Universal CEO Insinuates They’re Better Than Disney

The rivalry between Universal and Disney continues with the latest comments from NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell.

The healthy competition between the Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Orlando in Florida is well known—both are located just 11 miles away from one another in Orlando. Going to a Disney Park is considered by many to be the ultimate Disney vacation and Disney experience, whichever Theme Park you pick. Whether you choose Walt Disney World Resort and its Parks—Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom—Walt Disney World is usually considered a wonderful place for a family vacation. But recently, Universal Orlando has been getting more attention for its top-quality Park experience.

But it’s not only the Parks. Like Disney, Universal also owns other subsidiaries, and the CEO of NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell, had some pointed remarks in his latest comments when talking about the competition between Universal and Disney.

While Disney has always been considered the industry leader, with four theme parks and two water parks located in Orlando, Universal Orlando has been making significant strides over the last few years. Shell shared that Universal is “right on time” with its construction of Epic Universe.

Related: Universal Confirms Opening Date of Epic Universe Theme Park

He shared,

“It’s also very interesting that the park is very close to the [Orange County] convention center…An interesting experiment for us – we believe we can get the attendance we need just on the basis of the demand of the market, but it’s also going to be interesting to see as the convention business comes back… Are we going to get nighttime convention business? Which is kind of an interesting experiment for us.”

But his comments didn’t end there. He also added he believed Universal was surpassing Disney as an industry leader.

“Go back 10 years and say, ‘Is Disney ever going to be challenged in animation?’ I think most people, including me, would say ‘Impossible.’ They are the dominant player in animation. Their position is not going to be challenged ever…I honestly think that not only are we challenging Disney and animation, but I would take our animation business over theirs.”

This thought isn’t unfounded. There have been multiple reasons to believe that Universal could start beating out Disney soon.

Read More: Will Universal Overtake Disney in the Parks Battle?

Universal Orlando Resort is home to three Theme Parks—Universal Studios Florida, Universal’s Islands of Adventure, and Universal’s Volcano Bay. When Epic Universe is complete, it will be the fourth Universal Theme Park in Orlando, and it’s expected to bring major competition to Disney.