Does Disney Need Another Florida Theme Park?
The existence of Comcast's (NASDAQ: CMCSA) Universal Studios in Florida has pushed Walt Disney (NYSE: DIS) to grow. You could argue that the creation of Islands of Adventure (IoA) -- Universal's second park or "gate" -- in 1999 pushed Disney to launch what is now called Disney's Hollywood Studios, and it's very clear that the Harry Potter-themed attractions at Universal led Disney to invest more heavily in its parks.
The existence of IoA made Universal arguably a vacation destination on its own rather than a side trip during a Disney vacation. Wizarding World of Harry Potter set a new standard for theme park immersion and clearly made Universal a potential vacation favorite.
The vacation destination idea is something Universal has encouraged by building hotels, adding an impressive water park (Volcano Bay), and pricing tickets the same way Disney does so that visiting becomes a better value the longer you stay. Now the company is planning a third nonwater theme park, Epic Universe.
Source Fool.com
