If I’m the CEO of Universal/Comcast, this is what I’d do

[Jrb1979]

No they aren’t. There’s only a couple of rides in both Universal parks that don’t make my wife motion sick. There’s at least two rides in each Disney Park that she’ll do, and Magic Kingdom has more than a dozen.

It's why I have said a few times most Disney fans aren't ride people. It's a big reason Disney will always be number 1.

Nobody cares about Universal nearly as much.

I think that's starting to change. I'm seeing more posts about first time visitors to Universal from Disney faithful

 

[jade1]

I think Universal should launch a competitor to DVC and use it to fund epic universe. I'm sure lots of people are ready to jump ship and buy.

Yep agreed as I mentioned above.

I would probably want a smaller contract to cover less than a week each year. Then spread it out.

That area with City Walk would be a great escape.

Especially if they can incorporate the new Train system with easy UVC connections.

Kind of a Magic Express.

 

[MouseEarsMom33]

Seeing Disney announced the Mickey and Minnie ride opening early less than a month after D23 tells me Disney decided to hold back announcements at D23. Maybe it's due to uncertainty around the potential recession, maybe it's because they don't want to make all the major announcements at once after what happened with COVID. I don't think we should take lack of announcements at D23 as Disney not taking Epic Universe seriously.

 

[ElyseInWonderland]

I agree 100%. For an extra nail in the coffin, I'd announce a service that takes guests from the airport to the Universal resort (as another poster mentioned above.) Guests-- especially international travelers-- crave an end-to-end vacation experience where they get to just relax and let someone else handle logistics.

Disney has become so overwrought and complicated that the juice is no longer worth the squeeze (IMO). This is Universal's moment to go all-in and become the premium vacation destination in Florida. If Disney's up for it, the competition will inspire them to improve their customer service and build more. If not, well...Universal will be glad for the new business.

 

[Grasshopper2016]

While I would love to see it happen, it won't make a huge difference. Going by this board and others like it, it won't make much a difference as most Disney fans don't have much interest in Universal. They lack family friendly rides and lack the "magic" that many here love. The biggest one is for one reason or another Disney fans don't seem to like thrill rides as much.

It's definitely true that Disney is targeted more at families with smaller children, and Universal is targeted more at adults and families with teens. And it is also true that Disney has a certain "magic" -- to me, a combination of nostalgia, attention to detail, and "je ne sais quoi" -- that Universal generally lacks. (With the exception of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.)

But as a parent of teens, whose annual family Disney trip created so many happy memories, it makes me very sad that my kids are starting to be "over" Disney, and are only interested in an Orlando trip if I entice them with Universal. I think that Disney would be wise to work in more rides that are higher up on the thrill scale. Not like the crazy coasters of the pure amusement parks, but rides on par, thrill-wise, with Velocicoaster. A few of those, built with the careful theming that most non-Harry-Potter Universal rides still lack, would help to broaden the Disney appeal and hold on to families like mine.

 

[bbeagle]

Harry Potter lands are the ONLY reason I would visit Universal. I would rather be trapped on It's a Small World all day

- Disney fans are ripe for the taking as they are tired of getting penny pinched and would laud the decision.

- Disney would be shocked and caught flat footed. I’m sure they are not expecting to respond with anything major until Epic U is complete. Now they’d be forced to respond earlier but their options would be very limited as resources would already be under contract from universal.

Lol. No.

Disney has created more rides, restaurants, shows, hotels in the last 5 years than Universal will have when they open a new park in 2025.

Universal is NOT competition to Disney for families. DisneyWorld is much bigger than Universal, and can't be done in 10 days. Universal and IOA can be done in 1 day right now. It might be a 3 day vacation once the new park opens.

 

[PaladinButters]

And it is also true that Disney has a certain "magic" -- to me, a combination of nostalgia, attention to detail, and "je ne sais quoi" -- that Universal generally lacks. (With the exception of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.)

Hey, now. Universal has tons of childhood nostalgia favorites like uh..... whatever that Popeye(?) area is and ....and Jimmy Fallon ! Mickey Mouse himself doesn't stand a chance against.... ET ?

Universal and IOA can be done in 1 day right now. It might be a 3 day vacation once the new park opens.

We got 4 day tickets because we wanted to 'do it all' and see Horror Nights.... after two days we just.... spent a lot of time at Moe's Tavern. We had no idea it was more like a Six Flags and less like Disney as far as a "vacation".

 

[Jrb1979]

Hey, now. Universal has tons of childhood nostalgia favorites like uh..... whatever that Popeye(?) area is and ....and Jimmy Fallon ! Mickey Mouse himself doesn't stand a chance against.... ET ?


We got 4 day tickets because we wanted to 'do it all' and see Horror Nights.... after two days we just.... spent a lot of time at Moe's Tavern. We had no idea it was more like a Six Flags and less like Disney as far as a "vacation".

Your last paragraph is exactly what I meant when I said your average Disney guest aren't ride people. I easily have made Universal a week long vacation and never got bored. Then again I love multiple rides on things. Last time there I did the Mummy 11 times.

 

[bbeagle]

Hey, now. Universal has tons of childhood nostalgia favorites like uh..... whatever that Popeye(?) area is and ....and Jimmy Fallon ! Mickey Mouse himself doesn't stand a chance against.... ET ?


We got 4 day tickets because we wanted to 'do it all' and see Horror Nights.... after two days we just.... spent a lot of time at Moe's Tavern. We had no idea it was more like a Six Flags and less like Disney as far as a "vacation".

Yeah, most of Universal is just a Six Flags Deluxe. Popeye? Blondie? Marilyn Monroe? Lucile Ball? Back to the Future? Mel's Drive in? ET? Heathcliff? Everything seems stuck back in the '50s to '80s. The park needs huge updates to make it relevant.

Simpsons? Disney just bought the rights to the Simpsons in 2019, and their days are numbered at Universal.

Minions are hot, but not much of a showing in the parks. Jurassic Park is small, nice, but not immersive. Giant roller-coaster tracks in the air everywhere, and you can see Hogwarts from the entrance to the Velocicoaster and Discovery Center.

If it weren't for Harry Potter, I don't think many would visit. And having the Grinch at Christmas is nice too.

 

[disneyseniors]

I think Universal is great just the way it is. They don't need to hop on every new IP which goes out of date soon after, IMO. They have a totally different vibe than disney which is refreshing. They are not trying to duplicate WDW at all. I enjoy all the parts of each park and wouldn't want them to change. Disney has it's "nitch" too, which is children centric which is great too. Their nostalgia goes back a long way , too, but is a big draw for WDW. I love them both, but both are unique.
As far as getting rid of "old" IP's such at Marilyn or Popeye? I think Mickey and Minnie and gang fall into that "too old" category. Wasn't Mickey's first cartoon, Steamboat Willie, in the l930's?? I'm not sure.

 

[bbeagle]

As far as getting rid of "old" IP's such at Marilyn or Popeye? I think Mickey and Minnie and gang fall into that "too old" category. Wasn't Mickey's first cartoon, Steamboat Willie, in the l930's?? I'm not sure.

There are new Mickey Mouse cartoons and shows developed in 2022. Mickey might have been around for a long time, but he's not ancient and forgotten like Popeye, Marilyn Monroe, etc.

My kids have no clue who Popeye is, or any of the comic-strip characters like Blondie, Hagar the Horrible, Heathcliff. This is ancient stuff to anyone under 16. They don't even know what a comic-strip is. ET? Back to the Future? Again, awesome for someone my age, but my kids haven't seen either.

The Winnie the Pooh book came out in the 1800s, but Disney still makes it relevant today. Children today still watch all the old movies - Cinderella, Snow White, Pinocchio, Bambi, Dumbo, etc.

I had to introduce my kids to Road Runner / Coyote and Bugs Bunny. Otherwise, they would never know who those were, as most of Warner Bros. isn't relevant to today's kids at all. My kids knew hardly any characters in the new Space Jam movie. Daffy Duck, Sylvester, Tweety, Marvin the Martian, Speedy Gonzales, Porky Pig, Yogi Bear .... all were foreign to my kids. Because unless you get Cartoon Network, you'd never see them anywhere.

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

While I would love to see it happen, it won't make a huge difference. Going by this board and others like it, it won't make much a difference as most Disney fans don't have much interest in Universal. They lack family friendly rides and lack the "magic" that many here love. The biggest one is for one reason or another Disney fans don't seem to like thrill rides as much.

I love thrill rides, i can just get them at any other park Six Flags and the like, whenever i feel like it for a lot less money then UO, or WDW. The immersiveness at Disney is only at Disney, it's not always about the expansion of a park, it's the entire experience.
IMO UO is more a dressed up Six Flags then a WDW, but i am biased

 

[Shellyred8]

I would love to see Universal do more with Despicable Me/Minions. They could do a wide range of things with them, from family friendly to thrill rides/coasters.

 

[Jrb1979]

I love thrill rides, i can just get them at any other park Six Flags and the like, whenever i feel like it for a lot less money then UO, or WDW. The immersiveness at Disney is only at Disney, it's not always about the expansion of a park, it's the entire experience.
IMO UO is more a dressed up Six Flags then a WDW, but i am biased

Where Disney lacks is a better balance of thrill and theme. I would love more attractions on the level of Tower of Terror and Everest and less Remy's

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

As far as getting rid of "old" IP's such at Marilyn or Popeye? I think Mickey and Minnie and gang fall into that "too old" category. Wasn't Mickey's first cartoon, Steamboat Willie, in the l930's?? I'm not sure.

Disney "re -invents Mickey" about every decade now. The Mickey cartoons today are nothing like they were in the 90's when i was growing up, and are obviously super different from the 30's cartoons. Although ironically enough, the 30's cartoons are pretty similar to the style of today pertaining to drawing, style, and attitude, i guess history is doomed to repeat itself

 

[PaladinButters]

Your last paragraph is exactly what I meant when I said your average Disney guest aren't ride people. I easily have made Universal a week long vacation and never got bored. Then again I love multiple rides on things. Last time there I did the Mummy 11 times.

I love rides - I'm wearing a coaster themed shirt from Cedar Point right now actually. My biggest Disney wish is they open that 5th gate and it's Villain's themed and it actually has coasters in it. Real thrill rides with height requirements over 50". The littles can go hang out in MK and the teens have somewhere to go (but still on a family trip).

But that magical 5th park would still be a one day visit out of a whole "vacation" at Disney. Universal just doesn't have enough (yet, c'mon Nintendo).

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

Where Disney lacks is a better balance of thrill and theme. I would love more attractions on the level of Tower of Terror and Everest and less Remy's

I personally agree with you about more thrill, my wife, daughter, mom, and dad would tell you you're nuts. They all love Remy, where i found it just meh. I think that's where Disney wins over a lot of people, no one feels left out, there's always something for everyone, and chances are that a lot of people will find common areas they like at Disney which creates memories, adds to the magic, nostalgia, and presto you have repeaters like myself for life

 

[nancipants]

I think Universal is great just the way it is. They don't need to hop on every new IP which goes out of date soon after, IMO. They have a totally different vibe than disney which is refreshing. They are not trying to duplicate WDW at all. I enjoy all the parts of each park and wouldn't want them to change. Disney has it's "nitch" too, which is children centric which is great too. Their nostalgia goes back a long way , too, but is a big draw for WDW. I love them both, but both are unique.
As far as getting rid of "old" IP's such at Marilyn or Popeye? I think Mickey and Minnie and gang fall into that "too old" category. Wasn't Mickey's first cartoon, Steamboat Willie, in the l930's?? I'm not sure.

Disney Junior is creating new fans every day. My 2 yo knows all of the Mickey and friends characters thanks to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Mickey Mouse Funhouse, both on regular rotation. They're also on Disney Plus for those without cable.

 

[bbeagle]

Disney Junior is creating new fans every day. My 2 yo knows all of the Mickey and friends characters thanks to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Mickey Mouse Funhouse, both on regular rotation. They're also on Disney Plus for those without cable.

I agree - Disney is really on kids minds again. They're doing it right now.

I remember going to Disneyland as a kid back in the early 80s, before Little Mermaid or any of the new Disney movies. Mickey cartoons were all old. None of the movies were anything to write home about past the 1950s. Fox and the Hound, Artistocats, Rescuers, Pete's Dragon, Herbie, etc. All just so-so movies. Warner Bros was more exciting. I knew Bugs Bunny, Scooby Doo and the Smurfs much more than anything Disney. I remember seeing the Three Little Pigs walking down Main Street with Winnie the Pooh. Old! Only good for pre-school kids and their parents.

I enjoyed Disneyland, but I felt sad. I didn't know how much longer the theme park could last. It was sooooo OLD. I imagined that Disneyland had maybe 10 years left before it was closed down. Like, nobody cares about Mickey anymore! All I knew about him was re-runs of the Mickey Mouse club.

The new Disney movies - Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Lion King, Aladdin - Disney re-invigorated itself with great music and great stories. It was back. No longer just 1940s and 1950s music. New stuff now. And the Disney Channel put Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, etc. back in the mainstream.

 

[BrianL]

I agree - Disney is really on kids minds again. They're doing it right now.

I remember going to Disneyland as a kid back in the early 80s, before Little Mermaid or any of the new Disney movies. Mickey cartoons were all old. None of the movies were anything to write home about past the 1950s. Fox and the Hound, Artistocats, Rescuers, Pete's Dragon, Herbie, etc. All just so-so movies. Warner Bros was more exciting. I knew Bugs Bunny, Scooby Doo and the Smurfs much more than anything Disney. I remember seeing the Three Little Pigs walking down Main Street with Winnie the Pooh. Old! Only good for pre-school kids and their parents.

I enjoyed Disneyland, but I felt sad. I didn't know how much longer the theme park could last. It was sooooo OLD. I imagined that Disneyland had maybe 10 years left before it was closed down. Like, nobody cares about Mickey anymore! All I knew about him was re-runs of the Mickey Mouse club.

The new Disney movies - Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Lion King, Aladdin - Disney re-invigorated itself with great music and great stories. It was back. No longer just 1940s and 1950s music. New stuff now. And the Disney Channel put Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, etc. back in the mainstream.

Yeah, the "Dinsey Renaissance" was more than just a resurgence from the feature length animation studio. I grew up in the 80's and Disney was not a strong brand. I had an old storybook, and a tape of christmas songs - we alwasy watched Mickey's Christmas Carol on TV, but it wasn't that big. Going to Disney World, while certainly something I wouldn't have trned my nose up at, was aslo not super high on my personal to-do list. But, moving into the late 80's you have the start of the changes, not just with The Little Mermaid, but the strong, new television division putting out Gummi Bears and DuckTales (DuckTales was HUGE!), building the much needed new rides and MGM Studios, a showcase for some of those new ideas - it was a wave of energy throughout the company. After Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin, Disney was back on top with a vengeance, and Toy Story was right around the corner too!