Originally Posted By Bob Paris 1 I think it's AWESOME that they are selling so much expensive merch!!! I wonder if they have a nice WWoHP t-shirt I could buy and wear when at WDW? As for the measurements, I am going to have to look up what those inches are in real measurements(metric)to make sure I qualify!
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>> I think what he meant was no billboards, print ads, etc. WDW used to have the same policy. Disney at one point said they weren't going to clutter the highways of FL with billboards for WDW.<<<< That's not exactly true....there were a TON of print ads and media. I own a few of them. ;-)
Originally Posted By vbdad55 Some people 6'3" with long torsos have been turned away. I am 6'4" and 230 pounds- so we'll see if this is an issue...if it is all bets are off for me. As it is I think the ticketing options for those of us who do not live in Florida suck. To not have non expiring tickets is idiotic. I will buy the one day ticket to see WWoHP once-- but they make it very difficult for me to make multiple 1200 mile trips, unless I can squeeze them in in 14 days. There are 13 of us going this year, if they had a 5 day - 2 park ticket that did not expire they would have sold 13 of them.. as it is they will get 1 day each..doubt highly I will return there the next year. unless they plan to be a locals only group of parks - this needs to be looked at. And yes I have called them and talked to a customer service agent-- who confirmed they had no option like I wanted ( and oh yeah, Disney has).
Originally Posted By dshyates Unfortunately vbdad, I think your size may be an issue. And I think your suggestion about a non-expire option is a good one. Maybe a note to guest services explaining why it is desirable would be a good idea. I have a feeling that in the not to distant future Uni/ Sea World may be redoing their ticketing options.
Originally Posted By sjhym33 I think Universal in general is going to need to some catching up. I think we will see a rethinking about some ticket options. From past experiences I would say that any attraction specific things like t-shirts you see when HP opens you should grab. I have a whole bunch of IOA attraction t-shirts that disappeared within their first year of opening. Its a shame because my Suess Landing stuff is very nice and nicer than all the Thing 1 and 2 stuff they sell. I wouldnt be surprised if after Forbidden Journey opens and is running full time IOA does some seat redesign to accomodate larger guests. I think thy are going to have to do something before a big backlash happens.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer I think that if IoA keeps on this path of opening attractions like this, they are going to to a fantastic job of competing with Disney. They should build something else immediately following this.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper ^^^Unfortunately they can't. They need to recoup some money before they head to what ever their next project will be. As for the seating problem, they are looking at options to fix the problem.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper ^^^I don't think that'll be a problem. But then IoA does not have what WDW has: the blessing of size. Uni has to be much more creative when adding attrractions, because they just don't have the huge tracks of land Disney does. Still there is room in both parks for new additions, it's just how long they wait for them.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<I think Universal in general is going to need to some catching up. I think we will see a rethinking about some ticket options. From past experiences I would say that any attraction specific things like t-shirts you see when HP opens you should grab. I have a whole bunch of IOA attraction t-shirts that disappeared within their first year of opening. Its a shame because my Suess Landing stuff is very nice and nicer than all the Thing 1 and 2 stuff they sell.>> I don't think you'll see the same situation with Wizarding World. Uni really doesn't have a ton of control over what they change about the place. And even if they did, when they see the money that's rolling in from this merch, they're going to want to keep it.
Originally Posted By disney pete lately the has been a lot of WDW bashing on here and everyone is entitled to their own opinion,myself personaly it's still a magical place,ok the food is naff and expensive,the management is NOT doing a good job of running what walt started,the place is a little run down but for us we can go for 2 weeks and still just do Disney,years ago i liked the universals and busch but now they are very average,US is very old looking and dated when we there in oct it was empty and we had done everything twice or more by 4pm,IOA is now only a part day we find the CM'S there rude and unhelpful and in oho don't think potter will be a deal breaker,we have only ever seen the first movie and was not interested so don't think we will be spending our $$$$$$ there anytime soon.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<US is very old looking and dated>> Sorry, but this just doesn't make sense. 9 rides have either been opened or heavily overhauled/refurbished in the past 10 years, more than any WDW park. <<IOA is now only a part day>> Again, don't get how IoA can magically become a half day park. Nothing has been taken away. <<CM'S there rude and unhelpful>> In the years I've been going to USO/IoA, I have never seen or had a problem with Uni TMs.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer They do have other parks...with blackstone, though. Imagine a WWoHP in all of these. Oy.
Originally Posted By sjhym33 I have had a Universal/IOA AP for several years (we let them expire in Jan and will pick them back up in the fall when its cooler and crowds die down) and I have never found it to be dirty, have never met a rude employee and enjoy them as much, sometimes more, than the Disney Parks. In fact I would rank Universal/IOA higher in my favorite theme parks than both Disney-MGM and AK and I was opening crew for both those parks.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 Unfortunately vbdad, I think your size may be an issue. And I think your suggestion about a non-expire option is a good one. Maybe a note to guest services explaining why it is desirable would be a good idea. I have a feeling that in the not to distant future Uni/ Sea World may be redoing their ticketing options. ----------------------------- If my size is an option - then their planning is really off base. While I may be tall- I certainly am not freaky tall by any means-- if you lock out every guy 6'3" or more that's quite a segment. My daughters boyfriend is 6'4" also ( he will be travelling with us) -- And certainly while I could lose a few pounds- my weight for my size ( at 55) not exactly off the charts. If I was 3 clicks or more- I would understand more. Hell my daughters High school volleyball team has 6 players 6'2" + and those are girls. What was the demographic here - munchkins ? I did try and talk to the ticket agent about the options but they really did not want to talk to me.. Again, I am far from a Disney apologist - I love the place but call em like I see em when they screw up also.... UT, I cannot think of one ride I want to ride where my size is close to an issue.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 ^^Hey, vbdad, with that last line you just warmed Mickey's heart. Leo- I am sure I did but they deserve it for the ticketing options they have. Uni is really missing the boat here- if they want to be a repeat world class destination, they need to think through what people want- a business model doesn't work as well when you Tell people what they want as opposed to listening. and again- remember I am the guy who wanted to drive the buldozer thru the Poo playground when they wasted that space in FL...hate the free dining BS as they are ruining one of the best things at WDW- etc.. so I am not a Uni basher- Disney apologist
Originally Posted By vbdad55 I wouldnt be surprised if after Forbidden Journey opens and is running full time IOA does some seat redesign to accomodate larger guests. I think thy are going to have to do something before a big backlash happens. ---------------------------- agreed -- until this discussion I really never thought of myself as a 'larger person' - in fact I find it pretty upsetting. Most of my life I have hoevered around 180-190 pounds- but I have been 6'4" since I was 16. I have put a few pounds on ( and they are in the process of being worked off)- but I look at today's athletes and I am fairly normal size wise to many baseball- hockey- players- smaller than most basketball and football players... this is a pretty large segment when counting HS- college athletes to make it uncomfortable to ride the rides- and worse yet - when with families make the person feel like some kind of freak. I fI was in some 4-5 standard deviation from 'normal' I would say - OK- my issue, but really being moderately tall may lock me out from some experiences ? What are the leaders of the corp all short ?
Originally Posted By vbdad55 They do have other parks...with blackstone, though. Imagine a WWoHP in all of these. Oy. ---- actually I think that would hurt Uni Orlando. This same argument is made about Disney copying/cloning rides/attractions- how suddenly dies it become a good idea for Uni ? I udnerstand some people here don't like/enjoy Disney any more- and heck, that's fine. I don't like French cuisine, doesn;t mean I don't like fine food. But let's stay sane on the praise -- I for one am glad Uni is opening WWoHP in Orlando and I truly hope it is all it can be- that only raises the bar for Disney and everyone else inclduing Sea World. Already I have issues with ticketing and am being told that at 6'4" tall rides may be an issue - so I am skepticla about it being a world beater. It is an amazing franchise that I would love to see fully developed- just like I would like to see the same for Lord of the Rings and Star Wars. I liked Uni when it highlighted characters like Rocky & Bullwinkle and there was a whole stable of those that I enjoyed. Most have hit the road as they try and be edgy and current I guess. That's fine but it also limits the demographics some - when there is no need to. If you are going to be a family friendly place and take on Disney you need to have something for everyone. The reason I don't enjoy Six Flags anymore is because they became a coaster park- and at 55 my idea of joy is not plummeting 70 degrees downward in a spiral at 80 MPH. Okay maybe one ride but note all day long. So I don't take the family or kids - it's just that simple. And yes I know Six Flags is not Uni - but at Six Flags I did not expect perky cast members and fine dining- I expected rides - period. But all kids of rides- most of the family level ones have bit the dust. IOA went for the teen demographic- all the while forgetting that for those who do not live in driving distance, it is the parents and in many cases grandparents who do the driving/flying- paying for those trips. To me it is why it never hit the lofty goals it set. Also the parks were simply not as appealing- nay, even to teens sometimes. When my oldest was at AAU VB championships 6-7 years ago at WWoS- the girls ( then 17 ) begged to go to IOA on their off day. By 11 Am they very calling begging to pick them up and take them to Disney. They hated the lines - were not as enamored with the crowd...and were bored. Now this may not be typical- but they were not the only team to do that -- So let's be careful about crowning IOA with WWoHP as turning the status quo on it's ear. Again, hope it is successful - but to me they already have 2 larg items to work on and I haven't stepped foot in the place yet.
