Well, I have to put my two cents worth in. That relationship between Disney and Universal is changing. While a healthy Disney typically spins off onto all of the other parks, Universal is not as dependent on their health as one might think.
In past years, there was no doubt that most trips to Universal were spinoffs of trips to Disney. Since IOA, Citywalk and the hotels have been built, the focus at Universal has been to get identified as a destination resort. Someplace to come and spend your vacation time, without serious regard for who is down the street. They want to stand on their own two feet, so to speak.
It's actually quite amazing of the number of people that arrive in Central Florida who stay in offsite hotels that do not decide where they are going until after they get here.
I have worked in the industry for many years, most of them at Disney. What I find interesting is what seems to be happening in the recovery process and how the companies have been able to react. Disney has a huge infrastructure, they always have and that's the way they do business. There's nothing wrong with that, but it can be combersome in some situations. Universal has always run a leaner machine. They are also very focused on the need to become a stand alone destination on order to be successful. Universal Orlando has a new president. He and the company clealry know where they want the resort to be.
Now here's where I think the big difference in reaction is. I'm sure that there are those who will disagree, but here's my opinion from being there. First you have to make the decision to make a change or adjustment. The way I see it is that when WDW management passes down a change, the employees make the change because they were told to do it. At Universal, it's more like the employees want to do it. Not that every employee or guest agree with the all of the changes that either company makes. As IOATech said in an earlier post, Universal is coming alive. Their hearts are in it. That doens't mean that you are going to see any new attractions right now (for the sake of this post, let this point lie), what it does mean is there is an incredible focus on seizing every opportunity to make the guest experience the very best. They want people to come back because they enjoyed their trip. They want them to tell their friends to come too. Keep in mind, it's still a business, so you might not see everything you want to.
Both companies have had cutbacks, to staffing and to the porduct presented to guests. Some of it due the reaction of Sept. 11th, and some to to the traditional slowdown that occurs at this time of the year. Most of the reductions involve closed resturants and merchandise locations. It creates more of an inconvience by having to go to another location. As business returns, these locations will re-open.
What I have been seeing is that it appears that Universal is grabbing a bigger piece of the recovery pie than WDW. It's a big topic of discussion locally. Universal being smaller and more flexible seems to be reaping the bigger gains. Especially in the local and regional traffic. It may be as simple as a perception that is easier to get around because it's all in one place, opposed to the vastness of WDW. Now there's nothing wrong with the vastness, it's just different. Some folks enjoy the close proximity of the two parks, Citywalk, theater and the hotels.
Watch for new things, and new attitudes coming to Universal. The climate is an opportunity for them to show how things can be done. There are some exciting new projects being discussed for the near future. There will always be a relationship between the parks in Orlando, but it's starting to change.