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.
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, other little perks, and longtime fans adjusting to Lightning Lanes 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.
The bigger changes, however, will come on the Universal side of the ledger. The opening of Epic Universe is going to be huge, with many fans not appreciating the extent to which it’s going to change everything from prices to perks. Demand for Universal hotels is going to skyrocket, and although the new 3rd theme park is an unequivocal positive, it’ll have second-order effects that will be far less positively received as it reshapes the market for theme park hotels in Central Florida.
Even we cannot anticipate the far-reaching consequences of Epic Universe and how it’ll be a game-changer. For now, let’s cover the current pros and cons of staying on-site at Universal Orlando versus at Walt Disney World. 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.
See our Airport Transportation to Walt Disney World Guide for a rundown of the choices, which are more or less the same for Universal Orlando.
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.
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 all properties except Endless Summer Resort. 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.
In our view, Universal Orlando is the easy winner here. We’ve never had headaches waiting for buses, or with exceeding long transit times eating up a significant chunk of our vacation. Transit at Universal is a breeze, benefiting from the condensed layout tremendously. 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.
Extra Hours – Walt Disney World replaced Extra Magic Hours, with Early Entry and Extended Evening Hours. 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 (Disney Vacation Club units), or other select hotels (only the Swan & Dolphin and Shades of Green). Extended Evening Theme Park 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 Universal Studios Florida (namely, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter) one hour before the theme parks open to the general public. Volcano Bay also offers 30 minute Early Park Admission.
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 Jurassic World VelociCoaster or Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance 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 Genie+ and 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 Genie+ and/or Individual Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World can expect to spend $18 to around $50 per person, per day. The lower amount is if you visit during a less-busy time and only purchase the Genie+ service; the higher amount is Genie+ and an Individual Lightning Lane or two during peak season.
We would estimate that the average on-site guest will end up spending around $60 to $120 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 Genie+ or Individual Lightning Lanes when they’re not necessary or useful, and will utilize savvy strategy to beat the crowds. (See our Guide to Genie+ at Walt Disney World & Lightning Lane FAQ 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 FastPass/Lightning Lanes, but better. 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, meaning its value could exceed the total cost of the hotel (or at least the cost of upgrading from a lower tier resort). 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.
There’s a reason Express Pass normally costs more than Genie+ and Lightning Lanes: it’s better. Express Pass is frictionless, doesn’t require ride reservations, or any technology whatsoever. As noted above, it’s also unlimited. See our full comparison: Universal’s Express Pass v. Genie+ at Walt Disney World for a full rundown on the pros & cons of each.
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.
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 and both face the same staffing shortages.
While Disney’s advantages are discussed above, Universal also has a couple of things going for it. First, it enjoys a reputation as a better employer in Central Florida. Not by a pronounced degree, but enough of one that frontline employees who have worked at both tend to marginally favor Universal. Moreover, the pressure felt by employees from Walt Disney World guests–who generally are higher-stress due to planning burdens and the more expensive vacation stakes–also can help tip the service scale in Universal’s favor.
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 closer.
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 $15 to $28, with Endless Summer being cheapest and the trio of 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.
Resort Fees – Hidden fees have proliferated in recent years at off-site Orlando hotels that charge low base prices but have totals that can amount to double that. Some are known to charge non-optional resort fees for “wellness packages” (their term, not ours) including things like internet, newspaper, and bottled water. We cannot stand these resort fees and recommend you fight back against the incredibly consumer-unfriendly practice.
Neither Universal Orlando nor Walt Disney World properties charge resort fees. Given the increasing blowback against resort fees, we do not expect either to introduce them. If anything, other hotels will start eliminating resort fees. (Either by choice or by law.)
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.
The rest are not weak by any stretch, but tend to favor function over form. Their designs focus on a streamlined layout, comfort, and amenities–rather than a transportive theme.
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 v. 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.
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. This is already going to be a long post, and it’d be double the length for an exhaustive, across-the-board room and pool comparison.
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.
Of course, that’s more than a bit disingenuous. If you relocated Four Seasons Bora Bora from its tropical over-the-water location to a corn field, or moved Hotel Shangri-La Paris so it didn’t overlook the Eiffel Tower, the same would be true. There’s a reason resorts with views of Cinderella Castle fetch otherwise-astronomical prices, and it’s a well-established rule of real estate (“location, location, location!”). Whether this premium pricing for being in close proximity to “the magic” is worth it to you is a personal question.
With that in mind, 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.
Editorializing a bit, I believe that we’re currently living through a halcyon age of Universal resort pricing. 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.
In part, 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 is likely viewed as 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.
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 double their current costs 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.
April 2024 Update: This editorial was originally written two years ago, and has already been at least partially vindicated. In pricing out stays at Universal over the last year, we’re seeing effective increases (after discounts) of about 30% or so on average. Although Walt Disney World has also increased rack rates during this time (by about 4%), they have also resumed offering better discounts. That was not the case at this same time last year, meaning that Walt Disney World’s effective room rates have decreased while Universal’s have increased.Â
If you’re a Walt Disney World diehard thinking this is some form of vindication: don’t. The gap is still quite wide, and Universal is significantly cheaper on average. However, the ‘price chasm’ is closing. As Universal becomes more popular and pulls hotel guests away from Walt Disney World with the opening of Epic Universe, expect this trend to continue.
What we’ve seen in the last year is only a small sneak peek of the future, and it’s still your best bet to stay at Universal hotels now rather than waiting for 2025 to roll around…unless you want to pay considerably higher prices!
Ultimately, our opinion is that Universal Orlando has made tremendous strides in the last several years, and is now beating Walt Disney World in the hot Orlando hotel market. When it comes to the pros & cons of their respective hotels, and especially with regard to value, Universal resorts are more compelling.
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 Universal Studios Florida or Islands of Adventure, you shouldn’t consider Universal’s hotels.
Arguably, we are “burdened” by past experience with the superior hotel product that Disney used to offer (and at lower prices), so it’s possible that our perspective here is colored by that. The case also could be made that Walt Disney World is simply charging what the market will bear, and the market bears a lot higher prices because the underlying product is better or in higher demand. That could be true, but it also could be true that the reputation of Disney’s superior hotel product was built in the past, and is now coasting on its laurels to some degree. Perhaps all of that is true to varying degrees.
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!
We last visited WDW in 2018. it was outrageously overpriced with exponentially reduced quality than what we experienced in the 1990s and up to about 2008. We’ve only stayed at deluxe properties and always accepted that it would be expensive. But prior to the recession the quality was a near match for the price point.
I loved going to WDW but the one I loved no longer exists. It’s now just a crowded, marginal resort with surly staff, run down facilities and pushy, frustrated guests. We’re not thrill riders so Universal isn’t appropriate for us.
We’re going to Hawaii this year for 2 weeks in a beach front gated community condo and flying first class plus renting a car for less than one week at the Yacht Club with tickets and all the additional fees would cost.
I predict that WDW will be broken up and gone in 10-15 years.
You comments are spot on! Loss of perks, paying for parking, pay for lighting lane. . .all the extras that justified the higher cost to stay at Disney are gone.
I have been going on average yearly since 1971. This is my first Florida vacation I will not be going to Disney. Guess where I am heading? USFL! Even if the Disney army boycotts disney I think the Mouse house want the trunk fans gone who remember the good ol days and are willing to ride out the store until it’s only the new fans who do not recall or know how great it was.
I agree. I think more people are going to start trying out Universal and really liking it. I know this will be our first stay at Universal and am looking forward to it. And with Universal bring Epic Universe, that WILL be a game changer. I think Disney needs to think about this. I love Disney, don’t get me wrong. But with the prices going up and loss of so much perks Universal looks so much better.
On Europe, we just had Disneyland Paris, in France. The hotels at DLP had that facts:
– No airport shuttle (it’s paid, for 23€).
– No breakfast included on basic fare (optionaly to get BB, HP or FP).
– Extra-paid frech tourist tax (between 1 and 4€ each night).
– Fastpass included ONLY at premium rooms.
– Fre bus from hotels to parks (you can walk 20 min. Also).
– Free parking for hotels gests.
– Paris conmuter rail and high-speed train station at the same resort.
So,for standard european costumer, DLP had expensive prices…
Also, Universal not had any park on Europe. Many years ago had one park in Tarragona (Spain), the current Portaventura, so now it has one on the worst service I ever seen on a park.
While this is useful (especially from a “what to expect” perspective for people who have only stayed on-site at Disney or USO), I just don’t really see USO hotels and WDW hotels as interchangeable. They aren’t crazy far from each other, but far enough to be a dealbreaker for me to stay at one park’s hotels while visiting the other. Also, the Express Pass perk at the more deluxe USO hotels is enough of a good deal that I cannot see myself, as a non-local, ever visiting USO without staying at one of those hotels.
I get that WDW hotels have gotten less attractive given the reduction in perks, but if I were going to WDW for 2 days or more, USO hotels wouldn’t even be on my list for alternatives. There are plenty of off-site hotels in the WDW area that are far more appealing for the portion of an Orlando trip spent going to WDW. Save the USO hotels for visiting USO.
We went to Disney every four years and stayed in a deluxe hotel and loved every bit of it. This year, we have decided not to go. We will go somewhere else. Too many changes, especially the transportation and the taking of our luggage. Being elderly, that was a big plus for us, and for my daughter and her very young family. Disappointed in the lack of housekeeping this year. I can understand it, but disappointed. And the food plan not being open yet. So many things have changed. We will be back, and hopefully when we do, they will once again offer transportation to us, and have the fast pass back so that we do not have to get up at seven am every morning while on our vacation. Please, let us plan our days BEFORE we get there. This waking up just to get on your phone to plan, and then during the day get your phone out again and do it all again and again. Not a fan of that new Genie at all. Bring back the pass and the transportation and we will hopefully be able to come back sooner than 2023
Unpopular opinion:
I love Disney, and I’ll always go back, but US is a superior guest experience. Disney has the nostalgic, magic feeling. And for now, it’s still a lot bigger. But the value for money is superior at US, the rides are better, the rooms are WAY better. Disney just has more IP that fans are into.
When their third park is built, things are going to be a lot closer between the two.
I am not saying I dislike Disney, I just went in November. But the overall guest experience, particularly if you do stay at their top tier properties, is just better, and a better value for money with less headache, that WDW.
I had, what will probably be my last for several years, visit to Disney World in Dec. I used to love Disney and could hardly wait between visits to get back to the magic. You could say that Disney trips kept me going haha. We visited during 2020 and enjoyed the low crowds at the sacrifice of entertainment. We had lots of fun. We visited twice during 2021— once in late Aug and again in Dec. The Aug trip was fun. The December trip was just disappointing. I booked two nights of the Christmas after hours and we stayed onsite to take advantage of the early entry. I’m fortunate in that I am able to afford quite a lot to enjoy a Disney trip, but not so much that we can afford a private guide daily. I left feeling that the latter was probably the only way to enjoy Disney now. Everything was so expensive for a fraction of the magic. This was fine with low wait times but in the absence of that, it didn’t feel worth it. And I, against better judgement, paid the fees to ride when we could. The newer hires definitely don’t have the Disney magic training in them yet–ran into several complaining while at Epcot and more in AK.
All that to say, we left not really caring when we would return as opposed to tears as has been the case before.
I do however plan to visit Universal and look forward to doing so. I’m also looking forward to the extra money I’ll have not visiting Disney every few months.
Excellent article. In the past few years my experiences with WDW deluxe hotels is that they are serviceable–they provide a place to sleep that is mostly okay (mostly…we had a terrible experience at Beach Club). Universal’s premier hotels aren’t Four Seasons, but they provide many more perks at a fraction of the price point of WDW’s deluxes. Our future planning these days are “Dark Side”-centric, with the hope that some day we will be able to go to Tokyo.
If service is of paramount importance, Tokyo is a totally different ballgame. That’s true of Japan in general, but Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea, in particular.
Even beyond service, those parks are superior on every level. Cannot wait to go back!
Great article. I stayed at Endless Summer this past November and it was a great experience. We did walk from the Universal CityWalk to the hotel one non-park day afternoon, and it was about a 25-30 minute walk (all sidewalk). We did pop over to EPCOT for a day for the food and wine festival and found it to be disappointing, over crowded, overpriced and poor, cold food. I hadn’t been to Universal is 10+ years since we always went to Disney and stayed ‘in the bubble’ but I can’t foresee us going to Disney over Universal in the future unless there’s some changes to Disney’s operations.
We recently did a split stay with a family of 9. My week at universal was less expensive than my two days at Disney. This was the first time we stayed at universal instead of just ubering over. I will say that unless Disney brings back the magic, Universal will be our choice again next year, which is sad as I have been a loyal Disney guest for years.
Couldn’t agree more with this report I was an annual passholder in Disney for many years after Covid I canceled and the price has gone so much higher that I will not renew my annual passholder instead I will buy a universal passholder and of course I will not be staying at a Disney resort hotel on property either thank you
I haven’t stayed at Universal since 2000 🙂 So a VERY long time. We expected to split parks when our youngest was taller since they have more rides at Universal for taller kids and I always anticipated staying at WDW and just getting an uber. But that was when I expected Magical Express to be my mode from airport to hotel. Now that I have to manage the hassle of transport it seems like if I have a car maybe I’d consider staying at both parks – or off park. I really do not understand ending magical express….I get paying for Genie + (I even liked the service better than FP at Disneyland this week and felt it was well worth the money) I really hate Lightening Lane but I also get it and can work around it. The Magical Express was distinct, a huge reduction in hassle and iconic — my kids still talk about the cartoons on it and we haven’t been in 2 years. They were legit disappointed Disneyland didn’t have ME – seems like a such a short sited change.
Great article. Major takeaway is ‘these are two major multi-national corporations’. Disney had the ability to make me forget and simply enjoy. Universal while greatly entertaining does not evoke that certain ‘Je ne sais quoi’. Knew all that French I took in school would come in handy someday. Can’t help but wonder if the nostalgia and magic that built the Disney brand with the consumer will come back to bite them when that consumer feels marginalized. One thing for sure Disney can never take from me those wonderful memories of previous experiences with my family and friends while visiting the parks.
I totally get what you mean about the je ne sais quoi of Walt Disney World (I also took French!).
I’d argue that Universal has moments of that–probably more than just “moments” for Harry Potter fans–and a lot of potential if they continue on their current trajectory.
While I agree you get more bang for your buck at Universal I don’t feel any “magic” there, even with Harry Potter. In all my visits the cast has been no where near as good as at Disney. Couldn’t answer simple questions, very disappointing. I’m not a thrill rider so the rides there don’t appeal to me. But I do understand that they certainly are giving Disney a run for their money. I can only hope more people abandon Disney for Universal so the parks will be less crowded and thus more enjoyable.
Universal definitely isn’t for everyone, especially those who don’t like thrill rides or simulators–that’s a totally fair point (albeit one that I hope changes over time with more family friendly additions and with their new park).
I’ve never stayed at Universal but after the last experience at Disney this year and the major loss of magic, I can’t see any reason for the premium. The service was poor, the food was poor, the DME is gone, the prices were through the roof. I didn’t mind the mask mandate but Disney seems to be focused on just grabbing my money, not giving me a good product and experience for my money. I’ve only heard incredible things about Universal.
Excellent article. Extremely fair, balanced and accurate. I truly hope some Disney executive reads this as there were several points you made that should make them sit up and correct. They need to do something to make that bubble more appealing. Thank you Tom for an interesting thought provoking afternoon read.
Great post. To your point (“living through a halcyon age of Universal resort pricing”), I don’t expect we could ever pay as little as we did to stay at Portofino this past December. We did book for Hard Rock in Dec ’22 b/c I stumbled on a decent deal and our family had so much fun during our recent trip. Over break I priced out the same December ’22 dates for Pop Century and CBR, and they were significantly more expensive than what we booked for Hard Rock. If money were no object, would I rather stay at Animal Kingdom or Wilderness Lodge vs. one of Universal’s properties? Sure, but unfortunately we don’t have a limitless budget. When Universal’s premiere resorts are coming out 1k+ cheaper than a value or moderate at Universal, and Universal has tangible resort perks, it’s just all kind of insane and I don’t get how Disney can keep it up.
Universal has its flaws (just like Disney), and I think we lucked out with our kids being a little older (9 & 10) vs. a younger family. But all in all, the holidays at Universal were pretty “magical” for our kids and it was at a fraction of the cost. I’m not a Universal shill, or in anyway associated with them, but I was honestly quite thankful I pulled the plug on Disney and gave Universal a chance. The overall vacation experience was just fun, easy, and didn’t require a second mortgage.
Great article and I would agree I wonder if Walt Disney World is able to coast a lot more on visitors past experiences at staying at a WDW hotel. Staying on property use to come with so many perks and great service to boot (magical express anyone). I dont think that is the same anymore, I was talking to someone last week who had no idea that Magical Express and the related luggage service was disappearing. They were shocked, and asked if its now a paid option (no), I wonder how many people might be thinking of staying online and then finding out many of the perks are no longer there (magical express, fast pass, event extra hours for all WDW hotels, etc). Then I think Universal would pull ahead by a fair margin if they keep the prices similar to what they are currently charging.
I appreciate the comparison between the properties. The one thing I think is the most important to hit on is that they are very different experiences. We like Universal for the hotels within walking distance, short lines with the Express Pass, and more rides we enjoy. We like Disney for nostalgia, activities for children under 36″, and the fact that you can spend a week or more there and still not fit everything in. We enjoy both resorts and will probably continue to experience both resorts. However, if seeing Cinderella castle is the highlight of your trip, surprise – Universal doesn’t have that. If short waits with the Express Pass for almost all attractions is the highlight of your trip – you may get frustrated at Disney. We find it’s all about expectations and what your individual group wants to see and do.