Universal Has A Disney Problem – DisneyDining

In the battle of the theme parks, there is only one hard and fast rule: stay relevant. This is often an uphill battle for Disney and Universal. Both resorts battle to dominate the industry and have the highest attendance. The race is neck and neck, but each resort faces its own challenges when it comes to staying relevant.

Disneys problem comes from having built so many lands around the future- a future that keeps catching up to it. This had led to a major overhaul of EPCOTs Future World. It had become so outdated that it was nostalgic rather than futuristic. Its reimagining will change all of that.

Universal, however, has a very different problem. Since their theming revolves almost exclusively around movies And TV shows, what theyve essentially done is build two entire theme parks on pop culture references. Thats a risky move because pop culture changes as often as the weather (or my hair color). One generations classic film is anothers never heard of it. In fact, my 7-year-old son only knows E.T because of the ride. He would have no clue what Jaws or Back to the Future was.

This presents a problem in that the Park has to reinvent itself constantly. Unlike Disney, its classics just dont have staying power. This is why theres only one original attraction left.

So when Classic Monsters Cafe closed its doors earlier this year, no one was shocked. Classic monster movies like Frankenstein and Dracula certainly have more staying power than, say, Fast and the Furious or possibly even Minions. Still, the general publics interest in them has waned. Most kids today, and even their parents, havent seen those films. In a world where relevance is everything, that just wont do.

Universals theme park space is at a premium. Unlike Disney, they dont have a property the size of San Francisco. To stay relevant, they must remove outdated things to make room for new ones. Disney has a size advantage and, therefore, can afford to keep nostalgic attractions. Universal doesnt have that luxury.

Universal has yet to announce what will replace the now defunct restaurant, but the smart money is on a Minions-themed eatery. That seems to be their hottest propertyfor now. It seems as though they hope Minions are the answer to their lack of timeless characters like Disneys fab 5: Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, and Daisy. While the Minnions are hilarious and lovable, they just havent been around long enough to prove if they have what it takes to go head to head with Disneys beloved mouse. Time will tell if this investment will pay off but now, Im suddenly hungry for a banana weird.

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Universal Has A Disney Problem - DisneyDining