Disney "Money Grab" and the future of Universal

[keishashadow]

People still stay at Animal Kingdom lodge and it's "a hike" by bus to say Disney springs but the perception is that your still within the bubble(even though parts of Osceola Parkway and Buena Vista Drive can get gridlocked with traffic within that route).

It’s often a ‘hike’ by bus from any resort. Especially , when you factor in scooters

Yeah AK/AKL is probably a good comparison to me it seems way out there and a hassle - in some way may as well be off site.

Lol we have 2contracts there Love the location. We do rent a car for both easier commute from anywhere & ability to easily slip offsite for so many great food options

SSR is the absolute worst, internal bus system is such a time suck. I have no interest in staring at DS out my preferred window either. Give me a giraffe any day of the week!

even driving from there to parks can be a pain, depending on what route you take. We tend to do the off the beaten path routes.

will say last 2 trips to U was quite surprised as to how long we had to wait for a boats. Not talking last one out either. Especially prevalent for the SF one, obviously full of the other 2nearby hotel guests.

in the distant past, they would ck room keys before boarding boat to RP. Might be something to roll out again during busy periods IMO

 

[Nabas]

One big thing is the cost of staying on property. Universal resorts are much cheaper than Disney even paying rack rate. And if you have an AP, which is only a few more dollars than multi-day tickets there are nice discounts. I just stayed in a suite at Cabana Bay that had two queen beds, a sitting area with sofa bed and kitchenette with sink, microwave and fridge and I paid around $120 a night. What can you get at Disney for that price? And if you stay deluxe you get unlimited express passes, again for waaaaay less than disney deluxe with little on-site perks.
The rest of my reasonings are subjective, yes I just prefer it over Disney. I think the rides are better, food quality is better and I much prefer the lack of planning.

We just finished our second stay at a Universal Deluxe in the last 4 weeks, paying an annual pass rate of $204 per night to stay at the Royal Pacific. Wonderful service all around.

As you note, the food quality generally is better and we were able to book the restaurants we wanted on the same day, no mad dash to book 60 days before.

In addition, we greatly enjoyed being able to walk to two theme parks and use Express Pass all day to skip the lines.

Disney's price for the Polynesian those same nights? $631 per night.

 

[tony67]

It’s often a ‘hike’ by bus from any resort. Especially , when you factor in scooters

Lol we have 2contracts there Love the location. We do rent a car for both easier commute from anywhere & ability to easily slip offsite for so many great food options

SSR is the absolute worst, internal bus system is such a time suck. I have no interest in staring at DS out my preferred window either. Give me a giraffe any day of the week!

even driving from there to parks can be a pain, depending on what route you take. We tend to do the off the beaten path routes.

will say last 2 trips to U was quite surprised as to how long we had to wait for a boats. Not talking last one out either. Especially prevalent for the SF one, obviously full of the other 2nearby hotel guests.

in the distant past, they would ck room keys before boarding boat to RP. Might be something to roll out again during busy periods IMO

No doubt AKL is a great place to stay - I've stayed twice with savannah view and once club level - one of the few hotels at Disney I would go back to (CBR and Coronado as well)

But getting to AK or AKL from other Disney hotels and vice versa was a hassle in my experience. May have improved.
I know I stayed at Wilderness Lodge the first year it opened and transportation was a nightmare - I know that is much better now

 

[keishashadow]

But getting to AK or AKL from other Disney hotels and vice versa was a hassle in my experience. May have improved.
I know I stayed at Wilderness Lodge the first year it opened and transportation was a nightmare - I know that is much better now

we own at WL too, the mr’s fav. Will be back at both resorts for a split trip after Thanksgiving Will be visiting U as a day guest. Discovered we are running into the OI crowd & rates were rather wonky for our regular add on a night or two the end of the trip this year.

Never had an issue with buses @ WL, the transportation bonus there is the boat to MK! If only they’d resume the one to the campgrounds so we could run over for the killer fried chicken.

IMO AKL bus service has been annoying since Kidani opened, since they share a bus Not a fan of being held captive looping thru the resorts. SSR bus loop substantially longer tho as more stops. Never booked CBR for that reason either. CSR strikes me the same, saw large crowds at their various stops when there in March.

those properties are just so spread out, you can’t really get around that. Glad that there is really no similar situation onsite at U.

 

[BigFoote]

It’s often a ‘hike’ by bus from any resort. Especially , when you factor in scooters

Lol we have 2contracts there Love the location. We do rent a car for both easier commute from anywhere & ability to easily slip offsite for so many great food options

SSR is the absolute worst, internal bus system is such a time suck. I have no interest in staring at DS out my preferred window either. Give me a giraffe any day of the week!

even driving from there to parks can be a pain, depending on what route you take. We tend to do the off the beaten path routes.

will say last 2 trips to U was quite surprised as to how long we had to wait for a boats. Not talking last one out either. Especially prevalent for the SF one, obviously full of the other 2nearby hotel guests.

in the distant past, they would ck room keys before boarding boat to RP. Might be something to roll out again during busy periods IMO

Yes..exactly... but it's the most distant park from everything and it's still the bubble...you are on Disney property...when Universal EPIC opens I was speculating on the previous post whether it's location would affect peoples thoughts about Universal having it's own bubble since you have to go "off property" to get to the other side(either way). I wasn't slighting AKL...it's a beautiful area. I prefer it personally. It is the closest area to where we currently live. I understand the scooter part as my wife is in one (we rented one long ago on a trip to Disney and ended up buying that model). We take it everywhere...it's a Go-Go and easily breaks down to go into the car.

 

[Nabas]

Yes..exactly... but it's the most distant park from everything and it's still the bubble...you are on Disney property...when Universal EPIC opens I was speculating on the previous post whether it's location would affect peoples thoughts about Universal having it's own bubble since you have to go "off property" to get to the other side(either way).

Universal's Endless Summer hotels are off property.

I suspect most won't particularly care. Rather, I suspect the most important factor is what they think of EPIC as a theme park. If EPIC is fantastic, then I'm guessing they won't particularly care how they got there. After all, many (most?) visitors stay at off-site hotels anyway.

 

[shh]

What works for you may not work for others - pretty much that simple.
There is no planning at Universal - just go and do what you want when you want
I prefer the bars and restaurants at Universal
You dont need a reservation - will Disney every change that?
There is not 2PM start time for park hopping - will Disney change that back.
This is a big frustration for many - especially locals who just want to pop over to a park of some sort.
Genie+ will work it self out I suspect so really too soon to comment too much on that

3-4 days at Disney every 5 or so years is more than enough for me.
I do two to three trips a year to Universal for over a week. Christmas, Mardia Gras and Halloween

What works for me - does not work for others - and that's fine.

Other than being a local (which I'm not, living several hours away), this is me to a T - right down to the times of year I visit!

 

[keishashadow]

when Universal EPIC opens I was speculating on the previous post whether it's location would affect peoples thoughts about Universal having it's own bubble since you have to go "off property" to get to the other side(either way)

gotcha!

IMO the ‘bubble’ is a very over-rated concept among visitors to Orlando. almost to the point of being a hybrid of an AI resort or cruise. I’m sure both parks‘ end goal is a captive audience. Once the butts are in the seat, the PP spending may just be the difference between turning a profit.

Do think as long as U does offer EE to the more far-flung properties & free, reliable transport; people will happily embrace a distant park. Other than the FOMO crowd, do think they might need to bundle a discounted option early on to nudge those entrenched in their current mode of visiting the parks.

 

[kingslyyy]

Where UOR realy slacks behind WDW is amount of parks. 2 vs 4, and Disney Springs is signifcantlly larger then City Walk.
EPIC if it is good enough could be a game changer, espcially if the attractions are next level

FOP has never been one of my favorites, and my family prefers Hagrads and Escape from Gringots. But ROR is hands down the best theme park attraction.

Im very hopefull that EPIC has some next generation attractions, but Mario Kart looked weak.
Time will tell........

 

[maverik85]

Where UOR realy slacks behind WDW is amount of parks. 2 vs 4, and Disney Springs is signifcantlly larger then City Walk.
EPIC if it is good enough could be a game changer, espcially if the attractions are next level

FOP has never been one of my favorites, and my family prefers Hagrads and Escape from Gringots. But ROR is hands down the best theme park attraction.

Im very hopefull that EPIC has some next generation attractions, but Mario Kart looked weak.
Time will tell........

Yea Epic Universe will really help to start closing the gap in what is available between the two resorts. The land available also would include enough to build a fourth park in the future as well so they could eventually equal Disney's amount of pars and offerings. Hopefully the south campus will get it's own CityWalk type area too to fill out that section and provide more shops and entertainment outside of the parks. Disney really excels at this and I think that's why I find it easier to spend at week at versus Universal. Disney Springs is so big and has so much to walk around and see compared to CityWalk, plus the Boarwalk area in addition to this. I hope the removes of a VR attraction and comedy club coming to CityWalk are true. I feel it has been getting better but CityWalk just seems to be mostly bars and restaurants an not much stores to look in. But they have a great mini golf now at least that is probably better than Disney's courses.

 

[Nabas]

Where UOR realy slacks behind WDW is amount of parks. 2 vs 4, and Disney Springs is signifcantlly larger then City Walk.
EPIC if it is good enough could be a game changer, espcially if the attractions are next level

FOP has never been one of my favorites, and my family prefers Hagrads and Escape from Gringots. But ROR is hands down the best theme park attraction.

Im very hopefull that EPIC has some next generation attractions, but Mario Kart looked weak.
Time will tell........

Yes, 2 to 4 parks is a big difference.

However, IMO, the bigger difference is the mix of attractions.

We have just completed 2 onsite trips to Universal in the last 30 days. The attractions at Universal heavily tilt towards teens and younger adults. it’s not someplace I would recommend for visitors with very young children or senior citizens.

WDW’s attractions are better at appealing to a multi generational crowd.

 

[tony67]

Yes, 2 to 4 parks is a big difference.

However, IMO, the bigger difference is the mix of attractions.

We have just completed 2 onsite trips to Universal in the last 30 days. The attractions at Universal heavily tilt towards teens and younger adults. it’s not someplace I would recommend for visitors with very young children or senior citizens.

WDW’s attractions are better at appealing to a multi generational crowd.

Yeah - have the curios George area closed is part of the problem - that was a lot of fun and great for the younger kids - they do need some mix of that to broaden the appeal - but not sure they are concerned about that market

 

[patster734]

You can now add Candlelight Processional to the things that have been screwed up by Disney. The event starts in one month, and the full list of narrators hasn’t been released, nor has the start times been given. Only 4 restaurants are involved with the CP Dining Packages. Those packages were released this morning for booking, but most people who attempted weren’t successful (including me). Spending a week at Universal, and thought about purchasing a one day Epcot ticket for the CP, the country holiday narrators, and the holiday food booths (naturally, no menus yet). But without knowing the CP narrator or getting a dining package, I might replace the Disney visit with something else.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

I might replace the Disney visit with something else.

I hear the Sea World holiday offerings are spectacular.

 

[shh]

I hear the Sea World holiday offerings are spectacular.

I keep hearing this. May have to check it out this year. I keep looking on the website, but there's not much info.

 

[shh]

You can now add Candlelight Processional to the things that have been screwed up by Disney. The event starts in one month, and the full list of narrators hasn’t been released, nor has the start times been given. Only 4 restaurants are involved with the CP Dining Packages. Those packages were released this morning for booking, but most people who attempted weren’t successful (including me). Spending a week at Universal, and thought about purchasing a one day Epcot ticket for the CP, the country holiday narrators, and the holiday food booths (naturally, no menus yet). But without knowing the CP narrator or getting a dining package, I might replace the Disney visit with something else.

Sorry to hear about all the frustration...nothing is easy when it comes to WDW these days, right? It's interesting....I always enjoyed CP, but the narrator was the least important aspect for me: I could care less which narrator was hosting the particular night I visited....and frankly, it could have just been a no-name paid talent, as long as they could do a good job reciting the story. I always thought all the narrators did a fine job...it was more about the music for me. I never even bothered looking at the lineup in advance. Yet I realize that most people do care about that aspect and eagerly await the lineup announcements.

 

[patster734]

I keep hearing this. May have to check it out this year. I keep looking on the website, but there's not much info.

Yea, that’s my experience too with checking SeaWorld’s website. Wish they had more information by now. I also notice that their Christmas information says select nights, which makes me think weekends and holidays. Our break from Universal would probably be Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. Not sure if they would offer everything on those three days. Hopefully, we find out soon.

Sorry to hear about all the frustration...nothing is easy when it comes to WDW these days, right? It's interesting....I always enjoyed CP, but the narrator was the least important aspect for me: I could care less which narrator was hosting the particular night I visited....and frankly, it could have just been a no-name paid talent, as long as they could do a good job reciting the story. I always thought all the narrators did a fine job...it was more about the music for me. I never even bothered looking at the lineup in advance. Yet I realize that most people do care about that aspect and eagerly await the lineup announcements.

Thanks, and I get your point. But I do like seeing the celebrity narrator too. We’ve seen Gary Sinise, Whoopi Goldberg, and Edward James Olmos. Of course, we’re usually sitting so far away that the narrator looks more like a spot than person.

 

[patster734]

So after obtaining a CP dinner reservation for November 30, we decided to cancel it and not visit Disney for our upcoming trip. We were going to buy a one day ticket to visit Epcot for the Holiday festival, but not after the waistline comment on their earnings call from the CFO. I just can’t believe a customer oriented business would have so much apathy for their customers. SeaWorld is looking more appealing.

 

[tony67]

So after obtaining a CP dinner reservation for November 30, we decided to cancel it and not visit Disney for our upcoming trip. We were going to buy a one day ticket to visit Epcot for the Holiday festival, but not after the waistline comment on their earnings call from the CFO. I just can’t believe a customer oriented business would have so much apathy for their customers. SeaWorld is looking more appealing.

"We can cut portion size – which is probably good for some peoples’ waistlines…"

WOW - I mean they already cut the quality and standardized across the menus and have maximized their profits on food - and now they want to shame the folks that support them - you can't make this up

Mind boggling

BTW - the SeaWorld food\beer festivals in general are way better than Disney IMO and I am someone who has been to over F&W almost every year until 2016

 

[Skippyboo]

I am currently on hold trying to modify my pop stay from Nov 26 to Nov 30 to drop the Monday night because I can book a AP discount room at Royal Pacific for $204. My rack rate at Pop is $212. Tried to modify online but it comes up with no availability at Pop for Friday to Monday. Just passed 42 minutes on hold on AP passholder line