Vivendi Universal

[mkt]

Originally posted by BAM
They should first buy out Pixar and the Henson's.

I agree about Henson, but not Pixar. Henson could survive with Disney's current penny-pinching, but not Pixar. Pixar is better off the way it is now.

 

[bdhowell]

>>Vendi is not in the business of operating them parks like Disney is and they don't know what to do to get them to improfe so they are selling them to shed an unprofitable segment they dont know much about.<<

I disagree!
Disney has other buisness ventures than just theme parks!!

Family is one of them!!

I have no problem with Universal Studios or IOA not being part of the Walt Disney Co. I love to go to all theme parks! I just think Disney is better! Thank you for your opinion though!

 

[Sherm00]

Originally posted by kevinwyld
I've actually got annual passes to all three parks in Orlando (hey - someone's got to think of better things to buy as presents for 44 year old single men for birthdays and Christmas ), and I like all three, although I'm a recent convert to Universal.
I recently spent some time with friends staying at the Royal Pacific Hotel, which had the great advantage of giving unlimited Express Passes for the length of stay (will Disney do that?). I definitely noticed changes in UO, which were for the better - Twister, T2-3D and Men in Black are great. Even Kongfrontation seemed to have improved since my last visit 18 months ago, but it's closing for good in a few weeks' time. IOA has great rides, but I must admit that Jurassic Park is much better in Hollywood. In fact Universal Hollywood is sooo much better than UO - there's simply no comparison.
Still, for the atmosphere, and the whole 'experience' WDW still is much better - it just seems right, while Universal isn't - I can't put it into words.
Finally, Universal can't do the entertainment right - the fireworks are pretty poor in comparison with Disney's, and the other shows at WDW are so much better (although I haven't seen Poseidon's Fury yet).
Areas for improvement:
UO - look what they do at Universal Hollywood (shame they can't import the landscape, however)
IOA - not a lot really, although the fireworks could stand an upgrade
MK - get rid of Space Mountain, and build a copy of Disneyland Paris' ride; do something with 20,000 Leagues lagoon
Epcot - The Living Seas - what is it all about any more? Change Tapestry of Dreams PLEASE
MGM - Star Tours 2, please
AK - actually, I think it's underrated, but BK would be a welcome addition.
Sorry about the rant, but in closing, what to thrill-seekers think of Kraken and Atlantis - I honestly think they are better than most other rides in Orlando.

you MUST do posidens fury. the show is absolutely fablous. we didn't go there to hate it. and we don't hate it. we are not thrill ride seekers, and maybe the music we heard in suess landing was an off shoot speaker from the superhero land. when me and my wife walked through superhero land the music was so loud we had to shout at each other. otherwise I like the themeing, the themeing is absolutely great. I didn't mean to come off sounding like I hated the place, on the contrary we had a great time. but we thought disney was still better. and in jurassic park maybe they were haveing ride problems i do not know but there was no brontosaurus, there was no raptors the boat ride was really slow and we were behind 3 other boats in a queue. they brought us up the first ramp and you saw the jurassic park gates we went through the gates and under this rock. we sat there for about 5 to 6 minutes then eachboat slowly drifted to the building (no dinosaurs yet) in the building up a ramp (theming was very well done other wise) around a corner the dinosaur rored on you and then the drop. and I don't do drops very well and I heard all the dinosaurs and stuff and the themeing of the ride was fabulous I forced myself to get on the ride (regardless of the drop) just to see it. maybe I got disapointed and the ride wasn't working like it should have that day. the cat in the hat ws great thatis a must do. we didn't get into see spiderman because the express tickets were all distributed by noon and the wait was over an hour. we went on the hanna barbara ride(that was cool just because it had fred flintstone in it ) and afterwards they had scooby doo. so me and my wife get online to get our picture taken(my niece loves scooby doo) now we ask the guy there if he can use our camera to take a picture of us with scooby. he said no I can take a picture and you can buy one on the way out. me and my wife were just bowled over. so my wife just took a picture with me and scooby. I am not saying that universal is bad I like some of the themeing, but in terms of service disney has them beat. and thats all it is. ok let me put it this way

Liked:
terminator, back to the future, twister, hana barbara, alferd hitchcock, makeup horror show, posidens fury(must do) , cat in the hat,popeyes river barge, IOA theming, parking garage (the parking garage is much nicer then in disney)

dis-likes:
too many thrill rides, Jurassic park, Men in Black(I heard so many good things about it the queue area is fablous but the ride lacked something can't put my finger on it), Universal Studios themeing (instead of looking like a studios like MGM where it seems sometimes you are back stage, universal built towns from specific movies but we couldn't find anywhere where they tell you from what movie it is from) music in some areas too loud, service, the parking garage walk ways (don't get me wrong they are great but people do not get the concept of walking with them to get there faster. call it a pet peve but some people just don't get it).



other then that we had a fablous time. but since me and my wife don't do alot of the thrill rides (and I am willing to give jurassic park another shot) we would probubly get a 1 day park hopper pass and get there a little earlier like when the place first opensand stay later because we can do both parks there in a day. now as for disney I have to agree on primeveil whirl, the drops wern't to steep so I would have done it, but since me and my wife are on the heavey side we wouldn't be able to sit comfortable. dinosaur is good but I think they need to tone that ride down a little bit more. my wife thought I was nuts. maybe because it was the first time I rode it. I would definitly ride it again. I think everyone really underestimates animal kingdom. this was my wifes and me favorite park. just strolling tha trails and looking at all the animals was great. the park was shaded (gee what a concept) the themeing is out of this world. it's tough to be a bug was great, and KS was out of this world. people forget that for disney an e-attraction dosn't have to be a ride. Now I don't think people would be upset as much if universal gets rid of kongfrontation as they were with Mr. toad. I rode Mr. toad when I was a kid and though I missed it Pooh is definitly an E-ticket ride. i liked it much better then Mr. toad. my wife and I must have ridden it 3 or 4 times. that and buzz lightyear. Buzz puts MIB to shame. the whimsicle "TOY" themeing. better targets, brighter colors, it was just really cool and fun(something universal needs to look into more not thrill). the TTA in MK something needs to be done with it because both my wife and I thought it was a little outdayed, COP was OPEN and we rode it several times. Alien encounter HAS TO GO. we skipped it because we thought it wasn't that great. Splash mountain put Jurassic park to shame. BTMRR and Space mountain are cool without that super coaster feel, though I was still too chicken to ride them. the big hat in MGM is a keeper, and MGM has better themeing then universal studios. MGM just feels like a working studio instead of a park from movies. too chicken for TOT GMR is always cool, Millionair ROCKED, Muppets are always cool. I never got the idea that "if it's a theme park it must have a ride". take epcot's world showcase. I like just walking along sampleing the food seeing the shows, I don't do circle vision but not every pavilion needs a ride. I think that if that happens that that area would loose it's romantic ambaince that my wife and I just love. Kissing in france with the eifel tower in the back, stealing a kis in mexico, to me it's really romantic. The themeing the show the service, disney is still king in orlando.

 

[jmarc63]

Originally posted by bdhowell
>>Vendi is not in the business of operating them parks like Disney is and they don't know what to do to get them to improfe so they are selling them to shed an unprofitable segment they dont know much about.<<

I disagree!
Disney has other buisness ventures than just theme parks!!

Family is one of them!!

I have no problem with Universal Studios or IOA not being part of the Walt Disney Co. I love to go to all theme parks! I just think Disney is better! Thank you for your opinion though!

I never said anything remotly that said that the Theme parks was there only Business. I said that they have been in the Bussiness a lot longer and know the theme park business better than Vendi does. You should read a post compleatly before making the comment you made .

 

[Lofatrules]

Monopoly

Disney would not be considered a monopoly as was stated by someone else before because they definately wouldn't be the only game in the country. Cedar Fair has 5 parks and their largest is actually the largest attended single park in the country. Anheiser Busch still has two Busch Gardens and the Sea Worlds that are still around. Paramount Parks has at least 7-8 large theme parks in the country.(ex. Carowinds, Kings Island, Kings Dominion) and if you want to talk monopoly how about Six Flags. 10 years ago there were only 7 parks in this company now they have over 35 they are buying up every individual and family run park that they can get there hands on. So overall Disney would actually have a small slice of the pie although probably the only non regional but national slice

 

[jmarc63]

Originally posted by mktiggerman


I don't think it would, since for the longest time, WDW was the only major game in Orlando. No Sea World, no Universal.

Not to mention, that a legitimate monopoly would be industrywide, and not just regional, since Cedar Fair, 6 Flags, Busch, and others still exist.

If Disney were to buy out Universal, it would be viewed more along the lines of DaimlerChrysler than Microsoft.

Mktiggerman,

In retospect I agree that It wouldn't be a monopoly, but some may consider it threat as to not have an alternative to Disney. I wouldn't my self but some might

 

[cymbaldiva]

Did someone actually say out loud way back in this thread that Buzz is 1000 times better than MIB? I'm guessing I've just missed something since the last time I was at the parks - was the ride actually cleaned up or something? I'm a total Disney fan at heart, but when I first rode Buzz I thought it was a cheap overhall of the building...then I rode MIB and I knew what Disney could really do if they so wished. I really loved it...it's one of the reasons I will go back to Universal.

 

[mkt]

Originally posted by jmarc63
some may consider it threat as to not have an alternative to Disney. I wouldn't my self but some might

To them I say: go to Sea World and drive an hour to Busch Gardens then. An hours drive to a park is shorter than most of the country.

 

[MrPromey]

Re: Monopoly

Originally posted by Lofatrules
Cedar Fair has 5 parks and their largest is actually the largest attended single park in the country.

I hate to question your statement but all of the reports that I have come across for years list the Magic Kingdom in WDW as the highest attended park in the U.S.. Last year, with a downturn of attendance, MK still saw an average of 40,000 guests a day. What figures did you base your statement from?

 

[cymbaldiva]

Not sure why I even bother to speak....

 

[MrPromey]

Originally posted by cymbaldiva
Did someone actually say out loud way back in this thread that Buzz is 1000 times better than MIB? I'm guessing I've just missed something since the last time I was at the parks - was the ride actually cleaned up or something? I'm a total Disney fan at heart, but when I first rode Buzz I thought it was a cheap overhall of the building...then I rode MIB and I knew what Disney could really do if they so wished. I really loved it...it's one of the reasons I will go back to Universal.

And we all know how much six year old kids love semi-realistic scary aliens attacking them – especially the really big ones that try to eat them at the end of this particular ride. How about we criticize It’s a Small World next because the animatronics in there don’t look like real living kids? Two different rides with two entirely different intended audiences. Why do so many people seem to miss this point? One is based off a G-Rated family (read: FOR KIDS) and the other is based off of a PG13-Rated movie marketed (like it’s sequel) just about exclusively toward teen and adult audiences.

I have no problem with the fact that you like the MIB the ride, I also think it was pretty well done but it’s got more differences than similarities to SRS. I mean, let’s face it, in one ride, you are trying to protect earth from an alien invasion and in another you are trying to keep the Evil Emperor from stealing size C batteries. On one you get your mission run down from a large screen and on the other from a giant picture viewer.

 

[cymbaldiva]

The point is the actual quality of the ride, not it's content. Disney could have spent some actual $ to create something special, but they didn't. Just imagine if Buzz was a really good (high $) ride....it would be so awesome!

 

[kevinwyld]

Can't we all get along
Actually, I enjoy both rides - probably because I enjoy both movies/characters.

Love, peace, and all other good things.

P.S. Since I have decided to get a bit more involved in all this, when do my 'promotions' occur? Thanks.

 

[cymbaldiva]

I'm always a fan of "Give Peace a chance"...really. Being a Beatles fan, what else could I think?

 

[MrPromey]

Originally posted by cymbaldiva
The point is the actual quality of the ride, not it's content. Disney could have spent some actual $ to create something special, but they didn't. Just imagine if Buzz was a really good (high $) ride....it would be so awesome!

What would you have liked to have seen exactly? There are certain things I can think of right off the top of my head about this ride that point out that it is geared towards children. For one, the guns are big and cartoony (like everything else) and mounted on the car so that the kids don’t have to aim as much and so that they can’t be dropped and everything that you are supposed to shoot at has targets on it to make it obvious what to shoot… That being said, the ride layout was the same, the cars are still the originals that have been modified to now accommodate the center turning that the original ride system did not (and the user controlled turning)… As far as what’s inside, it’s not that far out of line with what you see in just about all of Fantasy Land which was designed to accommodate the same audience. When I was a kid, I loved rides like Snow White and IASW… Now they are things I only do when other things have long rides or I’m hot and tired or whatever and usually it’s also got something to do with who I’m with or how long it’s been since I’ve been on them… I’ll be honest; I still go on Peter Pan’s Flight of my own will when the lines aren’t absurdly long… I’ve also seen comparisons of this ride with E.T. in U.S… Personally, I think the whole premise of the E.T. ride is stupid (How is it that this society that is advanced enough to build starships that can transport them across galaxies lives on a planet that seems to be totally void of any modern technology whatsoever and can only be cured by the glow-in-the-dark figure of the one little short guy with a long neck who isn’t there?).. My personal feelings aside: rolleyes: . The two attractions do both hang from the ceiling and incorporate scenery that sits below the vehicles but they aren’t really anything alike otherwise… Sure, Disney could have built an entirely new structure somewhere and made the ride bigger with more realistic alien monsters but they would have been shooting over their audience and I don’t think even they consider this attraction in the same ballpark as say, Splash Mountain… I think – and this is just a guess on my part without any fact to back it up – that they were trying to incorporate a decidedly children oriented attraction into a part of the park that houses things that would generally be considered to frightening or have height requirements against their usage. I believe that it’s for this very same reason that they consider the speedway a part of tomorrowland even though it in no way fits into that part of the park. One would think they could have easily relocated the entrance and repainted the cars to make it an attraction in Toon Town with a Disney character theme don’t you think?..

P.S.
If you’ve read any of my other posts you know that I tend to get into little heated debates with some people on some topics. Please don’t think that’s what I’m trying to do now. I just haven’t heard anyone who tries to compare SRS and MIB come up with a change that would actually improve the ride and still keep things toned down so that it would still target its intended audience. The fact that the track is original to the building is not something that I consider to be a flaw since it’s something that average guests who hadn’t ridden Dreamflight in it’s last year or who don’t visit websites like these where we talk about it would probably even realize it… The attraction right across from it, Alien Attack (not one of my faves because I think they could have – but for obvious reasons wouldn’t have – made it a lot more scary than they did) uses the exact same layout as the attraction that was before it as well, right down to the levels of seating... Not every ride can be a high seven digit or eight digit e-ticket style ride and I don’t think anyone would say that SRS is or that it is meant to be… On a slightly unrelated topic, I think many of us in this age tend to forget that Disney does not have a history of opening these big E-Ticket attractions every year or even every other year. A lot of people think they are falling off with the rate at which these kinds of attractions are going in but I don’t recall a constant brigade of these rides ever being built in tandem there.

 

[MrPromey]

Originally posted by cymbaldiva
I'm always a fan of "Give Peace a chance"...really. Being a Beatles fan, what else could I think?

Sadly, we know how well that worked for John… In any event, I hope nobody confuses this discussion with an argument.

 

[Lofatrules]

correction

Correction duly noted Mr Promey. I misread the stats. I should have read the top of the page that said seasonal theme parks.
Cedar Fair has the highest attended seasonal theme park in the country. IF I thought about it long enough I would have realized how dumb a mistake that was.

 

[Sherm00]

sorry, when I said Buzz was 1000 times better then MIB it was on a personal note. they are diffrent rides but with the same "interactive" experience. ad in my opinion disney did it's homework. by keeping the existing ride system and a constant motion of carts the ride loads faster then MIB. Buzz is more comfortible for 2 large adults. the seats in MIB were small. Buzz tries to dazzle you with a controlled spin and light effects where in MIB you have an uncontrolible spin for the 'THRILL" . everyone has there own opinion but I still like buzz better.

 

[Spectro shire]

Disney could take some of Universal rides and put them in their parks

 

[bearboysnc]

So you didn't see the barontosaurus (or however you spell it) right after the gates open at the start of the ride? You didn't see the raptors that take turns jumping at your boat on the way up the ramp? You didn't see the dino that knocks your boat off-course and into the backstage facilities? There's an overwhelming majority of facts that just makes that you said way off-base.

The last time I rode JP most of the figures were missing. I could see where they were supposed to be... hoses were sticking out of the water. With out the figures, it's a pretty boring ride.

Disney would CLOSE a ride before removing THAT many figures.