LaurenT
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 27, 2009
- Messages
- 8,401
So, we are a veteran Disney World family. We've been going between one and four times a year since we brought our daughter home from China in 2003. Since she is finally tall enough to do everything but Dueling Dragons and Hulk, we thought we'd give Universal a try - so we tacked four days at Royal Pacific onto our 9 days at Animal Kingdom Lodge (Jambo).
I enjoyed Universal in general. The staff, with just a couple of exceptions, was very friendly and helpful.
The hotel was clean, the beds were very comfortable, the atmosphere was pleasant. It is very nicely decorated and extremely convenient to the parks. In a head to head competition, Animal Kingdom comes out ahead for me. The environment is completely immersive - there is not one inch of space that does not leave the word "Africa" on your tongue. The pool is lush and exotic. The common spaces manage to be both grand and intimate at the same time. The staff is very friendly, and the restaurant options are exceptional. But I am head over heels in love with AKL - so it is almost unfair to compare RPR to it. Compared to most resorts, RPR would come out ahead.
The dining options at City Walk were varied enough to serve any need. We liked Bubba Gump and Margaritaville. I went out of my way to try Mythos after the recommendations on here and was duly impressed.
The Universal rides include some gems. Our favorites were Transformers, Despicable Me and Spider-Man. I also really liked Men In Black and we actually got a kick out of Disaster. I will say that in general, the rides are too heavy on things that both spin and have intense 3D effects for my husband to enjoy too many rides - he has Parkinson's and has issues with vertigo. For him, Disney has better options.
I enjoyed Rip Ride Rocket - which I was worried would be too intense for me - and to my surprise, my dd really liked it. We rode it five or six times during our stay. I rode dueling dragons and the hulk a couple of times. DD was too short and I didn't want them waiting around for me.
The Unlimited Express Pass is invaluable - I don't think I'd visit Universal without staying onsite to get this benefit.
The Star photo package was a good deal for us - much cheaper than the Disney version - and since we've never seen these characters before, we had a lot of photos taken.
We also went to Blue Man Group. I had seen it in NYC ages ago, but it was DD's first time. She absolutely loved it - it's a great show and highly recommended.
In the end, I asked DD if she wanted to come back and she emphatically said YES. But when I asked her if we could only do one park next year - Disney or Universal - which would it be, it didn't take long for her to say Disney.
So, we will be back to the Dark Side - but we are still Disney at heart.
I enjoyed Universal in general. The staff, with just a couple of exceptions, was very friendly and helpful.
The hotel was clean, the beds were very comfortable, the atmosphere was pleasant. It is very nicely decorated and extremely convenient to the parks. In a head to head competition, Animal Kingdom comes out ahead for me. The environment is completely immersive - there is not one inch of space that does not leave the word "Africa" on your tongue. The pool is lush and exotic. The common spaces manage to be both grand and intimate at the same time. The staff is very friendly, and the restaurant options are exceptional. But I am head over heels in love with AKL - so it is almost unfair to compare RPR to it. Compared to most resorts, RPR would come out ahead.
The dining options at City Walk were varied enough to serve any need. We liked Bubba Gump and Margaritaville. I went out of my way to try Mythos after the recommendations on here and was duly impressed.
The Universal rides include some gems. Our favorites were Transformers, Despicable Me and Spider-Man. I also really liked Men In Black and we actually got a kick out of Disaster. I will say that in general, the rides are too heavy on things that both spin and have intense 3D effects for my husband to enjoy too many rides - he has Parkinson's and has issues with vertigo. For him, Disney has better options.
I enjoyed Rip Ride Rocket - which I was worried would be too intense for me - and to my surprise, my dd really liked it. We rode it five or six times during our stay. I rode dueling dragons and the hulk a couple of times. DD was too short and I didn't want them waiting around for me.
The Unlimited Express Pass is invaluable - I don't think I'd visit Universal without staying onsite to get this benefit.
The Star photo package was a good deal for us - much cheaper than the Disney version - and since we've never seen these characters before, we had a lot of photos taken.
We also went to Blue Man Group. I had seen it in NYC ages ago, but it was DD's first time. She absolutely loved it - it's a great show and highly recommended.
In the end, I asked DD if she wanted to come back and she emphatically said YES. But when I asked her if we could only do one park next year - Disney or Universal - which would it be, it didn't take long for her to say Disney.
So, we will be back to the Dark Side - but we are still Disney at heart.
