What's the deal with some Disney Fans? by Robert Niles

[spock]

And Kingda Ka is the tallest, fastest coaster on earth. El Toro is one of the biggest wooden coasters in the world and so on.

I don't even enjoy Six Flags all that much but for paying less and getting better coasters...I'll choose it over Universal any day.

I think Seabase86's point was to describe the experience of the IOA coasters, whereas what you've mentioned about these coasters are more just "stats". Granted, it's all subjective regardless. I've been on a lot of coasters (am a huge coaster buff as well as a huge Disney/Universal buff) and I actually consider the Incredible Hulk to be the best coaster on earth. As far as I know it doesn't hold any records. It's not the fastest, tallest, etc. It is simply pure perfection in it's design, and it includes all the elements that make for a superb coaster IMO.

 

[fosse76]

I think Seabase86's point was to describe the experience of the IOA coasters, whereas what you've mentioned about these coasters are more just "stats". Granted, it's all subjective regardless. I've been on a lot of coasters (am a huge coaster buff as well as a huge Disney/Universal buff) and I actually consider the Incredible Hulk to be the best coaster on earth. As far as I know it doesn't hold any records. It's not the fastest, tallest, etc. It is simply pure perfection in it's design, and it includes all the elements that make for a superb coaster IMO.

Not to threadjack, lol, but I don't really finad anything overly incredible about Hulk (no pun intended). The Raging Bull at Six Flags Great America, Kingda Ka and Nitro at Six Flags Great Adventure are what I consider to be the best coasters! IMO :wave:

 

[SeaBase86]

I think Seabase86's point was to describe the experience of the IOA coasters, whereas what you've mentioned about these coasters are more just "stats". Granted, it's all subjective regardless. I've been on a lot of coasters (am a huge coaster buff as well as a huge Disney/Universal buff) and I actually consider the Incredible Hulk to be the best coaster on earth. As far as I know it doesn't hold any records. It's not the fastest, tallest, etc. It is simply pure perfection in it's design, and it includes all the elements that make for a superb coaster IMO.

Yes that was my point and Hulk along with Dragon Challenge and Mummy are among my top favorites also.

 

[spock]

Not to threadjack, lol, but I don't really finad anything overly incredible about Hulk (no pun intended). The Raging Bull at Six Flags Great America, Kingda Ka and Nitro at Six Flags Great Adventure are what I consider to be the best coasters! IMO :wave:

Well of course it is ultimately a subjective thing. Not that this would have any impact on my personal opinion of the ride one way or the other, but I have noticed that the Hulk tends to make most top 10 lists of rollercoasters. I guess that says something. Nitro seems to be up there too however, so I guess we both have great taste in coasters! :wave:

 

[Monty]

I was actually on EE last week and it didn't seem any darker than at other times I'd been on the ride. In fact, I had forgotten about that distraction, so it wasn't like I was looking for it.

I was on EE last week too! Maybe we rode together.

I do still see light bleed when riding on the left side going backward, but I distinctly remember significantly more light when it was in Soft Open.

Still a great experience though, we rode 18 times over the last two weeks.

 

[jsteph]

I am a Disney fan, evidence going back in 2 weeks, woot. But when we went to Universal a few years ago, I was blown away by Spiderman and the Mummy. In fact, I compared Spiderman to the first time I rode Haunted Mansion when I was 8, now 35 years ago. That is how good it was to me. We rode it several times over the course of the week we were there.

Now that our kids are old enough to ride and not be baby sat the whole time but not old enough for Universal, it will be a few more years before we get over to Uni again. Looking forward to the Potter ride. If it is as good as Spiderman I will be impressed.

Just my two cents.

 

[imagineer boy]

I love how some of the HP nay sayers all have the same weak arguement that "the shops are too small, which means WWoHP is a failure!"

Oh no! Not the too small shops. :lol:

 

[snowpony]

That's exactly how I feel! It's just a matter of personal preference. There's a child-like innocence about WDW that is very appealing to a lot of adults, myself included.

There's something about staying at WDW for several days and feeling immersed in that whole experience that I would not feel if it were another theme park. What I like about Disney is that the theming and feeling is consistent from the moment you arrive at the airport until you leave- from the Magical Express, to the resort hotel, to the theme park, the dining options, etc. One is just at a constant state of Disney bliss. DBF and I have always liked Disney (-we live in L.A. and have gone to Disneyland several times), but it's not until we went to WDW that we became completely Disneyfied!

And yes, I love Harry Potter....read all the books in the late 90's and early 2000's before all the movies come out. I definitely would like to see what WWHP is about!

Maybe not in technology but I doubt if the Potter ride is as cute, happy, or would make me feel as "Warm and Fuzzy" inside as my Disney favorites like Splash Mountain and It's A Small World! And those happy qualities, (that some more "jaded" fans enjoy making fun of), found in truckloads in my fave Disney attractions, are why I've always preferred Disney over Uni. For me, it has absolutely NOTHING to do with which park has the most, "latest and greatest" high-tech toys in their attractions!

 

[jakeman]

I love how some of the HP nay sayers all have the same weak arguement that "the shops are too small, which means WWoHP is a failure!"

Oh no! Not the too small shops. :lol:

However, if that was the case at Disney, some people would say that.

It goes both ways.

 

[joe80x86]

I have to agree with some of the points in the article but I think it goes both ways. For every Disney fan dismissing HP there is a Uni fan acting like HP is some how the end all and be all of rides/themed lands.

I have not been there but I am sure it is a wonderful addition to the park. I don't know if Disney could have done better, personally after some of the stuff I have read about the contract with the author I don't think Disney would have ever been willing to do it.


P.S. I would also say that in regard to there being too much light in the transition areas I feel the same about the music room at HM the light level seems to have been increased within the last 6mo to year and you can clearly see the ceiling and strings at certain angles. Also I think the light level in IASW totally ruins the whole show, who wants to look at damages walls and missing ceiling tiles?

 

[Walt Disney1955]

You know, my wife is expecting a baby in April. Obviously there isn't going to be any travelling for us this year. But I am thinking that maybe 6 months after the baby is born (late 2011) we could take a quick weekend trip, if we had the funds and if we were spontaneous enough, to Orlando for 3 days or so (without the little one of course). I'll be honest, a big reason for this would be to see MK again but if we were down there I would go to Universal again just to get a chance to see Potter.

I mean the reviews are almost unanimous, it seems like something Disney would have done by creating a land in itself. And it isn't as if Universal can't do this either. Look at Jurassic Park. When you are in that whole area as soon as you enter the gates you automatically get the feeling of the movie. E.T? Come on, you can't tell me you don't get sentimental or nostalgic on that ride!

Bottom line is, I love Disney the best. Nothing will beat it and even with Potter Universal will just never match the entire Disney experience. Hardly anyone would disagree with me here. But let's face it, if Disney never existed the best park to visit in the world would be Universal. It's no slouch either.

 

[LoriMistress]

I think it's a great article. Easily put: Don't knock it until you've tried it.

 

[Ralphlaw]

The latest Unofficial Guide mentions several important points:

1. The main ride breaks down alot, and the breakdowns are often hours long.

2. Because Rowling wanted an intimate feel in the shops, capacity is low and there are lengthy lines to get in and buy a wand, a butterbeer, etc . . .

3. Rowling's demands to Disney were unrealistic regarding the small shops, the sales of only Potter Drinks and no sodas, etc . . . So Disney walked out of the negotiation. Rowling didn't walk out, Disney did.

4. The other two Harry Potter rides are refurbished older attractions. Nothing tremendously new about them except for cosmetics.

I love the Harry Potter books, having read each one at least twice. It disappoints me that Disney didn't get it, but I am also disappointed that Rowling would not listen to the naysayers regarding her demands, assuming all this is true. WWOHP sounds cool, and eventually I'll go there once the initial crowds die down and the main ride is dependable. Barring that, I'll just wait and feel some consolation that Disney did not give in to Rowling's demands. She's a fabulous writer, but apparently uncompromising in her theme park ideas.

 

[fosse76]

The latest Unofficial Guide mentions several important points:

1. The main ride breaks down alot, and the breakdowns are often hours long.

It's a high-tech new ride. This comment is irrelevant. The Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure, in its first three years, couldn't launch three trains in a row without breaking down for 20-30 minutes. It is STILL the most popular ride in the park. How many breakdowns does Test Track have in a day?

2. Because Rowling wanted an intimate feel in the shops, capacity is low and there are lengthy lines to get in and buy a wand, a butterbeer, etc . . .

And the only people who complain are people on this message board who have been criticizing the place since before it even opened. I was there for three days and not once did I hear people complaining about the lines.

3. Rowling's demands to Disney were unrealistic regarding the small shops, the sales of only Potter Drinks and no sodas, etc . . . So Disney walked out of the negotiation. Rowling didn't walk out, Disney did.

That's an unsubstantiated rumor. While Universal doesn't restrict itself to Harry Potter-based drinks, you can't get any type of soda in that section, but you can get beer, iced tea and water.

4. The other two Harry Potter rides are refurbished older attractions. Nothing tremendously new about them except for cosmetics.

So what?

[

I love the Harry Potter books, having read each one at least twice. It disappoints me that Disney didn't get it, but I am also disappointed that Rowling would not listen to the naysayers regarding her demands, assuming all this is true. WWOHP sounds cool, and eventually I'll go there once the initial crowds die down and the main ride is dependable. Barring that, I'll just wait and feel some consolation that Disney did not give in to Rowling's demands. She's a fabulous writer, but apparently uncompromising in her theme park ideas.

You are clearly one of the people the article is talking about.

 

[JohnLocke]

As a Disney fan, I'm still really excited about Harry Potter, I'm looking forward to finally going back down there in the future. I can't really speak for IoA, I've only been to it once and that was in one of its first two years, but my criticism of Universal comes more from them watering down the theme. It's gotten a bit better in recent years, but there have been some big changes since I first went to the park in the early and mid-90s that I just haven't liked.

For me, losing Nickelodeon was one of the biggest let downs, it was always fun to go in and tour it, it was one of the biggest icons in my childhood and losing it and and slime geiser was a big disappointment.

Even though they've added some nice rides and attractions, I really hate what they've done with Production Central. The name really indicates movie making, which is what Alfred Hitchcock and Hannah Barbera were actually about. In their place, we now have Jimmy Neutron which is a really nice ride, but has nothing to do with making movies, and Shrek 4D, which is the same thing as Neutron. I haven't done HRRR, but even though it's supposed to be a good coaster, it doesn't seem to fit the theme either.

New York's more of a mixed bag, while I liked Kong and it was well-themed, I really can't have any complaints about the Mummy, it's possibly the best ride anywhere in Orlando and it seems to fit the theme. On the other hand, you have Twister, which replaced Ghostbusters. Ghostbusters is set in New York, Twister isn't. Ghostbusters was a good show, Twister isn't. In Ghostbusters you actually sit down to watch the show, in Twister you stand. This is one of, if not, the worst attractions in the whole park and doesn't fit the theme.

My only real complaint about San Francisco/Amity is that I've heard them play modern music, which kind of kills the scene of a 70s feel they're trying to get with the area. Jaws is still good, and after they ruined Earthquake with the U571 overlay, they did a good job of bringing it back with Disaster.

At World Expo, MiB is great, so no complaint there. They did a good job with The Simpsons, but I don't think it really fits the theme. I think it would have been better to update the BttF ride instead.

Woody Woodpecker, I haven't done anything but ET and it's still great.

Same with Hollywood, Terminator is still great and one of the best 3D shows in all of Orlando.

 

[David S.]

None of those other parks you mentioned are really in the same "league" as Disney and Universal though. They don't come close to being any kind of threat to Disney. Universal, on the other hand, most definitely does. They've already produced at least two attractions (Spiderman and Potter) which many consider to be superior to anything Disney has done. The same can't really be said about parks like Dollywood and Busch Gardens. So it's not surprising in the least for hardcore Disney fans to not have an issue with those parks. In fact, if you think about it, it says a lot that Universal is always the park that comes up when making comparisons to Disney.

Well, regardless of if parks like Busch Gardens and Dollywood are not compared to Disney as much as Uni is, I still think they are great parks that I actually prefer OVER Uni. My point was (and still is), if I felt any kind of emotional connection with Uni or had a strong interest in the "properties" their attractions are based on, I would have an AP there. My lack of one is NOT a result of loyalty to Disney; its based on a relative lack of interest in the Universal brand and properties compared to Disney parks or even other parks!

You can have the most technologically advanced attractions and parks in the world, but if I am not into most of the characters, themes, and stories those attractions represent, I won't be interested.

As for Uni being better themed than every park other than Disney, that is debatable. IMO, Busch Gardens parks have a very high level of theming that is more aesthetically pleasing than Uni. One need look no further than the wonderfully charming Williamsburg park with the excellently themed European villages integrated perfectly into the beautiful natural landscape to see why.

And Busch has well-themed attractions as well. Such as DarKastle in Williamsburg, which is also very "high-tech". And the now-closed KaTonga show in Tampa (which I attended the last performance of a few days ago) which perfectly fit the park's themes of both Africa and animals, and is for my money the best live musical I've ever seen in ANY theme park.

As for Uni being a "threat" to Disney, I find that laughable. I think the biggest reason they are compared so much to Disney is because they moved into Disney's market with the direct intent of marketing themselves as an "alternative" to Disney, as well as the idea of capitalizing on the success of Disney, as there was already a large amount of theme park tourism in the Orlando market (thanks, of course, to Disney). Put Uni and IOA in ANY other market outside of Orlando and their numbers would undoubtedly be significantly less than they are now (and they are already so far behind WDWs that the idea of being a true "threat" to me is, again, laughable!)

Oh, and Uni has always had "Disney envy" and compared THEMSELVES to Disney, while at the same time often taking subtle (and not so subtle) cheap shots at them. Meanwhile, Disney just goes about their business without even acknowledging that Uni exists! So this whole idea of Uni being somehow comparable to Disney is IMO something largely perpetuated by Uni and their fans, made easier because they compete in the same markets as Disney.

As evidence, check out this rather pathetic page that was on the Uni website until very recently:

http://web.archive.org/web/20080410083854/http://www.universalorlando.com/disney_comparision.html

We get it, Uni. You think your properties are "hipper" and "cooler" and "hotter" and more "up to date" than Disney's. The irony is, everything on the Disney side of the list interests me MUCH MORE than the Uni side. Disney's "yesterday's fairy tales" are TIMELESS for me and a big part of what makes Disney so magical. And every other thing on Disney's side of the list is more appealing for my taste than the Uni "answer" to it.

So for me, this Uni attempt to make themselves look better than Disney is actually an "epic fail"!

 

[mp2bill]

I think it is a great article that sums things up really well.
Yes, there are a lot of Disney fans who appreciate what Universal has created with the WWOHP.
The naysayers are insecure. There is no current Disney ride that can surpass the technology and theming of The Forbidden Journey.
I also think the naysayers should ride it once before saying "Disney could have done better".
If it wasn't for WWoHP, I wouldn't have visited WDW this year. It is bringing tourists to Orlando and Disney.

I was with you before the third line.