"Thrill" Rides

[Lynx04]

But they're not. Disney is building thrill attractions because it wants to build thrill attractions. They've been building thrill attractions since the Matterhorn. It has nothing to do with Universal. Disney doesn't give Universal nearly as much credit as you think it does. Since IOA was not the booming success it was supposed to be, Disney doesn't care about building thrill attractions to compete with a park that has nowhere near the WDW attendance levels. If they did, then where's the Spider-Man clone? Or the Hulk clone? Or DD? Or the Jurassic Park River Adventure? Why would Disney have gone cheap with JIYI, Dino-Rama, and SGE if IOA was such a threat to them? No, the fact is that Universal has yet to build something that Disney does not already have, and until that changes Disney won'y pay heed to what Universal is doing. Notice how Universal increases ticket prices AFTER Disney increases theirs. Notice how Disney builds simulator, then UO builds simulator. Disney builds indoor roller coaster, then Universal builds indoor roller coaster. Notice how UO had to steal Disney's plans for BK to complete their new park, and steal the theme and layout for DTC to build its big E-Ticket. Do you see Disney doing this? No, because they don't care enough about UO to warrant such tactics.

If you were a company and lost 20 to 30 percent of guests visiting time because they are at another park, you will try to find ways to bring them back. Just because Disney has not cloned any of UO attraction doesn't mean they are not trying to obtain attraction with a higher thrill. Also, besides Mummy and Spiderman, Disney generally obtains original types of attractions before Universal. I don't think either try to emulate each other, but they do try to take each others guests. I agree that Disney isn't going to be over shadowed by Universal, but we all know how stingy Disney is. They want every guest they can bring in, that is one of the reasons I have stock in the company. Most of IOA downfall was because of poor marketing, if Universal gets their act together with the marketing, they will do a lot better.

The reality, Universal will never be able to compete with Disney with attendence. Walt's smart genious to buy as much land as he could paid off. Even USF teaming up with SW and BG will never be able to compete with Disney's attendence, but doesn't mean they can not build great attractions that are on par or better then what Disney has. Disney's attraction are not good because it is Disney, they are good because of the imagineers that work there. And those imagineer can go and work for any other company and create the same attractions that they can create at Disney. Just because they are at Disney doesn't mean that they magical abilities that they wouldn't have anywhere else. Universal and Disney have the same theme park mentality. Build attractions from a story, and not build a story from an attraction.

 

[tigger248]

Just wanted to throw in my 2 cents:

Actually, they did steal the idea from Disney. Before Disneyland, all amusement parks had multiple entrances and midways, with different shops and restaurants in each to cut down on overcrowding. Disneyland was the first to have a single entrance midway, to emphasize the "movie" theme of the park by having Main Street covered by a "curtain" (train station) and then revealing it as Scene One. IOA directly imitates this. It's a no-brainer because Disney's original concept worked so well!

Well then you're saying that every theme park in the country (and others) have copied off Disney. Which, IMO, would not make it as much of a Universal vs. Disney situation. More of a Disney parks vs. non-Disney parks issue.

But the two go hand-in-hand. So you're saying that UO is trying to bring guests to their park but NOT like it? That doesn't make any sense. The entire point of the chart is to get people to "like" Universal better. If they didn't think they would then they wouldn't go in the first place.

I don't think that's what Lynx was trying to say. It's all about more people = more money. I think what Lynx was trying to say is that it's a 2 way street. UO will advertise and try to steal people from Disney and Disney will do the same (advertise and try to steal people from UO). Disney wants people who otherwise would have only visited Universal to come and spend some time there too.

But they're not. Disney is building thrill attractions because it wants to build thrill attractions. They've been building thrill attractions since the Matterhorn. It has nothing to do with Universal. Disney doesn't give Universal nearly as much credit as you think it does. Since IOA was not the booming success it was supposed to be, Disney doesn't care about building thrill attractions to compete with a park that has nowhere near the WDW attendance levels. If they did, then where's the Spider-Man clone? Or the Hulk clone? Or DD? Or the Jurassic Park River Adventure? Why would Disney have gone cheap with JIYI, Dino-Rama, and SGE if IOA was such a threat to them? No, the fact is that Universal has yet to build something that Disney does not already have, and until that changes Disney won'y pay heed to what Universal is doing. Notice how Universal increases ticket prices AFTER Disney increases theirs. Notice how Disney builds simulator, then UO builds simulator. Disney builds indoor roller coaster, then Universal builds indoor roller coaster. Notice how UO had to steal Disney's plans for BK to complete their new park, and steal the theme and layout for DTC to build its big E-Ticket. Do you see Disney doing this? No, because they don't care enough about UO to warrant such tactics.

I have to respectfully disagree with part of this quote. I think Disney is building more thrill attractions these days than in the past. Look at the past few years and see how many thrill rides have opened/constructed and/or are opening soon. Then compare that with how many thrill rides were built before that. Many of the new attractions we're seeing are focusing on thrill. The parks are looking at ways to appeal to teens and young adults. Why? To compete with Universal.

And, the ticket price increases statement is not necessarily true. What I'd heard is that right after 9/11 when tourism and the economy was down, Disney was the only one who did not raise ticket prices. Universal, Sea World, and Busch Gardens all did (from what I heard as a cp, though I don't have an exact source). I'm thinking (though I could be wrong) that Universal's one-day ticket price in 2002 was like $56.99'ish and WDW's one day ticket price was closer to $50'ish.

 

[MuRkErY]

Originally Posted by Lynx04

I don't understand why people have to like one over the other. It seems that people think they are not allowed to like both parks. You either like Universal or you like Disney.

I agree, i love all the Orlando parks, i've been to Florida 3 times since i was born in 1987 for 3 weeks each.

1990, 2000, and 2005 and our visits wouldnt feel the same unless we went to Disney, Universal, and Seaworld, and in our most recent trip to Discovery Cove (Which was great, even though i didnt swim with the dolphins but my sister did, lol).

They all offer something a little different but all with great quality service and products. and i've never had a bad experince at any of them.

Anyway, all of this Diseny v Universal stuff, i was thinking dont you think that they actully need each other quite a bit as well as competing with each other, i mean especially for foreign vistors the attraction of what, 9 major Theme parks (10 if you count Busch Gardens), 4 Major Water parks (Wet n Wild and Discovery Cove, Even though Discovery cove is essentialy not a water park), and 2 large Resorts (Disney and Universal) i think the combined power of all of them draw a lot more vistors to the Orlando area than there would be if it was just one of them there, and i doubt many people go to Orlando and just exclusivly visit Universal or Disney and only bother with one or the other.

 

[jaredliu]

I am really really surprised that there are people think IOA has the same themeing quality as MK. HOW COME??? Maybe because of the space arragement or the clean qulity, but I found everything much more organized in MK. Besides MK's far more beautiful especially at night. IOA is not even close. I wouldn't even say Dueling Dragon is a good theme ride becuase the mystical midevil Q area is completely not fit into the modern-look steel structure of the coaster itself. Take a trip to the Disneyland to ride Indy Adventrue and then you would understand what IS a good themeing ride. And I think AK is the best-themed park in the whole world by far except the Dino-Rama area. (that place almost destory the whole beautiful park) Disney should add one more E-Ticket Attraction along with Dinosours and Expedtion Everst and put more animals such as panda (which they are curretly working on), and them SHUT DOWN the whole Dino-Rama area and replace them with real animals and landscape instead of Dumbo. If that all work out, I am telling your guys that place will not only out-popular than seaworld, it will be the most popular park in WDW, seriously.

 

[coasterphil]

I do not understand why both Universal fans and Disney fans are so blind to the fact that their preference isn't perfect. Very few of you seem to recognize that Universal has done a tremendous job with IOA, and that Disney is now building more thrill rides than ever before. Those at Universal sites can't get over the fact that Disney is geared more towards families and not the super thrill category.

IOA's theming is very close to that of Disney's and because I personally enjoy the subjects IOA's theme are set around I actually enjoyed it more. I being a thrill ride fan also loved the fact that they have a large collection of some of the best rides in the country. I did realize though, that I didn't get the same feeling when the car pulled into the parking lot as you get when walking up to MK or Epcot. Each side is absolutely wonderful, there really is no reason to stick so closely to one company.

 

[Dayma]

It would appear to me after the advertising that Universal is the aggresor on most of this. I dont think I ever saw Disney compare themselves to Universal. I dont belive they have to do so. In fact these are two different products. It would be more accurate to compare Cedar Point to Universal. IMO.