Universal Orlando v. 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 v. 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 to the Disney Dining Plan (still) being temporarily suspended, 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 starting to happen because hundreds of readers have told us this is what they intend upon 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.
For our part, we’ve stayed at every single Universal and Disney-owned hotel, plus numerous off-site and third party hotels throughout Central Florida. We have a lot of thoughts on the Orlando accommodations scene, how it has transformed in the last few years, and how it’ll continue to evolve–but most of that’s beyond the scope of this post.
For now, let’s cover the current pros and cons of staying on-site at Universal Orlando versus at Walt Disney World…
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.
As of 2023, guests wanting to take advantage of Genie+ and/or Individual Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World can expect to spend $16 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 $90 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 in 2023, 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 in 2023. (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.
February 2023 Update: This editorial was originally written last year, 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 20% 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.
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 in 2023, 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!
“Universal’s Premier Hotels start at under $300 per night”
I think this pricing information is out of date. In searching 2023 dates, I have rarely found EP hotels for under $500 a night, except at very end of August. At the times that most people are able to travel, these hotels are often in the $600-900 range per night.
@ Kelly-wow, that’s disappointing to hear as we’re trying to get a BCV for our upcoming December trip. Frankly, it’s mostly about the pool. But we did also love our Royal Pacific stay last year. It was super relaxing. All in all, Disney’s “home”, having grown up going there; but I’m glad Universal is providing a great alternative in light of poor Disney managing nowadays.
My family has always stayed on-site at WDW. We’ve loved it and would never imagine doing different. But as our family has grown, and as we are planning our upcoming Disney trip this fall, we are almost certainly staying off-site. Disney has taken away most all of the staying on-site benefits, but the prices are higher than ever!
On the flip side, we went to Universal last year and stayed at Hard Rock, and we loved every second. The benefit of staying that close (walking distance to literally everything) and getting the express pass was HUGE. Now, I don’t ever want to do Universal any other way!
Tom, have you taken a peek at some of the 2022 pricing for the premier hotels? Yikes. I fear that the “future” price creep you mentioned might already be here. Premier hotels for the summer are 100% in WDW deluxe range.
@amanda y I know cabana bay suites at universal have interior and exterior entrances and the exterior entrances even cost less.. we’ve only stayed in the suites, not the single rooms, but since universal doesn’t quote prices as exterior, interior.for single rooms I’m assuming the singles are all in the towers whereas the lower level “motel” style buildings are all suites.
I believe all the other universal hotels are in high rise building.
You can walk from cabana bay to the parks and thus avoid buses but although you get in an hour early for rides like velocicoaster, hagrid, and escape from gringotts you do not get unlimited passes at cabana bay.
Does Universal have any hotels with exterior entrances (like Pop Century/Port Orleans/All Stars/Key West)? We would feel better planning on these with COVID still around and spiking at times. (We are among those considering for the first time ever bursting the Disney bubble now. Specifically because of the parking fee and lack of Magical Express.) Also, labels on your photos would be really helpful! I guess I need a dummies guide to even what Universal has.
We have always done 3 nights at a Universal hotel then the rest at Disney (usually around 10 nights), all at the deluxe end of the scale. Just back from a Christmas and New Year trip, 3 nights at Hard Rock, 5 at the Contemporary and 4 at the Yacht Club. The room at YC was tiny and very worn, would not stay there again. HR was the biggest and best by a long way, yet the cheapest. Contemporary was between the two and I liked it more than I expected to, I chose it for the convenience of walking to MK rather than using a bus at such a busy time of year but the style won me over. The only disappointment was the lack of a real lobby area and large Christmas tree.
Long time DVC member with over 70 trips to DW. This year we did a split stay, stayed at the Beach Club at DW and at Royal Pacific at Universal. Universal service, cast members, and opportunities crushed DW. Universal is becoming what Disney once was. We hit Universal without a complicated plan, did not have to get up and stress out every morning at 0700 and get our reservations made and were able to adjust plans on the fly based upon crowds and desires. I read your dining reviews and frankly find the in-park dining better at Universal. The only place I see DW winning is in some of the resort dining offerings. And… the real kicker is, we did not have to carry our phones with us and keep our noses buried in them. Beach Club was filthy and crowded and the CMs were rude, Royal Pacific was a comfortable, relaxed high end hotel. I dont think Disney is chasing. I think they are assuming loyalty, which is fast becoming a poor assumption.
I love this blog, Tom! It hits home. When my kids were younger, we were an annual Disney Trip Family. We did 9 years in a row. Had a blast. Started with All Star and as the kids got older, ended at Bay Lake the last couple of years. This year….we went to Universal. The 2 bed suite I got us at Sapphire Falls was not only gorgeous, but it was about 40% of the price of a 2 bed suite at Disney (maybe even better). Even without Express pass (not included at Sapphire Falls) we had a blast and the lines were fine as long as you planned right. To me, the biggest benefit of Disney was being able to book my fast passes. i could plan our week in advance with a basic framework (knowing which parks we’d be in on each day in advance). Then we plan meals around that. With this, when we would get there, it was on automatic. So fun. It seems now, it’s complicated and more expensive. I have had two different sets of Family come back saying they spent most of the day on their phone trying to book things stressed out. I think Disney has a problem and when “Epic Universe” opens, that problem will be even bigger. I will say that Disney definitely has a different overall feel. Friendlier, better service and just the whole “Disney” thing (hard to explain). As far as a great place to take your Family for 4-6 days? Right now….Universal wins.
So much of this is your perspective.
We visited DW for the first time ever in mid December 2020 and did 5 park days and one pool/Disney Springs day. We stayed off-site at a hotel at the “Western Entrance”. We viewed the trip as a once in a lifetime / bucket list trip. So we had no previous experiences to judge it against, but also a great deal of stress to have the “perfect time”.
That said…
So grateful I did my homework and purchased Genie+ each day. We expected crowded parks and prioritized short wait times over must do rides. We did AK as the first “test and learn” day and then 1 day DHS and 3 days MK.
We found the CMs to be very knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful. We only a few experiences with CMs who were not great representatives for DW, all photographers for some reason. We made a point to be patient and friendly and grateful with every CM we interacted with; more so when they were obviously tired, grumpy, etc.
We took responsibility for making it a wonderful magical time, not expecting that to be from a CM.
AND IT WAS MAGICAL 🙂
It was expensive, crowded, certainly not perfect but it was a wonderful vacation.
Stayed 7 days over Thanksgiving holiday in WDW.
The prices are outrageous, heard so so many complaints from other guests. 1. Booking a trip to wDW is a full time job! Your kept on hold for hours if you have a problem with on line booking. Extra charges to be closer to pools, restaurants and front desk! Charge to park yet have to rent car now as no magical express. No daily housekeeping unless you want to pay for it No meal plan but impossible to get restaurants reservations! Passes to get in are expensive then 15.00 a day per person to avoid hours of waiting in line. Main attractions are additional Walt Disney dream as been replaced with greed! Only the rich can enjoy.
I even noticed staff are very short with the guests. One guest told me he was a DVC member and rents out his points with the money him and his family stay at universal or better yet get a real relaxing vacation on an island all inclusive everything paid up front including tips he locks his wallet up in the safe and enjoys oh paid extra for excursions and still with airfare was a lot less expensive then DVC. He had kids 4,8,13 there was lots of planned activities for all ages including adults they even had characters live for the young ones and family entertainment at night. 12 different restaurants All on his money as a DVC member rental So if you feel locked into Disney due to being a DVC member. Guess again you have options!!!!!! One call to your travel agent or as I found online self book at Apple vacations.com or discount a vacation.com/all inclusive and the place you want to explore.
Our original Orlando trips from overseas (2000 until 2014) were 90% Disney, with Universal / Busch Gardens as nice extras. Our 2019 (cancelled) trip was booked 14 days at Beach Club / 5 days at Royal Pacific. Our next trip will be on-site at Universal / off-site with occasional Disney days if we can experience the new attractions without the stress and gouging of riding them.
WDW-related news and commentary is negative nowadays. WDW used to be the gold standard for a theme park holiday. Others just couldn’t match the atmosphere. Disney has gradually stripped this away, and voluntarily dropped themselves back into the chasing pack. Their reputation is being chipped away with every upcharge and benefit removal, and visitors that once wouldn’t have considered a Universal hotel have now discovered a great alternative. Disney might think they are being smart by cutting loss-making benefits (or using COVID as an excuse to not bring them back quickly enough), but IMHO they are heading for a shock when pent-up demand runs out and the average visitor baulks at paying $15 for a single ride, after paying $500 for a mediocre hotel room and $130 for theme park entry (with no trams and hence a long hot walk from their car).
Just got back from 6 days in Orlando, a trip originally rescheduled due to COVID. When we re-booked the ticket dates, Disney charged us more $ for our 2 day park hopper tickets, but Universal threw in a free extra day. (The free Express passes for onsite Universal hotel guests is pure gold.) After the stress of pre-booking ADRs, genie+ lightning lanes, hopping rules and everything, Disney seemed like that uptight stressful Aunt with all the over the top rules but you have to visit her because she has things like Star Wars and Frozen at her house but everyone is exhausted and kinda wants to leave. Meanwhile, Universal is the cool Uncle who’s like “Nice and Easy! Party’s over here!” Even my 8 year old niece was like US wins.
Our next “Disney” trip is looking more and more like an Orlando or Universal trip. After traveling to Disney for a week-long trip in November, we left with the plan that our next week-long vacation would involve half as many Disney park days (4 rather than 7) to take better advantage of the amenities of our expensive resort stay. Fast forward to now, and I think we may instead do a weeklong Universal stay and sprinkle in just 1 or 2 days at Disney. We’ll do several days at Universal, Discovery Cove, and fill in with a day or 2 at Disney. Although we we greatly enjoy the nostalgia and energy of DIsney parks, the recent changes (LL, Genie+), slow build-out of new attractions, and crowds/lack of things to do had a negative impact on our latest trip.
We have been going to DW once (sometimes twice) a year for over 10 years. But it’s much harder to justify the cost of DW when there are other vacation options at half the price and just as much fun. For me, Disney World has reached its tipping point. More and more, the cost of a DW trip makes me feel more stressed – like everything better go darn near perfect for what we’ve shelled out. It takes away from the fun. This year we’re going to Universal Studios instead. I read several years back that Disney’s ultimate goal was to target wealthy guests – seems they are on track.
We have been going to WDW for over 16 years for a total of 41 trips and have stayed at all 3 levels, plus rented DVC points. We loved the “bubble”, but we are not dumb with our $$ and need to find some sort of “worth” in paying WDW so much, and we just cannot find it much anymore. Over the last 5 years our family has started splitting WDW and US. We definitely enjoy staying at a US resort over WDW resorts, to the point that even if we plan to go to WDW parks we much rather just stay at a US resort. I refuse to pay the ridiculous prices of deluxe resort at WDW now and no one can convince me that WDW has a resort that is worth $500+ per night. When you combine the $$ saved per night with the resort amenities and other bonuses, for us, it’s a no brainer and US wins. I agree that as US gets more popular their prices will increase but for now we will be picking US over WDW. You are right about TS dining at WDW having a better variety but that is not a big draw for our family and we have never found FD worth it for us either.
I saw this posted on another board but it rings true for me (and probably many of you too).
Disney has a better feeling inside their parks, but Universal is cheaper, more fun and way less stressful.
At one point, I was OK with paying for that Disney “feeling” but the price difference is just too much now for the value proposition they are offering.
We were in Universal for 5 day in the middle of December. Got the season passes which were a wash in the cost of 2 park-park to park tickets. And I get to plan another trip. We’ve been a few times in the past but this is the first time staying as one of premier resorts (hard rock). I think we are ruined for life? My husband will never stay at anything but a premier now because of the express passes. I have to say I do enjoy Universal more, I think it is a bit more relaxing and it feels a little fresher. Disney was feeling a little tattered when we were there in 2019. I think another comparison that was missed is that I feel Universal is a little more ‘adult’ whereas Disney is more appropriate for younger kids. Which appeals to me since I don’t have kids. My neighbor who went for the first time this fall on a ‘kid free’ trip to Universal is now planning to take her kids back at the end of January for that very reason. At 12, 14, and 16, they are not that interested in Disney but Universal will be more their taste.
As a former lover of staying at Disney resorts ( All Star, Art of Animation ( family suite) Saratoga Springs suite, and Animal Kingdom Lodge ( Savannah view) . Caribbean Beach , and Swan.,I used to love it there. It was always expensive. But it included so much and was an amazing experience. However, of late, they have continued to raise prices while removing services. It just feels greedy. I don’t mind paying extra for extra. But it’s not so extra anymore. Last summer I decided to try universal ( endless summer suite) mostly because the kids are older and wanted a change. It was such a better value and even for a value hotel was great. I am going back this year and trying Portifino Bay. The package was a much better value than Disney. I even get an employee discount at Swan and Dolphin ( the only Disney property I would now consider) but I still prefer Universal as I don’t feel as ripped off.
One thing about the pool comparison – all the Universal hotels except Endless Summer allow pool hopping, unlike WDW (unless you have DVC). So if you’re planning lots of pool time, at a Disney hotel, the pool might be an important factor, but at Universal you can stay at any of the hotels but try out all the pools or head to the one you like best without too much hassle (cough Cabana Bay cough).