Why Disney is better than Universal and other amusement parks...

BryceM

Well-Known Member
Some of the worst times I've ever had at a theme park was Magic Kingdom. Too hot, too crowded, family fighting, siblings screaming and demanding to leave. Couldn't walk or move in Adventureland and it was close to a hundred degrees out. Had to leave and everyone was in a terrible mood. This has happened three times.

But on the contrary, I've had some of the best times in Magic Kingdom. Especially at night. Riding Splash and Thunder during the fireworks was an amazing experience. Regardless, I think a day at Magic Kingdom can either be really terrible or really fun. There is no in-between, especially how there is never a day when it is not crowded. When it comes to Walt Disney World parks, I much prefer EPCOT.

I would rank the Orlando parks (which suit my personal tastes) as:

1. Universal's Islands of Adventure
2. EPCOT
3. Universal Studios Florida
4. Magic Kingdom
5. Disney's Animal Kingdom
6. Disney-MGM Studios
7. SeaWorld Orlando
 

acishere

Well-Known Member
Some of the worst times I've ever had at a theme park was Magic Kingdom. Too hot, too crowded, family fighting, siblings screaming and demanding to leave. Couldn't walk or move in Adventureland and it was close to a hundred degrees out. Had to leave and everyone was in a terrible mood. This has happened three times.

But on the contrary, I've had some of the best times in Magic Kingdom. Especially at night. Riding Splash and Thunder during the fireworks was an amazing experience. Regardless, I think a day at Magic Kingdom can either be really terrible or really fun. There is no in-between, especially how there is never a day when it is not crowded. When it comes to Walt Disney World parks, I much prefer EPCOT.

I would rank the Orlando parks (which suit my personal tastes) as:

1. Universal's Islands of Adventure
2. EPCOT
3. Universal Studios Florida
4. Magic Kingdom
5. Disney's Animal Kingdom
6. Disney-MGM Studios
7. SeaWorld Orlando
I will never go to the MK again from June to August for the same reason. Crowd control can be a problem at any park in the summer though so I don't hold it against them.

If we are going to rank the parks though my list would probably have Disneyland as #1, USO and Epcot tied for second, and IOA and MK tied for third.
 

Fairybuzz

Well-Known Member
I like your tier system, but personally I would lump IoA together with tier 5, as the similarities are just too outstanding to differentiate between the two.


Jimmy Thick- No SeaWorld?

Seaworld is a hard to classify park in this system. To me It's always been like an aquarium with rides.

The reason Six flags is so low is because its parks seem to lose theming all the time, rides are left abandoned or demolished to replace with nothing but an employee rest room, and there are no dark rides or anything like that. I always thought that they could use some, like they have in georgia (I think theres like a bugs bunny ride there or something). Universal does have theming above Busch gardens and Paramont (defunct terminology), but seems to be one step below disney. Maybe the colors are just off or a corner is too rounded or plastic looking. Its hard to put my finger on it. I'd say the closest disney park to IOA is DCA. Its a mixed bag of themed rides like harry potter stuff and rides with bare bones theming like fearfall and storm force
 
Cars Land at DLR. If you haven't experienced it, you must. Nowhere else can you literally step into the actual movie. Sure, lots of places have tried (including Disney), but they're often condensed versions. Cars Land reminds us of what Disney should produce every single time they remodel or expand a park.
It sounds like they are trying to do that with the Avatar Land at DAK, bring the guests into the movie Avatar. Being able to enjoy and see things now like the Beast's castle or Cinderella's castle, and even Aurora's Castle still brings me the thrill and imagination that I am in the movie some how. And I can only imagine how Cars Land makes one feel. We are making plans for a future trip to Disneyland and I definitely can't wait to explore California Adventure!
 
Another thing that separates Disney from the Universal's and Six Flags of the world is the fact you don't have to pay for Fastpasses.


Jimmy Thick- Unless MM+ has a sinister ending...
That is a big thing that I love about Disney, yes it is expensive to actually get into the parks, but at least they don't try to rob you of more money with having to invest in $60+ extra for fast passes for a ride you can only ride once. I live in Ohio and Cedar Point just started to do that. I couldn't believe it! Its shameful to make someone pay for much money to first come into the park, just to charge them another 60-100$ to use a fast pass. Disney rules! Plan and simple as that.
 
Except that Disney's Fastpass system is a mess, even before Fastpass+, and is currently 10 times worse, and Disney's Fastpass is not an actual benefit but rather makes you jump through hoops to avoid the drastically artificially inflated standby lines that Fastpass itself created, and in the end you ride the same amount of attractions by utilizing Fastpass that you would be able to ride if Fastpass didn't exist, oh and also Universal and other parks charge for their service because it is a true "front of the line" perk and entitles you to EVERY ride and not limited to three per day or however many you run back and forth across the park to get, and by being an upcharge perk it means that they do NOT have to devote 80% or higher of their rides' capacity to the Express line, so the standby lines are not a frustratingly slow crawl....
Hey, beggars can't be choosers. And I never had a really big problem with Disney's fastpasses. Nor lines. I'm not going to shove out MORE money. It is unfair to the rest of the guests who can't afford these "Fast Passes" and have to wait forever in lines because the express people get to cut in front of them. That makes me so angry. I don't even have the opprotunity to use them because I spent all my money trying to get into the park! I feel like I'm being punished for being broke. Disney does not make me feel that way, at all.
 

TubaGeek

God bless the "Ignore" button.
That is a big thing that I love about Disney, yes it is expensive to actually get into the parks, but at least they don't try to rob you of more money with having to invest in $60+ extra for fast passes for a ride you can only ride once. I live in Ohio and Cedar Point just started to do that. I couldn't believe it! Its shameful to make someone pay for much money to first come into the park, just to charge them another 60-100$ to use a fast pass. Disney rules! Plan and simple as that.

I agree that LEGACY FP is better than Uni's system, but Disney messed up that system with MM+. Either way, I think you'll have to come up with more reasoning than "'Plan' and simple as that."
 
I agree that LEGACY FP is better than Uni's system, but Disney messed up that system with MM+. Either way, I think you'll have to come up with more reasoning than "'Plan' and simple as that."
Oops that was suppose to be plain and simple lol. Anyway, a big thing to getting an advantage out of the FP at Disney is really to plan though. Everytime I go, I know which FPs to get and when to get them. And I've never had any trouble with them.
 

Fairybuzz

Well-Known Member
That is a big thing that I love about Disney, yes it is expensive to actually get into the parks, but at least they don't try to rob you of more money with having to invest in $60+ extra for fast passes for a ride you can only ride once. I live in Ohio and Cedar Point just started to do that. I couldn't believe it! Its shameful to make someone pay for much money to first come into the park, just to charge them another 60-100$ to use a fast pass. Disney rules! Plan and simple as that.

Six flags also does that with their Flash pass. But then again if six flags thought they could get away with it they'd make you pay to use the bathrooms
 

Captain Chaos

Well-Known Member
Six flags also does that with their Flash pass. But then again if six flags thought they could get away with it they'd make you pay to use the bathrooms
Don't kid yourself, if Disney thought they could get away with charging you for the air you breathe, they would do so... And people would defend it as a GREAT BUSINESS DECISION!!!! IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, DON'T INHALE!!!!! IT IS DISNEY'S AIR AND THEY CAN DO WHAT THEY WANT WITH IT!!!
 

Tom Morrow

Well-Known Member
Hey, beggars can't be choosers. And I never had a really big problem with Disney's fastpasses. Nor lines. I'm not going to shove out MORE money. It is unfair to the rest of the guests who can't afford these "Fast Passes" and have to wait forever in lines because the express people get to cut in front of them. That makes me so angry. I don't even have the opprotunity to use them because I spent all my money trying to get into the park! I feel like I'm being punished for being broke. Disney does not make me feel that way, at all.
Universal's Express Pass doesn't impact their standby lines in any way even close to how much Disney's Fastpass does.
 

Fairybuzz

Well-Known Member
Don't kid yourself, if Disney thought they could get away with charging you for the air you breathe, they would do so... And people would defend it as a GREAT BUSINESS DECISION!!!!
sadly with this current management....yes. But the fact still remains that fastpass is free and flash pass is not. You have to wonder what six flags is doing with all that money because its sure not going to upkeep
 
Anyway, back to the main point of this fourm, I love Disney mainly because of its atmosphere. It is not all about the thrill rides and throwing you up in the air. Disney has always made it to be a point to take their guest out of the real world, if only for a day. I'm always going to be bias towards Disney. The cast members have always been wonderful, never a bad experience there. Now I'm not going to lie, I am going to Uni this trip, I have only been to the Hollywood one and I want to just see the Orlando one. Plus, I've been wanting to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. However, the excitement of my trip is mainly for WDW. I love it there. It is the happiest place in the world for me. The themes are wonderful, the rides are wonderful, the shows are wonderful, and the one thing I absolutely love is that everyone always has a smile on their face :D
 
Don't kid yourself, if Disney thought they could get away with charging you for the air you breathe, they would do so... And people would defend it as a GREAT BUSINESS DECISION!!!! IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, DON'T INHALE!!!!! IT IS DISNEY'S AIR AND THEY CAN DO WHAT THEY WANT WITH IT!!!
I can sort of believe that. I mean many gas stations already charge for air, which I believe is a little ridiculous. I have just always felt that Disney's focus was on the guest and the experience they are going to have.
 

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
I agree that LEGACY FP is better than Uni's system, but Disney messed up that system with MM+. Either way, I think you'll have to come up with more reasoning than "'Plan' and simple as that."
The only thing that made it better was the fact that it was free. It required a lot from guests to get it. A lot of running around and a time defined limit as to how many could be gotten so that no matter what you did, (post re-enforcement) you just got a small number of FP attractions.

The FREE part blinded many, including myself. If I can pay a few bucks for a basic FP at Uni that allows me to ride every single supported attraction, instead of the two or three I might get at Disney, I'd consider that an investment in my time and enjoyment. The last time I went, I found it to be unnecessary, but, I sure could see times when it would be well worth it and a better deal then the freebee at Disney. You get what you pay for! That will be an even more significant saying as this new FP+ system is finalized.
 

Fairybuzz

Well-Known Member
So would Disney.

Actually its funny to think about it but the last time I was in astroland in coney island before It became luna park or whatever it is now they actually Did charge for the bathrooms.

Anyway, back to the main point of this fourm, I love Disney mainly because of its atmosphere. It is not all about the thrill rides and throwing you up in the air. Disney has always made it to be a point to take their guest out of the real world, if only for a day. I'm always going to be bias towards Disney. The cast members have always been wonderful, never a bad experience there. Now I'm not going to lie, I am going to Uni this trip, I have only been to the Hollywood one and I want to just see the Orlando one. Plus, I've been wanting to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. However, the excitement of my trip is mainly for WDW. I love it there. It is the happiest place in the world for me. The themes are wonderful, the rides are wonderful, the shows are wonderful, and the one thing I absolutely love is that everyone always has a smile on their face :D

I agree. IT also helps me that I grew up a huge princess fan. I'd much rather meet princesses and tinkerbell then guys.... in.... spandex lol. I also never cared for the simpsons too much futurama is better imo.

On the other hand I love harry potter and jurassic park, and I love back to the future but oh wait its not there anymore :mad: .

Anywho, Disney has this ability to do things that seem impossible, like make a hallway disappear into a starfield or winnie the pooh's translucent dream self float into the air, or even bring out ghosts right before your eyes. Yes their old effects by now, but they still look more realistic to me than a tv screen with some 3-d stuff on it.

And rides like hulk and hollywood rip ride rockit do have bare bones theming a green coaster the hulk does not make, the same way that painting a coaster yellow and plastering batman logos all over doesn't make it a batman ride. (yes yellow and don't ask me why they think that's a good color to paint it, Black would have been much better like it used to be)

But I really don't hate universal resort in fact its my second favorite place in the world. I do miss things like BTTF ET etc to me thats really universal's golden age of films. They haven't really made a big movie that I've actually enjoyed in a while, at least that I can think of now.
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom