CaptainAction Seriously, Captain Action? Can you please just give it up? It is annoying how everything that you type is a slam on Disney. May I remind you that the four Disney parks are currently ahead of IOA and US? The MK itself has more visitors than both UOR parks combined.

@HelenB Well, the main reason is the price. But I think if you asked Universal, they’d say that butterbeer is a signature item, whereas the “beverage” entitlement is really for soda, tea, or bottle water.

@Brianna Yes. We checked it out this morning and, despite the changes to the package for regular guests, Annual Passholders can still purchase it for the same price and have it for a full year. Learn more: http://bit.ly/oiphotos.

Marc,
Respect your opinion. If they can’t make an immersive environment of light up plants, a mess hall and 2 rides in 5-7 years then shame on WDW.  How impressive are these light up plants going to be during the day?
Immersive environments are cool if they really seem like something I want to be immersed in. Glad it isn’t Universal talking about this land of plants and character meet and greets from a pretty much forgotten film.
I am hoping Universal gives up on Smurf land or attraction as well.

Just for the record: I’m *really* looking forward to visiting Pandora. I think it sounds quite immersive. =)
~M.

If WDW can’t get glow in the dark plastic plants right in 5 years with a partial opening? You are confident they can do this right?
How low can we set this bar?
I know, there is a mess hall and a 3Dfilm too. Could be tricky for folks who spend 4 years building a kiddie coaster.

That is why there is fan rivalry. WDW just blatantly went for the guests wallets with New Rockland and their stores, rocks, restaurants, rocks, snack stands, and rocks, photo sales meet and greets, and rocks.
Avatar is really a flash in the pan which came and went in the same year – 5 years ago. Glow in the dark plants, a mess hall, and a 3D film are the least they can do, and they can’t open it at once with 4 years of work and the past 3 years of planning!?! Read that again! Wow!?! Yes, we should all be happy when a park gets nice things, so let us know when WDW steps up to the plate with something nice.
I think WDW fans are getting VERY sensitive because it’s just getting impossible to ignore how WDW has been taking their guests for granted the last 10 years. It’s not getting better for guests at WDW but worse. If WDW were in charge of Universal, The new Simpson’s Land would still be under construction with a partial opening scheduled for 2017 and something complex like Diagon Alley would be scheduled for a partial opening in 2020.

Oh — I’ve never read anything by Al Lutz. (Though perhaps I shouldn’t admit that, eh?)
~M.

I can assure you that the last thing I’m interested in is “fan rivalry” in any of the writing that I do (about videogames, television series and films, or theme parks); it just doesn’t interest me. My comment about having to wait so long for a staggered release is born out of disappointment as a consumer, not as either a Disney or Universal fanboy.
And I fully stand behind my comment regarding the pixie dust latte. 😀
~M.