"Universal is just a Cookie, but Disney is Fruit & Cake"

[Brer Chump]

If the Universe of Energy was in Universal, it would have been torn down 10 years ago.

 

[PrincessShea]

I agree. I don't like Universal's reliance on motion simulators. That was my main gripe with the Harry Potter ride. I felt the line was more interesting than the actual ride. I would have rather seen legit props and gone on a dark ride tour of Hogwarts than fly through a super dark quidditch match where all you see is sky.

Ellen's Universe of Energy is kind of boring after the dinosaurs, true. I definitely think the movie could be shortened. HOWEVER, the dinosaur portion is really cool. I think the animatronics and atmosphere are awesome. Jurassic Park in Universal, on the other hand, SHOULD be the most amazing dinosaur ride ever, but it's absolutely horrible. The dinosaurs looked ragged, and you barely see any.

Now my major disagreement with the OP is the idea that Fruit and a Fig Newton sad2 are superior to a cookie. No...just...no. Universal is fruit and a Fig Newton and Disney is a chocolate lava cake with ice cream

 

[nugov2]

I agree. I don't like Universal's reliance on motion simulators. That was my main gripe with the Harry Potter ride. I felt the line was more interesting than the actual ride. I would have rather seen legit props and gone on a dark ride tour of Hogwarts than fly through a super dark quidditch match where all you see is sky.

Ellen's Universe of Energy is kind of boring after the dinosaurs, true. I definitely think the movie could be shortened. HOWEVER, the dinosaur portion is really cool. I think the animatronics and atmosphere are awesome. Jurassic Park in Universal, on the other hand, SHOULD be the most amazing dinosaur ride ever, but it's absolutely horrible. The dinosaurs looked ragged, and you barely see any.
Now my major disagreement with the OP is the idea that Fruit and a Fig Newton sad2 are superior to a cookie. No...just...no. Universal is fruit and a Fig Newton and Disney is a chocolate lava cake with ice cream

WHAT!!!??? I loved this ride....it was great!! Funny how everyone has such different opinions. I posted on a similar thread and I think IOA is better than any WDW park except MK and even there only FL is better.(disclaimer I've never been to AK so I guess maybe that could be better, but from what I hear probably not. I thought IOA was great...now Universal was just OK. Their boardwalk area is far better than DD. I still think it is comparing two totally different animals though. MK just has a magic that can't be replicated and the rides touch my heart. Though I did get tears in my eyes when my buddy was meeting Captain America at IOA. I think U/IOA is close to getting the same visitors WDW does...people staying there for a week, but going to WDW for a day or 2. I was blown away by their boardwalk area and honestly don't see the "value" in the value/mod resorts at WDW after coming back after a long break. Wasn't that impressed and the transportation leaves something to be desired. Was thankful we stayed offsite and had our own car to rely on. IOA offer perks that WDW doesn't offer and vice versa with WDW, but I do think they could both learn from each other and both become the ultimate parks!!

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

I'm a Disney guy all the way, but Universal has been hitting home run after home run lately while Disney still has their bat on their shoulder. Time for the Mouse to get in the game.

 

[Suzanne74]

I love Disney too. It is magical. It was never built for thrill rides so comparing it to Universal is tough. That said, there are some very obvious changes and upgrades they need and the time being spent on 1-2 rides makes it seem like nothing will get done. I am bored to tears of Soarin. Can we not change the movie to get away of the California vibe in Florida? Stitch, Energy, Captain EO, Indiana Jones show, Stunt show is fun only once. I don't know, we go fewer and farther between now. I would think updating shows would be an easy thing to do. How about a NEW 3D movie instead of EO. I don't know. Sigh....

 

[WILDERNESS FAN 55]

I think the opposite argument could be made...Disney builds stuff and leaves it there for eons but Universal and Island of Adventure are constantly being updated and new stuff added.

I have seen the new Fantasyland and unless you have little kids it's not impressive at all.

Disney is going to take 3 years building one roller coaster and US will have built transformer and expanded Harry Potter in less than 2 years time. They will have the new train and the new Gringott's ride too by NEXT FALL. I prefer speedy progress and if I ride those rides every year I couldn't care less if they tear them down in 10 years and replace them with newer more modern rides. I think that is the best way to keep your customers happy and coming back.

Disney is same ole same ole. Universal is always new and exciting.

I go to both every trip. We go to Disney parks and Universal trips. We have APs to US/IOA. I wouldn't take a trip to Florida without doing the 2 US parks but I would skip Disney if needed.

SOOOO Fantasyland IS Impressive since many millions of people take their kids to see it .
Shall I go over the changes WDW has made in 42 years ?? Just because Comcast has put some $$ into universal doesn't make it fun.Simpsons land ZZZZZZZZZZ .

 

[DOOM1001]

Posts like that of the OP kind of perplex me; it seems to give off a vibe that one must choose and one is clearly better than another. I don't think that's the case nor do I feel the need to "defend" Disney and their actions. I like both resorts but do acknowledge that, right now, UOR is providing more new, headliner attractions than WDW is and that's being reflected in the general public eye. You can argue that UOR is doing overlays, lacks theming, etc..., but to most (beyond the Disney fans), UOR is doing a lot more than Disney in terms of growth. Yes, NFL (not the football league) is very nice, but it's clearly not bringing in the crowds they wanted it to, which is why we're hearing all of these rumors of SWL and/or Pixar Place/Cars Land. That said, Disney will not be holding an official Disney Parks presentation at the D23 Expo this year; they have chosen to do Imagineer panel discussions. They still could incorporate a major announcement, but it's an odd move by Disney.

The influx of money that's come into Universal from Potter is giving them serious amounts of money that they're putting right back in the parks.What should be scary for Disney is that they work in 6th gear on the freeway while Disney is in 4th gear taking the scenic route.They had construction workers working 24 hours a day on Transformers and that ride opened in less than a year.Universal owns the older Wet n Wild waterpark but leased the land it sits on and just yesterday they announced they purchased the land as well as some nearby lots.There's speculation out there that they may possibly use this land and buy a couple other surrounding properties to either build a third theme park since they have enough land on their main site to build a new waterpark or possibly just retheme the current waterpark and build more hotels nearby.They're spending the money and seeing results,the second Potter phase opening next year will probably be a bigger hit than the first phase with more people now choosing to stay more days.

When you see what Disney is doing in comparison it's sad,the new Fantasyland was not as impressive as they made it out to be,even with the mine train.Everytime I read about the possible DHS expansion projects I'm less impressed by them every day.I mean that's pretty pathetic that I'm being let down by nothing more than a rumor.The Star Wars land seems to be called a mini land more and more and I'm not hearing about a major E-Ticket ride to get excited about.Everyone knew about the Kuka robotic arm technology going into the Forbidden Journey ride about a year or two before it was built.What am I hearing for Avatar,a boat ride followed by a Soarin style ride,could be nice but just doesn't sound very innovative.This is all coming from a Disney fan,I love all the parks but nobody can ignore that Disney works in slow motion and overall just hasn't been producing major attractions like people expect from them.Too many projects to add a secondary interactive line to a ride,adding current characters to a classic ride,confusing everyone with multiple FP options.People want rides,new rides,thrill rides,new parks,I'm not the one giving up on the Disney,I'm still going to have my pass but I hear more and more friends and co-workers,those once a year visitors start to complain about the lack of growth and how expensive it is to do the same things.

 

[nugov2]

SOOOO Fantasyland IS Impressive since many millions of people take their kids to see it .
Shall I go over the changes WDW has made in 42 years ?? Just because Comcast has put some $$ into universal doesn't make it fun.Simpsons land ZZZZZZZZZZ .

I agree Fantasyland is impressive we loved it...minus Belles Enchanted Tales...lame!! Glad we got on it with only a 10 minute wait or I would have been really been upset I wasted more time on it. I have to disagree with the Simpsons area. It was great and the ride one of the kids favorite(though I was hesitant to let them ride it since I would never let them watch the show, but dh said I was being nuts). I would imagine the expansion will be just a great as what they already have in place.

 

[HMANSION LOVER]

Universal has been pulling out all the stops as of late, with New rides like Transformers, Simpsons & Harry Potter to name a few. They also have more in the works, another HP land, Lord of the rings land, updated Jurrasic park land, Dreamworks land also possibly a third park. It seems like they work alot faster from concept to reality, its almost like there on fast forward compaired to Disney's immaginers.
But you get what u pay for...cheaper quicker labor isn't always the way to go. As a Disney lover I want rides to last through decades, universal tears down classic rides, not because there dropping attendance but because the bolts are just about rusted off. I prefer a smoother more attention to detail attraction built by engineering genius'. I don't mind snow white taking 3 years to build when they put up the Simpsons land overnight, lol. I know that the minecoaster will be apart of Disney for years to come and Simpsons land will more than likely be replaced in 10 years.
Disney has some amazing stuff coming out but we wont see anything for at least 3 years. Starwars land is genius, Carsland is ok, but Cars 2 kinda suked. Avatar land I'm gonna really like, its gonna be a cool place to chill late night, it makes perfect sence to make a nighttime land in a park that is known as being day time only. Love DTD I don't think they have to go that insane with the plans but I'm not complaining.
Anyway, Disney is the Fig Nuton in my book...Universal is just the same old Cookie....

It is easy to see that even Universal knows they are and always will be trying to catch up to what disney has, THE MAGIC. When you stay on property you are totally immersed. No traffic to deal with, freindly C'M's, all aspects of dining experiences, as well as a tremendous number of quality places to stay, from value to deluxe. Each one having their special details to keep you enjoying the magic. When we stayed at Universal we stayed at the Pacific Royal Hotel. Not kid freindly, more like a hotel I go to business meetings for. The other two are also not themed for kids which we all know is what our vacations to Orlando are all about. That being said, Universal is now building a new hotel complex and from what I have seen on line it really looks like something Disney would build. Kinda has a look like Music, Sports POP etc.. when you look at the layout. There will always be competition but I think it is safe to say that if Universal is constantly changing it is because they are always trying to change things to try and steal WDW fans and make them their own. BUT, we know that will never happen P.S. sorry for rambling just got home from work, really LONG day

 

[Yellowstonetim]

Universal did a great job with HP but it is SMALL. Universal has learned the new way to do theme parks: Immersion not just rides, and Disney is the leader in this, too. Universal has some awesome new rides in Florida. (I can't wait to try the King Kong ride out in California, too!) BUT, it is all a matter of timing. Universal hit a spot where they did several big projects in a row, but they cannot keep this up for long. There are only so many rides to redo, so much space at their location in Florida, and so much money. Disney stopped and took a deep breath... now look out.

Universal will quote Yamamoto: I fear all we have done is awaken a sleeping giant and filled him with a terrible resolve."

I love Animal Kingdom and Avatar will make it a must do. Fantasyland is absolutely AWESOME. My wife and I are going without kids this September. The new animatronics are amazing. No one in the world including at Universal are anywhere near Disney's new animatronics. Cars Land in CA is amazing. Avatar will be amazing. Star Wars will be amazing.

I have seen several references to a third Universal park. This certainly wouldn't be possible in Florida. Have you looked at google maps satellite images? There is nowhere to add anything beyond the parks that exist now. Anything Universal adds will be a replacement of something existing. I love universal and they have great rides, but they can't touch Disney in a number of areas. Fortunately, as was said, it isn't an either/or, there is room for both, competition is good, and both prosper.

 

[cantslowdownptwn]

What's a Universal?

 

[andyman8]

It is easy to see that even Universal knows they are and always will be trying to catch up to what disney has, THE MAGIC. When you stay on property you are totally immersed. No traffic to deal with, freindly C'M's, all aspects of dining experiences, as well as a tremendous number of quality places to stay, from value to deluxe. Each one having their special details to keep you enjoying the magic. When we stayed at Universal we stayed at the Pacific Royal Hotel. Not kid freindly, more like a hotel I go to business meetings for. The other two are also not themed for kids which we all know is what our vacations to Orlando are all about. That being said, Universal is now building a new hotel complex and from what I have seen on line it really looks like something Disney would build. Kinda has a look like Music, Sports POP etc.. when you look at the layout. There will always be competition but I think it is safe to say that if Universal is constantly changing it is because they are always trying to change things to try and steal WDW fans and make them their own. BUT, we know that will never happen P.S. sorry for rambling just got home from work, really LONG day

I think that most people underestimate Universal in terms of its potential. Five years ago, I would have totally agreed with you, but now, not so much.

UOR is pumping money into attractions like crazy right now, but it's not to necessarily "catch up with Disney", it's to capitalize on the 33% of "new" Universal vacationers that they are trying to keep on property. The difference is that WDW is attempting to keep people on property through initiatives like MyMagic+ (I mean the opp. cost of $1.5 billion dollars is pretty high, so it better be amazing!) and Magical Express whereas UOR is simply building more rides and attractions that will keep them in the news.

Also, something interesting that I've noticed is the FL resident trends at both parks. Interestingly enough, I've noticed a pretty large percentage of FL residents who have decided to do their "theme park vacations" at UOR, because with Express and the walkable distance to the parks, it's a much easier and more relaxed vacation. Disney doesn't offer $129 FL resident ticket deals just because they want to be nice...

 

[Disney Blues]

Universal did a great job with HP but it is SMALL. Universal has learned the new way to do theme parks: Immersion not just rides, and Disney is the leader in this, too. Universal has some awesome new rides in Florida. (I can't wait to try the King Kong ride out in California, too!) BUT, it is all a matter of timing. Universal hit a spot where they did several big projects in a row, but they cannot keep this up for long. There are only so many rides to redo, so much space at their location in Florida, and so much money. Disney stopped and took a deep breath... now look out.

Universal will quote Yamamoto: I fear all we have done is awaken a sleeping giant and filled him with a terrible resolve."

I love Animal Kingdom and Avatar will make it a must do. Fantasyland is absolutely AWESOME. My wife and I are going without kids this September. The new animatronics are amazing. No one in the world including at Universal are anywhere near Disney's new animatronics. Cars Land in CA is amazing. Avatar will be amazing. Star Wars will be amazing.

I have seen several references to a third Universal park. This certainly wouldn't be possible in Florida. Have you looked at google maps satellite images? There is nowhere to add anything beyond the parks that exist now. Anything Universal adds will be a replacement of something existing. I love universal and they have great rides, but they can't touch Disney in a number of areas. Fortunately, as was said, it isn't an either/or, there is room for both, competition is good, and both prosper.

Finally ... a Disney lover through and through, thanks for the post

 

[indimom]

Interesting thread. I'm always intrigued by the different perspectives on this discussion.

I get some of the arguments, but others just don't make sense to me.

Like comments that Universal doesn't do immersive theming like MK? Huh? IOA? Those islands are amazing! Zuessland? Jurrasic Park? Just as awesome as Adventureland and Fantasyland. USF isn't heavily themed, but is very similar to DHS, in my opinion (except, for me, I like the rides and shows a bit better than DHS).

And this comment:
"When you stay on property you are totally immersed. No traffic to deal with, freindly C'M's, all aspects of dining experiences, as well as a tremendous number of quality places to stay, from value to deluxe. Each one having their special details to keep you enjoying the magic."

I agree that some Disney resorts are more heavily themed toward their chosen audience and we love that about them (I can't wait to explore AoA on our next trip), and they have value resorts that Universal does not. And that there are more resorts to choose from, but I'm not so sure Disney has a lock on the rest of this.

We certainly dealt with more traffic at Disney than when we stayed on site at Universal, even when we flew in and didn't have a car. We were stuck in traffic for 45 minutes on a standing room only bus after Fantasmic at DHS in 2010. No, you don't have to drive anywhere if you don't want to, but there are still buses and transfers and traffic to deal with.

I don't think we saw a moving vehicle after we checked in at RPR in 2008. We walked from the back side of RPR to the waterway and either took a boat or walked along the scenic waterway to City Walk and the parks. Staying in the Universal bubble resulted in no lines or waits or traffic. At all. (I suppose you could end up waiting for a boat, but we loved the walk, and so we just would meander over if there wasn't a boat sitting at the dock.) With Express, we didn't even have to wait in a line or for a return time. We just walked on when ever it struck our fancy.

RPR was a gorgeous resort. 5 Stars. A great pool and water play area for the kids, and hopping to the other resorts was encouraged. Games every afternoon by the pool. Excellent dining, and it was only a short boat ride or walk to even more dining at the other resorts and City Walk (again, no hour long transfers or traffic). We did character meals. The Grinch was just awesome! And the Whos? Even better! Fun for the entire family. When my son commented on how he wished Jakes served floats instead of sundaes, our waiter made him a gorgeous float at no charge. Really great customer service.

What we loved the most about Universal was how RELAXING the entire trip was. We felt completely pampered and spoiled and entertained the entire week. We didn't know a relaxing theme park vacation was possible until we visited Universal.

Do we still love Disney? Heck yeah. We enjoy being in that bubble just as much. But, that doesn't make Universal a second rate side roadside attraction in our book. Not by a long shot.

CANNOT WAIT FOR SPLIT TRIP IN JUST 3 WEEKS!!!

 

[Brian_WDW74]

This thread isn't really about Disney theme parks attractions and strategies, so I've moved it to the Theme Parks Community board.

 

[bumbershoot]

Anyway, Disney is the Fig Nuton in my book...Universal is just the same old Cookie....

Are there actually people who think fig newtons are BETTER than a normal cookie? I'm not sure I know of people who feel that way. Fig newtons are healthy-ISH and semi-good for you; something many people eat because their moms make them. I'm not sure that comparison is what you were going for.


Of course, I agree with the way the comparison turned out. Universal is my delicious cookie, and WDW is gone to because it's there and I feel I'm supposed to. It's good in its own way and I enjoy things about it, I mean, i do keep going back (though a lot of the reason is because we bought DVC before going to Orlando). But I have a feeling the Universal portion is going to be getting longer and longer and the WDW portion shorter.

I have seen the new Fantasyland and unless you have little kids it's not impressive at all.

What I thought when I saw it was "I'm confused by this entrance" AND "this looks just like Wizarding World and the area around Mythos". That's what I said when I saw the entrance to the new DCA, too. Felt like Port of Entry (which is possibly my FAVORITE place to be in the whole world apart from maybe Sligo, Ireland). And it also looked like what DisneySea had put in place, oh, how many years ago? Just a big ol' group of copied things, IMO.

And with the impressive (it's impressive, even if it's a copy) stuff around Little Mermaid, you expect LM to be so so so much MORE. And then it's not. It's not that great. When you ride it at DCA it feels better because the building and line are relatively boring and rather simple. The ride is better than the line. At MK it's the opposite, IMO.

...what disney has, THE MAGIC. When you stay on property you are totally immersed. No traffic to deal with, freindly C'M's, all aspects of dining experiences, as well as a tremendous number of quality places to stay, from value to deluxe. Each one having their special details to keep you enjoying the magic.

As I read this I was thinking EXACTLY, that's EXACTLY what Universal gives you! No traffic, no highways, no real world, it's an oasis.

And then I read that you were talking about WDW and I got confused.

I have no interest or patience anymore to deal with buses at WDW. We started our trips there driving, but now we're going to drive no matter where we're going. Having actual highways with high speeds is really not all that magic for me, but neither is being on a city bus.


When we stayed at Universal we stayed at the Pacific Royal Hotel. Not kid freindly, more like a hotel I go to business meetings for. The other two are also not themed for kids which we all know is what our vacations to Orlando are all about.

I disagree entirely. That was our first Universal hotel and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay there. Our son was 6 at the time and he did too. DH stays at LOTS of business-type hotels, and he never once felt like he was at one of those hotels. We did move over to Portofino Bay for the next 3 visits, but we're heading back to RPR and plan to love it even more.

We enjoyed staying at All Star Sports, but we don't need bright colors and big statues to help us enjoy a hotel, so the new resort at Universal doesn't appeal much to us. What makes it less appealing is that they won't be including the unlimited Express Pass with it like they do the Deluxe hotels.

Universal didn't have to do anything but be their wonderful selves to get us to be Universal-lovers.

 

[DOOM1001]

I think a fig newton is good but a cookie can be anything between mediocre to excellent,fig newtons are never really excellent so by that comparison Disney is good but Universal can have a much bigger upside.I agree with the PP that that comparison is not what they were going for.

 

[RMulieri]

Interesting thread. I'm always intrigued by the different perspectives on this discussion.

I get some of the arguments, but others just don't make sense to me.

Like comments that Universal doesn't do immersive theming like MK? Huh? IOA? Those islands are amazing! Zuessland? Jurrasic Park? Just as awesome as Adventureland and Fantasyland. USF isn't heavily themed, but is very similar to DHS, in my opinion (except, for me, I like the rides and shows a bit better than DHS).

And this comment:
"When you stay on property you are totally immersed. No traffic to deal with, freindly C'M's, all aspects of dining experiences, as well as a tremendous number of quality places to stay, from value to deluxe. Each one having their special details to keep you enjoying the magic."

I agree that some Disney resorts are more heavily themed toward their chosen audience and we love that about them (I can't wait to explore AoA on our next trip), and they have value resorts that Universal does not. And that there are more resorts to choose from, but I'm not so sure Disney has a lock on the rest of this.

We certainly dealt with more traffic at Disney than when we stayed on site at Universal, even when we flew in and didn't have a car. We were stuck in traffic for 45 minutes on a standing room only bus after Fantasmic at DHS in 2010. No, you don't have to drive anywhere if you don't want to, but there are still buses and transfers and traffic to deal with.

I don't think we saw a moving vehicle after we checked in at RPR in 2008. We walked from the back side of RPR to the waterway and either took a boat or walked along the scenic waterway to City Walk and the parks. Staying in the Universal bubble resulted in no lines or waits or traffic. At all. (I suppose you could end up waiting for a boat, but we loved the walk, and so we just would meander over if there wasn't a boat sitting at the dock.) With Express, we didn't even have to wait in a line or for a return time. We just walked on when ever it struck our fancy.

RPR was a gorgeous resort. 5 Stars. A great pool and water play area for the kids, and hopping to the other resorts was encouraged. Games every afternoon by the pool. Excellent dining, and it was only a short boat ride or walk to even more dining at the other resorts and City Walk (again, no hour long transfers or traffic). We did character meals. The Grinch was just awesome! And the Whos? Even better! Fun for the entire family. When my son commented on how he wished Jakes served floats instead of sundaes, our waiter made him a gorgeous float at no charge. Really great customer service.

What we loved the most about Universal was how RELAXING the entire trip was. We felt completely pampered and spoiled and entertained the entire week. We didn't know a relaxing theme park vacation was possible until we visited Universal.

Do we still love Disney? Heck yeah. We enjoy being in that bubble just as much. But, that doesn't make Universal a second rate side roadside attraction in our book. Not by a long shot.

CANNOT WAIT FOR SPLIT TRIP IN JUST 3 WEEKS!!!

This sums up our feelings on Portofino Bay..TONS of kiddies there too and let me tell you..I felt pampered ,spoiled and left my vacation well rested.. I love Disney too, but I spent less money at Universal resorts for less hassle ,closer proximity to both parks -no cars, parking or busses and had just as nice if not NICER deluxe than Disney ( and yes I have stayed at many of Disneys resorts).The theming at Portofino is GORGEOUS too...We loved it so much we are staying there in August and will drive to Disney..

 

[Disney Blues]

Are there actually people who think fig newtons are BETTER than a normal cookie? I'm not sure I know of people who feel that way. Fig newtons are healthy-ISH and semi-good for you; something many people eat because their moms make them. I'm not sure that comparison is what you were going for.

Of course, I agree with the way the comparison turned out. Universal is my delicious cookie, and WDW is gone to because it's there and I feel I'm supposed to. It's good in its own way and I enjoy things about it, I mean, i do keep going back (though a lot of the reason is because we bought DVC before going to Orlando). But I have a feeling the Universal portion is going to be getting longer and longer and the WDW portion shorter.

What I thought when I saw it was "I'm confused by this entrance" AND "this looks just like Wizarding World and the area around Mythos". That's what I said when I saw the entrance to the new DCA, too. Felt like Port of Entry (which is possibly my FAVORITE place to be in the whole world apart from maybe Sligo, Ireland). And it also looked like what DisneySea had put in place, oh, how many years ago? Just a big ol' group of copied things, IMO.

And with the impressive (it's impressive, even if it's a copy) stuff around Little Mermaid, you expect LM to be so so so much MORE. And then it's not. It's not that great. When you ride it at DCA it feels better because the building and line are relatively boring and rather simple. The ride is better than the line. At MK it's the opposite, IMO.

I disagree entirely. That was our first Universal hotel and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay there. Our son was 6 at the time and he did too. DH stays at LOTS of business-type hotels, and he never once felt like he was at one of those hotels. We did move over to Portofino Bay for the next 3 visits, but we're heading back to RPR and plan to love it even more.

We enjoyed staying at All Star Sports, but we don't need bright colors and big statues to help us enjoy a hotel, so the new resort at Universal doesn't appeal much to us. What makes it less appealing is that they won't be including the unlimited Express Pass with it like they do the Deluxe hotels.

Universal didn't have to do anything but be their wonderful selves to get us to be Universal-lovers.

Its from a commercial....and its not really about the cookie, just trying to be cleaver on the wording, thanks for your love for cookies

 

[nugov2]

Interesting thread. I'm always intrigued by the different perspectives on this discussion.

I get some of the arguments, but others just don't make sense to me.

Like comments that Universal doesn't do immersive theming like MK? Huh? IOA? Those islands are amazing! Zuessland? Jurrasic Park? Just as awesome as Adventureland and Fantasyland. USF isn't heavily themed, but is very similar to DHS, in my opinion (except, for me, I like the rides and shows a bit better than DHS).

And this comment:
"When you stay on property you are totally immersed. No traffic to deal with, freindly C'M's, all aspects of dining experiences, as well as a tremendous number of quality places to stay, from value to deluxe. Each one having their special details to keep you enjoying the magic."

I agree that some Disney resorts are more heavily themed toward their chosen audience and we love that about them (I can't wait to explore AoA on our next trip), and they have value resorts that Universal does not. And that there are more resorts to choose from, but I'm not so sure Disney has a lock on the rest of this.

We certainly dealt with more traffic at Disney than when we stayed on site at Universal, even when we flew in and didn't have a car. We were stuck in traffic for 45 minutes on a standing room only bus after Fantasmic at DHS in 2010. No, you don't have to drive anywhere if you don't want to, but there are still buses and transfers and traffic to deal with.

I don't think we saw a moving vehicle after we checked in at RPR in 2008. We walked from the back side of RPR to the waterway and either took a boat or walked along the scenic waterway to City Walk and the parks. Staying in the Universal bubble resulted in no lines or waits or traffic. At all. (I suppose you could end up waiting for a boat, but we loved the walk, and so we just would meander over if there wasn't a boat sitting at the dock.) With Express, we didn't even have to wait in a line or for a return time. We just walked on when ever it struck our fancy.

RPR was a gorgeous resort. 5 Stars. A great pool and water play area for the kids, and hopping to the other resorts was encouraged. Games every afternoon by the pool. Excellent dining, and it was only a short boat ride or walk to even more dining at the other resorts and City Walk (again, no hour long transfers or traffic). We did character meals. The Grinch was just awesome! And the Whos? Even better! Fun for the entire family. When my son commented on how he wished Jakes served floats instead of sundaes, our waiter made him a gorgeous float at no charge. Really great customer service.

What we loved the most about Universal was how RELAXING the entire trip was. We felt completely pampered and spoiled and entertained the entire week. We didn't know a relaxing theme park vacation was possible until we visited Universal.

Do we still love Disney? Heck yeah. We enjoy being in that bubble just as much. But, that doesn't make Universal a second rate side roadside attraction in our book. Not by a long shot.

CANNOT WAIT FOR SPLIT TRIP IN JUST 3 WEEKS!!!

We didn't stay at Universal but as we walked around this is exactly what my DH and I said. We would be very excited about staying there! We didn't get that same feeling in WDW except at the few deluxe hotels we visited. I honestly feel like you are only in the WDW "bubble" if you are deluxe that is the only way you would get that same "bubble" feeling you would at Universal. Staying at the values or Mods(minus POR) you are just about as far from the parks as some of the great off site locations. I guess I don't get paying more just so you can be like this on a bus or monorail l I would certainly feel the magic at a deluxe, but is it worth the extra $300 a night to get a suite...maybe in the future when my kids are older and can really appreciate it. That is just one opinion though and I certainly will always love going to WDW and Uni/IOA