lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
Epic Universe is the big expensive thing that made them want to go cheap.
Also, fans should want a tepid response lest Universal continue further on Disney’s path.
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WSJ: Even Disney Is Worried About The High Cost Of A Disney Vacation (gift link)
- Thread starter lentesta
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Also, fans should want a tepid response lest Universal continue further on Disney’s path.
James Alucobond
Well-Known Member
They’ve gone cheap on literally everything else they’ve done lately. EU was just too far down the funnel to fully back out. Also, even if you aren’t the target market for a cheap children’s park, it still has an overall perceptual effect on the Universal brand. Lower quality regional parks can potentially negatively impact visitors’ perception of their other products; contrast that with DCL, which generally enhances the brand.
Laketravis
Well-Known Member
"The company also pointed to data showing that guests who had recently visited Disneyland or Walt Disney World believed the trip was worth the expense."
What a defensive statement with questionable basis. The implication is all recent guests, which would be statistically impossible. Define recent and how many. And what exactly was the expense level for those who felt that recent trip was worth it? AP holders who didn't stay or dine onsite?
Because then:
"Disney's own surveys show a decline in guests planning return visits to Walt Disney World"
Okay. WHY NOT?
What an embarrasing response.
What a defensive statement with questionable basis. The implication is all recent guests, which would be statistically impossible. Define recent and how many. And what exactly was the expense level for those who felt that recent trip was worth it? AP holders who didn't stay or dine onsite?
Because then:
"Disney's own surveys show a decline in guests planning return visits to Walt Disney World"
Okay. WHY NOT?
What an embarrasing response.
DisneyNittany
Well-Known Member
Right. That's what we might be watching, but my question is if the younger generation is? What/who is directing them there?
Completely anecdotal, but I sent a DFB Guide tweet to a college buddy group chat, because it was in regards to Jalen Hurts and the Magic Kingdom Parade for the Eagles Super Bowl victory, joking about how that's the "real parade". They were busting me for "being in deep" because none of them know who DFB Guide is nor care about WDW.
This isn't like when I grew up and we had 35 channels, but really only 3 as kids that we watched (Disney, Nick, Cartoon Network) outside of sports. We were easy targets back then.
What kind of influencer is directing kids, who haven't been or go regularly, to Disney Park content today?
MrPromey
Well-Known Member
What do we consider a tepid response to an attraction intended for people within close driving distance in the middle of the country?
To me, this really doesn't factor into anything as it pertains to Orlando or Hollywood.
If this is successful, I could see them popping up in other areas, too where there are people this would be priced right for but it's hard to imagine this becoming a fourth gate in central Florida for them.
More than likely, the better attractions (if there are any) might find a home in the existing parks somewhere aimed squarely at this demographic which people with no kids or already older kids will turn their noses up to.
Would I rather they not make "kiddie" rides and instead, make more family-friendly attractions that young children and adults can properly enjoy together?
Absolutely but that's never really been how they've done it and I consider them better than someone like say, Bush Gardens or Seaworld where your choices are Sesame Street where adults can't even really fit on half the rides or white knuckle thrill rides and absolutely nothing in between.
MrPromey
Well-Known Member
Again, what's your definition of lower quality?
As far as I can tell, this is intentionally not meant to cannibalize their coastal offerings.
mightynine
Well-Known Member
Clearly time for MrBeast to start a Survivor-style game show for at kids with the prize being one (1) free Mickey Pretzel at whatever snack cart has the lowest-price*.
*Travel to and from a Disney theme park not included.
Agent H
Well-Known Member
The first one I will go at some point I am not saying it’s going to be bad merely that I tire of the “it’s for kids argument
MrPromey
Well-Known Member
Just out of curiosity, why go?
Are you within an hour or so drive and have young kids?
The "it's for kids" argument from me comes down to you not needing ANY e-ticket or even d-ticket type attractions to anchor such a park.
The Peppa Pig Theme Park is stellar for fans of the show but it was built in part* of the Lego Land parking lot so it's tiny. Unless you're a parent of such a fan and have a camera ready for the photo ops, there is zero there that should interest any adult. No teen in their right mind would be caught dead there unless dragged with a younger family member.
But it's still clean and bright and kept up and has memorable places from the cartoon.
They just so happen to have a Peppa Pig Theme Park in Dallas/Fort Worth. It seems like this is what they're looking to compete with.
*and no, they didn't build a parking garage or anything. They just reduced the space for parking to add most of it.
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Laketravis
Well-Known Member
Not a bad strategy - the theme park gateway drug.
Entice millions to travel an hour or three to a (relatively) inexpensive theme park and while there wet the appetite for that "even bigger and better" theme park in Orlando.
Agent H
Well-Known Member
to see the Jurassic Park land
This is truly excellent analysis. I love the detail.
Jrb1979
Well-Known Member
That's understandable. I've driven 12 hours for a coaster credit.
Agent H
Well-Known Member
Those people are sports fans making “jokes”
Laketravis
Well-Known Member
We live an hour away from Fiesta Texas and 3 hours from Six Flags Over Texas. I started taking my son when he was just two years old. When he was five I started taking him to WDW, USO by the time he was eight and by the age of ten we had season passes to all three.
To this day (he's 19 now) he still enjoys the regional Six Flags parks (I suspect that cheap unlimited dining pass with the ability to eat every 90 minutes has a lot to do with it LOL) and he certainly won't turn down a trip to USO.
WDW? He hasn't been interested in returning since he was 15. Now I just go without him.
And he's never gotten a WDW survey. Go figure.
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James Alucobond
Well-Known Member
It is being built to the standard of a child-focused regional park. It will by its very nature not have signature attractions to the standard of their other parks, and it will exclude entire demographic swaths of the population with the experiences offered. Again, with Disney parks versus Disney cruises, it's "same quality, same demographics, different but potentially overlapping persona"; for a Universal destination park versus the proposed Universal children's park, it's "different quality, extremely narrowed demographic, completely different persona".
You always, always mischaracterize what people say about regional parks. No one is saying that they don't have a place and are unworthy of a visit. In this case, all that is being said is that if you have made a name for yourself with premier destination amusement parks, creating lesser regional parks that don't meet the same standard for attractions, service, and entertainment may negatively impact brand perception.
You know, I never feel bad for pointing out things that make decision-makers uncomfortable.
I feel bad for the PR team that's tasked with these responses. The ones I know are decent people. Stuff like this is just a slog.
MrPromey
Well-Known Member
Well, if you know you're not the audience and you take the time and expense to travel there (especially if that includes a flight) and they are honest in their marketing about what it is, then it's completely on you, I guess.
But there's a difference between a family park and a kids park and that seems to be the thing a lot of people around here don't grasp.
No Disney park was ever a kid's park. Walt made a specific point in designing DIsneyland to not be a kids park. He talked about it at length when pitching it to the American public.
Personally, I agree with that approach.
I also understand that e-tickets are expensive to build and the people who can't afford a trip to Orlando likely can't afford $100+ tickets for their family in Texas to visit a low-volume park, either and as far as I can tell, those are who this is targeted to the way Universal has pitched this.
It seems like the argument I'm hearing is, Universal shouldn't be in the business of trying to make anything for this crowd.