Articles tagged “universal”

From what we've seen so far, travel brands with Super Bowl teasers are staying away from the culture wars and focusing on sending neutral messages with universal appeal. And while it's important to draw attention to certain issues, it's refreshing to watch light-hearted advertisements, too.

Universal is working to get vacationers to spend more time at their hotels and parks, and they likely had an advantage with dog owners. It's smart for Disney to make some of its hotels dog-friendly — and we wonder what this trial will lead to.

From water parks to overseas investment, theme park operators are coming up with new ways to grow their business. One common thread: Find brands that have a built-in customer base and use them to attract new visitors.

Disney still wins this round with the sheer volume of announcements it made earlier this month, but Universal definitely steals some theme park thunder with news of a new thrill ride at the original Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Disney executives have said they don't mind sacrificing some attendance if they're still making good money. Both of these things happened last year — but the company is still working to drive numbers up in 2017 and the future.

Disney and Universal keep fighting for visitors — and more tourist dollars. Will new attractions be enough to attract newcomers and repeat business alike?

Theme parks have found success in building immersive experiences around beloved characters. We have to wonder if the Nintendo strategy provides a glimpse of how Universal will use the recently acquired DreamWorks Animation.

Today's theme parks are a far cry from the previous generation. Disney is still setting the pace, but the offerings, pricing, and technology are evolving fast.

The most famous theme park operators in the world are expanding globally and improving their original properties in an effort to attract bigger audiences at home and abroad. Listen to this episode for a wide-ranging conversation about how that's happening and whether it's likely to pay off.

NBCUniversal is expanding its theme park empire around the globe, but wisely continuing to up its game in domestic properties at the same time.