WDW vs. Universal. My definitive comparison.

[the Dark Marauder]

$10 says if someone were to post a "Universal vs Disney" thread and point out flaws on the Disney side, they would get ANNIHILATED over here.

 

[jillybeene71]

$10 says if someone were to post a "Universal vs Disney" thread and point out flaws on the Disney side, they would get ANNIHILATED over here.

$15 says it would get so ugly they would shut down the thread

 

[HonnyDipp]

Kudos to the OP, great info!

 

[TaylorsDad]

This is what I consider a fair comparrison
To me What Disney does best is the characters (Still wish they had more character meals for boys, such as Star Wars or villians though.) They have many characters that we have all grown to love since earlly childhood. And seeeing these characters can help bring back pleasant childhood memories.Universal, IOA does have some good characters and most of which can be enjoyed more by boys, however they cannot match the sheer volume of great cartoon icons that Disney has. Disney does many things great but this is what they excell at. Also like Disney's photopass system better than anything Universal has availible.
What Universal does best is offer a great experience for all ages. More thrill rides that are awesome and must have experiences(although TOT at Disney is probably our all time favorite ride but overall Universal has a better selection of thrill rides) as well as great attractions for little ones.
But what I think about Universal is great is that someone new who has never been to the parks can just stay onsight and not worry about planning their trip 6 months in advance. Actually our first visit we stayed offsite and everything went great. I love Disney and want to get the most out of each visit but after my first trip, there is no way I would ever just show up without planning every detail. Even as informed about the parks as I am now after several trips I couldn't experience all the "Disney Magic "without a lot of work and planning.
But hey guys, keep sticking to only your favorite park and I'll continue to get the most of my Orlando trips by experiencing the best that WDW and Universal has to offer.

 

[minniejack]

nirvana

@ the risk of being drummed out of the DIS...

i've talked to many people who, after making their first visit to WDW, have vowed to NEVER, EVER return ...

of course, they r the ones who stroll into the MK early afternoon & wonder why the only get on a couple rides and why all the FPs are gone already . Also perplexed as to why they can't find a seat in the TS restaurants.

I try to explain the "system" and they don't want to hear it. Many have pre-conceived notions about being able to relax & be spontaneous on their vacation ...to them, i suggest staying onsite @ Universal.
Between "the World" and "the Universe" plenty of room for all of us to playcertainly no need to run one down in order to justify being a fan of the other

OMG That is what I was trying to say--these are amusement parks built to have fun in--not have to go commando about and get back home more exhausted than when you went.

 

[Tinkerbell21]

$15 says it would get so ugly they would shut down the thread

I'm in for $50!

 

[KStarfish82]

Apples and oranges.....enough said.....

 

[loribell]

Yes, magic, but no, no ride magic.

Basically, it's just a ride through to me

I don't see magic in many of the Disney rides. Iwas going to name them out but thought this wold be easier...the only Disney ride I really see magic in is Splash Mountain. But I love all the Disney parks and rides, even Small World. I guess the magc must be in being with my family.

To me, they are just blocks, and yes, I have seen them in person

And to me they are amazing places that transport you to a new place. The only Disney resorts that do that to me are Wilderness Lodge & Animal Kingdom lodge.

She said that she didn't like Disney, and she loved Uni. So I asked why you would be on a Disney fansite if you didn't like Disney. Not rude, a simple question of why she would be wasting her time on something completely Disney themed.

And it was obvious sarcasm. At least to me.

No, not by disagreeing, but by bashing us for hating Uni. And I don't think that the thug comment is ridiculous, because the amount of people wearing all black, extraordinarily long jean shorts, chains, and bandannas at Uni compared to WDW is phenomenal.

HATE is a very strong word. I really don't understand why anyone would HATE a theme park.

 

[GoofyWaterCoaster]

HATE is a very strong word. I really don't understand why anyone would HATE a theme park.

Well if you have a problem with me hating that park then you have a problem, questioning what I like

 

[loribell]

Well if you have a problem with me hating that park then you have a problem, questioning what I like

Don't have a problem with it at all. Never said I did. Just said I didn't understand why anyone would HATE a theme park. I hope you enjoy your Disney vacations. Tell Art hi for me!

 

[DisGal520]

Here's an observation. You're reading an interesting thread about differences in two theme park organizations ................and

you're reading it on the Disboards. Would that be because there is not a separate forum devoted to only Universal? At least none that I could find (and I'm not referencing the Universal Studios /Sea World section of this forum - I mean on the whole web).





DisGal

 

[J.C.&ALI'SMOM]

I can't understand hating a theme park either Maybe that awful 6 Flags we went to last summer, but I wouldn't consider that a theme park, just a third rate amusement park.

Anyway, we are WDW lovers and really enjoy Universal as well. They are different, but then again they should be. I love the ET ride, The Mummy, Shrek 4-D, MIB, Dueling Dragons, Suessland, Bluto's Bilge Rat Barges, Dudley Do-Right Ripsaw Falls, etc. I think they are imaginative, well themed attractions.

We absolutely love the Universal Resorts. We have been loyal WDW monorail resort guests and honestly have had some better experiences at Uni resorts, specifically Portofino Bay Resort, which by the way is far from a block. It is actually a reproduction of the town of Portofino and is very well done. And FOTL is a perk that is definitely worth staying there. I understand that WDW would not be able to have that kind of system due to the number of resort guests that they have, but it is great!

Another plus is the great ticket prices, much more affordable than WDW. The close proximity of the two parks to the resorts is very convenient as well.

I'm a dyed in the wool Disney fan, but I have the ability to enjoy more than one type of experience and would not pass up an opportunity to visit Universal every few years, and have a great time.

BTW, we liked SeaWorld too!

We have had many people who did not enjoy their WDW experience at all and vowed not to return. Some who liked Uni better and some who really loved SeaWorld more. WDW is not the only game in town, and thank God for that.

 

[WillCAD]

Here's an observation. You're reading an interesting thread about differences in two theme park organizations ................and

you're reading it on the Disboards. Would that be because there is not a separate forum devoted to only Universal? At least none that I could find (and I'm not referencing the Universal Studios /Sea World section of this forum - I mean on the whole web).





DisGal

While there are some forums devoted to Disney only that leave out Universal, I feel the need to point out that all of the major boards dealing with Disney, and all of the major guidebooks, also have sections dealing with Universal, or at least "other parks" in the Orlando area. And even those forums that don't have sections specifically devoted to Uni will always have some mention of Uni.

 

[Subi WRX]

Here's an observation. You're reading an interesting thread about differences in two theme park organizations ................and

you're reading it on the Disboards. Would that be because there is not a separate forum devoted to only Universal? At least none that I could find (and I'm not referencing the Universal Studios /Sea World section of this forum - I mean on the whole web).





DisGal

http://ioacentral.com

 

[the Dark Marauder]

IOACENTRAL.COM

 

[coastermom]

Ok I am a theme park / amusement park JUNKIE . I have gone to Cedar Point , Bush Gardens VA, Kings Dominion , Dorney Park, Six Flags Great Adventure and Six Flags New England, Geauga Lake ( now closed) , as well as Universal and WDW . ALL parks are different form different reasons. I LOVE WDW and I also LOVE UNIVERSAL and IOA. We enjoy both for many different reasons . Just as we love Six Flags . Some hate Six Flags some hate Universal you really shouldn't hate any amusement park all have something that makes them unique and enjoyable . Unless of cause they are CLOSED then they are just not enjoyable .

Just my 2 cents on this whole issue .

 

[Finally08]

I've always thought Universal had cool stuff "to do'" there, but just being there wasn't anything special. You want to "do do do" to have fun. Where as at WDW I could sit on a curb on Main St and just soak up being there. I don't have to do anything to have a completely wonderful time.

It's all about the atmosphere.

 

[goofy!]

c. Fastpass. Disney's is good, democratic, and works. Universal's had a lot of problems, didn't always work, and was undemocratic.
.

I haven't read the whole thread, so if this was addressed, I apologize.

But I would like to know how the Universal Fast Passes were messing up? You said they had lots of problems and didn't always work. How so? Were the machines not dispensing them correctly? Were the Team Members standing at the Fast Pass line not honoring them?

Thanks in advance!

 

[rie'smom]

OK, before doing Universal, I had asked many people how it stacked up against Disney. I got many replies, but there didn't seem to be any consensus at all.

I have very strong opinions about it after seeing both and thought I'd share for the benefit of others.

First of all, I don't think it's "Coke vs. Pepsi" at all. They are very different places. I personally thought WDW blew Universal out of the water. Not even close. But I can see that some people might feel differently.

Here's the difference: Disney Magic.
OK, OK hear me out. I'm not your typical "Disney magic" type person. I'm a guy who could care less about "Magic" and pixie dust and garbage. I could care less about the Disney characters. I haven't read most of the classic books, or seen 3/4 of the movies. I don't get teary eyed seeing the castle, Mickey Mouse is just OK, and tinkerbell and the cricket kind of annoy me. In fact, I didn't believe in "disney magic" at all.

Until I went to Universal.

The total lack of magic at universal made me realize that Disney does in fact have something special about it.

But it's not pixie dust. It's attention to detail.

If you care about attention to detail, you'll notice the difference. And if you care about these things, then it all starts adding up and making a big difference. There are a million little ways in which it shows up. For instance:

a. The quality of the help is off the charts different. Universal had typical McDonald's-esque type help. Not terrible, but visibly disinterested in being there. Poorly trained, etc. I can give examples. Disney folks were usually nice and helpful (and without being fakey sappy, for the most part).

b. Sloppiness. At Universal, some things are just sloppy. Sloppy uniforms. Less well tended grounds. Cheesier sets. One great example: I was excited to see Shaggy and Scooby Doo. Then I walked a couple of blocks down and guess what? ANOTHER Shaggy and Scooby! I've never seen that at Disney and can't imagine it happening. Talk about breaking the illusion that these are the "one and only, real" characters. It just seemed sort of dumb and poorly done. I saw characters completely fall out of character in public on numerous occasions. One princess got whinny and started talking to friends.

c. Food. Just fewer options, lower quality. Burgers were fattier, Turkey legs were less tasty. (However their lemon and blueberry slushes were awsome!!)

d. Ride theme-ing. I care about this. I love the intricate details and atmosphere at Disney rides. There is little if any of this at Universal. The quality is just not there. Queing areas are usually very boring. For instance, the actual place Sherk 4D is shown is spartan. Spa

c. Fastpass. Disney's is good, democratic, and works. Universal's had a lot of problems, didn't always work, and was undemocratic.

Other considerations.

1. The characters. I have zero attachment to Mikey Mouse, etc. In fact I like Universals character set better. Shaggy and Scoobie Doo! Cool. Curious George! Cool! Spiderman - come on! Lots of fun characters. For me advantage Universal. Your mileage may vary...

2. Traveling with younger kids. Disney is much better. Universal had some cool stuff for young ones. In fact, I absolutely adored their mini water park at Universal Studios. BUT, most rides not explicitly for kids are inappropriate for them. In Disney most rides are kid friendly, but there are a few rides kids shouldn't do. In Universal it is exactly the opposite.

3. Public. The crowd at Universal, particularly on the weekend was... different. There was a much higher "Jerry Springer Audience" quotient at Universal. I'm not saying that's bad, it's just different. What was bad was there was also a significant "thug" quotient at Universal on the weekend. And I'm not using that as code for any particular ethnic group. There was equal opportunity thugishness going on. Not like it was dangerous or anything. Just a lot more tough characters around.

4. Older kids / thrill riders. Universal is THE place to be if you are between 10 and 25. Everything is louder, faster, etc. I'm a pretty young 37. In fact I was pumped up when I heard the entrance music was the Red Hot Chili Peppers the day I went! Cool! I LOVED the intensity of the drop in the Jurassic ride. Though I can't ride coasters, I can imagine that Hulk and Dragons must be sweet rides. If that's what you're after - if it's all about the rides and intense rides at that - then IoA and Universal will be a great choice. Still, for me, it didn't make up for the lack of quality and (to me) a sort of juvenile sense about things. Every darned ride seemed to try and have some element of scary or "in your faceness". Even Dr. Seuss and ET! It wasn't thoughtful thrills, it was just BAM, in your face. Bigger and Louder. That played well with my 11 year old, but got old with me. Even the sense of humor seemed geared to that age group. Shrek has a fart joke in it. When I saw it I just sighed. I'm not a big fan of fart humor. It just seems dumb to me. My 11 year old, of course, loved it - it's the first thing he mentioned.

Overall, the theming isn't close in most places. Studios is OK, but not great. IoA had my hopes up. The entrance and most of the adventure area is pretty much Disney quality, but it goes downhill quickly as you move around. By the Superhero area, it's just loud, in your face, steel and plastic.

Again, none of this stuff is that important, but it adds up, cumulatively, to give you an impression of things.

What I will give Universal credit for is creativity. I didn't much like Terminator (3D effects were off and on and the movie itself was boring IMHO) the way it was done was different and creative. And Spiderman - wow! Too rough, but wow - really neat effects. Also, watch the video monitors in the Terminator queue. They show pictures of the waiting crowd, but have some interesting things happen.

Bottom Line: Kali River Rapids as compared to the Bluto ride at Universal is a perfect microcosm of the difference between Disney and Universal. Bluto is more intense. It gets you wetter. It moves faster. It's longer. But I prefer Kali 100 times over. Bluto is essentially a garish plastic chute. The quality of the "set" is sort of McDonald's Play landish. It gets you wet, but I noticed that TONS of water sloshes around on the floor and your feet get sopping wet (which seems to me to be sort of a poor design - when you may or may not get really wet, but your shoes are guaranteed to be sopping wet). In comparison Kali is just beautiful to look at and be a part of. From the waiting line on its attractive, jungly, mysterious. Just nice. So for me, I love being on Kali and found Bluto sort of boring and ugly. But my son who is 11 loved Bluto.

So think about what you like, what floats your boat, and what bugs you and you'll have a pretty decent idea of how you'll feel about each location.

For my wife and I, we ended up leaving early both days we were at the Universal parks to go back to Disney. At Universal we tried to get ride to ride to do each thing. At Disney we just liked BEING there. The cumulative effect of all those things just make Disney a nice place to be. And that is the "Magic" as far as I'm concerned.

Do others agree with this assessment?

Side point - what the heck is up with the resorts at Universal. I felt it was way overpriced, and I felt we got nickeled and dimed all the time. Can't believe I spent $240 for one night.

This whole post is laughable and I say TROLL ALERT!!!


BTW, I don't understand how you could have messed up the Express Pass. It's not like a ballot with a hanging chad. There's a person checking the tickets. They do stop people from riding more than 1x if they aren't onsite guests but that is printed on the ticket.

$240 for 1 night and complaining? Sounds a little Jerry Springerish to me.

 

[muffyn]

lol




there is soooooooo much "magic" in US, I wonder where some people get their blinders from

I LOVE all the parks, each has their own appeal.

for each US bad experience thread I can find several for WDW where CM's/guests/ride experiences have dissapointed people, so not all is at WDW for everyone all the time.

but , hey,,, US haters,, stay away & give the rest of us a less crowded park.