"We Will Win" signs posted over Universal Orlando

[NADisney]

Universal should stick with what it knows how to do "Films".And translating those films into attractions.

As for Disney , they can build it because they already own it.They turned films into rides, they turn tv shows into audience participation shows , they own a baseball team and sponser leages before they built a "sports complex" .They test there products before selling there product.They don't make it and toss it out the door to see if it floats ,and let it sink.

Universal Orlando is a copycat "world". For some of us who have been to Disney and knows its background from the start ,the market has been there.It's when someone tryes to duplicate it is when you fell.

Been there ,Done that
Universal 's there , Disney "Has" Done That !!

:sohappy: :sohappy: :wave:

 

[pheneix]

>>>I really can't see how Universal Studios can be better then the Disney-MGM Studios.<<<

It's really a matter of opinion. Here is how I feel the parks match up:

Wild Wild West vs. Indiana Jones Stunt Show: Both are good, but WWW is more spectacular.

Great Movie Ride: No direct competitor.

Backlot Tour: No direct competitor, but the tour is a pathetic ripoff of Universal's own in Hollywood.

Earthquake vs. Catastrophie Canyon: Actually, CC was a ripoff of Earthquake. You have to remember that MGM was RUSHED to beat Universal by a year and that somehow was supposed to make it better. It didn't. Earthquake is much more close-up, has more special effects, and is indoors. Earthquake wins.

Sounds Dangerous: No direct competitor, thank God. This show is so stunningly awful that I want to take it off of the list.

Jaws: No direct competitor. And believe it or not, that "little rubber sharkhead" scares the living hell out of a lot of people. The fire effects are also pretty intense.

ET: No direct competitor.

Rockin' Roller Coaster: No direct competitor.

Tower of Terror: No direct competitor

Terminator 2: (again!) No direct competitor

Mermaid vs. Barney: I hate Barney, so Mermaid wins.

Kongrontation: (God, when does it stop!) No direct competitor

BTTF vs. Star Tours: BTTF, by far. I got off of BTTF and immediately said "Wow, Universal has backslapped Disney in the face this time!" Everything, from the intricate displays and keypads in the Delorian, to the Delorian "lifting" out of the bay, it all blows Star Tours away. Plus, instead of looking out of a "window", the screen surrounds you.

Horror Make-Up Show: No direct competitor

Kids Land: I've been in Honey I Shrunk the Audience, I've only looked at Universal's. But Universal does have that roller coaster in their's.

Muppets 4D: No direct competitor (but Universal is adding Shrek 4D next year, and it looks to blow away Muppets in every respect)

Disney Animation: No competitor

Hitchcock: No competitor (NOTE: closing soon to make way for Shrek)

Bettlejuice vs. Beauty and the Beast: I've only seen Beetlejuice, so I can't really make an educated comparison

Hunchback: No direct competitor, but as I understand it is basically BATB with a different theme.

Playhouse Disney vs. heck I don't know, Curious George Goes to Town?: Running out of comparisons here.

Animal Actors Stage: By now it should be apparent that Universal has more attractions than Disney; no competitor

Twister: No competitor

Men in Black: No competitor

Animation: No competitor

It's obvious that these parks are drastically different from one another, but for the most part, I enjoy Universal's attractions more than Disney's. Yes, MGM does have some amazing attractions with Tower of Terror, Great Movie Ride, and RnRC (and by technicallity Fantasmic), but that is about it. OTH, Universal has BTTF, Earthquake, Kongfrontation, Jaws, Men in Black, and Terminator 2.

Both parks are good, but I'm sorry, Universal is better to me, and to a vast majority of theme park goers as well.

 

[pheneix]

Getting off of the "Which is better" debate, I was wondering, has anyone here been to Universal very recently, like in the past week or so? I was wondering how the new paint job was coming along at the Studios. When I was there, they had just finished painting the sides of the facades on Hitchcock and Barbara, facing the entrance, but had not made their way around to the sides facing New York. Anyone know if they are done? The new colors are very nice.

 

[steamboatwillie]

Just for the record, in the book "Celebration, U.S.A.", written by journalists who lived in the town for over a year, the 10,000 acre tract of land (bought in the original land purchase for WDW) that is now Celebration was deemed undevelopable as theme park land.

So there's your answer for why there's no theme park there. It would be much more difficult to set up utilidors on Celebration's land than it was where the Magic Kingdom and Epcot are.

 

[WDWspider]

Originally posted by JLW11Hi
Wow, I didn't know that. Why doesn't Paramouunt Advertize more? I'm sure that would help them a lot!

The Paramount parks do very well, but they are local draw parks, few people travel accross country to visit them, their strength is in neighboring states. I live close to Kings Dominion and Carowinds and you don't even want to compare to Universal, not even Busch Gardens. They are mainly for rides and very little theme. Paramount bought these parks after they had been established for many years (15 - 20). So the movie tie-ins are small or non-existent, but Paramount's does pump in enough money to keep the paint fresh and the new Coasters coming. Tomb Raider is there first major venture into a real Movie themed attraction (and it looks very good), next to that is Top Gun: the Jet Coaster. They had a Days of Thunder and James Bond Simulator but they were bad and are gone now. But when you still build rides like Hypersonic: XLC and Son of Beast, you can see that the emphasis is on thrill ride and not movie theming.

 

[JLW11Hi]

Now, isn't that kinda like Warner Brothers and Six Flags? Does Warner Brothers own part of Six Flags? mabey I just got that from the Looney Tunes characters at the parks.

 

[ghosthost13]

Originally posted by pheneix
Getting off of the "Which is better" debate, I was wondering, has anyone here been to Universal very recently, like in the past week or so? I was wondering how the new paint job was coming along at the Studios. When I was there, they had just finished painting the sides of the facades on Hitchcock and Barbara, facing the entrance, but had not made their way around to the sides facing New York. Anyone know if they are done? The new colors are very nice.

I work there and as far as we have been told they are finished(???)painting. I like the yellow and purple, but they should have decided on one color scheme and left it at that. Not 3 or 4 different colors. They clash with each other terribly.

 

[ghosthost13]

Is it just me or does anyone else have a problem with UO replacing Hithcock with Shrek. I mean I loved Shrek and am excited to see the attraction when it opens, but I wish they would just build a new facade for it where the boneyard is. Also, I'm a bit disappointed in UO's decision to replace Hanna-Barberra with Jimmy Neutron. JM isn't popular anymore, why not replace it with a Spongebob attraction, considering it's popularity with kids, teens, and adults?

 

[pheneix]

>>>I like the yellow and purple, but they should have decided on one color scheme and left it at that.<<<

I agree to a certain extent. However, I think it might be better to paint each building a little differently so as not to confuse guests. Perhaps that's how Bob Gault and co. felt as well. Thanks for the update on the buildings.

>>>JN isn't popular anymore, why not replace it with a Spongebob attraction, considering it's popularity with kids, teens, and adults?<<<

From what I have been told, Spongebob and the Rugrats actually play a part in the attraction. Now if that means they are merely going to be cameos or important characters, I'm not sure. We'll have to wait until next May to find out.

>>>Does Warner Brothers own part of Six Flags?<<<

Time Warner did own the 7 original Six Flags parks, but decided to sell them and the rights to use their characters and properties to Premier Parks a few years ago. Premier then slapped the Six Flags name on every single one of their parks, bringing the total up from 7 to 38. Unfortunately, the quality and cleanliness of the original 7 have seemingly gone to crap in the process.

 

[JLW11Hi]

Thats too bad. I went to Six Flags Fiesta Texas last year. I didn't get to spend too much time there because it rained, though.

 

[NADisney]

I visit Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom in late Aug because I can get in free along with with the Kentucky State Fair ,both these areas are connected.Plus my work gives free tickets to the Fair and its familys. SFKK is a very small park with 2 steel coaster and a double wooden chase coaster , along with some carnival rides.The park sucks baddly. No wounder it's going down hill in Lou,KY. I only live 10 to 15 mins from the park.

Oh ,I forgot .They do have a nice water park called Hurricain Bay.



:goodnevil

 

[MKCustodial]

Originally posted by pheneix

>>>JN isn't popular anymore, why not replace it with a Spongebob attraction, considering it's popularity with kids, teens, and adults?<<<

From what I have been told, Spongebob and the Rugrats actually play a part in the attraction. Now if that means they are merely going to be cameos or important characters, I'm not sure. We'll have to wait until next May to find out.

You know, I've said this a lot, but it's never enough: I'd love to meet whoever decided to scrap Hanna-Barbera and put that Nick crap instead and slap them across the face. I'll be LMAO when, in 2 to 5 years, that ride is closed because EVERY SINGLE KID IN AMERICA will have lost interest in those characters, not to mention all the other countries who either have them and already don't care or have never heard of them.

*grumbles and steps off his soapbox*

 

[pheneix]

>>>SFKK is a very small park with 2 steel coaster and a double wooden chase coaster , along with some carnival rides.The park sucks baddly.<<<

Kentucky Kingdom is an extremely sad story because the previous owners were building the park up to be a real contender before Premier bought it out and left it to rot, probably do it would nit compete with Six Flags Ohio.

I visit every year when I in Louisville for the International Lawn and Garden Expo, and it seems that it just goes downhill more and more every time I visit.

 

[pheneix]

>>>I'll be LMAO when, in 2 to 5 years, that ride is closed because EVERY SINGLE KID IN AMERICA will have lost interest in those characters<<<

In 3 to 5 years, JN will probably be long gone anyway, so it probably doesn't matter. I know Bob Gault has expressed interest in rotating new films in and out of simulator attractions on a regular basis.

 

[Disney4648]

If Universal get 3 waterparks, 4 theme parks, 18+ hotels, and Resorts on the US aka DCA Disneyland and Disneyland Paris and Tokyo, then maybe they can compare.....

Disney's New Slogan

"They wont win"

 

[pheneix]

A lot of Nintendo executives said the same thing several years ago...

Disney isn't untouchable, no one is.

 

[Don L Duck]

Originally posted by pheneix
A lot of Nintendo executives said the same thing several years ago...

Disney isn't untouchable, no one is.

How can you compare a mindless video game company to a theme park.
To some people a way of life.
It's a lot easier to produce video games than rides.
There's is only one Disney and that's the way it is and will always be.
Any changing of the guard will not happen in our lifetimes.:brick:

 

[pheneix]

Because Nintendo had the gaming industry under it's thumb even more than Disney has/had on the theme park industry. Then Sony came along, defeated all of the odds, and completely dismantled Nintendo's hold on the industry, despite the fact that Nintendo had been in the game for over a decade and had an immense loyal following. Wow, that sounds like Disney.

You are right in that games are slightly easier to produce than theme park rides, but it should be noted that the gaming industry is expected to easily turn revenues in excess of $20 billion in 2004. Budgets for games are now rising to the tens of millions, and show no signs of slowing down. Pretty soon games are going to cost as much to produce as mega E-ticket rides are.

 

[Don L Duck]

Well I wont argue back and forth,but you can't compare video games with theme parks.
Also how much do you think theme parks as a business generated in revenues.
Almost anyone can think of and implement a video game there is a lot of competition out there.
It's easier to overcome a video game giant with a couple of good games.
Try doing that to a theme park people have been trying for years.

I think they all know they can't beat Disney but hope to take a smmal part of the money, sometimes that in it self is a win for them no matter how small.

 

[pheneix]

>>>Also how much do you think theme parks as a business generated in revenues.<<<

Walt Disney World generated over $7 billion in revenues last year if memory serves me correctly. However, their profits were not much higher than that of Sony Computer Entertainment of America.

>>>It's easier to overcome a video game giant with a couple of good games.<<<

Not really. Microsoft does have an impressive line up of games, almost as good as Sony's, but they don't have the charasma or market share that Sony does with the gaming industry. And Sony is playing all of their cards right, whereas Nintendo's undoing can be traced back to some devestating decisions made with their last console (Nintendo 64).

>>>I think they all know they can't beat Disney but hope to take a smmal part of the money, sometimes that in it self is a win for them no matter how small.<<<

I think somewhere deep down Bob Gault thinks he can. It has been said before in this thread that while Disney's standards and plummiting down the toilet, Universal's are going up. Think about that for a minute.