Let’s be honest: the recent D23 2024: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event – Disney Experiences announcements fell short of igniting excitement among Disney fans, at least to the level of what we were hoping for, especially in the ongoing theme park rivalry between Disney and Universal. This isn’t to say there aren’t things to be excited about, but when the biggest competition is building a game-changing theme park down the street, many of us thought we’d be getting more. As a devoted Disney fan and father who loves taking his kids to Disney theme parks, it’s tough for me to admit this. You might be excited about what was announced, and maybe you disagree with my broad statement. That’s fair, but I doubt any of these announcements will make people reconsider spending their money on a Universal trip in 2025 to save up for a Disney trip in 2026-2028.
Sure, there are plenty of announcements that will be great — a Monsters, Inc. land, the miniature Cars Land, and a Villains Land, all of which I’m genuinely looking forward to, even at the expense of Tom Sawyer Island and Rivers of America. But while this massive investment is promising, it doesn’t come close to competing with the buzz around Epic Universe. If Disney had instead invested in a fifth theme park at Walt Disney World, it could have stolen the spotlight from Universal and created a massive online buzz that would have likely overshadowed Universal’s efforts and hype. People would still be excited about Epic Universe, but it would have certainly shifted the focus and excitement in Orlando.
I’m thrilled that a Villains Land is finally coming to the Magic Kingdom, a long-standing rumor coming true. However, from a marketing standpoint, none of this seems sufficient enough to change the perception that Universal is closing in on or stealing market share away from Disney.
Soon, Universal Orlando Resort will boast three great theme parks and the best water park in Orlando, Volcano Bay, which Universal even considers a “water theme park.” With the addition of Epic Universe, it’ll be easy to plan a week-long Orlando vacation without even needing to visit Disney, unless you’re a die-hard fan. Visiting each park twice and Volcano Bay once fills out a quick 7-day Universal Studios Orlando itinerary, all without the hassle of driving down I-4. For casual vacationers choosing between Disney and Universal in the upcoming land, this is their choice —one adding a few new lands and the other gaining an entirely new theme park—the latter will likely win out unless they already have a strong Disney bias.
Disney’s response won’t change my likelihood of visiting, as I’ll still go whenever I’m in central Florida. But for non-Disney fans and those without young kids (ages 0-8), there’s now an even stronger reason to give Universal a shot over Disney when planning an Orlando trip.
But time will tell, and perhaps Disney is betting on the loyalty and trust they’ve cultivated with their fans, even if they’re not delivering enough to keep them focused on them in the great theme park race. Walt Disney once said, “You don’t build it for yourself. You know what the people want, and you build it for them.” While Disney is certainly building new attractions and lands guests have wanted for years, what the people wanted to hear was the addition of a 5th theme park.
