Superland Bowl Theme Park Championship

Welcome to the Fantasyland League and the inaugural Superland Bowl pitting the reigning Universal Orlando Conference champion Wizarding World of Harry Potter against newcomer Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge from the Disneyland Conference.

The first-ever Superland Bowl will see the undisputed new bar for theme park excellence take on the full-throated response from the international king of theme parks.

The contest will take place on May 31 in sunny Southern California at the legendary home of Mickey Mouse and the original Disney theme park — Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Disney is counting on the home-field advantage and FOMO to draw big crowds during the 24-day reservation-only “soft opening” period. It will be difficult to top the 10-hour lines Universal’s Islands of Adventure experienced when the original Wizarding World first debuted to adoring Potterheads.

The perpetually-warring sides have been sworn enemies for decades and this Theme Park Battle Royale promises to be one for the ages. Will Disney’s latest weapon in its ever-growing franchise arsenal be enough to topple Universal from its perch? Or will Universal’s continually-expanding magical kingdom be able to withstand Disney’s intergalactic onslaught?

But first, a bit of history. Disney has been the dominant force in the theme park industry since Walt Disney opened Disneyland in 1955. Universal Studios Hollywood joined the fray with the backlot tram tour in 1964. The twin titans of theme parks have been at each other’s throats ever since, wagging an ever-increasing global war with seemingly-endless armories of new attractions, lands, theme parks and resorts.

Universal delivered an industry-changing blow in 2010 with the introduction of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure in Florida. Since then the Hogsmeade land has been joined by a Diagon Alley land next door at Universal Orlando. Wizarding World offspring have taken root at Universal parks in Japan and California.

Disney attempted to ward off the relentless wizard attacks with the impressive Cars Land at Disney California Adventure and the spectacular Avatar: World of Pandora at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Florida. But any casual observer of the increasingly bitter bloodsport could conclude that Wizarding World remains the undisputed king of theme park attractions despite Disney’s repeated attempts to wrest back the crown. It would take something truly unprecedented to unseat the Boy Wizard.

Disney pushed all its chips onto the table with the purchase of Lucasfilm in 2012, waging that Star Wars was one of the only worthy remaining rivals — Disney still has Marve inl its back pocket — capable of countering the all-powerful Potterverse.

Which brings us to our current epic showdown between reigning king Wizarding World against upstart prince Galaxy’s Edge for the Fantasyland League world championship of theme park lands.

Like any sporting match, winning the big game comes down to the smallest of details. Let’s break down the contest into categories and project the likely winner ahead of Superland Bowl I at the end of the month. As with any pre-game calculation, the teams remain only as good as they look on paper.

Concept

It’s wizards and witches versus Jedi Knights and Sith Lords.

Florida’s Wizarding World connects Hogsmeade village and Diagon Alley via a Hogwarts Express train experience. California’s Galaxy’s Edge takes intergalactic travelers to the Black Spire Outpost village on the Star Wars planet of Batuu.

Universal faithfully recreates a walk-through version of the “Harry Potter” movie world. Disney’s Imagineers have created a newly-invented planet in the Star Wars universe.

Who wins this apples and oranges comparison?

Disney takes this closely contested matchup for seizing the initiative to reinvent the very concept of a theme park land much like Universal did a decade ago.

Advantage: Galaxy’s Edge

Backstory

By now, virtually everyone in the world is familiar with the Harry Potter and Star Wars stories and many can recount key plot points from memory.

Fans of both franchises have emotional connections to the stories regardless if they first came in contact with the epic tales as children or adults.

Potter has proven an immense draw for Universal. Disney is betting the galaxy far, far away will have an equally magnetic pull.

In this close race, the tie goes to the reigning champ.

Advantage: Wizarding World

Location

The West Coast-East Coast showdown recalls classic matchups like Lakers-Celtics, Yankees-Dodgers and Tupac-Biggie.

The Florida Wizarding World has a deep bench of farm teams in California and Japan. Anaheim’s Galaxy’s Edge will soon be joined by a satellite land in Orlando.

Universal has already demonstrated its willingness to continually grow Wizarding World in Orlando. Disney is already hinting at future expansion plans to its Star Wars lands before they even open.

The proximity of Wizarding World’s mothership to the stiff Orlando theme park competition will continue to push Universal to grow and expand the Potterverse over the coming years.

Advantage: Wizarding World

Creative Teams

Personnel trades between Walt Disney Imagineering and Universal Creative are so common they might as well install a revolving door.

Galaxy’s Edge lead Imagineer Scott Trowbridge came to Disney from Universal. Galaxy’s Edge propmaster Eric Baker cut his teeth set dressing Hogsmeade Village and Diagon Alley at Universal’s theme parks in Florida.

Advantage: Galaxy’s Edge

Characters

Imagineering promises that visitors will have one-on-one interactions with bounty hunters and rebel spies in Galaxy’s Edge. Droids and aliens will roam the land. Chewbacca will keep a watchful eye on the Millennium Falcon.

Harry, Hermione and Ron never make appearances in Wizarding World except in video form throughout attraction queues and on-ride experiences. Character appearances typically are limited to choirs of singing Hogwarts students and croaking frogs.

Advantage: Galaxy’s Edge

Atmosphere

The look and feel of the two lands could not be more different. A secret school for magically gifted students and the neighboring wizard village. Or a remote spaceport on the edge of wild space populated by a mix of smugglers, scoundrels, rogue adventurers and others who prefer to stay out of the spotlight.

Wizarding World offers stunning recreations of familiar setting seen in the Potter films. Galaxy’s Edge features starships from the Star Wars universe docked beneath 135-foot-tall petrified tree spires.

The familiar Wizarding World is so faithful to the film sets that you almost feel like you know your way around Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade Village. The winding streets of the Black Spire village are designed to get you lost in a hermetically-sealed world closed off from the rest of Disneyland.

Advantage: Galaxy’s Edge

Weenies

Walt Disney relied on architecturally-striking icons to draw visitors into his parks and lands. He called the tempting lures “weenies.” Think Spaceship Earth in Epcot or the Tree of Life in Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Hogwarts Castle in Florida is about 150 feet tall and designed to appear taller. The Millennium Falcon in California is 112 feet long and a full-size replica of the movie starship.

Would you rather stand next to the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy or stand in front of a forced perspective illusion?

Plus Disneyland already has a 77-foot-tall Sleeping Beauty Castle, if you need to see a fortress stronghold.

Advantage: Galaxy’s Edge

Rides

This category really isn’t a competition.

Wizarding World has three rides with another on the way:
Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
Hogwarts Express
Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure

Galaxy’s Edge has two rides, but one won’t be ready on opening day:
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
Rise of the Resistance

Forbidden Journey and Escape from Gringotts are considered two of the best rides in the theme park industry — if not the best. Disney hopes they’ve created two worthy rivals for the crown. Rise of the Resistance has been described as the most complex attraction ever built by Disney — but we will have to wait months after Superland Bowl to find out.

Advantage: Wizarding World

Shops

Wizarding World shops sell everything from Chocolate Frogs and Hedwig owl puppets to Quidditch brooms and Triwizard Cups.

Galaxy’s Edge marketplace stalls will take the in-universe shopping experience to the next level with audio-animatronic creatures and special effects that will turn merchandise locations into attractions unto themselves. Want to build your own BB-8 or R2-D2? You can at the Droid Depot.

Advantage: Galaxy’s Edge

Signature merchandise

What kid — or adult, for that matter — doesn’t want their own version of the magic wand used by their favorite Harry Potter witch or wizard? Why not make it an interactive wand that brings Wizarding World shop windows to life with the flick of the wrist. You can stop by Ollivanders for a wide selection of the most popular wands. And while you’re at it, let the wand choose the wizard in the experiential show.

Disney has taken the magic wand experience one step further with a 20-minute upcharge experience where young padawans get to build their own lightsaber to their liking. Not Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber or Darth Vader’s, but your own custom hand-built lightsaber.

Advantage: Galaxy’s Edge

Clothing

Cosplay fans can choose from a wardrobe of character costumes in Wizarding World that includes Slytherin house robes, Ron Weasley’s sweater and Hermione’s Yule Ball gown.

Galaxy’s Edge visitors will be able to pick their team and dress the part. Are you a First Order sympathizer? A Resistance loyalist? Or a rogue scoundrel hoping to mix in with the villagers? Disney’s merchandise team worked closely with Lucasfilm’s archives division to turn costumes from the “Star Wars” cinematic universe into authentic-looking clothing.

Advantage: Galaxy’s Edge

Restaurants

Three Broomsticks serves shepherd’s pie, beef pasties and fish & chips in Hogsmeade Village. The Leaky Cauldron has Guinness stew, sticky toffee pudding and bangers & mash on the menu in Diagon Alley.

Docking Bay 7 in Black Spire Outpost will offer an intergalactic twist on the latest food hall and food truck trends. Ronto Roasters sells sausage wraps and turkey jerky. The Galaxy’s Edge food stands add a Star Wars theme to familiar staples like chicken fingers, ribs and fish.

Advantage: Wizarding World

Bars

The barkeeps in Hog’s Head Pub pour Dragon Scale draft beer, Pumpkin Juice, Gillywater and, of course, Butterbeer. If you’ve been in a British or Irish pub then you’re familiar with Hog’s Head Pub vibe.

When you step inside Oga’s Cantina you’re likely to find a bartender mixing interstellar cocktails, a droid DJ spinning otherworldly tunes and a bounty hunter who wants to talk to you about the galactic credits you owe a space pirate. The alcoholic drink menu will include a Jedi Mind Trick cocktail, Bad Motivator IPA beer and Imperial Red wine.

Advantage: Galaxy’s Edge

Signature Drinks

Butterbeer tastes like a blend of butterscotch and a shortbread cookie with a thick whipped topping. It’s served cold, frozen or hot. And Universal chefs use the flavor in ice cream, fudge and potted cream treats.

Nobody knows what the signature Star Wars drink tastes like. All we know is that Blue Milk will have berry and melon flavors. The Green Milk variant will have tropical and citrus flavors. The rice- and coconut-based Blue Milk will be served both as a frozen smoothie and chilled milk.

Advantage: Wizarding World

Immersive Interactive Experiences

This is where Disney expects to separate themselves from Universal and steal the Superland Bowl.

Your hand-built droids will interact with full-size animatronic droids in Galaxy’s Edge. You’ll gain a “reputation” based on your success or failure flying the Millennium Falcon that will stick with you throughout your stay in Black Spire Outpost. Bounty hunters will tap you on the shoulder looking for the galactic debt you owe. Rebel spies will ask you to help them infiltrate the First Order. A smartphone app will help you decipher hidden message and coded transmissions found throughout Galaxy’s Edge.

Advantage: Galaxy’s Edge

TV Coverage

The final category isn’t even a contest.

Disney-owned ABC and ESPN hold the broadcast rights for Superland Bowl I. Expect to see wall-to-wall coverage of the television event of the millennium show up on the Disney Channel, Freeform, FX and even the National Geographic Channel.

Universal’s NBC has already secured TV rights for Superland Bowl II, pitting Disney’s new Marvel-themed super hero land against Universal’s Nintendo land.

But that’s for another day. Favorable TV coverage belongs to Disney in Superland Bowl I.

Advantage: Galaxy’s Edge

Conclusion

The final score of the inaugural Fantasyland League Superland Bowl won’t even be close: Galaxy’s Edge 11 vs. Wizarding World 5. At least on paper.

But anything can happen. The hype leading up to the May 31 launch of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge could be totally overblown. Imagineering could fail to deliver on the promised magic. Fans could leave disappointed because of long lines and limited offerings and spoil Disney’s carefully-planned unveiling of the new land.

Wizarding World could maintain its theme park crown and walk away with the first Superland Bowl title. The Wizards might have a counter-spell up their robe sleeves.

We won’t know until the two sides take the field and meet head to head in what is expected to be a knock-down, drag-out battle for industry dominance. But one thing is certain: Theme park fans will be the winners of any Disney-Universal showdown. 

That’s how I see it. How do these two entertainment behemoths stack up in your opinion? 

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