Here’s Why Universal Has Gained Ground on Disney
Nobody talks about the fact because of the pandemic. But Universal fans know that two of the three most attended theme parks in 2021 weren’t at Disney.
Universal Orlando Resort’s two theme parks claimed larger crowds than all Disney parks save for Magic Kingdom. Yes, Universal beat Disneyland!
Photo: Facebook/ universal
In fact, according to the Themed Entertainment Association, Universal’s Islands of Adventure hosted 500,000 more guests than Disneyland Park.
So, how has Universal gained so much ground on Disney? Here are several reasons.
Better Agency
Photo:Nintendo/Universal Studios
Let’s start with something inarguable. Universal’s latest masterpiece, Super Nintendo World, has established a new standard.
The guest controls the experience more than ever before. Specifically, when you enter this themed land, you choose how to interact with your environment.
Photo: Universal
Do you want to score points by completing park tasks? The new Power-Up Band empowers you to perform tasks in a variable environment.
Would you rather try to attain a high score on Mario Kart™: Bowser’s Challenge?
The ride mechanics encourage repeat visits so that you can get better and thereby score higher on the ride.
Photo: Universal Studios Japan
Even the dining and restaurant options here provide guests with more control. And it matters.
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing theme park legends Joe Lanzisero and Ryan Harmon, who are the Chief Art Director and President at Zeitgeist Design + Production.
These two individuals have worked on marvelous attractions and themed lands like Mickey’s Toontown and Toon Lagoon.
So, they’ve experienced both sides of the unavoidable Disney/Universal Studios debate.
During our conversation, Lanzisero marveled at what Universal has accomplished with Super Nintendo World.
Photo: gameintime.com
The former Imagineer described how effectively this new style of theme park design engages visitors.
The world-renowned creator stated, “You know, you get your wristband and…you’ve got agency. You’re drawn into the whole thing.”
In describing his impressions, Lanzisero added, “They blurred the lines between the dimensional sets, you know, the projected stuff, the augmented reality stuff.
“I mean, they really, they pushed the envelope on it. In the queue line, the use of 3D monitors and reticulars and things. Like I said, as a theme park guy, I was impressed by all that.”
Photo: geekvsfan.com
Disney doesn’t employ the same level of interactivity for many of its attractions. Universal has anticipated this evolving guest behavior more quickly.
Better Anticipation
Photo: gameintime.com
Speaking of anticipation, we should acknowledge the elephant in the living room.
Universal’s most significant gains have come during the Harry Potter era. The park famously spent $300 million on a daring moonshot.
Universal constructed The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, perhaps the most Disney-like thing to date.
Photo: Universal
While Universal owns the Jurassic Park/World brand, nothing at the park before then relied so much on the power of branding.
The bold attempt paid stunning dividends, as Universal managed what Disney couldn’t.
Universal executives forged a deal with author J.K. Rowling and then built The Wizarding World of Harry Potter to her precise, demanding specifications.
Photo:instagram/universalorlando
More recently, Universal has constructed two iterations of Super Nintendo World, a forward-thinking themed land on the cutting edge of theme park science.
Universal correctly determined that modern theme park guests would flock to a real-world implementation of Super Mario Bros. games.
Photo: Universal
Park officials rolled the dice twice and hit the jackpot both times. That’s not the only example, either.
Sometimes, Universal has bet big on its own properties. Perhaps the most recent example involves two announced expansions.
Universal will build a modest theme park in Frisco, Texas, that will mine its own intellectual properties.
More significantly, Universal will outsource the Halloween Horror Nights (HHN) brand to Area15, which will create a permanent HHN installation.
Universal accurately values its own emerging properties and correctly deduces outside brands with which park guests will connect.
More Like the Disney of Old
Photo: Pinterest
The more territorial Universal fans may not like this comment, but it’s valid.
In speaking with Lanzisero and Harmon, something became apparent. While Disney will always remain close to their hearts, they sound a bit nostalgic about Universal.
The artists mention this:
“With Disney, you go to a meeting, and there’s literally 40 people that show up. And really only four need to be there.
So with Universal, it’s the people who need to be there. It’s usually outside vendors, and by utilizing outside vendors, they can be faster and more nimble.”
Photo:UO
This is an exceptional point that explains how Universal can close some attractions in January 2023 and expect to open Minions Land this summer.
Universal doesn’t get bogged down in the slog of corporate politics as much as Disney, which is a remarkable thing to say since Comcast (!) owns Universal.
Photo: Universal
Still, there’s an explanation here. As Harmon recounts, Disney famously laid off many Imagineers in the 1990s.
That questionable decision gave wind to Universal’s sails, as it hired many former Imagineers, the best-trained ride designers in the world.
As Harmon notes, “The joke in the industry is Islands of Adventure is the best park Disney ever built.” Ouch.
Photo: Facebook/Universal Orlando
Disney basically leveled up its competition. In the process, a generation of Imagineers who learned from the original team suddenly imparted their knowledge at Universal instead.
So, the roots of the current generation of Universal park planners are at basically the same timeline as Disney Imagineering had been in the 1990s.
Photo: Universal
The former students of theme park design are now in charge of the parks after learning from their mentors during the past quarter-century.
Understanding Fans
As a Universal fan, you deserve some credit here, too. Since the start of 2022, Universal Orlando Resort has permanently closed the following:
- Curious George Goes to Town
- DreamWorks Destination
- Fievel’s Playground
- Meet Shrek and Donkey
- Poseidon’s Fury
- Shrek 4-D
- Woody Woodpecker’s Nuthouse Coaster
Did you throw a tantrum and vent online about any of the closures?
Photo: Universal
No, you understand that theme park progress often comes at the expense of existing structures.
You’re excited for what comes next and accept that Universal faces land constraints at its existing Orlando locale. That’s why Epic Universe will go elsewhere.
So, you don’t lash out on social media about the recent Poseidon’s Fury announcement. Instead, you speculate on what happens next.
Some theme park fans take a far different approach. As Harmon states:
“In some ways, I think it’s an advantage for Universal when you look at it from a business aspect because it does allow you to say, ‘Oh, okay, that doesn’t work.’ The guests are okay with us taking it out.”
Lanzisero adds, “I mean, to Ryan’s point, nobody’s going to miss Poseidon’s Fury, but you can’t touch Carousel of Progress or the Enchanted Tiki Room, or people lose their minds.”
Your understanding, welcoming nature makes life easier for Universal park planners!
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