Why I made the switch to Universal Orlando

[keishashadow]

Did you know that you can stay in a Premier resort at Universal for a Disney Value Resort price?

Well, I’d take out ‘can’ and insert “used to be able to”

there is a date & rate thread & another discussion one in the Universal Boards. Unfortunately, the here-to-fore ‘cheap’ FOTL onsite hotels haven’t been quite so. Not offering much over the last 1-1/2 years in the way of substantially discounted AP rates as in the past, other than a few here & there dates.

fingers are definitely crossed , rates will normalize once revenge travel and the initial influx of disney first timers ebbs.

The issue with Universal is their CM. My goodness, they are really bad in general. Like local fare bad.

Ouch. Over well, decades, I’ve met many lovely TMs (preferred over CM term at U btw).

it’s my understanding that many of the CM work at both parks to make ends meet.

the vibe is different. It gets a bit old getting referred to as “friend” every time a CM wants you to follow an directive. assume it’s the new buzz word in crowd control designed to elicit a positive response lol.

let’s just say the TMs at U are authentic and many are quite entertaining.

there is a long-running joke at the monsters makeup show that is classic U. To paraphrase it, an actor is talking to a child in the audience who he thinks has tossed a rock at the stage. He makes direct eye contact & warns him “…we’re not disney, we don’t have to act nice to you…”. Always brings down the house.

 

[EllieBadgeAdventures]

I think you really hit the nail on the head with the fact that a Disney vacation doesn't really hold the same value that it used to. I think if Disney just raised its prices but kept the rest the same (Dining plan, Magical Express, etc.) then people wouldn't be happy but would understand. Those who could still go would still get the same value for going. Right now there is very little reason to stay on site as you don't really get much of anything for staying on property. When the recession hits Disney is going to get slammed. Maybe I will go then when they are trying to woo the customer back...

My frustration isn’t really with increased prices. That is to be expected. It is the fact that for every increase in price they seem to take things away! I truly miss the WDW of old!! Some of my favorite memories were made when we would go to these nice restaurants eat like Queens and Kings and just pay gratuity!! Also, staying in the Magic Kingdom until 1 or even 2 am! Our first trip I was able to arrange a scuba diver to dive down to our table at Coral Reef and hold up a personalized sign against the glass that welcomed us to Disney (for free)! They also made us a personalized menu with our pictures on it for free as well!! My brother and cousin LOVED those special touches!! It was so nice feeling like Disney was taking care of us!!

 

[tink2424]

My frustration isn’t really with increased prices. That is to be expected. It is the fact that for every increase in price they seem to take things away! I truly miss the WDW of old!! Some of my favorite memories were made when we would go to these nice restaurants eat like Queens and Kings and just pay gratuity!! Also, staying in the Magic Kingdom until 1 or even 2 am! Our first trip I was able to arrange a scuba diver to dive down to our table at Coral Reef and hold up a personalized sign against the glass that welcomed us to Disney (for free)! They also made us a personalized menu with our pictures on it for free as well!! My brother and cousin LOVED those special touches!! It was so nice feeling like Disney was taking care of us!!

Yes, and that is what my post was trying to convey. It isn't as much the price increases (although that is not a happy thing for anyone) but more that they have decreased the value for what you get for what you pay. You get less but pay more. That is where I think most of us that are saying the magic is gone are referring to. The little touches that Disney was known for are now an extra charge for everything if it even still exists as an option.

 

[Beer Me]

Well, I’d take out ‘can’ and insert “used to be able to”

there is a date & rate thread & another discussion one in the Universal Boards. Unfortunately, the here-to-fore ‘cheap’ FOTL onsite hotels haven’t been quite so. Not offering much over the last 1-1/2 years in the way of substantially discounted AP rates as in the past, other than a few here & there dates.

Traveling in the summer I have never found the premium universal hotels to be cheap. I’ve seen good deals at certain times of year but during peak times they track closely with Disney deluxe rates (I use beach club as an index) - maybe 5% less.

But with the express pass and early entry included they can still be seen as a relative bargain.

 

[keishashadow]

Traveling in the summer I have never found the premium universal hotels to be cheap.

We’ve tracked reported info in the date & rate thread for multiple years. Many got lucky, rates fluctuated unlike at WDW…especially for longer trips & weekdays

 

[jormom1030]

I just came back in February from both Disney and Universal. The issue with Universal is their CM. My goodness, they are really bad in general. Like local fare bad.

Also, most rides are simulators, kind of boring.

My kids did not enjoy Universal. Hopefully Super Mario World will be good. however, they should get their CM trained better.

We were at Universal in February also and we thought their CMs were amazing. They seemed like they were enjoying their job and the people they were dealing with. We also loved the rides especially all of the roller coasters.

 

[greeneyedchick]

I’m a big fan of UO but some of your comments seem a bit exaggerating. WDW value and UO premier the same cost? Yeah…no. And UO hardly gives any hotel discounts since January. Random weekend in August after school starts at cheapest UO premier per night is $700 vs cheapest WDW value of $215…both lowest tier and same type of bedroom. Unlimited Express is expensive but the room quality is better for the price. Your level of UO AP is over $800 now post-tax…around 50% more per park than WDW. Free HHN ticket? Basically useless if going for more than one night and what passholder only goes one night? You don’t get a credit to upgrade. Express after 4 is nice but only once for each attraction. Crowds are often minimal at that time anyways so saves an hour or maybe two if the park is open really late. Early admission is two rides at studios or 3-4 rides at IOA and only one park each day unless peak holiday. At the studios side one ride is the Minions…for kids and not even 3-D. IOA is usually spent in line for Hagrids. And you can’t eat breakfast at the Harry Potter restaurants unless you are staying on site and have the special package. Express at UO cuts waits in half while at WDW it used to be 20 minutes.

So while I agree the grass there is green…it’s not 100x greener.

We ate breakfast in Harry Potter world and didnt have any kind of special package. UO hotel prices are good if you get the AP discount rate. Also, I live near Universal and we usually only go to HHN for 1 night. The key is to go on a weekday before October. If you get there before they start letting people in, you can usually see all of the major haunted houses.

 

[kbelle8995]

If you don't care for the policies and the way that Disney treats their guests, the best thing is to take your business elsewhere. I used to be a major Disney parks person for years. Now it's too stressful and I don't feel appreciated by disney. So guess what I dropped my Disney AP and will be continuing with Universal. And exploring other parks and areas in Orlando.

 

[Stratman50th]

Lot of complaining on the boards and on the show; this week's show in particular. And I get it. Nobody wants to pay more and get less. But here's the deal. People are still flocking to Disney. Still hearing complaints about long waits and huge crowds. So what exactly can they do to fix it? Ryno mentioned that they no longer give out deals for the single mother. If they were to do that, the parks would be even more crowded and we'd have more complaints. The reason you can stay at Universal for cheaper is because they're still trying to draw the crowds that Disney has on a daily basis. You think that once Universal is maxed out they're going to continue to keep these low costs? It's a simple supply and demand problem. The demand is there. As long as it's there, they're not going to lower costs. If they did, there would be an even bigger issue with demand.
If someone has a reasonable answer then I'd love to hear it. But this person would then become famous the world over for solving the issue with supply/demand.
Complaints about the magic not being there is totally reasonable. Complaints about understaffing/shows remaining closed are totally reasonable. But complaints about costs are unfounded at this point.

Sorry, but whenever I hear someone say "here's the deal" it implies they have some personal knowledge of the going's on of WDW. I don't believe anyone knows what's going on. Take away for a moment that this is a fan site and a lot of people defend Disney, they really don't know what goes on outside the property. I admit I don't know either but allow me to speculate. First off, let's address people flocking to Disney. The parks indeed "feel" packed. Is it really that full, or is it a function of not enough staff, rides not operating at full capacity, shows that aren't running? Disney is famous for not divulging what capacity is. Just because it feels packed, doesn't mean it really is. It's perception. But, perception is reality. I don't know if the electronic leashes that have been imposed are contributing to the crowded feel, but if I'm understanding correctly they tend to run people back and forth across the parks. That I'm sure contributes to the constant movement and crush.
Locals. I am one. I talk to other locals and have opinions based on those conversations. Do I claim that they represent the majority? Of course not. But I do know that the residents of Florida as a whole do not all share the opinions of the people in this forum. Many of my friends could care less about Disney. In fact they avoid it. If there was as much interest of the locals going to WDW as the folks on this forum believe nobody outside of Florida would be able to get in. That's just not a thing.
The people keep going so it must not be cost prohibitive yet. Yup, many people are still going, but there's a bunch who aren't and they're just not posting on the DIS. Reminds me of bye Felicia. Except in their case there's no big parting announcement. They just disappear never to be seen wearing their Mickey ears again.
Since this is about personal opinion, I completely disagree. Complaints about costs are not unfounded. If people are complaining it means in their opinion, costs are completely founded. It's their perception, and perception is reality.
So, I haven't covered everything I believe but this has been a large part of my opinion. I'm not here to try and sway anyone one way or the other but this is my perception, my reality. I can afford a Disney trip, but I won't.

 

[Pickles516]

Sorry, but whenever I hear someone say "here's the deal" it implies they have some personal knowledge of the going's on of WDW. I don't believe anyone knows what's going on. Take away for a moment that this is a fan site and a lot of people defend Disney, they really don't know what goes on outside the property. I admit I don't know either but allow me to speculate. First off, let's address people flocking to Disney. The parks indeed "feel" packed. Is it really that full, or is it a function of not enough staff, rides not operating at full capacity, shows that aren't running? Disney is famous for not divulging what capacity is. Just because it feels packed, doesn't mean it really is. It's perception. But, perception is reality. I don't know if the electronic leashes that have been imposed are contributing to the crowded feel, but if I'm understanding correctly they tend to run people back and forth across the parks. That I'm sure contributes to the constant movement and crush.
Locals. I am one. I talk to other locals and have opinions based on those conversations. Do I claim that they represent the majority? Of course not. But I do know that the residents of Florida as a whole do not all share the opinions of the people in this forum. Many of my friends could care less about Disney. In fact they avoid it. If there was as much interest of the locals going to WDW as the folks on this forum believe nobody outside of Florida would be able to get in. That's just not a thing.
The people keep going so it must not be cost prohibitive yet. Yup, many people are still going, but there's a bunch who aren't and they're just not posting on the DIS. Reminds me of bye Felicia. Except in their case there's no big parting announcement. They just disappear never to be seen wearing their Mickey ears again.
Since this is about personal opinion, I completely disagree. Complaints about costs are not unfounded. If people are complaining it means in their opinion, costs are completely founded. It's their perception, and perception is reality.
So, I haven't covered everything I believe but this has been a large part of my opinion. I'm not here to try and sway anyone one way or the other but this is my perception, my reality. I can afford a Disney trip, but I won't.

While I can’t find any hard data on 2022’s attendance numbers, it really seems much more logical that what you’re suggesting is true - parks feel more crowded, but are still lower than pre-pandemic attendance numbers. The staffing shortages exist. This is known to be a fact. There are experiences and shows that are not currently happening that sucked up people pre-pandemic. This is also known to be true. Logic doesn’t support the idea that the attendance is through the roof, the staff shortage exists, shows and experiences are still not 100%, and crowds are still somewhat manageable. Numbers have to still be below pre-covid numbers otherwise it would be bedlam.

 

[gharter]

We love the time we spend at Universal. The express pass cannot be beat! It makes planning at Universal unneeded.
However, having spent 3 days at Universal and 4 days at WDW, we still found that we enjoyed WDW more.

 

[AngieInOH]

Unfortunately UO caught on and no lo her discount premier hotels. We bought in the same time frame. We were absolutely thrilled. Now unfortunately you are looking at $380 a night minimum for premier. I couldn’t do UO without unlimited express. I know G+ costs money but $15 right now can’t be beat. I anticipate within a few years it will approach $40 per person, per day.

I do think the value hotels at WDW should be more in line with UO values. Around $120-150 a night.

Where were you staying for $80 a night with a breakfast out of curiosity? Did you find parking to be easier or more difficult than resort transportation?

There are a couple of ways to get big discounts on UO hotels. I booked a $280 rate at Portifino Bay for Feb 2023. We're doing 1 day at Epcot and looked into staying at POP for 1 night, rate was $340.......um I think I'll keep my UO premier hotel over the higher priced Disney value hotel.

We are also doing UO over Disney next year. So so many reasons, the value just isn't there any more. I'm a planner and always loved planning Disney trips but it's just too much now. On top of that it's a breeding grounds for stressed, high anxiety, unhappy humans.

Here's to hoping UO can replace my Disney desire.....

 

[asuburbanman]

There are a couple of ways to get big discounts on UO hotels. I booked a $280 rate at Portifino Bay for Feb 2023. We're doing 1 day at Epcot and looked into staying at POP for 1 night, rate was $340.......um I think I'll keep my UO premier hotel over the higher priced Disney value hotel.

We are also doing UO over Disney next year. So so many reasons, the value just isn't there any more. I'm a planner and always loved planning Disney trips but it's just too much now. On top of that it's a breeding grounds for stressed, high anxiety, unhappy humans.

Here's to hoping UO can replace my Disney desire.....

How did you nab that rate? I was playing around on the pass holder site and couldn’t find anything under $400ish for any deluxe. When my kids hit the right age we will be all over UO. They are 3 and 6 currently. So you know…Mickey mouse and Elsa win

 

[ChrisFL]

Only thing Universal have over Disney in price are the hotels. I usually stay offsite anyway, so for me Universal look as expensive as Disney.

Universal also has:

Annual Passes for sale
No Park Reservations
No virtual queue needed at 7AM
No upcharge for park planning
Better deals and discounts for being an AP holder

 

[Einstein509]

Amen!

We are a long time WDW family and used to go multiple times per year. We're done too. We are also DVC members so we're kind of stuck with the Disney resorts unless we want to sell those contracts. This Christmas, we are staying at a DVC property, but we will be going to Universal exclusively. The reasons:

1. We didn't renew our APs for Disney. That used to cost us about $2800 for a family of four and included Photopass. It would have cost us about $4400 to renew this year and no Photopass. That's a pretty substantial increase.

2. We can get military APs at Universal for about $1000 total. Even going for one week in December, it prices to less than regular Disney tickets for that same time. Also, Disney has blockout dates for their military discounted tickets which doesn't work for us.

3. We got emails about Mickey's Christmas party and thought that maybe we could at least do that. Nope. For one night (4pm-midnight) we would have to shell out $800. No thanks.

Sorry, but from a financial stance, Disney is pricing us out. I'll spend my money elsewhere. We just had a lovely New England vacation for less than what I would spend at Disney. So Universal here we come. I'll stay with DVC, drive over to Universal, and will be happy to pay the parking fee for a few days.

I also don't buy the inflation argument as these changes at Disney began happening years ago, prior to the big inflation bubble we're seeing currently.

 

[kbelle8995]

And you're in the right place for it. Welcome

 

[CAPSLOCK]

I'll stay with DVC, drive over to Universal, and will be happy to pay the parking fee for a few days.

Are you able to upgrade one of the military APs to a tier that includes parking? Not sure how the military ones work, but for the regular APs the cost of the upgrade to Preferred would be comparable to parking for several days plus also includes food/merchandise discounts making the upgrade literally save you money.

 

[Einstein509]

Are you able to upgrade one of the military APs to a tier that includes parking? Not sure how the military ones work, but for the regular APs the cost of the upgrade to Preferred would be comparable to parking for several days plus also includes food/merchandise discounts making the upgrade literally save you money.

Honestly I don't know if we can upgrade, but I'm not sure I would come out on top upgrading just for parking and some discounts. The military pass for two parks is $200. The Preferred Pass for two parks is $540, which we would need because of no blockout dates. So you're talking $340 x 4 passes = $1360 more to save on paying $27 for parking for 4-5 days ($108-$135).

Unless the upgrade is less than the posted price of the regular APs, it doesn't make much sense to upgrade. Yes, the military pass is a crazy good deal and I'm thankful Universal offers it.

I don't think we would make up the difference in discounts on merch, lol!

 

[CAPSLOCK]

You'd only need the one Preferred, but you are correct that it in your case it wouldn't be worthwhile unless they offer a military AP equivalent to Preferred.

 

[Karst]

We made the Universal switch because of the veteran and DoD benefits. My husband is 80% disabled after hitting and IED in his HET. He does not qualify for the military salute tickets at Disney which is fine, so we go to Universal instead where both he, and I as a DoD employee, qualify for the $200 military annual passes instead. With 5 kids it is just way more bang for our buck. We also utilize Universal for our annual HHN trip with coworkers and battles. This year we chipped in to share rooms at the Hard Rock to get the fastpasses. It's an absolute steal really.

An example:
With the discount for disney plus subscribers we just spent a large chunk of change for us and our 3 littlest ones to stay at Disney's Port Orleans in August for 3 nights, 1 day at magic Kingdom, one day at Hollywood studios.

It costs hundreds more and offers way less perks, than our upcoming M-F stay at Universal Hard Rock in September with HHN tickets and express passes that comes with early park access and free unlimited express the whole length of stay on top of our military tickets. (At 80% FYI you don't qualify for military rate rooms).

Universal outshines Disney in every way currently, even the TM's have created more "magical moments" ironically enough than the CM's, although both parks are near and dear to my heart. When I worked at Disney in 2012 it seemed peak... ever since then there has been a steady decline in my opinion.