The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter Super Bowl ad

[wdwmagic]

IoA is vastly underrated.

I often think it's very much overrated. It has some nice off-the-shelf coasters from B&M which are good whichever park they get built in. Spiderman is OK. Other than that, nothing much that stands out. I'm looking forward to Potter and to see if it can transform the park for me. Currently, I would take Universal Studios over IOA - as a theme park experience. Currently IOA more closely resembles a Six Flags type park.

 

[wdwmagic]

In idea, sure...


Theme...quality...cohesiveness? I dunno. :lol:

Right, it's nowhere close.

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

I often think it's very much overrated. It has some nice off-the-shelf coasters from B&M which are good whichever park they get built in. Spiderman is OK. Other than that, nothing much that stands out. I'm looking forward to Potter and to see if it can transform the park for me. Currently, I would take Universal Studios over IOA - as a theme park experience. Currently IOA more closely resembles a Six Flags type park.

I've never been, but some areas look nice, even I have to admit. I do think that HP WILL raise the bar for the park and the industry, however...becuase it looks like Disney Quality! :lol:

Right, it's nowhere close.

Thanks!

 

[wdwmagic]

I've never been, but some areas look nice, even I have to admit. I do think that HP WILL raise the bar for the park and the industry, however...becuase it looks like Disney Quality! :lol:

Thanks!

Parts of it are nice. But that kinda sums up the problem with IOA. To me, it is as though it was designed to have all of the elements of what the designers considered a "great Disney park". Unfortunately, nothing ties it together, they are abstract lands that don't fit, or have any real place or back story. The place is very small and crowded (not with guests, but with carts selling cheap junk, tight walkways), and all of it's sightlines are destroyed by huge steel coasters. They really looked hard at Disney, and thought they could take replicate it's success. What they don't seem to realise, is that people have a heart string atatchment to Disney that runs much deeper than a collection of rides. The deeper attachment just isn't there at IOA, and it comes across as as series of almost random rides positioned around a very small lagoon. They tried to make the ideal park, but that's all it is, their "idea" of what a perfect park is, and it fell short.

You really should go, at least to check it out and to gauge it for yourself.

 

[EpcotServo]

Islands of Adventure is a fantastic park.

Animal Kingdom or Disneysea? Not quite. Alot of little things like the exsposed coaster track and most of all the giant bare metal structure of Dudley keep it from going over the top, but there's SO much detail and hidden wonders in the park I can spend days talking about all the amazing things to see and find that people walk right by, that I can't in all good conscious rip on it like it's sub-par or something Six Flags would make.

I'm not seeing the imitation, I see alot of passion put into the park.

(I especially love the character trails that help explain the backstory of each island)

I just wish fandom in all areas (Theme Parks, Games, Movies, Anime, all Subcultures) would stop the name brand fighting (AKA Team Disney & Team Universal, Team X Box 360 & Team PS3, Team Edward & Team Jacob, Team Conan & Team Jay, Team Jar-Jar & Team Ewok...Etc.)

We have both people, they both have pros & cons, but there is no reason why we can't enjoy both for what they ARE, not what they AREN'T.


The Adventure Lives On!

 

[JT3000]

I've never been

So you were comparing two parks you haven't been to. Nice.

I won't comment on DisneySea. I can't. But I do know that IOA is in fact a more detailed park than anything at WDW.

Parts of it are nice. But that kinda sums up the problem with IOA. To me, it is as though it was designed to have all of the elements of what the designers considered a "great Disney park". Unfortunately, nothing ties it together, they are abstract lands that don't fit, or have any real place or back story. The place is very small and crowded (not with guests, but with carts selling cheap junk, tight walkways), and all of it's sightlines are destroyed by huge steel coasters. They really looked hard at Disney, and thought they could take replicate it's success. What they don't seem to realise, is that people have a heart string atatchment to Disney that runs much deeper than a collection of rides. The deeper attachment just isn't there at IOA, and it comes across as as series of almost random rides positioned around a very small lagoon. They tried to make the ideal park, but that's all it is, their "idea" of what a perfect park is, and it fell short.

You really should go, at least to check it out and to gauge it for yourself.

It is not "random" or "abstract." IOA has just as much of a cohesive theme as its sister park. Each land is based on a form of literature. Novels, children's books, comics and mythology. All literary adventures. As for backstory? IOA is probably the only park in Florida that actually has one. An actual written backstory. Does Magic Kingdom have one of those? It would help if it did, because unlike IOA, its lands don't even have a common theme. You probably don't realize this because you're a fan of the "Disney legacy" who just takes the park at face value, but it's the truth. The entire park is a true collection of randomness.

 

[wdwmagic]

Each land is based on a form of literature. Novels, children's books, comics and mythology. All literary adventures. As for backstory? IOA is probably the only park in Florida that actually has one. An actual written backstory. Does Magic Kingdom have one of those?

The Magic Kingdom in the most part has custom written stories for the park that have become a part of great storytelling in their own right. They don't have to rely on stories written by others. The fact that Pirates and the Mansion became the basis for movies says a lot about the depth of story that is found there.

Some of IOAs stories are just plain bizzare. Darkedon? That whole story plays out more like a bad wrestling show. What really bugs me about that attraction is that at one time it was good. The same thing over at the Mummy - basically no story what-so-ever, and it replaced Kong that was actually a Disney calibre attraction.

I'm a big fan of T2 and Twister - I think they are both great attractions.

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

Parts of it are nice. But that kinda sums up the problem with IOA. To me, it is as though it was designed to have all of the elements of what the designers considered a "great Disney park". Unfortunately, nothing ties it together, they are abstract lands that don't fit, or have any real place or back story. The place is very small and crowded (not with guests, but with carts selling cheap junk, tight walkways), and all of it's sightlines are destroyed by huge steel coasters. They really looked hard at Disney, and thought they could take replicate it's success. What they don't seem to realise, is that people have a heart string atatchment to Disney that runs much deeper than a collection of rides. The deeper attachment just isn't there at IOA, and it comes across as as series of almost random rides positioned around a very small lagoon. They tried to make the ideal park, but that's all it is, their "idea" of what a perfect park is, and it fell short.

You really should go, at least to check it out and to gauge it for yourself.

Exactly. And that's exactly why I think Disney will always be superior. :lol:

So you were comparing two parks you haven't been to. Nice.

I won't comment on DisneySea. I can't. But I do know that IOA is in fact a more detailed park than anything at WDW.

I believe it's fair to look at two different pictures and judge which one is nicer, yes.



:lol:

 

[JT3000]

The Magic Kingdom in the most part has custom written stories for the park that have become a part of great storytelling in their own right. They don't have to rely on stories written by others.

Who wrote these stories though? I don't believe Disney ever gave the park an official backstory that ties everything together. IOA has one, written by Universal themselves.

Some attractions, like Pirates and Mansion, were recently given their own stories, but they didn't always have one. They were probably better off that way. Pirates being changed to match the films just took away from its originality if you ask me.

Some of IOAs stories are just plain bizzare. Darkedon? That whole story plays out more like a bad wrestling show. What really bugs me about that attraction is that at one time it was good. The same thing over at the Mummy

Poseidon's Fury, the current version at least, is the biggest blunder in the history of the park. I won't argue that. Mummy has a story, but no one is aware of it because it's explained through TV sets that everyone ignores at the beginning of the queue.

 

[CaptainMichael]

Exactly. And that's exactly why I think Disney will always be superior. :lol:

TDO and Disney Marketing will be happy to hear that. They've got you hooked:xmas:

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

TDO and Disney Marketing will be happy to hear that. They've got you hooked:xmas:

The current marketing? Nope.


The old marketing, their History, their legacy, yes. That's what I currently go to Disney for. Which is sad. :lol: It shouldn't be like that. It should be that AND new things.

I do think that they are correcting the problem, though.

 

[Testtrack321]

Some attractions, like Pirates and Mansion, were recently given their own stories, but they didn't always have one. They were probably better off that way. Pirates being changed to match the films just took away from its originality if you ask me.

I would like to correct this and HM comments in general in this thread.

The HM does NOT have a story. It simply does not. Anything stated by a CM, us, or the general public is speculation; a thread created to tie together an amalgamation of show scenes of being in a haunted house.

Now, Pirates has somewhat of a story line in DL, both before and after referbs. The story line post referb is much stronger in the actual pirate scenes, but it was still there before.

And as for IOA, they attempt to explain everything in more detail than MK does, and I give them credit for that; but sometimes, the best stories are the ones left to be written by the audience.

Mummy has a story, but no one is aware of it because it's explained through TV sets that everyone ignores at the beginning of the queue.

That's a failure in story telling; if you have to explain to your guests the story point blank in a queue over TVs you're not doing it right. Even rides that have a movie preshow have lead ups that tell the story. Mummy, if I'm not mistaken, leads up with some museum artifacts and posters, then it transitions in a hallway into a movie set, then you board the ride, and stuff happens. If nothing else, the Mummy is a story line failure to it's horrible horrible ending.

A much better story telling method used in UO is MIB, which uses it's queue and lots of sets to tell a story. Though unfortunately now they hurry you through the cool intro transition area and the CM mumbles the lines...

 

[wdwmagic]

Poseidon's Fury, the current version at least, is the biggest blunder in the history of the park. I won't argue that. Mummy has a story, but no one is aware of it because it's explained through TV sets that everyone ignores at the beginning of the queue.

I feel a bit like the Mummy uses the wrong ride system. With a proper story, and maybe a motion base, I think there could be something good there. As it is, it isn't really a good coaster, nor is it a good dark ride.

 

[71jason]

Wow what happened to you? You sound really bitter and angry with WDW, not all how I remember you when you first started posting here.

Michael's a friend, and he's certainly done an excellent job responding to this post on is own, but I want to add he's hardly alone. My circle of friends is pretty much the local Disney fanbase, and no one is happy with the direction the resort has taken in the past 10 years or so.

Sure, a few things have worked out well (HM rehab, HoP rehab, I'm in the minority but I think Space, while not a home run, is a bit better than when it closed). But EPCOT, my favorite park from 1983 until about 2 or 3 years ago, has become a sickly shadow of its former self. Shops throughout the parks offer the same generic merch. Hours are cut. Staffing standards are cut. DVC stands pop up like mushrooms. The premier effect in one of AK's only two E-ticket rides is left unfixed for over a year now.

And don't get me started on the urban wasteland that is DTD. That they closed the premier attraction on property, the pinnacle of imagineering, to create a dead mall, and then still have the gall to advertise--I think that is a good metaphor for the decline of WDW in general.

I realize as admin of a site called "WDWMagic" you have some small amount of "skin in the game." But even you have to admit, things have been on a downhill plunge for years. Will FLE correct this? Maybe. But, based on everything we've seen so far, to claim FLE will be a home run and WWOHP will be a failure seems completely disingenuous.

 

[WDW Vacationer]

Kinda late here,but I liked the video.:lookaroun

 

[71jason]

And IoA was never a family-friendly park to begin with and still isn't.

I think this attitude is common among people who go to the park with the "commando"/Tour Guide Mike-mentality that the Disney parks seem to foster. I'm always surprised how few people know things like "If I Ran the Zoo," "Me Ship the Olive" and the "Jurassic Park Discover Center" even exist. I've spent hours with my goddaughters exploring these places (and Barney and Curious George over in the Studios), and I think kids ultimately have a much better time there than waiting 45 to 120 minutes for a 3-minute ride or meet-and-greet.

 

[MKCP 1985]

It seems to me some college aged guys who couldn't wait to leave home to go work at Disney World got a little green when they saw behind the curtain and can't come to grips.

Meanwhile, who the hell leaves home to go work at Universal? :lookaroun (and I don't mean "home" in terms of Orange, Osceola, Lake and other neighboring counties)

Islands of Adventure as a place of escape with the family from the real world pressures of life has a long way to go before it can be thought of in the same terms of the Disney parks and resorts.

The attendance numbers, sales figures and the general perception of vacationers around the world bear out the truth of my statements.

The loud voices of a handful of disgruntleds on this site, no matter how many posts they invest in their opinions on how many threads, do not change that reality.

 

[hack2112]

Meanwhile, who the hell leaves home to go work at Universal? :lookaroun (and I don't mean "home" in terms of Orange, Osceola, Lake and other neighboring counties)

I would. Give me the chance to work at T2:3D (Preferably as a Male Kimberly Duncan. [Chris Duncan, anyone? {And I look just SUPER in red.}]) and I would be there in a heartbeat. Same thing to work at HHN as a scare actor. Or Jaws. The only things that I would do at WDW are JC or GMR. (and only if I can enjoy myself with it.) Although I will admit that I am in the minority.

I think the whole problem with Uni vs. Disney is the nostalgia factor. All I know is that the best preshow by a CM or TM I have ever seen was at Uni for Shrek 4D. (I don't count T2 because it's an actor who does it.) And it's the best preshow every time I visit any park, hands down.

Now, can we get over the theme park bashing and talk about how well they've kept this under wraps? For a company so big, we still don't know what the ride vehicle is going to look like. That is some Apple-like secrecy, there.

 

[SirGoofy]

It seems to me some college aged guys who couldn't wait to leave home to go work at Disney World got a little green when they saw behind the curtain and can't come to grips.

That's actually quite untrue.:wave:

My shif in opinion has come from talking to quite a bit of longtime guests(whil inside the park). They feel abandoned and ignored by Disney. They hate the cartoonification of the MK, and I tend to believe them..

Ihas a long way to go before it can be thought of in the same terms of the Disney parks and resorts.

To the ignorant, maybe.

The attendance numbers, sales figures and the general perception of vacationers around the world bear out the truth of my statements.

As long as people buy into the marketing, sure. But I know plenty of people have been swayed to UNiversal's "side"(Like Servo, I hate how people have to pick sides) due to Disney's pushing them away.

 

[T-1MILLION]

I just want to make it clear I too enjoy both companies entertainment venues and styles (As it should be obvious since I am posting at a universal thread on a Disney World fansite)

both companies are full of great ideas and bonehead moves.

I just think that it is ignorant to constantly bash Universal just because it is not Disney. It is the only resort in the world that often delivers on par entertainment for many (meaning millions) of toursits worldwide, if it didin't. There would be no way for it to be able to compete the way it does.