Universal is much better than WDW!!!

[Planogirl]

OP, I feel the same way. Disney is great but I really look forward to arriving at Universal.

 

[metzgardesign]

Your plusses were our experience as well.

Went there as a pit-stop on our last WDW vacation trip (so the son could see/do Harry Potter stuff). I wasn't looking forward to it much, at all. But, our hotel (Hard Rock), the ease of dining (and overall quality), the parks (Express Pass, crowds, attractions) simply spoiled our stay at WDW afterwards.

No comparison for us. Our next trip will be a OS/IOA trip with maybe an MK hard-ticket evening thing (MNSSHP or MVMCP perhaps).

 

[CTDisneyfan816]

I love all parks (all Universal and Disney) for different reasons. Though at Universal, I used to prefer the original because of Back to the Future and Jaws, but since they closed and with Spiderman and Harry Potter, (and Hulk), I prefer IOA.

 

[DrHfuhruhurr]

The 3 main onsite hotels at Universal are deluxe hotels, and in that sense, they are comparable to deluxe hotels at WDW.They are far nicer than a value resort. But the deluxe resorts at Universal have a huge advantage in terms of location, because *everything* is accessible on foot (or by the water boats): both parks and Citywalk. At WDW, we like to stay at the Epcot resorts because they are close to Epcot and DHS and the Boardwalk, but if you want to go to MK or AK or Downtown Disney, you're SOL without a car.

Additionally, it's pretty clear that unlimited express pass blows FP+ out of the water.

Honestly, if they had Universal hotels and perks at the WDW parks, it would be the perfect combination for us. But given that's not the case, we go both places and enjoy the best parts of each.

Hmm, this wasn't my experience, at all. We just returned from our vacation, where we spent three nights at RPR and then switched to WDW's Boardwalk for five nights. Maybe both resorts call those hotels "deluxe," but only Boardwalk actually felt like deluxe accommodations. RPR was nice enough, especially for the price, but I'm definitely glad we stayed there first. Otherwise, we would have been really let down after switching from Disney.

The unlimited Express Pass was pretty great, but I find it pretty hard to fault Disney for not being able to follow suit. After visiting both sets of parks during a peak summer season, the one thing that is certain is that Universal doesn't have to deal with nearly as many people as Disney. Universal was crowded, but Disney was nuts.

As for the "which is the better park?" argument, it's probably counterproductive to really argue about it. We loved Universal, and had a lot of fun, but after two days in the parks we'd seen it all. We haven't been in over 10 years, so there was a lot to see, but we took stock at the end and decided that we would have no desire to go back anytime soon if Diagon Alley weren't opening. The thrill rides are great, the theming is great, and you can't really get experiences like that anywhere else (that I've visited), but it lacks the intangible feeling of "escape" that Disney always gives us. And I didn't feel any stress about Disney once we were there, at all. Overall, despite the crowds, it was the more low-key of the two destinations.

That probably just means that we're Disney fans, which is okay. We'll stick with WDW for the frequent trips, and skip over to Universal every once in a while when we get the urge (probably more frequently than every 10 years from now on).

Also, random aside, can I just say that Bubba Gump's is hideously awful? Worst meal all vacation--including all of the fast food we picked up on our drive from Texas. Should have walked as soon as we saw it's owned by Landry's.

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

I wouldn't want every trip to be a Universal only trip, but the changes are good that my next trip will focus on Diagon Alley.

Our next trip will be a OS/IOA trip with maybe an MK hard-ticket evening thing (MNSSHP or MVMCP perhaps).

We did this last year. It was a great way to get in a day of Disney Magic. We were able to get in an 8 hour Magic Kingdom day using the MNSSHP tickets. IMO, it is hard to go to Orlando and not do any Disney, so this was a good compromise.

 

[DisUniversal]

Our sons are 6 and 3 and we just won't go back to Universal because it isn't worth it in our opinions for small kids. Most of the rides/attractions are for older kids and adults. We go to Orlando every 8 months or so and stopped going to the other parks when our oldest was 2.

We're spending 8 days in WDW in July and wouldn't even dream of taking them to Universal yet. Just not worth the money for what they can (or can't) do.

When my boys were that age, they actually seemed to have a better time at the Universal parks because they tended to prefer the 'playground' type areas where they could create their own fun over being herded into queues to experience a 2 minute attraction that I wanted them to see.

 

[schumigirl]

When my boys were that age, they actually seemed to have a better time at the Universal parks because they tended to prefer the 'playground' type areas where they could create their own fun over being herded into queues to experience a 2 minute attraction that I wanted them to see.

Absolutely

We have friends who discovered Universal last year for the first time and all 3 of their kids loved it all! There was so much for them to do they really didn't want to leave........then didn't want to go back to Disney anymore.

If people look at the park maps on Universal Orlando website they will see there is lots for little ones to do in both parks.

We have no interest in going to Disney anymore and haven't since a 2 day visit in 2009.....Universal all the way for us

 

[RMulieri]

Absolutely

We have friends who discovered Universal last year for the first time and all 3 of their kids loved it all! There was so much for them to do they really didn't want to leave........then didn't want to go back to Disney anymore.

If people look at the park maps on Universal Orlando website they will see there is lots for little ones to do in both parks.

We have no interest in going to Disney anymore and haven't since a 2 day visit in 2009.....Universal all the way for us

Same..our first Universal trip was jan 2012..My daughter does not want to ever go back to Disney and she loved Disney at age 4 and 5 , but she is over the princesses and has more fun at Universal

 

[metzgardesign]

On our drive back last time we went, our then 9 year old son said from the back seat "So.....I don't care if we don't go back to Disney again. Universal was way better."

And he didn't ride any of the BIG trill rides. (Hulk, Dragon Challenge, etc.). But loved the play area in Jurassic and such.

 

[dsdeleon]

We also noticed the same thing with two boys 9 and 6. They prefer Universal but put up with Disney for me. Uni turned me into a HUGE HP fan so we may never go back to Disney after the next few trips (and use up the way too expensive Disney APs).

 

[Pax]

Hmm, this wasn't my experience, at all. We just returned from our vacation, where we spent three nights at RPR and then switched to WDW's Boardwalk for five nights. Maybe both resorts call those hotels "deluxe," but only Boardwalk actually felt like deluxe accommodations. RPR was nice enough, especially for the price, but I'm definitely glad we stayed there first. Otherwise, we would have been really let down after switching from Disney.

To each their own, but your experience was not mine... at all.

We married at Boardwalk and honeymooned there. In no way did it compare to the Royal Pacific for us. The rooms were dated and kinda unimpressive (nothing compared to the second half of our stay at the Poly... which was moldy) and what we paid would have put us in a club suite at RPR (apples to apples and all). The tower system at RPR we much preferred to the "miles" of hallway at BWI. We thought BWI was fine... but that RPR is beautiful. The only things that stood out at BWI were the proximity to Epcot and our awesome mousekeeper (well I guess there was the whole wedding thing). We don't bother to stay at Disney at all anymore. We stay at RPR at least five times a year.

I will admit that after a day at Food and Wine, I miss the nearby hotel room, but I can say in 100% honesty that I'd feel the same about a back gate Best Western. RPR gets us unlimited express, and a stroll to ANYWHERE in UOR.

If you ever get back for a stay, consider the Portifino. Still cheaper than Boardwalk, and might have a more appealing feel for you. More classy Italian than tropical resort. A very different feel.

Please understand I'm not attacking, just pointing out a different perspective to those who might only read your take on things.

As to the different parks, we love both sets... but an on-site stay at UOR is an order of magnitude more relaxing. Sleeping in and still having a full park day followed by some actual nightlife is fantastic. I don't have to schedule a dang thing... that day... let alone months ahead. Disney being much more crowded does nothing to lessen how awesome that all is.

With you on Bubba Gumps... never even been tempted. We live near the water though... so no chain shrimp place for us. I'm even less tempted now. Give Confiscos in IOA a shot. GREAT prices for a TS, and we've been happy with all we've gotten there (She Who Must Be Obeyed loves the hummus and weird steam filled pita thing).
like at Disney, the hotel dining options are the best IMO. Tchoup Chop and Bice come to mind.

Wherever you park and wherever you stay while doing it... I hope you and yours have fun.

 

[momtosam]

I can't say USO is better than Disney, but we had a blast this past May there. In the future I definitely see us doing a split stay to take advantage of the on site perks.

 

[Princess_Nikki]

What makes the world go round is how different we all are!

We don't care for Universal, or the characters there. My sons, for whatever reason, have never really been into Dr. Suess, Popeye, Shrek, Harry Potter, and good Heavens NO to The Simpsons. My DH and I shudder at the sight of Homer and his crazy cartoon family.

They've watched the movies to those characters (except Simpsons!!), but didn't really favor them. I had all those cute Cat in the Hat videos, no go. Didn't care for Transformers, either.

They are 100% Pirate obsessed. And they love the Disney Classics. I guess it just depends on what you are into!

(I for one, can't wait to see Diagon Alley one day!!! )

 

[Planogirl]

I was just thinking about the controversy if someone went to the Disney Themeparks forum and posted a thread about how they preferred WDW and others chimed in to disagree. It's really nice that people can come here and just say what they think. (So far. )

I'll add that I don't agree that any Disney resort is more luxurious than the three luxury Universal resorts. I guess that luxury is in the eyes of the beholder too.

 

[agavegirl1]

My last trip to US/IOA was the second half of a trip to Orlando that included WDW first. We stayed at Beach Club for Food and Wine. The location was perfect, the room was just okay and I was surprised at the price. Our time at WDW was fun, F&W was great (crowded on weekends) but we enjoyed our time. Just me and DBF (his first trip).

We then moved via taxi to the Royal Pacific at Universal. What a change! We felt catered to, valued and really pampered by comparison. No restaurant reservations were made and none were required. I had my birthday dinner at Emeril's Tchoup Choup and they put a candle in my signature slice of banana cream pie and sang "Happy Birthday". No reservation. The grounds were lovely and the hot tub worked. (Side note: all hot tubs/spas at Stormalong Bay were not heating properly our entire stay at BC...maintenance said they were waiting for parts).

I love theme parks. Just LOVE them. I enjoyed my stay at WDW but my stay at Universal was just...the best. This trip I will try Portofino since I have already stayed at HRH and RPR. I am so looking forward to it. I have been to Italy recently and I really like the ambiance of this resort per the pictures. As for WDW this trip? Staying at POP. Don't need the expense of a Deluxe when the amenities don't live up to the price.

 

[DrHfuhruhurr]

To each their own, but your experience was not mine... at all. We married at Boardwalk and honeymooned there. In no way did it compare to the Royal Pacific for us. The rooms were dated and kinda unimpressive (nothing compared to the second half of our stay at the Poly... which was moldy) and what we paid would have put us in a club suite at RPR (apples to apples and all). The tower system at RPR we much preferred to the "miles" of hallway at BWI. We thought BWI was fine... but that RPR is beautiful. The only things that stood out at BWI were the proximity to Epcot and our awesome mousekeeper (well I guess there was the whole wedding thing). We don't bother to stay at Disney at all anymore. We stay at RPR at least five times a year. I will admit that after a day at Food and Wine, I miss the nearby hotel room, but I can say in 100% honesty that I'd feel the same about a back gate Best Western. RPR gets us unlimited express, and a stroll to ANYWHERE in UOR. If you ever get back for a stay, consider the Portifino. Still cheaper than Boardwalk, and might have a more appealing feel for you. More classy Italian than tropical resort. A very different feel. Please understand I'm not attacking, just pointing out a different perspective to those who might only read your take on things.

Hey, that's the whole point of forums, right? Share different takes. I appreciate the counterpoint--makes me wonder if we just got a bad room or bad circumstances. For example, I've read about the long hallways at BWI, but we may have just gotten lucky, since our room was a very short walk from the lobby. Everything felt very close. By contrast, our room at RPR was four hallway lengths from the lobby, and a LONG walk to the boat transportation.

In case anyone is interested, I can elaborate on my opinion of the rooms. The RPR room was definitely smaller, but it was nice. A step above standard hotel fare, probably. The bathroom was dark and dingy, though, with only a single sink/vanity. Plus, a few too many hidden fees. Booked a room for 5, which was the advertised occupancy, but found out on arrival that we needed to pay $25/night extra (for a rollaway) if we really wanted to sleep 5. Not even a sofa or comfy chair to commandeer as a bed, so one of us had to sleep on the floor. Plus, no fridge in the room, unless we wanted to pay another $25/night. And, of course, $25 more each night for parking. That's incredibly obnoxious--if I'm paying to stay at the hotel, parking should be free.

I agree with the PP who said luxury is subjective. But BWI genuinely floored us--everything was bright and freshly painted, the room was large (and actually slept 5, as promised), double vanity, balcony, fridge, etc. There must be better rooms at RPR that I missed out on, because for us there was no contest between the two. And the prices aren't really that disparate--RPR cost us $1,500 for three nights, with tickets, and BWI cost $3,000 for five nights, with tickets. Twice as expensive, but for almost twice as much time.

 

[pumpkin3]

The part that simply can't be exaggerated is how much better unlimited Express is than Fastpass, or nowadays Fastpass+; it isn't even a contest. As my dad would say, if it was a fight they woulda stopped it in the first round. I own DVC and I love going to Disney but I wish they'd put a DVC resort in Universal-I don't think I'd go to WDW if that could happen. People (like me 4 years ago) that are used to Disney's system are simply blown away when they find out about Express, not having to make spreadsheets or touring plans, it simply isn't comparable.

I like the atmosphere and ambiance better at Disney, but as a whole Universal is so much better because of Express. Couple that with being able to walk from hotel to park to park in lieu of worrying about buses/monorails/cars/diamond parking passes/boats/ferrys/trams, it just isn't a fair fight.

 

[DisneyInfinityFan]

I have been resisting to comment on this thread because the topic is very subjective. Some people love Universal, and some love Disney. They are very different from each other. I am just going to do comparison below:

Atmosphere:
Disney has more of a laid back atmosphere because Disney is always family oriented. From the rides to the merchandises, everything are family oriented. Universal has more of an adventure atmosphere. When you approach the greeter TM at Ripsaw, they will greet you with "Welcome to Canada". Every attraction will have different greeting. Universal tries to make you feel like you are parts of the attraction. The TMs are the storytellers. I never once being greeted by the CMs at Disney.

Rides:
How many rides at Disney actually go upside down? Just one. There are rides that have big drops but only one ride actually go upside down (Rock and Roller Coaster). I am a huge roller coaster fan. I find all of the rides at Disney are pretty tame compare to Universal even though I love all of them. Universal has better rides than Disney with Hulk, Rip Ride Rockit, Dragon Challenge, Forbidden Journey, etc. When you ride the water rides at Disney, you have a possibility of not getting wet or soaked. Not the same case with Universal's water rides. I can guarantee you will get wet.

Entertainment:
Disney has more fireworks than Universal. They also have better entertainment than Universal. There are varieties different shows and parades that guests can enjoy at Disney. Universal only has one firework show and one short parade. They are not always happening every single day. They will have the show one day, and no show the following day.

Event:
I absolutely love the events at Universal. I love the Mardi Gras and Halloween Horror Nights. HUGE FAN of both now. I have been to HHN for a couple of years now, and I just experienced my first Mardi Gras. Love both of them. Disney has several events that I like but not necessarily love. I like going to the Food and Wine Festival because I am a foodie. I like the Star Wars weekends even though I am not a fanatic of the franchise. The MNSSHP and MVMCP are okay in my eyes. I am way too old to go trick or treating. I felt extremely uncomfortable doing it.

Merchandise:
I love the merchandises from both parks. Who doesn't love a Mickey hat or a minion's shirt? They are lying to themselves if they say no. The prices are expensive, and you have to have self control before you break your bank balance buying a lot of merchandises. I particularly like all of the limited edition merchandises because they are limited. If you are broke and need money, you can sell them on ebay for quite amount of money.

Transportation:
I have to say that Universal has a better transportation for on-site guests because there are so many ways for guests to go back and forth from the hotel to the parks. They can walk or take the 5 minute boat ride or take a shuttle ride or pay the rickshaw. The close proximity makes it more convenience for us as guests. Disney is more spaced out. You can't walk from MK to HS or from MK to AKL. They are just too far away from each other. I was waiting for more than half an hour to take the bus from HS to MK under a hot Florida sun. The family in front of me was not amused at all. Not very reliable. There is no bus from any of the parks to downtown Disney.

Food:
Both are terrible. I rather eat outside than eat inside of the parks. They are so overprice for decent meals.

Accommodations:
Comparing Disney hotels to Universal 4 hotels are very hard. I have stayed at both sides, and I like them all. My favorite Disney hotels are POFQ, AKL, SS. I have stayed at RPR plenty of times and HRH one time for HHN, and I had a fantastic stay at both hotel. You can't beat extra magic hours at Disney or the unlimited express pass at Universal.

Interactivity:
Disney has more interactive experience. SOTMK and the Pirate's game are just some of the interactive experiences that guests can do inside the park. Disney also launched My Disney Experience app ahead of Universal new app. Universal is in the process of launching an interactive wand experience inside HP islands. Disney is a step ahead of Universal when it comes to technology interaction.

So who is better at the end? Who cares. Let them compete with each other. The more they compete, the better for us as guests. We will have more amazing attractions, entertainments, merchandises, better food, etc. We go to these parks to have fun. There are plenty for us to do in each park.

 

[TravelMommy]

It is all good. They both have some pretty amazing experiences. I do have to say that we have been bringing the kiddos to Universal since our oldest was 2 and between Curious George, Spiderman, Cat in The Hat and One Fish Two Fish, it was a great time had by all and still is. Love the short walk to Universal. Makes naps and pool breaks very, very convenient.

 

[kbelle8995]

Here's what I will say. I stayed at the Royal Pacific and let me tell you I felt more pampered than I have ever felt at a Disney resort. The room was absolutely lovely and cool. We loved it.

The Pool was so relaxing and a lovely lady bought us water (no charge). We could also order food from the restaurant from our chairs if we wished to. This never happens at a Disney pool that I can remember.

Who Cares which is better. Universal is more than proving that they are ready to compete for traveler's dollars with Disney. And I say more power to them. The more Disney takes them seriously the better off we all are.