Do you like Disney World or Universal more? And why?

[Robo56]

HHN...but we enjoyed doing the "lights on" (can't think of what it's called) tour better than the normal experience.

Unmasking the Horror Tour. I did that one last year and really enjoyed it to.

 

[schumigirl]

We waited in one que for an hour and a half because something wasn't ready in the Krampus House. That was the start of the night. Toward the end of our very long waits, we purchased the Express pass for night two. It was better but.... the cm's rushed everyone along, so you would know where all the scares were going to happen because there wasn't enough time between people. Don't get me wrong, I've always loved HHN...but we enjoyed doing the "lights on" (can't think of what it's called) tour better than the normal experience. We did three houses that way and found we saw so much more of what was inside the houses. It was just so cool! And...the daytime at Universal was really packed and we didn't go on everything we wanted to go on. The heat probably played a role as far as enjoyment, don't like the heat, so we decided to stick with our local haunts and try some new ones closer to home for the future. We have a really amazing one here in NH at a Corn Maze. I think this will be our go to haunt from now on. Overall, we still had an enjoyable time.

EP is the answer.......you never have to stand in insane queues with it.

 

[macraven]

I have had some long waits for the houses some years and had the ep

When hhn gets crowded, houses are gone thru Congo style
TM will tell all keep moving.....

I do houses multiple times during my stay so eventually do get to see everything in the houses by bits and pieces usually

Have had times where a heavy rain floods a house and it is closed until situation changes

Or a person falls in a house and lines are cleared out to handle the emergency

I enjoy having the ep but there have been some years I have had long house waits due to weather and emergencies

 

[Westcoastwild]

A lot of people have cited the planning as a downside at Disney. But you don't need to do it. Going to Wdw without plans is the same as going to my local coaster park without plans. You just have to wait in line. I really, really like the fast pass plus system and I like the buses just fine. Didn't use Uber at all. If I wanted easier park hopping and paper fast passes I could just go to DL and DCA, and stand in longer lines. I wish they'd bring magic bands to California, actually. Much easier to keep track of than tickets.

I think the theming is equally awesome, just different. I think the backstage areas are more visible at Universal- it's not quite as immersive because there are "gaps". I don't really believe in "pixie dust" but I do think that Disney is better generally at design and quality control.

All said and done, though, I prefer Disney because of the rides. Maybe 1/8 of Disney rides trigger my motion sickness. At least 3/4s of Universal rides do. I still ride, and I take dramamine both places, but how I feel at the end of the day makes a difference. At Disney, I can eat dinner watch illuminations with a drink. After Universal, I'm in my dark room seriously debating on real food vs. ginger ale.

 

[Westcoastwild]

It's interesting reading these replies and comparing them to the rumours for upcoming rides. People tend to be against screens at Universal and plans for Super Nintendo World won't have any screens but plans for future rides (and Pandora and Star Wars) at WDW seem to include a lot of screens and simulators.

There are also Universal rumours about some sort of airport transportation as more hotels are popping up at Universal and also for some sort of magic band type of all inclusive system.

It's a good point. I don't like the way Disney is going but I'm willing to give it a chance. Soaring, for example, still has that "wonder" quality. Most Universal rides just shake you up. Harry Potter might be a slight exception but I still don't think that was designed with the majority of people in mind. I like that Disney tries to make most rides a bit of everything- there are relatively few "vomit" rides. There are A LOT of vomit rides at Universal and the ones that aren't, that use the screens, are really stupid. Like shrek. And I was sad about that because I actually like the movie.

 

[macraven]

For my entertainment, I do both parks
I find there are pluses and minuses for both

Each trip to Orlando I stay at both resorts as I could never go and not do both of them onsite

But as UO is smaller, I can get more relaxing time when there to fill a two week stay

I don't set an alarm clock but when at the motherland I do

Different style of touring

 

[ThistleMae]

I have had some long waits for the houses some years and had the ep

When hhn gets crowded, houses are gone thru Congo style
TM will tell all keep moving.....

I do houses multiple times during my stay so eventually do get to see everything in the houses by bits and pieces usually

Have had times where a heavy rain floods a house and it is closed until situation changes

Or a person falls in a house and lines are cleared out to handle the emergency

I enjoy having the ep but there have been some years I have had long house waits due to weather and emergencies

Yes, exactly.

Unmasking the Horror Tour. I did that one last year and really enjoyed it to.

Unmasking the Horror Tour. I did that one last year and really enjoyed it to.

I would definitely do Unmasking the Horror Tour Again, and do six houses instead of three. It was just so cool and you see so much you didn't see going through the houses in the dark.

A lot of people have cited the planning as a downside at Disney. But you don't need to do it. Going to Wdw without plans is the same as going to my local coaster park without plans. You just have to wait in line. I really, really like the fast pass plus system and I like the buses just fine. Didn't use Uber at all. If I wanted easier park hopping and paper fast passes I could just go to DL and DCA, and stand in longer lines. I wish they'd bring magic bands to California, actually. Much easier to keep track of than tickets.

I think the theming is equally awesome, just different. I think the backstage areas are more visible at Universal- it's not quite as immersive because there are "gaps". I don't really believe in "pixie dust" but I do think that Disney is better generally at design and quality control.

All said and done, though, I prefer Disney because of the rides. Maybe 1/8 of Disney rides trigger my motion sickness. At least 3/4s of Universal rides do. I still ride, and I take dramamine both places, but how I feel at the end of the day makes a difference. At Disney, I can eat dinner watch illuminations with a drink. After Universal, I'm in my dark room seriously debating on real food vs. ginger ale.

 

[ThistleMae]

I'm not a thrill ride gal, so I prefer the theming and shows at Disney. I did love Harry Potter. It definitely transported me to another world, and it's even cooler at night. It feels like I'm in the movie! I didn't care for the "quiditch" virtual ride however, it was too fast for me...got dizzy, had to close my eyes. I loved the train ride there and back, just so authentic. The two parks are just really different experiences, and they are both awesome for different reasons.

 

[Anonomom]

I had to pop back into this thread because our second visit to US is next month and I have realized something:

I have done no planning. None. I've made hotel reservations and will buy tix this week, but that's it.

Now, for most people, this is probably a HUGE positive. But I'm sittin' over here developing a twitch. And I know that if I wanted to, I could be planning. But part of the joy of planning (to me) for WDW is that I have a list of things I am looking forward to doing/seeing/eating, and I like the process of making sure we fit it all in. At US, there is not one specific ride, attraction or restaurant that I'm specifically looking forward to or feel I "must do" this trip.

This is not at all to say I don't like Uni. I'm sure we'll have a good time. We'll have a nice time experiencing the place, but more as a holistic experience, not for any specific list of attractions, if that makes sense.

 

[luvsJack]

I had to pop back into this thread because our second visit to US is next month and I have realized something:

I have done no planning. None. I've made hotel reservations and will buy tix this week, but that's it.

Now, for most people, this is probably a HUGE positive. But I'm sittin' over here developing a twitch. And I know that if I wanted to, I could be planning. But part of the joy of planning (to me) for WDW is that I have a list of things I am looking forward to doing/seeing/eating, and I like the process of making sure we fit it all in. At US, there is not one specific ride, attraction or restaurant that I'm specifically looking forward to or feel I "must do" this trip.

This is not at all to say I don't like Uni. I'm sure we'll have a good time. We'll have a nice time experiencing the place, but more as a holistic experience, not for any specific list of attractions, if that makes sense.

lol when I booked our trip last year, I kept thinking it was going to be terrible because I didn't have any "plans". After Disney, it feels like there MUST be a plan. So I did make one ADR and then we didn't use it!! And we had the best time.

I will say that I do enjoy some of the planning that goes into a WDW trip. Thinking about where we will be in the parks, eating breakfast at Ohana, or what time we will be getting on x attraction. It can be part of the experience. But, for me, somewhat stressful while there making sure we are on time for the ADR or the FP.

But I also truly enjoyed the heading out each morning at Uni not being sure what was going to happen each day. And look forward to the next time of exploring areas we didn't fully experience last time. And it is very freeing during the trip not having to know if it's time to head to a ADR or FP.

It really is two different experiences. We do have must dos for our next Uni trip but that's the beauty of it I guess that if fits either/or.

 

[sunsetbeachgal]

We absolutely loved doing a split stay for our trip in February, it felt like two vacations! Granddaughter had two days of Harry Potter and thrill rides, and everyone loved City Walk. Then we did two days of Disney, MK and DHS (her choice). Stayed on site at both (RP at Universal, Pop Century at Disney) and took a day off in between to move and enjoy pool time and a visit to Disney Springs. We felt immersed in each place!

 

[bumbershoot]

I wish they'd bring magic bands to California, actually. Much easier to keep track of than tickets.

My lanyard and Witz brand hard plastic lanyard case has NEVER once fallen off.

My MB has.

Therefore, my tickets in the lanyard at Uni and Disneyland are MUCH easier to keep track of than when on MBs.


Plus, my lanyard shows my Ravenclaw'ness to all and I love that.

Now, for most people, this is probably a HUGE positive. But I'm sittin' over here developing a twitch.

I think most WDW-ites get twitchy about not planning. It's very freaky. And I do plan, if only to make sure that food hasn't changed. I didn't do so the last time we were at Uni Orlando, and ended up VERY disappointed that Lombard's had taken our favorite thing off the menu. I would have rather dealt with the disappointment (since we are vegetarian, I'll mention it was the ONLY thing on the menu that we could eat there, so we had to come up with a totally different plan) at home rather than while hungry. So I still plan. Just not to the extent. Gotta fill in those passporter pages with something!

 

[skier_pete]

Now, for most people, this is probably a HUGE positive. But I'm sittin' over here developing a twitch.

I was on a thread on the DVC boards talking about booking and having to understand DVC - and it brought me back to this thread:

At Disney - you get an advantage by being smarter/wiser/planning ahead more than "the other guy". (FP+, ADR)
At Universal - you get an advantage by spending more money than "the other guy". (FOTL via $$/On-site hotel)

I've always preferred to out-think than to out-spend.

 

[contemporarymom]

I was on a thread on the DVC boards talking about booking and having to understand DVC - and it brought me back to this thread:

At Disney - you get an advantage by being smarter/wiser/planning ahead more than "the other guy". (FP+, ADR)
At Universal - you get an advantage by spending more money than "the other guy". (FOTL via $$/On-site hotel)

I've always preferred to out-think than to out-spend.

The thing is you really don't need to out-spend to get the FOTL access. Take for example this scenario I just ran with random dates that both showed availability:

9/15/17-9/19/17- RPR- 2Q Standard Room- $215.20 per night-2A/2C
9/15/17-9/15/17 - POFQ 2Q Standard View- $224.00 per night - 2A/2C

IMO RPR is a step above POFQ. I'm not a fan of exterior corridors and while at Disney only stay deluxe for that reason. I've visited both for almost every year for the past 20. Truthfully at this point, my family finds Universal being a much better bang for our buck. The rides are more suited to us and the growth almost guarantees that there is something new to experience with every visit. The past three years our visits have been 100% Universal. We have annual passes (Much less expensive than Disney's) and the savings on our preferred hotel, PBH, pretty much pays for the passes. We will definitely visit Disney in the future but until they finish their major construction projects (Star Wars, Toy Story, etc.) we just don't have a huge urge to visit. In addition, we're "Go with the Flow" type of people and find Universal much more geared to that. We love both, but for right now Universal will be our destination while visiting Orlando.

 

[bchbetha]

I was on a thread on the DVC boards talking about booking and having to understand DVC - and it brought me back to this thread:

At Disney - you get an advantage by being smarter/wiser/planning ahead more than "the other guy". (FP+, ADR)
At Universal - you get an advantage by spending more money than "the other guy". (FOTL via $$/On-site hotel)

I've always preferred to out-think than to out-spend.

Or you could just go at a slower time of year and not "need" express passes.

 

[DisBuckMan]

The thing is you really don't need to out-spend to get the FOTL access. Take for example this scenario I just ran with random dates that both showed availability:

9/15/17-9/19/17- RPR- 2Q Standard Room- $215.20 per night-2A/2C
9/15/17-9/15/17 - POFQ 2Q Standard View- $224.00 per night - 2A/2C

In fairness, I would say that the spread in rates you posted between those two resorts is more the exception than the norm. As a matter of fact, when I plug in those dates for RPR, I get a rate of $279/nt, not $215. $279 still isn't a bad deal, though. Comparing rack rate vs rack rate, of course.

However, plug in for other "random" weekends, and the difference is generally MUCH greater.

3/31-4/2 yields RPR at $404/nt and POFQ at $269/nt.
6/2-6/4 yields RPR at $369/nt and POFQ at $224/nt.

Add in for the people who drive to Orlando like we do the extra $22/nt parking at Universal resorts, while parking is free at Disney.

RPR is a lovely resort though. My son and I will be arriving there in 3 days, as a matter of fact.

 

[contemporarymom]

In fairness, I would say that the spread in rates you posted between those two resorts is more the exception than the norm. As a matter of fact, when I plug in those dates for RPR, I get a rate of $279/nt, not $215. $279 still isn't a bad deal, though. Comparing rack rate vs rack rate, of course.

However, plug in for other "random" weekends, and the difference is generally MUCH greater.

3/31-4/2 yields RPR at $404/nt and POFQ at $269/nt.
6/2-6/4 yields RPR at $369/nt and POFQ at $224/nt.

Add in for the people who drive to Orlando like we do the extra $22/nt parking at Universal resorts, while parking is free at Disney.

RPR is a lovely resort though. My son and I will be arriving there in 3 days, as a matter of fact.

Booking Details
1 Room(s), 4 Night(s)
Check-in:
Fri Sep 15, 2017
Check-out:
Tue Sep 19, 2017
Guests:
2 Adult(s), 2 Kid(s)
Hotel
Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando®
6300 Hollywood Way
Orlando, FL, 32819
Phone:
1-888-464-3617
Fax:
(407) 503-3010

Choose your room(s)
Show rooms with:
Stay More, Save More Average Rate Per Night: $215.20
Rate Description:

Enjoy special savings - the longer you stay the more you save! Plus, you receive FREE Universal Express Unlimited to skip the regular theme park lines. Not combinable with other offers/discounts. Theme park tickets not included.

I plugged in quite a few dates and if you stay at least four nights at Universal, RPR proved to be less expensive in most of the dates. In addition honestly if I wanted to do a true comparison I would compare RPR with WL or perhaps AKL. Both are considered lower level deluxe and the cheapest hotels at Disney with interior corridors and club level just like RPR. We also drive and the extra $22 per night doesn't phase us when we consider the convenience.

 

[DisBuckMan]

Booking Details
1 Room(s), 4 Night(s)
Check-in:
Fri Sep 15, 2017
Check-out:
Tue Sep 19, 2017
Guests:
2 Adult(s), 2 Kid(s)
Hotel
Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando®
6300 Hollywood Way
Orlando, FL, 32819
Phone:
1-888-464-3617
Fax:
(407) 503-3010

Choose your room(s)
Show rooms with:
Stay More, Save More Average Rate Per Night: $215.20
Rate Description:

Enjoy special savings - the longer you stay the more you save! Plus, you receive FREE Universal Express Unlimited to skip the regular theme park lines. Not combinable with other offers/discounts. Theme park tickets not included.

I plugged in quite a few dates and if you stay at least four nights at Universal, RPR proved to be less expensive in most of the dates. In addition honestly if I wanted to do a true comparison I would compare RPR with WL or perhaps AKL. Both are considered lower level deluxe and the cheapest hotels at Disney with interior corridors and club level just like RPR. We also drive and the extra $22 per night doesn't phase us when we consider the convenience.

Discount rate vs rack rate.

Yeah...that sounds fair.

 

[contemporarymom]

Discount rate vs rack rate.

Yeah...that sounds fair.

No discount rate per se. It's Stay More Save More. It kicks in I believe at three nights and increases each day. It's available all the time unlike Disney's elusive pin codes and discounts. My example also compared apples to apples date wise. Four days at Universal, four days at Disney. The prices you quoted were for three days at each. Even with the different dates you plugged in and the dates I plugged in, we were comparing a hotel with indoor corridors, club level availability and all the other benefits that would put it into the deluxe category at Disney with a resort that has exterior corridors, no CL and considered a moderate by Disney's standards. You really don't want to start comparing RPR vs WL or AKL price wise. Throw in the express pass, Universal ticket prices (Both multi day/multi park and Annual passes) compared with Disney and there is no way that you can convince me that we'd get more bang for our buck at Disney. My family and I love going on our favorites multiple times without having to book them 30 days in advance. Do what's right for your family and all the more power to you but don't try to convince me that Disney when comparing apples to apples will ever be the less expensive alternative.

 

[DisBuckMan]

No discount rate per se. It's Stay More Save More. It kicks in I believe at three nights and increases each day. It's available all the time unlike Disney's elusive pin codes and discounts. My example also compared apples to apples date wise. Four days at Universal, four days at Disney. The prices you quoted were for three days at each. Even with the different dates you plugged in and the dates I plugged in, we were comparing a hotel with indoor corridors, club level availability and all the other benefits that would put it into the deluxe category at Disney with a resort that has exterior corridors, no CL and considered a moderate by Disney's standards. You really don't want to start comparing RPR vs WL or AKL price wise. Throw in the express pass, Universal ticket prices (Both multi day/multi park and Annual passes) compared with Disney and there is no way that you can convince me that we'd get more bang for our buck at Disney. My family and I love going on our favorites multiple times without having to book them 30 days in advance. Do what's right for your family and all the more power to you but don't try to convince me that Disney when comparing apples to apples will ever be the less expensive alternative.

It's a discount. The normal rack rate is $279. SMSM is a discount. Not sure how to be any more clear than that. You can try to blur the lines all you want, but SMSM is a discount.

I wasn't trying to convince you about any "bang for the buck" situation. I was simply comparing rack rate vs rack rate. True apples to apples.

I love RPR...will be checking in there in 3 days. But, I believe in like/kind comparisons for fairness, too.

We've owned DVC at Disney for 15+ years, and it has long since paid for itself. Therefore, we stay at Disney deluxes for our points x maintenance fees, which equals to less than $100 per night pretty much everywhere.