WDW and Universal. Who wins?

[starlite_]

I really doubt kids today are watching the live action remakes over the original animated films but who knows, I could be wrong. They sort of get forgotton within a year of them releasing. Like, does anyone remember Lady and the Tramp, Pinocchio and Dumbo getting the live action treatment?

Warner Bros is remaking the Harry Potter films into a TV series so that could be an attempt to revamp the IP for a new generation (or the real answer is that they want to make $$$).

Disney thinks someone is watching them otherwise they wouldn't keep making them. If those ppl are kids who knows. All those movies lack the spark of the animated versions but I don't know if kids today are just build different haha.

 

[Smugpugmug]

My kids are more drawn to some of the live action stuff vs the originals, but they’ve watched a few of the originals on their own. They’ll watch more of the newer animated features like Encanto, Moana, Frozen, Wreck It Ralph, etc. over the classics.


Just, no. But that’s also gotten decent backlash because of JK Rowling’s involvement.

Yeah, came across as desperate on Warner Bros.'s part but if people will watch it....just like these other remakes.

The part about kids watching the newer stuff vs. the classics doesn't surprise me. I see that all the time on FB groups - many parents saying their kids have never seen movies like Peter Pan, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, etc.

 

[starlite_]

Weird because I literally said we could financially afford a VIP tour. These tours exist for a reason and they aren't for the average park goer though. If they were they would lose their VIP aspect. On the other hand we know how it feels for many when too many people have Genie+/ILL so there's a balance to be had about accessibility with the experience of those paying for it.

MP started at $10 per person per day, then went to $15, then went to $20 per person per day.

I don't want them to raise the price because of me, it's about the collective people and the product as its working. Interestingly in the past I discussed just how much even for 2 people Genie+/ILL (and MP in the past) added on so you and the other poster are barking up the wrong tree or rather preaching to the wrong poster on that.

But if your product is suffering because of the amount of people who are using it you need to adjust things. Look how many complaints people have because they paid for it and still waited in longer lines. Disney still hasn't found their sweet spot on pricing, it's why you continue to see tweaks on it, it's why they introduced $25 for Genie+ if you have a park hopper and plan to use it for another park. I don't want a price increase so that more people can't afford something, it's IMO that a higher price point would help overall most especially because of how Disney gets people through their lines where it can be downright brutal when a bunch of LL guests come through.

I don't know why you are coming at me, I hadn't even seen your previous response.

 

[Smugpugmug]

Disney thinks someone is watching them otherwise they wouldn't keep making them. If those ppl are kids who knows. All those movies lack the spark of the animated versions but I don't know if kids today are just build different haha.

It's like those sequels from the 90s-mid 2000s. They kept making those because someone was buying those VHS tapes. lol

 

[starlite_]

Older generation? Aren't you a Millennial?

Very very late millennial. All those movie were at least 5 years old by the time I was born. I ended up watching some of them in my early teens I think in like local tv channel rewatches.

 

[Monykalyn]

I miss the more democratic FP and FP+ where everyone could skip (some) lines. I’ll pay for Genie plus but I’m not happy about it.

Pretty much this.
They could have updated FP+ to just day of with so many being released every hour to keep from overloading system and keep standby moving. The "disney is a business" to excuse money grubbing for CEO's to get into 1% rich is tired. THAT is NOT what Disney USED to be nor promote, but sure is handy excuse to pay the ever increasing prices for lower quality/experience.

And the "universal isn't for shorter/younger kids" is all perception-+ they ARE addressing this with the regional park and redo with Dreamworks (Universal LISTENS and tends to ACT on their customer feedback unlike Disney). Depends on Disney park you compare it to. DHS doesn't have much for anyone unless you really love sing alongs, lame shows (cars thing) and character meet n greets.

I want to love Disney like I did when kids were younger & when I worked there&even as recent as 2018. Did the MNSSHP last year to get MK fix-while the party was actually good, much less crowded than precovid-yet it lacked 'something'. Not sure what changed in perception for me? Other than disgust at myself for paying prices to encourage Disney $$$ grabs maybe LOL

 

[starlite_]

It's like those sequels from the 90s-mid 2000s. They kept making those because someone was buying those VHS tapes. lol

Me, rewatching Little Mermaid 2 every day for like a year as a kid:

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I don't know why you are coming at me, I hadn't even seen your previous response.

That is true, however you did like the post that that poster quoted of mine which was in complete opposition to what I was even saying discussing inability to afford among other things. But you have my apologies for the barking up the wrong tree part of my comment.

In the larger point It's unlikely that someone is saying they can't afford a VIP tour so just increase the cost of Genie+/ILL. I mean let's be realistic your average park goer may see "the plaids" and yet have no idea what that is. I didn't even know about the VIP tours until I joined the DIS. There's a good amount of people on the DIS that doesn't know either. So propositioning that it's just about people unable to afford something but also raise the price of something else isn't exactly along the same frame of mind financially speaking.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Very very late millennial. All those movie were at least 5 years old by the time I was born. I ended up watching some of them in my early teens I think in like local tv channel rewatches.

Okay..but that's not about being in an older generation.

I saw all those movies the PP mentioned and I'm smack in the middle of the Millennial generation by most standards. Age of when a movie comes out doesn't mean you didn't see it. Willow I watched a decent amount of times and it came out the year I was born, Princess Bride I bought the DVD when going off to college lol, oh gosh Homeward Bound (the early 90's version) yes absolutely saw it.

I think there's probably a lot more live action movies you saw than you realize. Go find a list that includes studios such as Buena Vista, Touchstone and more. I guarantee you Jurassic Park isn't the only one you've seen. I also say this as we do a weekly (near weekly) movie night with our DISer group via Disney+ and have watched many movies that were live action, it's like we're reliving our own childhoods each week lol. A few that were Fox acquisition but many are part of Disney's various studios. We just watched Cadet Kelly last week which is a Disney Channel movie (we've watched several of those) and you would have been old enough to have seen that even being at the very end of the Millennial age.

I do agree with Leigh's point about the current generation. The variety of content just isn't there. While we had a lot of animated and straight to video sequels there were still variety to them and many live action films that were not based on their existing animated version. That doesn't mean that Disney didn't do remakes but there was so much more content they put out. They had several different distribution companies too and maybe that's part of it why we're just seeing regurgitated content with such few true new content.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

It's like those sequels from the 90s-mid 2000s. They kept making those because someone was buying those VHS tapes. lol

Hi..that would be us..

Aladdin 1,2,3 oh and Land Before Time (not Disney but just saying), yeah we had a lot of VHS tapes from that. I don't think we did Little Mermaid sequels but absolutely we did others. I don't think mid-2000s as I was off to college by that point but def. like the entire decade of 1990 my parents bought a lot of VHS tapes with enough being direct to video sequels. I remember owning Fern Gully but not the sequel though.

 

[starlite_]

Okay..but that's not about being in an older generation.

I saw all those movies the PP mentioned and I'm smack in the middle of the Millennial generation by most standards. Age of when a movie comes out doesn't mean you didn't see it. Willow I watched a decent amount of times and it came out the year I was born, Princess Bride I bought the DVD when going off to college lol, oh gosh Homeward Bound (the early 90's version) yes absolutely saw it.

I think there's probably a lot more live action movies you saw than you realize. Go find a list that includes studios such as Buena Vista, Touchstone and more. I guarantee you Jurassic Park isn't the only one you've seen. I also say this as we do a weekly (near weekly) movie night with our DISer group via Disney+ and have watched many movies that were live action, it's like we're reliving our own childhoods each week lol. A few that were Fox acquisition but many are part of Disney's various studios. We just watched Cadet Kelly last week which is a Disney Channel movie (we've watched several of those) and you would have been old enough to have seen that even being at the very end of the Millennial age.

I do agree with Leigh's point about the current generation. The variety of content just isn't there. While we had a lot of animated and straight to video sequels there were still variety to them and many live action films that were not based on their existing animated version. That doesn't mean that Disney didn't do remakes but there was so much more content they put out. They had several different distribution companies too and maybe that's part of it why we're just seeing regurgitated content with such few true new content.

My comment specifically mentioned live action movies I remembered watching as a kid. And the general context of the comment was movies that I formed a big enough attachment to that I had nostalgia for. Because I was commenting on how it was interesting to think about Disney's strategy to live action remakes might be backfiring on them since a lot of ppl seem to think that kids aren't as attached to Disney IP as they were in previous generations.

I never said I never saw a single live action movie, or that I didn't see those particular movies eventually. Just that none of them created an attachment like animated movies did.

I am honestly unsure why you are responding to me so much without actually reading what I said :/

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

My comment specifically mentioned live action movies I remembered watching as a kid. And the general context of the comment was movies that I formed a big enough attachment to that I had nostalgia for. Because I was commenting on how it was interesting to think about Disney's strategy to live action remakes might be backfiring on them since a lot of ppl seem to think that kids aren't as attached to Disney IP as they were in previous generations.

I never said I never saw a single live action movie, or that I didn't see those particular movies eventually. Just that none of them created an attachment like animated movies did.

I am honestly unsure why you are responding to me so much without actually reading what I said :/

I can't remember a single live action movie I watched as a child other than Jurassic Park.

And when someone said "really" and listed off ones you mentioned Princess Bride but that the rest you were not even a stream of consciousness but you can't speak to older generations (that poster IIRC is also a Millennial).

I read what you wrote and seemingly another poster felt the same as they responded to you with questioning and listing off some movies.

I just think you're selling yourself short on your recollection here

I agree on the point about Disney/live action. They've done this too soon. It's more likely that the kids have seen in some way or another many of these animated versions even if it's just merch to the point where a CGI-heavy near word for word movie doesn't really evoke much. They really needed to wait quite a lot more decades with a slow withdrawing of their animated versions throughout their company and parks in order for that animated version to be less known and really less desirable to see due to technology advancements in how movies are done. The version of Timon and Pumbaa throughout the parks is the 2D animated version why would you expect a kid to have a connection to a CGI one?

 

[starlite_]

And when someone said "really" and listed off ones you mentioned Princess Bride but that the rest you were not even a stream of consciousness but you can't speak to older generations (that poster IIRC is also a Millennial).

I read what you wrote and seemingly another poster felt the same as they responded to you with questioning and listing off some movies.

I just think you're selling yourself short on your recollection here

I agree on the point about Disney/live action. They've done this too soon. It's more likely that the kids have seen in some way or another many of these animated versions even if it's just merch to the point where a CGI-heavy near word for word movie doesn't really evoke much. They really needed to wait quite a lot more decades with a slow withdrawing of their animated versions throughout their company and parks in order for that animated version to be less known and really less desirable to see due to technology advancements in how movies are done. The version of Timon and Pumbaa throughout the parks is the 2D animated version why would you expect a kid to have a connection to a CGI one?

You and I may have a dif definition of what a child is. I'm sorry I don't remember watching any live action movies when I was 7 years old I guess?

I agree about the live action. It's kinda why I love what they did with TLM, they very specifically created a line of "animated version" "live action version". If all a kid has seen of Cruella is the new movie, then of course the villain version is nothing to them. (Using her as an example cause we just saw her at the Parks. )

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

You and I may have a dif definition of what a child is. I'm sorry I don't remember watching any live action movies when I was 7 years old I guess?

I think we can agree on a more broad childhood meaning being a kid. In any case I know it's kinda a silly back and forth

If all a kid has seen of Cruella is the new movie, then of course the villain version is nothing to them. (Using her as an example cause we just saw her at the Parks. )

True and I agree there for sure.

 

[NickC]

I've probably only seen a handful of Disney movies. It's not why we go to WDW. It would be interesting to see the percentage of repeat WDW visitors who go specifically for the IP/content. Universal got a huge bump because of the HP IP, but I wonder if it translated into repeat yearly business. And while RotR is hugely popular, is it making people lifelong customers? (I honestly don't know. I'm not trying to make point. That is a genuine question.) But, i will say that it seems like it was taken from the US playbook, and not WDW. To me, it looks more like a 'reaction' to a competitor than being the creative standard that other parks should try to emulate.
Space 220 isn't a yearly thing for us (mostly because of the pricing versus food quality) but I applaud WDW for creating an immersive experience based on 'old school' Disney theming. And it is still a hugely popular restaurant...without having to purchase an existing franchise.
I admit that I do come down a bit on WDW, but it is not for their lack of investment in the parks. It's more the issue of 'where' they are investing that money. There was a recent thread on the Epcot expansion, and at the end of it, is there anything new that would bring me back year after year? If my last visit to WDW was my first, would I still have the same desire to return? Just as an example the Fountain of Nations by itself wouldn't bring me back...but the idea and attention to details that it represents carried over to the rest of the park. It was really a monument to the little things that went in to WDW. And those things DID make me want to come back. Putting some focus on IP isn't a bad thing, as long as there is balance. I will continue to go to WDW for the classic attractions. But, I am also keeping an eye out for the direction that they are taking.

 

[Tigger's ally]

There was a recent thread on the Epcot expansion, and at the end of it, is there anything new that would bring me back year after year?

Guardians? Rat?

For us, the thing that brings us back year after year in the fall is the F&W. We just enjoy easy evenings walking around, enjoying the libations and soaking in the atmosphere. I basically need my fix every year. Love that feeling of being in no hurry. I even see people talking about the long line at the skyliner after the fireworks. We never even notice because we casually drink our last drink and walk slowly that direction. No hurry for us. Only reason we would ever be in a hurry would be weather/rain.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

And I could write the exact opposite of what you just wrote. It's all anecdotal and a matter of perception. Both parks have a majority of great and polite guests. Both parks have some rude guests who take things too far. We see what we see due to that pre-conceived affinity for one over the other. Both stances are neither true nor false - it's just the way that we experience it.

Um, no.
Factually, I recently saw way more line cutting at WDW than I did at US. That's not a

pre-conceived affinity

for Universal.

In prior years, this was not nearly as much of an issue at WDW. Goiing back 10 years or so, line cutting at Universal was more a problem than WDW.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

One way Universal is decidedly now better than WDW- the toilet paper!

The paper at WDW is just about as lousy as it could possibly be. It shreds, rips down the middle, and completely falls apart as soon as it touches skin.

And they had the same lousy paper EVEN at the deluxe resorts! Crazy!

Universal's toilet paper is much better quality.

 

[BrianL]

Um, no.
Factually, I recently saw way more line cutting at WDW than I did at US. That's not a

for Universal.

In prior years, this was not nearly as much of an issue at WDW. Goiing back 10 years or so, line cutting at Universal was more a problem than WDW.

Right - that's what YOU saw, and I'm not saying that's not true. What I'm saying is that it's anecdotal. I could just as easily say that I've seen more line cutting at Universal on my last trip. The fact is that I didn't personally see ANY line cutting at either WDW OR Universal on my last trip when I visited both - but I don't take that to mean that it doesn't happen at all. Of course it did! Just because you saw it a certain way, doesn't mean it holds true across the board. Honestly, line cutting isn't really a major issue at either park, even if a small minority of guests do it.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Right - that's what YOU saw, and I'm not saying that's not true. What I'm saying is that it's anecdotal. I could just as easily say that I've seen more line cutting at Universal on my last trip. The fact is that I didn't personally see ANY line cutting at either WDW OR Universal on my last trip when I visited both - but II don't take that to mean that it doesn't happen at all. Of course it did! Just because you saw it a certain way, doesn't mean it holds true across the board. Honestly, line cutting isn't really a major issue at either park, even if a small minority of guests do it.

No, that's not what you wrote, which is why I quoted your post. You said, "We see what we see because of a preconceived notion."

Please don't try to tell us that's not what you wrote.


My first day at WDW, the entrance of BTMRR was a bit of a funnel. About 10 feet into the line, a petite older woman attempted to rejoin her younger family members. She was only about 10 people behind her family, and she was politely asking if she could join them and pointed to them. A large man in front of her LOUDLY objected, and body slammed her. He yelled, "NO! THEY can fall back! You are NOT passing me!" It was quite something to see, because he was just SO aggressive out of thin air, while I'd describe her as polite. We were so close to the ride entrance, that it was clear she'd just gotten separated by a few people.

The level of his anger and aggression is what caught my attention.



Customers assaulting each other = dangerous situation.