disney's hollywood studios or universal islands of adventure?

[TDLFAN]

Originally Posted by kcnole

The problem with charging for it is that you create two classes of guests. The VIP's and the peasants.

Fastpass is a two-class system in the way it has always been administered. Once the FP are gone and guests have no option but to stand by.. you become 2nd class. In regards to VIP's and peasants.. the same can be said about Extra Magic Hours... and how Disney discriminated against those who choose to stay at better hotels off property.

There's nothing more annoying than standing in line at USF trying to get on a ride and seeing the same person jump ahead of you 4 or 5 times because he has express pass. He's that much more important than me just because he stayed onsite. I have to wait an hour to ride once where he gets to ride 4 times?

That is the only aspect of Express I have cirticized in the past. You see.. at Universal Japan, you can buy the express booklet but you are only allowed to go to the front of the line only ONCE per ride in the park. UO needs to change that policy as well. However, even with such pribiledge abuses, I still find that the stand by lines at Universal move faster than Disney's since they adopted the "pay-for" approach.

I much prefer the old way of doing things. We all wait in the same lines together, and you make the lines an experience.

Agree with you 150%. I want Fastpass gone for good. It has crippled the theme park experience. On my recent visit to Cedar Point.. it was just so nice to NOT have to be treated like 2nd class garbage and everyone waited the same amount of time. A more pleasant and fair way... like it should always be.

Originally Posted by OFTEric

I agree. I think FastPass should have always been an upcharge. But personally I do not think Disney or Universal should make the queues the enemy by making you want to skip them! I think Orginally Disney and Universal did the right thing with making themed queues, and preshows so that the queue was part of the experience, part of the story, something to been seen and ejoyed.

Demonizing the queue only hurts the product and the park infrustructure over the long haul... that being said if you are going to do it, make it an upcharge. If you are providing an extra service you should charge an extra fee... plain and simple.

Agreed with this as well..

[Jerren]

Originally Posted by TDLFAN

Fastpass is a two-class system in the way it has always been administered. Once the FP are gone and guests have no option but to stand by.. you become 2nd class. In regards to VIP's and peasants.. the same can be said about Extra Magic Hours... and how Disney discriminated against those who choose to stay at better hotels off property.

Sorry TDL But I think we are going to have to agree to disagree on the first part about FP class system. Yes when they run out they run out no arguments there but I don't see it as a two class system the same way I do with Universal since in it's current incarnation it's free and open to all guests with tickets. (as opposed to those who have a CM walk them in etc) And the way it's structured is that they only allow you 1-2 fp tickets at a time so your waiting in line somewhere or eating/shopping and enjoying the park, you can't just grabe 30 fastpasses for space mountain in the morning on your ticket and then ride it over and over running past the same poor guy in line 10-20 times while he waits to ride once... For all it's flaws the Disney FP system seems more fair to me than the current Universal system.

For whatever reason I don't have an opposition to extra perks for guests staying on property, EMH, Magical express, (Free) Disney Dining Plan are only available to guests staying on property and I've always felt when you use those perks effectively it saves you money to say stay at a Disney resort vrs off site, Disney banks on guests who just don't know how to work the system or don't work with someone who does. I also have no issues with Universal giving the front of line access to hotel guests who stay on property either I guess I just feel if you stay on site you deserve a bit of a perk for it. However I agree with you on how they should switch to a ticket book for the front of line pass to limit the abuse.

The issue I think Kcnole and I have is the up charge for what amounts to an unlimited use fastpass at Universal. If it was for a ride booklet and you only got one ride on it I would not have a big problem with it as that would limit the abuse.

I always though the Universal system was a bit flawed in that with the pass you can easily ride everything in the parks in a day or two and then what? They don't have enough for me to keep me there beyond that or really make me want to go back again and again they way Disney does. I can do two days at IOA and US and feel like I've done it all whereas at WDW I can spend 10 or more days on property and still leave with a list of things we didn't get to that trip which becomes the list for the next trip...

[AstroBlaster]

I don't see giving people that stay in the Deluxe Resorts an extra perk such as a special Fastpass to be a problem. If you don't give people enough perks they won't choose to stay in $250 a night resorts. Of course Disney could come up with different perks for those guests. I guess it all comes down to putting heads in beds.

[Luke Manning]

DHS no question.

[TDLFAN]

I just hope they don't damage IOA's credibility by adding prissy Princesses meet and greets areas... unlike DHS.

[Darkbeer]

Originally Posted by Luke Manning

DHS no question.

Have you ever been to IOA, which is an AMAZING park and kicks DHS's butt....

[napamaninsocal]

I got to go to IOA during a private party for Best Buy. We only got to go on Spiderman, Hulk, and the Cat in the Hat ride and just those 3 rides made the park way better than DHS. Spiderman was amazing!!!

[kcnole]

The issue I think Kcnole and I have is the up charge for what amounts to an unlimited use fastpass at Universal.

This has actually been fixed now. The only unlimited Express Pass is for hotel guests. Personally, I wish they were the only express pass. Now when you buy an express pass you get access to each ride only once (in truth it's always been this way it was just easily abused). Now when you go on a ride, your express pass ticket gets scanned and after that you get denied access at that ride from then on out. There's no way to scam the system by erasing a mark on the ticket.

[StitchIsKing]

I used to like DHS more but right now I feel as if it has a lot of fluff that I just don't want to eat more than once. At least IOA has a lot to offer.


It might just be because I've been to DHS so many times I'm just done with it.

[kcnole]

I haven't been to DHS in almost two years now. I really have no desire to go back right now. Sure it would be nice to see TSM, but that's not enough to draw me back and most of the new plans (American Idol for example) aren't inspiring me to come back either. Maybe its because I see this park failing so bad as it has great potential that just isn't being met and its too much of a let down to me there.

There is a way to truly make this park worthwhile. That is make it into three lands. The Hollywood that never was, Pixar Land, and Lucasland. The Hollywood portion is ok although I wouldn't mind a C ticket ride over there. Pixar Land needs TSM, the Monsters Inc coaster, and maybe a Cars attraction. Lucasland needs to be built out a bit though, revise Star Tours, update the Indy show, and give us a great Indy ride and maybe, just maybe this park would be worth visiting again.

[OFTEric]

Attraction break down! (and I will add my own commentary by putting a (w) if it is worth experiencing of a (s) if I think you should skip it)


Rides DHS:

1. Rockin' Roller Coaster (w)
2. Tower of Terror (w)
3. Great Movie Ride (w)
4. Toy Story Mania (w)
5. Star Tours (w)
6. Backlot Tour (s - not really worth experiencing anymore)

Rides IOA:

1. Incredible Hulk (w)
2. Spider Man (w)
3. Storm Force accelorator (s - teacups on acid)
4. Dr. Doom's Fear Fall (w)
5. Dudley Do Right's RipSaw Falls (w)
6. Popey's and Bluto's Blidge Rat Barges (w)
7. Jurrassic Park River Adventure (w)
8. Pteredon Flyers (w)
9. Dueling Dragons (w)
10. Flying Unicorn (w)
11. Cat in the Hat (w)
12. High in the Sky Suess Trolly Train Ride (w)
13. Carousuessel (s - carousel with Suess Characters)
14. One Fish 2 Fish (s - basically dumbo but more fun)

Shows DHS:

1. Beauty and the Beast (w)
2. The Little Mermaid (s - really fragmented and old)
3. Play House Disney (s - limited demographic)
4. Animation Tour (s - not real anymore)
5. One Man's Dream (s - limited appeal)
6. Narnia (s - limited appeal)
7. Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular (w)
8. Jedi Accademy (s - limited appeal)
9. Lights Motors, Action (w)
10. Muppets 4-D (w)
11. Sounds Dangerous (s - shody)

Shows at IOA:

1. Posidens Fury (w)
2. Sinbads 8th Voyage (w)

Play zones at DHS:

1. Honey I Shrunk the Kids Movie set adventure (s - old)

Play zones at IOA:

1. SS Olive (w)
2. Camp Jurrassic (w)
3. If I ran the Zoo (w)

Things at DHS worth doing: 9 attractions
Things at IOA worth doing: 16 attractions

So when I go to either of the parks this is how my time is occupied. As you can see there is far much more at IOA than DHS to consume my time!

[kcnole]

I agree with you on all of your comments except for these three.

One Fish 2 Fish (s - basically dumbo but more fun)
You're actually probably right here, but this ride turned out to be so much fun. My wife begs to ride this every time we go.

One Man's Dream (s - limited appeal)
While this may have limited appeal, it shouldn't. This journey through Walt's life should be required viewing for everyone visiting a Disney Park. I Personally just wish it was given a better billing than being hidden in the back of the worst park Disney has. This display should be right on Main Street.

Pteredon Flyers (w)
If there's no one in the park, then this is a fun ride. The problem is that the throughput is so terrible that if the park is even remotely full the wait for this ride will never be worth the experience.

[tasman]

^^ Fantasmic should be on the list.

My personal thoughts:

When I visit a theme park, the more heavily themed a ride is, the more likely I am to like it. For instance, if I am on a drop ride...I like to feel as though I am something other than a drop ride....if I am riding a roller coaster...then it's nice if the track is concealed in a way to make it seem as though it's something else. Disney usually does this, and I appreciate that...for me this is what differentiates a "theme" park from a regular amusement park. For instance, Tower of Terror vs Dr. Doom's at IOA...they are both drop rides...but one goes the extra mile in terms of theme. RNRC or Hulk...the former w/ track largely hidden in the dark, made to feel as though we were cruising Hollywood at high speed...the latter...just a nice roller coaster, painted green. Also Disney more often then not, try to hide big showbuildings as being something else (for instance, within mountains and such)...but Universal leaves these unthemed, as in the Jurassic Park ride building.

Again I'll defer a final verdict till I visit IOA (hopefully in a few weeks), but to date DHS does have more of the kind of rides and shows that interest me (that balance is likely to shift when the kuka arm ride opens at IOA). However again the two are very different types of parks and the fairest comparison is between DHS and USF.

[kcnole]

but Universal leaves these unthemed, as in the Jurassic Park ride building.

That building isn't unthemed. The theme isn't readily apparent from the outside, but if you ride the ride you see that its supposed to be a control building that is used for controlling the entire operations of the Jurassic Park Island. Granted, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense why there would be a flume coming out the back of it, but it is themed and makes sense while you're in the ride.

I'll agree with you that their drop ride (more of a slingshot ride than a drop ride) isn't themed on the ride system although the queue is very well themed. I also get a bit disapointed that their coasters tend to just be unthemed track (although the queue for dragon is probably the most impressive queue in any theme park anyhow). The rest of the park is immensely themed however. Again, if all you're going off of are a few pictures online you'll feel that way, if you see it in person its amazingly themed.

I will say this, I don't know how it will be in the future. My two favorite parts of theming were Port of Entry and Lost Continent. Most of what I loved about Lost Continent has been destroyed to make way for Potter.

[OFTEric]

Originally Posted by tasman

^^ Fantasmic should be on the list.

However again the two are very different types of parks and the fairest comparison is between DHS and USF.

Rides DHS:

1. Rockin' Roller Coaster (w)
2. Tower of Terror (w)
3. Great Movie Ride (w)
4. Toy Story Mania (w)
5. Star Tours (w)
6. Backlot Tour (s - not really worth experiencing anymore)

Rides USF:

1. Revenge of the Mummy (w)
2. The Simpsons (w)
3. Disaster (w)
4. Jimmy Nutron (s makes me ill)
5. Jaws (w)
6. MIB (w)
7. Woody Wood Pecker's Coaster (w)
8. Fivals Slide (w)
9. E.T. Adventure (w)

Shows DHS:

1. Beauty and the Beast (w)
2. The Little Mermaid (s - really fragmented and old)
3. Play House Disney (s - limited demographic)
4. Animation Tour (s - not real anymore)
5. One Man's Dream (s - limited appeal)
6. Narnia (s - limited appeal)
7. Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular (w)
8. Jedi Accademy (s - limited appeal)
9. Lights Motors, Action (w)
10. Muppets 4-D (w)
11. Sounds Dangerous (s - shody)

Shows USF:

1. Shrek 4-D (w)
2. Terminator 2 3-D (w)
3. Twister Ride it out (w)
4. Fear Factor Live (w)
5. Beattle Juice Grave Yard Review (w)
6. Blues Brothers (w)
7. Barney LIVE! (s - limited appeal)
8. Animal Planet! (w)
9. Monster's Horror and Make Up Show (w)

Play zones at DHS:

1. Honey I Shrunk the Kids Movie set adventure (s - old)

Play zones at USF:

1. Courious George (w)
2. Fivals Play area (w)

Nightime shows at DHS:

1. Fantasmic (w)

Nightime shows at USF:

1. Universal 360 (s - not very wowable)

Things at DHS worth doing: 10
Things at USF worth doing: 18

Trust me there are some things at DHS I like more like streetmosphere, but really there is more at USF to fill up a days activities then at DHS.