Yeah, I mean, there are plenty of attractions I like that are based on an IP that I'm indifferent to, both at Universal and Disney. But I do certainly think that the more I like whatever the attraction is based on, the more likely I am to fully embrace that attraction.
This hits the nail on the head about how I feel about Universal as an adult. As a kid, my 3 favourite movies of all time were Back to the Future, Ghostbusters and Terminator. USF ticked all those boxes while I felt that Disney was a place filled with princesses and little else.
At Universal now. Not parks but city walk and Emerils closing is emotional for the staff and what customers are here understand it is the end of an era but no one is clamoring for it to stay open. I just think Universal patrons are OK with moving on and looking forward to new experiences while remembering the past.
They are a little short on time on announcements and maybe that is the source of the discontentMaybe none of this is really about nostalgia and more about Universal removing things with no real indication about what's coming.
I have always been perplexed as to why Universal doesn't have Frankenstien, Dracula, Wolfman, Mummy, and Creature from the Black Lagoon out there everyday doing M&Gs. Most people don't have a clue about the history of Universal Studios even after spending a day in the parks. After a day in the Disney Parks you know exactly who and what the Disney brand is all about.
Here's the thing: Universal has grown so much since 2010 that most of the guests that visit the resort don't even know about "the past" at the resort. Very few people people even know that Jaws had a presence in the park and even fewer know that BTTF did. How can you formulate an opinion based on something you don't know about?I just think Universal patrons are OK with moving on and looking forward to new experiences while remembering the past.
I actually think they like not having much of an identity. Once you have an identity (like Disney's "family friendly" one, for example), it sort of pigeonholes. It puts you in a box and I don't think Universal wants that.To me... This is a failing on Universal the company, not just the theme parks. The fact that they can't figure out how to package and market these films in a world prime for franchises and blockbusters is baffling.
I'd argue that the problem isn't just that Universal doesn't feature it's nostalgic IPs.... It's that they don't really have that brand identity at all right now. What is Universal in 2018? You can describe Illumantion and DreamWorks pretty well. But what is Universal? That's not an easy question to answer and it very much should be.
But at that the same time.... That's why Universal has always been "edgier" and more willing to take risks... Because they don't have the solid branding and foundation that Disney does.
Hence why I believe the parks are locking down on Illumination and DreamworksTo me... This is a failing on Universal the company, not just the theme parks. The fact that they can't figure out how to package and market these films in a world prime for franchises and blockbusters is baffling.
I'd argue that the problem isn't just that Universal doesn't feature it's nostalgic IPs.... It's that they don't really have that brand identity at all right now. What is Universal in 2018? You can describe Illumantion and DreamWorks pretty well. But what is Universal? That's not an easy question to answer and it very much should be.
But at that the same time.... That's why Universal has always been "edgier" and more willing to take risks... Because they don't have the solid branding and foundation that Disney does.
I think we’re looking too much at the Disney model for how to run a major studio.To me... This is a failing on Universal the company, not just the theme parks. The fact that they can't figure out how to package and market these films in a world prime for franchises and blockbusters is baffling.
I'd argue that the problem isn't just that Universal doesn't feature it's nostalgic IPs.... It's that they don't really have that brand identity at all right now. What is Universal in 2018? You can describe Illumantion and DreamWorks pretty well. But what is Universal? That's not an easy question to answer and it very much should be.
But at that the same time.... That's why Universal has always been "edgier" and more willing to take risks... Because they don't have the solid branding and foundation that Disney does.
I think we’re looking too much at the Disney model for how to run a major studio.
Disney hasn’t successfully launched a brand new live-action IP in at least a decade. You have Marvel, Star Wars, Disney live-action-based-on-old-animated-films.
That’s why it’s so easy to define Disney as a studio. You just define their several planks.
Universal, WB, and the others have been trying to launch new properties. It’s why they don’t have solid planks like this. None of the other studios have cemented themselves into buckets in such an extreme way as Disney.
Universal doesn't know what it wants to do, Disney has to do what they've always doneBut it's hard not compare when they've been the most successful. And when WB is trying to directly replicate the Marvel model with DC.
You can deny their creative abilities, but Disney has the current marketplace down to a science. Hollywood is broken. There's no doubt about that. But Disney is far from the only one.
I think this is a different debate about whether a good IP makes a good attraction.