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

[skier_pete]

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!)

I swore I was going to stay out of this because I really, really don't want to come off like a Universal basher...because I enjoyed myself very much there.

But, c'mon @disneyavonohio - the Hogwart's Express main purpose is transportation? This isn't remotely true. The main purpose is it's a ride. If you turned off the "story" portion of it and made it strictly just a train to shuttle people back and forth, then who's waiting 45 minutes for it? No one. The reason everyone wants to ride it is for the story.

And we waited 45 minutes and the queue wasn't even half full...they were anticipating 90 minute+ waits for this - that's not how you set up a transportation system.

And the secondary purpose isn't even transportation, it's to sell park-to-park tickets. The tertiary purpose is transportation.

 

[Anonomom]

I'm surrendering to the temptation to come back to this thread to update my opinion, now that I've done a more "apples to apples" comparison of WDW vs. Universal trips (my first post was based on a July 4th weekend trip to Uni, which is hardly fair when compared to WDW in May or November).

We stayed at HRH for four nights in early April. We chose primarily Hard Rock for its proximity to the parks, so I was surprised at how much I liked it. The room was cramped, but we liked the memorabilia everywhere and the non-stop music. And the five-minute walk to the parks was such a boon! We took the boat once, for comparison's sake, but it was just as fast and easy to walk. Major +++ in my book.

Between the five of us, I think we managed to hit almost every show and attraction in both parks (we missed Terminator, the Sinbad Stunt Show, Gringotts and Fear Factor), and everyone found at least a few things they liked. Trouble was, there were so few things we could do as a family (this owes in large part, I'll admit, to my 5yo being scared of a lot). We spent a lot more time split up than I'd have liked, though I am grateful that both parks have such nice playgrounds for the small/scared set. All of us agreed that 4 days was probably one more than we needed.

The only thing I actively despised about our trip was how needlessly hostile Universal is towards fat people. I knew going in that there were rides I couldn't get onto, but I was dismayed to see that even relatively tame rides were highly restrictive. For example, the Jimmy Fallon ride has rigid walls dividing each seat, with just a small hole through which one can reach to fasten the seatbelt. Thankfully, I was able to get it to click (it wasn't easy!), but no fewer than four people when we rode struggled, with the attendants repeatedly having to unlock whole rows and re-lock them again as they tried to get their seatbelts to reach and fasten. I heard one poor gentleman ask for a seatbelt extender and was told they weren't available. I can see the arguments for such small seats when the ride is extreme, but Fallon is not. The seat issue became a "thing;" because every time I approached a new ride, I had to worry about whether I'd actually be able to board. It added a layer of tension to the trip that I have never, ever had to deal with at WDW.

Bottom line, for my family, I still prefer WDW. Universal is fine, and I can absolutely see why people would love it. But it's not the family-focused vacation I prefer right now. I reserve the right to change my mind in 5 years.

 

[skier_pete]

Between the five of us, I think we managed to hit almost every show and attraction in both parks (we missed Terminator, the Sinbad Stunt Show, Gringotts and Fear Factor), and everyone found at least a few things they liked. Trouble was, there were so few things we could do as a family (this owes in large part, I'll admit, to my 5yo being scared of a lot). We spent a lot more time split up than I'd have liked, though I am grateful that both parks have such nice playgrounds for the small/scared set.

Yeah - I think that's a big tipping point for some - if you have a nervous/scared rider - it sort of dampens the entire experience of Universal. In my case it's even worse, when it's 13yo DD that's scared of these things. She 6 years past the playgrounds, but doesn't like many of the big rides. (We have the same problem at the local amusement park - she doesn't want to ride anything.) The funny thing is, I told her in advance that Universal was full of rides she wouldn't like. Being an extremely stubborn teen, she wouldn't believe me "You guys like Disney but I'm a Universal Girl." Now that we've done Universal once, she only wants to go back to see the Harry Potter stuff and nothing else. Now she asks "When can we go back to Disney."

However, it goes back to the basis - they are different experiences and that's a good thing. Some will love one more than the other. And it's OK to like both. And it's OK to have criticisms of both.

 

[theSurlyMermaid]

Maybe I'm just a mean parent but I told my kids if you are not going to ride anything we will plan a different vacation than Universal Studios. My 7 year old is hardly a daredevil but she perfectly understood me and tried several rides, some of which she discovered she liked very much. I would have no patience at all for spending all that money and ending up with a kid who doesn't want to ride the rides. There are other places to vacation that are far cheaper and likely to be a far less tense experience.

That means we talk about the rides beforehand so she can get familiar with them. Sometimes we may watch ride videos. If she's vetoing everything then it's time to start talking about where else we may want to spend our vacation time and money. Plenty of other places to experience.

 

[eleven24]

Adding my .02...

IMO, Disney is about immersing one in the experience and all of the little details that make up a theme park whereas Universal is more in-your-face thrill rides and pulse pounding excitement. Walking into MK Walt Disney wanted to put visitors INTO his movies, evident by the smell of popcorn and the right to left (or left to right, depending upon which side you entered) reveal of the castle as depicted at the beginning of Disney movies. Gas light lamps at the beginning giving way to electric lamps at the end signifying progress. To me and my family these are the charms of Disney and what grabs you the second you walk in. They're the pieces that keep us at the park long after we've ridden the rides.

But that's us. Or perhaps WAS us? My son, who just turned 15 is shifting from that mentality to more of a Universal mentality where he wants to binge ride. He wants a constant heart racing experience, with the most jaw dropping rides he can find. While he still loves Disney, rides like Space Mountain are a 5 on his scale of thrill. He and I just got back from a Florida weekend and we went for Universal. For Harry Potter. He loved it, so did I. He just fared a bit better on some rides than I did (ugh Simpsons!).

Both parks are outstanding. Both parks are very different. I prefer Disney, but had a blast in and will return to Universal.

 

[skier_pete]

Maybe I'm just a mean parent but I told my kids if you are not going to ride anything we will plan a different vacation than Universal Studios. My 7 year old is hardly a daredevil but she perfectly understood me and tried several rides, some of which she discovered she liked very much. I would have no patience at all for spending all that money and ending up with a kid who doesn't want to ride the rides. There are other places to vacation that are far cheaper and likely to be a far less tense experience.

That means we talk about the rides beforehand so she can get familiar with them. Sometimes we may watch ride videos. If she's vetoing everything then it's time to start talking about where else we may want to spend our vacation time and money. Plenty of other places to experience.

Right - which is the reason we never went there until DD was 13...and she *said* she wanted to try the rides, and she *said* she would love them. We watched videos and bought the books and read about the rides. Yet she somehow was in denial that they would be 3D and they would be dark and thrilling. I knew better, but she really wanted to go and we made it a reward for school grade goals (maintaining honor roll grades for a kid that doesn't like school). DW and I both went in the 90s and liked Universal fine. (DW not a thrill rider, but likes rides like Spider Man and Kong, just won't go on the coasters.) It's not that we didn't have a good time, DD tried most of the rides (except Kong and Mummy and the coasters) she just got off of each and every one of them and said "never again". I'm not sorry we spent the money, and we got an AP so DW and I will go back in November for one day during our F&W trip, and we are planning 2 more days next February, but then we won't be going back for likely several years. As I said, just doesn't fit with my family.

(I think my vehement hatred for the Hogwarts express use of requiring park-to-park tix makes people think I hate on Universal. It's not true, I just hate on that single aspect. Anyone that knows me also knows I hate on the hard ticket events (MVMCP and MNSSHP) at the Disney Parks as well. What I hate is being gouged for something.)

 

[theSurlyMermaid]

That's such a bummer that you prepared so well and she still disliked most of the rides. But if you had a good time and you guys weren't only going for your daughter then it's all good.

 

[luvsJack]

I am the nervous nelly on rides in our family and I loved Universal. I rode very little last time.. But enjoyed the theming all over the parks. (and I do get the idea that WDW is more "immersive" but find each section of Universal to be immersive in that particular theme.) I spent time exploring while they were riding. I watched shows and had a blast. You don't have to be a thrill rider at all to enjoy Universal. That seems to be a common misconception. My niece and her family went recently and her son doesn't like thrill rides. So Dad and dd rode, Mom and ds didn't and they all loved it.

DD loves any and all rides but her favorite time during our visit was the half day we spent just exploring all of Diagon Alley and watching the shows in that area. And we have been talking about doing the exact same thing again when we go back but finding other things that we missed during our explorations.

I don't understand thinking someone has to ride every ride and love it to enjoy a place like WDW or Universal. I enjoy both and do not ride any thrill ride or any thing pretending to be a thrill ride (Pirates is about as "thrill" as I get!)

 

[because]

Was at both last week.

For me, a non-thrill rider, I still like Universal better. I am a more spur of the moment person, so prefer wandering the parks with my EP and just deciding spontaneously what I want to ride and where to eat. Don't like my score on MIB? I can just go again. And again. And again.

Although that doesn't mean that I don't like Disney, I do enjoy it very much. I just prefer Universal. They are both wonderfully different with things that appeal to different people. Makes for lovely choices for a vacation in Orlando.

I do detest however all the pre-planning that makes Disney a better experience, just not my thing. We were at Disney with my daughter's sports team so due to a late bid, not getting our tickets to enter into My Disney Experience till we arrived, and not knowing our competition schedule till shortly before we left, we had very little planning time and therefore limited choices on things. Made me appreciate our EP at Universal even more.

I will give Disney the edge on people watching though. Apparently we were there during Dapper Days which made for excellent people watching.

 

[macraven]

Agree
There is good in both places


Wouldn't it be nice and take all favorite rides in various parks and put them in one!

Since I live in Georgia, I'd have that new special park be 5 miles to my home

 

[BeerMe]

Since the mid 90s we have made over 50 trips to WDW and only 10 trips to Universal. We are much more familiar with WDW and because of that we like it more than Universal although it is a close thing and HP is swaying us more towards Universal every trip. We are making another trip in December to both WDW and Universal and spending 7 days at each. I'll revisit this thread then.

 

[macraven]

We'll be here waiting for youse !!

Vacations are a big point in our lives
The one time we can have family time and have great food and entertainment

Does not matter which park you choose as long as you have it with your family and loved ones

 

[Rockette]

Overall? Disney. I feel like it can be enjoyed more from all aspects.

Thrill rides? Universal's parks have this far and above Disney's. I love the big coasters.

I generally stay at Disney but make a point to visit the Universal parks for at least 1-2 days while I'm out there for a week.

 

[Chuckers]

I'm a Disney Nut. My 40th birthday was at WDW, 45th at DL, and my 50th at DL Paris. For my 55th, I am planning on Disneyland Shanghai. I lived 10 miles outside of Disneyland for 4 years. I have been to Disneyland easily 100 times in those 4 years. I would go, ride Space Mountain, Matterhorn, Peter Pan, then California Screaming and go home. Disneyland is probably my favorite over WDW for many reasons.

However, I am a thrill ride lover, yet for the past decoade or so, thrill rides have not been a good fit for me, as I was a somewhat thick waisted guy I recently dropped 70 lbs and thrill rides are much easier for me to get in. Yay!

Last year I went to Universal Hollywood for the first time in years and fit in everything. This year I am taking my first trip where my main stay is at Universal. (Going to MK for MNSSHP one night.) I have experienced Universal Orlando before and loved it for different reasons. They do pay attention to themeing, just like Disney, but it's handled differently. It doesn't flow as smoothly as Disney, but that's okay. It's still there.. it's still fun.. and I know it's going to be a nice break from Disney. I will always love Disney, but I have room to enjoy other parks as well. Plus, sometimes, you just need a change of scene.

 

[yaya74]

I am casting my vote for Universal over WDW... However, Disneyland would be a different story....

Just came back from visiting Universal Orlando staying 4 nights at Portofino Bay club level. It was my family's first visit there. We went to WDW last summer staying also 4 nights at the Animal Kingdom Lodge.

We just love the fact that a trip to Universal Orlando is truly RELAXING. Afterall, who doesn't want their vacation to be relaxing???!! Our daily schedule is not restricted by FP+ or dining ADR. We can wake up as late as we want to and take a long afternoon nap if we needed to... I didn't have to count the days carefully to make sure I booked my FP+ at 60 days. I didn't need to use a touring plan app to map out my path so I could give myself enough time to walk from a ride to another ride or restaurants... I am a planner but I didn't enjoy the amount of work that I had to do when planning my trip to WDW.

The rides at Universal are more fun for me and my husband. I love the Hulk, the Mummy, the Fear Factor ShowMy kids, aged 9 and 5, also had fun and they enjoyed the 4D rides. However, I don't think my kids could handle Universal last year at the age of 8 and 4. Disney was definitely a better park for them last year.

We love the Universal Express Pass which is complimentary by staying at Portofino Bay. I would be more interested in going to WDW if Disney changes the FP+ system to mimic the Universal Express Pass system. I spent way too much time on my cell phone to get my FP+ when I was at WDW. At Universal, I only needed my cell phone to take pictures

Cost wise, we spent a bit more at Universal, about a couple hundred dollars more. The difference was due to the cost of the food... At WDW, we bought the meal plan which gave us enough food for the three daily meals for the whole family throughout the whole stay. At Universal, we stayed at the club level so that covered our breakfast and dinner but we needed to pay for our lunch out of pocket. I think both Portofino Bay and the Animal Kingdom are equally good. Our room at PB was 100 sq ft bigger. But we love the bunk bed at AKL.

Regarding the staff, all staff at Universal are as courteous as that at Disney.

Here are the things we missed from WDW:
- photographer... The Disney photopass photographers are definitely better than those at Universal.
- magic band: one band, one tap, all things are done.
- water park: Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon are more fun than the Volcano Bay.
- anticipation: At universal, all we got was an email confirming our reservation... No video, no booklet, no magic bands... We felt something was missing...
- night time show: we watched the Universal cinematic spectacular show and it was just bleh.... Disney knows how to put on a show like the Fantasmic or the Star War Fireworks...

My family plan to visit Universal Orlando before my youngest turn 10. As for Disney, probably not until the Star War Land is built...

 

[Charade67]

I absolutely adore Disney. I would go more often if I lived a bit closer. We were just there the last week of 2015. I thought about going back for my 50th birthday, but decided that we will wait until the new Star Wars area is finished before we make our return trip.
I have only been to Universal Studios 3 times (1996, 1998, 2013) and Islands of Adventure once (2013). I'm not much of a thrill ride person, but love Harry Potter. I am looking forward to our Universal vacation in December although it will seem a little strange without the mouse.

 

[damo]

I am casting my vote for Universal over WDW... However, Disneyland would be a different story....

Just came back from visiting Universal Orlando staying 4 nights at Portofino Bay club level. It was my family's first visit there. We went to WDW last summer staying also 4 nights at the Animal Kingdom Lodge.

We just love the fact that a trip to Universal Orlando is truly RELAXING. Afterall, who doesn't want their vacation to be relaxing???!! Our daily schedule is not restricted by FP+ or dining ADR. We can wake up as late as we want to and take a long afternoon nap if we needed to... I didn't have to count the days carefully to make sure I booked my FP+ at 60 days. I didn't need to use a touring plan app to map out my path so I could give myself enough time to walk from a ride to another ride or restaurants... I am a planner but I didn't enjoy the amount of work that I had to do when planning my trip to WDW.

The rides at Universal are more fun for me and my husband. I love the Hulk, the Mummy, the Fear Factor ShowMy kids, aged 9 and 5, also had fun and they enjoyed the 4D rides. However, I don't think my kids could handle Universal last year at the age of 8 and 4. Disney was definitely a better park for them last year.

We love the Universal Express Pass which is complimentary by staying at Portofino Bay. I would be more interested in going to WDW if Disney changes the FP+ system to mimic the Universal Express Pass system. I spent way too much time on my cell phone to get my FP+ when I was at WDW. At Universal, I only needed my cell phone to take pictures

Cost wise, we spent a bit more at Universal, about a couple hundred dollars more. The difference was due to the cost of the food... At WDW, we bought the meal plan which gave us enough food for the three daily meals for the whole family throughout the whole stay. At Universal, we stayed at the club level so that covered our breakfast and dinner but we needed to pay for our lunch out of pocket. I think both Portofino Bay and the Animal Kingdom are equally good. Our room at PB was 100 sq ft bigger. But we love the bunk bed at AKL.

Regarding the staff, all staff at Universal are as courteous as that at Disney.

Here are the things we missed from WDW:
- photographer... The Disney photopass photographers are definitely better than those at Universal.
- magic band: one band, one tap, all things are done.
- water park: Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon are more fun than the Volcano Bay.
- anticipation: At universal, all we got was an email confirming our reservation... No video, no booklet, no magic bands... We felt something was missing...
- night time show: we watched the Universal cinematic spectacular show and it was just bleh.... Disney knows how to put on a show like the Fantasmic or the Star War Fireworks...

My family plan to visit Universal Orlando before my youngest turn 10. As for Disney, probably not until the Star War Land is built...

We love Disneyland too.

 

[Charade67]

I've never been to Disneyland, but hope to go in a couple of years. We've offered to take our daughter on a trip of her choice when she graduates from high school. She has asked to go to Hollywood, CA.

 

[bchbetha]

Disneyland is so much easier/ laid back than WDW. I do miss the big castle when we go though. Go with an open mind- I was kind of grouchy upon arrival bc it wasn't the same but I got over it and now prefer it.

 

[damo]

Disneyland is so much easier/ laid back than WDW. I do miss the big castle when we go though. Go with an open mind- I was kind of grouchy upon arrival bc it wasn't the same but I got over it and now prefer it.

Yup. Things seem a little squishy in some areas because we are used to rides be so spread out at WDW. Once you wrap your head around it, it is actually great.