Sorry bout the Triple post, My comp is died and was acting funny before it did. I have tons of viruses and I need to get it fixed... BSOD'd like 3 times in a row :'(...
Anyways...
Disney did negotiations with J.K Rowling for the rights to build a Harry potter attraction. Disney wasnt willing to do anything more than to build a ride that exits into a gift shop where you use wands to cast spells.... Like I said, alot of people Clearly undermine what Universal did with WWOHP and I dont understand why...
They took something from literature and Movies and built it into a real life attraction... They had almost nothing to work from aside from a few movie props... They designed cutsom merchandise that can only be bought there, they invented butterbeer, pumpkin juice... They even have made a custom Ale, all to match the books... Cauldron cakes, strawberry peanut butter ice cream etc... When is the last time Disney took something like that and turned it into something this immersive?
With Disney, and all they have done, you can only say I rode Splash mountain, I rode Snow white's Scary Adventures... For the first time in the history of Theme parks you can say someone has created something where you can say "I went to the place that only existed in this fictional book and ate this food that was also fictional, Then I took A tour of this fictional castle and shopped in this fictional store and bought this fictional item, and fictionally took apart in this coming of age custom(ollivanders) that was also fictional"... All fiction until someone recreated it and made it an actual place in real life... not just a show or a ride. This is why Disney lost the contract for the ride... They were not willing to go beyond what they always had done, making rides and shows... Universal went beyond what had ever been done before in a theme park and this is why I choose Universal... Because bar a few Disney rides I always feel like a spectator or like im apart of a show... Universal sets up a ride setting then puts you ride smack dab in the middle of a scenario.
Also In defending my ride quality choices. JAWS is still the only ride of its kind. One of few rides in existence to incorporate live acting and during said ride... It's a show that you are in the middle of that you actually take part in... Another thing Disney doesnt really do well...
The Mummy? You got to be joking if you think that ride is bad... The only disappointing thing about that ride is the fact that the "summoned" warriors aren't animatronic...
Also Jurassic park... A boat ride through Jurassic park gone wrong with some of the largest most regularly functioning*Cough* YETI *Cough* Animatronics ever done... Ever? And whilst I'll even say that most of them arent too Impressive (other than the fact that they are pretty freakin big, they are also continuously in contact with water) The T-REX is amazing and very life like... I've had nightmares of the boat getting stuck with the T-Rex right in your face screaming at you...