Universal Orlando Getting Bigger, Better, Wetter, Wilder

[shernernum]

I don't think you can get into the global game, you have to stick local and just compare the Orlando resorts. If you get global then you have to start factoring in Universal's work in Hollywood, Singapore and Osaka, so it just gets ridiculous.

I got into the global to show one thing....unfortunately it makes it even more sad what has happened. Disney has not forgotten how to create incredibly immersive environments and jaw dropping attractions....but they seem to have decided that in WDW they don't even have to live up to their own standards.

 

[Rutt]

Kong.

Define 'win'...

 

[ford91exploder]

Fixed

That is better indeed!

 

[squidward]

Disney has four parks and two water parks to show they can 'deliver the goods'. Disney is not building at the same pace as Uni right now because they simply don't have to.

This is the EXACT problem with Disney right now. They don't have to. They think since they're on top, they can continue to rest on their laurels. They need to stop looking at the actual attendance numbers, and look at the percentages by which each park is rising. If they do that, they should be worried. I said this on another thread - There are reports that Universal Studios will have higher attendance this year than Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. It should have NEVER come to that. It was Disney's laziness and cheapness that has brought this about. While Universal wanted to challenge Disney, Disney has been satisfied to sit by and create lackluster attractions, while closing perennial favorites. Universal closes favorites, but always replace it with something even grander.

 

[Tony Perkis]

Define 'win'...

It's a game. The game is "let's try to be an attraction that fits the theme of the area and isn't an overlay of a previous attraction ".

 

[Tony Perkis]

I think a big Universal misstep was not allowing 1 park guests ride the Hogwarts Express.

Nobody is complaining about this, and the yearly earnings from Comcast show it to be an excellent choice.

 

[Rutt]

I hate this opinion. It does nothing but promote stagnation.

It's not wrong though, Disney is not struggling.

It's funny because my wife gets it right off the bat. It's not a competition between Dis and Uni. They're two totally different markets.

Uni is all about thrills and macho and testosterone.

Disney is all about Pixie dust and princesses and larger than life kiddie rides and characters.

 

[ford91exploder]

This is the EXACT problem with Disney right now. They don't have to. They think since they're on top, they can continue to rest on their laurels. They need to stop looking at the actual attendance numbers, and look at the percentages by which each park is rising. If they do that, they should be worried. I said this on another thread - There are reports that Universal Studios will have higher attendance this year than Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. It should have NEVER come to that. It was Disney's laziness and cheapness that has brought this about. While Universal wanted to challenge Disney, Disney has been satisfied to sit by and create lackluster attractions, while closing perennial favorites. Universal closes favorites, but always replace it with something even grander.

^^^^ THIS ^^^^, Snow white immediately comes to mind to be replaced with a Meet-N-Grope

 

[Donald Razorduck]

Do you mind if I ask your demographics?

Why, you are taking a guess right now anyway. But... I'll play along.

early 40's (old enough to stay up late and watch reruns of the Three Stooges till the station signed off and watch old black and white sci fi movies on the weekend before sat and cable came to my neck of the woods.

White, like the cracker kind, Irish, Scottish and German.

Oh, from a Southern State(drawing more conclusions?)

I have long guns(like a bunch) and I skin and buck and run a trot line.

Bet you have me pegged as a conservative.

You'd be way wrong.

I'll say this, Disney's target market is kids right, my 12 and 11 year old, and I've posted this before, could care less about Avatar. They've seen it and it just didn't take to them, not like other IPs, I just don't get the huge expenditure on something that did huge numbers but was a great big MEH in such a short time afterwards.

 

[Tony Perkis]

I think the Disney mega-chorus is much better at shouting down naysayers than Uni fanbois.

And we are all good at smug sarcasm. So it's.........all good.

Saul Goodman.

 

[Rutt]

It's a game. The game is "let's try to be an attraction that fits the theme of the area and isn't an overlay of a previous attraction ".

Oh, I thought it was putting butts in seats.

I hope Disney is okay with all that popularity and money while they lose.

 

[squidward]

You guys are hilarious. Disney is doing just fine. There are things that would be great to see fixed up, but they are not struggling by ANY means.

Ahhh yes. The McDonalds recipe for success.

 

[ford91exploder]

It's not wrong though, Disney is not struggling.

It's funny because my wife gets it right off the bat. It's not a competition between Dis and Uni. They're two totally different markets.

Uni is all about thrills and macho and testosterone.

Disney is all about Pixie dust and princesses and larger than life kiddie rides and characters.

WDW was a RESORT intended to be fun for ALL ages, Not simply the toddler crowd as it's become today.

 

[Tony Perkis]

It's not wrong though, Disney is not struggling.

It's funny because my wife gets it right off the bat. It's not a competition between Dis and Uni. They're two totally different markets.

Uni is all about thrills and macho and testosterone.

Disney is all about Pixie dust and princesses and larger than life kiddie rides and characters.

Whether right or wrong is irrelevant. The "Everything is all good and well" crowd's narrative reads as an endorsement of WDW's current spending and creative strategy. That's a fundamentally wrong viewpoint to convey.

 

[Rutt]

Why, you are taking a guess right now anyway. But... I'll play along.

early 40's (old enough to stay up late and watch reruns of the Three Stooges till the station signed off and watch old black and white sci fi movies on the weekend before sat and cable came to my neck of the woods.

White, like the cracker kind, Irish, Scottish and German.

Oh, from a Southern State(drawing more conclusions?)

I have long guns(like a bunch) and I skin and buck and run a trot line.

Bet you have me pegged as a conservative .

You'd be way wrong.

I'll say this, Disney's target market is kids right, my 12 and 11 year old, and I've posted this before, could care less about Avatar. They've seen it and it just didn't take to them, not like other IPs, I just don't get the huge expenditure on something that did huge numbers but was a great big MEH in such a short time afterwards.

I figured the age, don't care about rest except male female.

 

[ford91exploder]

Why, you are taking a guess right now anyway. But... I'll play along.

early 40's (old enough to stay up late and watch reruns of the Three Stooges till the station signed off and watch old black and white sci fi movies on the weekend before sat and cable came to my neck of the woods.

White, like the cracker kind, Irish, Scottish and German.

Oh, from a Southern State(drawing more conclusions?)

I have long guns(like a bunch) and I skin and buck and run a trot line.

Bet you have me pegged as a conservative .

You'd be way wrong.

I'll say this, Disney's target market is kids right, my 12 and 11 year old, and I've posted this before, could care less about Avatar. They've seen it and it just didn't take to them, not like other IPs, I just don't get the huge expenditure on something that did huge numbers but was a great big MEH in such a short time afterwards.

You sound like a southern version of me.

 

[squidward]

Uni is all about thrills and macho and testosterone.

It's sad that you think this. And I don't mean that in an insulting way. I mean it's really sad. Because I'm afraid you're missing out. I have 8 year old twins who have preferred Universal since they were 4.

As for Disney not struggling, I disagree. You can only milk the nostalgia cow for so long. You have to grow, and you have to make things better. People aren't stupid. And they aren't deaf. They've heard about what Universal is doing down the road and they're going to check it out.

For Disney in Orlando, it has ALWAYS been about keeping people on property. They're not doing that any more. At least, not the way they once did.

 

[Tony Perkis]

Oh, I thought it was putting butts in seats.

I hope Disney is okay with all that popularity and money while they lose.

Disney is perfectly fine with turning World Showcase into a fictional cartoon. Doesn't make it a thematically good decision.

 

[shernernum]

It's not wrong though, Disney is not struggling.

It's funny because my wife gets it right off the bat. It's not a competition between Dis and Uni. They're two totally different markets.

Uni is all about thrills and macho and testosterone.

Disney is all about Pixie dust and princesses and larger than life kiddie rides and characters.

This is not what Disney was always about....Disney used to try and appeal to all markets and did a d@m^ good job of it...if they are now only about pixie dust and princesses they are stupidly limiting their market.
Pixie Dust and princesses was Fantasyland not all of WDW. Definitely not EPCOT or what DHS or DAK were meant to be.
BTW....universal may have some thrills in Harry Potter but make no mistake how broad the appeal of that acquisition is.

 

[Rutt]

Whether right or wrong is irrelevant. The "Everything is all good and well" crowd's narrative reads as an endorsement of WDW's current spending and creative strategy. That's a fundamentally wrong viewpoint to convey.

Says who?

My wife is impressed, my kids are impressed, Disney wallets are impressed. You're not happy with what they're doing, I think they could do so much more than they do.

Guess what? We might just be wrong here.

Sounds like a positive to me. Disney spent tons of money building the massive advantage they currently have. How did Universal allow themselves to fall so far behind? Why weren't they building long before now?