How does Universal/IOA compare to Disney?

[elovell]

We have always gone to Disney & had such a good time, but it's so much cheaper to go to Universal that I'm considering it. I just worry that we won't have as good of a time. How do they compare to each other. I have a 12 year old DS & a 6 year old DS. I love the 3D rides, 12 year old love the roller coasters, & 6 year old loves the log ride at Disney. They also love swimming & going to the waterslides. If we go, we will stay on property. Also, with only 2 parks is there enough to keep us occupied for a week?

 

[stwyatt]

the first time we vacationed in orlando, we planned everything around wdw. we did us/ioa not knowing much about it. we were blown away by how much fun it was. we are now on our 4th vacation to orlando in 9yrs. and now we plan around universal first. now to answer your questions from my opinion. i don't know if you can fill an entire week unless you aren't in a hurry. there's lots to do--but not as much as disney. one thing you can do is get one of those flextickets that bundle univ, sea world, wet n wild, and busch gardens.--then you could easily fill a week. one of the biggest reasons that you can't fill a week at universal is the ease of getting to the parks when staying onsite, and as others will tell you, the front of the line(fotl) benefit. i just can't describe what a great perk that is!! you can sometimes do all the major rides in a half day because of it. for all that wdw offers, it doesn't have anything to compare to fotl
as far as rides, us/ioa coasters easily compare to wdw--and are arguably better. we love them. spiderman is the best 3d ride i've ever been on, and they have the log ride in dudley do right's ripsaw falls. the rides at universal are on par with wdw, and our family likes them better--i think univ. is just opening a new coaster.
pools, i don't remember if there are any slides, we go mostly in nov, dec, but someone will answer this for you
we first took our ds at age 5, he's 13 now, and univ. is his favorite. from my view, i wouldn't plan an entire week for just universal, but some others might explain how they would--and finally, i don't want to ever convey that i don't like wdw, because i think it's great also. now let others chime in!

 

[Metro West]

^^^^^^^^^^ That was an excellent overview!

Since I don't stay onsite I won't get into the hotels but other homies can and will.

The coasters at Universal are more intense than Disney...Hulk and Dueling Dragons are three of the best coasters in the Orlando area. The Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit (HR3) will be opening sometime this year at the Studios but since it's been delayed at bit, no one knows exactly when.

The water rides at IOA are among the best anywhere...Jurassic Park River Adventure, Ripsaw Falls and Popeye and Bluto's Bilge Rat Barges will get you soaked. There are also water pistols at Ripsaw and P & B's you can use to shoot the riders...it's really fun.

Staying onsite will definately give you a huge advantage since you would have unlimited Express access and the suggestion of getting the Orlando Flextickets is an excellent suggestion. Sea World is a wonderful park and their new coaster, Manta is opening this month.

Just don't go to Universal and expect things to be like Disney and DO NOT try to compare the parks while you're there...just go and have a great time!

 

[jewell]

We've been to both and love both! Now keep in mind we haven't been to Universal since May 2000, and we didn't stay on site, our son was barely six years old at the time, but he loved Universal (and there are even more rides now!). He loved curious George's play area, good wet fun! Both days we were there we just sat on the bench and watched him run around, giggle, get soaked and have fun for almost an hour! He also loved Suess Landing and all the Jurassic Park stuff (he was crazy over dinosaurs!). He loved Jaws (although was just a bit afraid of the hanging one! hehe). He got to meet 'Mr Hamon' the guy from the movie Jurassic Park (not the real actor of course, but the guy looked just like him) and my son was so excited, Mr Hamon talked to him about five minutes and it just made his day. So many wonderful memories from that trip, I just can't tell you.

In May 2004 we went to Disney and stayed on site for five nights, we loved Disney and had a ball, but at the end of the week, we were exhausted!!! This year, we actually get to stay on site at Universal and we are staying five nights in june! I really think this vacation will be so much more relaxing, we plan on taking our time, enjoying the beautiful pool at RPR, and having a nice relaxed dinner every evening at one of the nice restaurants. Disney and Universal are not alike, but they are both very unique and I absolutely LOVE lovestruc) both of them. I've actually been to quite a few amusement parks from Busch Gardens, Dollywood, Kennywood, Kings Island, Cedar Point, and although they are great places, Disney and Universal are my two favorites.

I'm excited about staying for five nights, because we will have four and a half days at the parks, and that sounds like a nice pace, with plenty of relaxing time around the pool, but I'm not sure about a whole week. There is supposed to be a lot of things to do around the area, like a great movie cinema in City Walk, putt putt golf, go carts and the like, but it depends if your family likes some down time or to be busy 24/7.

 

[Cinderella822]

I was always a huge Disney fan, but after many trips, we started to get bored with it and my husband suggested Universal a few years ago. So reluctantly I planned a trip to Universal only for one week, staying onsite. Wow - I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I loved it there. My daugher is a teen, so I'm can't provide much info on what to do with younger kids, but we had such a nice vacation.

The hotels are superb. We've only stayed at Portofino Bay but we just love it so much. We have visited the other two hotels and they are equally as nice. Portofino Bay has 3 pools, a large one with a slide and a kiddie pool where a lot of families go, a nice quiet villa pool with lots of cabanas for rent, which is our personal favorite, and a really quiet little pool on the opposite side of the resort. The restaurants are all great. The convenience of everything being so close is much nicer than at Disney. My one big complaint about Disney is how spread out it is and how long it can take to go from place to place. Not at Universal. And you still feel like you're in your own little vacation world there if you stay onsite.

The parks are great and the rides spectacular. I still love some of the Disney rides that don't compare, such as Tower of Terror, but overall, Universal has a lot to offer too in that department.

After staying at Universal two years in a row, last summer, we venture back to Disney. I felt overwhelmed. So this year, back to Universal for a week. We do stay a week and you won't be able to be on the go 24/7 like at Disney as there isn't as much to do, but that's why we like it. It's much more relaxing there. With FOTL, we can sleep in a bit, take our time at the parks and not have to plan our whole day around rides and fast passes. The hotels are so nice to relax in and City Walk is great at night. I'm really looking forward to our return trip this July. Go - you'll have a great time!!

 

[geffric]

DS#2 and I went to US/IOA for a special Mom and Son long weekend (4 day) trip in 2006.. he was 12 at the time.. we had a great time.. he and I love coasters and US/IOA had so much to offer and the water rides are great.... we had such a great time that in June after SWW, we brought Dh and DS#1 to US/IOA for a few days..

We have never stayed onsite at US but didn't find that it was a hinderance without the FOTL passes.. This year with the freee miliarty ticket we are booked again for 2 days at US/IOA.. we are taking a friend for DS#2 and he is so excited about US/IOA..

 

[damo]

Universal is such a great place for boys. Disney panders to the girls, Universal panders to the boys...superheroes, dinosaurs, terminator, shrek, the mummy, sharks, Jimmy Neutron...and the list goes on.

However, if you are planning a full week. I would add on two days at SeaWorld (free transportation from Universal hotels) and make sure you spend lots of time doing things such a hanging out at the great onsite pools (obviously you will!!!) and you should have the best relaxing but tons of fun vacation ever!

 

[czycropper]

From an old WDW traveler - we absolutely love Universal and now my DDs only want to go there.

I've been going to Disney since a year after it opened. I took my family for the first time in 2004 and my DDs were smaller and it was my DH's first time. Last year, my DDs danced at WDW and we decided to add Universal AND as my DH put it "that's when I started enjoying my vacation"

Rides - Universal/IOA has great theming in their rides. The coasters are 3x better than any WDW coaster (sorry but even the Rockin' Rollercoaster).

Hotels - we stayed at RPR and really liked it - I loved the fact that at the Islands restaurant they have a room with a buffet just for the kids so the parents can actually eat separate. I still like Poly at WDW better but I think that's a little bit of nostalgia on my part since I've stayed at the Poly so many times.

Scheduling - Universal/IOA was just more relaxing for us since we didn't have to plan where to go to get onto the rides or to eat. We absolutely LOVED the FOTL aspect since we stayed on site - never had to wait more than 10 minutes for any ride. Rode everything at least 3 times.

As others have said - don't compare and just go and have fun! We were there 3 days and when we go in November 2010 we'll be there 5 days mainly because we are HP fanatics and we'll want to go to it as many times as we can. We're also going to Animal Kingdom one day just to get our Disney fill

 

[NashvilleTrio]

To me, there is no comparison between Disney & Universal. Disney is Disney and Universal is Universal. They both have completely different elements that make each unique. Having said that, I will say that the one biggest difference between the two that keeps us going back to Universal is the RELAXATION factor. When at Universal I actually feel like it's a relaxing vacation. When at Disney we're all so exhausted and running from park to park or restaurant to restaurant that it's hard to find a relaxing moment. As Cinderella822 said, it can be overwhelming.

I think you all will be pleasantly surprised by the Universal Parks and Citywalk as well. Everything is right there within walking distance and no matter which onsite hotel you choose, I think you will enjoy it. We've stayed at all 3 and have had a great stay at them all. Have fun!
-melissa

 

[macraven]

i have gone annually to orlando since 1992.

i do the motherland first and then the darkside.



staying 8 nights at disney and 6 nights at universal.

the only reason i stay longer at disney as it takes a lot of down time to get from one park to another and to the resorts. it is so spread out.

i start in the morning when those parks open and really tired at the end of the day when they close for the evening.
i feel like i need a vacation from that vacation when it is time to leave.

when i move over to universal hotels, i don't have to rush.
it is all close together and no busses involved.

i am going solo and won't be bored for my universal stay.
if i do the water rides one day, i can easily go back to my room and change clothes and return to the parks.

i take my time in the UO parks and catch everything.
i do all the shows and repeat the horror make up show during each trip.

there are things to do in the hotels, in the parks and city walk.
(some nights i take in a movie at the cinema at city walk.)

the nice thing is i don't have to get up early to catch a bus to a park.

at universal hotels, i can sleep in and still be in the parks before crowds come.

the express line for hotel guests are great.
limited time for line waits.

if i want to spend an hour at mystic fountain and watch the people interact with the "talking" fountain, i can.......

if you are at the hotel for close to a week, and if you don't rush through the parks just for the rides, you can go at a leisurely pace and not feel "bored" or think that there is not enough things to do.

many people pool hop to the other hotel pools. all you need is your room key to get towels at the other hotel.

that alone will take up an afternoon for your family.

each year i try to take the "tour" at HRC to see the special room....

 

[yankeepenny]

I felt that we relaxed way more at Uni, and were less rushed.
The food was 500 percent better, and overall the atmosphere was more inviting and enjoyable.

Disney parks are all hustle and bustle and hurry up and wait in line. Easier to navigate and do more in less time at Uni.

 

[Modeltrf]

As part of our Honeymoon in 1990 we went to Disney. Every year since my wife and I have gone to Orlando at least once a year and stay for at least three weeks. I go with my wife and 4 children to WDW, Universal, Sea World & Busch Gardens. We may not go to every park for each visit but it is never more than 2 years between each visit. We rarely need maps at any of the theme parks because we know them so well. So this is one question I feel qualified to answer.

The answer is we love all of them! They are each so unique and wonderful that you would be missing out if you only went to Disney. We love all the water parks such as Aquatica as well.

I noticed some have commented on this thread about how rushed they feel at Disney compared to Universal. To that I say you are probably overscheduling yourself. Disney is larger and has more to offer than Universal so many people try to get it all in within a week or so. All the parks have much more to offer than the headliner rides. If you go slow you will find more to do that enhances your experience. We have went on vacations with other families who just do the "big" rides and they feel they did all there was at the park.

This past January my family spent 8 back to back days at Universal, IOA and City Walk. Even after 8 non-stop Universal days no one wanted to leave. We still felt like we missed out on some things.

For the last week of March and the first two weeks of April my family and I stayed on Disney property. Not one of them was ready to go back after our three weeks.

To sum it up...Disney, Universal and all of the rest of Orlando is a fun place to go. You should try to experience everything and at a pace that is enjoyable.

 

[Darcy03231]

I just got back from a 6 day/5 night trip. We did one day at WDW and the rest at US/IOA. I really wish we had at least another day and two would have been better. We loved US/IOA and had a great time staying at the Hard Rock. The unlimited Express Pass that comes with your room key is invaluable. We didn't wait in line for anything. We were able to take the parks at a much slower pace, spend time at the pool and just walking around City Walk. I can't wait to go back!

 

[phamton]

For those who don't know me I thought I'd share a little background. I was raised on Disney. I went to Disneyland for the first time in 1957 and then went yearly and sometimes more for the next 20 years. It was our family vacation when I was a kid. I continued that family tradition with my 5 kids. We alternated Disneyland with Disneyworld yearly. My husband and kids developed a love for Disney that they caught from me. Finally I retired from teaching in Texas and I encourage my family to move to Orlando to be close to the mouse. (My husband hadn't retired from teaching so he continued to teach high school in Orlando after our move.) We only had two children still living at home. They were out of high school and thrilled about moving.

The first thing we did after moving here was to get Disney annual passes. We had little to no interest in going to Universal as I thought the standards were way lower than Disney themeparks. We reluctantly purchased 2 year annual passes for Universal/IoA when they had a special for 2 years for the price of one. We considered ourselves Disney snobs and went to Disney every weekend. One day, my son mentioned that we ought to use our Universal annual passes since we had had them over 6 months and hadn't gone once. None of us wanted to give up our weekend at Disney but finally decided to try Universal. I was astonished at how clean the parks were, how nice the team members were, and how truly amazing the rides and shows were. Universal Studios had out-Disneyed Disney with the themeing. I remembered being so impressed with the street facades, and the themeing within the rides. I looked at the IOA skyline, with the lighthouse beaming and Hulk snaking all over the sky, and fell in love. We began going to Universal nearly every weekend and only going to Disney once a month. Universal and Islands of Adventure are now our favorite parks. I'll be hobbling onto ride the Hulk coaster when I'm 90 years old and using a walker.

 

[donaldduck352]

Great storys.Universal has a way of changing your perspective of what Orlando has to offer!!

And I do agree with the flex ticket.SW is a great park and so is Wet&Wild.Although Im not much on water parks..

 

[shaunrockz]

They have more thrill rides than Disney; and rides tend to have less theming, but they are pretty much as clean as Disney.