Universal vs. Disney

[albino_pygmy]

Remember, I did cancel mostly because I knew I was finished with yearly Universal visits... Why pay when I don't plan on attending year after year like I originally was going to do? But I was shocked when they didn't even try to convince me otherwise.

I know it sounded weird to not have them beg and plead you to not cancel, but I think it was smart for them to just do what you had asked, and accept the fact that they couldn't please everyone. I'd much rather them just fix or address any problem I have, rather than just 'make it up to you' to convince you to keep coming back. Besides, I'm sure that won't be your last visit to Universal, especially with Harry Potter going in. Did they at least appoligize for any inconviences?

 

[albino_pygmy]

Wolverine smoked in the comic books and the movies. I fail to see the problem. :lol:

It's only a joke. :wave:

Well, it is considered 'backstage' and they could do whatever they want as they please behind the scenes. Unfortunately it was in open view of those riding Dr. Doom's, and I think the TM's there should have known better, but probably forgot about those on the ride. I've seen other characters smoke backstage as well before, and even though it is disturbing to see Cinderella light up, that's her own business while on break, but when she's "on stage" she better have found a way to remove that smoke smell from her, or else people would start questioning what their favorite princesses are up to.

 

[Captain Chaos]

I know it sounded weird to not have them beg and plead you to not cancel, but I think it was smart for them to just do what you had asked, and accept the fact that they couldn't please everyone. I'd much rather them just fix or address any problem I have, rather than just 'make it up to you' to convince you to keep coming back. Besides, I'm sure that won't be your last visit to Universal, especially with Harry Potter going in. Did they at least appoligize for any inconviences?

It wasn't that I wanted them to beg and plead with me not to cancel. I was just shocked that they didn't at least offer or ask what they could do to change my mind. However, I did fail to state, and I should have, that when I got back from my trip, I called Guest Services and spoke to a fantastic manager who did offer me two free tickets as a way to say HEY COME AND ENJOY US AGAIN, ON US.... So, maybe it wasn't completely fair for me to say they didn't want the business. At that time though, it did feel that way...

I may give Universal a try once HP opens but not before. I just have a very sour taste in my mouth over my previous experience and I need to rinse the bad taste out...

 

[shmmrname]

Many of these threads appear at an almost-constant rate...

 

[goodtimes5286]

speaking of the carousel of progress....

 

[Disneyson 1]

"There a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow!"

 

[goodtimes5286]

speaking of, how come TTA doesn't go inside of the CoP, or have a better view of the tomorrowland stage, or go inside some part of stiches great escape, or get closer to tomorrowland speedway (like over it possibly), or a better shot of BLSRS, or inside of cosmic rays. Maybe if they revamp they can try going inside of ALL of the tomorrowland rides (I know it's not logical, I'm just saying I'd LOVE that....but ever since 'the man' died, disney has never been about what the fans LOVE, its about the bang 4 the buck.....now im all depressed )?

 

[MonsterManX]

speaking of, how come TTA doesn't go inside of the CoP, or have a better view of the tomorrowland stage, or go inside some part of stiches great escape, or get closer to tomorrowland speedway (like over it possibly), or a better shot of BLSRS, or inside of cosmic rays. Maybe if they revamp they can try going inside of ALL of the tomorrowland rides (I know it's not logical, I'm just saying I'd LOVE that....but ever since 'the man' died, disney has never been about what the fans LOVE, its about the bang 4 the buck.....now im all depressed )?

As one of the younger posters here (at least I think so) I like your opinions and thoughts because I know exactly 100% where your coming from (again at least I think so). I myself love disney and hell I like Universal too , but I'm always gonna side myself with Disney. The problem here is , there's so many loyal followers of the great Walt that I believe they're scared to try something new to approach the generation of today. Now I'm not saying we need "EXPLOSSIONS THE RIDE!" , no we need something extremely well put together , story, theme, w/e all and all a solid ride that will make you go 'holy crap...that was a disney ride?!". I'm quite sick of the shows , and I'm glad they are refurbing old attractions , but for the love of god they really need to kick it into overdrive , this is why I think when HP comes out ,disney is gonna annouce something. It'd just be smart and logical buisness wise , and I hope they do so.

I mean I feel like they need something that appeals more to the teenagers more or so then the little ones , not that I'm excluding the kids (I mean it's everything disney is) , but more or so that one ride that newer generation people like myself can really say "that ride...is the best". Again I'm not complaining , I love it all , but there really needs to be something else in the works ,and not just a (example) "Little Mermaid Sea Adventure Musical Ride". XD don't kill me

 

[agent86]

I think this debate is not really fair to Universal, because honestly I am a fan of Universal but they aren't in the same league as Disney. It's like comparing the New York Yankees to my nephew's tee ball team. They may be champions of their tee ball league but come on they don't belong in Yankee stadium playing a game of major league baseball.

I can't wait for Universal's new attractions but let's give them a break, they don't deserve to be compared against Disney.

Ah, yet another person trying to portray Universal as something considerably less than it is, when anyone who has gone there knows your analogy is way way extreme of a comparison. Universal is "not in the same league as Disney"?? What???

 

[WDW1974]

Actually I don't think you give Universal enough credit. Spiderman can easily compete with any Disney attraction in most categories. IOA's beauty and level of detail far surpasses most of Disney's Florida offerings. Simpsons is the best simulator in my opinion. MIB is leaps and bounds better over Buzz Lightyear. The only category that Disney has Universal beat in is bombarding its visitors with the Disney brand "magic." Without that, and comparing entertainment for entertainment, Universal is easily in the same league and in some cases comes out the winner in my opinion.

Once HP opens Universal will once again raise the bar beyond Spiderman. Disney is still stuck in their rut with garbage such as Nemo ride, Stitch and Laugh Floor. I know, universal has their lackluster attractions as well but for the most part, looking at ratios, Universal comes out ahead or at least is easily worthy of comparison.

I agree with most of that ... although I'm not sure I'd say IOA's beauty and detail surpasses most of what Disney offers in FLA. It is a beautiful park and very detailed ... but some parts are just incredibly ugly like the Marvel area and Toon Lagoon ... they just scream 'typical theme park' to me ... vs. areas like Port of Entry, JP, LC and Seuss which are just terrific.

And while Uni/IOA have their great attractions, they have their duds too.

The thing with Uni is I get the idea that they're trying ... in everything they do. And with Disney, I get the idea they're trying to pass off that generic old, stale, tired 'magic' as something different ... much like the way they'll change the music and add some banners and call an eight-year-old parade new.

I'll also be a Disney fan first and foremost, but the idea that Universal isn't in Disney's league is truly laughable unless you're talking about marketing hype and sheer size.

 

[WDW1974]

I thought the Magic hat was plopped down because of legal issues Disney ran into due to the use of the image of the Chinese Theatre in their photographs?

Absolutely, categorically, 100% untrue.

Period.

This is an Internet/CM/fanboy/urban myth with no substance at all.

The hat was placed there because Disney wanted an icon it could sell loads of merchandise on with a 'magical' tie ... and because at the time the plan was to rip out the GMR and replace it with a two-minute thrill ride (thankfully died a pretty quick death after 9/11) and as part of that the building's facade was going to undergo a dramatic shift.

I always forget to put this one up with Cindy's removeable hurricane turrets, removable monorail rooms at Swan and Dolphin and River Country closed due to killer bacteria amongst the most popular myths in the fan world.

 

[jt04]

Absolutely, categorically, 100% untrue.

Period.

This is an Internet/CM/fanboy/urban myth with no substance at all.

The hat was placed there because Disney wanted an icon it could sell loads of merchandise on with a 'magical' tie ... and because at the time the plan was to rip out the GMR and replace it with a two-minute thrill ride (thankfully died a pretty quick death after 9/11) and as part of that the building's facade was going to undergo a dramatic shift.

I always forget to put this one up with Cindy's removeable hurricane turrets, removable monorail rooms at Swan and Dolphin and River Country closed due to killer bacteria amongst the most popular myths in the fan world.

Think you might want to rethink that last one. Except you are right about the "bacteria" part.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/09/18/zarrella.killerlakes/index.html

 

[tomman710]

Ah, yet another person trying to portray Universal as something considerably less than it is, when anyone who has gone there knows your analogy is way way extreme of a comparison. Universal is "not in the same league as Disney"?? What???

I didn't mean for it to sound "way way extreme" ... I love Universal, I am a supporter of them. However, I am realistic about what it is.

I think Disney fans go to far to an extreme when they say Disney is all there is, BUT I also think Universal fans go to far to an extreme when they say Universal is in the same league or even surpasses Disney in any way ... when if you're honest about it ... they don't.

All I was saying is I love Universal and it's not fair to compare them to Disney. A better comparison for Universal would be Six Flags.

Perhaps I should have said it's like comparing the New York Yankees to a junior college baseball team ... that's probably more accurate.

 

[albino_pygmy]

All I was saying is I love Universal and it's not fair to compare them to Disney. A better comparison for Universal would be Six Flags.

You're still not giving Universal the credit it deserves. Where's all the great theming and storyline to all their attractions at Six Flags? Where's their immersive dark rides? Where's their employees that actually do want your business? When you find all 3 of those in every Six Flags park, then you could say Universal is like a Six Flags, until then, Universal is in the same league as Disney. If you were to rank the theme parks in order of greatness, of course Disney will be at the top, and then in a close second, Universal, and shortly behind them would be Busch Gardens and Sea World, and then off in the distance would be Six Flags. However, if it were ranked by amusement parks, Six Flags would be near the top since that's all it is, an amusement park with little to no theme at all, just to go ride coasters and flat rides.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

I didn't mean for it to sound "way way extreme" ... I love Universal, I am a supporter of them. However, I am realistic about what it is.

I think Disney fans go to far to an extreme when they say Disney is all there is, BUT I also think Universal fans go to far to an extreme when they say Universal is in the same league or even surpasses Disney in any way ... when if you're honest about it ... they don't.

All I was saying is I love Universal and it's not fair to compare them to Disney. A better comparison for Universal would be Six Flags.

Perhaps I should have said it's like comparing the New York Yankees to a junior college baseball team ... that's probably more accurate.

Id lay off the herbal cigarettes.

 

[Giraffe Lounge]

Perhaps I should have said it's like comparing the New York Yankees to a junior college baseball team ... that's probably more accurate.

How about comparing the >$200 million Yankees to the $40 million Tampa Rays

That seems like a fair comparison, but.... oh... wait

 

[Captain Chaos]

You're still not giving Universal the credit it deserves. Where's all the great theming and storyline to all their attractions at Six Flags? Where's their immersive dark rides? Where's their employees that actually do want your business? When you find all 3 of those in every Six Flags park, then you could say Universal is like a Six Flags, until then, Universal is in the same league as Disney. If you were to rank the theme parks in order of greatness, of course Disney will be at the top, and then in a close second, Universal, and shortly behind them would be Busch Gardens and Sea World, and then off in the distance would be Six Flags. However, if it were ranked by amusement parks, Six Flags would be near the top since that's all it is, an amusement park with little to no theme at all, just to go ride coasters and flat rides.

Six Flags here in NJ is trying.. But, I agree there is no story behind their rides... And honestly, I don't need story behind the ride.. I want to enjoy the ride, not the story... Actually, I shouldn't say none of their rides have stories.. But, like rides in Universal and Disney, sometimes you need to dig that story up... However, I think Six Flags knows they are catering more to the teen and thrill seekers crowd so story is not important to the ride as much as thrill is....

 

[albino_pygmy]

I know Six Flags is finally getting it now, and I applaud them for that. I think they did a great job with their Dark Knight coaster, even if it's just an enclosed wild mouse with few set pieces, but still, it's a start. Sure, some people don't need storylines to have fun, and they prefer Six Flags over Disney, however I feel that with the addition to a ride, the storyline makes it more of a memorable experience than just another cheap thrill. As for making others have to dig up the story, I feel that Universal and Disney makes a good job in catching everyone up with preshows and theming in their queues. I also like that the queues have more detail in them that will add to the experience, but aren't that important to the story if you weren't as observant, or there was hardly a queue and you zipped past it. I'll take theme and story over cheap thrils anyday

 

[ChrisFL]

You're still not giving Universal the credit it deserves. Where's all the great theming and storyline to all their attractions at Six Flags? Where's their immersive dark rides? Where's their employees that actually do want your business? When you find all 3 of those in every Six Flags park, then you could say Universal is like a Six Flags, until then, Universal is in the same league as Disney. If you were to rank the theme parks in order of greatness, of course Disney will be at the top, and then in a close second, Universal, and shortly behind them would be Busch Gardens and Sea World, and then off in the distance would be Six Flags. However, if it were ranked by amusement parks, Six Flags would be near the top since that's all it is, an amusement park with little to no theme at all, just to go ride coasters and flat rides.

Agreed 100%. The worst argument anyone can make about Universal is that "it's like Six Flags".

Where's the Disney ride that surpasses Spiderman? MIB? The Mummy? Where in ANY Six Flags park is there anything close to anything that Universal offers in theming, dark rides, food, atmosphere, resorts, nightlife, etc.???

I still can't fathom why some feel like Six Flags can compare at all to Universal

 

[WDW1974]

Think you might want to rethink that last one. Except you are right about the "bacteria" part.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/09/18/zarrella.killerlakes/index.html

I hate computers ... HATE them.

I just had a long response here and it totally disappeared.

But I don't want this to go unsanswered.

So here's short version:

1.) amoeba exist in all Florida lakes;
2.) not new;
3.) deaths are extremely rare;
4.) this amoeba makes its home on bottom of muck filled lakes and generally affects kids who dive down, stir it up, get infected and can't fight it off;
5.) RC wasn't a 'natural' lake, it was filtered meaning the chances of this amoeba being present or causing a death were almost non-existent;
6.) this wasn't news ... everyone including Disney knew about this as far back as the 1980s;
7.) while it is easy to take A+B and get C here that is the wrong conclusion;
8.) if Disney thought it had any real legal 'risk' they would have closed the place down years or decades before 2001;

Sorry, I did have a more indepth answer.

But the above does cover it.

RC closing due to killer amoeba is simply Internet/CM/fanboy/urban myth ...