The Empress Lilly
Well-Known Member
I don't remember that either. That's the whole fun of the current theme park war in Fla! These are exciting times!
Traditionally, Universal follows Disney, the market leader. WDW sets a price, Universal follows, to the dime, so as not to be seen as the cheaper, thus inferior product.
This year, bullishly, Universal went first in the annual price increase. The message to the industry was clear: Universal considers itself no longer the alternative to the market leader.
What's more, Universal even upped it's price to one dollar above that of DL, forcing WDW to follow or be made a mockery of as the cheap brand in Orlando. Disney had to respond by topping Universal by a dollar - if WDW had accepted the same price as Universal, Disney admits it is now the market follower, instead of the leader, which the premium product can not be seen as. Universal has been slapping them around too much already for that to be acceptable.
Universal has rubbed it in: Disney has drastically increased prices, but can not offer an improved product. Unlike Universal, who's price hike is accompanied by an improved product. Disney was caught with its pants down. It either doesn't follow the price increase and admits defeat as the cheap inferior product in Orlando - which Disney, the premium brand, can not under any circumstance be seen as. Or it does follow the price increase, but must admit that unlike Universal it is not accompanied by an improved product, so angering and alienating its customers,. As happened.
It is brilliantly played by Universal.
