Is Universal's Epic Universe a Shot Across the Bow or A Body Blow to Disney

[EveDallas]

I had to double check to make sure that I was on the Universal part of these boards. Never will understand why people have to come here just to talk about how great Disney is when literally 90% of the boards are devoted to that.

 

[chimoe]

I disagree Universal doesn’t offer anything for younger children guests. While I agree not as many of those rides at WDW they do have some great areas. Seuss Land, Toon town, Barney, Woody woodpecker area, Minions etc..

We did a trip in April for 3night/4days and it was great. Like others here, I went in thinking US was more like a 1/2day park but I was wrong. (We didn’t have time to go to Volcano bay)

With the new park they are opening. They should be able to get people for up to 1 week.

For sure they will give WDW a run for their money.

 

[tony67]

I gave up on Disney several years ago. Thought about grabbing a two day park hopper to check out GE - but at $300+ , having to book rides well in advance - and even pick the dates of your ticket I decided against it.

Disney made a big mistake not making a deal on HP - that probably saved Universal from mediocrity.

Universal adding a new park (assuming it includes Nintendo) is a game changer. Mario may be more recognizable to kids than Mickey mouse - add in Pokemon and Disney should be concerned.
It's much more economical to base at Universal for the non Disney portion of every trip IMO.
They have a free bus to Sea World and a free bus to Busch Gardens.
I-Drive and all those attractions are a short ride away.
Day trips to NASA - why spend the money to stay on Disney property for any of that?
Free Dining is an argument to stay on Disney property - but honestly who want to plan every meal months in advance - I dont.
The money you save on hotel rooms will cover a lot of food.
I have no problem filling a 10 day trip to Universal once or twice a year - adding in HHN - I find it hard to get everything done int that time.
I've been trying to get over to Vault 5421 on my last three trips and have not been able to squeeze it in.

The other big advantage the Disney has is the Magic express - Universal really needs a service like this.
Yes you can add the Super Star Shuttle - but it's just a step above the Mears shuttle - main benefit is it only stops at Universal properties.
Disney gives you free transport to your hotel - so you dont rent a car and are "stuck" on Disney property - it is pure genius.
They even bring you bags from the plane to the hotel and put them in your room - it really help to make a stress free vacation.

With a new park - it will be interesting to see what happens.

Will Disney go broke - of course not - but will people be even more likely to do split trips spending more time outside the Disney bubble? I think so.
Will Disney need to do more to incentivize people to stay on property for the entire vacation - probably.
Currently it is expensive to do a split trip and when you do the math it does not make sense.

A 10 day Disney ticket is not much more than a 5 day Disney ticket, but if you want a 5 day Disney Ticket and a 3 Day universal ticket that starts to get expensive - especially with 4 people. With just two parks at Universal its hard to justify - but with another park in the mix - especially with the popularity of the Nintendo Switch and Pokemon it starts to make sense. Will they have Pokemon that you can only get at Universal? You know that will get people there.

Star Wars is very popular with my age group - but they are very unhappy with what Disney did with it. Then there is the overpriced low quality merch we have heard about. I was tempted - I really want to check out the Cantina - but its just not worth the cost - maybe when I am at Universal for Mardi Gras and both rides are open I'll go check it out. I think the Orlando opening will do better then California - but will it keep those fans coming back over and over? I'm not sure it will.

 

[RamblingMad]

Star Wars is very popular with my age group - but they are very unhappy with what Disney did with it. Then there is the overpriced low quality merch we have heard about. I was tempted - I really want to check out the Cantina - but its just not worth the cost - maybe when I am at Universal for Mardi Gras and both rides are open I'll go check it out. I think the Orlando opening will do better then California - but will it keep those fans coming back over and over? I'm not sure it will.

Compared to Marvel, Disney really blew it with Star Wars.

I still plan to check out GE, but I plan to do it in CA. For me Disney works best out west. They pretty much lost me with the exhaustive planning and pricing in FL.

 

[wendlle]

It's only a true "blow to Disney" if it is a FAMILY park.
Until Universal have hoards of under 8 year olds in their park I doubt Disney care too much.
When you're a kid all you want to do is go to Disneyland (or World depending where you are from) I don't hear too many 4-5 year olds begging to go to Universal at that age and let's face it that is where Disney get a lot of their money and fans from.
I drop some serious coin on experiences for my kids at Disney. At Universal, I buy park tickets and also spend 1/2 my time at other parks. When we are at Disney, we ONLY do Disney and do a lot of add-on's.

 

[TommyJK]

I'm honestly fine if Universal continues to cater more to the tween and above demographic.

I'm happy to do without the stroller bedlam and have a higher % of high thrill rides

 

[wendlle]

I'm honestly fine if Universal continues to cater more to the tween and above demographic.

I'm happy to do without the stroller bedlam and have a higher % of high thrill rides

DOn't get me wrong, I agree. It's just that I know a lot of parents spend bucket loads of cash on experiences for their "little princess" and "little prince", so until Universal tap into that demographic I don't see Disney being too worried about Universal.
yes tweens and teens love Harry Potter, but as of yet there aren't too many add on experiences at Universal to drop cash on. At WDW there are endless amounts.
It depends on what people like also. My sister was 12 when I took her to Orlando for the first time, she adored WDW but liked Universal. It's not all about the rides. it's the way the parks make you feel. And for a lot of people Disney really get those feelings going. Universal to me is just about rides, there's no attachment there.

 

[RamblingMad]

I'm honestly fine if Universal continues to cater more to the tween and above demographic.

I'm happy to do without the stroller bedlam and have a higher % of high thrill rides

I second hating strollers. Keep the ankle killers at Disney Parks.

 

[theSurlyMermaid]

The Harry Potter areas of Universal are the kind of feeling Disney used to inspire in me and now no longer does. Its too expensive and too crowded and it has not been worth it to my family for a long time. Which is why we sold our DVC this year. Our last Disney only trip was horrible.

And now Galaxy’s Edge has opened.....which inspired my family to plan a trip to Universal again, lol. We can’t wait to relive our moments in The Wizarding World. My son can’t wait to get on the coasters and his all-time favorite Jurassic park ride again. My kids are 12 and 9 and they love Universal. Nostalgia and feelings are often about the memories you create as a family. For us, they’ve been at Universal, shocking as it may seem (since we were DVCers). My kids have had the ability to ride their favorite rides repeatedly using Express Pass whereas at Disney I have to explain why we might be only able to get on a ride like Mine Train once in a day.

 

[theSurlyMermaid]

DOn't get me wrong, I agree. It's just that I know a lot of parents spend bucket loads of cash on experiences for their "little princess" and "little prince", so until Universal tap into that demographic I don't see Disney being too worried about Universal.

Of course they’re worried about Universal. Why do you think Pandora exists? Or Galaxy’s Edge? They’ve been desperately trying to match Potter for years now and so far, they’ve failed.

Someone here posted earlier that the big mistake Disney made was passing up Potter and yes, ITA. It makes me lose such a ton of respect for the supposed imagineering genius of Disney that they passed up such a no-brainer. Universal set the immersive land standard and Disney has been following along.

So no, while they are not close to overtaking Disney’s slice of the pie, Disney is definitely worried. That’s why they want Marvel and why Galaxy’s Edge is not really geared to children. What market are they trying to woo back?

 

[TommyJK]

DOn't get me wrong, I agree. It's just that I know a lot of parents spend bucket loads of cash on experiences for their "little princess" and "little prince", so until Universal tap into that demographic I don't see Disney being too worried about Universal.
yes tweens and teens love Harry Potter, but as of yet there aren't too many add on experiences at Universal to drop cash on. At WDW there are endless amounts.
It depends on what people like also. My sister was 12 when I took her to Orlando for the first time, she adored WDW but liked Universal. It's not all about the rides. it's the way the parks make you feel. And for a lot of people Disney really get those feelings going. Universal to me is just about rides, there's no attachment there.

For my family, the "magical" feeling is the opposite. While we loved Disney when the kids were younger, Universal (especially with the immersion of diagon and Hogsmead) are what give us the goosebumps now.

We went to Disneyland Paris last year when the kids were 9 and 12, and all they cared about were the more thrilling rides but the themeing (which is basically identical to MK) didn't move the needle for them. The magic was lost.

Perhaps a key factor too for our family is we have 2 boys. They were never into Princesses (the older one absolutely detests Frozen) and they're more wowed with the "action" properties (Potter, Marvel, Jurassic Park, Kong, etc) which Universal has in spades.

And with what's going to be going into Epic Universe, with all of the lands supposedly having the same level of themeing that the current Potter lands have , it just piles on more of what's up our alley.

I'm guessing for families like ours, I'll l be making postsvn the Disney forums in the future that start with "Need help. We're spending a week over at Universal and want to take a day off to see Star Wars land...."

 

[TommyJK]

Someone here posted earlier that the big mistake Disney made was passing up Potter....

It was JK that passed on Disney and went to Universal, not Disney passing on Potter.

Their imagineers couldn't get it right after several design tries and she broke things off with Disney in frustration.

 

[theSurlyMermaid]

It was JK that passed on Disney and went to Universal, not Disney passing on Potter.

Their imagineers couldn't get it right after several design tries and she broke things off with Disney in frustration.

Well, they didn’t want to do the land the way she wanted it. They wanted only a ride. Their stubbornness and lack of vision did them in. And it was really such an incredible no-brainer. My husband and I used to discuss how there should be a Potter theme park well before the Wizarding World was created. The possibilities were endless and we loved discussing the potential attractions. How could Disney have thoroughly messed it up with all their theme park experience?

 

[mcjw2011]

It's a bit of both, actually.

I've never been to WDW or Disneyland (just wasn't a place I just had to go when I was a kid), but I fell in love with Universal when I first went 9 years ago. It's immersive, fun and it had something for everyone. (And I enjoy going back each time!) And I feel they are successfully upping their game to have people keep coming back.

Depending on what IPs are part of the Epic Universe, it might be a body blow to Disney if UO continues to keep prices lower than Disney's.

 

[skylock]

I really don't care. I am not sure what it would take for me to return to disney, but I think a little healthy competition between the two parks is a win win for those that enjoy going. To either park.

When universal first opened, disney was far superior. But over time, things started slipping on disney's end, so we started doing universal more, and finally disney went downhill too much for me to over look anymore and we started spending most of our time at universal, and after I discovered the beauty of express pass, that was it. Haven't been back to disney in over 5 years now.

 

[EveDallas]

I'm honestly fine if Universal continues to cater more to the tween and above demographic.

I'm happy to do without the stroller bedlam and have a higher % of high thrill rides

^^^THIS! Seriously, the small number of strollers are a huge plus for me at Universal. Can't tell you how many times I was run into by those strollers the size of small cars in my Disney days. Let WDW keep the ankle busters and their tiny passengers - I much prefer the faster, more exciting rides at Universal!

 

[EveDallas]

Of course they’re worried about Universal. Why do you think Pandora exists? Or Galaxy’s Edge? They’ve been desperately trying to match Potter for years now and so far, they’ve failed.

Someone here posted earlier that the big mistake Disney made was passing up Potter and yes, ITA. It makes me lose such a ton of respect for the supposed imagineering genius of Disney that they passed up such a no-brainer. Universal set the immersive land standard and Disney has been following along.

So no, while they are not close to overtaking Disney’s slice of the pie, Disney is definitely worried. That’s why they want Marvel and why Galaxy’s Edge is not really geared to children. What market are they trying to woo back?

From what I've heard, it was J.K. Rowling that turned down Disney versus the other way around. Disney refused to give her creative control so she went down the street where Universal was more than happy to do it. I can only imagine that Disney couldn't imagine the eventual gold mine the Wizarding World would be.

 

[0FF TO NEVERLAND]

Harry Potter is all universal has over Disney. IMO there is zero comparison in every other area. Disney just does things better. It doesn’t feel special nor do I feel like I’m in a happy new world like when I go to Disney. I usually go a day and do both parks no problem. I will say the hotels they built are beautiful though. They don’t have that nostalgia that Disney brings. But that’s OK. Universal is supposed to be different. The fact that Disney has the bus services and owns all the land make it a lot easier to get to other parks. I’m curious what universal will do about this. Maybe nothing cause they can’t?

With this though, I am hoping that changes things a little more. They need to be very detailed and not skimp on the spending for this part. Make it amazing. Make it immersive. I think the more cool rides they make, the better it will get.

Hopefully hagrets starts the trend of cool universal rides ( mummy is my favorite )

Stay away from the horrors of fast and furious, jimmy fallon, and kong ( the original was truly original and showed the true wonder of what universal was capable of )

I have high hopes. I look forward to it. Just don’t rush it. Take 5 years. Take 7 years. Just make it incredible.

And I honestly think they will...

The day Disney loses is when a majority people say “ Man I wanna go to Orlando to go to universal! Don’t need Disney. “

Right now it’s the opposite. Maybe one day that will change.

 

[EveDallas]

I will NEVER understand how people can do everything in one day. All I can imagine is that those people are rushing from ride to ride and not taking in the details.

 

[schumigirl]

I'm honestly fine if Universal continues to cater more to the tween and above demographic.

I'm happy to do without the stroller bedlam and have a higher % of high thrill rides

^^^THIS! Seriously, the small number of strollers are a huge plus for me at Universal. Can't tell you how many times I was run into by those strollers the size of small cars in my Disney days. Let WDW keep the ankle busters and their tiny passengers - I much prefer the faster, more exciting rides at Universal!

I will NEVER understand how people can do everything in one day. All I can imagine is that those people are rushing from ride to ride and not taking in the details.

Absolutely. There are already more strollers than there used to be......heck a few families were using the strollers only to carry their supplies for the day!!! That may be fine for one or two people but what if we ALL did that...….unbelievable.

I couldn't do the parks completely in a day and we`ve been hundreds of times......

Universal already is a family park.....ignore the propaganda from some who say it`s only for teens and above as they only have "big rides" One look at the park maps show they have plenty to offer younger families already...….

I hope the new park doesn't focus on little people.....give us fun and rides that us adults enjoy.....

For some of us Universal gives us that warm magical feeling that some folks only thinks exist in Disney......well, magic is in the eye of the beholder......and for us Universal is our happy place.

10 years since we set foot in Disney and have no plans to return anytime soon. I`m glad that there are those who love Disney......if it makes them happy....that`s brilliant......but there are some of us who don't see that Disney magic...…but we do see it at Universal......come over to these boards and tell us how far behind Disney Universal is.......doesn't make it true for us that do enjoy Universal......

Never really understood the need for people to do that......but it is lovely to see there are more people saying how much they enjoy Universal, as Disney is now too difficult for whatever reason...….I remember the boards when so many used to say they`d never set foot in Universal......however Potter changed that. But there is still more to the parks than Potter to most of us.