Some people on the Disney boards

[0FF TO NEVERLAND]

I enjoy universal, but the crowds are deff more teens and adult then kids. Completely different vibe than Disney. I enjoy both in the end

 

[Candycane83]

I took my child to both Universal and Disney when he was 2.5. I think he still remembers and loves the ball park until today. He also still remembers Seussland even if we rode just 2 rides with no height restrictions over and over again! I think both parks are great and am really hesitant just to go to Disney next trip! In fact, this morning I’ve inserted 2 days to go to Universal on July 4th and 5th before our cruise then go to WDW after. I would probably be much more hesitant to go to the Disney parks on July 4th!

 

[macraven]

You made the best choice

Disney is very very crowded on July 4

Will be easier to do UO those dates


Enjoy your vacation at both parks !

 

[keishashadow]

are real snobs. There is a thread right now asking if Disney needs more coasters and one poster answered that he/she doesn't want to attract "Universal/Six Flags types". That remark really hit me wrong - like fans of Universal are second class or something.

Class is in the eye of the beholder. Anyone who casts shade is in need of replenishing their supply

Oh gosh, the hatred towards Universal by lots of Disney people has improved immensely since Harry Potter graced the parks. You should have been on these boards in the "olden days"!!!!

Hehe always a good read if nothing else

I have always said I am the proud red headed step child on the Disboards

Universal roxs!



Some of us oldies got the proud redhead tag when the tag fairy was active many years ago

Yepper, & wear it proudly

I took my child to both Universal and Disney when he was 2.5. I think he still remembers and loves the ball park until today. He also still remembers Seussland even if we rode just 2 rides with no height restrictions over and over again! I think both parks are great and am really hesitant just to go to Disney next trip! In fact, this morning I’ve inserted 2 days to go to Universal on July 4th and 5th before our cruise then go to WDW after. I would probably be much more hesitant to go to the Disney parks on July 4th!

We’ve only stayed onsite pre & post our 7/4 WDW trip we’ve done last few years.

I surprised at how crowded it was each time. Even with the hotel EP, we were only able to enjoy a handful of the popular attractions.

HP areas in particular were just slammed with bodies.

You made the best choice

Disney is very very crowded on July 4

Will be easier to do UO those dates


Enjoy your vacation at both parks !

My thoughts are the onsite EP will afford an edge, just not the normal big one. Still, it will be far less crowded than MK on the 4th. We do Ep, more room to roam

 

[tony67]

One post on the Disney boards and I am reminded why I avoid posting on them

 

[toddinboston]

I'm having trouble getting worked up over something an anonymous poster said on a Disney fan site...

 

[Eponine178]

I really think people's opinions on Disney vs Universal have a lot to do with whatever type of experience they have the first time they visit. It isn't a which park is better thing.

We happened to be kid-less on a trip just last week so we decided to do one day at Disney and one day at Universal (one day at NASA too which I highly recommend). While Disney was a repeat trip for us, Universal was new. Disney was a good day with little issues other than a few out of the norm heavy crowds and some cranky kids/adults. Maybe almost got hit by a stroller once. Universal ended up being a very different day for us. Right off the bat, at the front gate, we were told our printed tickets didn't work (even though it said in big bold letters to go directly to the turnstile with them). The person at the front gate was not pleasant and passed us off to another person, they immediately said they could not help us and passed us off to another person. Took 20 minutes and I ended up figuring out the issue-not them. At our very first ride, it went down after we had already waited 30 minutes. When we asked what they would recommend we should do, the responses of the team members were basically a shrug and that they couldn't do anything (we had asked how to get out of the building if we didn't want to wait and they couldn't even tell us where to go). So many people had too much to drink that we spent most of the afternoon waiting in line with people yelling at each other and being out of control. The person behind me on Spiderman was so drunk he hit me in the head twice during the ride because he was reaching out for the 3D images (and he has his seven year old grandson with him)! And not a little tap, a full out spiderman punch. Walking in the middle of Hogsmeade, a man was yelling out swear words and racial put downs that were so awful I couldn't believe security wasn't involved. I looked around but couldn't find anyone. Each team member we encounter seemed like they didn't want to be there and were less than excited about helping us purchase something in a store or helping us order some food.

Could you run into these experiences at Disney or anywhere else? Sure. Anyone can be awful anywhere unfortunately. But this was our first taste of Universal. As much as I enjoyed some of the rides there, you add up all the experiences we had and I am not excited to go back anytime soon. Especially how much we paid for a one day ticket. And I'm not encouraged to bring my young son there, even though he really wants to go. The atmosphere we encounter on our day there was not young kid friendly at all.

 

[skylock]

That report is surprising. My many times visiting Universal I have never had even one of your bad experiences. Most of the times if a ride goes down, there is someone giving out fast passes as you exit the area.

Never encountered anyone drunk either, but I have never been happy that they serve alcohol in the park, but now disney is jumping on that too. Next month will tell if it has changed that much.

Anyway, sorry about your experience, all I can say is Universal must have been having a really bad day when you were there.

 

[Eponine178]

That report is surprising. My many times visiting Universal I have never had even one of your bad experiences. Most of the times if a ride goes down, there is someone giving out fast passes as you exit the area.

Never encountered anyone drunk either, but I have never been happy that they serve alcohol in the park, but now disney is jumping on that too. Next month will tell if it has changed that much.

Anyway, sorry about your experience, all I can say is Universal must have been having a really bad day when you were there.

I hope it was a really bad day. I wouldn't have believed it before going. I've experienced the Universal Team Member training as part conference before and it is very similar to Disney's so I was very surprised by the response we would get when we'd as a question. The couple in front of us on the ride that broke asked about a pass to return and they just got a shrug and a "I can't do that" as she walked away. We started calling it the "universal shrug" because it was the response we seemed to get all day. And it wasn't like we were asking crazy things. Directions to something in the park or a place to pay for an item. We also felt out of place because we were NOT drinking. It seemed like it was the thing to be doing. Maybe it was a weekend thing? It was a Sunday before a HHN.

 

[bchbetha]

Never encountered a drunk person. Sounds like you had an abnormally crummy day. I hope you try again sometime.

 

[Eponine178]

Never encountered a drunk person. Sounds like you had an abnormally crummy day. I hope you try again sometime.

We will try it again sometime. But it will be a little while. I think it will take a lot to convince my husband to return after the day we experienced and my son needs to get a bit older. He's in that strange spot where Dr. Seuss land is too kiddy but Forbidden Journey may be too intense. Things like Hulk and Mummy would be out for a while. I'm sure we will hold off a couple years and try again.

 

[toddinboston]

how do you get drunk in the parks when the beers are $9 a pop??...

 

[skylock]

They manage it quite easily on a cruise, so I am sure it would not be too hard if you were dedicated.

 

[macraven]

I'm trying to figure out how a person on the Spiderman ride could reach that far in front to touch someone in the row in front of him.

Sorry your experience was not the best for you.
Hope you can do a repeat sometime in the future and have a better day at UO.

 

[schumigirl]

I hope it was a really bad day. I wouldn't have believed it before going. I've experienced the Universal Team Member training as part conference before and it is very similar to Disney's so I was very surprised by the response we would get when we'd as a question. The couple in front of us on the ride that broke asked about a pass to return and they just got a shrug and a "I can't do that" as she walked away. We started calling it the "universal shrug" because it was the response we seemed to get all day. And it wasn't like we were asking crazy things. Directions to something in the park or a place to pay for an item. We also felt out of place because we were NOT drinking. It seemed like it was the thing to be doing. Maybe it was a weekend thing? It was a Sunday before a HHN.

Our experience over our many, many visits is more people don't drink than do especially during the day. Certainly can`t imagine how anyone made you feel out of place for not drinking.

We have never seen anyone drunk at Universal during the day...…..maybe a few happy people at HHN, but hey that's an adult event...….still never seen anyone fully drunk.

We`ve never experienced a TM like that either. We find them to be friendly, helpful and more than happy to help in any way.

Seems you were very, very unlucky.

 

[Eponine178]

I'm trying to figure out how a person on the Spiderman ride could reach that far in front to touch someone in the row in front of him.

Sorry your experience was not the best for you.
Hope you can do a repeat sometime in the future and have a better day at UO.

I know, right? I never thought that I'd experience something like that. In the first second that it happened I was so shocked that it took me a second to realize what had happened. For half a second I thought I was crazy and it was an awful 4D effect or something. But when it happened the second time moments later it was clear. And I heard the "oh sorry" from behind me. This guy was very large and clearly not in control of himself. What really makes me not understand is that these guys were clearly drunk, but when we got in line with them it was about 12:45pm on a Sunday. I'd think that the park doesn't start selling alcohol until Noon. So how could they have been that way already? They had to have come in the park already a couple in. And then we watch them slam a large beer while in line.

Does anyone know if Universal sends out surveys after you visit? I seem to have gotten one from everyone else on on trip except them. Disney, NASA, car rental, hotel, airline, etc. I like to take time to fill them out and let them know the good and the bad. Because there were some good things too (frozen butter beer and a nice TM at Forbidden Journey lockers come to mind). I feel its important to let them know both.

 

[macraven]

You don’t have to wait for a survey to let UO know how displeased you were

Send your comments to guest services

They read and respond to all emails they receive

 

[tony67]

how do you get drunk in the parks when the beers are $9 a pop??...

it does happen - like a few weeks back when the Sam Adams reps were in the park and kept buying people beers every time they came into Backwater bar

People are on vacation and do overindulge - even at $9 a beer - but if they cant keep from bothering others then they should probably go elsewhere.

BTW it happens at all the Disney parks as well - Monorail crawl anyone? then back to MK
Epcot is probably the worst for this - especially during F&W
I have seen far worse at F&W there than at HHN and it can be a bit rough and ready at HHN

 

[Scifidiner]

how do you get drunk in the parks when the beers are $9 a pop??...

Some people are just lightweights.

 

[EveDallas]

Our experience over our many, many visits is more people don't drink than do especially during the day. Certainly can`t imagine how anyone made you feel out of place for not drinking.

We have never seen anyone drunk at Universal during the day...…..maybe a few happy people at HHN, but hey that's an adult event...….still never seen anyone fully drunk.

We`ve never experienced a TM like that either. We find them to be friendly, helpful and more than happy to help in any way.

Seems you were very, very unlucky.

I had a response all typed out, but decided against posting it. Let's just say the amount of bad luck this person experienced borders on unbelievable.