Universal Studios Hollywood Celebrates Angels Victory With Free Admission

[pheneix]

Damn, isn't this ironic...

>>>UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., Oct. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Studios Hollywood is celebrating the Anaheim Angels' landmark American League Championship by extending a special "buy one, get one free" offer to Angels fans arriving at the world's largest movie studio and theme park wearing any clothing item bearing the team's logo on any day between now through November 15.

Guests will also have the opportunity to have their photo taken with a live "Rally monkey."

The special offer to Angels fans is valid with the purchase of a full price adult admission ticket only and cannot be combined with any other promotional offers.

All Angels-Giants World Series games will be shown on CityWalk's giant AstroVision screen, the largest outdoor TV screen in Southern California.

Featuring such unique and ground-breaking attractions as the all-new "Spider-Man Rocks," "Special Effects Stages," "Terminator 2: 3D," "The Nickelodeon Blast Zone," and the signature behind-the-scenes "Studio Tour," Universal Studios Hollywood is the world's largest movie studio and theme park.

Universal Studios Hollywood is a division of Vivendi UNIVERSAL Entertainment ( www.universalstudios.com ), the U.S.-based film, television and recreation entity of Vivendi Universal, a global media and communications company.<<<

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/021017/lath127_1.html

 

[TURKEY]

That's wierd.

I guess they are just trying to take advantage of the popularity of the Angels right now.

 

[mocfan]

I think it's brilliant. What better way to attract new fans than market off something your competition owns?

 

[FutureCEO]

companies always try to copy disney but they can't come close

 

[TURKEY]

Originally posted by FutureCEO
companies always try to copy disney but they can't come close

How is this copying Disney?

 

[Disney4648]

Does Universal have to ask permission from Disney to do this special offer?

 

[mkt]

Originally posted by Disney4648
Does Universal have to ask permission from Disney to do this special offer?

nope. It's covered under the same laws as say... "Save your Lakers Ticket Stub and get a free Cookie at your nearest mom n pop shop."

Also, the Universal/Disney rivalry of Orlando is nearly non-existant in So Cal, with Disneyland Guest Relations helping DLR guests book side trips to Universal Hollywood, etc. The big rivalry there is Disney/Knotts.

 

[pheneix]

>>>Also, the Universal/Disney rivalry of Orlando is nearly non-existant in So Cal<<<

Yes, but the competition between the two ivory towers (or in Universal's case black) is still wickedly strong. It is definitely odd to see Universal use a Disney property for their own means. It's also very funny, since this is the 3rd version of the free admission discount they have ran this year.

>>>The big rivalry there is Disney/Knotts.<<<

And it has definitely been stong ever since Knotts was surpassing DCA's attendance last month.

 

[mkt]

pheneix...

have you ever lived in SoCal? I have.. and though on paper the rivalry is there, most locals (including Universal Hollywood Staff/Management, and DLR Cast/Management) don't see a rivalry between the 2. As for Knotts... Knotts has a history in SoCal, which DCA does not. People are quick to bash something as a failure (remember when DL first opened? How about when WDW first opened? Even more recently... when MGM or DAK opened?) It is rare when a new theme park opens to succesful business. Most new theme parks quasi-flop when they first open, but after their first test of longevity (3-5 years after opening) they tend to have their own distinct fan base, and tend to have earned the respect of the old time fans.


Finally... I know you know a lot, but cut the attitude. It is REALLY getting under my skin. How can you know so much anyway? You live in North Carolina. What ties do ANY major theme park companies have there?

 

[Testtrack321]

Knotts is a very big comeptitor. There very close (Universal is over an hour away) and they have the fastes launch coaster on the west, and possibly a new giga coaster comming in '04.

 

[pheneix]

>>>Most new theme parks quasi-flop when they first open<<<

Most new theme parks also don't hemorrage money to no end when they open either. Epcot didn't. MGM didn't (MGM had it's own set of problems due to overcrowding). AK didn't. And even DLP didn't (the resort side of the house was another story). IOA had a rough start, but it's quality and attraction base was never contested. It's attendance also never plummeted in it's second year like DCA has (DCA is down by 15-20% year to date).

>>>I know you know a lot, but cut the attitude.<<<

Not to mean any disrespect, you're the one packing the heat in this thread. You're acting like I'm RobFL or something.

 

[mkt]

Originally posted by pheneix
Most new theme parks also don't hemorrage money to no end when they open either. Epcot didn't. MGM didn't (MGM had it's own set of problems due to overcrowding). AK didn't. And even DLP didn't (the resort side of the house was another story). IOA had a rough start, but it's quality and attraction base was never contested. It's attendance also never plummeted in it's second year like DCA has (DCA is down by 15-20% year to date)

theme park attendance is down everywhere.. this is post 9/11 society. The park is faring about as well as most others in the country, given the current security fears. Had DCA opened earlier, the second year might have been at par, but saying that the park is down in attendance for low quality is an unfair statement, given the sudden american interest in security.

Originally posted by pheneix
Not to mean any disrespect, you're the one packing the heat in this thread. You're acting like I'm RobFL or something.

How so? I say a statement, you shoot it down, without naming any sources. I named mine (personal experience). As for the RobFL comment, in my eye, you're in the same book as him.

 

[MrPromey]

Originally posted by mktiggerman
People are quick to bash something as a failure (remember when DL first opened? How about when WDW first opened? Even more recently... when MGM or DAK opened?) It is rare when a new theme park opens to succesful business. Most new theme parks quasi-flop when they first open, but after their first test of longevity (3-5 years after opening) they tend to have their own distinct fan base, and tend to have earned the respect of the old time fans.

Another thing to consider (weather it is Disney or Universal or anyone else) is that when a new park opens, it is usually far from completion. I mean, things change and new things open even today in the MK and that’s the park that started everything in the Orlando area. Whenever you compare a new park to ones that have been around for decades, you are likely to find some holes in the newer park. Personally, I am not a fan of IOA because it seems to be a strange hybrid park that blurs the line between Theme Park and Amusement park which I very much hope will not become a trend in the Orlando area. I could also say that if lines aren’t bad, it’s a park that can be done in WELL under a day but that isn't exactly fair to the planners of this park because it is also a relatively new park. Like AK, its real value won’t be appreciated for at least another six or seven years until it has been “grown” into a more mature park.

We all like to compare new parks to what is already there but most people don’t think about what the original parks opened with. DCA is going to seem crappy next to DL. DL has been around for nearly half a century and in that time a LOT has been added to that park. DCA will probably continue to struggle till they can build it up so that it seems like a park that would take a full second day or until they get a third park of some sort (theme park, water park or whatever) to convince the public that DL can be a true tourist destination that works as an alternative to WDW and Las Vegas.

 

[pheneix]

>>>theme park attendance is down everywhere.. this is post 9/11 society<<<

That's the same excuse Disney and Six Flags have hid behind while Universal, Cedar Fair, and a handful of other mom and pop parks have posted gains. The economy has of course impacted guest spending, but the fact that these parks have reported an attendance increase is enough to bring in question Disney's ability to retain a theme park audience, or even build for that matter. Besides, DCA's attendance was already horriffic before September 11th.

>>>but saying that the park is down in attendance for low quality is an unfair statement<<<

How? Disneyland was down 11% in 2001, which is already poor. DCA missed it's targets by over 29%, and is already on track to miss it's year-to-date attendance by 2/3 of that amount, even while Disneyland has performed strongly next door.

>>>How so? I say a statement, you shoot it down, without naming any sources<<<

I never shot down anything. You said something, and I put my own 2 cents into it. I never disputed any of your claims.

>>>when a new park opens, it is usually far from completion<<<

True, but that does not prevent a park from providing a full day's high quality entertainment.

>>>Like AK, its real value won’t be appreciated for at least another six or seven years until it has been “grown” into a more mature park.<<<

Then maybe they shouldn't charge for the same "real value" that they charge for at the Magic Kingdom and Epcot.

>>>DCA is going to seem crappy next to DL.<<<

Disney should have considered that when they killed off a vastly superior concept (WestCot).

 

[Disney4648]

Pheneix, do you have anything against the Walt Disney Company?
Or something you dislike about WDW?

 

[pheneix]

Sigh... Short version of the story:

I'm a guy who yearns for the good old days when Disney had such amazing concepts like listening to guests, attempting to provide the best experience possible, and building the best attractions in the industry.

 

[Testtrack321]

Originally posted by pheneix
Sigh... Short version of the story:

I'm a guy who yearns for the good old days when Disney had such amazing concepts like listening to guests, attempting to provide the best experience possible, and building the best attractions in the industry.

He's bascily Jim Hill :lol:

LOL, j/k pheneix

You provide good info that we all like, no matter how much we don't want to admit it.

 

[MrPromey]

Originally posted by pheneix


Then maybe they shouldn't charge for the same "real value" that they charge for at the Magic Kingdom and Epcot.

>>>DCA is going to seem crappy next to DL.<<<

Disney should have considered that when they killed off a vastly superior concept (WestCot).

Funny, I thought you liked IOA. You do realize that was the park I was talking about where you quoted me, right? I guess you are right though, perhaps if Universal started charging less for IOA, it might actually see a boost in attendance that will rival Universal Studios. Since AK still holds attendance above that of any of the national competition, I don't think there is quite as much of a need on Disney's part - also, it's worth throwing out that I doubt most guests in AK pay a single day admission for AK by itself. APs, SPs, hopper, and length of stay passes make the individual price of a single day's admission a total non-issue for the majority of park guests. Perhaps when Universal gets three more parks under their belt in the Orlando area, they will have as much flexibility as well.


My whole point (which wasn't intended to be an argument like you somehow tired to turn it into) which you either missed or chose to ignore is that you can't really expect them to build a park that from day one can compare to a park that's nearly 5 decades old. I mean, technically, it could be done but it would be financial suicide. Disney built four parks in Florida in just over half the time that DL has been around and DL has been expanded for the longest time under the notion that it would remain just one park.

As for WesCot, I suppose the timing couldn't have been better for a project like that. If you remember, the high costs for the construction of Epcot which was not an instant hit were part of the reason that the Disney company found itself on the chopping block back in the early 80's.