When and how will Disney respond to Epic Universe?

[john7994]

There's no reason why we would decrease our days at Disney or abandon it altogether due to the opening of Epic. Their rides/attractions are very different and it's nice to experience them all.

Absolutely agree - never understood this idea of it has to be one or the other - why not both?

 

[ramee]

They have Galaxy's Edge, Runaway Railway, Remy, Guardians, Tron, Moana, Luminous, new area at Epcot, and Skyliner all in the past 5 years (which realistically should be 3 years since 2020 and 2021 were considered the height of the pandemic). May not be adequate for some guests, but good enough for us.

Toy Story land…

All of that was enough for us to book a day at Epcot and a day at HS. Our first and only trip was in 2017. I have more interest in going back to Universal (even without Epic) before I’d plan Disney again.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

No die-hard, decades-in-the-making, Disney fan will ever jump ship for Universal.

Define "die-hard decades-in-the-making Disney fan." It sounds to me like perhaps you are projecting your personal preferences.

WDW visitor for 50+ years, w/min 1 visit/year for 25+ years/aver2.5 per year for 20+ years.

Around 2015, went to Universal for a change. At the end of the trip, I asked about converting my 2-day ticket to an AP. It cost under $10. That was a no brainer!

We discovered the Universal Deluxe hotels cost far less than the WDW hotels and come w/better perks.

I've noticed big improvements in Universal's customer service and declines in WDW's. It is just so frustrating to visit HS on a day when 3 major rides are down, no park hopping until 2pm, and no G+ passes available in HS after paying $30/person for it.

Ugh, and there is the horrible surprise surge pricing of G+. We were at WDW the day the price jumped from an old high of $27 to an unannounced NEW high of $35! Ick!

WDW keeps adding ever more confusing ways of making people pay extra for ride access, but can't even keep their rides operational. On our most recent visit, we busted our humps to get to Epcot for Early Entry, walked all the way to Remy, and a few minutes later the ride went down for almost an hour.

We felt like suckers for wasting all that time, $, and effort.

I'm getting psyched for a brand new theme park!

 

[Gabby01]

I think they will respond, because they responded to Universal building the Wizarding World by making Galaxy's Edge. But a response on the scale required to balance out Epic Universe in the eyes of visitors will take a lot of time and thought. Maybe they just don't know what to do yet. For Universal, it made sense to build another park because they only had two in Orlando. But Disney already has four and is considered a week-long destination, so just copying Universal move-for-move doesn't necessarily make sense. Disney might be waiting to see what Epic Universe is actually like, and once they know what its most successful elements are, they may try to find a way to incorporate similar elements into their parks. It might also make sense to just let Universal have their moment for now (since people are going to check out EU either way), and then try to swing the pendulum back towards Disney afterwards.

 

[Marthasor]

Yes they have built stuff over the past 5 years. Universal opened Velocicoaster and Hagrids in the last 5 years and will now be opening a completely new land. It would be like if Disney opened a 5th park during that time. And everyone had to contend with the pandemic, so that doesn’t matter.

It’s also not just about building stuff. I also said improve on the park experience. A lot of people don’t like Genie Plus and have complained about that (I actually like it except for having to pay for it instead of it being included). It is true that planning a Disney trip is much more of an effort—waking at 7 am to make ILL or LLs, making dining reservations 60 days out, making park reservations (though that is going away except for APs), losing some onsite perks, more upcharge events eating into regular park hours. It all just chips away and eventually becomes the straw that breaks the camels back.

Maybe it’s the age of my kid. DD10 had fun on our last trip 2 months ago but it just wasn’t as exciting. Even DH said he just doesn’t enjoy it as much, it just is feeling stale. Nostalgia can only take us so far. I think I was the one clinging to Disney and forcing them to keep going because that’s what I wanted to do. On the way home he said we shouldn’t renew our passes and I agree. It’s time to branch out.

Bingo - while Disney tries to bring in the tweens, they know full-well teens are not their demographic. I still think, no matter what, Disney is going to have the edge over Uni with families with pre-schoolers.

Define "die-hard decades-in-the-making Disney fan." It sounds to me like perhaps you are projecting your personal preferences.

WDW visitor for 50+ years, w/min 1 visit/year for 25+ years/aver2.5 per year for 20+ years.

Around 2015, went to Universal for a change. At the end of the trip, I asked about converting my 2-day ticket to an AP. It cost under $10. That was a no brainer!

We discovered the Universal Deluxe hotels cost far less than the WDW hotels and come w/better perks.

I've noticed big improvements in Universal's customer service and declines in WDW's. It is just so frustrating to visit HS on a day when 3 major rides are down, no park hopping until 2pm, and no G+ passes available in HS after paying $30/person for it.

Ugh, and there is the horrible surprise surge pricing of G+. We were at WDW the day the price jumped from an old high of $27 to an unannounced NEW high of $35! Ick!

WDW keeps adding ever more confusing ways of making people pay extra for ride access, but can't even keep their rides operational. On our most recent visit, we busted our humps to get to Epcot for Early Entry, walked all the way to Remy, and a few minutes later the ride went down for almost an hour.

We felt like suckers for wasting all that time, $, and effort.

I'm getting psyched for a brand new theme park!

So, I guess you aren't a die-hard-decades-in-the-making Disney fan. You went a lot and now you don't like it anymore. There is nothing wrong with that. Enjoy the new park! Everyone on here is projecting their personal preferences in their choice of parks to visit. The OP posited that Disney HAS to respond to Uni - I think OP WANTS them to respond in some "equal" way or we are all going to flock to Uni. I don't think that's necessarily the case for everyone. I hope those that visit the new Uni park enjoy it.

 

[Minnie1222]

With Universal Epic Universe just over a year away from opening, when and how do you see Disney responding over the next several years?

The real question should be: When will Universal open its 4th park so the head-to-head competition can commence?

 

[Minnie1222]

We discovered the Universal Deluxe hotels cost far less than the WDW hotels and come w/better perks.

Better perk as in the Express Pass, yes absolutely!

Cost far less? Not anymore. The rate has climbed steadily since mid 2021. The room we typically get for $500 is now $900.

WDW keeps adding ever more confusing ways of making people pay extra for ride access, but can't even keep their rides operational. On our most recent visit, we busted our humps to get to Epcot for Early Entry, walked all the way to Remy, and a few minutes later the ride went down for almost an hour.

Hagrid's and Velocicoaster go down all the time, too

I'm getting psyched for a brand new theme park!

Me too!

 

[Smugpugmug]

I do hope with Epic Universe, Universal ups their quick service game in terms of quality. The majority of quick service options in the existing parks are legitimately disgusting. Volcano Bay has some pretty good food for a water park - way better than the Disney ones.

 

[maui2k5]

Just as with previous expansions at Universal, Harry Potter in particular, Disney as a business is not going to sit by and do nothing. There will be a meaningful amount of people that will spend money at Universal that in years past was only spent at WDW. I look forward to the competition from Epic Universe as that will at some point push Disney to advance their theme parks as well. Competition is a good thing and Epic Universe does look impressive.

I have decades worth of WDW memories including getting married at the Grand Floridian. That does not mean I can’t also enjoy Universal and hope competition forces Disney to make new investments in their theme parks. Galaxy Edge and Pandora were both reactions to Harry Potter Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Bingo - while Disney tries to bring in the tweens, they know full-well teens are not their demographic. I still think, no matter what, Disney is going to have the edge over Uni with families with pre-schoolers.

So, I guess you aren't a die-hard-decades-in-the-making Disney fan. You went a lot and now you don't like it anymore. There is nothing wrong with that. Enjoy the new park! Everyone on here is projecting their personal preferences in their choice of parks to visit. The OP posited that Disney HAS to respond to Uni - I think OP WANTS them to respond in some "equal" way or we are all going to flock to Uni. I don't think that's necessarily the case for everyone. I hope those that visit the new Uni park enjoy it.

Er, no I was just at WDW a few weeks ago. My knowledge of both properties is very current.

Experiencing them side-by-side multiple times per year over 9+ years, we've really seen how WDW has slipped and Universal has improved. Like, just try calling either business. Call WDW, and odds are high you'll spend more time on hold than on a call to Universal.

Disney's myriad combo of ILL's, G+, and virtual queues is a confusing mess. And I say that as someone who is well versed in how to use them. Whenever MDE gets overwhelmed at 7am, WDW customers are just out of luck, even though they did everything they were supposed to do at the assigned time and paid for G+. That is bad customer service, and it happens quite often.

I am sad to see this happen to WDW and Disney. I would very much like to see them get their act together.

I don't think Disney HAS to do anything, but I predict the company will continue slipping in concrete ways we can measure if they don't. It isn't just the parks, Disney's recent movies have also not done very well. They also had the Starcuiser fiasco. More recently they fell from #6 to #12 on Forbes' list of top companies, and more pointedly from the #1 media company down to #4. That is not a good trend.

Maybe WDW will be able to keep charging ever higher prices, while making visiting even more complicated, and enough diehards will still keep paying even as we continue to age. Maybe.

 

[Marthasor]

Er, no I was just at WDW a few weeks ago. My knowledge of both properties is very current.

Experiencing them side-by-side multiple times per year over 9+ years, we've really seen how WDW has slipped and Universal has improved. Like, just try calling either business. Call WDW, and odds are high you'll spend more time on hold than on a call to Universal.

Disney's myriad combo of ILL's, G+, and virtual queues is a confusing mess. And I say that as someone who is well versed in how to use them. Whenever MDE gets overwhelmed at 7am, WDW customers are just out of luck, even though they did everything they were supposed to do at the assigned time and paid for G+. That is bad customer service, and it happens quite often.

I am sad to see this happen to WDW and Disney. I would very much like to see them get their act together.

I don't think Disney HAS to do anything, but I predict the company will continue slipping in concrete ways we can measure if they don't. It isn't just the parks, Disney's recent movies have also not done very well. They also had the Starcuiser fiasco. More recently they fell from #6 to #12 on Forbes' list of top companies, and more pointedly from the #1 media company down to #4. That is not a good trend.

Maybe WDW will be able to keep charging ever higher prices, while making visiting even more complicated, and enough diehards will still keep paying even as we continue to age. Maybe.

I never implied you didn't have current knowledge of either property. You have gone on, at length, as to what you don't like about the current state of navigating WDW and that you are excited about the new park - that's awesome.

I think you may have hit the nail on the head. The Walt Disney Co. has some serious issues - Disney+ is a money pit among other problems. They've already cut some corners (and even completely eliminated) so much of what they planned for EP. How much can they really invest in the parks right now? I actually don't think they can "compete" on the scale of what Epic Universe will be anytime soon. I think my whole point is some of us don't care - nothing Uni builds will have the emotional draw that Disney has on a segment of their fan base. I don't think I speak for only myself when I say I am emotionally drawn to things like Mickey pretzels, hearing the Dapper Dans and watching Tinkerbell fly from the castle. Uni doesn't offer that same connection to many people. That's all.

 

[maui2k5]

I never implied you didn't have current knowledge of either property. You have gone on, at length, as to what you don't like about the current state of navigating WDW and that you are excited about the new park - that's awesome.

I think you may have hit the nail on the head. The Walt Disney Co. has some serious issues - Disney+ is a money pit among other problems. They've already cut some corners (and even completely eliminated) so much of what they planned for EP. How much can they really invest in the parks right now? I actually don't think they can "compete" on the scale of what Epic Universe will be anytime soon. I think my whole point is some of us don't care - nothing Uni builds will have the emotional draw that Disney has on a segment of their fan base. I don't think I speak for only myself when I say I am emotionally drawn to things like Mickey pretzels, hearing the Dapper Dans and watching Tinkerbell fly from the castle. Uni doesn't offer that same connection to many people. That's all.

I get what you are saying about a segment of fans of WDW not having any interest in what Universal is doing. However, it is the portion of the fan base that does care also about what Universal is doing that Disney should care about because those guests will spend money with Universal if they feel their money is better spent there and are not solely visiting a theme park for an emotional connection.

My feeling is that all WDW fans should hope Epic Universe is a resounding success and pulls guests and money away from WDW. Why? Competition drives innovation and that competition is the best way for Disney to up their game and offer better experiences overall. For quite a while now, Disney has been reactive in Florida to competition in what they build and when. It is for that reason WDW fans need Epic Universe to be successful otherwise Disney management will simply say, "why invest more in WDW if everyone keeps visiting even if we do nothing except maintain legacy attractions?".

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I never implied you didn't have current knowledge of either property.

First you said, "No die-hard, decades-in-the-making, Disney fan will ever jump ship for Universal."

Then you directly said, "So, I guess you aren't a die-hard-decades-in-the-making Disney fan. You went a lot and now you don't like it anymore."

Those are your words.

 

[clarker99]

In trying to be rational and looking at a scale bw 'Disney will not be impacted at all' to 'Epic will put Disney out of business', we are likely going to end up closer to the former.

I see this benefitting both companies as Epic will draw Potter/Nintendo fans to the area. This likely ends up with Disney getting some added business as well. Generally, people go to central florida to experience many things.

We also have to realize this will change the balance across UOR and likely USF and IoA will see attendance affected in some way. It will spread crowds out and change behaviors.

If/when Disney chooses to spend it's $60B war chest over the next 10yrs it will also benefit Universal and all of Central Florida.

In the end, rising tides raise all boats.

 

[lowlight]

The time to start responding to EU was years ago. The rides and all of that may be closely held secrets to us, but Disney knows exactly what and how many rides are going into EU. They aren’t waiting to see what it’s like when it opens. It’s certain that Disney has an answer in motion, but that they haven’t done more than blue sky most of it is concerning. I don’t think this is their “Blackberry” moment, but they are definitely going to feel the pressure, which is good. Healthy competition is good for everyone.

 

[tx911]

In trying to be rational and looking at a scale bw 'Disney will not be impacted at all' to 'Epic will put Disney out of business', we are likely going to end up closer to the former.

I see this benefitting both companies as Epic will draw Potter/Nintendo fans to the area. This likely ends up with Disney getting some added business as well. Generally, people go to central florida to experience many things.

We also have to realize this will change the balance across UOR and likely USF and IoA will see attendance affected in some way. It will spread crowds out and change behaviors.

If/when Disney chooses to spend it's $60B war chest over the next 10yrs it will also benefit Universal and all of Central Florida.

In the end, rising tides raise all boats.

Good point about USF and IoA. Those parks may see a significant drop in attendance as well.

 

[Lumpy1106]

It's not what Universal is doing, but rather what Disney has done that has decreased our visits. Perks for staying on property have been reduced to almost nothing, no DME, G+ is making the standby lines intolerable - the list goes on. We were a family that spent a week in WDW and a couple of additional days in DL/DCA every year. We are now banking our DVC points and staying at WDW once every-other-year and DL/DCA almost not at all.

Next trip we have tentatively planned is 2025, and the plan right now is to stay at AKV and drive to Universal - at least part of the week. Disney has done almost nothing to sway us otherwise.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Good point about USF and IoA. Those parks may see a significant drop in attendance as well.

It depends a bit what type of incentives Universal offers to keep people on property.

WDW used to be the master of keeping customers onsite back in the early days of Magic-your-way tickets. Back then adding days 4-7 cost under $5/day if no hopping, Magic Express brought guests directly from airport to WDW, the parks offered extended park hours from 9am until midnight or later most days for onsite guests, and if for any reason someone didn't use up their ticket, they could use it at a later date.


In that era, WDW did a great job of keeping people on WDW property for an entire week.

 

[Kestryl]

Oh, we'll probably get some announcements around 2027 or so about a new expansion. I think they're looking more at their parks outside of Florida right now.

 

[greeneyedchick]

I do hope with Epic Universe, Universal ups their quick service game in terms of quality. The majority of quick service options in the existing parks are legitimately disgusting. Volcano Bay has some pretty good food for a water park - way better than the Disney ones.

We recently started doing sit-down meals at Universal and discovered that the prices were only a few dollars more than the quick service and the food was much better. We only waited about 5 minutes for a table (as a walk-in) and our food came out rather quickly.