Disney, recently laying off half of its Imagineering staff, means they are not gearing up for any big projects anytime soon, also Universal is building Epic Universe witth money borrowed when interests rates were low and now Disney would have to build with money borrowed at todays interests rates, much more expensive for building new projects.
Not to mention Disney imagineers have admitted they get bogged down in middle management compared to universal creative. I think the fact that Universal is building a new park with first of it's kind ideas in the same amount of time it takes Disney to duplicate a ride should be making them extremely nervous.
Wonder if those laid off imaginers found new careers at Universal Studios. Disney is just willing giving away their crown in innovations because they are just content. It breaks my heart honestly
Disney has out priced my family. It's crazy to think the cost of one of Universal's value resorts is pretty close to the same price as the WDW value resorts back in the 2000's. I look forward to Epic Universe.
A good point, is that the high end Universal hotels are less than Disney moderate hotels -- and even some "value" hotels. And the compact size of the whole resort means everything is in walking distance --- even with the new park, just a short bus ride.
Same here. I’ve been to Disney World a couple dozen times throughout my life. The last trip *really* irritated me with how much it was. My wife and I do pretty well. But Disney clearly said we don’t make enough to come back. It’s sad it came to this but I’m done with Disney.
I disagree that people are tacking universal on the end of their trips. Maybe 5, 10, 15 years ago, but not so much anymore. My trips are purely planned around Universal and Disney is coming after if I can fit it in and this is becoming more common to a lot of people. Disney is starting to price people out and is also an extremely stressful trip to take. With Epic Universe opening, people are going to want to see the more modern park for a much more affordable price. Not to mention that it looks like Universal can relocate a lot of their office buildings to the EU site, thus expanding Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios, which has been a huge issue for the Universal parks. I'm not saying Disney won't always have their fans and attendance, but Universal is most definitely not a tack on trip anymore and it will more than likely take market share from Disney like the Wizarding World did. Disney has a major issue coming if they don't change the way they run business and stop taking 5+ years to build rides. I want to go to Disney, but I also don't want to pay an arm and leg for rides that were made in the 70's at Magic Kingdom when I see rides like Pirates in China or Beauty and the Beast in Japan.
but is it actually more affordable? i see people say this a lot and as someone who's lived in orlando for a while i don't think it's actually the case. i pay about the same monthly for my disney & universal resident APs. universal is marginally cheaper (we're talking a matter of dollars and cents) but also has half the parks. and even coming from an out of state perspective, universal two-day park tickets frequently cost either more than disney park hoppers or about equivalent, and again disney has double the offerings in terms of parks alone. universal value resorts are pretty affordable, you can usually snag one for $100 night except during the bigger hhn nights, but i've found resorts like cabana bay and endless summer to be pretty comparable to pop century, all star movies/sports/etc. which go for similar rates. even moderate resorts can be pretty affordable depending on the time of year. not by ANY means saying disney hasn't been penny pinching wherever they can lately, and staying in deluxe resorts is completely out of the question for me financially even w/ the CM discount, but then again...i can't exactly afford hard rock or sapphire falls either. as someone who enjoys both disney & universal, my qualms w/ disney at this point have more to do with the reliance on the reservation system and (like offhand disney says in this video) a lack of innovation. d23 was such a massive disappointment...with epic universe around the corner, there really should have been some concrete announcements, if not for a new land then at least for new attractions. they're 100% resting on their laurels and i think it will come back to bite them in the next few years. the only HUGE outlier to me in terms of pricing is hhn (the far superior offering) costing $70/night while it's upwards of $150 for mickey's not so scary. i paid roughly that much ($150ish) for a frequent fear pass that gets me into hhn most nights in sept. & october, so idk who disney's kidding with that lol but then again plenty of mnsshp nights sold out this year so i guess there are people out there who will pay
@@emmawoodhousegf Once you do more than two days at Universal, the price significantly dives compares to Disney. And in my personal experience, Cabana Bay, etc. has always been much more affordable than Disney's value resorts.
@@elizabethgates7024 how is it even POSSIBLE to do more than two days at Universal? We did both parks in under one day. We had to call our transportation to pick us up earlier than scheduled because there was nothing else to do.
@@MonsterKidCory where you don't see how is possible to do more than 2 day's at Universal, I don't see how people even go to Epcot or Animal kingdom. I've been to both and they are both insanely boring to me. I don't see how it's possible to enjoy Magic Kingdom as the rides are severely outdated and boring. People have different opinions believe it or not.
I don’t think you can say Disney is better without ever going to Universal despite the numbers, it’s like saying you think Vanilla ice cream is better but you’ve never tried any other flavors, so how would you know if you’ve never tried?
There is a time I would have agreed with you, but nowadays we have the internet. Not long ago I had the same thought, that maybe I should go to one of the Universal parks to make a comparison. I checked their website, and, um, I couldn't find more than a handful of rides I wanted to try. And that was in both parks combined. Their basic stock in trade involves kiddie rides that make Dumbo look high tech, or thrill rides. Lots and lots of thrill rides. Which is great if you like that sort of thing, but if you are a classic dark ride fan like me, it's a yawn-fest.
The Only reason people claim Disney is better is nostalgia and brand recognition, Universal plans have been catching up for some time, Disney wont improve anything while people still think Disney is the better park, which soon will be not.
@@JoseLHernandezJ that’s exactly the problem with Disney, 20 years ago, I would say that Disney had lots of high-tech rides, but today those rides are now showing their age, and with the lack of repairs that Disney does to their theme parks it is unfortunate to see so many people held on by nostalgia. Let’s be honest, Disney does not make their money based on high-tech rides, they make their money on creating nostalgia, and that has neutered them from becoming better, they would rather be comfortable, knowing that they can make good profit from nostalgia than reinvent the wheel
@@MattJoh all they do now are screens and cheap effects and people call it innovation, funny how Universal is doing the opposite, they want to gain that market since they know how much money is generating and Disney isn't doing much.
@@poorgailsalmanac4755 I still say, if you haven’t tried the theme parks then do you really have any opinion? If all you know is Disney, how can you see anything else?I grew up in Southern California where we have plenty of theme parks, such as Universal Studios Hollywood, Disneyland, Knotts berry farm, six flags,SeaWorld, Legoland. all of these parks have their own praise for one reason or another. I will say though, if all you are worried about is riding dark rides in fantasyland, then have fun at Disney, but you can’t shine a turd, Disney has been starting to stink for a while. Don’t get me wrong I love going to Disneyland, and I have lots of fun there because nostalgia is very persuasive but I think there’s better places you can take a vacation for when it comes to the money and the experience that you get for it, I think it’s better to experience other places, if it’s not as good as Disney to you then guess what, you’ll appreciate going even more.
I’ve always been a diehard Disney parks fan. However, with what Universal Studios has been doing in the last few years, I’m much more excited with what Universal is doing. With the addition with the two Harry Potter properties, with the creativity of HHN, and now Epic Universe, Disney may be still a bit ahead, with the marathon, but Universal Studios seems to have the stamina to maybe win it in the end.
I went for the very first time to Universal early this year and those rides are the only thing I can’t wait to do again and again and again if I can return!
I can’t believe how tone deaf this video is. It’s like he’s approaching universal and Disney from a 2008 perspective. People go to Universal exclusively.
@@Vincenza8907 think he did a good job at not keeping his bias for disney. Yes, some tourist do go to UO exclusively (like myself), but it’s still very much a locals park.
Dallin you absolutely need to go to Universal. I don’t expect you to convert from Disney or anything but it’s a solid theme park. Particularly Islands of Adventure, Diagon Alley, and HHN.
I just really really really want epic universe to succeed. Universal has had some STELLAR showings in the recent years in terms of worldbuilding and park immersion and based on all the drawings and plans for epic, I just really want it to succeed-mostly because I want to see the universal monsters. I need it.
They'll have classic Universal monsters attractions, How to train your dragon, a third Harry Potter theme park (strongly rumored to be either Fantastic Beasts or the Ministry of Magic), Super Mario World (YAYY!!) and Donkey Kong Country. Park insiders say Disney is going to bitterly regret losing the theme park rights to Super Mario World because this is VERY popular in Japan.
About the IP thing. Universal has always been almost solely about IP since it turned fully into a theme park (instead of backlot tours and stunt shows, which is what it used to be), their concept is “ride the movies!” So that’s why they don’t get criticism about it. Disney used to be part IP and part original ideas that blend well with the brand and make for good attractions, and it was great! There’s a reason all those original attractions still stand 50+ years later, but nowadays everything must be IP, and that often leads to disappointing attractions with little effort or money put in because they’re expected to do well just for being IP. That’s what Disney fans don’t like. Besides, Universal is the clear winner in IP use overall anyway.
Yeah just compare the quality of the Harry Potter lands and Super Nintendo World to Galaxy's Edge and Avengers: Campus. I think people would be more forgiving of Disney using IP's if 1) They are high quality lands with great attractions 2) It didn't completely ruin the theming of the parks the land is in. Avengers Campus is terrible quality and its even worse cause it ruins the cohesion of California Adventure
@@Ryancamron3342 Agree. People were excited for Star Wars and Marvel IP lands and hotels. They were just disappointed in the execution. Changing Pirates and Jungle Cruise to IP didn't help. It just feels like Disney is losing it's identity and trying to copy Universal. Not to say Universal has done everything right. Fast and Furious is more a disaster than Disaster. Just that Universal is doing Universal, while Disney is not making sense. Galaxy's Edge, Avengers Campus, and the StarCruiser hotel should have insanely popular. It's lead to criticism of all these big Disney ideas that over promise and under deliver. We're sick of getting generic knock offs from the company that owns the IP.
@@BB-mt5no that's exactly it. If Universal's creative team had the IP's that Disney had they'd be making the best theme park attractions and lands in the world, but Disney has the most recognizable characters in the world and does little to nothing with them.
How is Universal the clear IP winner? They have exactly TWO IP that anyone is actually excited about: Harry Potter and Nintendo. The rest are basically just IP filler. That's one of Universal's biggest flaws... Most of it are rides based on IP that I couldn't care less about. And that, incidentally, is the whole problem with fixating on IP. Eventually, those IP go out of fashion... Unless you're Disney and you can build a Snow White ride 80-some years after the film came out. Disney is in a far stronger position with IP than Universal is, because Disney has managed to keep most of its IP pretty relevant despite its age. Universal will ALWAYS be playing catch-up with whatever IP they can get their hands on in a given moment. The closest thing they have to an actual classic IP is Universal Monsters, and they have no clue what to do with it (including in Epic Universe, if the rumours of a Monsters THRILL RIDE is any indication). Disney's original rides have stood the test of time mainly because they're not dependent on IP. It doesn't matter how hip and relevant Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, Enchanted Tiki Room, Space Mountain, or Big Thunder Mountain are, because they exist unto themselves as excellent attractions. Disney has always exercised corporate synergy, but they're really suffering right now with Iger's treatment of the Disney brand as an IP mine.
@@MonsterKidCory yeah I think what he was saying was that Universal's parks are based more on IP than Disney's, not saying that Universal's IP were better. that being said, if Universal's creative team had a hold of the IP that Disney butchered in the past 5 years like Star Wars, Marvel, Cars, etc. They'd be some of the best attractions in the world. Universal has partial rights to Marvel and they made a Marvel land in the 90's that's better than the one made by Disney a couple years ago.
I will never understand why some Disney fans wont visit Universal like they are cheating Disney with Universal, Universal is doing what Disney stopped so many year ago and thats theming and guest oriented experience. I have fond memories of both but as of now i would rather spend more time at Universal more than Disney, the plans they have for epic Universal is very reminiscent of what the OLC did with Tokyo Disney.
Feels like they are meeting in the middle, Disney is adopting old Universal stuff (paid fastpass/screen rides/ ignoring sight lines). Universal is adding more immersion, at least for Harry Potter. But even though I prefer Disney, I hope Epic Universe is great. More options, more competition is better to keep both parks progressing.
I would guess that he probably has been there, but says he hasn't because it provokes people to comment, and boosts his channel's "engagement" metric. And if he really hasn't, well, he looks pretty young and has plenty of time to realize he's being pretty silly about the whole thing.
I've been to Universal and Disney on both coasts, as well as Disney in France and Japan. Universal is consistently an also-ran. The only thing they actually do better is merchandise... Had Wizarding World been at WDW, all the merch would have just been Mickey dressed as Harry Potter. But everything else Universal does is, at best, catch-up and still beset with flaws. The best example is Disney's best attempt to match Universal: Galaxy's Edge. Every flaw in Galaxy's Edge is found in triplicate at Universal, but Universal gets the free pass because 1) we don't expect much from them and 2) we seem to desperately want to imagine that Universal is competition.
@@MonsterKidCory I couldn't disagree more homie, Uni beats Disney in every way other than IP and Name brand draw. especially when you consider Universal Orlando VS Disney world. more rides, better rides, less waits, better express/fastpass system, more accommodations and general care for guests, better prices for food, tickets, and merchandise, etc. Disney had Universal beat for a long time in two areas, the younger/family market and in theming. With the family market, they still have that on lock, but with epic universe and the parks opening rides like Secret Life of Pets that are clearly geared towards children, Universal is on route to taking that market as well. With theming, Universal is also creeping up on Disney with the new Potter lands, Jurrasic World, and Nintendo all being extremely immersive. as they stand now, would Universal be able to take the crown from Disney, absolutely not. but In 5 years I wouldn't be surprised if they were on the same level at least.
The fact they will have a dedicated area for the classic monsters is a plus for me. I'm a huge fan of the monsters but it shows that they're listen to fans. Fans called for monsters in the parks and it's happening. Fans called for Disney villains inclusion and rides Disney ummm what?
Same. That's the land I'm looking forward to, as someone who was never a gamer, not into Illumination or The Dragon movies. But I absolutely love classic horror. I'm hoping for some kind of immersive monster castle ride.
I was mildly interested, as a fellow huge Monsters fan, but then I saw that they're just going to do a Monsters version of the Harry Potter ride and that pretty much killed it for me. Universal has consistently shown for decades that they don't even understand the Monsters franchise, and a thrill ride is yet another example.
@@MonsterKidCory I'm open minded about that it's better than just a permanent hhn house. Though one of them in the land is a must. The ride I could see being based on a bat carrying us with the monster fighting or something
@@DeanIrvine Universal Monsters are a franchise that WANT a great dark ride... Next level Haunted Mansion, Mystic Manor kind of thing. As a franchise of slow-moving, gothic, atmospheric films, they intrinsically don't want a thrill ride. But Universal doesn't know how to do anything that isn't trying to make you throw up on a screen, and they've had decades of not knowing what to do with the Monsters. The only reason we have three different toy lines right now is because those companies wanted to do them, not because Universal actually has a plan. Lord knows that Universal Florida NEEDS more dark rides and shows and just general variety, but they don't know how to do it and the fanbase isn't holding them to actually do better. The fans just lap up anything they do, and then criticize Disney for failing when they copy Universal (cough Galaxy's Edge cough).
You seem to be ignoring the fact that Disney also opened Animal Kingdom in response to Universal Orlando’s second park, Island of Adventure. So when Universal announces its first Orlando park, Disney made sure they would open their third before Universal. When Universal announced their second Orlando park, Disney made sure to open their forth before Universal. This time Universal announced its third park, and Disney’s just responding with expansion lands and rethemes. Honestly, they seem more involved with DVC and cruises.
@@Donyourmom was that really a threat? When there were only three parks, my family went to Universal. With 4, we stopped going. There just wasn’t enough time. Certainly not for two. I know some people do 6 days, but many don’t/cant. I haven’t been to Busch Gardens in Tampa, but I did visit in Williamsburg. I was very impressed with it. It was themed to European countries, not Africa. No animals other than those horses. The ONLY time I ever considered Tampa, was when we decided to NOT do Disney and do three days at Universal. We also considered Legoland. Ultimately, we ended up going to AK and MK instead.
For me, as a person that don't live in USA, Universal is much better. The prices look more fare, and i know that i can enjoy the parks. Travel from my country (Brazil), expend a lot of money and having this insecurity whether or not I will be able to enjoy the parks because of things like long lines and absurd prices is really sad. Universal are working in a expansion, and the atracctions that they add recently (example, the Hagrid and Jurassic Park rollercoaster) are incredible, much more than just simulators, as people always seem to say. Since i was a kid, i dreamed about visit Disney World, and i did, but nowadays i am more realistic and i know that for my type of reality, Universal give me more respect, and don't wanna just grab all the money that them can get from me. (Sorry for my bad english)
Universal is a great park, it’s less planning and you can just show up and enjoy. Way less pressure than going to Disney. My hope is that universal makes Disney less busy.
I think this is something I don't hear a lot of commentators and video essayists mention, but it's a huge thing I keep hearing from casual travelers. The amount of planning and bs involved with setting up a Disney vacation has gotten more and more convoluted to the point where you have to do a cartoonish amount of research just to take a vacation. You can't just drive to the park and buy a ticket and ride rides anymore. And heaven forbid if you want a seat at a table service restaurant without two months' notice. I've heard a lot of folks say they just don't wanna deal with all the extra hassle involved and are going to start going to Universal instead. It's not monolithic, but enough people to make me take notice of it.
Actually hard agree. Nintendo IP is by far the most dangerous thing to Disney. In a hypothetical, if Epic Universe was just all Nintendo that would be DEVISTATING to Disney. I say this as a DW fan who has been to universal and thought it was very meh. I’d take trips for specifically Nintendo easily over the current state of DW
When Epic Universe opens I'm really looking forward to the universal classic monsters land along with the dark ride that is rumored to be theme to Frankenstein's Manor which I think is going to be universal version of The haunted Mansion but more updated. As a huge fan of the classic monsters this is really going to capitalize on the parks. Also that land is rumored to be getting a creature from the black lagoon boat ride which is going to possibly pay homage to Jaws the ride. So yeah I'm pretty excited.
@@JoshuaGomezMusic How to Train Your Dragon is confirmed. There's going to be a great hall sit down dining location along with a roller-coaster in the land.
I'd be down for the Monsters because I LOVE them, but then I saw the rumours that they were basically just copying the Forbidden Journey ride and noped right out. Universal hasn't had a clue about how to manage the Monsters franchise for decades. They still don't and prove it every time they throw something at the wall.
@@MonsterKidCory from what I have heard that is possibly confirmed is that this will be similar to forbidden journey but it won't use any screens it's going to use actual props and animatronics. Plus I've also heard rumor that this will be a more upgraded version of the ride as it will be more thrilling sort of like a roller coaster.
Universal has by far become my favorite park to go to in Orlando. It offers so much that Disney just doesn’t. Looking forward to hear your future experience with Universal! Hope you enjoy it as much as I and so many others do ❤
Despite how charming Disney is, I’ve always thought that Universal was one step ahead of them. I would freak tf out if you went to Horror Nights, though.
I beg to differ, Harry Potter brought so many new people from the U.K. and other places just to visit the Harry Potter Lands. Universal seems to be bringing a whole new type of tourist that never came to Florida before, it has broadened the market for everyone.
The numbers don't really reflect that. WDW is still leagues above Universal in numbers of annual visitors. It's still true that overall, tourists come to Orlando for WDW.
The only reason Universal got Harry Potter anything was because in no universe was Disney going to build a massive castle that overshadowed their castle.... I hate to break it to people but other than the hardcore Potter fans, the majority of society has moved on...People don't care about Harry Potter like they did when the movies were still a thing...The movies which were made by WB, because WB owns the rights to movies.....The weird people who haven't moved on in the last decade from Harry Potter are few and far between.
@@TECfan1 Not really. Hollywood Studios got Star Wars land and it's still struggling. Star Wars. Do you have any idea how big Star Wars fandom is? And they said "Nah I'll pass." Universal and Islands combined saw more guests in 2019 than Magic Kingdom. Each individually are on par with HS or EPCOT, the 2 parks with the newest rides that were supposed to bring in more people. Definitely not leagues above.
@@lutherheggs451 I don't even like Harry Potter and I enjoy the lands better than Galaxy's Edge or Avengers Campus. I like Star Wars and Marvel, but the lands are boring. So maybe it isn't about IP. Maybe people just realize when something is well executed instead of an obvious cash grab. So regardless of how many people you think like Harry Potter, I think the reason people continue to like the lands and criticize Galaxy's Edge, Galactic StarCruiser, Avengers Campus has very little to do with what they are fans of and more to do with how good the final product is. Avatar over at Animal Kingdom was well done and is popular. I doubt there are that many Avatar fans. The only good thing about the movie was special effects. But it is an awe-inspiring and immersive experience. Also I haven't seen any sign that Harry Potter fandom is as rare as you claim. If anything it's growing. Kids still love the books and films. The franchise is still going strong. Secrets of Dumbledore just came out. It's not over. There are more films coming. So I have no idea where you got the idea that it was over a decade ago.
@@BB-mt5no Um....2019 all 4 of WDW's parks had more vistors than IOA, what are you talking about lmao. Combined they made way more than both of those parks.
Universal has been gaining up on Disney for years, and now, they’re closer than ever. Universal will not be the victor overnight, but they will win the war atp. Disney won’t be affected overnight, but over time they’ll start to feel the effects. Hopefully Disney wakes up soon and starts doing what they were always good at: being a top tier theme park experience. Personally, I adore both theme park chains (I do love Universal more ever since I was a kid, but I love both), so if both can be the absolute best they can be, I see Epic Universe as an absolute W for Universal and Orlando, and maybe not a problem, but the solution for Disney!
Anyone who still holds on to hope for Disney supremacy in the next few years is only grasping at straws and lying to themselves. Disney is NOT going to respond to epic universe. When the pandemic ended Universal did step on the gas, and Disney slammed on the brakes. Nothing Disney is doing is actually happening. They make shut up don't work on it and then "cancel it" though they ever intended to build it in the first place. Disney is dying and will continue to do so. Every day Chapek continues to deal irreparable damage to the company and until he is gone they will continue to bleed
Living on the west coast, I took my family to Universal in Florida a few years ago. We didn't even think about going to Disney World while there. So yes, people are traveling to Universal from other areas (just to see Universal) and not going to Disney World.
You should go to Universal and see what it's like. They have fun parks. I've been branching out since I feel like current Disney leadership is drifting away from Walt's vision. In June I went to my first Busch gardens while on a trip to Virginia and I was pleasantly surprised, had a great time, and enjoyed short lines to good attractions.
Busch Gardens are great parks. They tend to have an old school amusement park feel but with exciting rides. Great landscaping. Beautiful parks all around.
My family and I just got back from DW just yesterday morning. It was jammed to the rafters, and they nickel and dime you for EVERYTHING. With the boring and tired IP, too many people, total confusion about lightning lanes, and Disney being super greedy, it will be hard to go back any time soon. Universal is going to be the way to go from now on.
Universal has done a good job in the queue areas - which I think is when you saw Disney start to make theirs more than just "circling stanchions". The true "rides" are good. However, there are a lot of 3-d screen rides - but then Disney has gone to the digitized face/all the same ride systems as of late.
I shocks me that people rag on Universal for screen based rides with practical sets, then praise Disney when they make Flight of Passage, Ratatouille, and Cosmic Rewind. Disney needs a response for Epic Universe
Well first of all all of those attractions are good? There was a small perid in Uni als history when the open fast a furious and jimmy Fallon, both of those rides suck.
Flight of Passage is amazing tho, and I like Ratatouille and Cosmic Rewind, I think they’re solid. Jimmy is aight too. Fast and Furious is the one that’s horrible imo
Epic Universe is just the beginning. If Universal/Nintendo create their own cinematic Universe it could create a whole spwan of movies and features in their park. Imagine seeing Hyrule in person for instance or a DK land to rival animal kingdoms.
Donkey Kong is already being built in Orlando. Japan currently has the Mario area and is constructing Donkey Kong as an expansion but Orlando is getting both on opening day. It features a new type of roller coaster riding on a hidden track with a false track below the cars to give the illusion of jumping tracks.
I feel like the “universal is just simulators” argument is kinda beating a dead horse. Sure, it got really bad in 2016 and 2017 but their 2 most recent rides haven’t had any screens, and seeing the epic universe ride rumors, it seems like they’re really toning it down. I will say though, the studio park does have a problem with screens, even if they have amazing rides like Mummy and MIB
Have you been on the Jurassic coaster, Hagrid’s, Spider-Man, Or any Universal ride? If you have you would notice right away Disney is copying Universal the best it can. Tough to do since most of the talented creators have left Disney for Universal and their parks evolve while Disney diminishes in almost every aspect. Maintenance, customer service, cost, shows, ride quality, wait times, food and the list goes on… Creative is their biggest loss.
I think Disney really dropped the ball with Marvel. Marvel is such an enormously popular IP with SO much content and lore that it deserves it’s own land as impressive as galaxy’s edge and It just makes me shake my head that theyve just sprinkled some Marvel throughout their parks
Which part do people have trouble understanding about Marvel and WDW...They literally cannot open a Marvel land anything in WDW because of the contract that Marvel signed with Universal...Disney would have to be absolutely stupid to not allow Universal to keep paying Disney money for their licensed IPs....Universal is literally paying their competition to continue their themed attractions.
Legalities of existing deals with Universal aside, it is virtually IMPOSSIBLE to do a really compelling attraction based on Marvel. Here's why: the essence of a good theme park attraction is that it places the guest at the centre of their own adventure. YOU'RE on a jungle expedition, YOU'RE exploring a lost temple, YOU'RE touring a haunted house, YOU'RE careening through outer space, YOU'RE the star of tonight's episode of the Twilight Zone. This is directly antithetical to the entire superhero genre. There is only one Iron Man, Captain America, Spiderman, or Black Panther, and you ain't him. So instead of living your own adventure, you're just stuck in a cart watching the Guardians of the Galaxy have an adventure, which is BORING. Any superhero ride is really just a ride decorated with superheroes, not an actual theme park attraction. Guardians of the Galaxy is just a drop ride or a roller coaster with Guardians decorations. Spiderman is literally just Fruit Ninja.
Disney can't add Marvel to Disney World because of Universal Studios. They have a preexisting contract that means they are the only ones in Florida allowed to have Marvel attractions. Their area of their park is themed to the comic books, not the films.
i’m a cast member & passholder at both resorts and definitely think universal is worth checking out! i think i share a lot of your tastes (huge fan of animatronic shows and slow moving attractions like tta, tiki room, etc. and theming & atmosphere is my #1 priority) so i do think universal may leave something to be desired for you in those respects. imo there are some really incredible themed areas and experiences at uo (mummy, ET, MIB, spider-man, all HP areas and attractions and jurassic park are must dos) but you have to wade through some pretty dated and frankly kind of cringey areas to get to the good stuff. areas like seussland, toon lagoon, woody woodpecker’s kidzone and even the “main street” of universal studios (production central-minions on your left and shrek on your right, it doesn’t make sense!) are super unappealing to me, ymmv. not to oversimplify, but universal parks on the whole just aren’t as “pretty” to me as disney parks…with the exception of a few lands (wwohp especially), these aren’t spaces i feel the need to linger in, soak up the atmosphere and people watch. that being said, the quality of theming at universal is much stronger at ioa than uso. it’s obvious they’re learning and improving, and i have high hopes for epic universe! sorry this turned into such a RANT, but i love your videos and would be super interested to see what you make of universal. i also 100% recommend hhn-like you said, it’s something universal has absolutely cornered the market on, and the theming in the houses and scare zones is universal at its best. dead man’s pier: winter’s wake is SO gorgeous, i think there are POVs on youtube if you’re ever curious!
Hey Dallin, universal already has a type of people mover like attraction in Island of Adventure is called The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride! you get amazing views of the park.
Biggest wound was their continuous screw ups with Harry Potter. First they rejected buying the publishing rights, then they screwed up the movie deal they were trying to make, then they failed miserably with the theme park rights. Universal swept in and now Disney looks a little weak compared to such immersive experiences as the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. They had to rush with Pandora and Galaxy's Edge to catch up.
This video rubbed me the wrong way and I had high hopes for it. I was once a stuck-up Disney snob like you but I learned to except other parks for what they are and stopped comparing them to Disney. I knew nothing about Harry Potter but was blown away at the theming of Wizarding World and it made me want to learn about it. I disagree with you that people travel to Orlando JUST to go to Disney. Many come here for Universal and even just to stay at a nice resort in tropical weather. One thing I learned about Universal is that they, and their guests, don’t really see Disney as a competition any longer. They’re just different experiences that attract different kinds of guests. Universal isn’t building Epic to win a battle or anything. They just needed more room to build what their guests want because their current parks can’t fit in everything. They’ve outgrown themselves and their parks are seeing massive crowds. Epic gives them a massive amount of room to spread out those crowds while making sure guests are enjoying themselves and not having to make reservations for attractions and experiences.
As a lifetime Disneyland local, I have never felt the want or need to go to WDW. That said, I also live near Universal (and love it) and would 1,000% travel to Orlando for Epic Universe. I feel as though Universal in Orlando now is pretty un-exciting because they don't have the real tram tour like here in Hollywood (which honestly is the best part of the park), but the introduction of a grander park with a section dedicated to classic and popular Universal properties really excites me.
Universal Orlando has 2 full theme parks and a water park and 8 hotels. its bigger than Disneyland resort. Its not really comparable to ours here in LA. Just Harry potter for example, We have 1 HP land and 1 major ride. They have 2 Potter lands and 3 main rides the size of Forbidden journey. Def worth a visit. Not like the park we have here in LA which is a studio first and kinda mehhh
So I wouldn’t say that Universal has been “catching up” to Disney in the way that they’ve been slowly and steadily working to become Disney, at least not until very recently. I think Universal started out as the movie park and did a GREAT job, and then they switched to more of a Disney-tier Six Flags-style park with coasters and simulators and shows, more focus on individual rides providing a beginning to end experience without as hard a focus on telling a story from land to land (not counting Harry Potter). But Epic Universe kinda feels like Universal had absolutely trumped and won out that type of park and is *now* aiming for Disney. I don’t think this will be the overnight “let’s go to Universal instead, it does _______ better than Disney!” some people treat it as, but I do see it digging into the market share a LOT harder lmao
@Emma Avery I agree completely. It will dig into market share. How could it not really as an expansion and its new. However, Disney World has double the attendance and Universal is not adding double their capacity. Even after Epic it is dwarfed in size to the entirety of WDW's 23k acres. Competition is a good thing though, for both of them.
@@BAM5636 thank you for a sensible comment amid a sea of "omg Universal is the best at everything and will totally destroy Disney!!1!" What I fully expect to happen is what did happen with Wizarding World: WDW's attendance will rise. Everyone coming for Nintendo will add some time at WDW anyway.
I used to think of Disney as the absolute best in theme park immersion and invention. They cared about the smallest of details. Now they just seem to cut corners and phone everything in. They depend so much on nostalgia. The truth is, Universal is now the one that excites me to see what they will envision and build next.
Disney World Stan here, DVC owner and everything. You really need to get out to islands of adventure and ride Velocicoaster, it’s probably my favorite roller coaster ever.
I think Epic Universe is going to take a bite out of Disney. One of the problems Disney has is that their target demographic is getting smaller every year. There are just less kids than there were through the last several decades. The kids that are here are less isolated and have more options too. Eisner saw the need for more teen/adult content coming but a lot of his attempts were clunky and have been walked back. I do think you are right on about this having an early 90s feel. I wonder if there will be another massive creative burst like there was back then? Great video, and for what its worth I do mostly come to your videos to hear your thoughts on the matter. Cheers.
The Council of Dallins. It use to be that people would travel to Florida for Disney World first and do Universal on the side, but with the new expansion they'll be putting Universal first and doing Disney on the side. Disney needs new attractions to please the locals. Visitors who go maybe once a year are content with the visiting existing attractions once a year.
Quick note, Illumination has always been an NBC Universal studio. The founder was a big name at 20th Century Fox and Blue Sky, but left in 2007, way before the Fox acquisition.
Dude! I have to say you’ve become such a great content creator. You’ve always been good but you’ve raised the quality with your writing, research & delivery. Great job!
You should seriously consider going to Universal for research purposes. Outside of the attractions you mentioned, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man is one of the greatest theme parks attractions ever created (also a Scott Trowbridge creation). I think it’s interesting watching the Disney fan community being “Universal Curious” 😂. I personally think more Disney fans need to go to Universal to compare the parks fairly. As a die hard Disney fan, I think the parks are both still the gold standard but have declined in its quality. To your point on competition, this is EXACTLY why we need to go to Universal Parks because it’ll motivate Disney to actually build and compete. Then again, as Len Testa put it “if current management thinks a stock buy back is more valuable then building a new ride, they’ll just do that instead.”
You need to revisit this video after you visit Universal Studios. Also, I have always been a huge Disney Park fan, but with so many disappointing Disney things lately (price hikes, genie plus, and limited/small innovations), and Universal continuing to pull out some incredible things (at a better price), I am slowly overtime started to question my existence and pondering if Universal might just be my family's go to park in the future. Offhand Disney, I know it is blasphemous, but give Universal a try. It is still not Disney level, but it's star is rising.
To me one of the most interesting parts of this narrative is that Universal is building Epic Universe basically right across the street from UCF's hospitality campus. That's probably a solid strategy to attract young and somewhat competent workers.
Well, this seems to be one of the rare times I have to openly disagree with you, Dallin. *Current* Universal might bring in mostly locals, but that's been changing steadily since the introduction of the Wizarding World expansion. I know you're looking at it through a Disney fan lens, but you really have to take in in from a wider theme park fan experience: bringing in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter was a transformative experience, not just for Universal and the way it approached their theme park sector, but for the wider themed entertainment industry as a whole. People think the main takeaway was the IP takeover of theme parks we have now, but the reason the Wizarding World still holds up (and the reason they've been able to expand on/from it since) is because of how detailed and immersive the lands are. Step into either Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley, it genuinely feels like you've walked into the movies. Everything from the design of the buildings and sets, to the costumes of the employees working the land, to that constant cycling of of the various movie scores in the background, they poured everything into these lands and it's paid off in dividends. So much so that they not only have been able to add more highly-themed attractions to their parks, but they were able to REFRESH their existing properties and build new experiences around them! You seriously need to go out there at least once before Epic Universe is open and see what the place is like now, then you'll see what is Universal fans are talking about for yourself.
I think some Universal content would be fun! It would add some variety to the channel and you could get a sense of Disney's main competitor. I haven't been to Orlando at all (SoCal local) but Islands of Adventure in particular looks amazing. As for Epic Universe, I think Disney is less nervous than they need to be. If Disney doesn't do anything to compete with it, I think Universal is going to take some serious market share away from them in 2025. For pretty much the entirety of Universal's existence, they and all the other Orlando attractions have basically just been competing to get pinned on at the end of a Disney trip, but now I think Universal seems to be approaching a critical mass where they're big enough to be treated on their own terms, if they're not there already. I mean come on, Disney's creativity and drive is slumping at the same time Universal is pushing the hardest they ever have. Not hard to put 2 and 2 together there.
the fact that Universal still has $89 per night hotel packages with early park entry and easy transportation is enough to make me want to book a trip there instead.
I love how the Disney vs. Universal contest is really only an east coast thing. On the west coast Disney still wins vs. Universal Hollywood as that poor park is landlocked even worse than the DLR is.
I’ve been a huge Disney fan my entire life, but I find myself way more excited about Epic Universe than any project Disney has announced in recent years. I’ve only been to Universal once but I was blown away by the immersiveness of their newer lands and rides, especially the Wizarding World. Meanwhile, it seems like Disney’s recent projects have been falling flat or at least not generating the hype with the fans that they used to. If the plans and rumors we’ve been hearing about for this park are true, I think Disney is going to be in for a rude awakening. And while yes our fanbase gets on Disney about adding IPs to everything, I think the difference is that Universal has really never marketed itself as anything but IPs, and they’re doing it very well. Disney, on the other hand, avoided IPs in certain parks and lands to create incredible theming that is now either getting completely replaced or feels cheapened by the addition of IP attractions after all this time. So it’s not really a 1:1 comparison. I really hope Disney comes up with something amazing as an answer to Epic Universe, but based on this year’s D23 we might be waiting a lot longer than we’d like for that.
Plot twist, Theme Entertainment Associate has just released the attendance record for 2021. While Magic Kingdom remains #1, both universal Orlando parks have outperformed the rest of the WDW parks. Tides are changing my friends…
I don’t know man, I think you’re massively underestimating the pull Universal has taken over the last 5 years. Especially when my military discounted Universal season pass cost me less then a 4 day WDW pass, Disney isn’t worth the asking price. Tokyo Disney is still S-tier though, and cheaper. Nintendo will definitely hurt Disney when it opens first in Hollywood.
So I think especially in the first couple years it will help Universal close some more market share certainly. However, in attendance, Magic Kingdom is the most attended theme park in the world and second is not a Universal park. It's Disneyland, followed other Disney Parks. That's a lot of ground to make up in a 800 acre expansion.
Universal already won me. I have been going to Disney parks since the early 70’s and it has been getting worse by the year since the early 80’s. I live 5 miles from DW and have not been there in years. It is truly sad what has happened to that entire property. WAY overpriced ,outdated, and completely frustrating to visit at any time of the year not to mention you can barely get on the “decent” rides without paying extra. Once you visit Universal your thoughts of Disney fly out of the window. Epic is going to slow the mouse down for sure. So many locals are just plain tired of the BS Disney has been putting out. Saying this as a once Huge DW fan.
I’m the opposite, loved Universal more as a teenager. Went as an adult and other than the Harry Potter stuff it’s a meh for me. Too many screens, and if I want thrill rides I’ll go to Cedar Point.
See but to be fair he did mention tourists as the main audience which it pretty much is. WDW will still always be the main reason people fly into visit Orlando.
@@CobraKai63 I would probably return to DW if they would repair the parks and loose the reservation thing. A bit too much kid stuff still for me. Epcot is a shell of it’s former awesomeness and it was once my favorite park. Meet and greets are ok once for me but they seem to be the focus of the new attractions. I get a much more adult vibe when I visit Universal for sure…
@@TECfan1 I think Epic will end up the top locals park and the tourist flow will, also pick up as well. If Disney does not make some moves soon they will for sure loose more of the tourist dollars to Universal. That new park is already looking awesome even from a few blocks away. Can not wait for it to open. Cheers!
@@Rvbandwagon I've heard this before but I think people underestimate the standing power of WDW. I mean when Harry Potter opened the guest numbers rose but barely budged lol.
Disney needs to double down on their parks. Magic Kingdom could use another couple of lands to help raise capacity. (Since it’s the most visited park). Hollywood Studios needs another 2 lands for me to consider it a full day park. It also needs smart ride systems that are designed to handle huge amounts of guests. Animal Kingdom needs a huge addition. I’m still waiting for them to add S America area with more animals and rides. Make an official area for the Wilderness Explorers, make Columbia for a big Encanto Casita attraction, make Peru for Emperors New Groove and that Yzmas Lair rollercoaster we all been screaming about for years. C’mon Disney. It’s been years. Also, Kronk spinach puffs. Lastly Epcot….. it’s having an identity crisis. It feels like a park that is stuck between 2 ideas. It needs some help. I like IP, but I miss the originality of the Epcot attractions. More Living with the Land type stuff. Some modernized edutainment!
I sure hope it's a problem. With price increases and the stripping of once free features for all guests and calling repeat visitors "undesirables", it sucks being a Disney Parks fan right now.
The big thing that Universal has going for it right now is that they are investing money into its parks. Even as Epic Universe is being built, Universal is making a new attraction at Studios, did updates to The Mummy, is doing refurbs of areas to make them look nicer, and made investments into better food options and guest experiences. You should go at least check out the parks sometime to see what they're about before making a video criticizing them.
My family and I have visited Orlando from Scotland about 6 times and not once have we not visited universal. In recent years, as we begin to consider coming back, we have been less and less interested in Disney. We love Disney. Like a lot. I'm an animator by profession because I love Disney. BUT. The last time we visited we hated a lot of our time at the Disney parks. They were rammed full of people which stressed all of us out. We spent half our holiday on our phones trying to make sure that we could rude the rides we wanted too. Compared to when we went to universal where we had space, we had fun, we didn't need to plan, nor did we stand in any outrageously long queues. Not to mention that coming from abroad makes staying at universal and only doing the universal parks so easy. The annual pass is incredibly affordable and it's discounts allow you to do a second, very cheap trip to universal within before your visa runs out. Which is incredibly attractive. There are people in the UK who make annual trips to universal because it's so much more affordable than Disney. Plus there's the Orlando Informer meet-ups where they book out the WHOLE park for the evening and all get together. Disney doesn't have that kind of community orientated event.
I grew up loving disney movies and going disneyland and dreaming of going to WDW but magic kingdom was just so underwhelming for me and I ended up falling inlove with orlands universal studios. I'm getting a bit tired of hearing disney fans pass universal because "its not DISNEY" disney is still a huge part of my life but they're not always better.
The last thing WDW needs is a 5th gate. There's not anywhere near enough to do in the 4 parks already open to even occupy half a day. Disneyland Resort has more attractions in just half the gates that Disney World does. Would love to see DW actually utilize all their space like DL does. I hope Epic Universe gives Disney the motivation to finally do this. But judging from everything Disney has done (and continues to do) in reaction to Wizarding World, I don't see that happening.
Both universal parks have had better attendance than every Disney park in Orlando except magic kingdom in 2021. I’m not sure if that’s usual at this time of year and Disney makes that back up during the holidays, but that goes to show that, unlike these Disney enthusiasts keep saying, people actually want to go universal and it’s not just and after thought anymore
If you think about it logically, a Disney Parks vacation in unfavorable at this point in time. A person or family could spend less money and go to some of the places depicted on WDW property. Not to mention the fact that if you do go to WDW, you're in the middle of a gator and snake filled SWAMP. That's just not a palatable idea in my mind. If you take into account the price hikes, nickel and diming, lack of maintenance and cleanliness, constant breakdowns, shows catching things on fire, (I could keep going). Point is it's not worth going to WDW given Universal Orlando is right down the road and there's much less hassle, cost and the lack of reservation system to contend with. But that's just my opinion. Dallin is do a disserverice to his viewers by never have been to a Universal Orlando park. I actually think he might change his tune.
I have always been a loyal Disney Fan, but I’m shifting to Universal. They seem more ambitious and they care more about their die hard fans. And they way more affordable 💀
I think Disney's best bet would be to add a Villians land to Magic Kingdom. Moana is already going to be represented at Epcot, and Zootopia is probably going to replace Dinoland USA at Animal Kingdoom. I hope they repurpose the Dinosaur ride for the new theme whatever it becomes. There is no need to tear down that ride, just retheme it.
Disney owns the Alien, Predator, etc. franchises, without much plans to do anything with them (as far as I know). OK, they’re not the typical Disney family fair, but to do nothing with these franchises, eliminates an audience that Universal would gladly take.
If Disney did another gate it would be interesting to see them go towards a teen+ demographic which it seems is Universal's target market. Disney has always tried to make every attraction approachable to everyone and while Universal has attractions that anyone can ride, they've taken it up a notch with some of their additions. A Disney park utilizing some of their more mature IP's could tap into a new market.
@@jasonlwright - Yea, I would think that Disney would want to diversify a bit, to capture that audience that Universal has no problem entertaining. In the long run, not sure if Disney will be left behind a bit, as Universal opens up to a wider audience.
I love your videos but I think you really undersold what Epic Universe is and means to the theme park industry. It's the largest park construction project in the US in decades and will be filled with E-Ticket level attractions with some very popular IP being used. This is what they like to call a "game changer" and Disney has no answer for when it opens, they'll be playing catch up as long as it takes them five+ years to build a roller coaster clone.
Ok I know this channel is called Offhand Disney but he seriously needs to go to Universal. The way he kinda just pushes off universal like its not even a competitor without even going isnt right. I’ve been to all universal and disney parks and I gotta say Islands Of Adventure is THE best theme park in the world currently. Hollywood Studios I would say is the best disney park as well. I love them both although I think Universal a bit more. Please just give it a chance u wont regret it
My problem with the Blue Sky ideas is that the answer to "what's behind Big Thunder?" is all of the warehouses and backstage stuff that MK uses. You can see it clear as day on Google Maps so like, there's not really space to move it unless they clear out a backroad or something.
Can't blame Universal for using IP... it's a movie studio, it's always been IP, Disney has not. So apple's and oranges my friend. Disney is trying to follow what Universal has always done. And yes (Disney ap holder btw) Disney is in trouble, politics, over charging, over charging , no innovation..D23. And they take 5 years to get a idea then another 10 before you see it. Disney has lived off name sake for a long time, that's coming to a close. And galaxies edge is nothing compared to Harry Potter, they ignored 40 years of beloved ip for their new controversial movies with no emotional tie. Big mistake! Love your vids.
Whereas Disney seems to cater to the rich Universal Studios caters to everyone else I enjoyed my time at Universal Studios then again this was way back around the 2000s
Offhand as a theme park enthusiast you gotta go !! Its totally worth it !! Escape from Gringots, Hagrids motorbike, even the King Kong ride will really surprise you !! It gave me the Indy vibes i needed / was missing from Cali while in the Orlando parks !!
I'm sorry, but the idea that Universal Orlando is just a side attraction to Disney World is nonsense. Universal is rapidly becoming a destination. Their is a growing group of people that are flying to Orlando to go to Universal with the intention of doing Disney on the side. Now Universal is obviously not on par with Disney World in popularity, but they are closing the gap faster than Disney can keep it open. And in quality of experience, they are beating Disney in Orlando. IOA is miles better than any of the Disney World parks.
I mean I like Universal Studios and I definitely will check out Epic Universe, but that's not going to stop me from going to and loving Disney. People can like both.
Exactly! Disney hasn’t been the best the last few years imo, but I still love them! Maybe not to the extent I used to or on the same level as I’ve always loved Universal, but my love for those parks are still there.
Theirs no doubt WWoHP changed the entire landscape of the long standing rivalry between Disney and Universal. Now all theme park goers are waiting to see if Universal can repeat their "immersive magic" in the form of an entire new theme park. If Universal succeeds in doing so, Disney will have A LOT to worry about. That's what all the hype is about. Should you go? Absolutely. Theirs no reason you shouldn't...
Universal is supposed to be a IP park. Universal Orlando is similar to Disneyland Resort in layout but also bigger. You will love it. Forbidden Journey and Spider-Man probably the best two attractions ever made.
Here’s what I’m going to do. Normally, I plan a 10 day trip to Walt Disney World, two of which I Rent-A-Car to go to Universal. Now, I will spend half the trip at Universal and the other half at Walt Disney World. I will rent a hotel for half the time at Universal and half the time at Walt Disney World. I don’t know if many other people will do the same, but that is what I’m going to do.
Disney should TOTALLY build an “Encanto” Casita sized up into a HOTEL with a regular Casita-replica you can walk around in and it’s like a playground but with cool stuff.
You missed a very big point, Universal getting the direct rail line from MCO instead of Disney Springs, one way Universal really take on disney is by making it super simple to get to their resort from MCO and creating their own bubble. Especially as Disney has been making it difficult and expensive to get to their resort.
Disney cancelling Magical Express is an incredibly boneheaded move, but I'm not sure what "Universal Bubble" there can be when 1) Epic Universe isn't even near the other two parks, 2) the existing parks directly abut urban Orlando, and 3) CityWalk is a loud, irritating, overwhelming district filled with everyday mall shops. One of the defining characteristics of Universal is that it doesn't immerse you in a bubble at all.
@@MonsterKidCory Universal has already shown they can connect parks easily (Hogwarts express), Considering how much power they have grown they can easily invest in better transit between the current parks and the new properties. Plus they are already working super close with other businesses in their areas (SeaWorld, OCCC, Hotels). Disney is not what it used to be and they are letting their quality slip through their fingers, Universal however is doing the complete opposite and increasing the value of choosing their resort over the mouses with new rides, hotels and parks.
@@timetraveler9218 I'm not sure you really understand how far away Epic Universe is going to be from the existing resort. Disney is not what it used to be for two main reasons: 1) they're raising prices to meet demand while also cutting as many services as the market will allow them to, and 2) they're copying Universal. This is what I find so infuriating about the discourse in the fandom... Just as Universal has been catching up to Disney on theming, they're also setting precedents that are degrading the theme park industry. Galaxy's Edge is a DIRECT copy of Wizarding World, and when Disney does it everyone rightly hates it. But they give Universal a free pass and go on and on about how great Universal is for creating what is essentially a themed mall. Universal also originated a lot of the nickling and diming that Disney is now doing. For example, they already had a paid Lightning Lane and paid interactive wands, with paid Mario Bros. Magic Bands coming soon. Universal forced you to buy a parkhopper to see all of Harry Potter, and even to just be able to ride Hogwarts Express. Disney is degrading exactly BECAUSE they're seeing what Universal gets away with and are following suit. For me, if I get priced out of WDW, I'm just not going to Orlando. Why would I still pay and arm and a leg for an inferior theme park just to ride some rides? I'd rather go to Arizona, Utah, New Orleans, Route 66, Hawaii, or Europe.
@@MonsterKidCory 2.5 Miles separate the two so I am well aware. Universal delivered exactly what they promised with Harry Potter, they said from the start why it would not have characters and have provided a consistent experience. Disney meanwhile over promised on galaxy edge, meanwhile have not been consistent with what it offers for the experience. First it opened without one of the new rides in the land (while Universal opened Hogwarts and Gringotts with the land). We never got all of those walk around characters Disney promised, the characters we did get didn't even fall into the timeline Disney advertised for galaxy edge and have been nothing less then additions to promote Disney+ shows. Universal never offered free fastpass from their start, their skip the line has always cost money (Which I don't mind paying for skip the line as it helps with the value of it), but you do get it free with premium hotels so you can actually save quite a bit if you plan the right way. Universal is also not slowing down new experiences and increasing capacity. They are also pushing for new tech in their experiences. Meanwhile disney has stopped creating, after tron there will not be any new rides under construction at wdw. Disney used to be the innovators but they no longer are.
I am literally planning a trip to the Universal parks this coming year with my sister. My niece and her boyfriend were initially going to make a trip to Disney, but after comparing prices and with the draw of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, they decided to plan their trip to coincide with my own, and now it's going to be a big family thing. The Universal experience anymore is just so much more interesting than Disney. Nothing against Disney of course, as I still want to go there, but they are no longer making their trip that appealing with all the price gouging and price tiers, not to mention monstrous crowds.
I have to say I love both but I like Universal more than Disney. Disney does food better but that is it. We get bored at Disney and end up leaving the parks early.
Same I always loved Universal more personally, but gave Disney its credit for being the gold standard of theme parks around the world. Now, they’re not imo, and while I still love both, Universal is inching closer to earning the title imo.
As far as the IP argument goes, I think the issue is that Universal is inherently a company about IPs, and they have included IPs in their parks from the start, whereas Disneyland was built on original ideas and is slowly being replaced with IPs, and that’s where people get frustrated.
Just finished a two week vacation with one week at Universal, interrupted partly due to Hurricane Ian, and one week at Disney. Both have fun and both have similar but different aims. Disney has far more to do, more variety, and more for families whereas Universal is more compact, more thrilling, and more for those in the pre-teens and older so it's all about personal taste. For me, Velocicoaster and Hagrid's beats anything Disney has and that includes Cosmic Rewind and Rise of the Resistance. Rise and Cosmic are awesome, if you haven't had a chance to do those make sure you do them because they are well worth it but Velocicoaster is an incredible thrill ride that is surprisingly smooth and Hagrid's is just a great ride not to mention Volcano Bay beats Disney's water parks by a mile. The lines at Universal and Islands were reasonable, Express Pass is superior to what Disney does, Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade has better theming than anything else Disney has but again, it's not for everyone. Shows and food Disney wins easily, if you're looking for relaxing slow rides that isn't Universal either. In terms of getting the most bang for your buck to me it's Universal by far because you can do a lot at a reasonable price. The great thing is it isn't either/or, you can do both and enjoy both. For me I won't be doing Disney for a few years but I will definitely be going back to Universal but it's all personal preference. I like thrill rides so for me Universal will always edge out Disney but for me Disney has Epcot, which is my favorite park which I know seems contradictory considering it doesn't have many rides but Epcot has a much different vibe than other Disney parks and I enjoy that aspect. If you're ignoring or not going to Universal and only doing Disney you're missing out, it fills in areas Disney lacks and vice versa. To me the two companies complement each other and if you can you should do both.
And my other point I'll keep it as short as possible - 2. Wizarding World > SWGE. It's not even close and I'm completely biased to SW in this regard. Disney should have stuck with the Hoth/Tatooine/Bespin/Endor type of land and not this "Batuu", forcing Ep 7-9 down people's throats. The SW hardcores and casuals alike want to see Vader, Han, Leia, Like, Chewy. I know many people who visited SWGE & had no idea what it was supposed to be, they saw the Falcon and that was the only familiarity for them. Now Disney is going against itself by throwing Mando/Grogu into the land to save face; so much for their strict "7-9 timeline" efforts. Please visit Wizarding World sometime, too much to explain here how superior it (and its attractions) are to SWGE/GE attractions.
I have been doing Disney since 1975 when I lived in California. Even after my family moved to Washington, we made the annual pilgrimage to Anaheim every year. Post growing up and getting married, still went every year. Then moved to Florida 4 years ago and became annual passholders. Went about every other weekend to one of the parks. Then Disney got "woke", pandemic hit, over pricing everything, obscene wait times, took a lot of fun out of it. Our family finally divorced the mouse and started doing Universal Studios.......... A premier pass is about 1/4 the cost of a Disney pass, one free entry into HHN with that pass makes it worth it. Not to mention the rides are much more "aggressive". Parking and access is easier. Food options are far superior with real restaurants right outside the gates. And beer is easily accessible anywhere on the property. Not so much at magic kingdom
My family loves Disney but it is very expensive. We did go in 2021, but 2022 we got annual passes to Universal and have been 3 times. We love staying at Aventura and walking to the parks and with the annual pass discounts we stay for under $150/night. Nice hotel too! And you can't forget Velocicoaster! Best roller coaster, along with Hagrid's, another fantastic ride. Now, we plan our trips to Universal, and consider tacking on one day or maybe a special event at Disney if at all.
Disney has nothing coming up universals building a brand new park and Disney doesn’t even have a new ride coming other than the five years it took them to build Tron which is still not done it’s an absolute disgrace Disney is just running off of their past doing absolutely nothing but raising prices they will pay the price believe me they lost a lifelong fan I no longer go to Disney anymore
I agree with you about the past and current position of disney world. People fly out to orlando specificly to visit disney world. Universal never had the history, that appeal but most importantly it never had that nostalgia factor that was pretty much disney's whole business for many many decades. You know (as you pointed out yourself) disney is working very hard to move away from their core business model and what traditionally has been their shoe in audience. It is changing everything in order to pull in public comming for current ip, ip that isn't even their own. Universal however is now the one changing their focus towards hyper immersive nostalgia trips. Most harry potter fans are now adults who have children who are being introduced to the books and movies. Nintendo fans are are 80s and 90s kids that are now hitting their 30s and 40s with kids that are playing mario now most likely. I think people under estimate how much nostalgia is a factor in disney worlds success. It is also the reason why people are so anoyed with disney moving to current ip and aren't at all now universal is doing it. Universal is adding nostalgic ip.... I mean it even has you wanting to go to universal now where you wheren't interested before. It could very well be that universal has learned what it takes to be succesful from disney and is putting that into action while disney is determined to give up it's golden goose and adopt what made universal a B class park during the 90s 2000s. Universal did current popular ip that after a number of years became stale and old before attractions where at the end of life so resorted to cheap rethemes and low value gimmicks. This is exactly what disney is setting itself up for in 5 or 10 years. Attractions based on stale ip that are not old enough to replace so need to be rethemed on the cheap, deminishing the total value of the park and experience. I mean who still gives anything about avatar? Another 5 or so years and people experience it as old and cheesy based on a 20 year old movie. Disney has been making some enormous strategic mistakes lately while universal finally understand what made disney so succesfull and is trying to outdisney disney.. Things could be gearing up for some massive disruption.
You said this really well. I've never been to WDW or Universal (neither Orlando or Hollywood) but I go to Disneyland yearly (more or less) and Epic Universe has me planning a trip there, bypassing WDW completely, and this surprises everyone (including myself) as it's been a life long dream to go to WDW.
@@caseypenk there is a problem with current ip. The vast majority doesn't have staying power. Ip is implemented usually when it is already at the hight of it's popularity after it has already been going strong for a number of years. So soon after it's addition as an attraction the popularity usually already starts to decline. Some rather steeply, some very slowly, but popularity declines nontheless. And like everything else, there are phases to how things are viewed by the public. First it is the hot new thing. Then it becomes something that is around, most people still like it but the enthausiasm disapears. After that some new hype takes over and nobody cares anymore. Then however it reaches the ugly, stale, ridicule stage. 20 year old cars are concidered ugly, 3 year old fashion makes you look out of place etc. Etc. Ip goes trough that as well. At that time it becomes old and low value in peoples minds. And with that deminished popularity attractions often are also neglected because of it and it becomes a blemish on the park. But the attraction is only half way trough the lifecycle at that point. Only after sitting in that low value low interest corner for a decade or so some things come back. Cars concidered ugly at 15 year old become sought after classics at 25/30 years old, fashion makes a comeback, music becomes popular again etc etc. And then it has staying power until that generation grows to old to care and it disapears. 60s, 70, 80s, are popular still. But do you ever hear anyone talk about 30s, 40s or 50s stuff? In the 70s and 80s things from the 50s where hot. Series like happy days where all about the 50s nostalgia trip, much like that 70s show was the nostalgia trip in the 90s or early 200s or whatever. Popular culture comes and goes in cycles. Very very few things have the ability to stay strong all the way trough and not become stale. Star wars probably was one that was able to do it, until disney got their hands on it. But that is going to hit 50 years old not so long from now. Nothing popular 60 years ago is still popular now. Neither will starwars be in the 2030s. Universal fell in this trap before and payed for it. Disney is now doing the same thing while giving up the generational nostalgia that kept them relevent for so long.
@@rachelramirez8031 nostalgia lasts forever amd can be manufactured pretty much. New ip you either like now while it is popular or you don't probably is 50/50. In either case you will not be caring about it 10 or so years from now.. things from your childhood you are nostalgic for you will still care about 10 years from now and you probably will be sharing with your children when they are young, manufacturing the same nostalgia in to them when they get older.. and that kept disney on top for so long.
Plot Twist: Disney decides to build their 5th gate, but it's 9 hours away. Fully marketed as WDW's 5th gate and everything, it's just in Iowa.
It might as well end up as just another separate Disney Park
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@NCTStudio 😂 Dallin is joking! 😂 key words, "it's just in Iowa" which is 9 hours drive from Dallin's home in Colorado and far far far from WDW. 😂 😂 😂
Texas, and you might have something there 😂
9h puts it in like Mississippi or the Carolinas ish I think depending on which direction you drive 🥴
Great to hear, knowing that I was born in Iowa 😂
Disney, recently laying off half of its Imagineering staff, means they are not gearing up for any big projects anytime soon, also Universal is building Epic Universe witth money borrowed when interests rates were low and now Disney would have to build with money borrowed at todays interests rates, much more expensive for building new projects.
that's a whole other reason Universal is a threat I didn't even think about that.
Good post. It’s very clear the guys in the big chairs are dopes.
Yup they laid off everyone except the Howard Johnson's exteriors geniuses... They ain't plannin' Poopenchantz!
Not to mention Disney imagineers have admitted they get bogged down in middle management compared to universal creative. I think the fact that Universal is building a new park with first of it's kind ideas in the same amount of time it takes Disney to duplicate a ride should be making them extremely nervous.
Wonder if those laid off imaginers found new careers at Universal Studios. Disney is just willing giving away their crown in innovations because they are just content. It breaks my heart honestly
Disney has out priced my family. It's crazy to think the cost of one of Universal's value resorts is pretty close to the same price as the WDW value resorts back in the 2000's. I look forward to Epic Universe.
A good point, is that the high end Universal hotels are less than Disney moderate hotels -- and even some "value" hotels. And the compact size of the whole resort means everything is in walking distance --- even with the new park, just a short bus ride.
me too
Same here. I’ve been to Disney World a couple dozen times throughout my life. The last trip *really* irritated me with how much it was. My wife and I do pretty well. But Disney clearly said we don’t make enough to come back. It’s sad it came to this but I’m done with Disney.
THIS. This is a huge part disney is continuing to get more and more expensive.
Universal is a profit driven company too and will keep raising prices.
I disagree that people are tacking universal on the end of their trips. Maybe 5, 10, 15 years ago, but not so much anymore. My trips are purely planned around Universal and Disney is coming after if I can fit it in and this is becoming more common to a lot of people. Disney is starting to price people out and is also an extremely stressful trip to take. With Epic Universe opening, people are going to want to see the more modern park for a much more affordable price. Not to mention that it looks like Universal can relocate a lot of their office buildings to the EU site, thus expanding Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios, which has been a huge issue for the Universal parks.
I'm not saying Disney won't always have their fans and attendance, but Universal is most definitely not a tack on trip anymore and it will more than likely take market share from Disney like the Wizarding World did. Disney has a major issue coming if they don't change the way they run business and stop taking 5+ years to build rides.
I want to go to Disney, but I also don't want to pay an arm and leg for rides that were made in the 70's at Magic Kingdom when I see rides like Pirates in China or Beauty and the Beast in Japan.
but is it actually more affordable? i see people say this a lot and as someone who's lived in orlando for a while i don't think it's actually the case. i pay about the same monthly for my disney & universal resident APs. universal is marginally cheaper (we're talking a matter of dollars and cents) but also has half the parks. and even coming from an out of state perspective, universal two-day park tickets frequently cost either more than disney park hoppers or about equivalent, and again disney has double the offerings in terms of parks alone.
universal value resorts are pretty affordable, you can usually snag one for $100 night except during the bigger hhn nights, but i've found resorts like cabana bay and endless summer to be pretty comparable to pop century, all star movies/sports/etc. which go for similar rates. even moderate resorts can be pretty affordable depending on the time of year.
not by ANY means saying disney hasn't been penny pinching wherever they can lately, and staying in deluxe resorts is completely out of the question for me financially even w/ the CM discount, but then again...i can't exactly afford hard rock or sapphire falls either. as someone who enjoys both disney & universal, my qualms w/ disney at this point have more to do with the reliance on the reservation system and (like offhand disney says in this video) a lack of innovation. d23 was such a massive disappointment...with epic universe around the corner, there really should have been some concrete announcements, if not for a new land then at least for new attractions. they're 100% resting on their laurels and i think it will come back to bite them in the next few years.
the only HUGE outlier to me in terms of pricing is hhn (the far superior offering) costing $70/night while it's upwards of $150 for mickey's not so scary. i paid roughly that much ($150ish) for a frequent fear pass that gets me into hhn most nights in sept. & october, so idk who disney's kidding with that lol but then again plenty of mnsshp nights sold out this year so i guess there are people out there who will pay
@@emmawoodhousegf Once you do more than two days at Universal, the price significantly dives compares to Disney. And in my personal experience, Cabana Bay, etc. has always been much more affordable than Disney's value resorts.
@@elizabethgates7024 how is it even POSSIBLE to do more than two days at Universal? We did both parks in under one day. We had to call our transportation to pick us up earlier than scheduled because there was nothing else to do.
@@MonsterKidCory where you don't see how is possible to do more than 2 day's at Universal, I don't see how people even go to Epcot or Animal kingdom. I've been to both and they are both insanely boring to me. I don't see how it's possible to enjoy Magic Kingdom as the rides are severely outdated and boring. People have different opinions believe it or not.
I made a trip to Florida and only visited Universal (for Harry Potter world) without going to Disney.
I don’t think you can say Disney is better without ever going to Universal despite the numbers, it’s like saying you think Vanilla ice cream is better but you’ve never tried any other flavors, so how would you know if you’ve never tried?
There is a time I would have agreed with you, but nowadays we have the internet. Not long ago I had the same thought, that maybe I should go to one of the Universal parks to make a comparison. I checked their website, and, um, I couldn't find more than a handful of rides I wanted to try. And that was in both parks combined. Their basic stock in trade involves kiddie rides that make Dumbo look high tech, or thrill rides. Lots and lots of thrill rides. Which is great if you like that sort of thing, but if you are a classic dark ride fan like me, it's a yawn-fest.
The Only reason people claim Disney is better is nostalgia and brand recognition, Universal plans have been catching up for some time, Disney wont improve anything while people still think Disney is the better park, which soon will be not.
@@JoseLHernandezJ that’s exactly the problem with Disney, 20 years ago, I would say that Disney had lots of high-tech rides, but today those rides are now showing their age, and with the lack of repairs that Disney does to their theme parks it is unfortunate to see so many people held on by nostalgia. Let’s be honest, Disney does not make their money based on high-tech rides, they make their money on creating nostalgia, and that has neutered them from becoming better, they would rather be comfortable, knowing that they can make good profit from nostalgia than reinvent the wheel
@@MattJoh all they do now are screens and cheap effects and people call it innovation, funny how Universal is doing the opposite, they want to gain that market since they know how much money is generating and Disney isn't doing much.
@@poorgailsalmanac4755 I still say, if you haven’t tried the theme parks then do you really have any opinion? If all you know is Disney, how can you see anything else?I grew up in Southern California where we have plenty of theme parks, such as Universal Studios Hollywood, Disneyland, Knotts berry farm, six flags,SeaWorld, Legoland. all of these parks have their own praise for one reason or another. I will say though, if all you are worried about is riding dark rides in fantasyland, then have fun at Disney, but you can’t shine a turd, Disney has been starting to stink for a while. Don’t get me wrong I love going to Disneyland, and I have lots of fun there because nostalgia is very persuasive but I think there’s better places you can take a vacation for when it comes to the money and the experience that you get for it, I think it’s better to experience other places, if it’s not as good as Disney to you then guess what, you’ll appreciate going even more.
I’ve always been a diehard Disney parks fan. However, with what Universal Studios has been doing in the last few years, I’m much more excited with what Universal is doing. With the addition with the two Harry Potter properties, with the creativity of HHN, and now Epic Universe, Disney may be still a bit ahead, with the marathon, but Universal Studios seems to have the stamina to maybe win it in the end.
Velocicoaster and Hagrids at IOA are some of best theme park attractions on Earth. I’d suggest checking them out before making any judgements.
I went for the very first time to Universal early this year and those rides are the only thing I can’t wait to do again and again and again if I can return!
I can’t believe how tone deaf this video is. It’s like he’s approaching universal and Disney from a 2008 perspective. People go to Universal exclusively.
@@Vincenza8907 think he did a good job at not keeping his bias for disney. Yes, some tourist do go to UO exclusively (like myself), but it’s still very much a locals park.
Dallin you absolutely need to go to Universal. I don’t expect you to convert from Disney or anything but it’s a solid theme park. Particularly Islands of Adventure, Diagon Alley, and HHN.
I just really really really want epic universe to succeed. Universal has had some STELLAR showings in the recent years in terms of worldbuilding and park immersion and based on all the drawings and plans for epic, I just really want it to succeed-mostly because I want to see the universal monsters. I need it.
The Creature of the Black Lagoon ride im excited for!
They'll have classic Universal monsters attractions, How to train your dragon, a third Harry Potter theme park (strongly rumored to be either Fantastic Beasts or the Ministry of Magic), Super Mario World (YAYY!!) and Donkey Kong Country. Park insiders say Disney is going to bitterly regret losing the theme park rights to Super Mario World because this is VERY popular in Japan.
About the IP thing. Universal has always been almost solely about IP since it turned fully into a theme park (instead of backlot tours and stunt shows, which is what it used to be), their concept is “ride the movies!” So that’s why they don’t get criticism about it.
Disney used to be part IP and part original ideas that blend well with the brand and make for good attractions, and it was great! There’s a reason all those original attractions still stand 50+ years later, but nowadays everything must be IP, and that often leads to disappointing attractions with little effort or money put in because they’re expected to do well just for being IP.
That’s what Disney fans don’t like.
Besides, Universal is the clear winner in IP use overall anyway.
Yeah just compare the quality of the Harry Potter lands and Super Nintendo World to Galaxy's Edge and Avengers: Campus. I think people would be more forgiving of Disney using IP's if 1) They are high quality lands with great attractions 2) It didn't completely ruin the theming of the parks the land is in. Avengers Campus is terrible quality and its even worse cause it ruins the cohesion of California Adventure
@@Ryancamron3342 Agree. People were excited for Star Wars and Marvel IP lands and hotels. They were just disappointed in the execution. Changing Pirates and Jungle Cruise to IP didn't help. It just feels like Disney is losing it's identity and trying to copy Universal. Not to say Universal has done everything right. Fast and Furious is more a disaster than Disaster. Just that Universal is doing Universal, while Disney is not making sense. Galaxy's Edge, Avengers Campus, and the StarCruiser hotel should have insanely popular. It's lead to criticism of all these big Disney ideas that over promise and under deliver. We're sick of getting generic knock offs from the company that owns the IP.
@@BB-mt5no that's exactly it. If Universal's creative team had the IP's that Disney had they'd be making the best theme park attractions and lands in the world, but Disney has the most recognizable characters in the world and does little to nothing with them.
How is Universal the clear IP winner? They have exactly TWO IP that anyone is actually excited about: Harry Potter and Nintendo. The rest are basically just IP filler. That's one of Universal's biggest flaws... Most of it are rides based on IP that I couldn't care less about.
And that, incidentally, is the whole problem with fixating on IP. Eventually, those IP go out of fashion... Unless you're Disney and you can build a Snow White ride 80-some years after the film came out. Disney is in a far stronger position with IP than Universal is, because Disney has managed to keep most of its IP pretty relevant despite its age. Universal will ALWAYS be playing catch-up with whatever IP they can get their hands on in a given moment. The closest thing they have to an actual classic IP is Universal Monsters, and they have no clue what to do with it (including in Epic Universe, if the rumours of a Monsters THRILL RIDE is any indication).
Disney's original rides have stood the test of time mainly because they're not dependent on IP. It doesn't matter how hip and relevant Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, Enchanted Tiki Room, Space Mountain, or Big Thunder Mountain are, because they exist unto themselves as excellent attractions. Disney has always exercised corporate synergy, but they're really suffering right now with Iger's treatment of the Disney brand as an IP mine.
@@MonsterKidCory yeah I think what he was saying was that Universal's parks are based more on IP than Disney's, not saying that Universal's IP were better. that being said, if Universal's creative team had a hold of the IP that Disney butchered in the past 5 years like Star Wars, Marvel, Cars, etc. They'd be some of the best attractions in the world. Universal has partial rights to Marvel and they made a Marvel land in the 90's that's better than the one made by Disney a couple years ago.
I will never understand why some Disney fans wont visit Universal like they are cheating Disney with Universal, Universal is doing what Disney stopped so many year ago and thats theming and guest oriented experience. I have fond memories of both but as of now i would rather spend more time at Universal more than Disney, the plans they have for epic Universal is very reminiscent of what the OLC did with Tokyo Disney.
Feels like they are meeting in the middle, Disney is adopting old Universal stuff (paid fastpass/screen rides/ ignoring sight lines). Universal is adding more immersion, at least for Harry Potter.
But even though I prefer Disney, I hope Epic Universe is great. More options, more competition is better to keep both parks progressing.
I would guess that he probably has been there, but says he hasn't because it provokes people to comment, and boosts his channel's "engagement" metric. And if he really hasn't, well, he looks pretty young and has plenty of time to realize he's being pretty silly about the whole thing.
exactly.
I've been to Universal and Disney on both coasts, as well as Disney in France and Japan. Universal is consistently an also-ran. The only thing they actually do better is merchandise... Had Wizarding World been at WDW, all the merch would have just been Mickey dressed as Harry Potter. But everything else Universal does is, at best, catch-up and still beset with flaws. The best example is Disney's best attempt to match Universal: Galaxy's Edge. Every flaw in Galaxy's Edge is found in triplicate at Universal, but Universal gets the free pass because 1) we don't expect much from them and 2) we seem to desperately want to imagine that Universal is competition.
@@MonsterKidCory I couldn't disagree more homie, Uni beats Disney in every way other than IP and Name brand draw. especially when you consider Universal Orlando VS Disney world. more rides, better rides, less waits, better express/fastpass system, more accommodations and general care for guests, better prices for food, tickets, and merchandise, etc. Disney had Universal beat for a long time in two areas, the younger/family market and in theming. With the family market, they still have that on lock, but with epic universe and the parks opening rides like Secret Life of Pets that are clearly geared towards children, Universal is on route to taking that market as well. With theming, Universal is also creeping up on Disney with the new Potter lands, Jurrasic World, and Nintendo all being extremely immersive. as they stand now, would Universal be able to take the crown from Disney, absolutely not. but In 5 years I wouldn't be surprised if they were on the same level at least.
The fact they will have a dedicated area for the classic monsters is a plus for me. I'm a huge fan of the monsters but it shows that they're listen to fans.
Fans called for monsters in the parks and it's happening. Fans called for Disney villains inclusion and rides Disney ummm what?
Same. That's the land I'm looking forward to, as someone who was never a gamer, not into Illumination or The Dragon movies. But I absolutely love classic horror. I'm hoping for some kind of immersive monster castle ride.
I was mildly interested, as a fellow huge Monsters fan, but then I saw that they're just going to do a Monsters version of the Harry Potter ride and that pretty much killed it for me. Universal has consistently shown for decades that they don't even understand the Monsters franchise, and a thrill ride is yet another example.
@@MonsterKidCory I'm open minded about that it's better than just a permanent hhn house. Though one of them in the land is a must.
The ride I could see being based on a bat carrying us with the monster fighting or something
@@DeanIrvine Universal Monsters are a franchise that WANT a great dark ride... Next level Haunted Mansion, Mystic Manor kind of thing. As a franchise of slow-moving, gothic, atmospheric films, they intrinsically don't want a thrill ride. But Universal doesn't know how to do anything that isn't trying to make you throw up on a screen, and they've had decades of not knowing what to do with the Monsters. The only reason we have three different toy lines right now is because those companies wanted to do them, not because Universal actually has a plan. Lord knows that Universal Florida NEEDS more dark rides and shows and just general variety, but they don't know how to do it and the fanbase isn't holding them to actually do better. The fans just lap up anything they do, and then criticize Disney for failing when they copy Universal (cough Galaxy's Edge cough).
We need more spooky themed lands/attractions. Not horror, spooky.
You seem to be ignoring the fact that Disney also opened Animal Kingdom in response to Universal Orlando’s second park, Island of Adventure. So when Universal announces its first Orlando park, Disney made sure they would open their third before Universal. When Universal announced their second Orlando park, Disney made sure to open their forth before Universal. This time Universal announced its third park, and Disney’s just responding with expansion lands and rethemes. Honestly, they seem more involved with DVC and cruises.
Tbf, they also wanted to capitalize on the success of Busch gardens
Animal kingdom was in response to the rise of Busch Gardens Tampa. But I’ve heard that the few imagineers who quit Disney worked on IOA.
@@Donyourmom was that really a threat? When there were only three parks, my family went to Universal. With 4, we stopped going. There just wasn’t enough time. Certainly not for two. I know some people do 6 days, but many don’t/cant.
I haven’t been to Busch Gardens in Tampa, but I did visit in Williamsburg. I was very impressed with it. It was themed to European countries, not Africa. No animals other than those horses. The ONLY time I ever considered Tampa, was when we decided to NOT do Disney and do three days at Universal. We also considered Legoland. Ultimately, we ended up going to AK and MK instead.
For me, as a person that don't live in USA, Universal is much better. The prices look more fare, and i know that i can enjoy the parks. Travel from my country (Brazil), expend a lot of money and having this insecurity whether or not I will be able to enjoy the parks because of things like long lines and absurd prices is really sad. Universal are working in a expansion, and the atracctions that they add recently (example, the Hagrid and Jurassic Park rollercoaster) are incredible, much more than just simulators, as people always seem to say. Since i was a kid, i dreamed about visit Disney World, and i did, but nowadays i am more realistic and i know that for my type of reality, Universal give me more respect, and don't wanna just grab all the money that them can get from me. (Sorry for my bad english)
You're English is great & I agree💞
You did a wonderful job expressing yourself, and your English is very good! No worries.
And I agree with you; Universal is easier and way less complicated to hit attractions without jumping through (paid) hoops.
Universal is a great park, it’s less planning and you can just show up and enjoy. Way less pressure than going to Disney. My hope is that universal makes Disney less busy.
I think this is something I don't hear a lot of commentators and video essayists mention, but it's a huge thing I keep hearing from casual travelers. The amount of planning and bs involved with setting up a Disney vacation has gotten more and more convoluted to the point where you have to do a cartoonish amount of research just to take a vacation. You can't just drive to the park and buy a ticket and ride rides anymore. And heaven forbid if you want a seat at a table service restaurant without two months' notice.
I've heard a lot of folks say they just don't wanna deal with all the extra hassle involved and are going to start going to Universal instead. It's not monolithic, but enough people to make me take notice of it.
Here’s my thought: As much of Epic Universe will be threatening to Disney, the most threatening thing will be that Nintendo Park.
Actually hard agree. Nintendo IP is by far the most dangerous thing to Disney. In a hypothetical, if Epic Universe was just all Nintendo that would be DEVISTATING to Disney. I say this as a DW fan who has been to universal and thought it was very meh. I’d take trips for specifically Nintendo easily over the current state of DW
Especially with that new Mario Bros movie coming out.
The Nintendo park is in epic universe so
especially if they also get Pokemon which is heavily rumored
@@technosworld2 a good Pokémon ride/themed area would pretty much break any competition for a while imo, especially in Japan.
When Epic Universe opens I'm really looking forward to the universal classic monsters land along with the dark ride that is rumored to be theme to Frankenstein's Manor which I think is going to be universal version of The haunted Mansion but more updated. As a huge fan of the classic monsters this is really going to capitalize on the parks. Also that land is rumored to be getting a creature from the black lagoon boat ride which is going to possibly pay homage to Jaws the ride. So yeah I'm pretty excited.
Woah! I didn't know they were putting in classic monsters! That just sealed the deal for me. Classic monsters plus Nintendo? Yes please!!!
@@hazeldavis3176 classic monsters nintendo another potter land and something from dreamworks, right now the rumor is how to train your dragon.
@@JoshuaGomezMusic How to Train Your Dragon is confirmed. There's going to be a great hall sit down dining location along with a roller-coaster in the land.
I'd be down for the Monsters because I LOVE them, but then I saw the rumours that they were basically just copying the Forbidden Journey ride and noped right out. Universal hasn't had a clue about how to manage the Monsters franchise for decades. They still don't and prove it every time they throw something at the wall.
@@MonsterKidCory from what I have heard that is possibly confirmed is that this will be similar to forbidden journey but it won't use any screens it's going to use actual props and animatronics. Plus I've also heard rumor that this will be a more upgraded version of the ride as it will be more thrilling sort of like a roller coaster.
Universal has by far become my favorite park to go to in Orlando. It offers so much that Disney just doesn’t. Looking forward to hear your future experience with Universal! Hope you enjoy it as much as I and so many others do ❤
Despite how charming Disney is, I’ve always thought that Universal was one step ahead of them. I would freak tf out if you went to Horror Nights, though.
I beg to differ, Harry Potter brought so many new people from the U.K. and other places just to visit the Harry Potter Lands. Universal seems to be bringing a whole new type of tourist that never came to Florida before, it has broadened the market for everyone.
The numbers don't really reflect that. WDW is still leagues above Universal in numbers of annual visitors. It's still true that overall, tourists come to Orlando for WDW.
The only reason Universal got Harry Potter anything was because in no universe was Disney going to build a massive castle that overshadowed their castle....
I hate to break it to people but other than the hardcore Potter fans, the majority of society has moved on...People don't care about Harry Potter like they did when the movies were still a thing...The movies which were made by WB, because WB owns the rights to movies.....The weird people who haven't moved on in the last decade from Harry Potter are few and far between.
@@TECfan1 Not really. Hollywood Studios got Star Wars land and it's still struggling. Star Wars. Do you have any idea how big Star Wars fandom is? And they said "Nah I'll pass." Universal and Islands combined saw more guests in 2019 than Magic Kingdom. Each individually are on par with HS or EPCOT, the 2 parks with the newest rides that were supposed to bring in more people. Definitely not leagues above.
@@lutherheggs451 I don't even like Harry Potter and I enjoy the lands better than Galaxy's Edge or Avengers Campus. I like Star Wars and Marvel, but the lands are boring. So maybe it isn't about IP. Maybe people just realize when something is well executed instead of an obvious cash grab. So regardless of how many people you think like Harry Potter, I think the reason people continue to like the lands and criticize Galaxy's Edge, Galactic StarCruiser, Avengers Campus has very little to do with what they are fans of and more to do with how good the final product is. Avatar over at Animal Kingdom was well done and is popular. I doubt there are that many Avatar fans. The only good thing about the movie was special effects. But it is an awe-inspiring and immersive experience. Also I haven't seen any sign that Harry Potter fandom is as rare as you claim. If anything it's growing. Kids still love the books and films. The franchise is still going strong. Secrets of Dumbledore just came out. It's not over. There are more films coming. So I have no idea where you got the idea that it was over a decade ago.
@@BB-mt5no Um....2019 all 4 of WDW's parks had more vistors than IOA, what are you talking about lmao. Combined they made way more than both of those parks.
My confession: Growing up I wanted to go to Universal Studios rather than Disney because I was a Nickelodeon kid and the Nick studios were there.
Nothing could compete with Nickelodeon in the 90s. It commanded attention. I really miss the vibe.
Universal has been gaining up on Disney for years, and now, they’re closer than ever. Universal will not be the victor overnight, but they will win the war atp. Disney won’t be affected overnight, but over time they’ll start to feel the effects. Hopefully Disney wakes up soon and starts doing what they were always good at: being a top tier theme park experience. Personally, I adore both theme park chains (I do love Universal more ever since I was a kid, but I love both), so if both can be the absolute best they can be, I see Epic Universe as an absolute W for Universal and Orlando, and maybe not a problem, but the solution for Disney!
Bet ya all those perks mysteriously come back
Anyone who still holds on to hope for Disney supremacy in the next few years is only grasping at straws and lying to themselves. Disney is NOT going to respond to epic universe. When the pandemic ended Universal did step on the gas, and Disney slammed on the brakes. Nothing Disney is doing is actually happening. They make shut up don't work on it and then "cancel it" though they ever intended to build it in the first place. Disney is dying and will continue to do so. Every day Chapek continues to deal irreparable damage to the company and until he is gone they will continue to bleed
Living on the west coast, I took my family to Universal in Florida a few years ago. We didn't even think about going to Disney World while there. So yes, people are traveling to Universal from other areas (just to see Universal) and not going to Disney World.
That will be me in a few months. I'm exclusively going to Universal.
You should go to Universal and see what it's like. They have fun parks. I've been branching out since I feel like current Disney leadership is drifting away from Walt's vision. In June I went to my first Busch gardens while on a trip to Virginia and I was pleasantly surprised, had a great time, and enjoyed short lines to good attractions.
Have u been to Busch Gardens Tampa?
We went to Busch Gardens Tampa this year and really enjoyed it. Rides are smooth and most of the lines were short.
Busch Gardens are great parks. They tend to have an old school amusement park feel but with exciting rides. Great landscaping. Beautiful parks all around.
I think it would be fun to see Dallin visit Universal parks and put out videos on them, maybe as an "Offhand Disney on Vacation" sideline 😉 😀
My family and I just got back from DW just yesterday morning. It was jammed to the rafters, and they nickel and dime you for EVERYTHING. With the boring and tired IP, too many people, total confusion about lightning lanes, and Disney being super greedy, it will be hard to go back any time soon. Universal is going to be the way to go from now on.
Universal has done a good job in the queue areas - which I think is when you saw Disney start to make theirs more than just "circling stanchions". The true "rides" are good. However, there are a lot of 3-d screen rides - but then Disney has gone to the digitized face/all the same ride systems as of late.
I shocks me that people rag on Universal for screen based rides with practical sets, then praise Disney when they make Flight of Passage, Ratatouille, and Cosmic Rewind.
Disney needs a response for Epic Universe
Well first of all all of those attractions are good? There was a small perid in Uni als history when the open fast a furious and jimmy Fallon, both of those rides suck.
Flight of Passage is amazing tho, and I like Ratatouille and Cosmic Rewind, I think they’re solid. Jimmy is aight too. Fast and Furious is the one that’s horrible imo
@@derekmiles2543 cosmic and ratatouille are underwhelming.
As much as I enjoyed Ratatouille, I really wish Disney would stop copy-pasting rides. It makes the parks less unique.
@@jalapeno1119 I agree , we need more originality amoungst the parks.
Epic Universe is just the beginning. If Universal/Nintendo create their own cinematic Universe it could create a whole spwan of movies and features in their park. Imagine seeing Hyrule in person for instance or a DK land to rival animal kingdoms.
Donkey Kong is already being built in Orlando. Japan currently has the Mario area and is constructing Donkey Kong as an expansion but Orlando is getting both on opening day. It features a new type of roller coaster riding on a hidden track with a false track below the cars to give the illusion of jumping tracks.
Tens of millions of Donkey Kong fans out there, eh?
@@MonsterKidCory Donkey Kong is literally one of Nintendo’s top 5 most successful franchises, the fifth one but my point stands.
@@Skadinky708 and? Does anyone actually think that Donkey Kong is going to DOUBLE Universal's attendance?
@@MonsterKidCory "Yes!" - Principal Seymour Skinner
I feel like the “universal is just simulators” argument is kinda beating a dead horse. Sure, it got really bad in 2016 and 2017 but their 2 most recent rides haven’t had any screens, and seeing the epic universe ride rumors, it seems like they’re really toning it down. I will say though, the studio park does have a problem with screens, even if they have amazing rides like Mummy and MIB
Have you been on the Jurassic coaster, Hagrid’s, Spider-Man, Or any Universal ride? If you have you would notice right away Disney is copying Universal the best it can. Tough to do since most of the talented creators have left Disney for Universal and their parks evolve while Disney diminishes in almost every aspect. Maintenance, customer service, cost, shows, ride quality, wait times, food and the list goes on… Creative is their biggest loss.
You do know that the Nintendo rides are screens right? Literally every ride they've opened recently is a roller coaster or a screen ride
@@lutherheggs451 screen is the AR it’s still a dark ride kinda cause it has show scenes and everything
@@lutherheggs451 The Mario Ride is a combination of screens and practical effects. Both Yoshi and Donkey Kong will have no screens.
I think Disney really dropped the ball with Marvel. Marvel is such an enormously popular IP with SO much content and lore that it deserves it’s own land as impressive as galaxy’s edge and It just makes me shake my head that theyve just sprinkled some Marvel throughout their parks
Which part do people have trouble understanding about Marvel and WDW...They literally cannot open a Marvel land anything in WDW because of the contract that Marvel signed with Universal...Disney would have to be absolutely stupid to not allow Universal to keep paying Disney money for their licensed IPs....Universal is literally paying their competition to continue their themed attractions.
Legalities of existing deals with Universal aside, it is virtually IMPOSSIBLE to do a really compelling attraction based on Marvel. Here's why: the essence of a good theme park attraction is that it places the guest at the centre of their own adventure. YOU'RE on a jungle expedition, YOU'RE exploring a lost temple, YOU'RE touring a haunted house, YOU'RE careening through outer space, YOU'RE the star of tonight's episode of the Twilight Zone. This is directly antithetical to the entire superhero genre. There is only one Iron Man, Captain America, Spiderman, or Black Panther, and you ain't him. So instead of living your own adventure, you're just stuck in a cart watching the Guardians of the Galaxy have an adventure, which is BORING. Any superhero ride is really just a ride decorated with superheroes, not an actual theme park attraction. Guardians of the Galaxy is just a drop ride or a roller coaster with Guardians decorations. Spiderman is literally just Fruit Ninja.
Disney can't add Marvel to Disney World because of Universal Studios. They have a preexisting contract that means they are the only ones in Florida allowed to have Marvel attractions. Their area of their park is themed to the comic books, not the films.
Marvel is going to be taken away from Disney in the not too distant future.
You would *love* the E.T. ride. Such a wonderful slice of old school dark rides still around somehow.
It's only around still because of Spielberg
@@TheLazySleeperLives And it will be forever. It will also be brought back to Hollywood with an apology issued to Spielberg.
i’m a cast member & passholder at both resorts and definitely think universal is worth checking out! i think i share a lot of your tastes (huge fan of animatronic shows and slow moving attractions like tta, tiki room, etc. and theming & atmosphere is my #1 priority) so i do think universal may leave something to be desired for you in those respects.
imo there are some really incredible themed areas and experiences at uo (mummy, ET, MIB, spider-man, all HP areas and attractions and jurassic park are must dos) but you have to wade through some pretty dated and frankly kind of cringey areas to get to the good stuff. areas like seussland, toon lagoon, woody woodpecker’s kidzone and even the “main street” of universal studios (production central-minions on your left and shrek on your right, it doesn’t make sense!) are super unappealing to me, ymmv. not to oversimplify, but universal parks on the whole just aren’t as “pretty” to me as disney parks…with the exception of a few lands (wwohp especially), these aren’t spaces i feel the need to linger in, soak up the atmosphere and people watch. that being said, the quality of theming at universal is much stronger at ioa than uso. it’s obvious they’re learning and improving, and i have high hopes for epic universe!
sorry this turned into such a RANT, but i love your videos and would be super interested to see what you make of universal. i also 100% recommend hhn-like you said, it’s something universal has absolutely cornered the market on, and the theming in the houses and scare zones is universal at its best. dead man’s pier: winter’s wake is SO gorgeous, i think there are POVs on youtube if you’re ever curious!
Hey Dallin, universal already has a type of people mover like attraction in Island of Adventure is called The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride! you get amazing views of the park.
It's far cheaper to stay at any Universal resort than a Disney resort.
The most threatening thing to Disney is Disney. Most of the wounds are self inflicted
Biggest wound was their continuous screw ups with Harry Potter. First they rejected buying the publishing rights, then they screwed up the movie deal they were trying to make, then they failed miserably with the theme park rights. Universal swept in and now Disney looks a little weak compared to such immersive experiences as the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. They had to rush with Pandora and Galaxy's Edge to catch up.
This video rubbed me the wrong way and I had high hopes for it. I was once a stuck-up Disney snob like you but I learned to except other parks for what they are and stopped comparing them to Disney.
I knew nothing about Harry Potter but was blown away at the theming of Wizarding World and it made me want to learn about it.
I disagree with you that people travel to Orlando JUST to go to Disney. Many come here for Universal and even just to stay at a nice resort in tropical weather.
One thing I learned about Universal is that they, and their guests, don’t really see Disney as a competition any longer. They’re just different experiences that attract different kinds of guests. Universal isn’t building Epic to win a battle or anything. They just needed more room to build what their guests want because their current parks can’t fit in everything. They’ve outgrown themselves and their parks are seeing massive crowds. Epic gives them a massive amount of room to spread out those crowds while making sure guests are enjoying themselves and not having to make reservations for attractions and experiences.
As a lifetime Disneyland local, I have never felt the want or need to go to WDW. That said, I also live near Universal (and love it) and would 1,000% travel to Orlando for Epic Universe. I feel as though Universal in Orlando now is pretty un-exciting because they don't have the real tram tour like here in Hollywood (which honestly is the best part of the park), but the introduction of a grander park with a section dedicated to classic and popular Universal properties really excites me.
Universal Orlando has 2 full theme parks and a water park and 8 hotels. its bigger than Disneyland resort. Its not really comparable to ours here in LA. Just Harry potter for example, We have 1 HP land and 1 major ride. They have 2 Potter lands and 3 main rides the size of Forbidden journey. Def worth a visit. Not like the park we have here in LA which is a studio first and kinda mehhh
So I wouldn’t say that Universal has been “catching up” to Disney in the way that they’ve been slowly and steadily working to become Disney, at least not until very recently. I think Universal started out as the movie park and did a GREAT job, and then they switched to more of a Disney-tier Six Flags-style park with coasters and simulators and shows, more focus on individual rides providing a beginning to end experience without as hard a focus on telling a story from land to land (not counting Harry Potter). But Epic Universe kinda feels like Universal had absolutely trumped and won out that type of park and is *now* aiming for Disney.
I don’t think this will be the overnight “let’s go to Universal instead, it does _______ better than Disney!” some people treat it as, but I do see it digging into the market share a LOT harder lmao
@Emma Avery I agree completely. It will dig into market share. How could it not really as an expansion and its new. However, Disney World has double the attendance and Universal is not adding double their capacity. Even after Epic it is dwarfed in size to the entirety of WDW's 23k acres. Competition is a good thing though, for both of them.
@@BAM5636 thank you for a sensible comment amid a sea of "omg Universal is the best at everything and will totally destroy Disney!!1!"
What I fully expect to happen is what did happen with Wizarding World: WDW's attendance will rise. Everyone coming for Nintendo will add some time at WDW anyway.
@@MonsterKidCory I expect the same in the end. Fanboys going to fan of course in the meantime.
@@MonsterKidCory Don't count on people making express trips to Disney when they do their Universal trips. Disney prices are horrible these days.
@@robertgronewold3326 Maybe, maybe not, I guess we'll see, won't we?
I used to think of Disney as the absolute best in theme park immersion and invention. They cared about the smallest of details. Now they just seem to cut corners and phone everything in. They depend so much on nostalgia. The truth is, Universal is now the one that excites me to see what they will envision and build next.
Gotta thank Chapek and Iger for that
@@caseypenk This is evidence you need to go outside
@@caseypenk have you been to avengers campus?
Disney World Stan here, DVC owner and everything. You really need to get out to islands of adventure and ride Velocicoaster, it’s probably my favorite roller coaster ever.
I think Epic Universe is going to take a bite out of Disney. One of the problems Disney has is that their target demographic is getting smaller every year. There are just less kids than there were through the last several decades. The kids that are here are less isolated and have more options too. Eisner saw the need for more teen/adult content coming but a lot of his attempts were clunky and have been walked back. I do think you are right on about this having an early 90s feel. I wonder if there will be another massive creative burst like there was back then? Great video, and for what its worth I do mostly come to your videos to hear your thoughts on the matter. Cheers.
The Council of Dallins.
It use to be that people would travel to Florida for Disney World first and do Universal on the side, but with the new expansion they'll be putting Universal first and doing Disney on the side. Disney needs new attractions to please the locals. Visitors who go maybe once a year are content with the visiting existing attractions once a year.
I forgot DisneylandForever was even a thing. And coming from a huge Disney Parks fan, that's just sad.
Visit Universal on the Side lol, lots of people are going to Universal an which how expensive Disney is now, Disney is on the Side.
Quick note, Illumination has always been an NBC Universal studio. The founder was a big name at 20th Century Fox and Blue Sky, but left in 2007, way before the Fox acquisition.
Dude! I have to say you’ve become such a great content creator. You’ve always been good but you’ve raised the quality with your writing, research & delivery. Great job!
Not to mention 'multiversal transmogrification'! Oh, wait... I done that!
You should seriously consider going to Universal for research purposes. Outside of the attractions you mentioned, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man is one of the greatest theme parks attractions ever created (also a Scott Trowbridge creation).
I think it’s interesting watching the Disney fan community being “Universal Curious” 😂. I personally think more Disney fans need to go to Universal to compare the parks fairly.
As a die hard Disney fan, I think the parks are both still the gold standard but have declined in its quality. To your point on competition, this is EXACTLY why we need to go to Universal Parks because it’ll motivate Disney to actually build and compete.
Then again, as Len Testa put it “if current management thinks a stock buy back is more valuable then building a new ride, they’ll just do that instead.”
You need to revisit this video after you visit Universal Studios. Also,
I have always been a huge Disney Park fan, but with so many disappointing Disney things lately (price hikes, genie plus, and limited/small innovations), and Universal continuing to pull out some incredible things (at a better price), I am slowly overtime started to question my existence and pondering if Universal might just be my family's go to park in the future. Offhand Disney, I know it is blasphemous, but give Universal a try. It is still not Disney level, but it's star is rising.
Universal is 100x better then disney honestly. It's cheaper, rides better, more detailed lands, better food, and basically everything is better
To me one of the most interesting parts of this narrative is that Universal is building Epic Universe basically right across the street from UCF's hospitality campus. That's probably a solid strategy to attract young and somewhat competent workers.
I hope universal buries Disney.
Well, this seems to be one of the rare times I have to openly disagree with you, Dallin. *Current* Universal might bring in mostly locals, but that's been changing steadily since the introduction of the Wizarding World expansion. I know you're looking at it through a Disney fan lens, but you really have to take in in from a wider theme park fan experience: bringing in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter was a transformative experience, not just for Universal and the way it approached their theme park sector, but for the wider themed entertainment industry as a whole. People think the main takeaway was the IP takeover of theme parks we have now, but the reason the Wizarding World still holds up (and the reason they've been able to expand on/from it since) is because of how detailed and immersive the lands are. Step into either Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley, it genuinely feels like you've walked into the movies. Everything from the design of the buildings and sets, to the costumes of the employees working the land, to that constant cycling of of the various movie scores in the background, they poured everything into these lands and it's paid off in dividends. So much so that they not only have been able to add more highly-themed attractions to their parks, but they were able to REFRESH their existing properties and build new experiences around them! You seriously need to go out there at least once before Epic Universe is open and see what the place is like now, then you'll see what is Universal fans are talking about for yourself.
I think some Universal content would be fun! It would add some variety to the channel and you could get a sense of Disney's main competitor. I haven't been to Orlando at all (SoCal local) but Islands of Adventure in particular looks amazing.
As for Epic Universe, I think Disney is less nervous than they need to be. If Disney doesn't do anything to compete with it, I think Universal is going to take some serious market share away from them in 2025. For pretty much the entirety of Universal's existence, they and all the other Orlando attractions have basically just been competing to get pinned on at the end of a Disney trip, but now I think Universal seems to be approaching a critical mass where they're big enough to be treated on their own terms, if they're not there already.
I mean come on, Disney's creativity and drive is slumping at the same time Universal is pushing the hardest they ever have. Not hard to put 2 and 2 together there.
the fact that Universal still has $89 per night hotel packages with early park entry and easy transportation is enough to make me want to book a trip there instead.
I love how the Disney vs. Universal contest is really only an east coast thing. On the west coast Disney still wins vs. Universal Hollywood as that poor park is landlocked even worse than the DLR is.
I’ve been a huge Disney fan my entire life, but I find myself way more excited about Epic Universe than any project Disney has announced in recent years. I’ve only been to Universal once but I was blown away by the immersiveness of their newer lands and rides, especially the Wizarding World. Meanwhile, it seems like Disney’s recent projects have been falling flat or at least not generating the hype with the fans that they used to. If the plans and rumors we’ve been hearing about for this park are true, I think Disney is going to be in for a rude awakening. And while yes our fanbase gets on Disney about adding IPs to everything, I think the difference is that Universal has really never marketed itself as anything but IPs, and they’re doing it very well. Disney, on the other hand, avoided IPs in certain parks and lands to create incredible theming that is now either getting completely replaced or feels cheapened by the addition of IP attractions after all this time. So it’s not really a 1:1 comparison. I really hope Disney comes up with something amazing as an answer to Epic Universe, but based on this year’s D23 we might be waiting a lot longer than we’d like for that.
Plot twist, Theme Entertainment Associate has just released the attendance record for 2021. While Magic Kingdom remains #1, both universal Orlando parks have outperformed the rest of the WDW parks.
Tides are changing my friends…
I don’t know man, I think you’re massively underestimating the pull Universal has taken over the last 5 years. Especially when my military discounted Universal season pass cost me less then a 4 day WDW pass, Disney isn’t worth the asking price. Tokyo Disney is still S-tier though, and cheaper. Nintendo will definitely hurt Disney when it opens first in Hollywood.
What’s separates TDL so much?
So I think especially in the first couple years it will help Universal close some more market share certainly. However, in attendance, Magic Kingdom is the most attended theme park in the world and second is not a Universal park. It's Disneyland, followed other Disney Parks. That's a lot of ground to make up in a 800 acre expansion.
Competition is better for the consumer, so I really hope Epic is amazing
Exactly. It only makes everyone better.
Universal already won me. I have been going to Disney parks since the early 70’s and it has been getting worse by the year since the early 80’s. I live 5 miles from DW and have not been there in years. It is truly sad what has happened to that entire property. WAY overpriced ,outdated, and completely frustrating to visit at any time of the year not to mention you can barely get on the “decent” rides without paying extra. Once you visit Universal your thoughts of Disney fly out of the window. Epic is going to slow the mouse down for sure. So many locals are just plain tired of the BS Disney has been putting out. Saying this as a once Huge DW fan.
I’m the opposite, loved Universal more as a teenager. Went as an adult and other than the Harry Potter stuff it’s a meh for me. Too many screens, and if I want thrill rides I’ll go to Cedar Point.
See but to be fair he did mention tourists as the main audience which it pretty much is. WDW will still always be the main reason people fly into visit Orlando.
@@CobraKai63 I would probably return to DW if they would repair the parks and loose the reservation thing. A bit too much kid stuff still for me. Epcot is a shell of it’s former awesomeness and it was once my favorite park. Meet and greets are ok once for me but they seem to be the focus of the new attractions. I get a much more adult vibe when I visit Universal for sure…
@@TECfan1 I think Epic will end up the top locals park and the tourist flow will, also pick up as well. If Disney does not make some moves soon they will for sure loose more of the tourist dollars to Universal. That new park is already looking awesome even from a few blocks away. Can not wait for it to open. Cheers!
@@Rvbandwagon I've heard this before but I think people underestimate the standing power of WDW. I mean when Harry Potter opened the guest numbers rose but barely budged lol.
It’s ironic because if Disney built an entirely new theme park based off of IP people would FREAK tf out 😅
Disneys older rides are better than the stuff they doing now avengers campus looks mediocre at best
Disney needs to double down on their parks. Magic Kingdom could use another couple of lands to help raise capacity. (Since it’s the most visited park).
Hollywood Studios needs another 2 lands for me to consider it a full day park. It also needs smart ride systems that are designed to handle huge amounts of guests.
Animal Kingdom needs a huge addition. I’m still waiting for them to add S America area with more animals and rides. Make an official area for the Wilderness Explorers, make Columbia for a big Encanto Casita attraction, make Peru for Emperors New Groove and that Yzmas Lair rollercoaster we all been screaming about for years. C’mon Disney. It’s been years. Also, Kronk spinach puffs.
Lastly Epcot….. it’s having an identity crisis. It feels like a park that is stuck between 2 ideas. It needs some help. I like IP, but I miss the originality of the Epcot attractions. More Living with the Land type stuff. Some modernized edutainment!
I sure hope it's a problem. With price increases and the stripping of once free features for all guests and calling repeat visitors "undesirables", it sucks being a Disney Parks fan right now.
The big thing that Universal has going for it right now is that they are investing money into its parks. Even as Epic Universe is being built, Universal is making a new attraction at Studios, did updates to The Mummy, is doing refurbs of areas to make them look nicer, and made investments into better food options and guest experiences. You should go at least check out the parks sometime to see what they're about before making a video criticizing them.
13:47 HOLY CRAP!!! DALLIN JUST CURSED!!! 😱😱😱
My family and I have visited Orlando from Scotland about 6 times and not once have we not visited universal. In recent years, as we begin to consider coming back, we have been less and less interested in Disney. We love Disney. Like a lot. I'm an animator by profession because I love Disney. BUT. The last time we visited we hated a lot of our time at the Disney parks. They were rammed full of people which stressed all of us out. We spent half our holiday on our phones trying to make sure that we could rude the rides we wanted too. Compared to when we went to universal where we had space, we had fun, we didn't need to plan, nor did we stand in any outrageously long queues.
Not to mention that coming from abroad makes staying at universal and only doing the universal parks so easy. The annual pass is incredibly affordable and it's discounts allow you to do a second, very cheap trip to universal within before your visa runs out. Which is incredibly attractive. There are people in the UK who make annual trips to universal because it's so much more affordable than Disney. Plus there's the Orlando Informer meet-ups where they book out the WHOLE park for the evening and all get together. Disney doesn't have that kind of community orientated event.
I grew up loving disney movies and going disneyland and dreaming of going to WDW but magic kingdom was just so underwhelming for me and I ended up falling inlove with orlands universal studios. I'm getting a bit tired of hearing disney fans pass universal because "its not DISNEY" disney is still a huge part of my life but they're not always better.
The last thing WDW needs is a 5th gate. There's not anywhere near enough to do in the 4 parks already open to even occupy half a day. Disneyland Resort has more attractions in just half the gates that Disney World does. Would love to see DW actually utilize all their space like DL does.
I hope Epic Universe gives Disney the motivation to finally do this. But judging from everything Disney has done (and continues to do) in reaction to Wizarding World, I don't see that happening.
Both universal parks have had better attendance than every Disney park in Orlando except magic kingdom in 2021. I’m not sure if that’s usual at this time of year and Disney makes that back up during the holidays, but that goes to show that, unlike these Disney enthusiasts keep saying, people actually want to go universal and it’s not just and after thought anymore
If you think about it logically, a Disney Parks vacation in unfavorable at this point in time. A person or family could spend less money and go to some of the places depicted on WDW property. Not to mention the fact that if you do go to WDW, you're in the middle of a gator and snake filled SWAMP. That's just not a palatable idea in my mind. If you take into account the price hikes, nickel and diming, lack of maintenance and cleanliness, constant breakdowns, shows catching things on fire, (I could keep going). Point is it's not worth going to WDW given Universal Orlando is right down the road and there's much less hassle, cost and the lack of reservation system to contend with. But that's just my opinion. Dallin is do a disserverice to his viewers by never have been to a Universal Orlando park. I actually think he might change his tune.
I have always been a loyal Disney Fan, but I’m shifting to Universal. They seem more ambitious and they care more about their die hard fans. And they way more affordable 💀
I think Disney's best bet would be to add a Villians land to Magic Kingdom. Moana is already going to be represented at Epcot, and Zootopia is probably going to replace Dinoland USA at Animal Kingdoom. I hope they repurpose the Dinosaur ride for the new theme whatever it becomes. There is no need to tear down that ride, just retheme it.
Zootopia doesn't even fit in DAK
@@jalapeno1119 I totally agree!
Disney owns the Alien, Predator, etc. franchises, without much plans to do anything with them (as far as I know). OK, they’re not the typical Disney family fair, but to do nothing with these franchises, eliminates an audience that Universal would gladly take.
If Disney did another gate it would be interesting to see them go towards a teen+ demographic which it seems is Universal's target market. Disney has always tried to make every attraction approachable to everyone and while Universal has attractions that anyone can ride, they've taken it up a notch with some of their additions. A Disney park utilizing some of their more mature IP's could tap into a new market.
@@jasonlwright - Yea, I would think that Disney would want to diversify a bit, to capture that audience that Universal has no problem entertaining. In the long run, not sure if Disney will be left behind a bit, as Universal opens up to a wider audience.
I love your videos but I think you really undersold what Epic Universe is and means to the theme park industry. It's the largest park construction project in the US in decades and will be filled with E-Ticket level attractions with some very popular IP being used. This is what they like to call a "game changer" and Disney has no answer for when it opens, they'll be playing catch up as long as it takes them five+ years to build a roller coaster clone.
Ok I know this channel is called Offhand Disney but he seriously needs to go to Universal. The way he kinda just pushes off universal like its not even a competitor without even going isnt right. I’ve been to all universal and disney parks and I gotta say Islands Of Adventure is THE best theme park in the world currently. Hollywood Studios I would say is the best disney park as well. I love them both although I think Universal a bit more. Please just give it a chance u wont regret it
My problem with the Blue Sky ideas is that the answer to "what's behind Big Thunder?" is all of the warehouses and backstage stuff that MK uses. You can see it clear as day on Google Maps so like, there's not really space to move it unless they clear out a backroad or something.
Yeah they own 23k acres. They can move what they need. Granted that is certainly going to add time to any construction.
Can't blame Universal for using IP... it's a movie studio, it's always been IP, Disney has not. So apple's and oranges my friend. Disney is trying to follow what Universal has always done. And yes (Disney ap holder btw) Disney is in trouble, politics, over charging, over charging , no innovation..D23. And they take 5 years to get a idea then another 10 before you see it. Disney has lived off name sake for a long time, that's coming to a close. And galaxies edge is nothing compared to Harry Potter, they ignored 40 years of beloved ip for their new controversial movies with no emotional tie. Big mistake! Love your vids.
Whereas Disney seems to cater to the rich Universal Studios caters to everyone else I enjoyed my time at Universal Studios then again this was way back around the 2000s
Offhand as a theme park enthusiast you gotta go !! Its totally worth it !! Escape from Gringots, Hagrids motorbike, even the King Kong ride will really surprise you !! It gave me the Indy vibes i needed / was missing from Cali while in the Orlando parks !!
I'm sorry, but the idea that Universal Orlando is just a side attraction to Disney World is nonsense. Universal is rapidly becoming a destination. Their is a growing group of people that are flying to Orlando to go to Universal with the intention of doing Disney on the side. Now Universal is obviously not on par with Disney World in popularity, but they are closing the gap faster than Disney can keep it open.
And in quality of experience, they are beating Disney in Orlando. IOA is miles better than any of the Disney World parks.
I mean I like Universal Studios and I definitely will check out Epic Universe, but that's not going to stop me from going to and loving Disney. People can like both.
Exactly! Disney hasn’t been the best the last few years imo, but I still love them! Maybe not to the extent I used to or on the same level as I’ve always loved Universal, but my love for those parks are still there.
Theirs no doubt WWoHP changed the entire landscape of the long standing rivalry between Disney and Universal. Now all theme park goers are waiting to see if Universal can repeat their "immersive magic" in the form of an entire new theme park. If Universal succeeds in doing so, Disney will have A LOT to worry about. That's what all the hype is about.
Should you go? Absolutely. Theirs no reason you shouldn't...
Universal is supposed to be a IP park. Universal Orlando is similar to Disneyland Resort in layout but also bigger. You will love it. Forbidden Journey and Spider-Man probably the best two attractions ever made.
Here’s what I’m going to do. Normally, I plan a 10 day trip to Walt Disney World, two of which I Rent-A-Car to go to Universal. Now, I will spend half the trip at Universal and the other half at Walt Disney World. I will rent a hotel for half the time at Universal and half the time at Walt Disney World. I don’t know if many other people will do the same, but that is what I’m going to do.
Disney should TOTALLY build an “Encanto” Casita sized up into a HOTEL with a regular Casita-replica you can walk around in and it’s like a playground but with cool stuff.
I'd like to say, I really appreciate the epcot music you got going in the background.
You missed a very big point, Universal getting the direct rail line from MCO instead of Disney Springs, one way Universal really take on disney is by making it super simple to get to their resort from MCO and creating their own bubble. Especially as Disney has been making it difficult and expensive to get to their resort.
^^^^
Disney cancelling Magical Express is an incredibly boneheaded move, but I'm not sure what "Universal Bubble" there can be when 1) Epic Universe isn't even near the other two parks, 2) the existing parks directly abut urban Orlando, and 3) CityWalk is a loud, irritating, overwhelming district filled with everyday mall shops. One of the defining characteristics of Universal is that it doesn't immerse you in a bubble at all.
@@MonsterKidCory Universal has already shown they can connect parks easily (Hogwarts express),
Considering how much power they have grown they can easily invest in better transit between the current parks and the new properties.
Plus they are already working super close with other businesses in their areas (SeaWorld, OCCC, Hotels).
Disney is not what it used to be and they are letting their quality slip through their fingers, Universal however is doing the complete opposite and increasing the value of choosing their resort over the mouses with new rides, hotels and parks.
@@timetraveler9218 I'm not sure you really understand how far away Epic Universe is going to be from the existing resort.
Disney is not what it used to be for two main reasons: 1) they're raising prices to meet demand while also cutting as many services as the market will allow them to, and 2) they're copying Universal.
This is what I find so infuriating about the discourse in the fandom... Just as Universal has been catching up to Disney on theming, they're also setting precedents that are degrading the theme park industry. Galaxy's Edge is a DIRECT copy of Wizarding World, and when Disney does it everyone rightly hates it. But they give Universal a free pass and go on and on about how great Universal is for creating what is essentially a themed mall. Universal also originated a lot of the nickling and diming that Disney is now doing. For example, they already had a paid Lightning Lane and paid interactive wands, with paid Mario Bros. Magic Bands coming soon. Universal forced you to buy a parkhopper to see all of Harry Potter, and even to just be able to ride Hogwarts Express. Disney is degrading exactly BECAUSE they're seeing what Universal gets away with and are following suit.
For me, if I get priced out of WDW, I'm just not going to Orlando. Why would I still pay and arm and a leg for an inferior theme park just to ride some rides? I'd rather go to Arizona, Utah, New Orleans, Route 66, Hawaii, or Europe.
@@MonsterKidCory 2.5 Miles separate the two so I am well aware.
Universal delivered exactly what they promised with Harry Potter, they said from the start why it would not have characters and have provided a consistent experience.
Disney meanwhile over promised on galaxy edge, meanwhile have not been consistent with what it offers for the experience. First it opened without one of the new rides in the land (while Universal opened Hogwarts and Gringotts with the land). We never got all of those walk around characters Disney promised, the characters we did get didn't even fall into the timeline Disney advertised for galaxy edge and have been nothing less then additions to promote Disney+ shows.
Universal never offered free fastpass from their start, their skip the line has always cost money (Which I don't mind paying for skip the line as it helps with the value of it), but you do get it free with premium hotels so you can actually save quite a bit if you plan the right way.
Universal is also not slowing down new experiences and increasing capacity. They are also pushing for new tech in their experiences.
Meanwhile disney has stopped creating, after tron there will not be any new rides under construction at wdw.
Disney used to be the innovators but they no longer are.
I am literally planning a trip to the Universal parks this coming year with my sister. My niece and her boyfriend were initially going to make a trip to Disney, but after comparing prices and with the draw of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, they decided to plan their trip to coincide with my own, and now it's going to be a big family thing. The Universal experience anymore is just so much more interesting than Disney. Nothing against Disney of course, as I still want to go there, but they are no longer making their trip that appealing with all the price gouging and price tiers, not to mention monstrous crowds.
I have to say I love both but I like Universal more than Disney. Disney does food better but that is it. We get bored at Disney and end up leaving the parks early.
Same I always loved Universal more personally, but gave Disney its credit for being the gold standard of theme parks around the world. Now, they’re not imo, and while I still love both, Universal is inching closer to earning the title imo.
As far as the IP argument goes, I think the issue is that Universal is inherently a company about IPs, and they have included IPs in their parks from the start, whereas Disneyland was built on original ideas and is slowly being replaced with IPs, and that’s where people get frustrated.
Just finished a two week vacation with one week at Universal, interrupted partly due to Hurricane Ian, and one week at Disney. Both have fun and both have similar but different aims. Disney has far more to do, more variety, and more for families whereas Universal is more compact, more thrilling, and more for those in the pre-teens and older so it's all about personal taste. For me, Velocicoaster and Hagrid's beats anything Disney has and that includes Cosmic Rewind and Rise of the Resistance. Rise and Cosmic are awesome, if you haven't had a chance to do those make sure you do them because they are well worth it but Velocicoaster is an incredible thrill ride that is surprisingly smooth and Hagrid's is just a great ride not to mention Volcano Bay beats Disney's water parks by a mile. The lines at Universal and Islands were reasonable, Express Pass is superior to what Disney does, Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade has better theming than anything else Disney has but again, it's not for everyone. Shows and food Disney wins easily, if you're looking for relaxing slow rides that isn't Universal either. In terms of getting the most bang for your buck to me it's Universal by far because you can do a lot at a reasonable price. The great thing is it isn't either/or, you can do both and enjoy both. For me I won't be doing Disney for a few years but I will definitely be going back to Universal but it's all personal preference. I like thrill rides so for me Universal will always edge out Disney but for me Disney has Epcot, which is my favorite park which I know seems contradictory considering it doesn't have many rides but Epcot has a much different vibe than other Disney parks and I enjoy that aspect. If you're ignoring or not going to Universal and only doing Disney you're missing out, it fills in areas Disney lacks and vice versa. To me the two companies complement each other and if you can you should do both.
1990s Universal > Disney
2000s Disney > Universal
2010s Universal > Disney
2022 Disney = Universal
I'm a UO TM I will give you 2 tickets to go see the current UO parks before Epic opens. So you can see what universal parks are like.
And my other point I'll keep it as short as possible - 2. Wizarding World > SWGE. It's not even close and I'm completely biased to SW in this regard. Disney should have stuck with the Hoth/Tatooine/Bespin/Endor type of land and not this "Batuu", forcing Ep 7-9 down people's throats. The SW hardcores and casuals alike want to see Vader, Han, Leia, Like, Chewy. I know many people who visited SWGE & had no idea what it was supposed to be, they saw the Falcon and that was the only familiarity for them. Now Disney is going against itself by throwing Mando/Grogu into the land to save face; so much for their strict "7-9 timeline" efforts. Please visit Wizarding World sometime, too much to explain here how superior it (and its attractions) are to SWGE/GE attractions.
I have been doing Disney since 1975 when I lived in California. Even after my family moved to Washington, we made the annual pilgrimage to Anaheim every year. Post growing up and getting married, still went every year. Then moved to Florida 4 years ago and became annual passholders. Went about every other weekend to one of the parks. Then Disney got "woke", pandemic hit, over pricing everything, obscene wait times, took a lot of fun out of it. Our family finally divorced the mouse and started doing Universal Studios.......... A premier pass is about 1/4 the cost of a Disney pass, one free entry into HHN with that pass makes it worth it. Not to mention the rides are much more "aggressive". Parking and access is easier. Food options are far superior with real restaurants right outside the gates. And beer is easily accessible anywhere on the property. Not so much at magic kingdom
My family loves Disney but it is very expensive. We did go in 2021, but 2022 we got annual passes to Universal and have been 3 times.
We love staying at Aventura and walking to the parks and with the annual pass discounts we stay for under $150/night. Nice hotel too!
And you can't forget Velocicoaster! Best roller coaster, along with Hagrid's, another fantastic ride.
Now, we plan our trips to Universal, and consider tacking on one day or maybe a special event at Disney if at all.
Well, duh, absolutely it’s a huge prom for Disney and it’s about time. Someone actually rises up and give them a run for their money.
Disney quality has gone downhill since 2020 and 5 years to duplicate the Tron coaster in MK tells everyone Disney has no answer to Universal.
Disney has nothing coming up universals building a brand new park and Disney doesn’t even have a new ride coming other than the five years it took them to build Tron which is still not done it’s an absolute disgrace Disney is just running off of their past doing absolutely nothing but raising prices they will pay the price believe me they lost a lifelong fan I no longer go to Disney anymore
I agree with you about the past and current position of disney world. People fly out to orlando specificly to visit disney world.
Universal never had the history, that appeal but most importantly it never had that nostalgia factor that was pretty much disney's whole business for many many decades.
You know (as you pointed out yourself) disney is working very hard to move away from their core business model and what traditionally has been their shoe in audience. It is changing everything in order to pull in public comming for current ip, ip that isn't even their own.
Universal however is now the one changing their focus towards hyper immersive nostalgia trips. Most harry potter fans are now adults who have children who are being introduced to the books and movies.
Nintendo fans are are 80s and 90s kids that are now hitting their 30s and 40s with kids that are playing mario now most likely.
I think people under estimate how much nostalgia is a factor in disney worlds success. It is also the reason why people are so anoyed with disney moving to current ip and aren't at all now universal is doing it. Universal is adding nostalgic ip....
I mean it even has you wanting to go to universal now where you wheren't interested before.
It could very well be that universal has learned what it takes to be succesful from disney and is putting that into action while disney is determined to give up it's golden goose and adopt what made universal a B class park during the 90s 2000s.
Universal did current popular ip that after a number of years became stale and old before attractions where at the end of life so resorted to cheap rethemes and low value gimmicks.
This is exactly what disney is setting itself up for in 5 or 10 years. Attractions based on stale ip that are not old enough to replace so need to be rethemed on the cheap, deminishing the total value of the park and experience.
I mean who still gives anything about avatar? Another 5 or so years and people experience it as old and cheesy based on a 20 year old movie.
Disney has been making some enormous strategic mistakes lately while universal finally understand what made disney so succesfull and is trying to outdisney disney..
Things could be gearing up for some massive disruption.
You said this really well. I've never been to WDW or Universal (neither Orlando or Hollywood) but I go to Disneyland yearly (more or less) and Epic Universe has me planning a trip there, bypassing WDW completely, and this surprises everyone (including myself) as it's been a life long dream to go to WDW.
@@caseypenk Marvel campus is embarrassing it's time to stop pretending like it's not
@@caseypenk there is a problem with current ip. The vast majority doesn't have staying power.
Ip is implemented usually when it is already at the hight of it's popularity after it has already been going strong for a number of years. So soon after it's addition as an attraction the popularity usually already starts to decline. Some rather steeply, some very slowly, but popularity declines nontheless.
And like everything else, there are phases to how things are viewed by the public.
First it is the hot new thing. Then it becomes something that is around, most people still like it but the enthausiasm disapears.
After that some new hype takes over and nobody cares anymore.
Then however it reaches the ugly, stale, ridicule stage. 20 year old cars are concidered ugly, 3 year old fashion makes you look out of place etc. Etc.
Ip goes trough that as well. At that time it becomes old and low value in peoples minds. And with that deminished popularity attractions often are also neglected because of it and it becomes a blemish on the park. But the attraction is only half way trough the lifecycle at that point.
Only after sitting in that low value low interest corner for a decade or so some things come back. Cars concidered ugly at 15 year old become sought after classics at 25/30 years old, fashion makes a comeback, music becomes popular again etc etc.
And then it has staying power until that generation grows to old to care and it disapears.
60s, 70, 80s, are popular still. But do you ever hear anyone talk about 30s, 40s or 50s stuff?
In the 70s and 80s things from the 50s where hot. Series like happy days where all about the 50s nostalgia trip, much like that 70s show was the nostalgia trip in the 90s or early 200s or whatever.
Popular culture comes and goes in cycles. Very very few things have the ability to stay strong all the way trough and not become stale.
Star wars probably was one that was able to do it, until disney got their hands on it. But that is going to hit 50 years old not so long from now.
Nothing popular 60 years ago is still popular now. Neither will starwars be in the 2030s.
Universal fell in this trap before and payed for it. Disney is now doing the same thing while giving up the generational nostalgia that kept them relevent for so long.
@@rachelramirez8031 nostalgia lasts forever amd can be manufactured pretty much.
New ip you either like now while it is popular or you don't probably is 50/50. In either case you will not be caring about it 10 or so years from now.. things from your childhood you are nostalgic for you will still care about 10 years from now and you probably will be sharing with your children when they are young, manufacturing the same nostalgia in to them when they get older.. and that kept disney on top for so long.
Nailed it!