Disney vs. Universal: The Never Ending Debate WDW Theme Parks Discuss Disney vs. Universal: The Never Ending Debate in the Vacation Planning forums; Universal lost my interest when my family and I went about 20 years ago. King Kong...broken down. Earthquake...broken down. Ghostbusters...terrible. Jaws...decent. Overall, Universal's best ride wasn't as good as Disney's ...

[Optimus EO]

Universal lost my interest when my family and I went about 20 years ago. King Kong...broken down. Earthquake...broken down. Ghostbusters...terrible. Jaws...decent. Overall, Universal's best ride wasn't as good as Disney's worst ride. The cast members weren't nearly as friendly either.

[Chrissy&Tayen]

and the horror movie makeup thing.. they were like were not at disney we dont have to be nice to you.. and my hubby thought that was funny.. but i think its there going thing not just a joke

[zippitydoodah]

Oh I thought the monster show was funny! At Whispering Canyon Cafe all the kids do a pledge, and it includes promising to never go to Universal... so they do their little jokes from both sides. I just did two straight days doing the Universal parks and no, it's not Disney and I didn't get the warm fuzzies, but it was a lot of fun.

[zippitydoodah]

Anyways, I did the Harry Potter stuff, got it all done in a couple hours and came back the next time too and did everything all over again! It's busy in there, but the lineups aren't so bad, and not NEARLY as bad as Soarin or Midway Mania... Forbidden Journey was never over an hour (and when we went when it said an hour it was barely 30 minutes in reality) and the other two rides were 15 minutes or less. Just DON'T do it first thing in the morning, that's when its busy.

But it was REALLY cool and really well done. The ride was fantastic... easily the coolest ride I've ever been on and HANDS DOWN the coolest cue. I thought the talking paining inside the castle where really well done... they were dark and had like a texture so they looked like real paint, not at all like screens. And there's a part of the cue where you walk through a classroom that has Harry, Ron and Hermoine in it, and they cast a couple spells and one made the entire room start snowing!

[JNota0005DakMC]

i might have to check HP out next time im down there...

[20K]

Well that was an interesting read, folks. I'm glad it didn't just end up in the usual outright, blind Universal bashing.

As for me, I'm a huge WDW fan and I always will be.

That said, JAWS is my favourite theme-park ride bar none and has been since the year it opened. Yet, some of the more recent developments are a little questionable to original USF fanboys like me. I may whine about how WDW has changed over the course of two decades, but it still seems familiar and welcoming every time.

As much as I like Revenge of the Mummy, the removal of Kongfrontation (at a time when Universal had two adequate showbuildings lying vacant adjacent to it) was a bit of a body blow to me. While I always enjoy my time at USF, I have slowly come to realise that I don't feel any real attachment to the majority of their attractions in the same way I do at the Magic Kingdom.

Based on my last visit, in August, I came to the conclusion that I will cease visiting USF when JAWS finally runs its course.

[JNota0005DakMC]

Originally Posted by 20K

Well that was an interesting read, folks. I'm glad it didn't just end up in the usual outright, blind Universal bashing.

As for me, I'm a huge WDW fan and I always will be.

That said, JAWS is my favourite theme-park ride bar none and has been since the year it opened. Yet, some of the more recent developments are a little questionable to original USF fanboys like me. I may whine about how WDW has changed over the course of two decades, but it still seems familiar and welcoming every time.

As much as I like Revenge of the Mummy, the removal of Kongfrontation (at a time when Universal had two adequate showbuildings lying vacant adjacent to it) was a bit of a body blow to me. While I always enjoy my time at USF, I have slowly come to realise that I don't feel any real attachment to the majority of their attractions in the same way I do at the Magic Kingdom.

Based on my last visit, in August, I came to the conclusion that I will cease visiting USF when JAWS finally runs its course.

i think you speak for a majority... many ppl will visit only IoA once Jaws is gone... because there is nothing left of what made Universal what it was...

[20K]

If it means anything, i've got a copy of the original advertising poster USF created for the 1990 opening on my wall. I first saw that USF poster as a kid at Orlando International and was over-awed by it. It seemed so fresh and new and different compared to familiar territory at WDW.

I was having a look at it the other day, and I was thinking just how much has disappeared from the park over the course of just 20 years.

Kongfrontation... gone.
Back To The Future... gone.
Alfred Hitchcock: The Art of Making Movies... gone.
Ghostbusters... gone.
Earthquake... gone, to all intents and purposes.
Hanna-Barbera... gone.

Of the attractions proudly depicted on the 1990 poster, only two are still operational: ET and JAWS, albeit in a completely different form to the one depicted on it. That is a PHENOMENAL renewal of attractions. There have been many removals and alterations at Walt Disney World, but that is to be expected: the resort will be 40 years old next October. Universal Studios Florida, on the other hand, has just turned 20. In those twenty years, all but one of the opening day attractions have been removed, if we discount JAWS for still being in Technical Rehearsal. Seems totally unprecedented.

Just a thought...

[20K]

...and if it means anything to swithering Disney fans by the way, you'll find much the same attention to detail, as many of Universal Creative's staff are former Imagineers. JAWS in particular had a lot of former Imagineers on the team.

[JNota0005DakMC]

there is another thread on the site and i said almost exactly what your saying... my logic is that Universal is extremely trendy... and when the trend wears off they have to do something to the attraction...

[Chrissy&Tayen]

my hubby is so upset over kong.. he holds that against them big time.. for a LONG TIME i couldnt get him to agree to go to universals

[JNota0005DakMC]

hes got the right idea...

[HauntedGabe]

Excellent pictorial from MousePlanet.

My Disney Top 5 - Top 5 Ways We Were Pleasantly Surprised with the Universal Orlando Resort (More Mouse) by Chris Barry

[penguinmickdis1]

I have never been to the Universal park, but the thing is, I have no desire to go. Though I am not going to judge it because I have never been there, I feel that it does not have the same magic that disney has. They don't have the same wealth of characters and some of the rides are just roller coasters, how can you comare a ride that is just a steel coaster to a a roller like expedition everest that has a story and takes place on a mountain and not just loops and curves with no point.


Vist my blog at The Four Parks

[20K]

Originally Posted by penguinmickdis1

I have never been to the Universal park, but the thing is, I have no desire to go. Though I am not going to judge it because I have never been there, I feel that it does not have the same magic that disney has. They don't have the same wealth of characters and some of the rides are just roller coasters, how can you comare a ride that is just a steel coaster to a a roller like expedition everest that has a story and takes place on a mountain and not just loops and curves with no point.


Vist my blog at The Four Parks

Agreed, for the most part. I personally hate most of the coasters beyond Expedition Everest. I've always seen it as a real cop-out to just buy coaster components from Vekoma or wherever, and then try and pretend there is anything of a theme to it. I have always much preferred rides with an intricate level of artistic detail in them. Mansion, Pirates, 20,000 Leagues and many more for example.

But that is discounting Universal Creative's ability. It is there, but the company does not give them enough opportunity to make use of their talents. I genuinely feel that the layered level of detail that went into Kongfrontation far surpasses anything I have seen at Walt Disney World for many many years. It's just easier and cheaper these days to build coasters with minimum staffing than to make such elaborate works of art, and it is all - on both sides of the divide - about money ultimately.