Universal Orlando vs. Disney World Hotels
Planning on visiting both Universal Orlando and Walt Disney World during your Florida vacation? This weighs the pros & cons, with an unbiased look at Universal vs. Disney resorts based on price, perks, amenities, location, transportation, dining, and more. (Updated August 17, 2025.)
For many Walt Disney World fans who were once “bubble or bust!” might now find themselves reevaluating that position, as a lot has changed. The losses of on-site perks, ranging from the FastPass+ booking window to scaled-back Extra Magic Hours have resulted in many WDW diehards venturing off-site.
Without question, the biggest thing has been the demise of Disney’s Magical Express. By eliminating that airport transportation that was included in the cost of Disney-owned resort stays, the company has voluntarily (and perplexingly) punctured the Disney bubble. Forced to deal with transportation regardless, many visitors are now questioning whether they should simply stay off-site and visit Walt Disney World while staying at more cost-effective accommodations…
This is not merely idle speculation. We know this is happening because hundreds of readers have told us this is what they have started doing. For many of these people, planning Florida vacations that include visits to multiple theme parks, Universal Orlando’s hotels present a very attractive alternative.
Personally, I do wonder how this will ‘evolve’ in the next few years. Walt Disney World’s on-site advantage has started to return, thanks to the Disney Dining Plan coming back, free parking being reinstated, pre-arrival Lightning Lane booking windows offering a headstart to on-site guests, other little perks, and the new extra hours system. It’s still not what it was circa-2019, and probably never will be, but it’s better than a couple years ago.
We’ve stayed at every single Universal and Disney-owned hotel, plus numerous off-site and third party hotels throughout Central Florida. Here’s our take on the advantages and disadvantages offered by Disney and Universal hotels…
Airport Transportation
With the demise of Disney’s Magical Express, neither Walt Disney World nor Universal Orlando have exclusive airport transportation included as a guest perk.
The spiritual successor to Disney’s Magical Express is Mears Connect, which is a paid shuttle offering almost exactly the same service (but for a fee). It’s the most cost-effective airport transportation, and it’s not available to Universal Orlando resorts–only Walt Disney World and a few select off-site hotels nearby.
See our Airport Transportation to Walt Disney World Guide for a rundown of the other choices, which are more or less the same for Universal Orlando. The biggest difference is that Walt Disney World offers Minnie Van service to guests of Deluxe Resorts, but this comes with a $199 price tag, so it’s probably not relevant to over 99% of guests.
Internal Transportation
Once on property at either Walt Disney World or Universal Orlando, guests can use a provided transportation between hotels, theme parks, and other locations on property. All of this transportation is complimentary (or built into the price of their room). At both, transportation is a huge advantage that can tip the scales in favor of staying on-site, eliminating the need for a rental car.
If variety is a selling point, Walt Disney World has a greater range of options: bus, monorail, boat, Skyliner gondola, or even walking. The efficiency of the transportation provided to Walt Disney World resort hotel guests is hotly disputed, and is largely a result of the resort complex’s sprawling size.
Walt Disney World’s size is both a blessing and a burden–when it comes to transportation, it’s the latter. If you’re looking for on-site entertainment, dining, or a ‘bubble’ from the real world, it’s a blessing. Walt Disney World is also more conducive to longer stays by virtue of its larger scope and scale.
Universal Orlando has more limited options: bus, boat, or walking. However, it is unquestionably more efficient, with buses departing almost one right after the other and walking between the hotels and theme parks being possible at most properties. This is owing to Universal Orlando’s more compact layout, which makes nearly everything accessible by foot, and bus turnaround times faster due to the shorter commutes.
With that said, Epic Universe has brought major changes in this regard. There are now two districts at Universal Orlando: the core campus where pretty much everything built before the 2020s was built, and the south campus that’s home to Epic Universe and a trio of new hotels. These are separated by Sand Lake, I-4, and a whole bunch of property that Universal does not own. Commute times between the two campuses can be lengthy, especially in light of “real world” traffic on I-4.
Nevertheless, Universal Orlando is the winner here. When staying within each campus, transit is a breeze. Even beyond that, we’ve never had headaches waiting for buses or other transportation hassles. Getting from Helios Grand and Terra Luna to the core campus has taken 25-30 minutes on a couple of occasions, but that’s really the biggest issue we’ve ever experienced. That’s not much worse than going from the All Stars to Magic Kingdom.
Extra Hours
Walt Disney World replaced Extra Magic Hours with Early Entry and Extended Evening Hours. Similar idea, different details.
Whereas morning Extra Magic Hours lasted for an hour at a single park per day, Early Entry is 30-minute access to any Walt Disney World theme park. This is a nice head-start for on-site guests, and also impossible to avoid for off-site guests.
Extended Evening Hours has a smaller pool of eligibility and occurs less frequently than Early Entry. It’s exclusively for guests staying at Deluxe Resorts, Deluxe Villas, or other select hotels. Extended Evening Hours occur two nights per week in total and lasts for 2 hours. It is hugely beneficial to eligible guests, and minimally burdensome to those who are not eligible since it can easily be planned around.
Universal Orlando offers Early Park Admission to select attractions at Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay one hour before the theme parks open to the general public. These are officially on a seasonal basis, but Universal keeps extending the calendar of dates they’ll be offered.
More reliably, Epic Universe offers Early Park admission at select attractions one hour before the theme park opens to the general public, most notably in Super Nintendo World. See our Early Park Admission at Epic Universe Strategy Guide for tips & tricks.
Despite their duration differences, the two early entry programs are pretty comparable to one another. If you’re one of the first in the pack headed towards headliners on a busy day, this can save a ton of time. In both cases, lines can build for eligible attractions pretty quickly.
If you’re looking at booking higher tier resort, Walt Disney World gets the win here as Extended Evening Hours are fantastic and have no counterpart at Universal Orlando. For everyone else, it’s more or less a wash.
Line Skipping
With the elimination of free FastPass, there is no longer a significant on-site advantage when it comes to Lightning Lanes, outside of buying a la carte line-skipping access to Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance or Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.
Guests wanting to take advantage of Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World can expect to spend $18 to around $60 per person, per day. The lower amount is if you visit during a less-busy time and only purchase the Lightning Lane Multi-Pass service; the higher amount is Lightning Lane Multi-Pass and Single Pass during peak season. There’s now another tier known as Lightning Lane Premier Pass, which starts at over $100 per person per day and can cost up to $450.
We would estimate that the average on-site guest will end up spending around $80 to $150 per person for line-skipping at Walt Disney World over the course of their trip, depending upon crowd levels. This assumes that they will not purchase Lightning Lanes when they’re not necessary or useful, and will utilize savvy strategy to beat the crowds. (See our Guide to Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World for everything you need to know, including when to buy and not buy line-skipping access.)
By contrast, guests staying at Universal Orlando’s Premier Hotels (Royal Pacific, Hard Rock Hotel, Portofino Bay) get free Unlimited Express Pass to skip the regular lines at most popular attractions in Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. This is Universal’s equivalent of Lightning Lanes.
Unlimited Express Pass normally costs a lot more money and, as the name suggests, it’s unlimited. That’s right, guests of Universal’s top tier hotels get infinite line skipping! Unlimited Express Pass has a value of over $100 per person each day, so its value could exceed the total cost of the hotel. If you’re a party of 4, there’s a good chance that’ll be true, as Universal’s Premier Hotels start at around $325 per night.
While everything else here is significant, Unlimited Express Pass is the selling point for Universal Orlando’s Premier Hotels. If you’re family is full of ride junkies and you’ll do 2 days or more at Universal Orlando, this one perk–by itself–is enough to justify at least a split stay between Universal and Disney. It’s huge.
However, it comes with a colossal caveat: there is no Unlimited Express Pass at Epic Universe and Helios Grand Hotel does not offer Unlimited Express Pass anywhere. Some fans seem to think that’ll change once Epic Universe is no longer brand-new, but they are mistaken. Loews’ contract with Universal does not cover future parks or resorts, which is why Unlimited Express Pass will never be offered at Epic Universe or Helios Grand.
Service Quality
Diehard fans will tell you that Walt Disney World is more magical thanks to the Cast Members. It is fair to say that Disney draws more passionate employees, many of whom buy into Walt Disney’s legacy and the company’s core values. This is also aided by the College Program, which brings fresh faces to Florida who often espouse the above, and likely have more enthusiasm by virtue of less long-term exposure to guests.
However, the notion that there’s an across the board difference between Disney and Universal employees is false. This is not to denigrate or disparage Cast Members–to the contrary, many go above and beyond to make lasting memories for guests. It’s more a reflection of the reality that both are largely drawing from the exact same labor pool in Central Florida.
We’d also add that Loews (which operates the resorts at Universal Orlando) is a better hospitality company when it comes to hotel operations. Disney’s expertise is in theme parks, and while there are individual WDW hotels that are incredibly well-managed, it’s clear that the core product is theme parks. Disney’s resort operations aren’t structured in a way that loyal guests of chained-brand hotels might expect, and many service features are unavailable or lacking. Neither are on par with an upscale Hyatt or Hilton–but Loews is a slight step up.
Theme & Design
Many guests love to stay in hotels that are an extension of the theme park experience. Walt Disney World resorts offer a range of distinct designs, from budget options that scream “Disney” with icons from animated films to upscale accommodations with sophisticated and immersive atmosphere. They have an additional layer of detail and storytelling to “transport” guests to a different time and place.
In terms of luxury, Disney hotels often do not surpass their real world counterparts, but they almost always have a better sense of place. It’s a very encapsulating experience, and one of the big selling points of on-site accommodations at Walt Disney World.
Universal Orlando is no slouch in this regard. A few of its resorts arguably are among the top 10 themed hotels in Central Florida, and several hold their own against Disney’s counterparts. In particular, Portofino Bay, Royal Pacific, and Cabana Bay all execute their respective themes at a very high level, offering a level of depth and detail on par with Disney.
Comparing the Polynesian to Royal Pacific or Beach Club to Portofino Bay can make sense, as there are clear parallels and deliberate contrasts. The comparisons fall apart when looking at Sapphire Falls vs. Port Orleans Riverside. Their design objectives were radically different, each with unique but incomparable pros and cons.
One thing that is notable here is that Universal’s hotels tend to be newer. Every single Universal hotel was built within the last 25 years–most within the last decade. Some of Walt Disney World’s resorts were built 50 years ago–most are well over a decade old. This is actually not relevant from the perspective of condition or wear & tear, but is in terms of style and sensibilities. Many of Disney’s hotels are sprawling, with rooms in outlying buildings separated from the main lobby.
Most of Universal’s hotels are tower-style, all under one roof. Their designs focus on a streamlined layout, comfort, and amenities–rather than a transportive theme. The newest hotels have been a bit of a disappointment in this regard, especially Helios Grand. We expected this new in-park hotel at Epic Universe to be the new flagship Universal Resort, but it’s definitely not. It has a great location, but is otherwise underwhelming.
Rooms & Pools
This might seem like an odd pairing, but it’s only being done because these two very different, and very important categories are also the most hotel-specific. The only generalization we’ll make is that Universal tends to do the lower end hotel rooms better and Disney tends to do the higher end hotel rooms better (and larger).
Rooms and pools otherwise vary for each specific hotel–refer to specific reviews for insight that’s actually useful. A prime example of this is Helios Grand Hotel, which has rooms roughly the size of nearby value resorts paired with a smaller pool. Again, the selling point of Helios Grand is the in-park location at Epic Universe. Everything else is an afterthought.
Dining
This is probably our biggest blind spot and source of bias. We’ve eaten at every single Walt Disney World resort restaurant, most several times. We’ve eaten at many–but far from all–Universal Orlando hotel dining options.
There are some aspects of dining at which Universal Orlando resorts excel. Across the board, the coffee situation is better. Food courts at the less expensive hotels are more ambitious and a better experience. Lobby bars are generally strong, and poolside dining is surprisingly robust at Universal hotels.
While Universal hotels tend to have a lot of restaurant options, I’d argue that they lack variety. Virtually every meal we’ve had at Universal hotels could be described as comfort food. There are a lot of choices, but most are regional variations of that–even fine dining is often just more expensive comfort food, not cuisine that’s actually ambitious or inventive.
At one time, this was understandable because Universal’s resort restaurants offered significantly better value for money. That’s still true to a degree, but the gap has closed. In the last two years, we’ve noticed menu prices jump at Universal Orlando, outpacing even Walt Disney World restaurants.
Pricing
Both are somewhat insulated from off-site competition. For visitors who want the on-site location, a seamless experience from their resort to the theme parks, rooms with specific themes, or certain theme park perks, there’s no real alternative. Universal and Disney are thus able to charge more than they could for the exact same hotels plopped down in Duluth, Minnesota.
Regardless, Walt Disney World is more expensive than Universal Orlando at every single hotel tier. For off-season dates, the gap is not particularly pronounced between Endless Summer and the All Stars, but it grows larger for more popular dates and higher end hotels. At the mid-tier, Disney prices can be double Universal’s. At the top tier, Disney often charges triple or more for comparable accommodations.
In light of the above, the case could be made that there is no such thing as “comparable” between Universal and Disney since there isn’t a single hotel at Universal with a view of Cinderella Castle or within walking distance of the most popular theme park in the world. After all, location rules real estate. That argument is less persuasive when comparing prices of Saratoga Springs or Old Key West to Hard Rock Hotel or Royal Pacific, though.
In less than a decade, Universal has built 5 new hotels and nearly tripled its number of on-site rooms. During that same span, the complex added Volcano Bay water park and theme park attendance has increased, but not to a proportional degree–or anything close to it.
This expansion was likely overdue, satisfying some of the demand from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It’s also likely that Universal Orlando aggressively developed its hotel portfolio ahead of theme park expansion projects with the expectation that demand and bookings would soon follow suit.
Epic Universe was built with an eye towards the long-term and is a game-changer for Universal Orlando’s status as a destination resort. Three theme parks and a water park will entice many more people to stay on-site. Simply put, demand has not yet caught up to hotel development.
It should go without saying, but higher demand will result in higher hotel prices. It’s not as if Universal is purposefully charging below-market rates because the company wants to be more fair to theme park fans, or its leaders have been benevolently inspired by Walt Disney’s “dream” to offer affordable accommodations to the middle class.
These are both ruthless multinational corporations; businesses don’t get into the Fortune 50 these days by being charitable towards consumers. Universal’s parent company is Comcast. One of the most hated companies in America, and for good reason. They are not operating their theme parks division as a philanthropic endeavor on the side.
If Universal could charge Polynesian prices for Royal Pacific right now, they would. But they cannot (at least, not yet), so they do not. There’s likely to be a point in the not-too-distant future when Universal Orlando’s theme park lineup has considerably more drawing power, and its resort prices will increase as a result.
Personally, I wouldn’t be surprised if Universal’s top tier hotels average much higher nightly rates in about 5 years, following a similar trajectory to what has happened with Disney resorts. If you’re looking for strong value, now is definitely the time to book Universal hotels–they’re arguably underpriced for their quality, location, and perks.
Even today, one thing to note is that Universal Orlando/Loews use dynamic pricing for their hotels. What this typically means is that prices increase as dates draw nearer. That’s not always true, but we’ve seen it happen at least 80% of the time. Even during the off-season. Universal usually offsets this by offering discounted rates to Florida residents and Annual Passholders.
Regardless, the best practice is always booking early at Universal and rebooking later if prices do drop for some reason. We’ve heard from countless readers who were watching prices at Universal Orlando hotels, waiting to book for whatever reason, who saw prices come close to doubling overnight. That’s an extreme, but jumps of ~20% are not uncommon.
Parking Fees
Walt Disney World stopped charging for overnight hotel parking last year, reversing an extremely unpopular decision made several years earlier. For those who drive or have rental cars, that amounts to a savings of $15 to $25 per night, depending upon the resort tier.
Universal’s hotels had parking fees prior to Disney introducing the charges and still do currently after Disney has removed them–we expect nothing to change. Universal’s self-parking rates are $19 to $36, with Endless Summer being cheapest and the Premier Hotels being most expensive. Cabana Bay is also at the lower end of the pricing spectrum, whereas Sapphire Falls prices are pretty close to the Premiers.
Charging for parking is one way that Universal “bridges the gap” on hotel pricing. Another way is at food courts, which are generally about ~25% more expensive than Walt Disney World. Thankfully, neither charges resort fees.
Split Stays
If you’ll be spending equal (or close to it) time at Universal and Walt Disney World during your Orlando, Florida vacation, you should give serious thought to staying at Universal instead of Disney–or at least doing a split stay. It should go without saying, but if you’re not visiting the Universal parks, you shouldn’t consider Universal’s hotels.
We would further recommend staying at Universal’s south campus if your emphasis is on Epic Universe. Helios Grand is nice, but not essential. If you’re on a tighter budget, stay at Stella Nova or Terra Luna Resorts, which are value hotels within walking distance of Epic Universe. If you’re spending equal time at all 3 parks, you should stay on the main campus–or if you want Unlimited Express Pass, as you can only get that at the original Premier Hotels.
Basically, stay in whichever resort district will reduce your commutes and offer the perks that matter to you. While this same sentiment could ring true at Walt Disney World–especially for guests spending disproportionate time at Magic Kingdom or EPCOT and DHS–it’s not as important since the real world doesn’t cut through the middle of Walt Disney World. We do not recommend doing multiple split stays to be closer to each theme park. One hotel change per trip when moving from Walt Disney World to Universal is optimal.
There’s a lot to consider when determining whether you want to stay at Walt Disney World or Universal Orlando–or both. There’s no one size fits all answer as to which is “better.” Different families might make very different decisions based upon what matters most to them–there’s really no objectively right or wrong answer, it’s more what you want out of your vacation and how you weigh the pros and cons.
The subjective factors are almost always going to be the overriding ones, which makes this comparison really challenging. One advantage that makes Universal or Disney a no-brainer slam dunk for one family might be totally irrelevant for another. Which is right for you is largely a matter of preference and vacation priorities, but hopefully this post presented some considerations for you to weigh and make the decision for yourself. At the end of the day, competition between the two benefits consumers, so even if Universal is a “hard no” for you, it’s great to see them so aggressively expanding in Central Florida.
Need trip planning tips and comprehensive advice for your visit to Central Florida? Make sure to read our Universal Orlando Planning Guide for everything about Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida. Also check out our Walt Disney World Vacation Planning Guide for everything about those parks, resorts, restaurants, and so much more. For regular updates, news & rumors, a heads up when discounts are released, and much more, sign up for our FREE email newsletter!
Your Thoughts
Do you generally stay at Universal Orlando or Walt Disney World? What are your key considerations when determining where you stay? If you’ve previously been loyal to WDW, are you considering Universal (or other off-site) hotels for your next Florida vacation? Do any of the selling points above tip the scales in favor of one or the other? Anything we’ve overlooked or done insufficient justice? Do you agree or disagree with our advice? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
FYI Tom we just stayed at Cabana Bsy August 16-23 and were able to book a bus to airport as part of our package. It was great- no worry about car seats.
Universal is the clear winner for us and has a perk that isn’t advertised: pool hopping! If you’re a guest at Cabana Bay or a higher level resort, you can go to any pool at a “signature” hotel (Portofino, Hard Rock, Royal Pacific) or the next tier below (Sapphire Falls). Grand Helios is not included, nor are Dockside, Surfside, or the two newest hotels near Epic Universe. Portofino’s pools are especially nice, and it’s fun to experience them w/o paying a premium price!
Great comparison and very helpful for our next visit. We were diehard Disney people since 2013 visiting 5 times from UK and spending a day or 2 at Universal and then exclusive to Disney. One area not highlighted in your article is how each company are treating Disability Access. Our experience in June this year was beyond appalling at Disney. My subsequent email complaints were replied to with an equally appalling generic response. We are disgusted with how we were treated. It completely altered our experience as my ASD/ADHD son was. for first time, denied DAS by a very smug, obnoxious cast member and a patronising ‘health professional”. I highlighted his anxiety and how it affected him and was told DAS is for autism not anxiety. I know that, my son qualifies. I was not believed and these people have no knowledge or expertise in the area. Universal by comparison were outstanding. I was able to describe our awful experience and the very stressful 65 minutes wait in line the previous day – abandoned with all 3 of us distressed having to leave inront of a long queue. We were at Universal for one 10 hour day. Accessed a pass with no interrogation, only understanding. We used it 4 times – we don’t take advantage – and it made our day wonderful. My 19 yr old undemonstrative son actually thanked us several times for bringing him – a gift in itself. We will never return to Disney until their policy is refreshed again and staff are actually trained and qualified. For some families staying at Universal and using it’s parks will be the only choice.
So sorry your family had such an awful day at Disney and so glad universal was able to save the trip for you and your son!
Maureen,
I’m so sorry to hear this. My 9 year old has ASD and this is beyond appalling. Glad to hear Disability access is better at Universal. We are planning on going to Universal next spring so this is refreshing to hear.
We just booked our April/May 2026 pool view standard room at Dockside Inn. It looks like the price increased about $35/night over this year’s April/May trip. It’s still much cheaper than any Disney Moderate or even value hotel. Also, the room is bigger than PO Riverside.
As for transportation, we like Universal’s much better. And for restaurants, it’s true it’s mostly comfort food but we love comfort food. I don’t think food prices are that bad either. I am not sorry we left Disney for Universal. It’s not like we had much choice since Disney’s prices are off the charts for us.
Very good analysis, but I think you took it easy on Universal in the Dining category. The difference between the two is stark…like a 9 for Disney and a 5 for Universal…or Macy’s vs Walmart. (But for in-park quick service, Epic gets a 10 in my book)
Great article as usual Tom. We’ve stayed at both in the past few years and I have two minor points other people may want to consider:
– when we’ve been (September and October) the Universal parks closed earlier than Disney, and in some cases what we would have said was “surprisingly” early. This means that you have more time back at the hotel, so may want to choose one with amenities you like. We did an evening at the Cabana Bay arcade that was very memorable for us. The parks being closed earlier gave us more time at the hotel, which worked well for us as we liked to use the pool, gym, arcade, etc. At Disney we were usually out later and had less time for these, so they were less important overall.
– it seems to us that it’s easier to get out into the real world at Universal. We always have a vehicle with us and from Universal it’s easy to get to a Target, out for fast food, etc. We didn’t particularly love the food court at the hotel so we got some things from Super Target and just ate it in the food court at the hotel several nights, which was good from a budget and health perspective. (We had time to leave the hotel on several nights as the parks were closed earlier, relating to point #1). We didn’t find it as convenient to drive out of Disney World, but we also weren’t as motivated to do so.
I’d echo Tom’s point that if you are spending any time at Universal, you should consider staying there.
I enjoy taking staycations at both Universal & Disney hotels. However, now that Disney has free hotel parking again, that may give them an edge for me because of my unique problem (which wouldn’t affect perhaps most of you). My car’s windows are broken & because you have to pay for Universal hotel parking, they have gates blocking the entrances & exits to their lots. Unhappily, they’re also unmanned. Even when I had working car windows, I could never angle the car right to easily use the ticket dispenser/reader from the driver’s seat window. So I have to actually get out of the car to use those things, then scramble back in & hope to drive past the bar before it lowers again. I always worry there will be cars behind me waiting to get in or out & they won’t understand my problem & think I’m taking up their valuable time just to personally annoy them. So all this adds an extra stress factor to staying at Universal.
Plus, having injured arms I’d like help with my bags & Disney hotels are more likely to offer that. Like at French Quarter they helped me bring my suitcase back out to my car & loaded it in the trunk for me. Maybe the premium hotels at Universal would do that, I dunno, but then consider French Quarter is only a moderate resort rather than a premium.
I did love the orange & turquoise color scheme of Cabana Bay’s hotel rooms, though. They just scream “Florida vacation!” I have my bedroom done in similar colors because I wanted to express I’m a Florida gal. I’d like to be able to stay at all the Universal & Disney hotels eventually, but some I may only be able to afford for one night. Instead of keeping on trying new resorts, I’m tempted to return to French Quarter. It was nice & compact & had a pleasant atmosphere. I have bad legs, too, so I don’t want to be walking all around sprawling hotel grounds.
Oh, one more perk about Disney hotels, this being for birders. You may encounter wild turkeys in the parking lots! I saw 4 walking around on my last day at Port Orleans Riverside last year.
Thank you for pointing out this annoying feature at Universal Hotels. I don’t understand why I have to use my card to EXIT. Using it to enter is OK, I guess, but irritating.
The first time I stayed, I left my hotel room in the key and it was extremely difficult to exit the parking lot. This is a very stupid design.
I barely ever stay at Universal Hotels because I find they all lack service – even the top tier. They are pricey, and you get almost no service.
Disney hotels are not perfect – worse post Covid – but you don’t have to fight to get in and out of the parking lots.
I’m a DVC member which ties me into Disney. There might be away to rent my points and stay at universal but it doesn’t seem easy. I’m curious if universal will ever offer a timeshare.
My family, my wife and I, my two children and their spouses did a vacation of Universal & Disney last November. We arrived the day after Thanksgiving. We did private transportation on Friday to Universal for 3 days, 2 nights at Loews Royal Pacific resort. We then took an Uber on Sunday to Disney’s Beach Club Villas for 7 days, 6 nights. A big difference in the hotels was noticed when we arrived at both hotels. We arrived at 11am at the Royal Pacific resort. There was no bellhop, valet or any other worker to help with luggage, greet us, show us the check in area, etc. We spent about 20 minutes waiting to get checked in and then had to go in another line for 15 minutes to get our park passes. On Sunday we arrived at the Beach Club Resort at 11am. We were barely out of our uber when a cast member came to us with a luggage rack, greeted us, asked if we needed anything and took our things into storage. With Disney having online check in before you arrive, we were in Epcot within 15 minutes. Even later in the week, my wife and I were at Animal Kingdom Lodge for breakfast and took an uber back to Beach Club. As soon as we arrived, there was a cast member right there to greet us. To me and my family, that’s a huge difference between Universal and Disney hotels. As for the trip, my wife, my daughter and her husband and I only did two days at Universal as we couldn’t wait to get to Disney. My son and his wife did stay at Universal for a short time on Sunday but was in Disney by the afternoon. We all wished we could have stayed in Disney longer than 7 days, 6 nights.
Wow! When we stayed at Universal’s RP, we were greeted at the front entrance right away! But I find that from season to season there are widely varied experiences-both at resorts and restaurants. In general, we have pleasant interactions at both places, but I know I expect MORE from Disney for whatever reason…I didn’t see any of that magic at DCA or DL however, and that was shocking and disappointing on so many levels!
Right now is the time to visit universal. We just got back from a great stay with the included express pass at Portofino. So much less stress than Disney. One of the best family vacations we have ever taken. We spent about a thousand more on an equivalent(deluxe hotel) and same # of days. Disney stay the previous year but the value was far less. I think Epic will end the honeymoon phase with no “free” express pass and more crowds.
I’m a DVC owner, and currently planning an October trip to Universal with a friend for HHN. Trying to figure out if it’s cheaper to use my points and stay at WDW and just buy tickets or stay onsite. I can’t seem to get the math to work in Universal’s favor unless I rent out my points and I don’t want to mess with that. Are there good places to get some discounted Universal tickets?
“Disney’s expertise is in theme parks, and while there are individual WDW hotels that are incredibly well-managed, it’s clear that the core product is theme parks.” But I also think I remember you writing that Disney is a hotel company with theme parks attached to it. The two sentiments may not be in conflict, meaning they get most of their money from hotels, even though their real expertise is theme parks…I’ve always wanted to hear more of your views on this.
I’m am a die hard Disney fan who always stayed at the contemporary and never dreamed of anything else. We had been going every other year since the kids were tiny. But this year we went to universal in January instead. The Disney trend of paying more and getting less pushed us over the edge. The loss of free fast passes replaced by daily payments which require waking up to get online everyday at 7am to sort out your day one ride at a time is TERRIBLE! There was hesitation involved in bursting the Disney bubble. Before the trip the kids were asking why we were going to Universal when we could be going to Disney? Honestly I was thinking it too but we told the kids we were trying something new. And we hope they don’t like it more than Disney. I have to say that after doing Universal instead of Disney there were no regrets. Granted the kids were 10 and 11 so they were tall enough to go on all the Universal rides. But we truly had a good time and did not regret our choice of going to Universal instead of Disney. In fact everybody agreed we would rather go there for our next trip. As a parent, Universal was much more spontaneous and stress free due to Universal’s express pass included with our hotel stay. Don’t get me wrong, I love planning. I loved the old Disney Fastpass+ system where you could book your passes in conjunction with your on Disney property reservation way in advance along with your dining reservations but that’s all gone! You can’t even book a meal at Disney and have any confidence you will have a genie+ ride or even a lightning lane a la cart anywhere near there until you try to sort it out day of. It’s a total nightmare. Sure Disney still does some things better in certain categories of course but they always charge a huge premium above the actual value. Disney is truly cost prohibitive these days to average folks. But they seem to have no shortage of high income folks willing to pay the new exorbitant prices. Even if I could afford it I’m not willing to give my hard eared cash to Disney for the reduced genie- experience at the current prices. Not when there are better cheaper alternatives. Universal is our new go to destination for Orlando theme park fun.
I am with Bill on this. started going to Disney back in 1979 and was hooked. I started giving up on Disney when they started charging to park at a resort. I stopped buy my 10 day, park hopping no expire tickets. and the planning aspect of going to Disney is ridicules. 5 years ago we started going to Universal and loved it. much more spontaneous.
Tammy
“Universal’s Premier Hotels start at around $325 per night”
Just about to say you can get in the Royal Pacific for $330/night Sun-Fri before Memorial Day, with whatever the current discount is called. I’d consider a split stay between Universal hotels, using the Royal Pacific for your initial Universal park days and either Endless Summer or Cabana Bay Beach for follow-up/non-park/WDW days, particularly if cost or “cost efficiency” is a concern. (For what it’s worth, going between WDW and Universal wasn’t that much longer than most bus trips within WDW.)
I’m not sure that I’d use the term “tower” to describe most of the resorts at Universal, but I’m just can’t think of a good replacement word. Endless Summer and Aventura are real towers, in my opinion. While all Universal resorts are basically under one roof, for those less than 10 floors tall I think I’d compare them to a taller Yacht Club, Boardwalk Inn, or Beach Club rather than the Rivera Resort.
We tried Universal last year and loved Royal Pacific. It was a great stay. We stayed at our fav Beach Club later last year. The only thing we hated was that we have a Owner’s Locker and they do not deliver to Universal Hotels (Lowes). They say there was an issue and they will not deliver to those hotels. You can pick it up at the warehouse. We ended up needing to get a car to pick up and drop off our locker. (FYI, we do not have DVC. We just tend to vacation at Disney every year) But since that is the only issue. We will enjoy our time at Universal till things change. I am looking forward to seeing what the hotels will look like when Epic Universe opens.
Last April, we did a nine day stay at Old Key West in a two bedroom villa. We are not DVC members, so it was a costlier vacation than we’re used to. This year, we’re trying to spend less. While we did enjoy OKW, we decided to switch sides and do a nine day Universal stay. It was just more affordable and seemingly less painful.
We’re booked into Endless Summer Dockside – two rooms, one suite, one standard. During the day, you’ll find us poolside, and in the evening, we’ll be at CityWalk or one of their theme parks. It doesn’t sound terrible. Or confusing. No park reservations necessary. No trying to decider Genie+. We’ll see how it goes.
One thing I haven’t yet thought about before: I kind of figured Magical Express was gone for good. But frankly, I think if Universal sets up its own version of Magical Express, Disney would restart theirs the very next day.
I don’t get why it’s one vs. the other. Why not both?
Personally, when I do both US and WDW, I always do a split stay. They are just too far away from one another for me to justify using only one or the other as a home base. It just doesn’t make sense to me to forgo the “free” express pass and nicer hotels at a lower price point than Disney Deluxes at Universal or pay Disney on-site prices only to schlep over to and back from Universal for a couple days.
I know some people really don’t like to do split stays, but for me, going back and forth one or the other is far more annoying than just switching hotels once. Also, once you factor in the cost of parking at the one you aren’t staying at or even the difference between one cab ride or Uber/Lyft when switching hotels and round trip rides between the two (to say nothing of losing the included unlimited express pass if your home base is Disney), it seems a lot more cost effective to do a split stay.