Universal Orlando Getting Bigger, Better, Wetter, Wilder

[Kman101]

Depends how you define "overtake." Is IOA going to have a higher gate count than MK? No way.

But if you're measuring the two resorts based on the subjective metric of "Now, that's impressive," then, yes, I'd say Uni's new offerings have overtaken WDW's new offerings.

And I would agree with you in that.

Others have been saying "overatake". I was going by that. I'm not breaking down numbers, etc.

 

[ford91exploder]

Their response to Potter phase 1 was telling. I think we will actually be very pleased with their response now, though. Considerable spending in FL should be announced and ongoing by this time next year. 1990s spending. Finally. We will view the 2010s in WDW very differently from the 2000s.

Nah, When UNI opens a 3'rd gate DIS will respond

 

[SJN1279]

Lol Magic Kingdom will be able to... but DHS certainly won't. If there's only 8-9 attractions open during its overhaul while Universal opens up E-ticket after E-ticket, attendance could plummet to 8.5-9 million. AK will hold steady due to Avatar. Epcot is a wildcard - it could hold well until Frozen or not.

But from what the insiders have hinted, Comcast management has just fasttracked several attractions and numerous upgrades/enhancements to exisiting attractions for 2016/2017, in addition to Kong, CityWalk 3.0, Sapphire Falls and the waterpark. So Avatar could also be competing with Star Trek, Fast & Furious, an Soarin' esque E ticket to replace Twister, the Jurassic World revamp for JP, possibly something Marvel or a LC revamp. The folks here and at OU seem exciting about what Universal has up its sleeve.

Universal doesn't announce attractions... it builds them

Those same folks said that Gringotts was going to be the most amazing E-ticket ever built, and it was a huge letdown. I loved the Hogwarts Express, but most insiders said it would eliminate the 1 day, 1 park ticket, and it hasn't.

Star Trek, Fast and Furious, and Jimmy Fallon are all screen heavy attractions, and I still doubt they will all be open by 2017, if at all.

 

[Kman101]

No one said that they were, just that Universal is catching up faster and faster with every expansion.

As they should.

 

[Jon81uk]

I have a great friend I work with... She and her daughter have always loved Disney... But the last three years, their trips have only been to Universal and they skip Disney all together. She said she loves Disney, but they haven't done anything to ask her to spend her money there. They stay at Universal and spend at Universal. Their Express Pass is 100 fold better than Disney's sad 3 fast passes you can pre-book 2 months in advance. She hates the FP+ system.

I see her point and when we go in May, we are going to give Universal one day to park hop and check it out. Then i can truely chime in on the subject.

Don't forget though that for every hotel guest with unlimited express pass or guest purchasing express pass at the gate, there is someone else who cannot afford it and can ONLY wait in standby.
Disney's fast pass cannot compare to unlimited express, but at least the benefit is broadly the same for all (I know 60 days vs 30 days).

 

[Kman101]

Exactly. Universal is just stepping up their game and doing a great job of making their own brand known. This isn't a war, it's a coming of age for Universal.

THIS. This needs to be read over and over again.

 

[TalkingHead]

Star Trek, Fast and Furious, and Jimmy Fallon are all screen heavy attractions, and I still doubt they will all be open by 2017, if at all.

What were the wait times when you rode them?

 

[Kman101]

I'm still not sure how the Fallon thing will work. I like him and all but even I'm questioning that one, TBH. Just how popular can this end up being? I don't go the Uni forum here, or anywhere, for that matter, so what's the scoop?

 

[DisneyJayL]

Finally a thread I want to be a part of and I have to work. Gets in the way every time.

 

[LeRaposa]

I love Universal but they aren't overtaking Disney anytime soon. It's going to take a lot to change that. They're ON THE WAY to doing that, but they still have a long way to go. And while Universal has a lot on their plate, I just want to point out they aren't adverse to following WDW and riding high on their success. That's not happening yet, but it will (and wasn't it just said they greenlit some things that were pushed off ....). Not trying to be a downer, but there has to be a bit of reality in here too.

There is no doubt anymore. Universal will overtake Epcot and Hollywood Studios in a few years. If attendance continues rise as it has over the past five years, IOA will overtake Epcot by the end of the decade and Hollywood within just a few years.

 

[Kman101]

There is no doubt anymore. Universal will overtake Epcot and Hollywood Studios in a few years. If attendance continues rise as it has over the past five years, IOA will overtake Epcot by the end of the decade.

I can see that happening. It's why I've been shouting for years that Epcot needs help, but many want to say it doesn't because it still makes money. No. It really needs help, not AS much as DHS, but yes, it does.

I'd say Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom stand to lose the most and I'd have to imagine the Hollywood Studios makeover is to combat this. But EPCOT badly needs to update Future World, in a major way. The festivals can only pad the numbers for so long.

The problem here is that the Hollywood Studios makeover needed to have happened already.

 

[sshindel]

Depends how you define "overtake." Is IOA going to have a higher gate count than MK? No way.

But if you're measuring the two resorts based on the subjective metric of "Now, that's impressive," then, yes, I'd say Uni's new offerings have overtaken WDW's new offerings.

But of course, as you say, that is subjective. You will say that IOA is more impressive than MK. Others will not.

So, IOA has already taken over MK in the "@TalkingHead is impressed" metric. Oddly enough, it's not the one that Disney cares about.

 

[DisneyJayL]

UNI cheaper? Didn't they just announce they are raising their prices?

 

[danlb_2000]

Those same folks said that Gringotts was going to be the most amazing E-ticket ever built, and it was a huge letdown. I loved the Hogwarts Express, but most insiders said it would eliminate the 1 day, 1 park ticket, and it hasn't.

Star Trek, Fast and Furious, and Jimmy Fallon are all screen heavy attractions, and I still doubt they will all be open by 2017, if at all.

I haven't heard anything about the Star Trek attraction coming to Uni, can you tell me some more about it?

 

[Mike S]

But of course, as you say, that is subjective. You will say that IOA is more impressive than MK. Others will not.

So, IOA has already taken over MK in the "@TalkingHead is impressed" metric. Oddly enough, it's not the one that Disney cares about.

I don't think he was talking IoA vs. MK. He's comparing new rides at Universal compared to new rides at Disney and with that comparison Universal's are definitely more impressive.

 

[LeRaposa]

I can see that happening. It's why I've been shouting for years that Epcot needs help, but many want to say it doesn't because it still makes money. No. It really needs help, not AS much as DHS, but yes, it does.

I'd say Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom stand to lose the most and I'd have to imagine the Hollywood Studios makeover is to combat this. But EPCOT badly needs to update Future World, in a major way. The festivals can only pad the numbers for so long.

Universal's been building attractions left and right, and attendance has been skyrocketing as a result. EPCOT needs a massive overhaul to keep up but it's not going to get one for a long time and when it does it may be too late.

 

[DisneyJayL]

Universal's been building attractions left and right, and attendance has been skyrocketing as a result. EPCOT needs a massive overhaul to keep up but it's not going to get one for a long time and when it does it may be too late.

Can you give the figures on that? Seemingly Disney's attendance has been growing just as fast if not faster.

 

[sshindel]

I don't think he was talking IoA vs. MK. He's comparing new rides at Universal compared to new rides at Disney and with that comparison Universal's are definitely subjectively more impressive.

Fixed that.

See, like this. I was massively underwhelmed by Transformers, and Gringotts got an "it's alright" from me as well. USF as a park was a fun day, but nothing I am clamoring to return to.

Many do not share that opinion with me. It's why opinions are not definite, nor used as measurement.

 

[TalkingHead]

But of course, as you say, that is subjective. You will say that IOA is more impressive than MK. Others will not.

So, IOA has already taken over MK in the "@TalkingHead is impressed" metric. Oddly enough, it's not the one that Disney cares about.

Yeah, that's why I said it's subjective.

Some people think Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is more impressive than Forbidden Journey. Some people think Midway Mania is more impressive than Spider-man. Some people think Dumbo's Circusland is better than Diagon Alley.

Now, those people are probably outliers. I imagine most people would say Diagon Alley's the most impressive "land" in Orlando. But Disney isn't concerned with any guests' opinions. Mine, yours, or anyone else's.

 

[ford91exploder]

Yeah, that's why I said it's subjective.

Some people think Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is more impressive than Forbidden Journey. Some people think Midway Mania is more impressive than Spider-man. Some people think Dumbo's Circusland is better than Diagon Alley.

Now, those people are probably outliers. I imagine most people would say Diagon Alley's the most impressive "land" in Orlando. But Disney isn't concerned with any guests' opinions. Mine, yours, or anyone else's.

The ONLY opinion Disney cares about is WALL ST's opinion