Holy Diagon Alley Batman!

[sethschroeder]

And if you didn't like Avatar?

Also, I'm curious, have you ever been to London?

I have been to London....

If you didn't like Avatar then possibly it might not be for you, exactly how if you didn't like Harry Potter then this new expansion might not be for you. All I am trying to say is people act like Harry Potter has something magical about it even if you didn't like the franchise? Well why cant Avatar have the same effect?

Dragon breathing fire vs Floating mountains
Hogwarts vs Great Tree (or whatever its called)

 

[Suellen]

We'll be at Disney in 2 days. Just hoping 7DMT can somehow restore my faith.

Don't count on it. Pretty bad when even your 7 year old wonders why she waited two years to ride THAT.

Don't get me wrong... great ride, cute. But with huge lines and the amount of time it took to open....

It is a 20 minute wait ride at most.

 

[mickeysmith]

We decided not to do Disney this year. My DD16 and I will do MNSSHP while DH and DD13 do HHN. Other than the party, we will be spending our vacation days solely at Universal for our first time onsite there. I love Disney and will miss it this year, but I am not missing the crazy planning right now. It feels weird to be heading to Orlando in a few months and have no spreadsheet out. Oh well, hopefully I'll get it out next year, knowing that Universal has a good chunk of my vacation time now. I must say, I am really happy to enjoy them both. But as Potter nerds, we can't wait until October! Looking forward to your trip report!!

 

[DisUniversal]

I agree it's still not a full-week destination, for most people. It's easily a four-night destination, assuming three full park days. If you add in pool days, then you can make it a week, and a very relaxing week at that.

I don't think they need to add another full park and hotels to make it a week though. If they even add that rumored onsite waterpark, then it will easily be a week for us, we're big waterpark fans and having a new waterpark right there will be great for us (and I'm sure it will be themed nicely!)

I'm sure one could find some who say that Universal Orlando as it is now is not a destination, but believe that not only was Disney World a destination when it was just MK and Epcot, but that it was also a destination when it was simply the Magic Kingdom, Contemporary and Poly.

 

[MaryKatesMom]

Threads like these are making re-evaluate our trip to at least consider throwing a Universal Day in there. Wife and I are both major HP geeks.

Do it! Stay a night in Portofino Bay and enjoy the first hour. My DD dragged me over a couple of years ago, she is a HUGE HP fan and I used to be a Disney snob.

I totally agree.

Disney's only chance of topping what Universal is doing would be a "mega-tricked-out" Star Wars Land.

I agree. Star Wars fans would come no matter what. I don't think Avatar has the same fan base.

This is why they got rid of the crab legs at Cape May!

Kidding...sort of

Not to mention going "seasonal" on the Risotto at Le Cellier. Cheaper than truffle butter.

Isn't there a whole Universal Studios section on these forums to talk about this?!?!?!?!

We're talking about WDW AND Universal.

I will state it again. It relates to this board as it shows the deficiency in what WDW has given us over the last several years in relation to what US has done. Look, I drank the kool-aid and bought into DVC a few years ago. However I have to be honest, I am less than thrilled at what WDW is becoming. If things don't turn around fast, and I mean Disney building meaningful rides, we will probably sell our DVC and start vacationing elsewhere.

I feel sorry for anyone who bought DVC in the 90's like we almost did. WDW seemed like it was on such a positive trajectory. They kept building DVC without adding needed ride capacity.

Universal Orlando is definitely a destination for us. We stay for a week at Portofino Bay relaxing and enjoying the 2 parks and City Walk. Although we love the Disney deluxes, we think Portofino Bay tops any Disney deluxe resort. We will be going again in 2015.

Yes. Portofino Bay does top any "Deluxe" at WDW.

I agree it's still not a full-week destination, for most people. It's easily a four-night destination, assuming three full park days. If you add in pool days, then you can make it a week, and a very relaxing week at that.

I don't think they need to add another full park and hotels to make it a week though. If they even add that rumored onsite waterpark, then it will easily be a week for us, we're big waterpark fans and having a new waterpark right there will be great for us (and I'm sure it will be themed nicely!)

I agree, not a full week but now instead of two nights we are doing 4. 6 at WDW and 4 at Universal.

 

[Suellen]

This is why they got rid of the crab legs at Cape May!

Kidding...sort of

When did this happen? We were there late May and they had crab legs.

It isn't top of our list but we do keep it in the rotation!

 

[sethschroeder]

Case in point, BlackBerry. There was a time not long ago when they had a lock on the Smart Phone Market. Everybody and there brother (in the Business World at least) had one, they were so addictive that they were called "CrackBerry." Along comes the IPhone and BlackBerry is hurting.

I HATE this analogy as its not even close to being relevant for the Theme Park "war".

Blackberry was 100% a business device and a business minded company who threw out a couple devices at the general public.

Iphone was 100% derived from a concept of the mass public with business not in mind at all. It was all targeted at the younger generation and I remember it was the first smart phone around campus when I was in school.

Long story short business started to allow BYOD (bring your own device) at work and people had the choice and for the new generation it was open and shut case of iPhone and for the older generation it came down to pressure from kids/family/co-workers to move to a new Android or iPhone. Sometimes employers required people to give up their Blackberry due to them stopping support of the devices internally all together.


With Disney = Small Children/memories/kids movies and Universal = Teens/more extreme attractions/HP + teen-adult movies

Unless parents stop taking their children under 8 years old on vacations Disney will have a locked in place if they try at all. Universal from everything I have read and seen when planning for our trip really falls into the pre-teen/teen category with kids, you know when kids start doing sports and can't travel as much with their parents.

If anything you can compare Universal/WDW to Pepsi/Coke. Both have been around a long time, but have really always been #1 and #2 and both have their own angle at how to get people to buy their product.

 

[shepd]

Ok but most of those parks you mentioned are not Universal Studios or a US owned park. My point is, US studios in itself is not a vacation destination. In fact, it proves that in order to create an entire vacation consisting of US, you need to add some non-US attractions. That is not the case with WDW.

Does US have to be a 100% everything destination so long as they can partner up like that? Each park does what it does best. Disney might have a little to learn there--some Disney goers want to experience both the "sedate" theme park style vacation AND have an opportunity for the extreme thrills/chills something such as Busch Gardens offers.

I actually kind of like the idea of each company sticking with what they're best at. When they try to be everything to everyone, companies end up like Sears.

 

[sethschroeder]

I'm sure one could find some who say that Universal Orlando as it is now is not a destination, but believe that not only was Disney World a destination when it was just MK and Epcot, but that it was also a destination when it was simply the Magic Kingdom, Contemporary and Poly.

When WDW was just MK it was a different world. Transport Universal back to that time and likely you would have a different view.

 

[sethschroeder]

Does US have to be a 100% everything destination so long as they can partner up like that? Each park does what it does best. Disney might have a little to learn there--some Disney goers want to experience both the "sedate" theme park style vacation AND have an opportunity for the extreme thrills/chills something such as Busch Gardens offers.

I actually kind of like the idea of each company sticking with what they're best at. When they try to be everything to everyone, companies end up like Sears.

Or Amazon (store for buying anything and everything)
Or Google (android phone, email, calendar, search, map, reviews, social, store with instock in your area, million other things)

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I'm sure one could find some who say that Universal Orlando as it is now is not a destination, but believe that not only was Disney World a destination when it was just MK and Epcot, but that it was also a destination when it was simply the Magic Kingdom, Contemporary and Poly.

I can now bundle a ticket package that includes Universal's 2 parks, Sea World, Busch Gardens, and 2 water parks - and all for less than Disney tickets. Granted, that's with SW taking half of the revenue. But TOGETHER, that's a "destination", no doubt about it.

 

[DisUniversal]

When WDW was just MK it was a different world. Transport Universal back to that time and likely you would have a different view.

How about if we go back to pre 1989 when it was just MK and Epcot. World wasn't that much different then. Was WDW a destination? How about when MGM Studios just opened and was far less than the half day park some consider it to be today?

If you still believe that was a different world, then we can go right to the present. The following are not destinations, correct?

Disneyland/California Adventure
Disneyland Paris/Walt Disney Studios
Tokyo Disneyland/Disney Sea

 

[Maleficent Dragon]

This is the part that saddens me. No clue how much Diagon cost, but to think of the money Disney wasted on magic bands and fast pass plus....It's sad.

 

[kbelle8995]

I agree it's still not a full-week destination, for most people. It's easily a four-night destination, assuming three full park days. If you add in pool days, then you can make it a week, and a very relaxing week at that.

I don't think they need to add another full park and hotels to make it a week though. If they even add that rumored onsite waterpark, then it will easily be a week for us, we're big waterpark fans and having a new waterpark right there will be great for us (and I'm sure it will be themed nicely!)

Sounds perfect to me.

 

[tcherjen]

I will always prefer Disney, but looking at the pictures and youtube videos.... It looks sooooo amazing and I am not a HP fan.

 

[Josh Hendy]

I'm looking forward to Avatarland. Even though I don't know much about the movie, it sounds like they are going to add a couple of very nice rides to AK and probably the land will be nicely themed as well. I haven't checked out the very latest rumors/plans but the movie-based ride sounds like a fun upgrade on the Soarin' model and the boat ride will I imagine be a pleasant attraction similar to Jurassic Park but without a huge drop. Nothing that anyone will plan an entire vacation around, like WWoHP and Diagon Alley, but a welcome upgrade to AK.

The proposed Star Wars land could be very spectacular if it's done right. I think they have to choose very carefully which scenes or planetscapes from the movies they want to reproduce. Tatooine/Mos Eisley is extremely well known, but it is after all a sunbaked desert and if done accurately it's going to be a hot and unpleasant place to hang around. The only other 'worlds' that might be translatable into a theme park 'land' that come to mind are the Ewok planet (redwood forest) and Amidala's capital city with the spectacular Byzantine architecture. All the other 'worlds' seem better suited for indoor environments, such as Bespin (cloud city), the Death Star, Coruscant, etc. Perhaps a little bit of Tatooine leading into a 'pod racer' coaster on the one side and a huge building with a number of indoor scenes/attractions would be the best approach. I think I would get as excited at the idea of walking around the cloud city or death star as I am about Diagon Alley. IF they do it right. No "pizza planet" shortcuts, please!

And if Frozen is a big hit that will be popular for all time (like Snow White, Pooh or Toy Story) then it needs a brand new, original, headline attraction - not a half-baked overlay of Maelstrom. Diagon Alley took 3 years from announcement to completion and the excitement kept building the whole time. And it wouldn't have happened if the IT and Finance departments had convinced Universal execs that the only they thing really needed to invest in was a bunch of online and RFID gadgets to maximize the revenue from the existing visitors to WWofHP!

 

[Aurora0427]

Does anyone think that NarniaLand would be better than Avatar? More books and films to draw from. The films were awesome. Beautiful scenery. Plenty to use for attractions and rides, more to appeal to all ages!

Yes. Narnia would have been awesome. I too do not get Avatarland. But I am optimistic that it'll blow me away.

As a Star Wars fan, I am hoping that Disney converts part of DHS to Star Wars land, or builds a new theme park.

They could totally do an indoor/outdoor Cloud City. It could be amazing.

 

[sjw211]

We're going to Disney in August and EVERY bit of planning I've done has been Disney-centric. FP+, ADR, Parks - everything.
Our passes include Universal and IOA though so we were planning to go to each of those for a day too...
I don't really know too much about Universal - but THINK that IOA has a HP area - but the newer HP area is in Universal. Is that correct? I believe there is also a train that links the two areas - would a pass that includes both parks also include the use of this train too?
Is there any kind of FP system at Universal - whether in advance or once at the park?
Seems strange asking these questions on a Disney forum but I didn't start it..

 

[DisUniversal]

We're going to Disney in August and EVERY bit of planning I've done has been Disney-centric. FP+, ADR, Parks - everything.
Our passes include Universal and IOA though so we were planning to go to each of those for a day too...
I don't really know too much about Universal - but THINK that IOA has a HP area - but the newer HP area is in Universal. Is that correct? I believe there is also a train that links the two areas - would a pass that includes both parks also include the use of this train too?
Is there any kind of FP system at Universal - whether in advance or once at the park?
Seems strange asking these questions on a Disney forum but I didn't start it..

You are correct. Original HP area is at IOA. New Diagon Alley is at Universal Studios and they are connected by a train. A pass that includes both parks includes the train. Universal has Universal Express which is free for unlimited 'Fast pass' type access to all attractions IF you're staying onsite (except for Cabana Bay). If you're not staying onsite you can purchase Universal Express, but have no idea what it costs.

 

[over50visits]

True.
But, you can't "Reserve Your Race Car from Your Recliner" at US.

Thats' because you don't need to reserve!

Stay at their resort and you get unlimited front of line all day, no reservation, as much as you want, no need to plan ahead. If you aren't a resort guest they charge for a day pass.

For us...we always stay at a Disney resort, so we look at the Universal system with envy. We'll be there (US) soon for the new HP attraction, can't wait for their frustration-free express pass system and universally friendly employees.