I don’t agree with lighting and sound design or sets. I think people equate realism with good…. Have you even seen the newer mazes at knotts? Paranormal is the big one that stands out to me.
Yes I’ve attended KSF every year since 2003 and have seen all the mazes each season. I also do lighting for a living, and Universal is far superior. A lot of it can come down to the equipment they have available to them. They literally use the same lights we do in the film industry, because everything is from the Universal Lamp Dock. Knott’s doesn’t have the budget for that equipment. They use mostly theatrical lights, which still are great quality.
The sound design in their mazes is top tier. They have a larger library of film quality sound effects and music than Knott’s has, which uses ASCAP. Knott’s have their own sound recording booths on site, but they aren’t up to the same quality as the same booths they use to record sound for films, that Universal has access to.
Also, my original post was about the competition in general. Not just Knott’s. Knott’s is, arguably, a step above just about every other haunt in SoCal. My point wasn’t even a dig at other events, or saying they don’t have quality, in those respects. It was merely stating that Universal has those resources that other places don’t.
I also did not state that Universal has excelled in those aspects recently, regardless of my opinion on whether they have or not. I said they have that edge over the competition, because we’ve seen them execute it before.
Edit: Also, about Set Construction and Decorating, Universal employs the same people that will do that for films, television, theater productions and concerts. They have access to the Universal Prop Warehouse. Again, whether or not it is being done to its fullest in recent events, they have that ability to create movie quality sets, that gives them an edge over the competition.