The Orlando Theme Park Wars | How Will Universal's New Texas Park Damage Disney?
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- Опубліковано 26 лют 2023
- In the ever fascinating theme park wars playing out between Disney and Universal in Orlando, I've come to realize that Universal's new Texas park may actually play a larger role than I initially realized. Universal is playing the long game, hedging on becoming a multi-day destination resort and also adding in a few more attractions that appeal to young children. However, I also want take a look at Universal's Texas park, speculating on whether it could realistically work as an alternative for families with young children when faced with an expensive trip to the Magic Kingdom.
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Visited universal Orlando for first time after years as loyal Disney pass holder. Omg. What a huge difference. So relaxing. No need for fast passes because they don’t oversell them. The park was clean, organized and so well kept. Cast everywhere. Lines that moved at a good pace and looks like they hired the actors that use to walk around Disney. Saw so many universal citizens playing with the guests. What a joy. Now a universal pass holders- bye Disney. Thanks universal for putting the experience over profits.
Come on over to team Universal
Competition is good ain't it?
@@remyd8767 disney doesn't seem to be competing anymore.
Exact same and said better than I could
Yep. Same thing here 2.5 years ago. Got some great hotel deals during the pandemic and went all in for Universal.
I’m pulling for Universal to keep the pressure on Disney, as that should increase the rate of innovation at both brands. My family and I just completed a Disney world trip in January, coming from California. We did a one day side trip to Universal, and all of us agreed that was the most fun day of the trip. We just got the front of the line pass, and it was so nice not to have to continuously be glued to our phone with Genie+ to plan the day. So much more relaxing. My wish now is for Universal to build a VelociCoaster back home in SoCal!
I like the Universal app, but it's just a matter of convenience. I like that it's not necessary in order to enjoy a day there.
You probably won't get VelociCoaster unfortunately but there are rumors that a Fast and Furious drifting coaster will be coming to Universal Studios Hollywood.
When my daughter was 2, we took her to the Queens zoo instead of the much fancier and more expensive Bronx Zoo. She was most excited about the pigeons on the benches. We saved a lot of money and time. That's how I see this comparison. Little kids won't appreciate or care about the difference btw this new Universal park and the Magic Kingdom and it will be cheaper and less stressful for parents.
When I'm at Disney and I see people with really young children, I often wonder what they get out of it. Not that parents wouldn't want to go but happen to have young children, but I've seen a lot of kids that were more interested in climbing on things or chewing on the chains than they were in the rides.
Disneyland is the way to go with young children vs the Magic Kingdom. Especially if you use the good neighbor hotels.
hillel, after a couple park days, my kids are just as, if not more interested in the little arcade inside the hotel. You're right, kids just wanna go, and do....to parents, Universal poses a great value.
Bro the Bronx Zoo is not fancier or more expensive 💀
dude the bronx zoo is free on wednesdays
Even IF Disney or other theme parks WERE “just for kids” that is absolutely no reason to not take them seriously. You could even argue things intended for children SHOULD be taken very seriously, as they are incredibly curious and imaginative and those traits deserve to be catered to with WELL DONE things. Slapping something shitty together, throwing on some bright colors, and going yeah good enough, is absurd in any other context, so why is it always acceptable if it’s “for kids”. It’s for everyone and the parents who pay for the experience deserve to get their money’s worth and enjoy things too.
Slapping some minions and Shrek themed rides together and saying "it's for kids" is exactly what universal is doing .
@alanzob However, the old Shrek 4D attraction is well loved and the Minions land overseas has been well received. If your "slapping" together quality, so be it ... as long as it's quality. I think what will be revealed in Orlando will be great fun. Remember, Universal has several of the IPs running in other parks. We can see how well or not well they are doing.
As an animation student, I absolutely agree. People are always trying to undercut animated shows as being just for kids, but even if that's true, why would that mean they're not important? The experiences kids have can influence them for the rest of their lives. They deserve things made with love, thought, and care
I asked my 5 year old daughter who has never been to either park if she wants to go to Walt Disney World or Universal Studios Orlando once Epic Universe opens. She immediately told me Disney is "stinky" and wants to go to Universal Studios because she is going through a stage where she loves everything Princess Peach. She says Peach is the coolest princess. Can't find a good argument against her.
I'm only 17, but as a Florida Resident, I've gone to both parks numerous times. At the age of 10, I started going to the Universal Orlando Resort. Through an, admittedly, awfully handled Annual Passholder year in 2016; I ended the year worth of Universal actively hating the resort.
The year 2017 would see the beginning of my journey with Disney World, and what a journey it was. Universal had left a bad taste in my mouth, and Disney World was the cure.
I more than enjoyed Disney World, I loved it. Now admittedly, I was 12 and had grown up on Disney like my mother. Even then, I still loved thrill rides, but that's beside the point. Universal to me WAS indeed the sideshow, and Disney World was the mainstay of our Orlando trip.
Through the awful COVID season, however, with more Disney Trips racked up into my portfolio, we saw things change forever. At least a little while after. During the opening dates of both parks in 2020, we once praised the park reservations in the early days at Disney and experienced egregious levels of crowds at Universal, despite their park capacity stuff, at a time when COVID was still a threat. Once again Universal, for us, was given the sideshow treatment.
Oh, how things have changed since then. In late 2021, in September, we once again took a trip to Orlando this time staying at the Portofino resort. A premier hotel. Given the free Express Passes ALL DAY during the entire trip, I have never enjoyed Universal more. This trip also saw some Disney but it was just plain old Disney before the dark times of Disney Genie+. Yet, the changing of the torch happened already and I didn't know it.
In the time since then, my trips to Orlando have been fairly dry, but I've kept up with things, and oh boy. Disney World is on the ropes and Universal is poised to win the whole thing in the coming years. In my opinion. I have no want to visit Disney World despite my very fond experiences, and I absolutely adore Universal now and can't wait to visit it more.
While I've no experience planning a trip, I've never been blind to it. I remember that Disney World Pre-Covid wasn't that difficult to plan, aside from Fastpasses and a few other things. Universal has never been hard to plan and remains that way.
And that's the beauty of Universal, they've really come into their own in recent times, and I think I was to harsh on them. They really have quite a charm all around their parks and it seems so relaxed and like a true vacation. Not to mention their annual passes and hotels have ACTUAL benefits. While Disney suffers from obscene levels of stress and no real benefits to on campus staying or annual passes. Not to mention ticket prices for both parks.
If you told 2017 me, that I'd end up loving Universal more he'd tell you that you're crazy, but its absolutely true. Though I don't hate Disney World... If anything it hurts, but a change in crowns is coming and I don't think Disney sees it and is ready to accept that.
Here's to Universal, for showing us all that it wasn't a sideshow, that it was more than that. Here's to Universal for not ruining itself, and remaining true to its model through covid. And a personal thank you for not making your vacation a job. 💙
P.S. Going this weekend for a kind of Grad Bash CAN'T WAIT!!!
This was an awesome epic story and I hope more folks realize this. Like whatever you want, but UO is a contender and in four years you'd need to have your head in the sand to not agree. Cheers to epic u!
I feel the same
Keep in mind, I've always seen universal as one of the hollywood masters of classic and new horror. So i've always been a big fan of HHN for many years. And to be honest it sure felt like they ran out of steam in the early to mid 2010s. However, I do think that in the 2020s HHN they need to be more ambitious and much more scarier than what they've brought on to the table for years now. And even the commercials back in the 200s mention that a vacation should not be work or a job, but like an actual vacation.
Not to mention Universal's opening anthem for their movie logo, still a classic to this very day.
I can’t take a position on your comment as I’m in California. I will say that your comment was shockingly well written and insightful, especially for a 17 yo. Whatever you’re doing, keep it up! You’ve got a good head on your shoulders.
P.S. thank you for using capitalization, paragraphs, and punctuation.
All they have to do is what they’ve been doing. People are realizing that Universal is the more relaxing vacation. Disney is too expensive and too stressful.
How is disney more stressful than universal?
@@HHNZombie And the moral arena.
@@iilikeitlikethatii Genie plus is stressful, over complicated, and too screen related.
@@iilikeitlikethatii have you tried to get on the new star wars ride it breaks down a lot we had a reservation, and it broke we made a new one it broke we finally got to ride late at night. pulse it is way more expensive and more crowed. and wait times are ridicules. a three-day pass but Disney was about the same price as a season pass for universal. pluse you need to book a reservation just to walk in Disney.
@@iilikeitlikethatii have you BEEN to Disney lately? Genie plus, individual lightning lanes, virtual queues, park reservations… I mean, I love researching and planning my vacations, but a lot of people don’t and you shouldn’t have to research for hours and hours to be able to have a good time at a theme park.
Last summer I worked in a fancy restaurant in one of the wealthiest areas in the country. I heard multiple customer conversations complaining about the rising Disney prices. If people who own yachts and wear $10,000 bracelets are noticing, it’s no wonder everyone else is visiting other parks. Disney needs to bring prices back to more manageable level
I honestly think that the Texas park is Universal dipping its toe into the mid-country market. It's a way for them to build brand loyalty in the region, start training employees for higher level jobs, building relationships with local governments and figuring out the infrastructure and other needs of running a park in that area. It takes time to build these crucial elements up. Disney's parks started small, got bigger, and Universal was able to take advantage of them by building near by. This is a great opportunity to win the war for visitors in the middle of the country before Disney even admits it should even be a battlefield. Though I had originally wondered if the land around this park could be developed by Universal, it wouldn't surprise me if they started building bigger parks near by, if not next door, once they realize it'll work and have laid the foundation.
People are stupid to write off quality kids' rides. You build brand loyalty when people are young. If you treat kids like they are valued and don't insult them while keeping them entertained they'll keep on coming back. And I mean they'll keep coming back as kids for the fun, teenagers for the nostalgia, and as adults to share the great experiences with the you g people in their lives.
Even if Disney was just for kids, even though it's not, it's still been the leader of the attractions and entertainment industry from pretty much day one (though Bob Chaepek may have damaged that). Dismissing that, and the cultural impact the parks have had, as being "just for kids" is foolish and, again, wrong.
Tricky part about building in the middle of the country is you compete with regional parks. If you are trying to get people outside of Texas the quality needs to be better than parks like Cedar Point, Kings Island, and Holiday World
I’d love to know how much land they bought versus what they ended up using.
Possibly left room for a full sized park.
Universal has the teen/young adult demographic locked in out of sheer quality alone. But you're right - Disney is really in another class when it comes to entertainment for really young folks. You gotta wonder, though... I went to Disney not long after their prime, mid-aughts. My parents were way more stressed at any given Disney park than they were at IoA, even though I was in elementary school at the time. I would've been awfully excited about any old thing back then (although there's a separate conversation to be had about Disney and status). But they really valued Disney so much more, and it makes me wonder about how I could've had an equally fun experience at a Universal park while causing my folks far less distress. The gist of the whole thing (at least at the moment) seems to be that Disney is predatory [which is to say, extracting as much out of the consumer as possible while putting the bare minimum in] and Universal is genuinely interested in offering consistent experiences that hold their value in the long term.
Kicking myself for not commenting about this under your initial video about the Frisco Park. I was kind of surprised you were underwhelmed when they made the announcement because I immediately saw an indirect attack on Disney by preventing some families from making the trip and introducing them to the "Universal brand." I think it's an aggressive long game push against Disney. How it works out is yet to be seen but it'll be incredibly interesting to watch from a business perspective.
The new TX park is also within a few hour drive of multiple military bases. Universal has historically had better deals for military members than Disney imo. Recently, disney had a discounted 4 day ticket where Universal had discounted season passes. Deals like that could make a good weekend trip for those families. For example, my family lives at Fort Sill. Currently we drive about 1.5 hours to OKC to do just about anything fun with the kids. The new TX park would be about double the drive and more entertaining than the zoo or science museum that we currently go to.
$200 Military Freedom Pass (basically an AP without the extra benefits) with only one week in April and the last week of December being blacked out. Hasn't gone up in price in *years*.
Anyone that's eligible to stay at Shades of Green at WDW can order the Military Freedom Pass from them online and have it sent to your home address or you can buy them in person at the hotel.
I just did some small research on a 5 day disney vs universal vacation (assuming Monday-Friday at the parks and leaving on Saturday, so 5 hotel nights). Here are the numbers I found assuming 2 adults and 2 kids under 10 in September (keep in mind prices are just for park tickets and hotel)
Disney:
- Tickets: $2054
- All Star Music Resort: $797 (cheapest i could find was $140 per night although they say the lowest it goes is 119)
Total: $2851
Universal:
- Tickets: $950
- Hotel: Endless Summer Dockside $485 ($97 per night)
Total: $1435
Universal would be half the price if you booked right now. They are running promotions on both their tickets and the dockside hotel, so there prices are normally higher, but they do this sort of promotion every year so you usually rely on getting these prices
I live here in Frisco. I’ll add this. The city wants this part completed by mid 2026. DFW just so happens to be hosting the World Cup championship that year. They want it done by then. It was just approved and dirt will be moving very shortly because that’s only 3 years. With that said, this first phase of the park will only be 30 acres, but they will be leaving room to expand which would almost double the size of the park. With that expansion is where I see them adding some dark rides and coasters. For the initial phase, they just want to get that done as fast as possible. To be honest, I think they want most of the commercial part of the fields development close to being done by then. The PGA is nearing completion.
I live in Monterrey Mexico, 3 hours from the border, I am very excited about this park because if it is successful, then they could bring the AAA attractions, so we would not spend so much on trips to Florida and Los Angeles, cities that are more expensive ( Especially Los Angeles) on trips to go see the parks, hopefully, it will be a success.
I'm curious what they will end up doing with the park. I don't expect them to expand with any major dark rides, but I do wish they would strongly consider it. I would definitely make an effort to visit if it had a few.
In all the information we have on the future of the new park, as in document provided by Universal to the city in Texas, it won't happen. This is and always will be a smaller park intended for families with young children.
I have to agree with OttoT here. This park won’t be worth a days drive. It’s a half day park aimed at locals. Should Universal plan on expanding, building a bigger real Studios park, after the success of the other, that’s would be a different story. In my daydreams, Universal/Disney would build its park north of Dallas Ft Worth, but along 35W. That way not only could it benefit from locals, and have the freedom to do whatever since it’s unincorporated land, but allow tourists from both the US and Mexico to drive straight to it.
A while back a business analyst explained future diminishing returns when nowadays kids are dissatisfied with their Disney Vacation. Disney always presented a magical vacation for children but with all the stress, planning and crowds kids will pick up the stress of their parents and their environment. Due to the analyst he predicts that kids in say 15 years won't come back with their kids as they don't have the same fond memories.
On the other hand Universal doesn't cater to young children much. It's not that they can't have a fun time (they can) but it is limited and Universal isn't going to change that much going forwards.
With their new smaller and more affordable park(s) they will 100% cater to that demographic. Building on their most popular franchises they will create a fun and playful experience for them and their family (I'm sure all those shaded places can hold a nice cocktail and food) so the whole young family can have a great vacation and get bound by the brand at the same time. When the kids grow older they small park makes place for their destination parks. This will do the opposite as to what is happening at Disney. I think it's very, very smart.
Universal seems to land the teenage/college aged/Gen Z demographic better. It’s definitely a different crowd than any Disney park, and heck, the Disney parks each have a different crowd character. And soon many of those Zoomers will have kids that want to go to theme parks, the earliest already have, and Universal could be unlocking a huge cash box with that demographic. It’s not unlike Disney cashing in on nostalgia with the (shoddy) renaissance era movie remakes.
@@ecoRfan My first trip to Universal Studios Orlando was when it first opened. I was preschool aged and enjoyed it more than Disney. Loved that ET ride as a kid. Loved the kids area. Especially loved the original Ghost Busters and their multiple 90's updates. Such good memories. Meanwhile I haven't liked Disney much outside of EPCOT. And EPCOT has lost it's theming and I can't bring myself to go back. I want to keep my memories of how it was.
@@princesspikachu3915 first time in Disney World was 1998, first time in Universal was 2002.
As someone who’s from frisco, the whole city has been shifting towards being better for tourism for the pst few years in general. For example, it’s now the base of the Dallas cowboys. Adding the theme park will make it even more than a one off stop on the way to bigger cities.
I think this new park will be a very good thing for Universal, and while it may not be something for Disney to worry all too much about, it may be the start of a bigger thing for Disney to be worrying about: Universal expanding across the country. I just want both theme parks to be the absolute best they can be and deliver on quality experiences 👍
Yeah. If you can get a Universal-quality experience locally, there will be no reason to travel to Orlando. Most people think Disney is not that much better than Universal, so if Disney is significantly further away, people won't go there anymore.
@@me-myself-i787 that’s certainly one way to see it 👍
@@me-myself-i787 also a Disney trip is considerably more expensive (not just including travelling to Orlando). If we think corporately, more local = more affordable = tapping into the lower-income population.
Disney’s main demographic are younger kids and family’s. This new Frisco park will definitely take a cut out of Disney’s business.
families
I live in west Texas, a 6 hour drive from Frisco, and everyone I’ve talked to all over the state is pumped to have anew theme park coming. During any sports season you could even make the short drive to arlington to see a game if there for a weekend. I imagine this may be part of a larger plan once they see the success.
Been to Texas so many times and one thing I know is that people there like things to be simple. Sure that’s everyone else, Texas especially like it to be that way and nothing more. Universal knows how to make things people feel less stress out and just “ride the movies”. I think that’s a good marriage since Texas has a growing population of families moving there.
First another great breakdown of the situation!!! I think it will help Universal especially with the rise of prices. Like you said they can hit a demographic that Disney left hanging due to not wanting to take away from the other parks. It would definitely help with the capacity if Disney decided to have some small things around the country! If this is good for Universal Disney will follow with something!
Well, it took Disney something like 5 years to build Tron, so maybe it will take them 20 years or so to build a new park.
The problem with the Texas park is if they are planning on keeping it all mainly outdoors, they are going to have a lot of people not going or not staying very long mainly due to Texas weather. Unlike Florida and California, North Texas weather is anything but pleasant year round which means even for a regional park, attendance is going to suffer unless the majority of attractions are indoor based. By keeping them all outside I think universal is making a huge mistake if they are planning on going after families. Kids don't last long in 100+ degree humid heat or 30 degree cold weather.
Thumbnail is correct. They are playing the long game. Ever heard of a “Disney adult?” These are people who grew up loving Disney. They take their families because they remembered what a great time they had as a kid. With these regional parks, you will have a new generation of kids who grow up loving DreamWorks/Universal. Having a Dreamworks kiddie land in USO, this new generation will be more drawn to it, taking their families there instead of Disney.
All these remakes of 90s Disney movies (Lion King, Aladdin, Beauty/Beast, Mulan) certainly play to the kids who were little when they came out but have kids now. Problem is the remakes are quite shoddy. And a lot of “Disney adults” have kids now. Can’t forget a lot of those 90s kids are also badly debt-straddled following college. But if theme parks can be filled and movies can sell, the bottom line is all that matters.
I think I'll make myself a "Universal adult" 😂
@@charlesintune the up and coming generation
Such a great video. We did Disney last year and Universal a few weeks ago. I had noticed not only were my husband and I less stressed but our son (6) really seemed to have so much more fun at Universal. He loved the Mardi Gras celebration and had so many roses he was able to do multiple times easily. We love Disney but Universal is just as wonderful in my opinion.
This new kid's park is going to be just the beginning. Universal is going to start tapping into a major untapped market, families with young kids that don't have a ton of disposable cash but want to have a memorable theme park experience. After Frisco opens, Universal will probably announce another one of these kinds of parks in the north, probably the rust belt, and then maybe one in the pacific northwest. Each could be based on different kid-friendly IPs. The Frisco one is obviously Dreamwork properties. Another could be based on Illumination properties, and the third could be based on anything from Nintendo to Wizarding World or even Amblin Entertainment. I think small regional parks are the future for Universal as they're smaller, cheaper, easier to maintain, and create brand loyalty.
I think that if this does well, we could definitely see a NE Universal park. The one thing I do take issue with is that it does seem to be all DreamWorks though. I think that adding in Illuminations or even Super Nintendo World could work in these parks.
It’s quite possible that Frisco is the Dreamworks park and they will build parks around other properties in other places. A fully or mostly indoor year round park in the northeast would be good. The Pacific Northwest lacks theme or amusement parks.
They have plenty of IPs to build around that are multigenerational like Pokemon and Legend of Zelda.
And they won’t necessarily be just kid themed attractions either.
With the urban sprawl around the country, there are plenty of growing suburbs that could support a regional park that could be a gateway to Hollywood or Orlando.
Side note: I went to Universal last week and saw a three year old boy buy an ET doll. I thought ET was a franchise for old folks but kids do like him. That goes to show anything is merchandise-able or profitable with the right presentation and environment.
@@wt7553 Speaking of Pokemon I want the Furret roller coaster from the 6th movie to be an actual ride.
@@charlesintune Well yeah. My 5 year old daughter adores ET. Older folks introduce their kids to what they enjoyed.
My family visited Universal in 2016 and then Disney in 2019 and I can confirm that Universal was probably a more relaxing experience. For our Disney Trip, we had to schedule dinner reservations and even Fast Passes months in advance. For Universal, we just showed up and were able to hit basically every attraction we wanted without the planning headache.
Theme Park Stop ain't the only channel providing Epic Universe construction updates. That being said, every new update gets more and more exciting
I feel like the regional park in Texas will make kids when they grow a little older wanna go to the bigger universal parks. Universal is building nostalgia with these kids they’re def playing the long game
For one it’d be a major premiere-branded theme park that is towards the center of the nation and not on the coasts.
I’m simultaneously disappointed and excited for Universal’s Texas park. Idk what to expect the park to turn out to be in the end but with the financial woes of Six Flags, Universal is missing a major opportunity to severely damage Six Flags in their home turf. That’s the reason I’m disappointed, because a kid focused park isn’t gonna deliver the blow to Six Flags I was hoping to see.
I just came back from my Disney college program and universal blew me away! I people always described it as a sixflags theme park but I think it’s right on par with Disney! I love the competition just means universal and Disney will have to make more cool attractions for us to experience!!
It was really helpful getting a perspective from the Disney college program. I sure hope you’re right about this inspiring Disney to concentrate on building more cool attractions. I’ve been depressed that in the recent past it seems that the majority of Disney attention and capital funds have gone to their hotels rather than into the parks. I feel like maybe the most creative recent use of funds was the building of the skyliner system. It also seems while universal got away from relying on screens predominantly; at the same time Disney became more enamored of screens rather than maintaining complicated animatronics.
The folks who described it as Six flags level theming are lying it's never been like that. As someone who went in 1998 then 2002 then 07 then this year, it's always been high level theming. Not quite Animal Kingdom level but basically as good as MK.
Nothing makes my b!ood boil more than people who have never been to universal, comparing it to places like six flags. Or worse, Busch gardens. 🤢 🤣 I get so mad! It's SO MUCH MORE!
@@sarah.weaver I completely agree! I texted all the people who said “it was basically 6 flags” like dude you obviously have never been there!
We stayed at Adventura a few weeks ago. For me, being able to walk a beautiful footpath to the Universal parks was priceless. I would rather walk .8 miles than stand in long lines or do the park, then monorail, then walk, then ferry dance. It was nothing to popover for a couple of hours, go back to the hotel, and do whatever the rest of the day. I don’t think I will ever stay anywhere else. And you don’t have to walk. You can take the resort bus, or ferry. It’s perfect for groups or families where the ages vary and some folks may not be able to put up with entire days at the parks. I was worried since we didn’t have a car, but I doubt we would have used it but once or twice anyways.
I do prefer Universal transportation as well. The smaller footprint allows for everything to be so much faster. Even when Epic opens, I have to imagine that it will be quicker to take a bus from any of their hotels or City Walk to get to the new park then it would take to travel by bus to any Disney park from any of their resorts.
I'm not the expert, but I always guessed that Disney never built a Texas Park because they literally can't buy land anymore. It's impossible (with the internet) to do what they did in Florida with shell companies and secrets, so everyone will know who they're selling too and Disney WILL be gouged for the land. It's also the case that a large number of protesters will show up any time Disney does anything, and their recent actions have only grown the protester pool. Disney is incapable of buying land, so they can't increase supply, so the only way to handle growing demand is to raise prices. Universal doesn't have those problems, so there's a huge opportunity for them. I'm glad to see them take the risk.
I don't see why Universal wouldn't have this issue either if they had been more public about the land purchase. I'm surprised that they managed to keep this secret until the actual announcement. Yeah, they're not Disney, but I think they've shown that you can keep a large project under wraps.
18:50 I say yes to that. My local rinky-dink amusement park already slaps bootleg Minions on signs and rides and everyone has a good time. On that note, I wonder how well it would work if Universal did make it more official by offering to become partners with smaller parks, like a kind of franchise thing. Although I'd hate for them to even think about tampering with the Astrosphere, so maybe it's best as is.
I can't really see Universal partnering with smaller parks because I think they want to have an immense level of control over their branding. I can't see them buying out any other parks either (though people do really seem set on them reacquiring PortAventura).
I've been trying to get people to realize Universal is a great place for families for awhile. It's like they just assume only to take kids to Disney. I agree that new Minions attraction and of course the new Kid Zone will help give more to do. But my kids have been going to Uni since 3 and 5 years old. Islands is our favorite park. We've had such great memories. We used to be Disney people, but that has changed since the pandemic. We don't go as much because we just feel stressed out the entire time. Cannot wait for Epic Universe 🙌
Personally I prefer the universal parka over Disney parks, the vibe is more relaxed and feels like there’s something for everyone
I love the charm of Universal Hollywood as well, the park is very clean and has beautiful views. I can tell these past 5 years specifically the amount of work and love that has been put into the park. USO is on another level and gives you the same feeling you get from Disneyland and DCA being right next store. Islands are my overall favorite theme park now, Epic might take that spot.
Universal has got the ball and it looks like they're not gonna be dropping it for a long time, can't wait to find out what themes and rides this park will have to offer to families with kids in a future video. Thanks for uploading!
As an Orlando local and UCF a student, Disney is now losing employees too. With USO increasing the wages, it’s so much more appealing to workers and college students in the area.
Orlando is EXPENSIVE. I absolutely cannot blame my friends who are switching jobs bc most of us literally cannot afford to live here.
my first true visit to Universal was for the 8th grade version of Grad Bash, and as someone who had been a Disney goer and Orlando local for years, I was blown away by Universal! Nothing beats universal immersion, and it only continues to improve.
I think Nintendo is another HUGE draw for families to visit Universal Orlando over Disney World. I live on the east coast, and I know people who flew all the way to Hollywood just because their kids wanted to go to Super Nintendo World.
I agree. While I don't think it's going to be the best thing at Epic, I'm sure that it will be the primary focus of the marketing.
I agree Super Mario is a huge IP and if I hadn't planned a Orlando vacation I too would have flown from the east to go there (I still might next year)
Nintendo is the only IP that can compare to Disney, coming from a Pokefan since '99.
its really interesting to hear about how the park in texas might change things- i didnt even know there was one in the works until this video
As a life long Dallas local who lives close to this new park I was honestly not really understanding what this new park may be intended to do. NOW after watching your video it makes a lot more sense so thank you so much for the insight. Universal is certainly playing the long game to take more bites out of Disney's pie so it will be interesting to see if/how Disney responds.
Disney won't respond in any significant way, because they're far too arrogant to see anyone else as a threat. I hope they fall flat on their expensive faces, after Universal starts building and making things more easily accessible to the people who aren't rich.
If anyone is interested, my friend @texney has been uploading drive by videos of the land where the new Texas park will be. She plans on uploading more when and if they start construction.
Love your vids bro!!
Since Universal is careful about what they "officially" announce, I believe they wouldn't have announced the Frisco park without having confidence that it would create a favorable alternative to an expensive, far away trip to Florida.
As a person who experience things quickly and then gets bored, magic Kingdom was lit when I went in middle school for band trips. We performed at Disney Springs and it was amazing. But I quickly figured out what rides were best and which ones move quicker. My experience the next 2 times were more efficient, but as I went 1 last time in high school it got boring. I knew everything and I was really only looking forward to spending money on merch and go on the big 3 rides. The rest just gmfeltblikebi was walking around a huge mall. Fun but the mall is free to walk around in. Universal was different. I went when the Simpsons ride opened and it was more thrilling. As I did at magic Kingdom, I figured out what times were best for what rides. I went again for Grad Bash and it was an even better experience as we went on the rides at midnight. I know what the rides offer, and know where the cameras are, but I never lose that thrill going. It was my number 1 destination after I went in high school. But in all honesty if I was just looking for a vacation for a 3 day or 4 day trip as a whole. I would take my family to Busch Gardens the first day and then hit Universal the next 2 day
Theme park wars? I’m down with that, man
If the Frisco park is well themed and fun all around, it'll be another body shot for Universal combined with a huge haymaker of Epic Universe. Like you said at the 24 minute mark, Universal will be trying to hopefully use the nostalgia they build when kids are young to be ready for the bigger parks as they age and if it's a place adults enjoy as well, get the adults to also consider the bigger Universal parks. If both are hits, provide a lot of fun with very little stress, they'll be stealing the spotlight. May not hurt Disney that much financially but as we know, CEOs, CFOs, creative teams, all have egos, and they won't like someone stealing their spotlight and everyone talking about how great your competitor is while also mentioning how underwhelming you're doing.
Spot-on! The Texas park will be a springboard to families going to Orlando or Hollywood!
can’t wait to watch this when i get off work 👍
Wow another thought provoking video. Based on a limited personal experience the Disney to universal pivot may have begun. My granddaughter’s New Jersey senior high school class trip is for the first time going to be at universal rather than at Disney. Traditionally the class has stayed at an all star hotel and done three days at Disney, one day at Disney water park and one day at universal. Based on feedback from the kids last year they are staying at universal ( cabana bay) and doing only two trips to Disney, two days at universal studio parks and one day at universal’s volcano bay. Admittedly a small sample, just 400 kids, but I think as these kids, and others who might be doing similar trips start having their own families, their thought will turn nostalgically to universal.
Your video may have put an end to the thought I had that these smaller parks could have clones of US Hollywood’ s Nintendo world in addition to non dark ride attractions. I thought that when people were complaining about Nintendo world ride being too slow and more oriented to kids. I thought princess peach would be a really viable alternative to Disney princess’s.
Cabana Bay is a great resort, super fun! and a short walk to Sapphire Falls to catch the boat to the park.
That’s almost shocking the school trips would rather do Universal than Disney. But I feel like right around the bridge between millennials and zoomers is where things turn in favor of Universal. Seems Disney landed the millennial demographic (1982-1996) better while Universal landed the zoomer demographic (1997-2011ish) better in terms of what’s in vogue. And zoomers tend to be purpose-driven consumers more often: the recent news with Universal upping their pay first seems more ethical than the constant bashing of Disney greed against paying customers. I was last at both Florida resorts in 2017 and can say that even without counting the big virus (or culture wars), a lot has changed with the Disney-Universal dynamic. Since then Universal has definitely gained ground while Disney has lost a lot luster.
@@tracyhoneck9177I agree and really appreciate the sapphire falls comment. I hadn’t thought of that. When I was at cabana with daughter and grands, a few years ago, I did the walk between cabana bay and the parks and especially enjoyed the less crowded bag check. However younger generations still took the buses. I’ll have to research the sapphire bay route and share with my grand. Thank you!
@@ecoRfan very interesting points! I’m familiar with genz name but I was curious if referring to zoomer generation was common prior to Covid? It certainly is really on the money after that big virus during which most of the generation had to rely in online education by necessity. I was fascinated by the change to staying at universal and am very curious what the feedback from my grands class will be.
@@CarolCap131 yeah for years the bridge between millennials and zoomers has been around 1996-1997. It long predates Covid. Although the use of Zoom software might have made the “zoomer” title more popular; was called Generation Z or iGen before that.
I find it fascinating how people who were not around. Can make assumptions about previous generations. As a young kid from the 1970's we knew what was Disney and what wasn't. Disney made sure you knew Disney made the cartoon. Back then we had only a handful of media avenues, newspapers/magazines, television, movie previews, and word of mouth. Disney's weekly show also pushed the brand, and promoted their upcoming movies. Since Walt was still in recent memory, many parents were comfortable with the product. It wasn't until the 1980's that Disney began a bigger push in marketing. But that was due to the change in leadership, I'll bet kids still knew the differences between Disney and other studios. Most likely it was the adults that were thrown, after all Bluth was a Disney animator. Kids were happy to have anything for them, but the idea that kids couldn't tell the difference. Well, Don Bluth would have had a much more successful career if that were true. Along with many other animators.
No, I do not think a Texas park will have any effect on Disney. At one time there were theme parks all over the country. But everybody still wanted to go to Disneyland.
The only thing that will hurt Disney is Disney. They are doing that rather well these days. But these parks survive off of proximity, Disney and Universal feed each other. But if Universal keeps increasing their offerings while not overcharging customers, and Disney keeps upping their prices with less offerings. Yes Universal will dominate, but Disney has far bigger problems than Universal. Those are discussions are for another time.
Disney was the only studio seriously making animated films until Bluth and eventually DreamWorks came along. Disney was unmistakably Disney because there was essentially no competition. However, as Disney has moved to CG animation, they're now competing with Illumination and DreamWorks, in addition to having their brand diluted with a slate of films from Blue Sky. I think that Pixar also muddles this as they have continued to erase the distinct branding between both.
@@PoseidonEntertainment How old are you?
The year Bluth put out his first feature was 1982, I saw the presentation at Westercon 35 in the summer of 82. I can tell you at that time Disney was not known for their animation. In the 70's Disney was more known for their live action films. They were putting it out, but it didn't get the attention that the early/later stuff did. It wasn't until "The Little Mermaid", that Disney animation started to get attention again.
As far as animation goes Disney was a face in the crowd. There were a number of studios, like with modern studios they only exist for a project or two. But they distribute through the major studios. Disney used to release their classics every few years. Which kept them in the public eye.
As someone who lives in the DFW area, I'd note the following also:
The Frisco area has been booming economically with a huge influx of families and businesses.
DFW is also about 17 hours from Orlando - too long for a single day drive with small children (for most families at least).
Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington has a mix of small kids rides and large coasters, but it lacks in a cohesive theme "experience" as well as having visible signs of age in most areas.
The DFW Legoland is in disrepair.
Water parks of varying quality and cost are all over.
DFW has some excellent zoos and museums.
The weather is reasonable nearly year round, with a few weeks in both summer and winter that are quite unpleasant and occasional days of stormy weather. We literally had an 80°F Christmas one year and the next year it was 40°F.
As a parent with school aged children, mine are far more excited about Trolls and Kung Fu Panda than Sleeping Beauty and Winnie the Pooh.
I enjoy your videos, and find your points very thought provoking. I’d really like to see you do a video (which may be a bit out of your wheelhouse) on the “Brightline” effect, and how it appears that Disney has “shot themselves in the foot” over it. As in, no more free transportation to the resorts from MCO, and as of now, backed out of helping fund the station that was a planned stop for Disney. Whereas, Universal has successfully pushed, and had strategic input over the station going in near the convention center, and possible connecting lines to EU’s front door, per se’.
Have you seen the Epic Universe video? I did discuss it there within the context of creating a new entertainment hub for Orlando. It's an interesting topic but I don't think I could really elaborate on it any more at this time.
@@PoseidonEntertainment In that case, Yes I have. I subscribe to MANY of the same channels you do, so my lines may have been blurred as to who has done what. Also, agreed on Alicia Stella!
When the Brightline (and Sunrail at that) to Disney World was cancelled I knew that was bad news.
Check out Mickey Views. Braden did an in depth break down of the whole thing - super interesting!
@@tracyhoneck9177 Yeah, I’ve seen that one as well. As I said in my response to PE, I’ve seen quite a few, and a few from just the “railfanning” side. They all just seemed to mesh together at some point.
Just to let people know, plans for the Frisco park are on hold right now. Lots of people in the local area and from the neighborhoods that would be surrounding the park have serious concerns, so they've put any plans on hold until things are (hopefully) resolved.
I cried after the first time I rode Transformers; it was such a great experience! I am a big fan of the first Transformers movie with Shia.
Great Video!!! I am not as concerned so much about the idea of a Universal family park being built in Frisco, Texas. I think this makes sense to have Universal get young kids hooked on the brand at a young age with smaller regional parks that are designed for younger crowds, then when they get older, they would transition to want to go to one of the larger parks. As Disney has pivoted away from their original ideas and have essentially mandated that every new attraction have an IP slapped onto it, that very obviously reflects a lot of content aimed at young children. Since as you have pointed out; so many families spend an absurd sum of money to either fly or drive to Florida or California, then taking into account hotels and other costs, obviously it's quite expensive. However, they often do it for their kids and I have to wonder if middle-America might not find this Texas park to be a better alternative. I know it's not exactly the same, but I question will Dreamworks characters replace Disney characters for small children. To be honest I certainly think so and if this park has a decent level of quality to it, then I think that even a small, regional park like this could have an effect on people traveling to Disney and/or Universal and again spending a ton of money on food and lodging. If their kids are just as happy seeing colorful characters like Po or meeting Princess Fiona, then a much closer regional park with a decent degree of quality may look like a much cheaper and more appealing option. This also maybe a test by Universal for the Texas market and if the smaller park is successful, they build a larger full size Universal resort in the area in the future.
I think that is already starting to happen. My 5 year old daughter is currently into the original Puss In Boots movie and 3 out of 4 Shrek movies. She watched the 2nd movie twice in theaters and really wanted to get it at the store yesterday. She loves the original Spirit movie. She loves How To Train Your Dragon. She loves The Prince Of Egypt. Basically she loves most of the DreamWorks brand as long as it's not The Boss Baby because it's not like the book. She also doesn't like "3D Spirit" because she said it looks weird and doesn't have the boy characters.
I appreciate your content. I've mentioned before that I'm excitedly waiting for Epic Universe to open and I'm not sure I'll return to Disney
Over the past 15 years, all I've heard is "Yeah but Disney has a certain experience to it that Universal just doesn't". I'm sure that was true for many years but it just hasn't been my experience over the past decade. I very much think Epic Adventure will be another huge step forward for people picking Universal over Disney for their once a year family vacation / experience.
It makes sense to have places which cater to specific segments of the population rather than everyone broadly. If current Universal parks seek to draw everyone in, with an emphasis on older families, it makes sense to give younger families a place to go as well. There are huge numbers of people in and around the Dallas area. Pair Universal Texas with Six Flags Over Texas, and you likely get a vacation cheaper than one to Orlando or LA which pleases just about everyone in the family on some level. Once the kids who loved Universal Texas get a bit older, they're ready for larger parks and would that much more inclined to yearn for Universal Orlando over Disney World.
Is SFOT not a coaster oriented park though? I'm not sure if there's much crossover.
@@PoseidonEntertainment SFOT is full of coasters and caters to family with older kids/teens. Universal Texas will cater to family with younger kids. Therefore, if a family plans a relatively inexpensive vacation which includes SFOT and UT, everyone will likely be happy. There will be little to no crossover between these two parks, which is what makes Dallas such a great area to build UT.
The biggest threat to Disney is Disney.
Universal's Orlando parks have ALREADY topped WDW's three "lesser" parks. Last year both parks had about 9 million while DHS was under that by about 400 thousand, Epcot was off by more than a million and Animal Kingdom was below them by nearly 2 million people. Why? Because they are already a multi-day destination. Ever since Volcano Bay opened, they've been doing this Buy 3, Get 2 Free ticket deal. They've matched most of Disney's ticket increases, and this was a great way to discount their tickets without having to lower them. They know that a lot of people were doing 2 or 3 days so they figured, why not give them 2 free days? $235 for 5 days brought the per-day average down to $47 per day, which includes park-hopping! Meanwhile the lowest a WDW 5-day ticket goes for is $99 per day. That's twice as much with NO PARK HOPPING!
I don't think the Frisco park is meant to cut into Disney's attendance, other than showing their characters are just as beloved as Disney's. I think it's literally about Sesame Place, LEGOLAND, Nickelodeon Universe, etc. They're popping up all over and proving there's an audience for this. (There's actually a DreamWorks Water Park in Jersey, not owned by Universal.) Frisco is not a surprising choice for this considering that's one of the more-densely-populated areas in the country. IF it gets built - which is looking iffy in this NIMBY world we live in - and IF it's popular, it's gotta be cheap enough to quickly plop these elsewhere. So no dark rides, it'll be all about rethemed off-the-shelf rides, character encounters, theming and, most importantly, food and merch sales.
But they are directly targeting Disney elsewhere: Epic Universe. The dueling coaster is little more than VelociCoaster Lite, but it's still going to be the most-thrilling ride in the entire park. The other coasters - Donkey Kong, Classic Monsters and How to Train Your Dragon - are all firmly in the family category. The park has three family-themed lands and one with "Monsters". The dark ride in that one is probably going to be no scarier than the Haunted Mansion but using the Forbidden Journey ride system. Considering Universal just won the rights to a high-speed rail station FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER, they're clearly going after families coming to Orlando mostly for conventions. I'm sure they'll have a handy shuttle from the Convention Center to the park, so it's important for this one to be the "family park". Even being "only" the second-best family park in Orlando could make it the second-most-visited. And if Epic Universe finally gets some Disney die-hards to try it, then maybe Wizarding World Paris will make them want to come back to see Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. Maybe Super Nintendo World will make them want to come back when the other parks open Pokémon and Zelda attractions. And maybe VelociCoaster Lite will make them want to try the real thing! Especially with this 7 Days for the Price of 4 ticket deal! THIS is the park that will damage Disney.
While I'm curious to see the numbers, where are you getting them? TEA hasn't released their 2022 report, though I'm inclined to think it should match to what you're saying.
Live in central California and only taking my son to Universal this year. Nintendo and Harry Potter? All we need, cheaper and easier but still making great memories with beloved IPs
I think it's a brilliant move by Universal. CA and the East Coast are over saturated with tourist destinations. It makes a lot of sense to me to build in the Middle of the US. My only complaint is I think they should have gone bigger but who knows what Universal has up its sleeves.
Yea but it’s a local park
Six Flags Over Texas will have serious competition once the Universal park in Frisco opens up.
I can't say that I'm really seeing it. Isn't Six Flags' strength its coasters?
Yeah, I would disagree. Six Flags is all about coasters. While, yes, there are more moderate thrill rides for kids due to relocation from failed parks, their main kids area is a bit boring and lacking in quality. Due to the targeted age range, they don’t ever need to update/replace since the children who grow tired of it are being replaced with younger children who see the attractions as new. But they are the exact same rides I ride as a kid, and the only real thing that’s “new” as far as generations go, is the play area. Families aren’t going to want to drive an hour to spend $100+ to visit a playground in the hot sun/freezing winter. They will however pay $50, if most of it is indoors, and they’re not stuck doing the same thing over and over again. Think of Legoland Discovery Center in Grapevine or Crayola Factory in Frisco.
as a theme park person and a die hard nintendo stan, i genuinely wanted nothing to do with universal up until nintendoland was a thing. im a massive harry potter hater too, so i just never wanted to go to universal bc that was literally all there was to do there, so i feel like them branching out and collabing with different entertainment companies like nintendo is a huge step in the right direction.
any plans for a subreddit or a discord? I think a place to discuss these things would be awesome! Most other online communities for theme parks are very...polarized and annoying to interact with. People who are viewing these vids might actually have productive conversations. Anyways love the vids!
I don't have any plans, but I'll consider it. Not at the moment though.
We do need some dark rides at universal over Texas! The heat in the summer is pretty bad! Six flags in August is hell on earth!
I wonder if the new Universal Park will cause Disney to respond in a similar fashion. The Universal vs Disney war has entered unprecedented land and I wonder how it will change the parks and the experiences for the better. I would also like to know what your opinion is on the new queue for Runaway Railway in Disneyland and if any of your opinions on the ride have changed.
I actually did Tweet about it a few weeks ago. I do have major issues with the style of the queue because I think that the art deco is wildly inconsistent with Toon Town. However, the actual props within the queue itself are fantastic. It definitely feels like Eisner-era level stuff in there. I also like the ride far better than the HWS version. It fixes so many small things like filling in empty space, adjusts the pacing and the room shapes help to alleviate that feeling of riding in an empty warehouse.
Great idea dedicating a vid to this specific dynamic. I am really curious how this will all play out. There are sooo many variables. I have said elsewhere that the "nostalgia/legacy" effect for Disney has an expiration date. Could this be a repeat of Blockbuster vs Netflix circa 1990s? No. Disney is not going anywhere but they could see a reversal of fortune. What we are witnessing on a macro level really is just capitalism. Disney has never had serious competition going all the way back to Disneyland. So 100 yrs of building a rabid fanbase. Universal has proven with Harry Potter that it can build something millions of people want see. If EU is a home run and Frisco is a home run... Disney really better watch out. Social media alone is already turning people from Disney. Just imagine if Universal gets a tsunami of great reviews over the next 3-4 yrs? It's going to be real hard to convince a young family from Ohio with a couple of 5 & 8 yr olds to spend 10K and 5 days at Disney vs 7K and 5 days at Universal Orlando. And you're spot on about kids not caring about brand loyalty. Oh, and don't forget Disney is really focused on being a streaming company these days and pending commitments into the billions of dollars (Hulu buyout to Universal somewhere near 28 billion).
Your Ohio couple comparison is 100% true. Universal needs to push a bit more social media and advertising thrn boom & clap- the market share is theirs.
You can get a 5 day universal vacation for even less with the discounts they offer in the winter months. They have a 5 day park ticket for $234, and a hotel room at Dockside for $97 per night. That’s only $1422 (these are current prices on their website as of March 2023). Of course there is gas (or plane tickets) and food and souvenirs, but you could probably get away with under 3k. Also, even though these deals are offered around January and February, you are able to book your stay pretty much anytime of the year, so if you want to go in September, you can still get those prices. Even more of a reason to pick universal
@Sam Plautz You are so right about the specials. Universal always has specials and that is rarely mentioned. Sometimes I actually wonder if would be better to turn in my annual passes and just buy specials ( I only go about 5 times per yr. ) But I really like the early admission days they offer ap owners at various times.
@Sam Plautz also, it is the food costs that can really blow up a budget. But you can still be frugal with onsite options. We were at dockside in 2021and the food cost were not bad.
- Tons of adults move to TX for no state income tax. Property is cheap compared to the coasts.
- TX is a massive population and exploding tech sector with yo-pros moving there in droves.
- Both of these groups get more mileage from their disposable income, and their kids will have a local high-quality theme park run by a proven company. These kids will want to go to the other parks as they get older.
That's the theory.
I live in California, and I would be very likely to visit Universal Texas if the made a full scale theme park there.
Fantastic video once again! I’m actually quite curious about your thoughts on the international parks though. I haven’t had the opportunity to go to any of the US parks, but I’ve gotten to go to all three of the Asian parks in my lifetime. With all the recent growth Universal has had recently, and several plans for the other parks as well, what do you think the future of the non-US parks might hold?
Don't underestimate the benefits of there being an amazing six flags location right there as well.
Also: Walmart is a bigger company than Disney, even though MY local Walmart doesn’t make as much money as Magic Kingdom.
A bunch of these small, cheap parks spread across the country could really hurt Disney.
Honestly I'm more of a lets wait and see kind of person, but I am pretty excited to see what Universal has to deliver in the coming years. I also hope after this decade (Because I can't see it happening soon) Lets just hope Disney gets better management by then.
I have an analogy that I think describes this new park. There's always an inferior and superior form. I think the theme park is a superior evolved form of an amusement park. Very similar to the difference between a hurricane and a tornado. The Hurricane is bigger, it last longer (multiple day stays) and leaves a bigger impact. Of course, there's different levels to both but a tornado will never be a hurricane. Even an F5 tornado is still just a tornado. But some people don't know that a hurricane can spawn tornados. I look at the park as an amusement park, it will retain some of it's original sources properties but seems more in league with cedar fair, six flags, etc. that side of things.
I definitely agree that competition is heating up in Orlando and also within theme park tourism in general. I do think that there will be an initial rush of interest in the Texas park as people are curious to try the newest thing. I hope Universal brands this officially as a DreamWorks park and not Universal TX. While what I've seen in teasers does seem to be a worthwhile experience for kids, it also seems at this point to be similar to the B tier heavily branded entertainment which Disney has been adding recently. That doesn't make it a "bad" experience per se but it does risk cheapening the brand, especially when Universal is midway through becoming the new standard for themed entertainment.
I think that by making it its own separate thing and clearly marketing it as a smaller park for kids, I don't really see how it could dilute their brand. If anything, it may just encourage more people to visit UOR.
@@PoseidonEntertainment How it's marketed is the key. The media and blog sphere has certainly grabbed ahold of the "Universal Texas". Marketing it heavily towards children and as it's own distinct attraction definitely seems like the right play in the long run.
@@LameMoviesInc “Universal Lone Star Resort” would be a nice sounding name for a collective of theme parks
Yes, but until Universal gets a show where people tow around kites on jetskis, I'm not sure how Universial will ever come out on top. /s
To be fair, Universal did have jet skis in their lagoon before Disney tried it: ua-cam.com/video/bfLNMLQ2PjA/v-deo.html
I think your opinion is spot on. I'm one of those Disney adults who's been going since 1973. Over the years I've seen many ups and downs with Disney, but none so much as from 2020 onward as far as downs. Disney is not at all customer friendly currently. Too much time on your phone, too many charges for things that were free before, too much rebranding and changes that kill the memories and worst of all - for as expensive as Disney is now, the quality of everything from merchandise to new attractions has decreased. Universal does all of this way better now.
We used to visit Disney 2-3 times a year with maybe a Universal day. Now, we booked a half Disney / half Universal California trip and we are planning a 2025 Epic Universe trip where we will stay on property with (maybe) one day at EPCOT. My last 3 WDW vacations were not the great experience I expect.
I always felt like a Disney or Disney-like park being built in Texas was the next logical place for a big theme park to exist in the U.S..
The state itself is quite huge, it's neighbored to the Mountain Time Zone states like New Mexico and Colorado and the state is also home to a big airport like DFW ( Which is in range of Frisco, just to tell how big this could be ). Central U.S. has been quite overlooked for too long, always hedging on us to pick either Florida or Cali to visit the big 2, and while I think Universal suggesting the park to be a kids park might rub some the wrong way the idea is still early on, and looks to be on a decent start.
If Universal Frisco could expand this idea to become tolerant to people of all ages, and it happens to draw attention from the states in central U.S., I think central U.S. might finally have a true alternative to Cali and Florida. And that park would be rich, indeed.
I don't think it should be an alternative to Cali or Florida though. I think that building a Studio style park would just cannibalize attendance from the coastal parks. However, since UOR already fills that niche of older families and adults, a kid oriented park wouldn't cut into their attendance like it might possibly do for Disney.
@@PoseidonEntertainment I think a Studio style park could work in Texas, and that they could get people visiting different parks without cannibalizing Cali and Orlando by offering experiences that you could never get from Cali or Orlando. If you just Copy Pasted Universal Orlando, and plopped it into the Dallas area you'd only get people from Central U.S. who believe a trip to both coasts is expensive to come to Texas.
But if you make a Universal Studios in Texas with it's own distinctions separate from Orlando or Hollywood settings, you'd probably have something to get people to visit the other parks on their own volition without feeling like you've seen everything.
Either answer ends the same at the end of the day, many of the general population will say that they've visited Universal Studios.
Why would Universal be concerned about a studio style park cannibalizing attendance from their costal parks? In the end the money is going into Universal's pocket no matter which part of the country it was spent in. It would also open a market to families who would possibly never go to the other two parks.
Building right next door to the sewer treatment plant was a genius move. Especially in a subtropical climate.
Universal was looking to buy back PortAventura in Europe as well. Those guys aren't messing around. All they need is a theme park in Australia and they will be positioned in every big theme park market.
New vid, let’s GOOO!!!
Your voice is so ASMR! ❤
If you look at the the layout of the proposed Texas park, you can see where the phases of future development are planned. I am in the camp that the Texas Kids Land that they are building is phase one to get the doors open at a somewhat reasonable price and the already well defined development pads are there for expansion over time. I would expect these expansions to also be expansion in the type of audience they are looking for. This seems to be a better way to open a risky new park than DCA was with a large percentage of opening day throw away retail rides that are slowly being replaced.
I welcome a Texas tourism competitor to the coastal parks and hope this move is successful.
Just build some dark rides though. It could do so much to allow them to stand out.
@@PoseidonEntertainment That is certainly something that is likely in the future stages and may already be implied in the concept art shown.
Universal Studios for the Win! As a Former Disney Fan I'm cheering them on!
I think it would be a huge missed opportunity to not put at least one high quality dark ride at the Texas park. If they make it something unique that would give a strong reason for locals and even outsiders to visit.
I agree. I find it odd that they're intentionally having no dark rides.
You hit the nail on the head.......a kiddie park.
Isn't what Universal is doing with incorporating Minions into Production Central (which is retheming and shoehorning IP into a land/attraction) exactly what Disney is doing?
Also, as far as I know, people aren't complaining about Mario Kart not being a thrill ride. They are complaining about how confusing the game mechanics of the ride are. With the pre-show not doing a good job explaining how those mechanics work. A good attraction would not require multiple ride throughs to enjoy and understand the attraction.
How is Universal shoehorning the Minions in? It has always been a Studio themed park with a kitchen sink of assorted attractions from its inception. Meanwhile, Disney's kitchen sink park, Hollywood Studios, has actively worked to remove the cohesive studio theme that would have otherwise tied the park together.
When SNW opened in Japan, all I continued to see was people complaining that it wasn't a rollercoaster. It's different now that it's in Hollywood, but still a matter of managing expectations. I've watched the instructional videos and it seems rather straightforward.
@@PoseidonEntertainment Wasn't Universal exactly like Hollywood Studios in that it used to have the same "cohesive" studio theme, before moving away from in favor of more relevant IP's? Also, what I meant by shoehorning Minions into Production Central is that PC is the ENTRANCE of the park. So when you are entering the park, you are quite literally being shoehorned a bunch of Minions IP stuff.
As for Mario Kart, apparently it is a different story when you are actually in the ride itself, especially when your glasses are covered with the big arrows that are supposed to show you you are doing something wrong, but the ride and its pre-show does not explain that.
@@al.109 There's still the TODAY Cafe, the USF Store, and Rip Ride Rock-It with the music plaza. It looks like the sound stages are likely going to be kept mostly the same as well. The theme of the land is not changing, so much as they're just adding "Illuminations Ave" into the middle.
As someone who has lived in East Texas all my life it took me 39 years before I was able to go to Disney World and that was only because of family that had moved to Florida. The biggest factor preventing me from going to WDW sooner was the distance and the associated costs of traveling that distance. Orlando is over a 1000 miles away. Disneyland which I have never been to is over 1,500 miles away. Texas has a population of 30 million. How many of that 30 million simply cannot afford to travel to East or West coasts for a Disney vacation? I agree that parents will say "Good enough." and take theirs kids to Universal Frisco and not have to deal with the hassle of going all the way to Florida or California. Personally I hope that Universal Frisco will put pressure on Disney to open a Disneyland style park in Texas, maybe somewhere around San Antonio or Austin. This would be a big win for Texas families and theme park enthusiasts. The biggest loser in the scenario however would be Six Flags Over Texas.
Similar to my situation! I was 31 when I went to Disney World/Universal for the first time in 2019. Growing up, we could never have dreamed about a Disney vacation because they were so expensive (and this was in the 90s). I have no desire to ever go back to Disney World though, and I welcome this park in Frisco, because it's only a short drive from where we are, and my young daughter would love it! If this Universal park had been built when I wad a kid, I know for sure my family would have went multiple times, because as you said, MUCH less of a hassle than traveling to California/Florida, expensive air fair and lodging, etc.
Thing is Universal are TRYING and Disney just seem like they are not bothered.
Universal are investing in some serious rides, have Volcano Bay and have a brand new land soon.
Disney just put Tron which took like 6 years
Another thing I would do is add more Animatronics at the parks yes they can have screens but I'd add more Animatronic dark rides in the parks
We also hit up university and Disney when in Orlando! I’ll have to save some extra money thanks to epic 😂
We also go to HHN every year!
I love Universal and many of the decisions they've made lately, but I still think the Frisco park could be a big misstep -- diluting their brand and making people who go to that park think that that is all Universal is.
The biggest impact they'll have on Disney World's attendance is Epic. Before the pandemic, Disney World's total attendance was 58 million. Universal's was 21 million, so 36% of WDW, amounting to about 10.5 million in Islands and 10.5 to Studios. While Epic might cannibalize its current parks a little, I think we can assume that eventually, it will have about the same attendance as the other two parks. (Especially given the increased interest in Universal, acknowledged by almost everyone, that has been driving numbers post-pandemic). So, eventually, it will have at least 31.5 million visitors. If Disney's park numbers stay at 58, Universal suddenly had 55% of Disney's attendance, which is a pretty big jump. Do I think Disney's numbers will stay the same? No, frankly. Do I think a "rising tide lifts all boats"? No, in this case. I think Disney's numbers will go down because they've a) stopped the sale of new annual passes b) added the reservation system and c) acknowledged they are focused on getting more money from fewer guests. The feeling of overcrowdedness comes in large part just from cutting staff in places. Some people will just choose to do a Universal vacation instead of Disney one or split their stays when they hadn't before.
That's why I'd guess Universal will have 60% of Disney's attendance sometime in 2026-2028. Is that "defeating" Disney? No. But it's a huge shift in the game from the 20% they were at pre-Potter.
I think that "defeating Disney" is more about causing them to be reactive, which is partially what I get out of this. I hate what they've been doing to their parks and hotels and I want them to do better. I just don't know if they're going to take the right or wrong lessons out of this.
@@PoseidonEntertainment I agree, but I'm still stunned that they're taking the "wait and see" approach on this, considering how slow their reaction times are.
Very excited to see a retheme of Kids Zone. Not many children are into Looney Tunes now that Saturday morning cartoons and OG Boomerang are dead and gone. Also I HEAVILY associate Loony Tunes with Six Flags, not something higher end like Universal. It’s good to see some rework on the existing parks alongside expansion.
Kid Zone never had Looney Tunes?
@@PoseidonEntertainment I mean the Woody Woodpecker thing which I am just now learning isn’t a Looney Tune. The more you know.
I hate to say it, but this is classic tortoise-and-hare in action. Disney has sat on their laurels too long. Nothing they've put out in recent memory has been particularly innovative, and what they have put out is taking too long. Look at the disastrous mess that is Epcot right now, or that the three big recent additions they've had lately (Tron coaster, Ratatouille, Runaway Railway) are just exports from other parks. Look at all the new stuff going down at Epic Universe, like the DK coaster, or everything that's going into HTTYD... and there's just no contest. I feel like when good old Joe Rohdie jumped ship, he knew it was going down, and the days of Expedition Everest and Pandora were over. Unless Disney's brass are willing to hire more people like him and then take their damn hands off the purse strings, Universal isn't going to stay in second place for too much longer.
Well, to be fair, Donkey Kong is a clone. The version in Japan will open next year first. Otherwise though, Epic does seem to be completely original attractions other than SNW.
I find it a regrettable fate for Shrek to have become the exact thing that Shrek was originally created to make fun of.
This was an interesting video and thoughts about the new park. It's difficult to tell how seriously it will cut into Disney's customer base. I actually think it's often the parents who make going to Disney a big hoopla rather than the kids (especially considering most kids' favorite thing about a Disney trip is the hotel pool per the Disney Unofficial Guides). However, with the economy doing badly, not to mention Disney alienating large amounts of consumers, this could definitely be a viable, cheaper alternative for people. Obviously, it won't be an equivalent to Disney, considering the latter's size and almost mythical status, but it is undeniably going after a piece of the same consumer pie.
Regardless, Disney is on the decline. The days of Tony Baxter at the park are long gone, replaced with (at best) apathetic leadership who believe they can peddle mediocrity and remain in their esteemed position. Unfortunately for them, this is now catching up with them.