cmatt
Active Member
qft - and the hulk :king:
and yes we do know the truth :lol:
just sit back and giggle - cos some of them hate the place and never been :veryconfu :lol:
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Why doesn't Disney just pay up for HP?
- Thread starter jayhawk2307
- Start date
qft - and the hulk :king:
and yes we do know the truth :lol:
just sit back and giggle - cos some of them hate the place and never been :veryconfu :lol:
TestTrack
Active Member
I agree its pretty good, but in more of a typical theme park way. They tried to match the theming of some of the disney attractions and most of the time failed however.(one that sticks out in my mind is the fire and ice dragon rollercoasters) Good rollercoaster, cheesy theming. I haven't been lucky enough to have gone a vacation since Spiderman was built but I think I should definitely give universal a day when I am down there next. Great to have a more thrill oriented park to switch things up and keep them fresh.
Hulk was quite good as well.
the horned king
Member
Universal has Spiderman and the Mummy. Spiderman is probably the best overall ride I have been on anywhere. But what do you do there the rest of the time. Disney is like an immersive experience and Universal to me is like a souped up Six Flags. Universal needed HP much more than Disney. From what I have read about it Universal is going to piggyback HP on to the fantasy section they already have. So they might end up adding 2 or 3 things.
coasterridr
New Member
Hmmm, do we know how many ex-Imagineers have helped Universal????
Note quite - Rowling turned into an egomaniac who was making absurd demands of WDI and the designs. The money was getting silly, yes, but the things this woman wanted just won`t work in a park. Signature rides with a TOC in the hundereds, crowd control nightmares, staffing levels beyond a joke. Sure, Disney could have built the attractions, but running them would have made 20k look like an Omnimover. That`s why Eiger pulled the plug.
In all fairness, I do hope USF is successful, and gives the Mouse the kick it needs to pull its finger out again to fight the opposition. Ahhh... the good ol' days days of 89-91!
Mr Starky
Active Member
I have to disagree with you here. If Universal does the HP thing. It still isn't going to help them to get over the top past WDW. Universal, although a fun place, simply does not have the ambiance of WDW. You can't go to Universal and FEEL like your in the middle of a MAGICAL world.
lilmizpixie3
New Member
Ya Universal definitely got there first on that one. They are turning the whole dueling dragons area into a harry potter theme land.
Epcot82Guy
Well-Known Member
Just a few ACTUAL corporate notions here.
1. Harry Potter is not the end all-be all of theme park attendance franchises. While we will see a boost, it is highly skeptical whether it will make an enormous difference in Universal's bottom line over time.
2. As stated above, JK was demanding INCREDIBLY high clauses for her characters. While this can be good, it all translates into $$$. Disney just came off a major investment in Pixar (which I think will pan out, while others don't). That was somewhat speculative. Frankly, they have enough to work with in the parks, and HP isn't all that necessary. Disney's attendance has been growing; Universal has more risk and more reason to invest in this (and will give up more control).
3. HP is competition to Disney characters! No matter how you cut it, Disney gets 100% of the revenue off Disney and Pixar characters. I will guarantee you that JK will never lose a substantial amount of revenue off HP. So, the investment going into marketing, development, etc. gets truncated.
OPINION: All in all, this would not have been a good investment for Disney with the terms given, IMHO.
1. Harry Potter is not the end all-be all of theme park attendance franchises. While we will see a boost, it is highly skeptical whether it will make an enormous difference in Universal's bottom line over time.
2. As stated above, JK was demanding INCREDIBLY high clauses for her characters. While this can be good, it all translates into $$$. Disney just came off a major investment in Pixar (which I think will pan out, while others don't). That was somewhat speculative. Frankly, they have enough to work with in the parks, and HP isn't all that necessary. Disney's attendance has been growing; Universal has more risk and more reason to invest in this (and will give up more control).
3. HP is competition to Disney characters! No matter how you cut it, Disney gets 100% of the revenue off Disney and Pixar characters. I will guarantee you that JK will never lose a substantial amount of revenue off HP. So, the investment going into marketing, development, etc. gets truncated.
OPINION: All in all, this would not have been a good investment for Disney with the terms given, IMHO.
Enchantâmes
Active Member
Yea I was thinking about that. Why are they just now building Harry at IOA when the franchise will be completed soon. By the time its done there will be only 1 movie to be released and then its basically over.Harry Potter has got a ride when the franchise is beginning to end. Narnia should get one now while the movie franchise is only beginning.
I'm confused. You commented on the Dueling Dragons theming (how is it cheesy?) and you seem to have ridden the Hulk, but you also said you hadn't been to IOA since Spider-Man was built. Spider-Man opened when the rest of the park did. If you've ever been to the park, it was already there.
Pumbas Nakasak
Heading for the great escape.
Because they stabbed their Birmingham workforce in the back by moving the plant to Holland.
And Ive never purchased a bottle since.
Right on comrade.
And Ive never purchased a bottle since.
Right on comrade.
cmatt
Active Member
hehehehe :sohappy: that sir - was a goodun :lol:
Pumbas Nakasak
Heading for the great escape.
that will be understood by about 5 of us.:animwink:
cmatt
Active Member
dave2822
New Member
As mentioned, buying the rights to HP would not have been a good move in a corporate sense for TWDC.
And though I certainly agree that some added competition is only good for consumers, it sounds like some people think Disney has sat on their hands for the past few years :shrug:
EE and Soarin' are probably WDW's most popular attractions, and they were built in the past 2-3 years ...
And Universal hasn't done anything for 3 years and announce one move and all of a sudden Disney needs to catch up?
I don't think TWDC necessarily needs to "respond" to the HP move ... I think they should just continue down the path they've been on. It's reponse enough.
And though I certainly agree that some added competition is only good for consumers, it sounds like some people think Disney has sat on their hands for the past few years :shrug:
EE and Soarin' are probably WDW's most popular attractions, and they were built in the past 2-3 years ...
And Universal hasn't done anything for 3 years and announce one move and all of a sudden Disney needs to catch up?
I don't think TWDC necessarily needs to "respond" to the HP move ... I think they should just continue down the path they've been on. It's reponse enough.
kcnole
Well-Known Member
A few comments. IOA is as detailed and themed as anything Disney has done in the states. It does rely too heavily on thrill rides, but the theming is magnificent and by all accounts of anyone who has been there, the theming of Dueling Dragons is by far the best in the park. It is hardly cheesy. I'm very upset that its going away to become a HP theme.
Disney frankly doesn't need HP. Could they have done something better than Universal will? Frankly I don't think they could have. And the fact is that Rowling was being so demanding on how it had to have been built that it would have been a disaster. It seems she's laxed up a bit on her demands with Universal however.
Universal can't compete with WDW not because their parks aren't great, because they are, but because they don't have the size that WDW does. Universal doesn't have the ability to create 4 huge theme parks, 2 water parks, a million hotels, and a dining district but they have done some great things with what they have. Their problem has just been that they've been more of the mentality to build and let it sit than to keep developing.
They have done several things as good if not better than Disney however. Citywalk is a much better layout and design than DTD is. While I truly miss Kong, it was replaced by a superior attraction in The Mummy. BTTF was run down so I'm looking forward to seeing what the Simpsons ride is like. The Horror Makeup show is a fantastic show and MIB is an amazing ride.
IOA also has some great things. In addition to theming on par with anything Disney has done there are some great rides there. Jurassic Park, Spiderman, The Hulk, the entire Seuss area, the wonderful designs of The Lost Continent (which are sadly going away to bring in HP), and one of the best restaurants in any theme park in Mythos.
Are their flaws in their parks? Yes. They need some more dark rides, and IOA needs a lot more family attractions, but they are some very quality parks and any comparison to six flags is as silly as comparing Disney to Six Flags.
Disney frankly doesn't need HP. Could they have done something better than Universal will? Frankly I don't think they could have. And the fact is that Rowling was being so demanding on how it had to have been built that it would have been a disaster. It seems she's laxed up a bit on her demands with Universal however.
Universal can't compete with WDW not because their parks aren't great, because they are, but because they don't have the size that WDW does. Universal doesn't have the ability to create 4 huge theme parks, 2 water parks, a million hotels, and a dining district but they have done some great things with what they have. Their problem has just been that they've been more of the mentality to build and let it sit than to keep developing.
They have done several things as good if not better than Disney however. Citywalk is a much better layout and design than DTD is. While I truly miss Kong, it was replaced by a superior attraction in The Mummy. BTTF was run down so I'm looking forward to seeing what the Simpsons ride is like. The Horror Makeup show is a fantastic show and MIB is an amazing ride.
IOA also has some great things. In addition to theming on par with anything Disney has done there are some great rides there. Jurassic Park, Spiderman, The Hulk, the entire Seuss area, the wonderful designs of The Lost Continent (which are sadly going away to bring in HP), and one of the best restaurants in any theme park in Mythos.
Are their flaws in their parks? Yes. They need some more dark rides, and IOA needs a lot more family attractions, but they are some very quality parks and any comparison to six flags is as silly as comparing Disney to Six Flags.
hls1023
New Member
I don't think that Universal tries to market themselves as being a "Magical" place. If someone goes to Universal with the expectation of it being "just like" Disney then IMO they have been living under a rock.I have to disagree with you here. If Universal does the HP thing. It still isn't going to help them to get over the top past WDW. Universal, although a fun place, simply does not have the ambiance of WDW. You can't go to Universal and FEEL like your in the middle of a MAGICAL world.
I get the feeling that some people on this site would think it impossible to actually enjoy BOTH parks for what they are. And that is they provide two very different types of entertainment. And I think that both parks succeed very well in doing so.
Kong was replaced by The Mummy, which imo puts RNRC to shame. Ghostbusters was replaced by Twister, which is almost enjoyable. And BTTF has been shut down and is being replaced by a Simpsons attraction of some sort.
Men In Black and The Mummy are definitely reasons to head to USO, and along with the Shrek movie and the future Simpsons attraction, make that park a decent half-day experience.
But only for half a day
-ExBellhop