Why is IOA's attendance so low?

[ansley]

I started this thread mainly because I don't understand why IOA's attendance is still so low? I believe it is about 4.6 million per year, and has only been over 5 million a few years. Why is this? Why not 8 million visitors a year like they should have?

 

Amongst most of my friends, theme park fans, coaster enthusiasts, etc.... many of us consider IOA the single best theme park in the world, probably half the people I know feel this way and if it's not number one than it is solid number 2 or 3.

 

IMHO, the problem is marketing. It has been over 10 years since IoA opened I still believe that most of Universal's business is spillover from Disney, judging from some interesting conversations I've had wth co-workers or other regular people. Most think of Universal as simply.... Universal Studios. They don't realize there are two theme parks, or a resort with hotels, it is just a one day add on to Disney and that is how they plan their vacation. When they arrive and find another theme park, they don't have the time to add another day OR they do a quick review in a brochure and think of IoA of more of a thrill theme park and compare it to typical theme park like SF, Cedar Point, or Kings Island and choose once again to spend their one day at Universal Studios. I think Universal really needs to advertise the TWO major theme parks at their resort and really push things like Suess Landing, Toon Lagoon, and now the WW of Harry Potter to families. I also think the average Disney guest now doesn't much leave WDW (the free transportation to/from Disney resorts has pushed this, and international visitors are on group tours and may only go to Disney), and Sea World, multiple parks now too, and Universal really have to fight for tourists. I think they probably get their fair share of locals, and of theme park fans who aren't brainwashed by Disney, but they are not attracting the mainstream Disney guests. These are just a few of my thoughts on the subject.

 

What are your opinons on this?

[Hercules]

Well, with the addition of Harry Potter this year, I am sure Islands of Adventure's attendance will be very high. However, I understand what you are saying about years past. Quick frankly, I just think that Universal Orlando is just the main attraction at the resort, and most people do not have a second Universal park in their itinerary when visiting Orlando considering Disney, and many other attractions throughout the immediate area. Even if they do advertise a ton, which I think they do plenty of already, I don't think they will get people through the gates considering the vast amount of competition in Orlando.

 

Another thing has been the economy. The only park or attraction in Florida, and I believe in the entire country, has been Disney World. Universal has taken an enormous hit over the past 2 years. I am just not sure those who are fortunate enough to make the trek to Orlando and Lake Buena Vista are willing to spend the asking price on the two Universal parks. And, as I previously mentioned, Universal Orlando is the main event at the resort, which leaves Islands of Adventure on the losing end.

[bgwfreak777]

Until Mr. Potter showed up, they hadn't built any major attractions in a very long time.

 

I think if they were to add another coaster in the next few years they could keep up the momentum of Potterland.

 

And I must say this: 4.6 million visitors is a LOT of people. Most parks would kill for numbers like that. Just because Disney gets whatever they get, it's not a fair comparison. They are different types of parks.

[Hercules]

^ That is a very good point about the lack of new attractions being built within the park.

 

That is also a good point about the attendance being great in comparison to other parks. However, the majority of parks are regional parks, not destination parks like Universal. The resort has seen a big drop in attendance, and they really needed Harry Porter to be a huge success, which it seems it has been. The 12-13 million people going through the gates at both parks last year just isn't enough for Universal to sustain itself as it currently is.

[jmicha]

^Which is a shame because both parks are absolutely amazing. Both are better than anything Disneyworld has to offer in my opinion, it just seems like getting over the hurdle of Disney's near-monopoly on tourism in Central Florida is an extremely difficult task. I'm hoping that with the instant success of the addition of Harry Potter to IoA people will become more aware of what Universals Studios is and what it has to offer. I've convinced a few different families to go there instead of Disney for their short trips to Orlando and every one of them was amazed at what there was to do there. People just really don't know what Universal Studios actually encompasses and that's the biggest reason their attendance isn't higher than what it is. I'm expecting at the least a slight jump in attendance this year and hopefully word of mouth will help bring in new guests for the next few years so Universal Studios can grow and sustain itself.

[BeemerBoy]

They may not have built new rides consistently, but they continue to put on the world's premier Halloween event year after year.

 

Actually, considering the economic climate in recent years, I think Universal Orlando has done fairly well. However, with that being said, I still think all the Orlando parks are in for a wake up call when Legoland Florida opens its gates. Disney, Busch, and Universal have had a great symbiotic relationship in the region for decades, but Legoland might be the first real threat to their turnstile receipts.

[ansley]

Yeah, that's my point. I don't think most vacationers outside of FL really know what Universal offers. As for the attendance figures, USF does get about 8 mil a season give or take some. I think Sea World gets about 5-6 mil per year. I assumed that when IoA opened that it would be a major player, on par with USF and the lower attended Disney parks like Animal Kingdom and Disney Studies, but it has never happened.

[808Freq]

They may not have built new rides consistently, but they continue to put on the world's premier Halloween event year after year.

 

Actually, considering the economic climate in recent years, I think Universal Orlando has done fairly well. However, with that being said, I still think all the Orlando parks are in for a wake up call when Legoland Florida opens its gates. Disney, Busch, and Universal have had a great symbiotic relationship in the region for decades, but Legoland might be the first real threat to their turnstile receipts.

 

I thought the Legoland, while absolute quality, was going to be on the smaller scale. How many would you expect for Legoland in a good year?

[BeemerBoy]

^Well, it's being advertised as the "Biggest LEGOLAND® Park ever opened". I think it's basically the fact that Legoland may make the surrounding parks reevaluate certain aspects of their own properties.

 

For instance, the Magic Kingdom is already moving forward with the transformation of Fantasy Land. In a nutshell, kids make Orlando move. In regards to the original post, I can't tell you how many families I speak to up here in North Georgia that vacation in Florida. Of all who have kids and have the intention of visiting the theme parks, a HUGE percentage of them have children ages 5-10. Of those, a very common response is, "Well, we'll probably visit Universal when the kids are a bit older, 'cause they're just not into the big thrill rides yet."

 

Most of us here know that's slightly inaccurate, and perhaps a bit unfair about the Universal parks, as there certainly is plenty to do for all ages, but it's the common perception. Universal (and more specifically IOA in this case) is sort of like the "Six Flags" of Orlando. Bottom line, the parks which cater best to a family will always prosper. And that's why I feel Legoland is gonna shake things up a bit.

 

Will it mean everyone will bypass all the other parks? Probably not initially, but it will provide a VERY interesting and appealing alternative to families who visit the area annually, and have already been to Disney plenty of times over the years.

[Jay20016]

I think the biggest thing that hinders Universal is that if people come to Orlando, they will always be second fiddle to Disney. What Disney has been doing with "sales" on extra nights, free Dining Plan, as well as tons of Disney Dollars, it makes an all inclusive vacation at their resort a steal for the family, while Universal then just becomes extra money on top of what they've already spent.

 

When you look at the difference in a 3-day to a 5-day Disney ticket, most people will just simply add that extra bit of money and stay at the Disney side of town. Do the 3-day ticket, add in another 1 or 2 day ticket for Universal/IOA and/or SeaWorld and it becomes quite expensive.

 

Also, saying that Universal/IOA has become the Six Flags of Orlando, is giving Six Flags far, far, far, far too much credit. A bad day at Universal/IOA is still better than the best days I've had at Six Flags.

[testtrack321]

I do not think everything IoA and UO offers is better than Disney. Disney offers a rounded experience, that's why it does well. Why IoA doesn't do well? Because word of mouth has spread that unless you love huge thrill rides or water rides there's nothing to do. Lets see, Cat in the Hat, Possideon, carousel, Storm Force? 3 rides you cannot ride on when it's cold out. 8 rides cannot operate when it's sever weather. Lets do a thought experiment: imagine it's raining heavily at Magic Kingdom, what percentage of the rides can you ride? Epcot? What about IoA? What about fireworks and parades?

 

IoA has some great rides, but it's horribly balanced as a park. Potter goes very far in balancing things out, offering another indoor ride, but more needs to be done. You need more everyone friendly rides that don't involve a height requirement or get you soaking wet. Note I didn't say kiddie or family, but rides like Pirates, Haunted Mansion, etc.

 

UO still suffers from the height requirement plague that IoA does, but at least not nearly every ride either closes due to weather or gets you wet.

 

IoA gets coaster enthusiasts wet because they see two of the best coasters in Orlando here and two amazing thrill rides. Most people are happy with that, but are just as happy with Big Thunder, Space, etc.

[SharkTums]

I agree with a lot of what has been said...let me bullet point a few things...

 

- Lack of children's activities/rides

 

- Lack of overall amount of stuff to do

 

- Lack of anything new being put in (minus Harry Potter this year)

 

- AND MY BIGGEST ISSUE!!!! Lack of upkeep, operations, and employee training. It has become a sad and noticeable trend that on all of our visits to IOA it's a running joke of what terribleness will be going on this time. I believe that the park has been going strongly in the wrong direction with upkeep of queues, theming, and little things that made the park special. Also more and more I've noticed employees just being rude or not knowing what's going on at all. And operations have been lacking as well. Running less trains, not having groupers, etc.

[greatamerica1990sfan]

Um due to unemployment. Many people have lost their jobs & can't afford to go to theme parks. Theme parks are pretty expensive these days.

[Hilltopper39]

I agree with Elissa, IOA is my favorite park and i think its one of th best around but my last visit the whole place just kinda felt like Journey to Atlantis at Sea World Orlando feels, dated and falling apart even though it was once very unique and interesting. The que line to Spider Man was faded and the props were broken, all of the water rides felt very 'weathered' and smelled like old damp and dingy water rides. The If I ran the Zoo walk through in Seuss Landing was all faded and non of the effects worked, half of the effects in Jurassic Park River Adventure didn't work, Hulk was very faded looking, and the ride crews just about everywhere were terrible. Workers on cell phones everywhere, just a generally uninterested look on everyones face who worked there, at least that was my impression.

The past two trips Ive had to the resort Ive had a better experience at the Studios. Hopefully Harry Potter will really inspire some changes to the place and some new attractions in the future will drive the attendance up.

[SharkTums]

^Exactly!

 

Glad to know I'm not the only one noticing these things.

[ginzo]

Hulk was very faded looking

 

Yeah, Hulk is kind of in bad shape. For a B&M, it doesn't run all that well. Considering the relatively small number of coasters at IOA, there is no excuse for this.

 

Another factor in the flagging attendance might be that IOA has been a giant construction zone for the last few years.

[KDFAN]

I went to IOA last year, paint was fading and chipping, Hulk's should be green track was a rusty color. And as Elissa has previously stated operations at the park are laughable there must have been 1,000 guests in the park, and the line for Dueling Dragons was 35mins, they were running one train one each side, and on top of that, they weren't exactly trying to get the trains dispatched.

[Meteornotes]

 

- AND MY BIGGEST ISSUE!!!! Lack of upkeep, operations, and employee training. It has become a sad and noticeable trend that on all of our visits to IOA it's a running joke of what terribleness will be going on this time. I believe that the park has been going strongly in the wrong direction with upkeep of queues, theming, and little things that made the park special. Also more and more I've noticed employees just being rude or not knowing what's going on at all. And operations have been lacking as well. Running less trains, not having groupers, etc.

 

This.

 

IOA used to be my favorite park in the world. Now, I don't really care if I go back any time soon. They've really let the park go, and the customer service is HORRIBLE. OK, not Six Flags America horrible, but compared to what it used to be like, it's pretty bad. Employees don't seem to care or are outright rude, they seem to have no interest in running rides to capacity, and the whole place just seems off. I remember few years ago not being able to get anything to drink, because none of the places opened until Noon. Um, hello, it's hot in Orlando, people might be thirsty! The food has been dumbed down (I miss you, much better Mythos menu!), and there's really nothing "special" about the place any more.

 

The last time we were there, I'm pretty sure we all had more fun hanging out at Moe's. That should tell you something.

 

dt

[BeemerBoy]

Now that I think of it, isn't Orlando basically Disney vs. Blackstone? If Blackstone owns pretty much everything outside of Disney, the next year or two will be interesting.

 

One problem with Blackstone owning the Universal parks is that they don't own all of the rights to all the characters under the Universal umbrella. Therefore, they're constantly paying huge licensing fees. All of that capital could be going towards much needed improvements in park operations. Am I correct on that?

[cfc]

I was blown away by IOA when I first visited the place in 2000 and preferred it to the Studio park; my opinion has since reversed. I think it's a combination of what everyone has already posted; plus, I've always thought that Toon Lagoon was one of the butt-ugliest sections of any park I'd ever visited (but was willing to overlook this thanks to the excellent water rides).

 

That being said, I am looking forward to seeing the Harry Potter stuff--I just hope that the rest of IOA ups its game a bit.

[davisal771]

I consider IOA my favorite theme park. Last time I went was in November '07 and it was a ghost town, probably because of the date we went. My family doesn't even consider Disney at all on our trip, in fact we spent 3 days in Orlando before a cruise (november) and we just solely spent our time at the Universal parks. I digress. I think the reason for the lowish attendance is because IOA is seen as more of a "Thrill" park than a family place, even though that isn't the case. Most people who go to Disney (Or just Orlando) have younger kids who wouldn't be ready for the B&M awesomeness that resides at IOA.

[bgwfreak777]

It's crazy that Universal even allows cell phones by employees.

 

Carowinds is very strict about that as I'm sure all the Cedar Fair parks are. You'd think Universal would be the same.

 

There are times as an employee there I wish I could have my phone because of boredom, but it's best that you don't look like you're playing on the phone. Like I saw S: UF get dispatched one time by a girl talking on her cell phone and looking the other way than the train.

[palmerleeberry]

As for me, it's has been over seven years since I've last visited Islands of Adventure, and I had two reasons I didn't return to the park: Because I don't go to Florida very often (in fact, I do plan on having my next vacation in Florida next year - 2011) and the fact that Islands of Adventure didn't offer any new rides nor experiences that was worth a repeat. I did enjoy the attractions they have, but if I ride too much of a good thing, then it stops being a good thing to me and I need a recovery period until I'm practically begging to return. Plus, I'm sure within those years, the park would add some things that would make me consider a return trip. And this year, changing the Lost Contient World to Harry Potter's world was just what I needed to consider that return trip scheduled for next year (not to mention that I've never rode the Mummy's Curse nor the Simpson's ride nor the Rockit Roller Coaster at Universal Studios and there are a few clubs and restaurants I would like to revisit on their Citywalk). In other words, both parks now offer rides and experiences I've never been on before and I'm begging for a return trip.

 

But reading the other posts that list the negatives is causing me to have second thoughs. Fading rides, rude and uncaring park employees and some elements on certain rides not working properly? Do I really want to pay for a 4-Day Hopper Ticket if the parks are going to be subparred? But then again, my trip is still one year away and perhaps things could change for the better (this is me, the hopeless optimistic, speaking here) and everything would be rated a PERFECT A PLUS when I visit the parks. I sure hope so; I'm itching to drink a mug of that Butterbeer they sell in Harry Potter's World.

 

"If you got dreams to dream, then I'm the thing you need to lay your head upon."

[djbrcace1234]

My first vist to IOA was in 2001, so the park was just new practically, and all I can say was it beat Disney. But Disney does so well because of it being a "right of passge" for most families now, and if you can please the whole family, you will be rewarded in a banquet of profits. IOA does have some good rides, but the fact that Disney is more than just a themepark, it does act like the monoploy, anywhere a Disney themeparkis located. Granted, Comparing these two is out there, but remember, 4.6 million is still A LOT of people. Sure, it is loosing business, but the fact that the park hasn't had a major addition besides Potterland, what's the point of revisting if you live far away? Even though disney does not prehaps add something new in one park, another will. This is why visting disney is always going to be diffrent. IOA is a one park expiernce while disney is 4. 4 parks that get upgraded here and there is of course going to get better buisness, but just talking how IOA is loosing attendance is not that heartbreaking to me at least. In time I'm sure it will get better.

[testtrack321]

Most people who go to Disney (Or just Orlando) have younger kids who wouldn't be ready for the B&M awesomeness that resides at IOA.

 

Oh puh-leeze.

 

Yes it's the awesomeness that's scaring people off of going.

 

It's not that families are scared, it's not that people are brainwashed by Disney. IoA doesn't offer a rounded experience. If they can ride coasters and water rides at Six Flags (granted, not as good ones), then why would they spend the time and money to go to IoA?

 

There are plenty of people who DON'T like to ride coasters who aren't under the age of 10! SHOCKING NO?

 

Disney offers fireworks, parades, lots of live shows, meet and greets, carnival rides, dark rides, thrill rides, water rides, the list goes on and on.

 

Potter is a great first move, but they need more.

 

(Different from my little rant here, another thorn in IoA's side is Magical Express, which is brilliantly designed to get people using Disney transport all over and having them balk at spending money on any transportation in the Orlando area. Don't forget the brilliantly evil Magic Your Way ticket schemes where once you get up to a 6 days or so it's just a few extra bucks for another day, versus how much for IoA?)