5. Investing in slam-dunk properties

Disney appears to have become so risk-averse that they can’t seem to get their focus straight on what concepts to invest in. A South American themed area somewhere in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Epcot, or Magic Kingdom with tie-ins to Encanto, for example, is probably a solid idea—yet when Disney presented their attempt at the concept at the D23 Expo in 2022, it was floated as part of a nebulous collection of possible new lands with no concrete planning.

With Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance remaining Disney’s most successful attraction to date, it seems like it would make sense for Disney to make some moves to address some of the issues with Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and develop new ideas to keep fan appeal strong. For example, one idea we floated was to use the “World Between Worlds” from Star Wars Rebels as a means to create an in-world bridge between different eras of the Star Wars galaxy…

However, because of the failing of Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, it seems like Disney has read the message as, “Well, we better play it safe with Star Wars. I guess we can add some characters from The Mandalorian in to fix things.”

Once again, Universal seems to have a better pulse on what concepts and intellectual properties resonate with fans. While I personally have mixed feelings about the potential Dark Universe area of the park, the inclusion of How to Train Your Dragon and classic Nintendo properties has definitely piqued my interest about Epic Universe. You could make the argument Universal risks fans hitting Harry Potter fatigue by adding yet another Potter-themed zone, but there’s no question The Wizarding World of Harry Potter has been a success at Universal Studios Orlando.

Once again, Universal appears to be taking the right risks by sticking to properties and concepts likely to get fans excited.

6. Steadily gaining fan goodwill (while Disney has lost it)

You can only monetize the goodwill of your guests so far. Disney has missed the mark by attempting to solve their problems since 2020 through aggressive price increases paired with pruning perks throughout the parks, watering down the quality of their guest services, micromanaging guest vacations, and over-relying on frustrating systems like Genie+ to balance things out. This paired with a lack of vision for the parks has resulted in many longtime Disney fans throwing up their hands in despair and looking for vacations elsewhere.

While Universal still has some areas they can afford to grow, they have remained steadily more affordable than Disney. They’ve taken the right investments to keep people excited about their potential as a destination, they’ve increased convenience through integration with the Brightline train, and they’re increasing appeal and capacity by adding new resorts to their hotel lineup.

If Disney does not make some moves to improve things, they are going to risk continuing to come across as tone-deaf, visionless, and miserly in the public eye while Universal steadily gains ground. While the tide can certainly turn back the other way if Universal fumbles their chance and Disney makes a strong push to win back guest loyalty, current trends suggest that for the first time in many years, Disney might truly have something to worry about from their longest standing competitor.

Do you think Universal has overtaken Disney in the theme park wars? Why or why not? What could Disney do to turn the tide? Let us know in the comments or on Facebook. Thanks for reading!