How Disney has stolen any spotlight that Comcast's Epic Universe had hoped to enjoy.

Capacity - or lack thereof - is crippling Universal's Epic expansion. The park simply did not have enough capacity to promote positive word of mouth in its first year. Instead, the story has been long wait times and inconsistent operations, including its signature roller coaster being down for months.

And yet... I am not hearing anything that I believe about Universal adding any new attractions at Epic, save for a fireworks show. The expansions that I am seeing are more likely dining and flex spaces than the new high-capacity rides that the park desperately needs.

Disney is working to flood the market with new rides and shows at Walt Disney World over the next few years, including Tropical Americas at Animal Kingdom next year, Monsters Inc. at Hollywood Studios perhaps the year after that, then Cars and Villains at Magic Kingdom by 2030. Universal will have the Fast & Furious coaster next year in Studios, but I hear crickets about what will replace the current Fast & Furious attraction.

Yes, Pokemon is coming to IOA, but is that enough to maintain the gap with WDW, much less close it?

Personally, I think this is going to be a rough year for all the Orlando parks, given the rising prices of gas and airfares. The economy might keep Disney and Universal from enjoying the full benefits of their new 2027 attractions, too, as people put off vacation plans. But this is a long-term game. And, at the moment, Epic was great for Universal. But if Comcast really wants to take it to Disney, it needs to buckle in and commit to spending even more than it has committed up until now.

Because Disney is spending to keep its lead in the Orlando market.

If Epic Universe is Comcast's best shot in Orlando, by any objective assessment, it fell short ... By a lot.

Posters pooh-poohed the used ride package going to Great Adventure, but a comparable collection would do wonders for Epic and aid the capacity issue. A Captain Cacao themed indoor wild mouse, a wave swinger and a Dumbo style spinner would fit in wonderfully in Celestial Park and help balance the crowds. The new Potter attraction and other rumored E tickets are great, but Epic could really use some less pricey mid tier attractions.

I'm not sure the goal of Epic was to catapult Universal to #1 in the Orlando market (although I'm sure the higher-ups would be delighted if this happened). In a Coca-Cola world, there's still a place for Pepsi. The Universal parks segment had their first billion-dollar quarterly EBITDA in the first full quarter of Epic (that's up over 23% YoY). It's possible for both Universal & Disney to do well without it devolving into a 2-party zero-sum game.

Both companies are really competing with the amount of vacation time available to the public. Sure, on the margins, maybe some guests add a day of Epic at the cost of a Disney day or add a Disney day and scrap a Universal day. But IMO the tradeoff is happening with the smaller parks. Guests are adding another Universal day at the expense of SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, FunSpot, a beach day, a non-park day, etc. Perhaps decades in the future Disney & Universal will be the only 2 dominant forces in the Orlando market and the competition becomes more cutthroat, but at this point it's possible for Universal to remain a healthy #2 while still growing its balance sheet and keeping its leaders, shareholders, and fans satisfied.

While I think it's a bit unfair to compare Disney plussing up attractions or adding rethemes to Universal opening 11 new rides and 2 new shows in the past year, none of that excuses the capacity problems at Epic. The thematic design and immersion is top-tier, but the actual operation of the park leaves much to be desired. Guest experience will continue to be subpar so long as the amount of things to do takes a substantial hit whenever the perennial Central Florida rainstorm descend from the heavens. They need to remedy this as quickly as possible.

This put Disney in an interesting spot. @TH, nearly all of your mentioned recent & future additions are reskins, rethemes, or upgrades to existing attractions. While these are all great, they are fundamentally not adding substantial capacity to Disney's theme parks. Maybe Monstropolous gets to keep a show in the old Muppet theater in addition to its coaster or Tropical America's gets an additional spinner that nets out slightly above the old Dino-Land (complete with Primeval Whirl), but these are all very, very marginal.

The biggest capacity add won't arrive until Piston Peak & Villians Land (and even these come at the, albeit minor, capacity cost of Liberty Belle & Tom Sawyer Island). These rethemes may even make the guest experience worse in some ways, as Disney is holding the capacity (supply) steady, while increasing the demand with shiny new attractions. Perhaps they counter this by additional price hikes, keeping a reasonable experience for those willing to pay.

But I think there's a bigger, often under-covered, aspect to Disney's recent projects (@Robert, I'm game into turning this into a full article!).

At a park like Universal Studios Florida, there's no expectation of nostalgia or continuous history. Guests visit to experience fun, thrilly(er) rides. The only opening day attraction still in operation is ET.

Compare that to Disney, which has the market cornered on nostalgia. Parents take their kids to experience the same rides they rode when they were kids (Dumbo, Pirates, Peter Pan, etc). These are the sacrosanct, untouchable rides at the Disney parks. Unlike Universal, Disney is yoked to its history.

This allows guests to experience a sort of in-park timelapse, understanding how attraction design has evolved throughout the decades.

But if Disney keeps demolishing their older, but not untouchable, attractions (as is their current SOP), that puts them in an interesting spot. In a few decades its possible for Disney to have its classic attractions from the 70s & 80s, only a few from the 90s-2010s, and the rest from the past 20 years or so.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing! But it makes the guest experience somewhat discordant. For example, instead of experiencing the continuity from The Haunted Mansion to Dinosaur to Rise of the Resistance in the evolution of dark rides, guests now jump from Haunted Mansion to RotR. There's a lot of theme park artistry and design lost in that jump.

It may just make the park experience more jarring--having a bunch of "ancient" attractions operating, a bunch of "state-of-the-art" attractions, and not much in-between.

I agree with Handsdontscan. Universal isn't the biggest name in Orlando - what else is new?

Because, TH, to say that BotM is "meh" compared to the Zootopia show and the effectively non-existent BDX droids are more reliable than Stardust is playing favorites. You should give credit where credit is due every so often.

Epic Universe, despite what you've said, has definitely had more buzz than anything in your list, and F&F is going to be a meaningful follow-up that capitalizes on the hype. Meanwhile, Disney is closing fan favorites left and right at the betrayal of their loyal fans, and all of their parks are currently under major construction, with DHS missing its headlining roller coaster, Muppetvison, and the art of animation courtyard. Even IOA's tarp-covered Hogwarts looks better than that.

In your list, everything does seem to be a very minor addition. Are you seriously saying, biases aside, that EU is comparable to some refurbs, meet&greets, and the removal of a breadfruit tree?

Excellent discussion.

V-Coaster: "TH, to say that BotM is "meh" compared to the Zootopia ..."

Me: Where did I say that?

TH: Here, here is where you said it (note, you even used quotation marks around meh, thusly - "meh"):

From the BD-X droids at Galaxy's Edge to the addition of 'Zootopia' at Disney's Animal Kingdom (a new park attraction exploiting the $1.9 billion success that is 'Zootopia 2') Disney has already grabbed the spotlight away from its competitor's empty fountain, technically challenged centerpiece coaster and a rather "meh" dark ride that (once again) taps into the Harry (yawn) Potter franchise.

TH:"From the BD-X droids at Galaxy's Edge to the addition of 'Zootopia' at Disney's Animal Kingdom (a new park attraction exploiting the $1.9 billion success that is 'Zootopia 2') Disney has already grabbed the spotlight away from its competitor's empty fountain, technically challenged centerpiece coaster and a rather "meh" dark ride that (once again) taps into the Harry (yawn) Potter franchise."

Summary: The Zootopia show is attracting more attention than BotM because BotM is "meh". Which is kind of you saying that Zootopia is better, no?

Unless of course, you're saying that Zootopia is getting more attention because of how much people universally seem to dislike it. In which case you can't just say "well any press is good press".

I disagree with either premise: Zootopia held the spotlight for a few days, maybe a week. Meanwhile, Epic Universe seems to get a lot more airtime on social media. And I don't know what you consider buzz, but I've been seeing countless news articles about Stardust (especially if we're still saying"any press is good press"), rumored expansions, and food reviews- a whole lot more than anything on your list.

In fact, pretty much everything on your list is comparable to something that opened at epic Universe (I'm not counting upgrades, those do not improve capacity and only minimally affect the GP's experience and admission). Furthermore, Epic is definitely more than the sum of its parts. . . could we say the same for a bunch of small refurbs that are spread across four parks?

@MLB: Nope. Not even close. I was NOT comparing the attractions. I was saying the Disney has been maintaining its standing/visibility in the marketplace by opening small, new attractions. While Comcast drops billions to gain some attention with Epic, Disney counters by spending less and (slow and steady) keeping itself in front of the public.

I haven't seen the Zootopia flick at DAK -- nor have I heard anyone rave about it. I would guess it's nothing special. I have, however, been on BotM and I thought the queue area was more impressive than the attractions. Hence: "meh".

V-Coaster: "Summary: The Zootopia show is attracting more attention than BotM because BotM is "meh". Which is kind of you saying that Zootopia is better, no?

Me: "Kind of"? (Chuckle). No, I never said (nor even implied) that the "Zootopia show is attracting more attention than BotM". The point I advance is that Disney has been sustaining its standing/ visibility in the market through the incremental opening of smaller attractions and entertainment. BotM cost north of $100 million ($200 million). By comparasion the Zootopia film cost pennies.

And frankly, when it comes to BotM I prefer Forbidden Journey ... which (for the record) when it it originally opened I posted, "Seriously, there is no denying that the team at Universal Creative has consistently outpaced WDI since the opening of Islands of Adventure. Universal Creative is the GOLD STANDARD for innovation in theme park design. 'The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman', 'Men in Black: Alien Attack', 'Revenge of the Mummy, and now "Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. There is not a single WDW attraction that is anywhere near as innovative".

Disney hasn't stolen any spotlight from EPIC as nobody is talking about their incremental tweaks to rides and attractions but everybody has an opinion of EPIC - good, bad or indifferent - therefore, EPIC is still very much in the spotlight.

However, what THC has says about how Disney has spent minimally and improved several is an excellent observation but ultimately nothing they have done either creates a magnet to visit or forms an opinion.

MyHandsDontScan has highlighted a very significant fact, the extra day or two spent at Universal is damaging SeaWorld, Busch Gardens etc. EPIC is certainly having an adverse impact on central Florida excluding WDW.

Well, TH, you must admit. . .to mention Stardust and Zootopia in the same breath and then try pretending like you're not comparing the two is misleading to say the least.

But my point still stands. Trying to applaud Disney for a cheap little show and say that they're "stealing the spotlight" with it isn't true, and this short-term strategy of band-aid fixes isn't anywhere near as innovative as Epic Universe.

I guess I'll lend my 2 cents to this TH-loaded discussion.

1. Epic was a massive investment and risk by Comcast as they pushed through the Pandemic to deliver the new theme park as expeditiously as they could given the circumstances. While it was advertised to be a completely different kind of theme park, the reality is that it appears to be merely a confirmation of the current trend in theme parks to have multiple lands themed around well known IPs with the only unique aspect being the portals and the lack of interconnectivity between the lands. Universal has definitely seen success with the new park, but I do think if put under oath, they would admit that it has not completely met expectations, especially since they poured additional effort and capital into the project to overcome complications caused by the Pandemic.

There have been rumors swirling that Universal is in the process of readying expansions for the brand new park, but it's unclear exactly what they're doing, but after operating for nearly a year, Epic's clear issue is a lack of overall attraction capacity. Now, this doesn't necessarily pose an immediate issue since most guests visiting the park are there for the first or second time in their lives, and want to experience everything, which even when all the attractions are running optimally is difficult to accomplish in a single day. This would explain why Universal has yet to open Epic to unlimited access for UO APs, and why they've been so conservative in their ticketing/reservation procedures during the first year of operation. The reality is that Universal knows that the park's attraction cannot meet demand, but they also don't want to simply add attractions simply for the sake of increasing capacity, so we're getting what appears to be a slow, strategic expansion that may result in a better overall experience, but not one that's going to provide any relief anytime soon (though perhaps if Stardust Racers and BotM can operated more reliably, it can help).

Instead, Universal is focusing capital on their legacy parks by adding the F&F coaster to USF and a rumored Pokemon addition to replace Lost Continent at IOA. As TH has noted, when Universal opened IOA, they were strategic in adding attractions to USF to ensure the new park did not cannibalize the original Orlando park. However, this time around, Universal instead has chosen to leave the legacy parks relatively unimproved before and immediately after the opening of the new park, and instead attempted to utilize ticketing policies to prevent cannibalization. It's very possible that the Pandemic and additional costs to deliver Epic prevent Universal from investing more in their legacy parks ahead of Epic's opening, but the fact of the matter is that USF and IOA were left treading water with a shiny new theme park down the street. Now that Universal has slowly rolled back those ticketing restrictions, it's become necessary for the legacy parks to create new draws to maintain their attendance and also relieve some pressure off Epic, which simply doesn't have the capacity to meet demand and expectations and little recourse to make immediate changes to improve the situation.

2. In contrast to the massive addition of Epic, Disney has instead chosen to make minor tweaks to their park lineups in preparation of a major push during the later half of this decade. While TH would likely call this brilliant strategy, I think this is come to pass more by happenstance and fortuitous timing. Universal was fully committed to Epic well before the Pandemic struck. Aside from the Galactic Starcruiser, Tron, and the improvements to EPCOT, Disney had no other major active construction projects in 2020 or other projects that were set to kick off in the near term. Since Disney didn't have billions of dollars at stake like Universal did with Epic, they could take a more patient approach to their parks and see how the industry would recover from the Pandemic. This allowed Disney to focus on smaller tweaks to their parks and play "small ball" in the near term as their "response" to Epic when an eye to more substantial additional in the longer term, though some of those longer term projects are causing some significant short term pain in the form of a nerfed attraction lineup at DAK and a massive construction site in the middle of their centerpiece park.

We all know TH likes to poke the bears here, but in some respects they are correct. Disney is getting a lot of bang from their buck by making small changes to their parks and doesn't appear to be giving up much market share despite Universal opening a brand new theme park on the other side of town. However, I do think Disney has been fortunate that they had the luxury of timing that saw the Pandemic strike at a point where they could cancel or significant trim back upcoming projects with little consequence, while Universal was faced with a conundrum of delaying their new park as construction and materials costs were skyrocketing or commit to some additional capital to ensure Epic could continue progress through a very challenging environment.

Ultimately, I think both companies made good decisions for their individual circumstances, but it does look like Disney is getting plenty of mileage from their modest improvements while Universal achieved their goals of significant increasing revenue at UO with both companies more or less maintaining their status in the marketplace. You could certainly argue that Universal wanted Epic to be their "Disney Killer", but I think it's foolish to continue to pit the 2 against each other even though they are constantly painted as mortal enemies. They actually feed off each other's success and as much as Epic has been a success for Universal, it has also likely helped WDW, and the major upcoming additions to WDW will likely help UO.

Russell: "Ultimately, I think both companies made good decisions for their individual circumstances, but it does look like Disney is getting plenty of mileage from their modest improvements ..."

Me: Exactly.

V-Coaster: "TH, you must admit ..."

Me: No I don't -- nor will I. Get over it.

Incidentally, it's important to realize that the list of "small ball" developments at WDW includes attractions that have not yet been completed. The upgraded Big Thunder Mountain, Millennium Falcon, the Muppets coaster and the DHS Animation Courtyard are all still in development. Also, I almost forgot, there's the new Bluey attraction (DAK) and Level 99 at DSTP. There's really no sign that Disney is going to slow down its commitment to open multiple smaller ptojects.projects.

In the meantime, Comcast is replacing a rillercoaster with a roller coaster.

In the meantime, Disney is is replacing a roller coaster with the same roller coaster. . .twice.

@V-Coaster: Yep. Along with developing all of the smaller projects listed across this thread as well as major expansions (new lands) at DAK, DHS and MKP.

Look, my point is echoed in Russell's comment (above): "Ultimately, I think both companies made good decisions for their individual circumstances, but it does look like Disney is getting plenty of mileage from their modest improvements ..." And as a Central Florida resident, I applaud what Comcast has accomplished by opening Epic Universe. It's good for my local/state economy and for the industry I work in.

Having said that, a combination of WDW's "small ball" success (with even more moderate-sized projects to open soon), the way D'Amaro's ascension to CEO has commanded so much positive attention (Brian who?) and the coming soon substantial expansions of DAK, DHS and MKP, there shouldn't be any doubt that WDW will remain the dominant force in the Orlando market.

But, again, Comcast should take pride in its themed entertainment accomplishments and its second place standing in Central Florida. As MyHandsDontScan notes above, "In a Coca-Cola world, there's still a place for Pepsi" ... or Mr. Pibb.

To Summarize the above conversations:

Disney Fanboys will be Disney Fanboys.

BE: "Disney Fanboys will be Disney Fanboys."

Me: Sure seems like it. Which is why Epic Universe won't be able to make any sort of significant dent in WDW's market share.

(Chuckle)

Yes TH - this is exactly what I am saying - "Disney Fanboys will be Disney Fanboys"

So yes Epic will not make a dent into Disney Dynasty.

It does not mean Epic is bad - it simply means Disney has a huge following and Universal added a New park..

Both can be true...

But Universal fans will spend a bit more by going to this New Park, Correct?

(and with Gas prices being so Low right now - I am sure no one will skip a park)
hahahaahahaha

@Brian: Never said Epic Universe is "bad". In fact I wrote "... as a Central Florida resident, I applaud what Comcast has accomplished by opening Epic Universe. It's good for my local/state economy and for the industry I work in.:

I think a lot of the things highlighted in the OP are things that might entice regulars and theme park nerds (insiders) back, but none of them are going to attract the casuals or one timers. Nobody is making a vacation/holiday plan to see a theme park parade, but they will for Super Nintendo. First timers don’t care if Rock n Roller coaster got rethemed or if there’s a new millennium falcon experience, they have no old experience for them to want to see the difference.

In terms of the long term picture one of two things is going to happen:

1. We actually get peace, and the straight reopens. It’s still going to be painful for 6-12 months as logistics catches up moving oil, but normality will return.

2. We don’t see that. Oil facilities in the gulf get attacked and destroyed - it doesn’t matter which side is hit or which side is hit worse. If that happens, this situation is semi-permanent, as it’s going to take years for replacements to come online and/or companies to transition off oil, so no prospect for a return ti normal prices.

Either way, I would not be committing to anything big right now, however U-UK might turn out to be a good play if it means retaining European customers who can’t fly transcontinental anymore.

@The Chad: What does that have to do with Disney successfully countering Comcast's multi-billion dollar with smaller attractions and entertainment projects over the short term? Comcast's UK project is years away. The original post focuses on what Disney has done, what Disney is doing and what Disney is going to do over the next seven or eight months.

@TH: With all due respect, I think you're being a bit uncharitable.

Chad H was responding to your direct thesis statement ("Disney successfully countering Comcast's multi-billion dollar with smaller attractions and entertainment projects over the short term") with his first paragraph. Then he transitioned into forecasting potential long-term outcomes for the theme park business based on macroeconomic conditions.

Some folks in this discussion are dovetailing off your initial points. And I think that's great! It promotes discussion!

"I think a lot of the things highlighted in the OP are things that might entice regulars and theme park nerds (insiders) back, but none of them are going to attract the casuals or one timers."

And I think Disney understands that, and you can see it in their marketing. I live outside of the Orlando market, and none of the WDW ads have mentioned these smaller additions, because they don't really move the needle for guests who visit the parks on an occasional basis. However, these smaller additions/tweaks can initiate visits from locals and DVC guests who would normally visit the park multiple times every 1-2 years.

On the other side, I do find it interesting that recent Universal Orlando ads airing in my market (DC Metro Area) and finally showing actual footage from inside Epic (prior ad campaigns were still showing CGI visualizations)., but are presenting UO as a complete resort using footage from USF, IOA, and Volcano Bay along with the clips inside Epic. It's almost as if the marketing teams have moved on from Epic as a "new" theme park.

That's an interesting point, Russell. Something I think we all anticipated at some stage that Universal is not simply there to complement your WDW visit but offers a 4-5 day/week full and varied experience outside of WDW. The battle lines are being re-drawn.

@Hands - Fair point.

And let's not forget it's not all sunshine and lollipops over at Disney...

https://apnews.com/article/disney-layoffs-8434044668b03755c8a8c7a4b51f57bd

These are coming from D'Amaro too, and are impacting park employees as well as other roles across the organization.

>>@The Chad: What does that have to do with Disney successfully countering Comcast's multi-billion dollar with smaller attractions and entertainment projects over the short term?

I refer you to the first paragraph.

And the hits just keep on coming: New Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro has been named to the TIME100 Most Influential People List.

"New Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro has been named to the TIME100 Most Influential People List."

Certainly notable, but if Miss Piggy had been appointed CEO of the Walt Disney Company, she would have probably appeared on that list instead of D'Amaro.

Oh man, I’d pay to visit that parallel universe where Miss Piggy was in charge…. Renaming everything after herself, insisting no one else has been as good as her….

Certainly notable, but if Miss Piggy had been appointed CEO of the Walt Disney Company, she would have probably appeared on that list instead of D'Amar

HAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAH

@Russell: "If" "probably" ... That's an irrelevant point. My post notes that the timing of the announcement of D'Amaro's promotion -- now boosted by the mention by Time -- is another example of Disney stealing the spotlight. I am not saying it's some kind of big achievement, or that he even deserves the recognition. I'm saying it helps. I'm saying it's a good thing for Disney.

Thanks for the clarification TH, I thought you wanted to show off your I-HEART-JOSH pins, but you're really just angling for a seat on the board of D23 - good to know ;)

$9.95 each. $24.95 for three.

The desperation and cope in the title of this thread alone is too much for me to comprehend. The little half day park down the road from the mouse is approaching 40% market share in Orlando. Disney can "small ball" all they like. Universal is swinging for the fences and is not afraid of bench clearing brawls.

And for good measure, I'll point out how Disney passed on the book, movie, and theme park rights to Harry Potter, which made the Universal Parks & Resorts exponential growth since 2010 a harsh reality for fans of the mouse to swallow.

You have what we call "FUD" in the tech industry. Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt. There's an old saying that goes "the empty cart makes the most noise".

I give you fine people of TPI the empty cart. The internet's answer to a question nobody asked.

I'm going to come in with a hot take and possibly unpopular opinion, but I think Epic Universe has been an Epic Fail for Universal and they know it. The park has been open for a year (and operating a lot longer than that) but they still have capacity limited way lower than they were expecting because of the absolutely horrendous reviews the park is getting. It is has the worst reviews of any park in the country on Google, i'm not even joking, i've compared it to every major park and its got far lower ratings even than Sea World and Six Flags America.

And sure some of that is because its new and has way more demand than its going to realistically be able to have capacity for, but this has been a disaster. Disney's newest park, Shanghai Disneyland, got mostly great reviews from the first day it opened and that park has very few e-ticket attractions.

the_man26 - For the park to be an epic fail, it needs to be empty. There is no shortage of people willing to go despite the reviews you speak about, but do not cite in any way.

I was there for one day a month after it opened since I was at the Infocomm convention and staying literally across the road. Have any of the rabid Pixie Dusters in here even set foot in the park to form your own opinion?

You people can spin this any way you like, but the fact is, Universal market share increased steadily from 1999 to to 2010, then skyrocketed after the first WWoHP addition. Same thing happened when Diagon Alley opened.

It's staggering how long Disney waited to follow Universal's lead on the popular IP themed lands additions. Then they pick... Avatar and a Star Wars timeline everyone hates?

The only complete and utter theme park epic fail I can site in recent memory is the Galactic Starcruiser. Oddly enough, it got "great" reviews, but most of those were from people Disney sent for free. Aside from your claim of "horrible" reviews, and yes, I have read a few, Epic has driven revenue 22% and helped surpass 1B in quarterly earnings.

Epic has to be a "disaster" for certain people to sleep at night. I'll never understand the complete and blind loyalty to a corporation. We are going full throttle next year. Helios, Express Passes (or VIP). I'll draw my own conclusions after the trip.

Is this still the denial stage of grief? I though we moved past this years ago. Maybe we are on anger now. TH sure seems riled up with those all caps exclamations. It also seems water seeks its own level in here.

It's funny we never talk about Disney / Marvel / Pixar and their endless string of box office bombs / losses, only how Disney is "stealing Epic Universe thunder". Sounds like panic to me. I have always noticed the most confident people in a meeting never say a word. This is the polar opposite. I'm yelling it at full volume... it must be true (chuckle).

Associated Press, April 14, 2026.... Entertainment - "The Walt Disney Co. begins laying off 1,000 employees". Sounds awesome over at the house of mouse.

Look through my post history and try to find something positive I have said about Disney in the last 5 years. Saying Shanghai Disneyland's opening was a success may be the first time I have said anything positive. Meanwhile you are criticizing corporate bootlickers, while you are actively corporate bootlicking.

The reason I am saying Epic has been a disaster for Universal is because they were planning on being able to let a lot more people in the park and they can't because its getting horrible reviews. So they were planning on making significantly more ticket sales, AP sales, Express sales, food sales, and merch sales than they are making. The park cost $8 billion to build and its still severely capacity limited and people are still finding it a ripoff. Its not meeting their expectations with how much they were planning on making.

Also the reviews thing is not my opinion, that's a fact, it has a 2.3 star rating on Tripadvisor and 3.8 on google reviews. Meanwhile Sea World has 4.4 and Six Flags America has 4.1.

Oops! I forgot to mention the new edition of Big Thunder Mountain at the Magic Kingdom!

Also, if you hang out on LinkedIn, there are suddenly a lot of people announcing they've found employment with Universal Creative.

I think Universals track record shows only a fool bets against them based on the first year of their theme park.

Well said, Chad H.

Well said Chad H.

My main takeaway from Epic Universe's opening is that it shows how different the world is now in the age of social media and influencers. I know a lot of people point to the park having capacity problems, but it currently has eleven rides, not that different from other major parks in Florida from recent memory.

Hollywood Studios: Opened with two rides, three if you count Star Tours opening a few months later.

Animal Kingdom: Opened with three rides, one of which has since closed and sat idle for 27 years.

Islands of Adventure: Opened with eleven rides, one of which has since closed and sat idle for 25 years.

I don't know what the park experience was like during those opening years, but if they were consistently busy like Epic is, any vloggers that were around back then probably would have dragged them through the mud as well.

Flat rides have not really been added much to Disney or Universal in recent years, but those are the kind of "small ball" attractions both parks should continue investing in to give families with small children something to do that won't have a long wait.

Don't say "small ball" like that, James. . .TH is gonna start talking about meet'n'greets and breadfruit trees again. . .

we saved up our pennies to go to Epic, and had a great time despite the crowds. that said, I warn everyone, and suggest maybe waiting a year or two. But, I have not heard anyone outside of bloggers make any mention of any of the new Disney offerings or tweaks to existing rides.

AngryDuck - If you haven't noticed, the original post and topic is from someone who needs constant reassurance and tells themselves exactly what they want to hear, then also tried to make it a passive aggressive rage bait post at the same time.

I'll never understand the blind loyalty defend at all costs Disney Pixie Duster cult. Make it make sense. Who obsesses this much over a corporation?

Did he have a few cocktails before he posted this whiny diatribe?

@Angry Duck - Maybe check out the front page of TPI.

@TH yes people who read TPI are aware of Disney adding things, I am aware that Disney is adding small things, but I don't think the average person is aware... heck if I asked my wife I don't think she would have any idea, and she use to be a huge Disney fan. We went to EPIC because our toddler was asking us about Mario land everyday.

@Duck: I don't think the "average person" knows about 'Rise of the Resistance' or Hagrid's Long-Assed Named Attraction either.

This thread is a psychologists dream. The cope is more unbearable than it was a week ago when I stumbled across this bargaining stage of grief word salad.

One of Epic Universe's main objectives was to add another day to Guest's vacation while visiting UO. They definitely accomplished that goal.

Their goal(s) was not to beat the mouse, but rather to add to an already bustling area of themed entertainment offerings. Simply read "Taming the Mouse" by Tom Mehrmann; he hits it on the nose with how to compete with Disney in the theme park market. (Great read, super recommend)

I am rooting for both companies because at the end of the day, "competition" is good for both businesses. Heck, even Seaworld (and Funspot) benefits from all of this. We are about to be back in the 2010s post-Potter era where almost every year in Orlando has something big opening. Can't wait!

You’re absolutely right Themeparkies. One restaurant is complacency, two restaurants is competition, six restaurants is a destination dining district.

May 3 - Reimagined Big Thunder reopens
May 4 - Star Wars Day at DHS
May 10 - 'Impressions de France' and 'Beauty and the Beast' singalong reopen
May 22 - New mission at 'Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run' (featuring Grogu and The Mandalorian)
May 26 - Muppets coaster opens at Disney Hollywood Studios
May 26 - 'Soarin' Across America' opens at EPCOT
May 26 - Bluey and Dingo opens at Disney's Animal Kingdom
May 26 - Goofy Core opens at EPCOT
May 26 - 'Jessie's Roundup: A Rip Roarin' Review' opens at the Magic Kingdom
May 29-30 - Banana Ball Games at Disney's Wide World of Sports

That's "Banana Ball" ... but it's (all) still small ball.

TH Creative - That list of gatecrashers is pretty impressive.

Banana Ball is so popular that the only way to get tickets to their games is to enroll in their ticket lottery system. Every game sells out. It's easy to see why - Banana Ball is goofy fun, very entertaining and perfect for families. No wonder Disney has been partnering with them.

Beacher - The problem with Banana Ball is it basically the Macarena. Long term, I cannot see it lasting. Anything viral usually fades on a logarithmic scale.

NB Creative - I agree. It's a very creative concept that is well executed with tons of positive energy, but if it doesn't evolve beyond its gimmicks, it will eventually fade. I hope they figure it out.

"Gatecrasher" theme park developments have nothing to do with "small ball" investments/strategy.

As for Banana Ball and the popularity of the game, the impact of small ball developments don't have to last forever. Just "for now" -- helping draw attention (and attendance) to Walt Disney World until the major expansions open at Disney's Animal Kingdom (2027), Monstropolis at Disney Hollywood Studios (2028), Piston Peak (2029) and Villains Land (2030) at the Magic Kingdom.

Additionally, regarding the claim that the Bananas' "gimmicks" will "eventually fade", let me introduce you to the Harlem Globetrotters -- currently celebrating their 100th anniversary.

Small ball at work: This morning, social media is showing very, very large, rope drop crowds walking towards Big Thunder Mountain.

At DHS today ... Galaxy's Edge is (predictably) very busy ... Rope drop 830 ... Got through ROTR in an hour ... But now the crowds are really building

Some small ball success. Q2 resulsts -- CNBC (05/06/26): "Disney reported $25.17 billion in quarterly revenue on Wednesday, beating Wall Street expectations. Operating income exceeded the company’s prior guidance.
Revenue from Disney’s streaming business – including the recently launched ESPN direct-to-consumer app – helped to offset declines in the traditional TV bundle.
Despite recent macroeconomic headwinds, including the Middle East conflict that has caused rising oil prices, Disney’s theme park business remained stable."

Hmmm, I wonder what could have possibly brought people into the Orlando area in the past year to cause a rise in Disney's revenue. . .

Oh I know! It was the Zootopia show!

@V-Coaster: No. I doubt that. But it seems that multiple, small, incremental additions to WDW's attractions and entertainment helped allow it to sustain admissions. Or as Russell Meyers put it: "... but it does look like Disney is getting plenty of mileage from their modest improvements."

Apparently the numbers prove Russell right, don't they?