Does anyone else experience this...

[Cinderella822]

I'm leaving tomorrow for USO for a week and so excited.

However, lately, when people ask me where I'm going on vacation, I respond Universal Studios in Orlando. Everyone immediately starts talking about Disney and asking where in Disney I'm staying, etc. I say, no not Disney, Universal Studios. They give me a blank stare and then jump back to the Disney questions. Do that many people truly not understand that Universal is a whole separate park? Okay by me though - we'll keep it our little secret. Just frustrating trying to explain it all the time!

 

[donaldduck352]

I love Laurebearz siggie,it states:Universal Studios is Disney's best kept secret!!

 

[Metro West]

I'm leaving tomorrow for USO for a week and so excited.

However, lately, when people ask me where I'm going on vacation, I respond Universal Studios in Orlando. Everyone immediately starts talking about Disney and asking where in Disney I'm staying, etc. I say, no not Disney, Universal Studios. They give me a blank stare and then jump back to the Disney questions. Do that many people truly not understand that Universal is a whole separate park? Okay by me though - we'll keep it our little secret. Just frustrating trying to explain it all the time!

Keep the secret to yourself. If they want to spend all day waiting for a bus to take them around WDW, making ADR's seven years in advance and dodging SUV-sized strollers let em...you know? It's less people I have to stand in line behind!

 

[dogodisney]

I don't think people realize that it is a resort with their own hotels. I know I didn't until I started planning our upcoming trip.
It is my guess that most people think of it as just an "amusement park".

 

[fanoforlando]

yeah i get that alot. probably from Disney being the dominant park in Orlando...

my g/f teases me by saying " so when are we going back to Disney?"

gggrrrrr It's Universal !!

 

[acc82]

also, IMO, people with kids have thoughts that tend to go straight to disney. I don't have kids (am married), so I tend to think of what would be fun for us on vacation and that includes Universal if we're going to florida. Disney is nice, and I love going, but Universal is so much less stressful for us. You can take the park in more leisurely and don't have so many strollers bumping into you. There aren't that many kids rides at universal (the only one that comes to mind for the teeny ones is one fish red fish blue fish); so, you see more adults there.
I think City walk is one of the best kept secrets in orlando. I love city walk, so much fun.

 

[JohnsPrincess]

Lol - I get something sort of like that... We go to Disney A LOT. It's only about 1.5 hours away (not that US is much farther) so that's usually my number one choice. Sooo...when I tell my friends we're going to Univesal I get the blank stare and then "YOU aren't going to Disney??" Hard to imagine for them.

 

[jheigl]

I think maybe a lot of people confuse the two because they both have "Studios" in their names....Disney's Hollywood Studios (or most people who don't know Universal is not Disney probably know it as MGM-Studios, so they think Universal Studios and MGM-Studios/ Hollywood Studios are the same). Could you imagine if Disney put Hollywood Studios in California (since Universal has Hollywood in it too)!

 

[Ciavobella]

A lot of people think Walt Disney World = the Magic Kingdom and that Universal Studios = MGM/DHS

 

[Jonny_Duck]

I'm leaving tomorrow for USO for a week and so excited.

However, lately, when people ask me where I'm going on vacation, I respond Universal Studios in Orlando. Everyone immediately starts talking about Disney and asking where in Disney I'm staying, etc. I say, no not Disney, Universal Studios. They give me a blank stare and then jump back to the Disney questions. Do that many people truly not understand that Universal is a whole separate park? Okay by me though - we'll keep it our little secret. Just frustrating trying to explain it all the time!

Every time boss asks me about my vacation later this year he asks if I am going to Disney.

I would say if you don't rly research it you wouldn't know too much. Tbh before I found this site I had no idea even Disney had hotels. When we were kids and went, we were always at the cheapest random hotel. Also had no idea ppl planned so far in advance. We had no plans when kids. Just kinda alternated which park we did each year.

 

[Bluer101]

We try to go every month and still my family and friends say, " Your going to Disney again?" I tell them I like going on rides, not standing in lines.

 

[Stephanator]

also, IMO, people with kids have thoughts that tend to go straight to disney. I don't have kids (am married), so I tend to think of what would be fun for us on vacation and that includes Universal if we're going to florida. Disney is nice, and I love going, but Universal is so much less stressful for us. You can take the park in more leisurely and don't have so many strollers bumping into you. There aren't that many kids rides at universal (the only one that comes to mind for the teeny ones is one fish red fish blue fish); so, you see more adults there.
I think City walk is one of the best kept secrets in orlando. I love city walk, so much fun.

Amen!

That's exactly what we learned after our trip last year. 4 adults, none of us with kids, and we had a blast at Universal. We still love the Disney magic, but our Universal days on vacation are much more leisurely. And our ankles thanked us for a break from the strollers.

 

[schumigirl]

Being honest we didn`t know Universal was going to be as good as it is before we arrived for our first trip.

So we had a 2 day Universal ticket and the 14 day Disney tickets.

But we soon realised that, maybe because our son was 13 then, that we were more drawn to Universal, although we love the Disney parks (Wishes has got to be the most emotional thing I have ever seen) it`s just got a different vibe about it.

But some people that have never been only think of Disney, especially if they have young kids. They don`t realise that IOA has lots for younger ones too. So consequently find we have to explain why we`re not staying in a Disney resort all the time

And I must admit it is a relief to get away from the thousands of strollers.

And Citywalk is a great place to be at night, and day

But I agree with OP, let`s keep it a secret

 

[Metro West]

But we soon realised that, maybe because our son was 13 then, that we were more drawn to Universal, although we love the Disney parks (Wishes has got to be the most emotional thing I have ever seen) it`s just got a different vibe about it.

I used to watch Wishes from my apartment patio every night.

 

[Planogirl]

People we know seem to understand that it's a different resort but they tend to be single or have older kids. They do ask if we plan to see the Mouse too and normally say "maybe".

 

[Purseval]

I think City walk is one of the best kept secrets in orlando. I love city walk, so much fun.

Although we prefer USF to WDW for parks we always make it a point to go to DTD. CityWalk doesn't do much for us and now they've even started charging to park there (not that it affects us, we have PAPs, it's the principle of the thing). I also saw at least 3 people led away in handcuffs last saturday night plus security lined up trying to get a gang of kids to leave, we've never seen anything like that at DTD. Finally, Citywalk doesn't have Fish and Chips

 

[izzie-wizzie]

Its quite annoying how much people when speaking about going to florida will say things like : oh we want to go disney world, and epcot too. its the same!!

but i think its only cause im obviously one who has found out so much / all you need to know for florida - and it is a lot! i guess if you don't know about florida much it is all just really confusing!