Uni's New Plan For Potter Could Make Significant Dent To WDW

[xdan0920]

I'm not sure what you mean, all 6 lasers are working just fine.

Hmm, I saw it twice in Nov and both times there was only one laser working. Glad this is corrected.

 

[Marge10369]

This has been one of the more diverse threads I can remember on WDWmagic. Packed with information, thoughtful opinions, reasonable arguments, with a dose of comic relief thrown in.

I find myself agreeing with those Disney Haters Lee and Spirit for the most part.

Universal has been putting forth a higher quality of attractions for the past decade in Florida. Disney has put forward a solid amount of enjoyable things as well, just not on the level of what Uni was accomplishing.

As for Soarin' being some great flight simulator. I have to respectfully disagree. It is in such atrocious condition right now that the feeling of flight has been completely sucked out of it. When riding you can not help but focus on how poor condition the film is in. It takes you right out of the moment and plants you firmly in reality. Once upon a time Soarin was my favorite attraction in Orlando. That time has passed. With a new film, and better maintenance, it would vault straight back into the top 5.

On the subject of Illuminations. I love the show. I loved it more a decade ago, but I still love it today. In fact I would be happy if they kept it going for another decade, assuming they plussed it. A bigger inferno barge, get the lasers all back to working, just give it a good detailing and make me say wow again.

I have sat back and read with interest this discussion...in my humble opinion comparing Disney and Universal is an apple to oranges exercise...Disney, again "in my opinion", is a resort destination, with it's own transportation system, numerous full service restaurants, shows, 4 value, 5 moderate,7 deluxe hotels, camp/RV grounds, time share villas, golf courses, spas, 4 separate parks (with rides), one with an animal preserve and two water parks...Universal...3 hotels...shows...Harry Potter, which I am a huge fan and and yes some very good rides...but not enough to keep me there for more than 2 days at the most and then it's 6 to 8 days at the world. I love what Universal & Island of Adventures has to offer, but they fall into the category of very high end amusement parks. So if Disney cut out the transportation, restaurants, shows, multiple firework displays, parades, accommodations, animal preserve, and all the costs they incur, then they would be able to compete with Universal???:animwink:

 

[xdan0920]

I have sat back and read with interest this discussion...in my humble opinion comparing Disney and Universal is an apple to oranges exercise...Disney, again "in my opinion", is a resort destination, with it's own transportation system, numerous full service restaurants, shows, 4 value, 5 moderate,7 deluxe hotels, camp/RV grounds, time share villas, golf courses, spas, 4 separate parks (with rides), one with an animal preserve and two water parks...Universal...3 hotels...shows...Harry Potter, which I am a huge fan and and yes some very good rides...but not enough to keep me there for more than 2 days at the most and then it's 6 to 8 days at the world. I love what Universal & Island of Adventures has to offer, but they fall into the category of very high end amusement parks. So if Disney cut out the transportation, restaurants, shows, multiple firework displays, parades, accommodations, animal preserve, and all the costs they incur, then they would be able to compete with Universal???:animwink:

Sorta missing the point. We all know WDW is bigger, more all encompassing. We are focusing on wether or not Uni has passed WDW in developing new exciting offerings for guests.

 

[SMS55]

At the end of the day what's the worst that happens? Uni steals some guests from Disney? Disney's profits will still be very healthy and the lines might be a tad shorter. I can live with that.

 

[Alektronic]

Hmm, I saw it twice in Nov and both times there was only one laser working. Glad this is corrected.

That's the problem, just because you don't see them doesn't mean that they aren't working.

On really clear nights, they are really hard to see except for the one where the wind is blowing all the smoke.

And other times, if are planes or helicopters are in the area, they shut off some of the lasers directing into that area and if some helicopters stay overhead to watch the show then that laser is turned off the whole show.

The Canada lasers were working fine but the whole bldg was covered with a scrim.

 

[Pioneer Hall]

I have sat back and read with interest this discussion...in my humble opinion comparing Disney and Universal is an apple to oranges exercise...Disney, again "in my opinion", is a resort destination, with it's own transportation system, numerous full service restaurants, shows, 4 value, 5 moderate,7 deluxe hotels, camp/RV grounds, time share villas, golf courses, spas, 4 separate parks (with rides), one with an animal preserve and two water parks...Universal...3 hotels...shows...Harry Potter, which I am a huge fan and and yes some very good rides...but not enough to keep me there for more than 2 days at the most and then it's 6 to 8 days at the world. I love what Universal & Island of Adventures has to offer, but they fall into the category of very high end amusement parks. So if Disney cut out the transportation, restaurants, shows, multiple firework displays, parades, accommodations, animal preserve, and all the costs they incur, then they would be able to compete with Universal???:animwink:

Universal has tried to build itself as a resort destination, and a Potter addition could finally give them the clout to really be one. They do have most of those things you mentioned as well. They have a lot of restaurants, transportation for their hotels (watercraft and buses, and everything is walkable), they have plenty of shows in the parks as well as nighttime entertainment that Disney now sorely lacks, no fireworks at the current moment (but that could change), 3 very nice hotels and nothing on the All-Star level (and Portofino bay is really a beautiful resort). I think you see my point. Universal has a lot to offer as they continue to build up their parks. It may have taken them 20 years to figure it out, but now that they have I would say they are really building up well and if Disney sits on their hands they could very easily eat into their market share.

 

[bullsforthewin]

Universal has tried to build itself as a resort destination, and a Potter addition could finally give them the clout to really be one. They do have most of those things you mentioned as well. They have a lot of restaurants, transportation for their hotels (watercraft and buses, and everything is walkable), they have plenty of shows in the parks as well as nighttime entertainment that Disney now sorely lacks, no fireworks at the current moment (but that could change), 3 very nice hotels and nothing on the All-Star level (and Portofino bay is really a beautiful resort). I think you see my point. Universal has a lot to offer as they continue to build up their parks. It may have taken them 20 years to figure it out, but now that they have I would say they are really building up well and if Disney sits on their hands they could very easily eat into their market share.

I think Universal needs to think about a high volume lost cost resort to add...i think they rely too much on the near by non UNI hotels for that niche of visitors.

I was joking with my friend but if UNI can draw away more of the brazilian tour groups then i will be happy :ROFLOL:

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

I do think WDW to Univ is apples to oranges.

Universal Orlando reminds me alot of DLR. Especially pre DCA overhaul. But they do have some water in Uni Orlando making it feel more resort like than DLR does.

DL park is hard to beat, but the two Uni parks pack a punch. On a strictly "resort" comparison not counting the parks, Uni Orlando beats DLR.

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

Universal and Disney are both capable of making incredible attractions. If you ask me, the best ride in the world is Journey to the Center of the Earth at Tokyo DisneySea, while rides like Spider-Man, Indiana Jones Adventure, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, and Revenge of the Mummy are all somewhere in the Top 10.

I think what frustrates the Disney fans here (and definitely not haters) is that the other parks in the area and around the country do what parks are supposed to do, funnel the money being brought in back into the parks somehow. WDW alone has four parks, two water parks (one of which has not seen an enhancement since opening day), plenty of resorts, dozens of exorbitantly priced restaurants, stores every few feet, etc. So many more opportunities to make money than their competitors and yet lately have shown less signs of spending it on their parks.

Prices keep going up for all of the parks, not just MK which is the only park showing signs of things to come (and like someone else said, they are C-tickets at best). But people will vote with their dollars. I know I will. I'll renew my Universal AP and save my Disney dollars for Anaheim when Cars opens.

 

[alissafalco]

I promise you if I (or several others in the industry) had $300 million to design and build a ride it would far surpass anything to date in terms of innovation, experience, themeing and guest satisfaction.[/QUOTE]

So, tell us, what would the ride be???

 

[JLW11Hi]

I have sat back and read with interest this discussion...in my humble opinion comparing Disney and Universal is an apple to oranges exercise...Disney, again "in my opinion", is a resort destination, with it's own transportation system, numerous full service restaurants, shows, 4 value, 5 moderate,7 deluxe hotels, camp/RV grounds, time share villas, golf courses, spas, 4 separate parks (with rides), one with an animal preserve and two water parks...Universal...3 hotels...shows...Harry Potter, which I am a huge fan and and yes some very good rides...but not enough to keep me there for more than 2 days at the most and then it's 6 to 8 days at the world.

But isn't it really all about the parks? That is what Disney has to offer that is unique that you can't get anywhere else in the world. Nice hotels, water parks, golf courses, restaurants, clubs...there are many places in the world that offer these types of things, and probably many that are much nicer than what you would find at Disney. These extras are icing on the cake. The cake being the theme parks that people go to to experience awesome, high end attractions that only Universal even attempts to match.

In that regards, I always find it amazing how much animosity a Disney fan can have towards Universal, or vice versa. It's similar to a small town high school having animosity towards a neighboring school. Never mind that they are the closest people in the world to them, it's "US" vs "THEM"!

Imagine if you loved seafood and you only had two options for seafood restaurants in the entire world. Would you love one and never try the other? I'd think you'd want to eat up as much as you possibly could...

 

[bullsforthewin]

Universal and Disney are both capable of making incredible attractions. If you ask me, the best ride in the world is Journey to the Center of the Earth at Tokyo DisneySea, while rides like Spider-Man, Indiana Jones Adventure, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, and Revenge of the Mummy are all somewhere in the Top 10.

I think what frustrates the Disney fans here (and definitely not haters) is that the other parks in the area and around the country do what parks are supposed to do, funnel the money being brought in back into the parks somehow. WDW alone has four parks, two water parks (one of which has not seen an enhancement since opening day), plenty of resorts, dozens of exorbitantly priced restaurants, stores every few feet, etc. So many more opportunities to make money than their competitors and yet lately have shown less signs of spending it on their parks.

Prices keep going up for all of the parks, not just MK which is the only park showing signs of things to come (and like someone else said, they are C-tickets at best). But people will vote with their dollars. I know I will. I'll renew my Universal AP and save my Disney dollars for Anaheim when Cars opens.

You also have to remember that the money it is taking in has to be distributed to all divisions of Disney which includes the other parks, the cruiselines, the DVC, Adventures by Disney, etc.

You cant expect Disney to open new areas and do major overhauls and lower ticket prices...

 

[bullsforthewin]

I promise you if I (or several others in the industry) had $300 million to design and build a ride it would far surpass anything to date in terms of innovation, experience, themeing and guest satisfaction.

So, tell us, what would the ride be???[/QUOTE]

Yeah some people sure do like to talk about how they think they can do better but they cant

 

[bullsforthewin]

But isn't it really all about the parks? That is what Disney has to offer that is unique that you can't get anywhere else in the world. Nice hotels, water parks, golf courses, restaurants, clubs...there are many places in the world that offer these types of things, and probably many that are much nicer than what you would find at Disney. These extras are icing on the cake. The cake being the theme parks that people go to to experience awesome, high end attractions that only Universal even attempts to match.

In that regards, I always find it amazing how much animosity a Disney fan can have towards Universal, or vice versa. It's similar to a small town high school having animosity towards a neighboring school. Never mind that they are the closest people in the world to them, it's "US" vs "THEM"!

Imagine if you loved seafood and you only had two options for seafood restaurants in the entire world. Would you love one and never try the other? I'd think you'd want to eat up as much as you possibly could...

I like your analogy...i like to use the dinner one....The parks are the entree while the resorts are the appetizer, the restaurants and water parks and recreation are the desserts

 

[disney fan 13]

So, tell us, what would the ride be???

Yeah some people sure do like to talk about how they think they can do better but they cant[/QUOTE]

i would say the same thing if it did not come from lightbulb because.... yeah he works in creative. ( and worked at imagineering ) so maybe he can

 

[Captain Chaos]

Universal has tried to build itself as a resort destination, and a Potter addition could finally give them the clout to really be one. They do have most of those things you mentioned as well. They have a lot of restaurants, transportation for their hotels (watercraft and buses, and everything is walkable), they have plenty of shows in the parks as well as nighttime entertainment that Disney now sorely lacks, no fireworks at the current moment (but that could change), 3 very nice hotels and nothing on the All-Star level (and Portofino bay is really a beautiful resort). I think you see my point. Universal has a lot to offer as they continue to build up their parks. It may have taken them 20 years to figure it out, but now that they have I would say they are really building up well and if Disney sits on their hands they could very easily eat into their market share.

What Universal needs is a value resort on property, not down the road on I-4 (don't Universal have some sort of affiliation with the Nick Family Suites???)... There had been rumors on other boards, I believe during the summer, that a value is being planned and is part of the expansion plans Universal has (well expansion as much as it can be an expansion with limited land)... With Wizarding World being one of the best theme park additions in recent history (not to mention the best addition in Orlando) and Universal's popularity rising, a value resort on property will go a long way in making it more of a resort destination and pulling even more people off Disney property...

 

[bullsforthewin]

Yeah some people sure do like to talk about how they think they can do better but they cant

i would say the same thing if it did not come from lightbulb because.... yeah he works in creative. ( and worked at imagineering ) so maybe he can[/QUOTE]

Lightbulb and Lee probably being the only two i think that can come up with a great idea...what is the old saying, "Those that cant do, critique"

 

[whylightbulb]

This is my thing...the Spiderman crowd seems to think that disney has not done any ride in the last ten years that brings your into the story or is as unique as Spiderman, so much so that they deny the fact that Dinosaur is even close to being like it which you know is not true since they use the same basic ride system. I like FJ but the flying sensation is not there for me while when you are on Soarin you really have that flying sensation. Soarin is a home run in my book for theming and execution. While i am not a fan of Mission Space that attraction is excellent in its way to blend story, theme and ride all in one. Some people here seem to think that TSM is not innovative which is just not true at all. They will use the excuse that it is just Buzz with 3d which is pretty much what i say about Spiderman....but the way it integrates an old time amusement park game experience with the 4D elements it is a total Home Run

The thing is I agree with the Spiderman crowd. Dinosaur is a complete failure in my opinion, not in its execution of the ride system, but in delivering a fresh and quality dark ride experience. Like you say, the ride system is exactly the same as Indy. The problem is that it adds nothing to the already miserable storyline and themeing of CTX/Dino. They cheapened out so bad in terms of show and became very lazy in crafting a believable and entertaining story that to me it comes off as just short of a carnival ride in the dark.

The same goes for Test Track. It is essentially a ride through a bare bones warehouse. Sure the tech. is cool but that doesn't make a successfull dark ride in my opinion. What product are we trying to deliver? Is it just a display of amazing industrial technology or is it supposed to be an entertainment product designed to elicit pleasant emotional responses other than what adrenaline produces? Even in the adrenaline department TT falls short because it is only for that short jaunt around the back.

Soarin is another failure with respect to what it could have been. Does it make the grade? Yes as evidenced by its popularity. Does it fall far short of what the Disney standard used to be - YES. While standing in the queue I feel like I'm in a mall somewhere except without anything interesting to look at. Are we supposed to be in an airport and if so why are we boarding this mechanical contraption that absolutely looks like it's facing a massive wall? Is this supposed to be a hanglider? No hanger doors? LAZY and typical of today's lazy Disney management that will produce anything that might just make the grade because "they won't know the difference."

TSM is another example of relying on technology to deliver the full experience rather than high quality and detailed scenic and creativity. Another example of just doing enough. The lack of detail and the impression that we are riding through another warehouse with video screens is sickening to me.

I could go on and on with Mission Space, Nemo, Imag, the new Mermaid ride, Stitch, MILF, Mexico...it really has been a sad decade for Disney.

 

[Captain Chaos]

Universal and Disney are both capable of making incredible attractions. If you ask me, the best ride in the world is Journey to the Center of the Earth at Tokyo DisneySea, while rides like Spider-Man, Indiana Jones Adventure, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, and Revenge of the Mummy are all somewhere in the Top 10.

I think what frustrates the Disney fans here (and definitely not haters) is that the other parks in the area and around the country do what parks are supposed to do, funnel the money being brought in back into the parks somehow. WDW alone has four parks, two water parks (one of which has not seen an enhancement since opening day), plenty of resorts, dozens of exorbitantly priced restaurants, stores every few feet, etc. So many more opportunities to make money than their competitors and yet lately have shown less signs of spending it on their parks.

Prices keep going up for all of the parks, not just MK which is the only park showing signs of things to come (and like someone else said, they are C-tickets at best). But people will vote with their dollars. I know I will. I'll renew my Universal AP and save my Disney dollars for Anaheim when Cars opens.

Both are capable of making great attractions... Universal however has taken the lead in Orlando while Disney makes incredible attractions in their other parks... This past October, I cannot tell you how disappointed I was with Disney's offerings... And this coming from a true hater, you know, a DVC member... I actually felt bored in DHS despite Star Tours 2.0 knocking my socks off... I felt bored in Epcot... I felt bored in AK... The only reason I didn't feel bored in MK is because I was with friends who hadn't been to the park in years... So I enjoyed the park with them, not because MK offers the best new attractions... Though, I'll say this, I probably wouldn't have been bored in MK anyway since it is my favorite park (gosh I am a total Disney hater, I need to stop)....

But you are right... People will vote with their dollar... I, for one, cut my days at Disney parks from 6 or 7 days to only 4 this past trip while spending 3 days at Universal's parks (2 days in IOA and 1 day in Universal)... My next trip, I may only spend 3 days since I can do DHS and AK together in one day... I didn't get over to SeaWorld this trip, unfortunately, even though I love SeaWorld... I refused to buy a ticket for MNSSHP while making sure I attended HHN... I originally had plans of dining in WDW after the days ended on my trips over to IOA but changed the plans to eat over at Universal restaurants instead... And going forward, I will be spending less of my dollars in WDW and more over at Universal... I did not renew my WDW AP and I have no desire to buy a new one, meanwhile, I will be buying a Universal AP in the new year since I plan on spending more time over there than I have in the past... In fact, even though my next plans will include me staying in a DVC resort again, I'm thinking of giving one or two of the Universal resort hotels a night or two each, cutting into my time spent on Disney property....

 

[bullsforthewin]

The thing is I agree with the Spiderman crowd. Dinosaur is a complete failure in my opinion, not in its execution of the ride system, but in delivering a fresh and quality dark ride experience. Like you say, the ride system is exactly the same as Indy. The problem is that it adds nothing to the already miserable storyline and themeing of CTX/Dino. They cheapened out so bad in terms of show and became very lazy in crafting a believable and entertaining story that to me it comes off as just short of a carnival ride in the dark.

The same goes for Test Track. It is essentially a ride through a bare bones warehouse. Sure the tech. is cool but that doesn't make a successfull dark ride in my opinion. What product are we trying to deliver? Is it just a display of amazing industrial technology or is it supposed to be an entertainment product designed to elicit pleasant emotional responses other than what adrenaline produces? Even in the adrenaline department TT falls short because it is only for that short jaunt around the back.

Soarin is another failure with respect to what it could have been. Does it make the grade? Yes as evidenced by its popularity. Does it fall far short of what the Disney standard used to be - YES. While standing in the queue I feel like I'm in a mall somewhere except without anything interesting to look at. Are we supposed to be in an airport and if so why are we boarding this mechanical contraption that absolutely looks like it's facing a massive wall? Is this supposed to be a hanglider? No hanger doors? LAZY and typical of today's lazy Disney management that will produce anything that might just make the grade because "they won't know the difference."

TSM is another example of relying on technology to deliver the full experience rather than high quality and detailed scenic and creativity. Another example of just doing enough. The lack of detail and the impression that we are riding through another warehouse with video screens is sickening to me.

I could go on and on with Mission Space, Nemo, Imag, the new Mermaid ride, Stitch, MILF, Mexico...it really has been a sad decade for Disney.

Its funny that you attack Disney for those things but i can say the same for Universal...even the fabled Spiderman and FJ...while i love the queue for FJ the execution of the ride boarding then ruins it for me and does not make it as immersive as i would like. Spiderman suffers from what you complain about all the disney rides...great tech that is just in a warehouse...that is something that Universal falls so far behind Disney in...you never really get into the ride since the queue fail so much...besides FJ.