disneydreamer781
Just a little bit of pixie dust...
- Joined
- May 24, 2016
- Messages
- 3,731
I would never compare WDW to any amusement park for any reason.
But, there has never been a time we were treated rudely that I didn't complain about it. Just griping here does nothing.
It seems like every time Disney does something dumb, a whole bunch of people talk about Universal instead, and I just don't get it. I almost wonder if it's astroturfing (which I would genuinely respect if that was Universal's PR move).
Apart from Jurassic Park and Harry Potter - everything else is just old or blah.
Simpsons is a BTTF overlay. Minions is a Hanna Barbera overlay - hey, look, the seats move now. (Honestly, the pre-show with the 3D glasses was my favorite part of the ride, and I loved that.) Men in Black is better than Buzz, but that's not saying much. Transformers is okay, but insanely loud. Fallon and Fast & Furious are all-time awful, which is even worse because they're new. Mummy is in too small of a building. Rip Ride Rockit has to be past its End of Life by now. (That happens to steel coasters - Hulk was fully rebuilt after reaching its EOL.) USP is essentially the HHN park, the same way Epcot became the festival park. Spiderman is okay, but that Marvel section is embarrassing - even more so when you realize it only exists because it stops WDW from using the characters. Most generic parks have a water ride like Popeye, and I don't ride Dudley Do Right because I don't wanna get that unrelentingly soaked (or spend money on the blasted dryer). And I hate CityWalk - it's awfully laid out (the upper section feels almost like a back alley) and I can't stand having to walk through it to get to the parks.
At this point, I can buy a one-day ticket to IOA (and maybe one night at HHN), do everything I want to do, and not go again for months or a year. (I would totally do HHN this year if not for COVID.)
I think some of the talk is just the "stigginit to Disney" factor. But those folks seem to miss the underlying truth - I can be pissed at Disney and still think WDW is a better park experience. (Most of my Orlando local friends freely admit that while they have APs for Uni and Sea World and enjoy both resorts a lot, they would be WDW APs if it weren't so insanely expensive.)
When I've hinted at stuff like this on other threads - the response is usually that WDW is out-of-date, too. I don't entirely disagree. But I don't mind a lot of WDW's out-of-date stuff, and the top-line stuff is unspeakably great.
I seriously hope that Epic Universe is brilliantly awesome, because I desperately want Disney to feel threatened enough to spend money on upgrading the parks. (Especially the Magic Kingdom, which is embarrassingly, horribly out of date - the fact that a 46-year-old steel coaster, long past its EOL, would even be considered for a paid FP - even just temporarily - is ludicrous.)
/end rant
//been constantly thinking this for weeks
It seems like every time Disney does something dumb, a whole bunch of people talk about Universal instead, and I just don't get it. I almost wonder if it's astroturfing (which I would genuinely respect if that was Universal's PR move).
Apart from Jurassic Park and Harry Potter - everything else is just old or blah.
Simpsons is a BTTF overlay. Minions is a Hanna Barbera overlay - hey, look, the seats move now. (Honestly, the pre-show with the 3D glasses was my favorite part of the ride, and I loved that.) Men in Black is better than Buzz, but that's not saying much. Transformers is okay, but insanely loud. Fallon and Fast & Furious are all-time awful, which is even worse because they're new. Mummy is in too small of a building. Rip Ride Rockit has to be past its End of Life by now. (That happens to steel coasters - Hulk was fully rebuilt after reaching its EOL.) USP is essentially the HHN park, the same way Epcot became the festival park. Spiderman is okay, but that Marvel section is embarrassing - even more so when you realize it only exists because it stops WDW from using the characters. Most generic parks have a water ride like Popeye, and I don't ride Dudley Do Right because I don't wanna get that unrelentingly soaked (or spend money on the blasted dryer). And I hate CityWalk - it's awfully laid out (the upper section feels almost like a back alley) and I can't stand having to walk through it to get to the parks.
At this point, I can buy a one-day ticket to IOA (and maybe one night at HHN), do everything I want to do, and not go again for months or a year. (I would totally do HHN this year if not for COVID.)
I think some of the talk is just the "stigginit to Disney" factor. But those folks seem to miss the underlying truth - I can be pissed at Disney and still think WDW is a better park experience. (Most of my Orlando local friends freely admit that while they have APs for Uni and Sea World and enjoy both resorts a lot, they would be WDW APs if it weren't so insanely expensive.)
When I've hinted at stuff like this on other threads - the response is usually that WDW is out-of-date, too. I don't entirely disagree. But I don't mind a lot of WDW's out-of-date stuff (I would take MuppetVision over Minions, Shrek, or Fallon every day of the week and twice on Sunday), and the top-line stuff is unspeakably great.
I seriously hope that Epic Universe is brilliantly awesome, because I desperately want Disney to feel threatened enough to spend money on upgrading the parks. (Especially the Magic Kingdom, which is embarrassingly, horribly out of date - the fact that a 46-year-old steel coaster, long past its EOL, would even be considered for a paid FP - even just temporarily - is ludicrous.)
/end rant
//with apologies
///been constantly thinking this for weeks
But it's being replaced by something hopefully pretty great - and at least they're trying to create something new. That's a good thing, and exactly what I want Disney to be doing.How many years ago did Universe of Energy close?
Yes, but it's a extremely good overlay, in my opinion. I mean, I loved Maelstrom and I'm not a Frozen fan, but what's in there is really, really good with what they did. I can't say the same for the Uni overlays. I mean, BTTF's tech was miles out of date by the time they even touched the Simpsons. I was really hoping it'd be more than just a new movie in a different car, and that's exactly what it is. (Though I think the pre-show segments are amazing.)Isn’t Frozen an overlay?
I haven't ridden Velocicoaster yet, but if it's as good as I'm hearing, that's exactly what I want Uni to be doing. I like Hagrid's a lot - even if it's basically three different coasters stapled together - I just wish it were more reliable. (ROTR, I know.) I would venture Tron to be between the two, possibly third in that list. (I think the shortness will hurt its standing.) Disney's not really been in the coaster category the way that any of the other companies have - the theming might be what saves it.Will Tron be better than Hagrids or VelociCoaster? High bar.
Doesn't bother me. For me, Galaxy's Edge is better than HP, and I really like HP.How many hundreds of million over budget was SWL?
Which, honestly, is also why Uni's are so much cheaper. For one, there are only two parks. But it's also easier to add a new movie into a theater (or build a new theater) than it is to design a new experience.So many answers priced into your APs
I would never compare WDW to any amusement park for any reason.
Completely agree. Did AP's there a few years ago, not sure what people do to fill their time there day after day. A lot of their rides are not repeatable for me over and over!
And I am super excited about their Oogie Boogie Bash and finally getting to see the HM overlay as well as all the new things they've added since we were last there several years ago.
I vacation the same as the original poster, 2-3 trips per year, on Disney property, eating and shopping exclusively at their establishments. While these are not $10,000 per pop vacations like tHe “once in a decade/lifetime” group they are aiming to milk here, we probably exceed that over the span of year with how we visit.
I haven't experienced that, not even once. Over the last year, or even before that. And thankfully CM reports on trip reviews over the last year or so have been significantly overwhelmingly positive. Like that's the one thing I've noticed on all the trip reviews I've been reading since the reopening last year, how incredible the CMs have been.Dont get me wrong, there are definitely exceptions, but sadly its just that. Exceptions...no longer the rule. My waitress at B&C was great. Waitress at the Edison...not so much. Waiter at Chefs de France was eh... unfriendly, but not rude. Wait team at Chef Mickeys was great. Mousekeeping at Contemporary looked miserable, all of them! CMs at Contempo..wow.. rude. The CM on the MK platform totally rude. etc..etc...
Glad to hear that. Sadly, it has not been my experience during my last 2 trips, but maybe Im just unlucky! In all my trips 1975 - 2017, they have all been wonderful. Its just something I have noticed lately (2019 trip and 2021). I wont give up though!I haven't experienced that, not even once. Over the last year, or even before that. And thankfully CM reports on trip reviews over the last year or so have been significantly overwhelmingly positive. Like that's the one thing I've noticed on all the trip reviews I've been reading since the reopening last year, how incredible the CMs have been.
I need you to book my flights
Have been to WDW 3 dozen times or so, and have never, ever come across a rude CM. Haven't been for a couple of years, but headed back right after Thanksgiving. Hopefully our experience is just as magical as the rest of our trips have been.