Question from a heartbroken Disney fan

[bumbershoot]

Counting the days until the kids are old(tall enough) to make the Universal trip!

FWIW my son went when he was 6.5 and had a blast.

If your kids are under that, know that there's an entire awesome area in Studios where they can play. The curious george ball play area is fabulous.

Universal has this magical ride called Pteranodon Flyers, where you need a kid between 36 to 56 inches in order to go on it. I was broken-hearted the day my kids became too tall for this ride.

True.
I am terrified of the ride and only went on it once, but I still feel a bit sad that we can't go on it anymore. I would have liked to conquer my fears and learn to enjoy it.

OP without knowing what's causing the heartbreak IMO it's hard to answer.
I've had an 8 night trip to UO and it was great, and would have been even better had we not gotten sick two weeks prior so most of our time at Uni was spent recuperating before going on a cruise. Yes it was a long trip (WDW, Daytona, Uni, cruise). I've also stayed 8 nights at Disneyland. I am a HUGE re-rider, major wander and stop to figuratively (and sometimes literally) smell the roses, type of person.

 

[ChrisM]

.The folks that went to Universal were major Disney snobs (sorry, but some of you probably know you are ) and they enjoyed it but had complaints about how it wasn't as "magical." Seeing how I don't really think Disney is "magical" I couldn't really explain what they meant.

I think this boils down to nostalgia.

The "magic" of Disney is the nostalgia of our experiences there in our youth - and Disney does such a tremendous job of environment setting (most specifically in the Magic Kingdom) with a combination of sights, music, and smells - that it literally floods your brain to be immersed in that environment again.

 

[tiana1989]

Now is also a great time to visit UO before those prices skyrocket. As others have said, the value is great right now compared to WDW (and it doesn’t feel like a cheap knock-off either. I’m a lover of both parks). But as excited as I am for Epic Universe, we all know these prices are going to look drastically different once it opens. So yeah, definitely get “cheaper” Universal in now while you can!

 

[drenalin'junkie]

Been going to all the parks since they've opened. Cumulatively over 100 days per park easily. Pre-covid I would do EPCOT over any of them, especially during festivals. Going next week but dreading the crowds and Genie+ and we didn't get all our restaurant choices for the first time ever.
Now we're bigger fans of SW&BG and UO&IOA, Disney has made it clear they are going in a direction we don't care for. Mickey had always been our escape from stress, but it's a real pain anymore and prices/policies are just ridiculous anymore.

 

[ofcabbagesandkings]

We took 4 WDW trips between 2014 and 2019, with our last one in December right before Covid hit. We were such a loyal family that we were considering buying a resale DVC contract. But WDW has taken away so much - free FP+, free dining, and free Magical Express. Last week was our first trip to UO/IOA, and the kids are converts. The unlimited express pass that came with our hotel, the Portofino, was incredible. We could sail past the regular line without any pre-planning or fighting that stupid Genie+ app at 7 in the morning. I found the service at the Portofino to be above and beyond any I have received at the so-called Disney deluxe hotels, and the boat ride was so pleasant (and no folding the stroller!) Even the walk was lovely compared to the similar walk between Contemporary and MK, and security was a breeze.

The only negative thing I'll say is that I found UO/IOA to be more overstimulating than WDW. Maybe it's because more of the rides are screen-based/frenetic, but I was exhausted after our 4.5 park days. I slept for nearly 12 hours when we got home! I think if we go again, we'll just do 4 days with a break/pool day in the middle.