Disney World vs. Universal Orlando: Which is Better for Your Florida Vacation?
Wondering about the pros & cons of Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando? This post compares and contrasts the two most popular Florida theme park complexes, with a look at the strengths and weaknesses each to help you determine which is the “better” option for your vacation. (Updated January 25, 2024.)
Walt Disney World versus Universal Orlando. Mickey Mouse. Harry Potter. The debate has raged since both entered the theme park scene in Florida, and is hotter than ever with Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida adding thrilling rides that capture the attention of theme park fans and vacationers. In this battle royale, TWO THEME PARK COMPLEXES ENTER, ONLY ONE WILL LEAVE.
Okay, actually, not really. This does not engage in the typical fanboy arguing over which is better. If you already have a favorite, nothing I write is going to change that (probably) passionate opinion. I will say that any supposed rivalry is mostly an artificial creation of theme park fans, and not something that actually exists between the parks themselves. Rather, this post is for those who are not diehard fans of either, but rather, are simply trying to determine how to allocate their limited vacation time between the Central Florida theme parks.
For us, Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom are all like children. Sure, we might have preferences and personal favorites, but we ultimately love them all. To that point, we’re Annual Passholders at both Universal Orlando and Walt Disney World, but we’ll be the first to admit that we spend far more time at the latter.
However, that might start to change next year when Epic Universe opens and the new Super Nintendo World debuts. As a huge fan of Mario, Yoshi, and Donkey Kong, I’m anxiously awaiting this new land and know that it’ll be a huge hit with guests. (We’ve already experienced the Mario Kart attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood, and the Yoshi ride at Universal Studios Japan.)
This new park has also led some Walt Disney World fans to openly ask: Is Universal Beating Disney? It’s not just the new park–Universal has been doing a lot in the last decade to position itself as a bona fide ‘destination’ resort and not just diversions from Disney. There’s also the new Minions mini-land and an upcoming DreamWorks Animation Land Opening in 2024 at Universal Studios Florida.
When it comes to Universal opening blockbuster additions, Disney’s public position has been that “that a rising tide lifts all boats” and that a stronger Universal is beneficial to Disney. In other words, if you’ve ever thought that a visit to Universal Orlando would be tantamount to “betraying” Walt Disney World, banish the idea from your mind. Besides, these are for-profit, publicly-traded companies and not actually family members. You can’t “betray” them.
Anyway, this is written to compare and contrast Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando, to give those of you who haven’t recently visited both an idea of how you might want to allocate your vacation time in Central Florida. Hopefully it’s reasonably fair in doing that. Ultimately, I think the two resort complexes are better as complementary destinations rather than competitive ones, so I don’t have much interest in that “battle,” anyway.
We receive a number of questions about whether Universal is “worth it?” That’s an incredibly loaded and subjective question, but I feel like this type of comparison post is the best way to answer it. The fact is, each brings a lot to the table, and has its strengths and weaknesses.
For many of you, Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando might work well in tandem, and it might make a lot of sense for you to spend some time at each resort complex. For others, only one may hold any appeal due to your party’s demographics, advantages of staying on-site at one or the other, cost, or for a variety of other reasons.
As preliminary info, Walt Disney World Resort includes four theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom, plus Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon water parks, over two-dozen on-site resort hotels, and the Disney Springs shopping area.
Universal Orlando Resort has two theme parks: Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, Volcano Bay water park, 8 on-site resort hotels, and the CityWalk shopping area. Although it’s often mis-portrayed as a theme park, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is not one of the parks at Universal Orlando–it’s two lands within the above-mentioned parks.
We will cover all of that in this post, as we take a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resorts…
Rides
According to some, Walt Disney World is for families with kids and Universal Orlando Resort is for teens and young adults. At least, this is what has been perpetuated. The reality is a bit more nuanced.
It’s a statement that you can take at face value and more or less know what is meant by it, even if it’s incomplete. Universal Orlando does skew more towards teens and adults. A total of 24 attractions at Universal Orlando have height requirements, for an average of 12 per park. At Walt Disney World, there are 22 attractions with height requirements, for an average of 5.5 per park.
This is compounded by the fact that most of Universal Orlando’s best attractions–Revenge of the Mummy, Men in Black Alien Attack, Transformers, Amazing Adventures of Spiderman, Jurassic World VelociCoaster, and Incredible Hulk Coaster–have height requirements. Oh, and don’t forget the three flagship Harry Potter attractions: Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, and Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts.
A lot of rides are eliminated for families with by virtue of this height requirement alone. While there are still plenty of attractions that kids can do in the Universal parks, these attractions are not Universal’s strong suit, whereas many of Walt Disney World’s classic attractions are aimed squarely at kids.
If you have small children and are contemplating a trip to Universal Orlando, you will definitely want to consult height requirement charts to make sure that they are tall enough for at least a chunk of them. The good news is that Universal is making a concerted effort to improve its family-friendly offerings.
Universal’s newest attraction, Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast, is for almost everyone (aside from infants). Universal now has more kid-friendly characters, a new daytime parade is likely coming in 2024, and there’s other entertainment aimed at families. Then there’s the new DreamWorks Animation Land, which is aimed squarely at kids. Next up, Super Nintendo World and other additions in Epic Universe. To be sure, there’s still room for improvement, but Universal is adding more for families with kids.
Even if you don’t have small children, you might find many of Universal’s headliners simply too intense. Motion sickness is only an issue with a handful of attractions at Walt Disney World–things like Expedition Everest, Star Tours, and Cosmic Rewind. Pretty much every thrill ride and/or simulator at Universal can present problems for guests with motion sickness.
The flip side of this is that Walt Disney World is weak when it comes to thrill rides. Sure, there are some options but most of Disney’s rollercoasters are tame by normal standards, and there are fewer of them (hence fewer height requirements).
Exciting, well-themed attractions are squarely in Universal Orlando’s wheelhouse. With the exception of coasters, almost all of these attractions are brilliantly executed, and are not just cheap, amusement park thrills. Transformers, Spiderman, Revenge of the Mummy, and the Harry Potter attractions, among others, are some of the best attractions in Orlando.
These attractions are not too intense for average guests–to the contrary, they command lengthy wait times, so they’re clearly appropriate for most people. If you can handle Expedition Everest or Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, you can probably handle anything at Universal Orlando.
In addition to that, they wonderfully fuse thrills with thematic delivery. These action-packed attractions are Universal Orlando’s definite strong suit, and if this is your style, you will be particularly impressed with what they have to offer. Many of these fast-paced, action-packed attractions are unlike anything that exists at Walt Disney World.
One myth that exists about Universal Orlando is that it leans entirely on screen-based attractions. There are definitely several instances of screens being used (and more than at Walt Disney World), but in nearly every such case, screens are used in lieu of animated figures (Audio-Animatronics in Disney parlance) because the situation simply dictated as much.
In fairness, recent highly-popular Walt Disney World attractions are also trending in that same direction. Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, and TRON Lightcycle Run have a combined total of 0 Audio Animatronics but tons of screens. In both cases, screens are used purposefully and as appropriate. In fast-paced, action-heavy thrill rides (among other scenarios), animated figures simply wouldn’t be pragmatic.
Transformers wouldn’t be possible with huge Autobots scaling buildings and bouncing all around a city leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. Same goes for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey and the Amazing Adventures of Spiderman, among others. Also to Universal’s credit, but the attractions that do utilize screens don’t utilize only screens. They are all mixed-media, and there’s enough variety that I don’t think you ever really feel that you’re just “watching a video.”
It’s worth pointing out that the gap has been closing between Universal and Disney in the last decade. Walt Disney World has seemingly followed Universal’s lead and placed a greater emphasis on thrilling attractions. If you look at some of the biggest recent additions–both rides in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Avatar Flight of Passage, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, TRON Lightcycle Run, and Slinky Dog Dash–all have height requirements and offer varying degrees of thrills. And as discussed above, Universal is doing more to cater towards kids.
Walt Disney World does have more variety and classics than Universal Orlando, with the latter placing a stronger emphasis on contemporary movies and what’s popular now. Disney’s attraction lineup has been refined over the last 4 decades, and many of the world’s most iconic and classic theme park attractions exist at Walt Disney World.
Depending upon your perspective, this could be a good or bad thing. These classics will appeal to your sense of nostalgia along with the youngest and oldest members of your traveling party. Many have absolutely stood the test of time, but the teens and young adults in your group may find them lame or dated.
Covering the attraction roster at Walt Disney World is beyond the scope of this post (and you probably know it, anyway), but if you’re unfamiliar with Walt Disney World’s ride lineup, we cover it park-by-park in our Walt Disney World Ride Guides. Suffice to say, Walt Disney World has a lot of ‘Fantasyland’ style attractions that will appeal to kids, and a lot of slow-paced attractions that will appeal to an older crowd looking for leisurely things to do.
Entertainment
Historically, Walt Disney World has offered more and better entertainment. Stage shows, atmospheric performers, character meet & greets, and nighttime spectaculars have all been superior at Walt Disney World. Production values are usually higher and Disney has access to more beloved characters along with a deep well of nostalgia.
To that last point, Disney intellectual property is a lot stronger than Universal’s. While the latter does have Harry Potter and will soon have Nintendo, Walt Disney World otherwise has a near-monopoly on beloved animated characters from the last half-century. Characters from Frozen, Encanto, Moana, Toy Story, The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, etc.
By contrast, Universal’s big name characters that appeal to children are the Minions and Spongebob. That’s not everyone–other characters include Optimus Prime, Bumblebee and Megatron; The Simpsons; Shrek, Donkey and Princess Fiona; Scooby-Doo & Shaggy; Trolls; Blue the Velociraptor; Kung Fu Panda; and Marvel Comics characters. It’s a long list, but the sheer volume of popular characters in the Disney vault dwarfs Universal.
Additionally, Walt Disney World has an incredibly robust lineup of scheduled entertainment with purpose-built venues. Here, we’re referring largely to stage shows with live performers, such as Finding Nemo: The Big Blue & Beyond, Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire, Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage, Frozen Sing-Along, Festival of the Lion King, just to name a few.
In addition to this, there are more tech-driven productions. These include Country Bear Jamboree, Hall of Presidents, Carousel of Progress, Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, PhilharMagic, and a number of other 3D films.
Then there are daytime and evening entertainment and spectaculars. Universal has nothing like the Festival of Fantasy Parade in Magic Kingdom, and even smaller-scale cavalcades are quite popular with families–a good way of seeing favorite characters without committing much time to it.
Then there are the nighttime spectaculars, which are currently the Happily Ever After fireworks at Magic Kingdom, Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT Forever. (Sadly, there’s nothing at Animal Kingdom.) Fantasmic and Happily Ever After are truly iconic, and both have been recently refreshed.
Where Universal Orlando really excels is with streetmosphere. You can’t walk more than a few hundred feet without stumbling upon an entertainment act of some sort—musicians, stage shows, characters, or atmospheric performers.
Whether it’s the Blues Brothers, Scooby Doo Mystery Machine, Bart Simpson, Marilyn Monroe, or Mardi Gras bands, you can’t go far in either of the Universal parks without seeing something. Universal also has access to more Marvel characters, albeit the comic book versions.
On-Site Benefits
Right from its opening in 1971, Walt Disney World positioned itself as a vacation destination rather than a day-trip theme park. Disney has strengthened its position in this regard, not just with the opening of 3 additional theme parks and all of that other stuff, but with perks and packages that make it an all-inclusive vacation.
For many people, this has been the ultimate hurdle in visiting Universal Orlando. Even those with interest in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter might favor being in the “Walt Disney World Bubble” on vacation. For many diehard WDW fans, that’s an intangible that has been very difficult to overcome.
This is another area where the tables have turned “thanks” to the end of free FastPass+ and Disney’s Magical Express, plus the ongoing suspension of the Disney Dining Plan. While on-site perks have improved at Walt Disney World as of 2024, there are still fewer incentives to stay on-site at Walt Disney World than there were 4 years ago, and more to stay on-site at Universal Orlando.
In the latest updates to our Off-Site v. On-Site at Walt Disney World article, we’ve covered this shift in detail. That also covers recent additions at Walt Disney World, including Lightning Lane priority booking windows, Early Entry, Extended Evening Hours, and more.
All Universal hotels offer Early Park Admission to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Volcano Bay water park one hour before the theme parks open to the general public. Guests staying at Universal’s Premier Hotels get free Unlimited Express Pass to skip the regular lines at most popular attractions in Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure.
Express Pass is Universal’s equivalent of FastPass (retired) or Lightning Lanes (current), but better—and it normally costs money. We absolutely love Express Pass, and would strongly recommend a split stay between Walt Disney World and Universal’s hotels if you’re planning a visit to both solely for the sake of “free” Express Pass. (See Universal’s Express Pass v. Lightning Lanes & Genie+ at Walt Disney World for more info and a comprehensive comparison.)
While beyond the scope of this article, Universal Orlando resorts offer many of the same advantages of Walt Disney World hotels. Universal’s hotels also feature great themed design, transportation to the parks, and a great location—most are within walking distance of Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. (See Universal Orlando v. Disney World Hotels for more on the pros & cons of each complex’s resorts.)
Another benefit to staying on-site at Universal Orlando is the layout. Universal Orlando can be likened to Disneyland Resort in California. Much like Disneyland, the Universal Orlando parks are situated adjacent to one another and CityWalk is also close by. As is the case with the Disneyland Resort hotels, almost all on-site hotels at Universal Orlando are all within walking distance of the two theme parks and CityWalk.
Each of these hotels and CityWalk offer various forms of entertainment, shopping, and dining, and Universal Orlando has been aggressively expanding these non-theme park offerings within the last few years, with an eye towards making Universal Orlando similarly viewed as a vacation destination. This has been aided by resort entertainment options, like the lazy river and bowling alley in Cabana Bay Beach Resort.
While Walt Disney World still has more to offer beyond the parks, Universal Orlando is gaining ground, and is showing no signs of slowing down. Additions at Walt Disney World have been coming at a snail’s pace, whereas Universal Orlando is building at a break-neck pace.
In terms of vacation type, they really both could be viewed as catering to similar demographics. Still, if you are looking for a single-site destination for a longer vacation, Walt Disney World has the advantage. Universal Orlando has the edge if you want to do a variety of things, and only want to spend a couple of days at theme parks.
If you are considering a theme park-centric trip to Florida with multiple destinations, the best idea is allocating some time at each and doing a split-stay between an official Universal Orlando hotel and an on-site Walt Disney World hotel.
Theme & Atmosphere
One department in which Walt Disney World has a clear advantage is theme and atmosphere. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter lands (Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade) are brilliant examples of themed design that you do not have to be a Harry Potter fan to appreciate. Both of these lands blow me away, and I know many of the Harry Potter references were lost on me. These lands aren’t just on par with the best of Orlando, they are Tokyo DisneySea caliber. Likewise, Port of Entry is a very well done land.
Unfortunately, once you get past these three lands, the wheels sort of fall off. Universal Studios Florida gets a bit of a pass on this, as it’s a studios park, and even Disney sort of punts on theming on its studios parks, letting them function largely as collections of attractions that don’t fit elsewhere. In terms of theme, both Universal Orlando parks fall short of Walt Disney World’s parks. This is not to say every land at Walt Disney World is a thematic masterpiece (I’m looking at you, Dino-Rama), but overall, its lands are superior.
As someone who loves being in immersive theme park environments, Universal’s thematic missteps are a letdown for me. Again, Wizarding World of Harry Potter does a lot to excuse this–Hogsmeade is a great land and Diagon Alley is next-level. There are also flashes of brilliance in Jurassic Park, San Francisco, New York, Hollywood, Springfield, Lost Continent, Seuss Landing, and other areas. However, Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure are not as consistently strong thematically.
Which is fine–they’re different kinds of parks. The Walt Disney World parks are generally more enjoyable places to ‘be’ in and soak up the atmosphere, whereas the Universal parks do action-packed attractions better. My personal opinion is that both resort complexes fill attraction line-up gaps not fully served by the other, and if all of the attractions mentioned above appeal to you, a great vacation strategy would be to spend time at each.
Conclusion
Ultimately, Universal Orlando is not going to be for everyone, just as Walt Disney World is not for everyone. If you have a trio of 4 year olds and are also bringing grandma and grandpa on the vacation, your party is probably going to prefer Walt Disney World by a wide margin. If you’re taking your 13 and 16 year olds, Universal Orlando should definitely be on your radar. That’s doubly true if they’re Potterheads or fans of other franchises featured at Universal.
Moreover, this really just scratches the surface of the similarities and differences of the parks, and what you might want to know if you’re considering venturing to Universal Orlando Resort. Another one is food, which is dominated by Disney. Transportation is yet another; it’s very location-dependent at Walt Disney World, but great across the board at Universal.
The final one is cost. Due to incremental price increases, doing both Universal and Disney will cost more than doing one or the other for the same amount of time. With that said, Universal is less expensive than Walt Disney World in most ways. Park tickets and food prices are not particularly noticeable, but the big one is hotel rates.
Not only is Universal (usually) cheaper, but its resorts include perks that would cost additional money at Walt Disney World. However, even that is not consistent. There are certain times when Walt Disney World offers aggressive resort discounts for the general public, and Universal only has deals available for Annual Passholders and Florida residents. In general, we pay less to visit Universal, but that’s highly variable–and definitely not always true. As with so much of this comparison, your mileage may vary even as to which costs more.
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?
If you have visited Universal Studios Florida or Islands of Adventure recently, what did you think? Where does Universal surpass Disney, and vice-versa? Is there anything we missed or you think is inaccurate? Do you prefer Universal or Disney hotels? What about rides, entertainment, and food? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? 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’ve gone to Disney and Universal a number of times over the last couple of decades, with at least 12 trips to Disney and 3-4 to Universal. We most recently went to Universal in April and spent 4 days in the parks – with 2 parks passes and unlimited express passes. A couple of things I don’t like about Universal compared to Disney. First, Universal doesn’t have a way to get online ticket purchases without going thru the regular (or will call) ticket lines. We spent 45 minutes before we even got our tickets. And, since we bought the photo pass, we had to go to another place to get these setup – another 20 minutes delay. Next, the express passes cost extra, yet aren’t valid for some of the most popular rides (Gringots ride, for example). You can’t even ride the Hogwarts train without buying the 2 park ticket. The details at Universal are lacking as well; we saw a ride line employee sitting on the railing playing with his phone as we went in to the ride and he was still there doing the same when we got off. Two separate times we experienced problems with store personnel not knowing how to send purchases home vs taking with us. Once, the manager of the store didn’t know how to do it and we took over half an hour cooling our heels while they called around trying to find someone to help. They also require all items be taken out of pockets, off your back, etc be put in a locker before riding any of the thrill rides. I actually had to remove an insulin pump (attached to my body) before I could ride one roller coaster. This is after being xray/scanned prior to even getting into the CityWalk plaza! The new rides, and some of the not so new rides, rely on 3D or otherCGI, along with sharp stop and start movements which makes it not as enjoyable for us. For my money, Disney is much better
We have been to both and overall my family would chose Disney over Universal. However, we do like Universal and it is a different vacation. You need more days to do Disney and the days we are in the park are faster paced and more frantic. We try to build in days to hang at the resort. Universal can be done in a shorter time frame and not nearly as frantic. Parks are smaller and if you get express pass, you can get through each park in one day and ride multiple rides over and over again. Harry Potter world is awesome and the one reason I would do Universal more than once. If you are a fan, this is a must do. It is the only part of the park that I consider a rival to Disney. I agree that universal is for older children/teens and Disney is the park for younger kids, but my teens (16 and 14) love Disney and we go as often as we can.
I agree Universal is for older children, but once older, Universal is the only way to go. The package, with ExpressPass, for onsite guests is so much better. You never wait in lines and the experience becomes completely different. We’ve been to Disney 4 times in 10 years and it gets worse every time – in terms of wait times. The required week stay is quite expensive…
We had thought about including Universal and split our first vacation, but knowing DD8 would want to go on many things she isn’t tall enough for changed our mind. As much as she loves coasters, it’s not worth the cost to us yet. In a few year hopefully she grows 5 more inches and can make it on Dragon Challenge. It’s was easier to spend time at Disney and not have to say she was too short for anything.
Interesting thoughts! This pretty much confirms Disney is an overall better choice for us as we are NOT thrill ride people. I get motion sick at the drop of a hat, and the milder Disney coasters are perfect for me. (Space Mountain made me sick, if that gives you an idea. And even Soarin is a bit rough…I have to pick a spot and stare at it.) I’d love to see Harry Potter stuff someday, but most of theother stuff would be lost on me, I think.
I have been to both a few times and for the most part will echo the majority of the other replies and the article. Universal does seem more geared for teens and up and Disney more for the young and old at heart.
But I would emphasize that length of stay is critical. Universal can be done comfortably in 3 days and I’ve done quick 3 day trips to Universal. When I have more than 3 days then Disney has been the focus with possibly a side trip to Universal. With the non attraction things there are at Disney you could spend a week and never do anything twice. On one trip we focused on those extra special items and did water skiing, horse back riding and Nascar racing in addition to the parks. It was great paced vacation.
Because of their great theming, super helpful service and the variety of their amusements I’d give Disney the nod but Universal does win the thrill ride category and everyone should visit Potter.
I love both parks. I am 25 and have been to both many times, usually within the same trip. But if I can one I will do Disney. My wife has never been so we are going to Disney for our anniversary in November and I cant wait. There are a few reasons though why I prefer Disney over universal. Disney world is secluded. Since Disney owns all the land you are truly able to escape into your vacation which adds to the magic. Because the only things around are Disney, it feels like I have escaped through a portal where Disney truly is alive. Universal isnt secluded therefore the escape is much harder to do. Disney also has the best customer service in the world. Where the people who work at Universal sometimes feel like grouchy Disney rejects. There are plenty of nice people at Universal, but I have never had an instance at Disney where I felt we were treated rudely or unfairly. However both are great and have a unique feel to them, I just prefer Disney as a vacation and Universal as a day or two fun park.
Our family was die-hard Disney and always stayed on site. One year we made 2 separate trips to Orlando so that we could experience Universal. From that moment forward, Universal has become our favorite. We have done some trips where we stay at Disney for 5 nights and then take a taxi to Universal for 3 nights, and that seems to cover it all but we are exhausted when we return. We love both but Universal has more action, better rides and it’s so much more relaxing when you stay at an on site hotel. No lines at all, no fast passes to navigate, plenty of good choices to eat, and the pool at the Portofino where we stay is fabulous. We have “graduated” from Disney to Universal as our kids have gotten older. Next week we are headed to Orlando and will spend the whole time at Universal – can’t wait!
I’m at Universal now after ten nights at Disney. I am a die hard Disney fan–visited upwards of sixty times, DVC member. So safe to say I’m biased. The Harry Potter areas are executed brilliantly and while in these lands I don’t miss Disney one bit. The rest of the areas in both parks just don’t measure up. The rides lack story establishment, I can’t immerse myself in the action, much of it seems cheesy. Minion Mayhem is an exception. Anyway, it’s not Disney.
I think that Disney World and Universal are the same. Disneyland which is MUCH like Universal Studios, and Disneyland is basically Disney World and needn’t say, they both come from the same place. Another reason that they are the same although I have been to Disney since I was 4, is that Warner Bros. were Disney animators, bought by Universal. In other words, Disney is working at Universal Studios. (Crazy)
We all know that there are some popular stttactions at Disney that are nearly impossible to experience without using the free fast pass system or waiting in line for hours. How well does Universal’s equivalent system work? Is it Necessary? Is it worth the extra money you have to spend on it?
BTW: Please bring back the mule ride at Disney! It is the best non high tech ride ever made! 🙂
One thing would be cool as soon as I saw that JAWS picture I imagined the entry way would be going into the mouth with a long line forming out as everybody gets *ate* or I mean their wallet gets ate.
One thing would be cool is if rides actually went somewhere where you actually get off in a different part of the park instead of just a loop or have multiple paths with a relay timer that times it in sync so people go different places and not know where they wind up.
Maybe some rides would be above ground and underground where you experience the rest when you get off at another destination and walk out to the overworld.
UGH please no – then the members of the group who don’t want/can’t ride that ride get left behind.
The only thing I would add to this is the level of customer service. We visited in April for 3 days, stayed on site and then spent 8 days at a Disney resort. There was a HUGE difference in the level of customer service between the 2 companies. My family loved the universal parks and now that we’ve moved to the Orlando area we’ll probably get annual passes, but I’ll never stay at an on property resort again, I’ll never make the mistake of getting universals dining plan, and I most likely won’t visit any of the restaurants with the exception of the diner with the classic cars in front of it, and Pat O’Briens in the City Walk. The other restaurants we went to the staff was rude, the food was sub par, and dining areas were less than clean.
Guest experience is very important to me, which is why I’m such a Disney geek! Disney does it right! Universal’s level of customer service in my personal opinion is barely above walmarts customer service.
I don’t understand this post about poor service?
I guess we have just been lucky because our experiences are quite different. I know it can vary anywhere, even disney, because CM’s and TM’s are all people and have good and bad days.
First of all, from the moment we walked into RPR, we were greeted and welcomed, not once but by three different TM’s. We were given a welcome lai by one person. The check in lady was fantastic, happy, polite and very accommodating. My husband has nerve damage in his leg and walks with difficulty with a cane. I asked the TM at reservations if we could have a room close to the boat. We never requested one before arriving, so it was just a request if possible. They put us in a room the elevator and it was a quick walk to the boat. It was perfect.
Everyone at the resort was willing to help with anything we needed. We were very impressed with the staff and the beautiful lobby and accommdations. The rooms were clean and beautiful.
In the parks, we never encountered a TM who was not helpful and cheerful.
We never had a bad customer service experience, and I was really surprised at the level of good to excellent service. This includes the restaurants.
It’s too bad that the PP had such a bad experience, and I know it can happen to anyone, but we have been very lucky at Universal.
Love this article! I completely agree with all points of your comparison, and love your comments about all the whinges who complain about too much screen based technology at Universal. We have visited Orlando 3 times now and each time we’ve visited both parks. Personally I can’t understand going to Orlando and not visiting both resorts, because they both have so much to offer. I am a Harry Potter fan (the books, not really the movies) so I HAD to go to Universal for that, but I love the rest of the parks as well, and the more thrilling attractions there (oh at ET is one my favorite dark ride’s anywhere). Disney is of course Disney, and I can’t pass up the magic of visiting a Disney park when in Orlando (even if I do prefer the Disneyland resort) and on our last trip we finally got to experience the true value of an all encompassing Disney holiday, experiencing more outside the parks – which is where I think the value of Walt Disney World lies. I’d also agree about splitting your stay between resorts (on property if money allows) because being in the Disney bubble and Universal bubble is much more relaxing (yes I think there is a Universal bubble, it’s more fun and less magical but it’s still there). We are lucky enough to be Australian tourists who get 4 weeks of annual leave a year so we usually can spend a decent amount of time in Orlando because we have more leave (I still can’t believe you guys only get 2 weeks annual leave per year, I would riot – in fact I’m about to get 13 weeks off this year for Long Service Leave – this is leave that employers in Australia provide after long term service – usually 10 years, though I got it after 7) and we are taking a 4 week trip to the Asian Disney and Universal parks (We’ve visited Tokyo Disney but will be visiting Hong Kong Disney, Universal Japan, Universal Singapore and the brand new Shanghai Disney for the first time, as well as Tokyo Disney again) – so excited about that I can’t wait! Sorry babbling now, but thanks again for another great article 🙂
First and foremost, this blog has been SO helpful! Next, I will say I am as much of a fan of Disney World as I am Universal Studios. I am 28 with no children, but very much have the kid-at-heart mentality. You cannot beat the magic that is Disney. However, in the past 2 years, I have gone to Universal Studios 6 times, and each time it is a blast. I haven’t been to Disney at this point, in 6 years because I have gone to Universal Orlando instead. I have an Orlando trip planned for this September and we are plannig on devoting one day to Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure. The other 5 days will be spent at the Disney parks. At this point, we know what we want to see/must do at Universal, so the one day will be enough for us.
I think a great point to consider when deciding whether or not to go to Universal, depends on the time of year. Universal has some really fun events spread throughout the year. For instance, when we are there the Halloween Horror Nights will be taking place. This is NOT an event for younger children. It scared the daylights out of me last year, but it is truly an impressive experience. The downfall, like Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween, is that it is an added ticket cost. But if you have a true horror fan in your group – this is the place to go. There are going to be many additions coming to Universal in the next few years (The Tonight Show Ride, Fast and Furious Ride, Reign of Kong, etc.) so it will be an exciting time to visit. I cannot wait to go back to Disney and I am taking a first time Disney-er with me, so it should prove to be an awesome experience.
One last note, if you do go to Universal do NOT get the pumpkin juice in the bottle. ONLY get it by draft. It is a million times better. It tastes like Fall in a cup 🙂
Hi there! My boyfriend and are are hoping to go to Orlando this May if he can get the time off. I’m 21 and he’s 22 and though I’ve been to both parks (Disney more then Universal and I’m such a Disney nerd) he’s never been to either so we are trying to decide which park we should go to. I know this is a Disney blog but since you talked about both parks I thought you’d be the best person to ask! We both love Harry Potter but he isn’t as much of a thrill seeker as I am. Which park would you recommend most to us? we plan of going for a week and doing parks for 4-5 days!
Thank you so much!
Universal vs. Disney
I recently went on a vacation to the Universal and Disney amusement parks with my family. I talked with my family and they all said they liked universal much better than Disney because it had a wide variety of rides for all ages, they also said the rides were more exciting and the park in general was more fun for my family than Disney was.
I’ve been to WDW 12 times and Universal 3. However, last time at Universal (May 2015) I stayed on site. WOW is it with it to have that front of the line access unlimited times for almost every attraction. And the rooms were comparable in price to a Disney mid-range (Coronado, Port Orleans, etc.) but much bigger and nicer. Sure, there wasn’t the theming outside the hotel, but the grounds were lovely. While there, I took the shuttle to Epcot for a day to catch the Flower & Garden Show and spend some time at the park & at Magic Kingdom. Even with a few FastPass reservations on my band, I was bummed out with the lines after spending three days at Universal where I basically had FastPass access to all the attractions I cared to visit (except HP and there, the single rider line zips you to the front at Hogsmeade – still a wait at Gringotts).
Wish WDW would offer nicer rooms at more moderate pricing, and rethin the MagicBands – I used to get many more FastPasses with the old system.
Theming ay Universal – you forgot the Simpsons area for which I thought they’ve done a nice job.
We are planning a 7 day vacation to Orlando in the fall with our 11 year old, torn between Disney and Universal, and wondering if it would be doable to split it up, and spend the first 3-4 days at Disney, and then the second half of the week at Universal, or if it would be too much to try and cram both into one week. We would be flying in on Saturday and leaving the following Saturday, or something like that. No experience with either resort, so any info would be greatly appreciated.
I am struggling with whether to include Harry Potter in our upcoming spring break trip. Clock is ticking as I will hit the 60 day window and need to choose fastpasses. I am just overwhelmed! We are in the “visited WDW many times.” category. My daughter who began Disney at age 5, has gone just about every year since. She is now 14. We did Disneyland the year she was 8. She is on, I believe the 3rd Harry Potter book, maybe about to read 4th. My niece (in her 40’s or is she 50?) is a die hard Potter fan. We have talked about possibly doing Harry Potter tied in to Disney for years. Now they have Potter in both Universal parks. More expense. If I don’t include my niece on a trip soon, she may disown me. We have a Disney room booked for Spring Break 2016, from Sun thru Fri. I will try to get a flight that allows for 1 park the day we arrive/probably HS. Then we have 4 full days and hopefully part of a day on our Sat/departure day. Would it be crazy to squeeze in Harry Potter for 1 day. Stay at Disney and just find transportation to Universal. Do you have to do 3 days in order to get 2 park transfer and Hogwart’s Express? We could skip HS and AK as far as I am concerned. We could even just do MK 3, 1 more Disney and then 1 Universal. I am seeing a cost of $170 to do so. Just need to make a snap decision as it is almost time to book my Disney fastpasses! So many “new things” will not be ready at Disney when we arrive for spring break, so I figure this may be the year to combine the two. We will be at Pop Century. Any thoughts on this would be so helpful. Is anyone familiar with Take 2 Transfer? I believe it is $70 or so per adult. The first price I mentioned was Dreams Unlimited. Maybe I should consult a travel agent??? But I already have Disney hotel and tix booked. They can be altered up to a certain point.
Thanks for that Tom. You have validated my decision to take a 3 week vacation to Orlando! We are spending 11nights/10 days at WDW, staying onsite (first night at a Disney property & 10 nights at the Swan using SPG points). Then a 4 night Disney Cruise, followed by 3 nights/3 days at Universal. My son is 12, and while we’ve taken him to DLR in California 5 times without ever venturing to any parks other than Disney’s 2, this time we feel he’s ready to expand his experience & I think he’ll really like the trill rides at Universal. I want to do absolutely everything, as I don’t know if we’ll ever get back to Orlando, and don’t want to be rushed about it. Plus we’ll do both waterparks, my hubby will golf, and we’ll have down time at the pools, so I think it will be a fantastic vacation that will be both exhausting & relaxing at the same time! It’s essentially our first time (hubby & I went casually 20 years ago, doing 1 day at each of the 3 parks that existed at the time), so I’m reading every post on your site – so incredibly helpful! Thanks so much for all you do on this site! Cheers!