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

[MrInfinity]

You make some excellent points as far as the love and adoration for the Disney parks. Very true, there's no denying that fact! However, there are a lot of us that spend more than 10-20 days a year at the USO resort. We, my 3 young children included, have no desire to go back to WDW. We are a universal family and that's how we feel. We meet several times a year with friends we've meet at USO and some feel the same way. USO is growing rapidly and developing a larger fan base, unfortunately. It's evidenced even here on the DIS. The number of new posters on the posters on the dark side of the boards has grown 10 fold, at least.

Ok, sure. But that 10-day stay at Universal is just not a common thing. So comparing prices of long stays at Universal to equal stays at Disney is not really applicable, because Universal is not pricing to attract an 8-day vacationer on a dedicated trip. They still offer this because there are some seeking it, but it is not their target demographic. They are pricing to try to get that 8-day stayer from Disney to break off and stay 2 days and 2 nights in Universal instead of just doing a day-visit. Check out their marketing material. Their specials. It's always geared toward getting people 1) to stay onsite, and 2) to get them to stay a 3rd day.

As to posters on this board... well... why not hang out on a Universal board? I've often tried to find chat forums for other theme parks (we're huge theme park fans beyond just Disney/Universal) and found only subforums of general theme park sites. The fact that you have to go to a Disney site to find a subforum in which to discuss Universal indicates the difference in scale of those seeking out Disney vs Universal as a primary vacation destination.

10 years ago you may have been correct in your observations of Universal being a 2 day visit........over the years the same folks have been extending their very short stays into longer ones.

It's evolving in a good way, and it may have been a 1-day park in days past. But have to be honest... It was still a 1-day park until they extended Harry Potter to both parks. They do have the HP theme, and that's awesome, but they are hedged too heavily on it (all 3 US parks now leverage this theme). That is really the driving reason to buy a 2-park-pass, to get on Hogwarts.

We lose count of the number of posts that start....."we're really Disney people" but they want to experience Universal for longer than they ever would before. The last 5 years has seen that change massively.

This is the case on all forums. On a forum about anything, you'll have some folks using it to gripe about how everyone is moving to something else.

I have no love for Disney.......bores me to tears. Many folks that post in the Universal forums still go to Disney, but trips are lessening as they don't see the value in Disney anymore. You may see it as not a valid comparison to Disney, but many of us who love Universal and get a huge amount of enjoyment out of it do. But just because you see it that way, doesn't mean it's correct.

I try to separate my opinion (love both Disney and Universal) from the objective comparison of the two.

 

[macraven]

Posters on the universal forums generally post about universal

Rare to have controversy here discussing the parks
Or to have heated discussions

Most post and need direction or help with a park that is new to them

Thus the reason we have stickies to guide newbies

We share information to tell others our personal experiences

We guide many on how to have a successful vacation and avoid common newbie mistakes

And, quite of few peeps return to the forum to share their experiences after their first visit


The comparison of the two parks
Motherland / Darkside wouldn't last long in the CB if it started there

Pot stirring would start and nothing productive would come out of it

Those that have posted here have a love or interest in UO

I'm tired of feeling like I have to defend or justify why I like something

My way of life has been if I have nothing nice to say, I say nothing

When you come to someone's home, you don't trash it

Play nice and all will continue



Ps
This not directed to any specific poster
After rereading the entire thread, it had to be said

 

[schumigirl]

MrInfinity we can agree to disagree on whether it was ever a one day park for some........certainly wasn't for us even before Potter........

The joy is, I don't see many who come over here to enjoy what Universal has to offer agree with you. Sure, there'll always be some......and you can see that by the negative comments on many boards, not just this one.

But, for us that love Universal, it's the postive comments that bring us joy.

I still don't really see the point to these threads........opinion is one thing, but as macraven pointed out no need to go to someone's home and trash it.......being very general here, not talking about any one poster........we get bored with it and a bit fed up of the knocks. Some of us love spending as many days at Universal as we do and many of us do.

Those of us who don't go to Disney and have no desire to ever go back don't feel the need to go and announce it on the Disney board........ not sure why it seems to be "a thing" the other way........

 

[Killer Fish]

I enjoy a good visit to Universal every couple of years. I think that what they have done with Potter is incredible and better than anything Disney has done in the last 10 years (except Carsland at DCA). I do not regret staying on Property to get the early Entry and FOTL during the busy Holiday season a couple of years ago and I think it was totally worth it. That being said I do not feel the need to visit very often despite enjoying the parks. I do want to check out Volcano Bay this year though!

 

[jdrasin]

Such an odd discussion to read. As long as people are enjoying and feeling they are getting value, then who cares? Sometimes I think people need to feel justified in the money they are spending by confirming what they are spending on is the best.

I should also add that reading on Disboards for some time I sometimes get the impression there is a massive echo chamber in terms of what is 'normal' for a vacation. We come from a pretty affluent area, and our 8 day trip to Disney was considered over the top by many in terms of size. Most people just do not devote that much time/money to theme park vacations. Many of our friends have never been or gone once for 4-5 days. We only know one family who goes regularly.

Our one trip to Disney was a lot of fun and we had a wonderful time we many great memories (in no small part to the awesome advice and guidance we got here). That being said, neither the adults or kids have any interest in going back again anytime soon. We all want to do new things.

We're planning our Universal trip (first one) this year for 4-5 days and they are quite excited (and are again getting great info from these boards). I expect we will enjoy it a lot (my wife and son are huge Harry Potter fans and I'm interested in a lot of the movie properties).

Relax and enjoy whether you are going once or your twentieth time or for one day or ten days.

Joseph

 

[disneyavonohio]

I can tell folks are used to Universal bashing from Disney people - some of you seem to take it very personally - but I really don't intend to be one of those people. Overall, I don't think Universal is a rip-off versus Disney. Both parks take advantage of you in various different ways. Universal is great and it is better for many people.

So let me rephrase this all because I am probably not saying it right - I agree with you that if you want to do the park to park, the price is not unreasonable, and I totally get why folks would want to just use the park-to-park throughout your stay.

I personally don't feel park-to-park (OR the hopper at WDW) is necessary for me. I look at it as this:
"I can by a 3-day park-to-park ticket for $275, OR I can by a 4-day single-park admission for $220. I am down in Florida for a week, so 4 days is no problem. I take 2 FULL days in each park and I'll save money versus having only 2 days that I hop from park to park. I actually get MORE time in the parks, and I spend LESS money - for 4 people that's $220 I saved! I get more leisurely park time, Universal gets 4 days of me spending money instead of 3, and everyone is happy." (And in case you were wondering - I use the same logic at Disney 5-days with a hopper costs more than 8 days without a hopper, so I buy 8 days without a hopper and spread out our park time more.)

But now I look closer and say "Wait a second, I can't ride the Hogwarts Express if I do that." So now I have to pay $220 that I wouldn't otherwise have spent - for ONE ride. For you, the ride just adds to your experience, you would buy the park-to-park anyways - you prefer that. Great! For me - I wouldn't be spending that money otherwise...but my DD wants to ride that ride. That's the reason we're going is to ride that ride. Sure I have a choice, but I don't REALLY have a choice - but I have to pay $220 to ride it.

Edit: I will point out in the end I bought 3 APs - so spent EVEN MORE because of this one ride, and will be coming back next year because of this one ride...so it was an extremely effective installation. BUT - it also has angered me disproportionately, and will likely prevent me from coming back anytime soon. (I know I am in the super minority here - but I really feel burned by this.)

I understand you wanting to save money. But HE is not really a ride, it is transportation from inside one park to inside another park. And I for one am glad you have to have AP or Park to Park to use it. In one of your posts, you said it was a 45 minute wait. Can you imagine the wait time if EVERYONE could just ride it back and forth? It would defeat the main purpose-transporting those that have park to park tickets. (anything over 20 minutes and we just walked to the other park-so honestly I WISH they charged extra to ride it like Disney is doing with their buses!)

So at the end of the day, you having a child that had to experience it was still your choice to pay. And you did-so there was value in what you spent to get what you wanted (happy child). Someone else here compared the experience to a character meal. It is highway robbery to pay over $200 for breakfast! But guess what I have done so for my kids to experience it. It is also highway robbery for a 10 year old to be considered an adult at such character meals as well, but if we want to do them- we pay the money to get the experience. (our last trip we did NOT do a character breakfast, my kids understood the cost and they didn't feel it was worth it over other things we could do with that money)

And back to the OP question---as far as which one I like better, I give a slight lean to Universal.

I have 3 boys, 14,12 and 8 (all thrill seekers). We live near Cedar Point in Ohio-so my two oldest have ridden the Dragster by the age of 10.

To gain perspective on the heights above-the Hulk ride at Universal is 110 feet high. (rides don't have to be high to be fun though!)

All my boys voted Universal buy a little bit-they love Disney also though.

We just did Disney trip in November, 4 nights at Boardwalk, 4 at Polynesian. Had a great time, my youngest was 7 on that trip-and he got to ride a lot of the "big" rides for the first time with his brother's so it was a really fun time seeing him get excited to be a "big" boy.

Your comparison of the two without actually doing apples to apples-meaning staying onsite at Universal leads to a very different experience.

For those who have not done Universal on-site. Every deluxe resort at Universal is the equivalent of staying at the Boardwalk when you go to Epcot. Or Contemporary when you do MK. It is just so easy and that convenience leads to a much more relaxed time at Universal. And having express pass is like having unlimited fast passes--it really can't be beat. And the "deluxe's" at Universal with Express are still cheaper by a decent amount than "deluxe's" at Disney.

I really do like Disney-but to get almost anywhere takes a big chunk of time. If your IN Epcot and staying at Poly-and decide to go back for a break, it is 30 minutes minimum-when you count the walking time + Car (or Monorail). Walk from inside park to car, drive car to resort, walk from parking lot to room--every piece is a pretty far walk. It was EXHAUSTING trying to take a BREAK! (and my kids don't do breaks, they do the pool-which in a lot of cases is MORE tiring-so, so much for that planning)

The thing is I MUCH prefer doing Disney staying "off-site"-by that I mean staying at WBC with a car. It is so much faster to get around Disney by driving. And WBC is right there next to Caribbean Beach-so it is about 5 minute drive to HS and Epcot and about 12 min to AK and a bit longer to MK. The thing is you generally park very close to your room, so the walk time to get to your car is MUCH faster than at Disney resorts (at least the one's we stayed at).

The one thing Disney does WAY better are the night time shows--Wishes, Fantasmic, Illuminiations, etc

But my family far and away prefers the rides at Universal. We get bored on Jungle Cruise, Pirates, Smallworld, etc. They do LOVE RnR and TOT and Expedition Everest, etc But they like the 4D rides and coasters much better at Universal.

You can also Pool Hop at Universal-which is great-as each pool area is really fun.

You really can't go wrong either way though and it mostly comes down to personal preference and what you and your family like to do.

 

[pcstang]

I understand you wanting to save money. But HE is not really a ride, it is transportation from inside one park to inside another park. And I for one am glad you have to have AP or Park to Park to use it. In one of your posts, you said it was a 45 minute wait. Can you imagine the wait time if EVERYONE could just ride it back and forth? It would defeat the main purpose-transporting those that have park to park tickets. (anything over 20 minutes and we just walked to the other park-so honestly I WISH they charged extra to ride it like Disney is doing with their buses!)

So at the end of the day, you having a child that had to experience it was still your choice to pay. And you did-so there was value in what you spent to get what you wanted (happy child). Someone else here compared the experience to a character meal. It is highway robbery to pay over $200 for breakfast! But guess what I have done so for my kids to experience it. It is also highway robbery for a 10 year old to be considered an adult at such character meals as well, but if we want to do them- we pay the money to get the experience. (our last trip we did NOT do a character breakfast, my kids understood the cost and they didn't feel it was worth it over other things we could do with that money)

And back to the OP question---as far as which one I like better, I give a slight lean to Universal.

I have 3 boys, 14,12 and 8 (all thrill seekers). We live near Cedar Point in Ohio-so my two oldest have ridden the Dragster by the age of 10.

To gain perspective on the heights above-the Hulk ride at Universal is 110 feet high. (rides don't have to be high to be fun though!)

All my boys voted Universal buy a little bit-they love Disney also though.

We just did Disney trip in November, 4 nights at Boardwalk, 4 at Polynesian. Had a great time, my youngest was 7 on that trip-and he got to ride a lot of the "big" rides for the first time with his brother's so it was a really fun time seeing him get excited to be a "big" boy.

Your comparison of the two without actually doing apples to apples-meaning staying onsite at Universal leads to a very different experience.

For those who have not done Universal on-site. Every deluxe resort at Universal is the equivalent of staying at the Boardwalk when you go to Epcot. Or Contemporary when you do MK. It is just so easy and that convenience leads to a much more relaxed time at Universal. And having express pass is like having unlimited fast passes--it really can't be beat. And the "deluxe's" at Universal with Express are still cheaper by a decent amount than "deluxe's" at Disney.

I really do like Disney-but to get almost anywhere takes a big chunk of time. If your IN Epcot and staying at Poly-and decide to go back for a break, it is 30 minutes minimum-when you count the walking time + Car (or Monorail). Walk from inside park to car, drive car to resort, walk from parking lot to room--every piece is a pretty far walk. It was EXHAUSTING trying to take a BREAK! (and my kids don't do breaks, they do the pool-which in a lot of cases is MORE tiring-so, so much for that planning)

The thing is I MUCH prefer doing Disney staying "off-site"-by that I mean staying at WBC with a car. It is so much faster to get around Disney by driving. And WBC is right there next to Caribbean Beach-so it is about 5 minute drive to HS and Epcot and about 12 min to AK and a bit longer to MK. The thing is you generally park very close to your room, so the walk time to get to your car is MUCH faster than at Disney resorts (at least the one's we stayed at).

The one thing Disney does WAY better are the night time shows--Wishes, Fantasmic, Illuminiations, etc

But my family far and away prefers the rides at Universal. We get bored on Jungle Cruise, Pirates, Smallworld, etc. They do LOVE RnR and TOT and Expedition Everest, etc But they like the 4D rides and coasters much better at Universal.

You can also Pool Hop at Universal-which is great-as each pool area is really fun.

You really can't go wrong either way though and it mostly comes down to personal preference and what you and your family like to do.

Excellent points. I'm dying to take my kids to cedar point! The reason USO firework shows are not great is because it is in Orange County in a residential area. Really limits what they can do and WDW blows them away with the firework shows.

 

[pcstang]

I understand you wanting to save money. But HE is not really a ride, it is transportation from inside one park to inside another park. And I for one am glad you have to have AP or Park to Park to use it. In one of your posts, you said it was a 45 minute wait. Can you imagine the wait time if EVERYONE could just ride it back and forth? It would defeat the main purpose-transporting those that have park to park tickets. (anything over 20 minutes and we just walked to the other park-so honestly I WISH they charged extra to ride it like Disney is doing with their buses!)

So at the end of the day, you having a child that had to experience it was still your choice to pay. And you did-so there was value in what you spent to get what you wanted (happy child). Someone else here compared the experience to a character meal. It is highway robbery to pay over $200 for breakfast! But guess what I have done so for my kids to experience it. It is also highway robbery for a 10 year old to be considered an adult at such character meals as well, but if we want to do them- we pay the money to get the experience. (our last trip we did NOT do a character breakfast, my kids understood the cost and they didn't feel it was worth it over other things we could do with that money)

And back to the OP question---as far as which one I like better, I give a slight lean to Universal.

I have 3 boys, 14,12 and 8 (all thrill seekers). We live near Cedar Point in Ohio-so my two oldest have ridden the Dragster by the age of 10.

To gain perspective on the heights above-the Hulk ride at Universal is 110 feet high. (rides don't have to be high to be fun though!)

All my boys voted Universal buy a little bit-they love Disney also though.

We just did Disney trip in November, 4 nights at Boardwalk, 4 at Polynesian. Had a great time, my youngest was 7 on that trip-and he got to ride a lot of the "big" rides for the first time with his brother's so it was a really fun time seeing him get excited to be a "big" boy.

Your comparison of the two without actually doing apples to apples-meaning staying onsite at Universal leads to a very different experience.

For those who have not done Universal on-site. Every deluxe resort at Universal is the equivalent of staying at the Boardwalk when you go to Epcot. Or Contemporary when you do MK. It is just so easy and that convenience leads to a much more relaxed time at Universal. And having express pass is like having unlimited fast passes--it really can't be beat. And the "deluxe's" at Universal with Express are still cheaper by a decent amount than "deluxe's" at Disney.

I really do like Disney-but to get almost anywhere takes a big chunk of time. If your IN Epcot and staying at Poly-and decide to go back for a break, it is 30 minutes minimum-when you count the walking time + Car (or Monorail). Walk from inside park to car, drive car to resort, walk from parking lot to room--every piece is a pretty far walk. It was EXHAUSTING trying to take a BREAK! (and my kids don't do breaks, they do the pool-which in a lot of cases is MORE tiring-so, so much for that planning)

The thing is I MUCH prefer doing Disney staying "off-site"-by that I mean staying at WBC with a car. It is so much faster to get around Disney by driving. And WBC is right there next to Caribbean Beach-so it is about 5 minute drive to HS and Epcot and about 12 min to AK and a bit longer to MK. The thing is you generally park very close to your room, so the walk time to get to your car is MUCH faster than at Disney resorts (at least the one's we stayed at).

The one thing Disney does WAY better are the night time shows--Wishes, Fantasmic, Illuminiations, etc

But my family far and away prefers the rides at Universal. We get bored on Jungle Cruise, Pirates, Smallworld, etc. They do LOVE RnR and TOT and Expedition Everest, etc But they like the 4D rides and coasters much better at Universal.

You can also Pool Hop at Universal-which is great-as each pool area is really fun.

Double post

 

[disneyavonohio]

Is that really how you read that? ROFL. Most theme parks, including Universal, do not evoke the same feelings of love, adoration and passion out of so many people that Disney World does. The post I quoted was an example, as are most posts on this board like the "just got back" threads and the gobs of facebook and support groups that allow one to share their excitement about going to WDW in the run up to a vacation. That just does not exist regarding Universal or other parks.

They have their similarities and differences. Universal is somewhere in between a Six Flags (as you call amusement park) and Disney (vacation resort). Uni and SF both predominantly attract teens and day-guests. Tho Universal tends to attract guests for 2 days, which sets it apart from the 1-day parks. Neither would draw me to spend a week there. Even a park like Cedar Point, I would still only make a weekend getaway out of. Same thing with Universal. Neither is going to evoke the feelings of longing to be there in the same numbers that millions of people crave going back to WDW... nor, would I envision spending 10-20 days a year vacationing there for the rest of my life.

Fair enough that's your opinion, but most people do not see it this way. Most people take 1-2-week vacations to Disney World, but would not take a week or two vacation to Universal. Aside from a couple folks out here who I've heard speak about it, most in the real world do not view Universal as a 9, or effectively, an approximately equal substitute for Disney World. It's just not. On your scale of a 1-10, I would agree on your 3 and 10, but Universal would come in around a 6. They simply do not draw most guests to stay for more than 2 days, and those that do will stay for 3. 2-3 is the same # of days that we'd stay at a Cedar Point type getaway.

None of this is a knock on Universal... We're going, so obviously we love it! My post was to point out that Universal and Disney serve very different functions and markets and thus I thought the above comparisons trying to equate an 8-day Disney stay to an 8-Day Universal stay based on cost were not relevant because people do not pick their time, like 8 days, then evaluate Disney and Universal as equal options and choose one based on price. You go where you love.

So much opinion posted as fact here.

We have season passes to Cedar Point and while it is different than Disney and Universal-it is not a 3 by any stretch of the imagination.

Just because you pine to go to Disney all the time, does not mean everyone does.

My family would rank Disney, Universal, Cedar Point, and even Seaworld as all 8's to 10's depending on what we were in the mood for at that time.

We did two 7 night stays at Universal in 2015--and we could have stayed longer easily.

 

[Robo56]

A few years ago grandchildren and I spent at most 5 days at WDW and 5 at Universal each year for their vacation. They decided that they did not want to go to WDW anymore and so Universal became their favorite vacation destination. Oh and by the way mine too.

We absolutely love Universal. We usually spend 8 to 10 days there every May.

Universal is constantly thinking outside the box in their innovation of new rides, parks (Volcano Bay) and events.

If you want to see how much others truely enjoy Universal read their trip reports.

The Tm's at Universal are in a class by themselves. The kindest, happiest folks I have had the pleasure of meeting.
So helpful and welcoming.

What keeps me coming back, great innovation, the best TM's, great rides, great theming, beautiful Resorts with lovely staff, clean parks, great food at resorts, parks and Citywalk and always feeling welcome and safe.

Universal is our happy place

 

[EveDallas]

Is that really how you read that? ROFL. Most theme parks, including Universal, do not evoke the same feelings of love, adoration and passion out of so many people that Disney World does. The post I quoted was an example, as are most posts on this board like the "just got back" threads and the gobs of facebook and support groups that allow one to share their excitement about going to WDW in the run up to a vacation. That just does not exist regarding Universal or other parks.

They have their similarities and differences. Universal is somewhere in between a Six Flags (as you call amusement park) and Disney (vacation resort). Uni and SF both predominantly attract teens and day-guests. Tho Universal tends to attract guests for 2 days, which sets it apart from the 1-day parks. Neither would draw me to spend a week there. Even a park like Cedar Point, I would still only make a weekend getaway out of. Same thing with Universal. Neither is going to evoke the feelings of longing to be there in the same numbers that millions of people crave going back to WDW... nor, would I envision spending 10-20 days a year vacationing there for the rest of my life.

Fair enough that's your opinion, but most people do not see it this way. Most people take 1-2-week vacations to Disney World, but would not take a week or two vacation to Universal. Aside from a couple folks out here who I've heard speak about it, most in the real world do not view Universal as a 9, or effectively, an approximately equal substitute for Disney World. It's just not. On your scale of a 1-10, I would agree on your 3 and 10, but Universal would come in around a 6. They simply do not draw most guests to stay for more than 2 days, and those that do will stay for 3. 2-3 is the same # of days that we'd stay at a Cedar Point type getaway.

None of this is a knock on Universal... We're going, so obviously we love it! My post was to point out that Universal and Disney serve very different functions and markets and thus I thought the above comparisons trying to equate an 8-day Disney stay to an 8-Day Universal stay based on cost were not relevant because people do not pick their time, like 8 days, then evaluate Disney and Universal as equal options and choose one based on price. You go where you love.

This is all your opinion. Nothing more.

 

[MrInfinity]

We have season passes to Cedar Point and while it is different than Disney and Universal-it is not a 3 by any stretch of the imagination.
My family would rank Disney, Universal, Cedar Point, and even Seaworld as all 8's to 10's depending on what we were in the mood for at that time.
We did two 7 night stays at Universal in 2015--and we could have stayed longer easily.

Right. I already said some people vacation in Universal this way. In my first post. They still have different target demographics and marketing strategies.

Ask some random people outside the Dis how many times they've taken a trip to Disney World for 7 or more nights. And how many times they've taken a trip to Universal Studios for 7 or more nights. Explore the results. I am guessing the results will be around 25% will have stayed a week in Disney, and less than 1% will have spent a week in Universal. That's not a dig on Universal, just the obvious that it's not a week-long destination for most people. Still a great park but in a different way. Can't they be different? I don't get the need to equate them as substitutions for each other. Universal has aspects that make it better in its own ways -- it's not just "Disney World but cheaper". We're not going to Universal to save money, we're going because they have unique things that are significantly different from Disney World.

What keeps me coming back, great innovation, the best TM's, great rides, great theming, beautiful Resorts with lovely staff, clean parks, great food at resorts, parks and Citywalk and always feeling welcome and safe.
Universal is our happy place

Works for me!

 

[DisTXMom]

Grew up on budget WDW trips, so that's where we've always gone (and where my magic is). Did first DLR trip in 2015 and loved its relaxed Disney vibe so much, we went back in 2016! Planning fall 2017 WDW trip for 5 days followed by our first trip to Universal. Staying PBH and doing 3.5 park days. Want to give it the time it deserves- and let our HP fan kids dig in So glad we have all of these amazing vacation options here!

 

[macraven]

I have no idea of this random questioning the 10000 people on the streets thing ......

to be beneficial or helpful here


People are sharing their preferences and it is kind of hard to refute what they say

People will spend their money wherever they like


Question is simple
Which of the two parks do you prefer and why

some people like myself do both parks
on each trip to Orlando

 

[damo]

I have no idea of this random questioning the 10000 people on the streets thing ......

to be beneficial or helpful here


People are sharing their preferences and it is kind of hard to refute what they say

People will spend their money wherever they like


Question is simple
Which of the two parks do you prefer and why

some people like myself do both parks
on each trip to Orlando

Exactly. This thread is not about which is better but instead about which do you prefer.

 

[MrInfinity]

This thread is not about which is better but instead about which do you prefer.

Yes! Then the conversation turned into this price comparison of stays so I jumped in because people don't choose like that -- they vacation where they prefer.

 

[cleopenn]

Right. I already said some people vacation in Universal this way. In my first post. They still have different target demographics and marketing strategies.

Ask some random people outside the Dis how many times they've taken a trip to Disney World for 7 or more nights. And how many times they've taken a trip to Universal Studios for 7 or more nights. Explore the results. I am guessing the results will be around 25% will have stayed a week in Disney, and less than 1% will have spent a week in Universal. That's not a dig on Universal, just the obvious that it's not a week-long destination for most people. Still a great park but in a different way. Can't they be different? I don't get the need to equate them as substitutions for each other. Universal has aspects that make it better in its own ways -- it's not just "Disney World but cheaper". We're not going to Universal to save money, we're going because they have unique things that are significantly different from Disney World.


Works for me!

Ha! There definitely is two different worlds, the inside and outside the Dis. In the months leading up to our Disney trip, I stalked the boards multiple times a day. I thought I was prepared (I wasn't). My husband, on the other hand, was completely ignorant of how a Disney vacation worked and was really turned off by a number of things. Disney rewards those who like to plan and has the potential to frustrate/punish those who don't.

 

[surfcruiser]

So many valid points in this thread for Universal. I haven't read all the posts, but I read enough to gain an understanding of something that occurred to my wife and I last September (2016).

A little background, we have been diehard WDW fans for most of our lives, as children, adults, parents, and now, grandparents. Annual Passholders for decades, we would drive the 6-8 hours (we moved to North Florida years ago) often 3-6 times a year for anything from a weekend jaunt to a full blown 7-9 day getaway. We always stayed on property and typically at a moderate or better. Just the thought of being back in the World sent happy feelings to both of us, so we made it happen a LOT.

When FP+ hit... it wasn't the only straw, but it seemed to be one of the last. Adding to that the loss of so many attractions and performers, events and attractions that have since gone away that we loved, the number of trips began to slowly, almost naturally wane. We didn't think about it as often, and when we did, the thought often went to feelings of "yeah, that might be fun" instead of "pack the bags, let's go!"

Well, fast forward to last year, early fall.

We had planned out a full 9 days of WDW, staying at the Yacht Club (our favorite area); and I had spent hours planning and then practicing my trigger finger on making ADRs and FP+ reservations. We had plans for plans, lists of lists. It was tedious, but I determined to make the new system work and deal with the almost "Black Friday" style of rush that happens at the ready-set-go mark. When the times arrived, I was ready, I was able to make all of the dining and attraction reservations I wanted within reasonable times of the plans I had made. Not fun, but it was a job I felt I HAD to do to make our vacation everything we wanted it to be.

By about the third day there, we were bored, tired, and jaded. The vacation we wanted it to be was quickly turning into "nah... let's skip that FP" and even "Let's cancel that dining reservation." This was a first for us. We gave up on Disney Transportation (even at the Yacht Club, we were just tired of walking to stand and wait only to stand on the bus again). So we started driving where we wanted, and one day we were just so tired of the crowds (and this was September!) and the looooong walks and what was beginning to feel like hype, that we left THE WORLD. That's right, we went shopping and driving around Orlando.

That night, prompted by a few FB posts of us at WDW, a friend of ours called us up and asked if we were still in the area and if we'd like to hit Universal for a couple of days on his dime!

Just the call was a breath of fresh air and a hope for a salvaged vacation. We of course said "yes" and "thanks!"

WE.
HAD.
A.
BLAST!

I was not prepared for the level of immersion, show quality, employee enthusiasm, food quality, and just sheer fun we had for those two days. This coming from a lifelong Disney nut, creative type, engineer: the level of technology and attraction quality topped with A+ themeing blew us both away. And we didn't have to wait long for anything, were treated like royalty by every employee there, and really, the whole thing began a new chapter in our lives.

We still go back to Disney, but it's for our grandson, or for our friends who haven't gone in decades and want us to go. But this year our biggie week is at Universal, and we couldn't be more excited. And other than plugging it all into TouringPlans and letting them spit out an itinerary for us, I haven't had to plan a single day.

Reading many of the posters' sentiments on here echoes mine regarding the fun of Universal, but Disney will hold that nostalgic part of my heart and seeing my friends and grandson light up will have us returning, just not as enthusiastically.

 

[nkereina]

We have equal love for Disney and Universal, but we love them in very different ways. For instance, if we're wanting a longer vacation, we will lean towards Disney or a split stay. If we only have a long weekend, we lean towards Universal. We prefer Universal's Express Pass system and the little advanced planning that's required. We prefer some Universal hotels over some Disney hotels. We do prefer Disney Springs over City Walk, and for the most part, Disney's restaurants over Universal. But at the end of the day, we love them both so we vacation at both!

 

[bobbie68]

Hello! Would love to weigh in on this topic

I would say we prefer UO over Disney. Both places are great, and I agree where posters have said they are a different style vacation. I think whichever makes you happier to be at go for it.

We started going to WDW when our DD was 5 and between the age of 5 and 11 we went four times once a year. In 2012 we decided to go to UO as HP section was opened and my DD is a HUGE crazy fan. DH and myself are too. We stayed at HRH (love it) and had a blast. We love thrill rides and coasters so it was a nice change from WDW due to the lack of the big thrill rides. After that visit we went to WDW in 2014 (DD13) we had a really nice visit and enjoyed ourselves. However, we missed the thrills of UO. We found ourselves getting bored more at WDW and hanging at the resort more. We went back to UO in 2015 took DD's boyfriend and had a blast again. We have decided the UO has more to offer our family now in terms of park attractions.

The other plus like other posters have said is that I love the distance of the hotels to the parks and the parks near each other. I love EP and really enjoy not having to worry about meeting ADR's and FP+. It is a much more relaxing vacation for us. We stay at UO for a week and we never get bored. We do put a day or two at the resort and love it. I think the value at UO is very good and works in our budget.

I will say we are a big water park family and have enjoyed WDW's water parks. With that I am over the top for VB. In fact just booked this summer for a week staying at CBBR, great resort.

A side note last year Summer 2016 we went out to Cedar Point. Amazing amusement park, if you love thrill rides and a park who knows how to handle things go there!!!

Enjoy whichever you choose, life is too short