your car. They were really never designed to be fast transportation, just convenient and necessary if no other means exists. If you are going to park hop to 3 different parks in one day, it is obvious that buses are not going to work with your plans. That is not a sign of incompetence on the part of the bus system, that is a sign that it was not designed for your specific needs.

No one ever said it was incompetent - that was placed on it by someone who works in public transit and took offense to the general idea that it might not be ideal for everyone. /shrug

You have misunderstood my comment. There is nothing wrong with having a "talk about" attraction. Where the danger lies is being completely associated with the HP part of it. The reason is that you have then focused on only one group and that would be Harry Potter fans, to the exclusion of everyone else. We have seen it come up a number of times in these threads... "I don't care about HP so I'm not going to UNI." Disney has never been defined by one attraction (and/or land). That is an extreme advantage.

That's where Springfield, Transformers, and the other franchises come in. You can't pretend that Potter is all that Universal has added - it may get the most publicity, but they have been adding attractions left and right from lots of franchises.

I absolutely agree that Uni has many top notch attractions, which is why I have shared my vacation time with them as well as Disney, SeaWorld and the 57 other varieties of entertainment in the area. You are preaching to the choir. It's a little bit extreme to say that Disney hasn't had anything built since Bush was president. The proper wording would have to be...that Disney hasn't built anything that you have liked since Bush was president.

I didn't say they hadn't "had anything built" - nor do I think they haven't built anything I "liked" since then. I quite like New Fantasyland, as well as both 7DMT and even TLM.

The point is, Disney has not built a WOW E-ticket since 1994. MK hasn't seen one since 1992.

About as close as they have come was Soarin' and Everest - Soarin' is simply new seating for an already existing experience elsewhere; and Everest has been missing it's centerpiece that the entire experience builds up almost since it opened.

So I may have liked some of the things they have done, but none of it is anywhere near the level of say Splash Mountain, ToT, etc.

I'm glad you already are aware that everything will be overpriced and the food will be borderline gross but I hope it's not DTD.

It may be asking too much but I'd love to see half of DHS transformed into Star Wars Universe. That's just about the only way I would ever bother with that park.

Oh, yeah, no - the Studios, definitely.

But I am fully prepared to pay out the nose for it, if it was done correctly. I just find the Cantina rather boring, I want the full realization of that concept that happened in ROJ.

But the original Max Rebo Band were all puppets. The SE crap was them forcing crappy CG in.

Yes, I know - puppets. That's what I loved about them. It also makes them ideal for theme park use. The "Muppet" thing is about how the CGI characters act - that silly little creature who sings Jedi rocks who is simply meant to make Jabba's less threatening and more kid friendly, all that garbage. The silly tone, not the manner of their construction.

 

[bubbles1812]

You have misunderstood my comment. There is nothing wrong with having a "talk about" attraction. Where the danger lies is being completely associated with the HP part of it. The reason is that you have then focused on only one group and that would be Harry Potter fans, to the exclusion of everyone else. We have seen it come up a number of times in these threads... "I don't care about HP so I'm not going to UNI." Disney has never been defined by one attraction (and/or land). That is an extreme advantage.

I see your point, but I'm not sure I agree with it. Yes they focused on the Harry Potter fans, I suppose, but the popularity/success of WWOHP proves that the land is more transcendent, that it draws more than "just Harry Potter fans."

Anecdotal example... My mother could give two sh*ts about Harry Potter. She never read the books, and she fell asleep during every one of the movies we dragged her to. Yet last year, she was ecstatic to visit UNI. Going to WWOHP was the one thing she wanted to do on our Disney/Uni trip. I have seen a few people on here mention the "I don't care about HP so I'm not going to UNI," but even you can surely admit that is happening less and less. The trend I've most observed now is "I don't care about HP but the good things I am hearing about the land(s) has finally encouraged me to give UNI a try."

Now WWOHP is the biggest draw to Universal right now, not arguing with ya there, and it's probably the thing most people associate with Uni. But its not the only thing people are aware of... People know especially about Marvel, the Minions, Transformers and the Simpsons among others I've heard mentioned. People know there is more there. I don't think I've ever met anyone who thinks Universal/IOA only consists of Harry Potter.

Disney is not defined by one attraction or land. That is true too, but only to a point. I could easily argue that Fantasyland is what defines Disney, even though I'm well aware of the other lands. When people think of Disney, they usually think of the Magic Kingdom (Tons aren't aware the other parks exist, you know). And when people think of Magic Kingdom, it's usually the rides in Fantasyland that come to mind first, unless you've visited there already and know what you like. Even popular rides like the Haunted Mansion and Pirates are often mistaken as being in Fantasyland. Why do you think Dumbo gets so much playing time on commercials? Why do you think the princesses are so heavily shoved down our throats? Why do you think so much emphasis gets placed on the "Disney Classics"...Obviously that's a rather heterogeneous group of movies, but still, they are all grouped together and define people's ideas of what to expect at Disney. And why do you think Fantasyland was the one that got the new addition and not say, Tomorrowland (which needs a major revamp). Disney is defined by Fantasyland in many respects.