Theme parks battle to rule the yuletide
By Robert Johnson | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted November 11, 2002
The Christmas season is the next great battleground for Orlando's theme parks.
With Universal Orlando having just emerged as the big winner of Halloween -- Walt Disney World having largely conceded that edgy turf for years now -- the Grinch and an airborne armada from the annual Macy's parade are taking aim at The Mouse and its long-time rule of all things yule.
"We're going to be as aggressive as we can," said Gretchen Hoffman, vice president of marketing for Universal's two local parks, Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios. Universal is more than doubling it's array of Christmas entertainment this year by bringing in the Macy's Holiday Parade, a smaller version of the annual Thanksgiving Day extravaganza staged in New York City by the venerable retailer.
The parade, at Universal Studios, will include a dozen or so of the huge balloon characters -- such as Curious George, the mischievous monkey of children's book fame -- that are so big and buoyant that each must be kept from flying away by dozens of parade workers clutching ropes. The parade will march at least once a day from Dec. 13 through Jan. 5.
Disney World's Christmas additions are more modest -- a bigger tree here and a larger walk-through gingerbread house there -- but that's mainly because its theme parks are already bristling with everything from the popular Candlelight Processions at Epcot to the display of 5 million "Osborne Christmas Lights" at MGM-Studios.
This year is a rare one in which Disney isn't increasing the number of lights in the Osborne display, which it obtained from an Arkansas family whose exhibit -- the object of a much-publicized state Supreme Court case -- simply grew too big for their residential neighborhood. But Disney World officials do promise a surprise: Special holographic glasses will enable guests to see angels glowing among the lights.
"No one can get near us for Christmas," said Linda Warren, Disney World's executive vice president of marketing.
Why would Universal bother trying? Because the prime-time Christmas market has taken on increased importance amid the travel slump caused by last year's terrorism attacks in New York and Washington, D.C.
What's more, getting people in the holiday spirit is far less expensive than adding an attraction that requires a commitment to brick-and-mortar. "Garland is a lot cheaper than a new $50 million ride," said John Robinett, senior vice president at Economics Research Associates, a Los Angeles entertainment consultant.
Theme-park attendance around Thanksgiving and between Christmas and New Year's Day is usually 10 percent to 20 percent higher than most other times of the year, Robinett estimated. And "holiday special events are a great way to entice the local market," he said. "So many of them [area residents] only go to the parks once in the summer and then not again for a year. But having more that's fresh at Christmas might get them to make a second visit."
Some tourists think the theme parks make Christmas more special. "We have come to Orlando at Christmastime before and it's great. The decorations and the atmosphere really make it feel like a holiday," said Bill Petrie, a sheet-metal worker from Buffalo, N.Y., who visited Disney and Universal in early November this year take advantage of a discounted airline-and-hotel package.
Even Orlando's No. 3 park, SeaWorld, is getting in on the Christmas push this year for the first time. The home of Shamu the killer whale will offer a walk-through gallery of 21 life-size sculptures based on seasonal Saturday Evening Post covers painted decades ago by famed illustrator Norman Rockwell.
Most of the theme parks' Christmas events are included in the price of a regular admission, unlike the separate admission charged by Universal's popular Halloween Horror Nights, which ended Nov. 2 after 21 evenings. Many of the Christmas celebrations are offered as sweeteners, to lure guests at a time of the year when they are most likely to be shopping instead.
In years past, Universal has been inclined to sit on its Halloween laurels in early November, rather than get pushing to put up Christmas holly. But not this year.
Islands of Adventure workers were already busy last week painting and otherwise sprucing up the Grinch's Lair, a walk-through attraction in which guests visit the green character's grungy home. They can even sit in his custom-made steel sled, which shudders when someone sits in it as if it has just bumped over a mogul in the snow.
This year, Universal workers toting Christmas decorations into the park are passing colleagues still carrying Halloween stuff out to a warehouse. "From blood-and-guts one day to ornaments and glitter the next," said Kim Gromoll, Universal Orlando's scenic manager.
Universal's seasonal efforts are aimed not only at locals but out-of-state tourists as well, said Hoffman, the marketing vice president. "Business still isn't back to where we would like to see it, but aside from international business, we're growing." The Macy's parades, she reasoned, "are a great opportunity to bring in the most popular street entertainment in the country."
More street entertainment has been the battle cry for nearly a year from Bob Gault, who was made president of Universal Orlando last fall, soon after the post-Sept. 11 slump set in. Gault added street performers with more elaborate shows and while some of those have been dropped, at least temporarily, his creative team is still experimenting with characters and acts to pump life into the park as guests walk between rides and other permanent attractions.
Universal is also adding an ice rink this year in its CityWalk entertainment district where visitors may rent skates -- or bring their own. Snow-making machines will turn parts of CityWalk white at certain times of the day and night from Nov. 29 to Dec. 30. And horse-drawn carriages will be added to help give the shopping-and-restaurant complex a traditional atmosphere.
The Grinch, star of Dr. Seuss' 1957 Christmas storybook, the 1966 cartoon adaptation and the 2000 movie starring Jim Carrey, returns to Universal for his third year in Islands of Adventure -- but this time with a beefed-up musical show that boasts more than 20 dancers and singers.
The Grinch has already outflanked Disney World's Christmas tactics in a bid for some national attention: Just last Friday, Universal publicists landed an actor playing the rude, green imp a spot on CBS's Early Morning television show.
Despite trailing Disney World in number of theme parks -- two vs. four -- and hotels -- three vs. 20 -- Universal Orlando has a good shot at increasing its share of the Christmas market, according to Robinett, of Economics Research. "They don't need to catch Disney, just add to their business. And freshening your product can do that."
He noted that Branson, Mo., a music-hall mecca for country music fans, has become a major regional attraction at Christmastime in recent years. "They got nothing at Christmas until they decided to decorate the whole town like a Christmas village. Now it's a huge time for Branson," he said.
Attractions in Branson include music theaters owned by the likes of singer Andy Williams, whose Christmas specials on network television were popular in the 1960s and '70s. Another theater there is owned by the Osmond brothers, who were frequent guests on his Christmas shows.
When it comes to Christmas tradition, of course, Disney has the advantage of critical mass.
Consider that in its massive Holiday Services warehouse are stored such treasures as 1,600 artificial Christmas trees, at heights ranging from 2 to 70 feet, and 15 miles of garland.
"Christmas is getting bigger every year," said Barry Stockwell, a warehouse supervisor who also oversees the design and development of new decorations. The models for new ornaments, wreaths and other items are built there and then farmed out to vendors who make the hundreds or thousands needed.
Work on Christmas decorations continues year round at Disney. "I have no visions of sugar plums. None," said Teresa Dickerson, a decoration maker. "When I leave here, my vision is to try and forget about Christmas for a while."
Across town, meanwhile, the upstarts seem energized this year.
"The real competition among the theme parks for Christmas is just starting. And we're in it," said Universal's Hoffman. Being newer to the Christmas game is a plus for Universal, she insisted, because her parks' characters are fresher in the fray.
"Everyone has a Santa Claus," she said, "but only we have the Grinch."
Robert Johnson can be reached at 407-420-5664 or rwjohnson@orlandosentinel.com.
Copyright © 2002, Orlando Sentinel
_______________________________
Oh, humbug.
By Robert Johnson | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted November 11, 2002
The Christmas season is the next great battleground for Orlando's theme parks.
With Universal Orlando having just emerged as the big winner of Halloween -- Walt Disney World having largely conceded that edgy turf for years now -- the Grinch and an airborne armada from the annual Macy's parade are taking aim at The Mouse and its long-time rule of all things yule.
"We're going to be as aggressive as we can," said Gretchen Hoffman, vice president of marketing for Universal's two local parks, Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios. Universal is more than doubling it's array of Christmas entertainment this year by bringing in the Macy's Holiday Parade, a smaller version of the annual Thanksgiving Day extravaganza staged in New York City by the venerable retailer.
The parade, at Universal Studios, will include a dozen or so of the huge balloon characters -- such as Curious George, the mischievous monkey of children's book fame -- that are so big and buoyant that each must be kept from flying away by dozens of parade workers clutching ropes. The parade will march at least once a day from Dec. 13 through Jan. 5.
Disney World's Christmas additions are more modest -- a bigger tree here and a larger walk-through gingerbread house there -- but that's mainly because its theme parks are already bristling with everything from the popular Candlelight Processions at Epcot to the display of 5 million "Osborne Christmas Lights" at MGM-Studios.
This year is a rare one in which Disney isn't increasing the number of lights in the Osborne display, which it obtained from an Arkansas family whose exhibit -- the object of a much-publicized state Supreme Court case -- simply grew too big for their residential neighborhood. But Disney World officials do promise a surprise: Special holographic glasses will enable guests to see angels glowing among the lights.
"No one can get near us for Christmas," said Linda Warren, Disney World's executive vice president of marketing.
Why would Universal bother trying? Because the prime-time Christmas market has taken on increased importance amid the travel slump caused by last year's terrorism attacks in New York and Washington, D.C.
What's more, getting people in the holiday spirit is far less expensive than adding an attraction that requires a commitment to brick-and-mortar. "Garland is a lot cheaper than a new $50 million ride," said John Robinett, senior vice president at Economics Research Associates, a Los Angeles entertainment consultant.
Theme-park attendance around Thanksgiving and between Christmas and New Year's Day is usually 10 percent to 20 percent higher than most other times of the year, Robinett estimated. And "holiday special events are a great way to entice the local market," he said. "So many of them [area residents] only go to the parks once in the summer and then not again for a year. But having more that's fresh at Christmas might get them to make a second visit."
Some tourists think the theme parks make Christmas more special. "We have come to Orlando at Christmastime before and it's great. The decorations and the atmosphere really make it feel like a holiday," said Bill Petrie, a sheet-metal worker from Buffalo, N.Y., who visited Disney and Universal in early November this year take advantage of a discounted airline-and-hotel package.
Even Orlando's No. 3 park, SeaWorld, is getting in on the Christmas push this year for the first time. The home of Shamu the killer whale will offer a walk-through gallery of 21 life-size sculptures based on seasonal Saturday Evening Post covers painted decades ago by famed illustrator Norman Rockwell.
Most of the theme parks' Christmas events are included in the price of a regular admission, unlike the separate admission charged by Universal's popular Halloween Horror Nights, which ended Nov. 2 after 21 evenings. Many of the Christmas celebrations are offered as sweeteners, to lure guests at a time of the year when they are most likely to be shopping instead.
In years past, Universal has been inclined to sit on its Halloween laurels in early November, rather than get pushing to put up Christmas holly. But not this year.
Islands of Adventure workers were already busy last week painting and otherwise sprucing up the Grinch's Lair, a walk-through attraction in which guests visit the green character's grungy home. They can even sit in his custom-made steel sled, which shudders when someone sits in it as if it has just bumped over a mogul in the snow.
This year, Universal workers toting Christmas decorations into the park are passing colleagues still carrying Halloween stuff out to a warehouse. "From blood-and-guts one day to ornaments and glitter the next," said Kim Gromoll, Universal Orlando's scenic manager.
Universal's seasonal efforts are aimed not only at locals but out-of-state tourists as well, said Hoffman, the marketing vice president. "Business still isn't back to where we would like to see it, but aside from international business, we're growing." The Macy's parades, she reasoned, "are a great opportunity to bring in the most popular street entertainment in the country."
More street entertainment has been the battle cry for nearly a year from Bob Gault, who was made president of Universal Orlando last fall, soon after the post-Sept. 11 slump set in. Gault added street performers with more elaborate shows and while some of those have been dropped, at least temporarily, his creative team is still experimenting with characters and acts to pump life into the park as guests walk between rides and other permanent attractions.
Universal is also adding an ice rink this year in its CityWalk entertainment district where visitors may rent skates -- or bring their own. Snow-making machines will turn parts of CityWalk white at certain times of the day and night from Nov. 29 to Dec. 30. And horse-drawn carriages will be added to help give the shopping-and-restaurant complex a traditional atmosphere.
The Grinch, star of Dr. Seuss' 1957 Christmas storybook, the 1966 cartoon adaptation and the 2000 movie starring Jim Carrey, returns to Universal for his third year in Islands of Adventure -- but this time with a beefed-up musical show that boasts more than 20 dancers and singers.
The Grinch has already outflanked Disney World's Christmas tactics in a bid for some national attention: Just last Friday, Universal publicists landed an actor playing the rude, green imp a spot on CBS's Early Morning television show.
Despite trailing Disney World in number of theme parks -- two vs. four -- and hotels -- three vs. 20 -- Universal Orlando has a good shot at increasing its share of the Christmas market, according to Robinett, of Economics Research. "They don't need to catch Disney, just add to their business. And freshening your product can do that."
He noted that Branson, Mo., a music-hall mecca for country music fans, has become a major regional attraction at Christmastime in recent years. "They got nothing at Christmas until they decided to decorate the whole town like a Christmas village. Now it's a huge time for Branson," he said.
Attractions in Branson include music theaters owned by the likes of singer Andy Williams, whose Christmas specials on network television were popular in the 1960s and '70s. Another theater there is owned by the Osmond brothers, who were frequent guests on his Christmas shows.
When it comes to Christmas tradition, of course, Disney has the advantage of critical mass.
Consider that in its massive Holiday Services warehouse are stored such treasures as 1,600 artificial Christmas trees, at heights ranging from 2 to 70 feet, and 15 miles of garland.
"Christmas is getting bigger every year," said Barry Stockwell, a warehouse supervisor who also oversees the design and development of new decorations. The models for new ornaments, wreaths and other items are built there and then farmed out to vendors who make the hundreds or thousands needed.
Work on Christmas decorations continues year round at Disney. "I have no visions of sugar plums. None," said Teresa Dickerson, a decoration maker. "When I leave here, my vision is to try and forget about Christmas for a while."
Across town, meanwhile, the upstarts seem energized this year.
"The real competition among the theme parks for Christmas is just starting. And we're in it," said Universal's Hoffman. Being newer to the Christmas game is a plus for Universal, she insisted, because her parks' characters are fresher in the fray.
"Everyone has a Santa Claus," she said, "but only we have the Grinch."
Robert Johnson can be reached at 407-420-5664 or rwjohnson@orlandosentinel.com.
Copyright © 2002, Orlando Sentinel
_______________________________
Oh, humbug.
)