Universal vs. Disney

[DCTooTall]

The options range from No-tell Motel to the Ritz-Carlton. What am I missing? The farther away you are from MK, the bigger the home and the cheaper the rent.

Well for starters.... You are being very general with your "further away from the MK, the cheaper the rent".

Let's look at the Bonnet Creek area for example. You can get a room at the Waldorf Astoria there in October for around $264/night [that's including their "resort fees"]. The Waldorf's golf course is literally next to the Pop Century hotel (the golf course is between the Pop and the Waldorf). The Pop for the same time you'd be looking at around $136/night. The AoA on the other side of the lake is $145. I can't really say that the Disney transportation is really worth the extra $100/night due to the much better hotel and property at the Waldorf.

Looking for something larger? How about The Wyndham Bonnet Creek resort. People regularly report on the DIS being able to get a 2bdrm villa at that property for $100-$120/night depending on the time of year and length of stay. The Wyndham is across a fence, ditch, and road from the back side of CBR. It's actually closer to the MK (and much more centrally located in general) than some of the DVC resorts.

So you can stay at a Deluxe resort and get the same amenities that WDW offers their guests (FastPass, EMH)? Ok..... And I'm not going to argue about what "Deluxe" means to people. I, for one, do NOT care about the quality of the robe in the room. I care about theming. Poly will always be the most special to me for that reason. And proximity to MK....

Theming? Have you ever seen the Royal Pacific or Portafino Bay hotels at Universal? (I'll admit that the Hard Rock doesn't have the same level of in depth theming)

RPR:

Portafino:

And OMG! The FOOD!! The food available at these hotels beat anything you can get at Ohana's or Kona.

Proximity to the park? all three are a nice relaxing launch ride across their canals to the front of the parks. With a boat ride that takes about as long as a monorail or 7 seas launch you are about as far from both parks and Citywalk as you might be from the monorail/bus/or launch stops from the MK gates.

And I'm not just talking about the quality of the robe. I'm talking about the quality of the furnishings. The beds. The resort amenities (like the multiple onsite restaurants and pools)... the spa... and the level of service from the staff.

But they'll need to worry about paying for that 1-day both park ticket for $138 PLUS the cost of transportation!! W/ Unlimited Express the ticket is $235. OR....just pay $40 total and get three more days of WDW tickets.

Who on earth is going to pay $235 plus the cost of transportation to go to Universal/IoA for one day?! WDW 1-day PH is $137, but with FP included.

Wow, I'm really never going to Universal, even if I can afford it!

Why would everyone need to get a 1 day park to park ticket? If they just want to experience the one park, there is no reason to expect they would pay for the 2 park ticket. That would be like expecting someone to come to EPCOT for a day and get a parkhopper so they can jump over to MGM? Why waste the money?

Also, Who says they would need or want the unlimited express pass? For Most times of year, you can see everything in a single park just fine without worrying about the express pass at Universal if you don't want to. It is not truly needed.

Your expecting someone to come to universal for a single day, get a parkhopper, and the unlimited express, would be the equivalent of expecting someone to go to EPCOT for a single day, expecting them to get a park-hopper ticket so they can go to MGM, and then paying for the VIP Tour Guide to get them around the park as quickly as possible. Just because the options are available, Doesn't mean that it's really the best combination, going to fit your budget, be the best use of your money, or even be needed.


Now, It's totally true that the front loaded nature of Park tickets in Orlando (Both Disney and Universal do it) make it much more economical to stick with a single resort for the entirety of your vacation. But for those who are wanting or willing to expand their horizons a bit and see what else is out there, You don't need to spend a fortune to see how things are done across town.

I personally love both resorts, and I see the appeal and attraction of both destinations. If I even come across harsh on Disney, it's simply because I've been there enough that I no longer have the rose colored glasses.... and can also see how much different the entire resort is (and not always for the better) than it was even 10-20 years ago. I can also see how much improved the Universal resort is than it was even 5 years ago.

 

[DCTooTall]

We hope to spend two days at Universal Studios on our next trip. I do not want to take those two days out of Disney, so we will probably only do it if we can afford to add onto the trip. I do think it's worth saving up for though, I'm excited about visiting universal.

Here's an interesting article about themepark attendance rates over the last few years. It does seem like the initial bump Universal got from Harry Potter is slowing down

http://touch.orlandosentinel.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-76163748/

That's to be expected.... and also isn't that surprising or a bad sign when you think about it.


True, IOA had double digit percentage increases in the first 1.5 years since the WWoHP opened.... But you also need to remember how LOW attendence was in the years leading up to the expansion opening. The entire Universal resort was in bad shape... to the point that universal was regularly offering 7 day tickets for $99 just to get people to visit their parks. When they go from 5mil guests a year to 8mil guests a year, It's a HUGE increase, and percentage wise, a much higher percentage than Disney who might see a jump at a park from 15mil-18mil, even if the guest count is the same.

The important thing to note is that yes, While IOA has seen the growth percentage decrease, They are still seeing very good growth at that park. (And most of the additions at the resort over the past couple years, Despicable me, Transformers, and soon WWoHP2 have been at the other park). That means that Universal is still not only keeping the guests who started going to the park because of Harry Potter's opening, but is also continuing to see very healthy growth from the improving economy and word of mouth.

 

[MichiganDVC]

Well for starters.... You are being very general with your "further away from the MK, the cheaper the rent".

Let's look at the Bonnet Creek area for example. You can get a room at the Waldorf Astoria there in October for around $264/night [that's including their "resort fees"]. The Waldorf's golf course is literally next to the Pop Century hotel (the golf course is between the Pop and the Waldorf). The Pop for the same time you'd be looking at around $136/night. The AoA on the other side of the lake is $145. I can't really say that the Disney transportation is really worth the extra $100/night due to the much better hotel and property at the Waldorf.

Looking for something larger? How about The Wyndham Bonnet Creek resort. People regularly report on the DIS being able to get a 2bdrm villa at that property for $100-$120/night depending on the time of year and length of stay. The Wyndham is across a fence, ditch, and road from the back side of CBR. It's actually closer to the MK (and much more centrally located in general) than some of the DVC resorts.

Theming? Have you ever seen the Royal Pacific or Portafino Bay hotels at Universal? (I'll admit that the Hard Rock doesn't have the same level of in depth theming)

RPR:

Portafino:

And OMG! The FOOD!! The food available at these hotels beat anything you can get at Ohana's or Kona.

Proximity to the park? all three are a nice relaxing launch ride across their canals to the front of the parks. With a boat ride that takes about as long as a monorail or 7 seas launch you are about as far from both parks and Citywalk as you might be from the monorail/bus/or launch stops from the MK gates.

And I'm not just talking about the quality of the robe. I'm talking about the quality of the furnishings. The beds. The resort amenities (like the multiple onsite restaurants and pools)... the spa... and the level of service from the staff.

Why would everyone need to get a 1 day park to park ticket? If they just want to experience the one park, there is no reason to expect they would pay for the 2 park ticket. That would be like expecting someone to come to EPCOT for a day and get a parkhopper so they can jump over to MGM? Why waste the money?

Also, Who says they would need or want the unlimited express pass? For Most times of year, you can see everything in a single park just fine without worrying about the express pass at Universal if you don't want to. It is not truly needed.

Your expecting someone to come to universal for a single day, get a parkhopper, and the unlimited express, would be the equivalent of expecting someone to go to EPCOT for a single day, expecting them to get a park-hopper ticket so they can go to MGM, and then paying for the VIP Tour Guide to get them around the park as quickly as possible. Just because the options are available, Doesn't mean that it's really the best combination, going to fit your budget, be the best use of your money, or even be needed.

Now, It's totally true that the front loaded nature of Park tickets in Orlando (Both Disney and Universal do it) make it much more economical to stick with a single resort for the entirety of your vacation. But for those who are wanting or willing to expand their horizons a bit and see what else is out there, You don't need to spend a fortune to see how things are done across town.

I personally love both resorts, and I see the appeal and attraction of both destinations. If I even come across harsh on Disney, it's simply because I've been there enough that I no longer have the rose colored glasses.... and can also see how much different the entire resort is (and not always for the better) than it was even 10-20 years ago. I can also see how much improved the Universal resort is than it was even 5 years ago.

Sorry, those hotels might be very nice but they're not DISNEY! They never will be. Nor can they compare to Poly. But I like WDW and I have no interest in Universal.

By the way, I was comparing equal tickets at the two parks. WDW ticket is a lot less w/out PH. And people do go to Epcot and Hollywood Studios in one day. (It hasn't been called MGM since 2007)

 

[Mad Hattered]

where will you stay at Universal? The onsite hotels are $300+ a night.

We just booked a DELUXE hotel (Royal Pacific) for $112/night. I could have stayed at POP for $126. Not even close!!

 

[MichiganDVC]

We just booked a DELUXE hotel (Royal Pacific) for $112/night. I could have stayed at POP for $126. Not even close!!

I was looking at prices in July. I'm sure their prices go down at other times....comparable to 30% off room discounts?

 

[DCTooTall]

Sorry, those hotels might be very nice but they're not DISNEY! They never will be. Nor can they compare to Poly. But I like WDW and I have no interest in Universal.

And all I have to say is THANK GOD they are not Disney! Otherwise we'd be paying 3 times as much for them and they'd give us only 1/2 of what we get now.

I also wouldn't expect them to compare to the Poly. I'd personally find myself disappointed if a resort designed and built starting in the late 90's was comparable to one designed and built in the early 70's. While the Poly has gone thru numerous rehabs, refurbs, and a few remodels since it was originally built, You can still see a strong 70's vibe in some of it's Polynesian design cues and even building layouts.

I understand you have no interest in visiting Universal. That doesn't mean that Universal's offerings are inferior to Disney or that Disney can do no wrong.

By the way, I was comparing equal tickets at the two parks. WDW ticket is a lot less w/out PH. And people do go to Epcot and Hollywood Studios in one day. (It hasn't been called MGM since 2007)

Well if you are comparing equal tickets, You should be comparing 1 day ticket to 1 day ticket. Not comparing adding a single day at a different resort to the cost of adding an additional day to 7 day ticket. Otherwise we can always go the opposite way. What's the better value? $279 for a 4 Day Magic your Way base ticket, or $279 for a Universal Annual Pass [which also includes free parking, discounts on all food and merchandise, as well as hotel discounts]?

I know people hop between EPCOT and MGM at Disney (they will ALWAYS be EPCOT Center and MGM to me ), but you don't see it happen often when someone only has 1 day to visit the WDW resort. You see it more often as part of a larger WDW resort stay when you aren't as concerned about seeing everything at either park because you've already done it or know you'll be able to go back and see what you missed later in your trip. If we are trying to be fair here and compare apples to apples, Then we need to think about how people tour parks and not expect someone to pay the extra Parkhopper premium just so they can go from EPCOT to another park to ride Star Tours.

And the Express plus (especially the unlimited Express pass) does not compare in the slightest to anything Disney offers, except MAYBE those $350/hr VIP Guided Tours which will take you thru the back entrance of the attractions. At Disney, Most people, if they are efficient, May get 3-5 Fastpasses a day (not including those "bonus FP's for attractions you don't really need it on). Universal's Express is valid on almost every single attraction at the park. There is also no need to backtrack, worry about the time, or even find something else to do until you can redeem it. With the unlimited express (free with an onsite stay btw), you can literally exit the attraction and walk straight from the exit back to the ride entrance to ride it again with a minimal wait.



My whole point with this tangent is that if you are going to do a comparison, you can't just pull out random numbers or "worst case" scenarios and use them to try and prove your point. Both Disney and Universal rely HEAVILY on front-loaded ticket pricing.... Where a single day is more expensive than multi-day tickets. Obviously in that scenario, and by design, it's cheaper to just stay with the park you started with than to venture across town to the other resort.

Disney is also a MUCH larger resort, both in shear size, and offerings... so its difficult to even do a direct comparison between the Disney Resort, an the Universal resort. As such in order to be "fair", I try if I'm doing any comparisons to try to find the common ground to compare, or weight accordingly based off the size of the resorts. I don't expect to go to Disney expecting to pay the same amount as an AP for Universal, Because Disney has twice the number of parks as Universal. I don't expect to go to Universal and expect to have the same number or variety of non-park entertainment options at on the Disney property because Universal is so much smaller.

 

[DCTooTall]

I was looking at prices in July. I'm sure their prices go down at other times....comparable to 30% off room discounts?

Not quite.

The Universal hotels are operated by LOEWS, a major hotel company. therefor their rates tend to have a much more fluid pricing structure with many more nuanced factors in their rack rates, than Disney does with their limited rate seasons. (Prime/high/Offpeak/ etc). This could mean that the Universal hotels could be inexpensive for one week, then get busy for a couple nights because of a conference at the hotel or special event at the parks, then go back to the normal rates... etc.

Then there are some discounts, like the "Stay more save more" rates which can save money if you stay longer... ex. you could save 30% per night off your room if you stay 3 or more nights. You've also got your AP discounts, AAA Discounts, Corporate discounts (Loews Hotels are a popular brand, so you might be eligible to a general corporate rate)... or even Loyalty program specials. (Again... Loews Hotels are all over, so they have their own Loyalty program similar to what the Marriott or Hilton chains would.)


Obviously though, You are going to pay more for a hotel room in a Tourist destination like Orlando in July than you may pay for that same room in mid September once the summer tourist season has ended.

 

[jaykorf001]

Because with the Magical Express, these people get FREE transportation to their resort from MCO...not to mention their luggage goes straight to their resort! Once onsite, they get FREE transportation to 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, and DTD from their resort.

This is why someone would choose a Value over a hotel a mile away. Feel free to add up the price of a rental car and parking if you're going to stay offsite, then compare.

I just returned from Orlando a week ago. We rented a full size (so cheaper options available) car for $20 a day unlimited miles. Budget rental at the Orlando airport booked through Cost Co travel (I know there's other discounts available for non cost co members). It's $15 or $16 a day to park. We stayed on site this time but by my math I can tack the extra $36 on a day and have the convenience of a car, much larger nicer accommodations, be just as close to the parks (in general as compared to values and mods) and still be cheaper than a Disney value. That's why some people don't get others staying on site. It's a personal choice

 

[MichiganDVC]

I just returned from Orlando a week ago. We rented a full size (so cheaper options available) car for $20 a day unlimited miles. Budget rental at the Orlando airport booked through Cost Co travel (I know there's other discounts available for non cost co members). It's $15 or $16 a day to park. We stayed on site this time but by my math I can tack the extra $36 on a day and have the convenience of a car, much larger nicer accommodations, be just as close to the parks (in general as compared to values and mods) and still be cheaper than a Disney value. That's why some people don't get others staying on site. It's a personal choice

And as I've always said, it would be even cheaper if you just stayed home and never went there at all. In my opinion there's something special about staying on-site. I would never stay at a value because frankly I basically agree that it's not much better than the hotels just a half a mile away.

I'm a DVC member, so I only stay deluxe. And again in my opinion there is something special about a few of those resorts, actually almost all the DVC resorts that I've stayed at. There's just something special. This must be true based on the hundreds of pages dedicated to these resorts on these very boards. They are not just hotels.

As for the rental car and all of that, there are times when you can rent a car for $20 a night and then there are times when it's $150. Trust me I know...there's been plenty of times ive been going down there and wanted to look into renting renting a car and has always been ridiculously expensive. Mainly because I travel during the typical school holidays when everyone's there. Of course if you go in early December rental cars might be very cheap...I'm talking about your peak months.

 

[jaykorf001]

And as I've always said, it would be even cheaper if you just stayed home and never went there at all. In my opinion there's something special about staying on-site. I would never stay at a value because frankly I basically agree that it's not much better than the hotels just a half a mile away.

I'm a DVC member, so I only stay deluxe. And again in my opinion there is something special about a few of those resorts, actually almost all the DVC resorts that I've stayed at. There's just something special. This must be true based on the hundreds of pages dedicated to these resorts on these very boards. They are not just hotels.

As for the rental car and all of that, there are times when you can rent a car for $20 a night and then there are times when it's $150. Trust me I know...there's been plenty of times ive been going down there and wanted to look into renting renting a car and has always been ridiculously expensive. Mainly because I travel during the typical school holidays when everyone's there. Of course if you go in early December rental cars might be very cheap...I'm talking about your peak months.

I get that a large percentage of people stay on site because they feel the magic and I understand that. Just merely making the point that one can get a much larger nicer accommodation for less money if that's what is important to them. This seems to be a really hot button issue on this board. I too would only stay on site if I was staying in a deluxe. The next trip with my family will definitely be offsite as we felt cramped in the hotel room and there seems to be so many inexpensive offsite options (WBC and WH come to mind immediately). I am considering coming back in September with just my son and in this instance we'd stay on site.

 

[MichiganDVC]

I get that a large percentage of people stay on site because they feel the magic and I understand that. Just merely making the point that one can get a much larger nicer accommodation for less money if that's what is important to them. This seems to be a really hot button issue on this board. I too would only stay on site if I was staying in a deluxe. The next trip with my family will definitely be offsite as we felt cramped in the hotel room and there seems to be so many inexpensive offsite options (WBC and WH come to mind immediately). I am considering coming back in September with just my son and in this instance we'd stay on site.

Consider renting DVC points. You can get a 1BR or 2BR villa for a fraction of the rack rate... Then you're at a Deluxe, steps away from your favorite park

 

[jaykorf001]

Consider renting DVC points. You can get a 1BR or 2BR villa for a fraction of the rack rate... Then you're at a Deluxe, steps away from your favorite park

I'd definitely consider it. I'm going to see how it goes for my friend next spring. If my son and I go in September we'll probably do the Poly or WL. Stayed at AKL our first trip.

 

[rteetz]

Consider renting DVC points. You can get a 1BR or 2BR villa for a fraction of the rack rate... Then you're at a Deluxe, steps away from your favorite park

I've always wanted to rent is it difficult it seems like there's something difficult about it.

disney lover at heart

 

[MichiganDVC]

I've always wanted to rent is it difficult it seems like there's something difficult about it.

disney lover at heart

I've never rented myself, but I am having a friend go through David's. She is staying at Bay Lake in late January-a 2BR lake view. To rent points, she is paying $4,100 for the 7 nights. Rack rate is $6400. So that's greater than 30% discount. It comes out to $290 a night per "room", which isn't bad for being within walking distance to MK, ya know? Not to mention the full kitchen, laundry, etc...

 

[MonorailLime]

While I legally can't delve to far into this matter, I can say that it is common knowledge at this point that Universal Studios has revised leasing terms for land that it owns and leases to other companies. The revisions include a settlement regarding lower leasing fees in agreement for early termination of the lease. Universal Orlando did also acquire additional properties near its existing location.

Also, I can't say much here either, but many rumors have been flying about in regard to Universal Studios entering licensing agreements for properties not currently inside their resort. While I can't confirm or deny this, I can say its worn thinking about.

 

[pawahl]

I just returned from Orlando a week ago. We rented a full size (so cheaper options available) car for $20 a day unlimited miles. Budget rental at the Orlando airport booked through Cost Co travel (I know there's other discounts available for non cost co members). It's $15 or $16 a day to park. We stayed on site this time but by my math I can tack the extra $36 on a day and have the convenience of a car, much larger nicer accommodations, be just as close to the parks (in general as compared to values and mods) and still be cheaper than a Disney value. That's why some people don't get others staying on site. It's a personal choice

My family has always stayed onsite because we do not like to drive in Orlando traffic. I would pay anything not to have to get up and face driving around Orlando. As far as the convenience of a car, we live about 61/2 hours away, so we drive down to WDW, park at the resort, and usually never get in the car again until we are ready to go home. Even if I lived far away and flew to Orlando, I would let Disney do the driving.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[Gracefulskinny]

Beyond what a lot of people complain about Universal there is one thing I have yet to see mentioned on any of these boards...

When Universal was built it was built as 1 theme park. No extra space no plans for future expansion just the one theme park. The theme park and rides surrounded that lake. To make what they've got now they chopped up their one park and some of the parking and put in what they've got now and billed it as an addition.

DH and I went to just universal studios one day a few years back we got there after 1'oclock and the park closed at 6. We road everything we planned on riding multiple times interacted with characters and watched some shows and almost left early. We were absolutely done with everything. We we weren't impressed.

People rave about how high tech and innovative universal is but frankly I just don't see it. most of their rides are basically the same thing with different characters interchanged no variety at all. Its not innovative if you rebadge the same technology over and over.

Disney will always win hands down with me! That being said we are truly hoping for Star Wars Land. That would be amazing!

 

[DCTooTall]

Beyond what a lot of people complain about Universal there is one thing I have yet to see mentioned on any of these boards...

When Universal was built it was built as 1 theme park. No extra space no plans for future expansion just the one theme park. The theme park and rides surrounded that lake. To make what they've got now they chopped up their one park and some of the parking and put in what they've got now and billed it as an addition.

DH and I went to just universal studios one day a few years back we got there after 1'oclock and the park closed at 6. We road everything we planned on riding multiple times interacted with characters and watched some shows and almost left early. We were absolutely done with everything. We we weren't impressed.

People rave about how high tech and innovative universal is but frankly I just don't see it. most of their rides are basically the same thing with different characters interchanged no variety at all. Its not innovative if you rebadge the same technology over and over.

Disney will always win hands down with me! That being said we are truly hoping for Star Wars Land. That would be amazing!

Universal didn't chop up their park.... They did however cannibalize their parking lots and bought a little bit of extra property around the side.

The Universal Studios park is still in the same footprint as the original "Universal Studios Florida".

The old Hard Rock restaurant that was the back entrance was closed (and left vacant until demolished last year) and replaced by the location on Citywalk. IOA is now built approximately where the side parking lot used to be located.

 

[jaykorf001]

My family has always stayed onsite because we do not like to drive in Orlando traffic. I would pay anything not to have to get up and face driving around Orlando. As far as the convenience of a car, we live about 61/2 hours away, so we drive down to WDW, park at the resort, and usually never get in the car again until we are ready to go home. Even if I lived far away and flew to Orlando, I would let Disney do the driving.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

I'm the opposite. I want the freedom a car provides and don't mind driving as we live in a large city and are used to it. I think there's two camps in this regard and I certainly understand that others feel differently. And next family trip we will do some other stuff Orlando has to offer -- Sea World for sure, maybe Lego Land and Universal. We'll have a car and stay offsite to save money that can be used for other vacations. I would stay onsite again under the right circumstances, basically if I come alone with my son.

 

[nugov2]

Because with the Magical Express, these people get FREE transportation to their resort from MCO...not to mention their luggage goes straight to their resort! Once onsite, they get FREE transportation to 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, and DTD from their resort.

This is why someone would choose a Value over a hotel a mile away. Feel free to add up the price of a rental car and parking if you're going to stay offsite, then compare.

This was our first vacation we drove b/c of my fear of flying so we had a car, but we always rent a car regardless so it is built into the cost of my trip no matter where we travel. I am not a fan of public transportation, but while I don't look at that as a perk I know others do.

It is usually around $500 for a minivan for the week depending on the discount and we pay upfront for even more of a discount. It is $16 to valet at WDW what we did and more at Universal b/c we did the premium valet(I think that was $30 a day). It comes $89 a day plus our 6bdrm house @ WH for $245 a night = $334 a night total. The house we stayed in is better than a mod...doesn't have all the perks of a deluxe. So somewhere in between the two as far as accommodations. We could have done for my family of 5 about $200 a night for a value(I'm sure you could get a better discount), but really to compare close to apples to apples at least accommodations for a mod(lets say the cabins at FW) we were looking at least $350 a night. I am sure I could have stalked discounts, prayed for a pin or other such discounts to save a little, but even if you take 30% off RR and it would still be $245. I think we had a much better deal(again different strokes, different folks)!! We each had our own bedroom, 4 bathrooms and a private pool+ plus club pool with waterslide(you can't get that at a value!) We were just about as close to the parks as the value...valet so we could easily get into the park...all in all we got the some pretty good bang for our buck. DDP doesn't interest me so that would have been oop and EMH is also not something I was interested in since I would avoid that park those days. Do to scheduling we were in the parks before RD so we didn't have that issue either. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder though