universal earnings report

[njDizFan]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-comcast-universal-earnings-20131030,0,6068560.story

From Jason Garcia. Interesting stuff. Seems that Transformers is increasing attendence again...

Almost 350 Million in revenue this quarter which is almost as much as the entire year of 2009.

Discuss

 

[TalkingHead]

That's impossible. Big new attractions don't increase attendance and spending, but wristbands do.

-TDO

 

[njDizFan]

It just amazes me that Potter 2 and diagon alley will be open in less than 6 months, with the addition of another hotel. Steve Burke is so bullish on the resort division he says that he could envision 15000 rooms supporting the parks.

Will the mine train even be open by spring? Crazy

 

[njDizFan]

That's impossible. Big new attractions don't increase attendance and spending, but wristbands do.

-TDO

Analysts who follow Comcast are upbeat about its parks. Jessica Reif Cohen, of Merrill Lynch, called the segment's third-quarter results "very impressive" during the conference call.
"It seems pretty clear that new attractions drive attendance," she said.


yup

 

[IAmFloridaBorn]

My gosh, Phase 2 is about to make Universal a boatload of money then. I DEFINITELY HOPE TO SEE UNIVERSAL BANK ON ANOTHER FRANCHISE THIS POPULAR.

 

[HTF]

It just amazes me that Potter 2 and diagon alley will be open in less than 6 months, with the addition of another hotel. Steve Burke is so bullish on the resort division he says that he could envision 15000 rooms supporting the parks.

Will the mine train even be open by spring? Crazy

Not less than six months, more like 7.5 months

 

[luv]

I don't think it's just Transformers, either. Word is spreading about how great the Uni parks are. Plus, people who went there as kids are beginning to have kids of their own and want to take them to Uni. In 15 more years, all these extra ten year old kids who are going now will start having their kids and will want to take them.

Disney won't be the only one with nostalgia going for them forever. They're relying on it pretty heavily now, too.

Their Uni parks are fresher and better kept up. Everything is so well themed.

Disney doesn't have a single hotel that even attempts to compete with PBH.

Disney spends billions and billions on stupid things and Uni builds new rides.

New rides drive attendance, which brings in cash. Duh.

 

[draybook]

Disney won't be the only one with nostalgia going for them forever. They're relying on it pretty heavily now, too.

I just wanted this to not only be seen twice by people but also show it's importance. This is THE reason I almost want to keep our bounce back offer for next September. But then my practical side kicks in.

 

[njDizFan]

As the other posters said above, it's the momentum that is being genreated by a park that actually has new attractions on a yearly basis, and not just small rides these are full blown e-tickets.

Imagine if TDO had this philosophy. A new E every year, heck every few years and we would be frothing at the mouth about the park investments.

 

[JordanNite]

Kudos to Universal for really putting some $$$ into the parks, unlike the situation at Disney with absoultely nothing being spent.

But the problem is it's only two parks .... and each park in itself is not huge. On quiet days you could easily do both parks in a day. No shows, etc really limit it as a STAND ALONE attraction.

Unless it either builds another park, or increases staying attractions (the finale show was a start), puts a few shows on, etc it will just be a side attraction to Disney to the more casual holiday tourist.

But perhaps they are okay with that, rather than actually taking Disney on.

 

[BubbaQuest]

But the problem is it's only two parks .... and each park in itself is not huge. On quiet days you could easily do both parks in a day. No shows, etc really limit it as a STAND ALONE attraction.

Ya, but as a West Coaster, I can't wait to go back to Universal Orlando again. I'm not sure why I'd want to go back to WDW again, at least in its current condition. I might go back for the Mine Train, but I am definitely going back for Gringotts. I can see Potter 2.0 making this a 2 day minimum park. Most of one day to do all of Potter and another day to do all the rest.

 

[TalkingHead]

But the problem is it's only two parks .... and each park in itself is not huge. On quiet days you could easily do both parks in a day. No shows, etc really limit it as a STAND ALONE attraction.

I'm not sure you could easily do both parks even on quiet days.

I suppose if you raced between parks on a quiet day, you could do all the headliners. But if you want to see any of the shows (or the scheduled attractions like T2), it'd be a challenge.

I think IOA really needs to add some non-water rides to help balance that park. I'm wondering what scale the rumored Lorax ride will be. (On par with Cat in the Hat or something larger?)

 

[HTF]

The days of doing both parks in a day at Universal are done. Unless your just interested in doing Etickets which in that case I can knock out AK, DHS, and Epcot in a day. IOA is almost ready to begin its massive expansion project.

^ Lorax will be much more advanced that CITH

 

[the.dreamfinder]

The days of doing both parks in a day at Universal are done. Unless your just interested in doing Etickets which in that case I can knock out AK, DHS, and Epcot in a day. IOA is almost ready to begin its massive expansion project.

^ Lorax will be much more advanced that CITH

Will Cat get a refurb to bring it up to the Lorax in quality before the Illumination film.

 

[BryceM]

I find it hard to do both parks in a single day, and I only did the headline attractions, and had to miss some of my favorites such as Despicable Me, T2:3D, Universal's Horror Make-Up Show and E.T. Adventure, as well as Popeye at Islands of Adventure.

 

[JT3000]

But the problem is it's only two parks .... and each park in itself is not huge. On quiet days you could easily do both parks in a day. No shows, etc really limit it as a STAND ALONE attraction.

IOA is lacking shows, but USF is not. Both parks have more rides than most of Disney's, with that gap only widening in the coming years, and if they're easier to see, it's only because the parks are right next to each other. You aren't wasting a bunch of time on transportation.

 

[TalkingHead]

I find it hard to do both parks in a single day, and I only did the headline attractions, and had to miss some of my favorites such as Despicable Me, T2:3D, Universal's Horror Make-Up Show and E.T. Adventure, as well as Popeye at Islands of Adventure.

Yeah, you really can't do both parks in a single day and do them justice. Not to mention several of the attractions and shows like T2, Monster Make Up, and Disaster are time-consuming. You can't rush through them because they're close to half-an-hour long.

 

[willtravel]

I wonder why Universal doesn't do any TV programs like Disney does. You know those infomercials. Like Ultimate Universal or Undiscovered Universal or Universal Behind the Scene? Even if they are 30 minutes long.

 

[IAmFloridaBorn]

I wonder why Universal doesn't do any TV programs like Disney does. You know those infomercials. Like Ultimate Universal or Undiscovered Universal or Universal Behind the Scene? Even if they are 30 minutes long.

They do..

 

[willtravel]

They do..

Really. I have never seen one. What channel are they on and what time of year?