DisneyGigi
Well-Known Member
A part of me has always wanted to check out Universal but I just don't want to give up a precious Disney day for it. You are so lucky to live close enough to go more often. :dazzle:
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Went to IOA and Universal today
- Thread starter EPCOT.nut
- Start date
unkadug
Follower of "Saget"The Cult
If I could get a single day ticket for $12.14...I'm there.:wave:
Heck, you can't even go to Six Flags for $12.14 !
Mr Bill
Well-Known Member
I don't think I could find enough to do at Universal for 7 days to warrant an $85 ticket. We went in late August, using a coupon we got in the mail for one free ticket plus $40 1d/2p tickets for everyone else. That came out to about $27 per person for admission, and it was alright. They've got some great attractions, but the lack of maintenance and management of the parks brings the total experience down.
I hadn't been to IOA for a full day trip since 2000, it was great to see they had opened....one ride that was supposed to be open on day one, since then. Trying to get food was ridiculous, we went to one restaurant where everyone behind the counter seemed to have no idea what was going on or what they were supposed to be doing. After watching them fumble around for about 10 minutes, we left and went to Mel's Diner.
It could be a great resort, it just needs some better logistics and some TLC.
I hadn't been to IOA for a full day trip since 2000, it was great to see they had opened....one ride that was supposed to be open on day one, since then. Trying to get food was ridiculous, we went to one restaurant where everyone behind the counter seemed to have no idea what was going on or what they were supposed to be doing. After watching them fumble around for about 10 minutes, we left and went to Mel's Diner.
It could be a great resort, it just needs some better logistics and some TLC.
I think people here bash Universal for some very specific reasons:
A) It costs a lot. Many of us owned or have pwned annual passes for Uni, but never used them, so dropped them. Then we buy single or double day tickets and are PO'ed. Why? Cuz we own WDW annuals, and the parks are pretty much free for us. Thus, when someone goes for free - as the OP did - its wonderful. I'd go for free and enjoy it too.
B) Sometimes service sucks bad there. It happens.
C) Things are neglected or poor quality in the first place. We get on Disney's case a lot, but with Uni - as the imagineer guy said in his inspirational speech - we've jsut stopped caring. Uni does not seem to try and maintain some parks of their expeirence. Poor IOA got run down
It's ironic that you list these as "specific reasons" when really only your first point (A) is a specific reason. That's the only one where you're really being specific about an aspect of Universal. The other two (B & C) are just generalities and arguably more opinion than fact. I'm not ragging on you (really, I'm not). But it's just funny because just a couple days ago someone posted in another thread that they noticed no one here is ever really able to come up with a specific example of bad service or things getting "run down" at Universal, yet people make general statements about those two things (usually as a rebuttal in support of Disney when someone is complaining about some aspect of their recent trip). I mean in all honesty, how often do we come to this site only to see yet another "just got back...and have some complaints" thread about a recent visit to WDW? Seems like it's happening more and more with ever growing frequency. Those complaints are always VERY specific and site actual events. In contrast, whenever someone is bashing Universal, it seems like they are never able to give specifics. They just make very broad statements like, "The employees are rude there" or "It's like Six Flags", or "It's 'run down'".
So I guess my challenge to you would be that if you're going to state that there are "specific" reasons, then why are you not able to actually list specific reasons? Just curious.
Based on my own personal experiences, I'd say it's very unlikely that there was anything "special" about the day you visited. I've really never had a bad experience at Universal, and quite honestly, I think their level of guest service has remained consistently and reliably great, while Disney's has been in a fairly steady decline. Unfortunately, Universal gets a really bad reputation on these boards because a lot of hardcore Disney fans seem to consider Universal a threat (and rightfully so), and seem to try and bash it (unfairly) at every opportunity. Sadly, a lot of people just sort of blindly accept that what's being said about Universal is true and they end up not going because they assume they'll have a lousy time. That would likely explain why you find yourself surprised to discover that it was actually a great place and that you had a great time. Believe me, that's not the exception at Universal...it's the norm.
Matpez
Well-Known Member
I actually wouldn't consider Universal a threat, and I doubt the suits at Universal do either.
They are there because it is the right place to be...if you can offer a different kind of experience than MK or Epcot with IOA, you are bound to get enough percentage of the massive amount of tourists to spend at least a day at our park.
Personally, I grew up going to six flags parks. I love roller coasters. I think Disney severely lacks in the "thrills" department.
That being said, I have an AP to WDW and Universal. I go to Uni and ride Mummy, Hulk, Spiderman, DD and maybe a few others, have fun and go home.
I go to WDW and am immersed in a place that is not the real world. I have gone to Epcot just to walk around. The overall attraction to WDW isn't the rides. That may be what gets you in the door, but once you are there, everything else (theming, CMs, music, emotions, overall atmosphere) keeps you there.
IOA looks pretty, but IMHO, it feels like any other Six Flags. The rides are fun and then you go home.
Also, I have had my Uni AP almost a year... I have gone 3 times and 2 of those were to go with out of state guests.
I go to WDW just because I don't have anything better to do in a given day.
They are there because it is the right place to be...if you can offer a different kind of experience than MK or Epcot with IOA, you are bound to get enough percentage of the massive amount of tourists to spend at least a day at our park.
Personally, I grew up going to six flags parks. I love roller coasters. I think Disney severely lacks in the "thrills" department.
That being said, I have an AP to WDW and Universal. I go to Uni and ride Mummy, Hulk, Spiderman, DD and maybe a few others, have fun and go home.
I go to WDW and am immersed in a place that is not the real world. I have gone to Epcot just to walk around. The overall attraction to WDW isn't the rides. That may be what gets you in the door, but once you are there, everything else (theming, CMs, music, emotions, overall atmosphere) keeps you there.
IOA looks pretty, but IMHO, it feels like any other Six Flags. The rides are fun and then you go home.
Also, I have had my Uni AP almost a year... I have gone 3 times and 2 of those were to go with out of state guests.
I go to WDW just because I don't have anything better to do in a given day.
kcnole
Well-Known Member
I'm going to respond to a few comments.
While the studios definitely revolve around movies and television, IOA is not themed to a single movie. You could argue that Jurassic Park is since they took some themes directly from the movie, but technically ever aspect of that park is either complete fantasy, based around books, comics, or cartoons. Nothing there is supposed to technically represent a movie.
I
Technically it costs less than Disney does. I paid the equivalent of 99/year for my annual pass to both parks which comes with free parking and tons of discounts. The single day tickets are the exact same price as Disney so I don't see how anyone can really claim that as a reason for disliking Universal and liking Disney more.
And sometimes its amazing. Sometimes service sucks bad at WDW too, it happens as well. Again, I see a draw here between WDW and Universal.
Very few things there were truly poor quality to begin with, but I will agree that they get let to be rundown quite a bit. However I read those same complaints daily on here about WDW. I will agree that Universal doesn't update their parks enough. Lucky for us, they are fixing that currently with the massive expansion over the next few years to IOA and also the new things coming into the studios. Its a fun time to be a USF fan right now.
Funny enough, as run down as both of their parks are, they're still miles ahead of MGM right now in the fun factor.
While the studios definitely revolve around movies and television, IOA is not themed to a single movie. You could argue that Jurassic Park is since they took some themes directly from the movie, but technically ever aspect of that park is either complete fantasy, based around books, comics, or cartoons. Nothing there is supposed to technically represent a movie.
I
Technically it costs less than Disney does. I paid the equivalent of 99/year for my annual pass to both parks which comes with free parking and tons of discounts. The single day tickets are the exact same price as Disney so I don't see how anyone can really claim that as a reason for disliking Universal and liking Disney more.
And sometimes its amazing. Sometimes service sucks bad at WDW too, it happens as well. Again, I see a draw here between WDW and Universal.
C) Things are neglected or poor quality in the first place. We get on Disney's case a lot, but with Uni - as the imagineer guy said in his inspirational speech - we've jsut stopped caring. Uni does not seem to try and maintain some parks of their expeirence. Poor IOA got run down
Very few things there were truly poor quality to begin with, but I will agree that they get let to be rundown quite a bit. However I read those same complaints daily on here about WDW. I will agree that Universal doesn't update their parks enough. Lucky for us, they are fixing that currently with the massive expansion over the next few years to IOA and also the new things coming into the studios. Its a fun time to be a USF fan right now.
Funny enough, as run down as both of their parks are, they're still miles ahead of MGM right now in the fun factor.
ok I know I am going to get a lot of flack for this... but... the last time I was in Florida, we actually thought the cast members at uni were A LOT nicer! We had more fun there. Crowds were less and the cast member were great. We are going again in December to Uni and WDW so I'll have something to compare. This was just our opinions.
DisneyChick1984
Member
Pfft. Universal is a lot cheaper than Disney. I paid $400something for my Disney annual pass and then $99 for my Universal pass. At least for Halloween Horror Nights I was able to buy a Frequent Fear Pass which gets me into HHN opening weekend, every Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday of the event for roughly $60. MNSSHP does not have a ticket like that. It was $30something for one night.
Seems to me like Universal has the better deals.
Seems to me like Universal has the better deals.
It's interesting to me how we often read comments on this board about how a lot of non-Disney fans just don't "get" Disney, or don't take the time to truly absorb all the ambience of a visit to a Disney park. Instead, they think of it as just an "amusement park" and they never really give themselves the opportunity to truly appreciate the depth of the place.
Ironically, I think many people on here treat Universal the same way. Your post is a classic example. You went to the trouble to buy an annual pass, and yet on the handful of times that you've bothered to visit, you went in, rode the "good rides" and then left. Did you ever consider just hanging out there and soaking in the ambience? I think if you gave it a chance (with an open, non Disney-biased mind) you'd find that Universal is an incredibly immersive experience, with an attention to detail that, in actuality, kind of puts Disney to shame in many regards.
Matpez
Well-Known Member
Seriously... I wish I felt that way... like going to Universal to hang out would be interesting to me. It isn't. That is not an attack on Universal, it is a statement about myself.
That being said, I do not go to MGM/DHS to hang out either...
I specifically was referring to Epcot when I made that statement.
There is no other place that mixes being a theme park/escape from reality/overall experience like Epcot, IMHO.
I do enjoy Universal, but just like DHS, I go in, ride the fun rides, see a show, and leave... probably to go to Epcot.
That being said, I do not go to MGM/DHS to hang out either...
I specifically was referring to Epcot when I made that statement.
There is no other place that mixes being a theme park/escape from reality/overall experience like Epcot, IMHO.
I do enjoy Universal, but just like DHS, I go in, ride the fun rides, see a show, and leave... probably to go to Epcot.
Seriously... I wish I felt that way... like going to Universal to hang out would be interesting to me. It isn't. That is not an attack on Universal, it is a statement about myself.
That being said, I do not go to MGM/DHS to hang out either...
I specifically was referring to Epcot when I made that statement.
There is no other place that mixes being a theme park/escape from reality/overall experience like Epcot, IMHO.
I do enjoy Universal, but just like DHS, I go in, ride the fun rides, see a show, and leave... probably to go to Epcot.
Well, to each his own...and I'm certainly not trying to talk you into spending a day at Universal or convince it's better than Epcot (or anywhere else for that matter). But I just think that people on here generally tend to be closed minded when it comes to bashing Universal. I understand and realize it is a Disney fan site, and as some have said, bashing Universal is to be expected because everyone here is so pro-Disney. But the thing is, I'm pro-Disney too, but I can appreciate that things that are great about Universal, and I can even appreciate that things about Universal where they surpass Disney. I just think that when people blindly bash Universal and have nothing concrete to back it up with, it makes them come across as closed-minded and not too bright. I mean, people on here will often say things about Universal that aren't even true, like it's falling apart, or that their employees are rude. Those things simply aren't true.
Matpez
Well-Known Member
I totally agree... how many of the 50,000 members of this board even know there is a Universal section way down here? And out of them, how many care? And out of them, how many only come here when they want to post negative things?
:wave:
"It's no better than a Six Flags. I've never actually been to a Six Flags, but I just know these things!
Maybe you're reading a different section than I am. I don't generally notice a lot of "negative" posts about Universal in this section. I only tend to notice negative comments about Universal in other areas of this board.