Yay or Nay is Universal worth $400 for a day?

[mabreu75]

Can anyone tell me is it worth the $$ to do Universal for 1 day whilst we are in Disney? Keep in mind, we don't do the "big" coasters

 

[Belleoftheballl]

I loved universal. It was so different and the Dr Suess land was awesome. There are a lot of different rides. Not just roller coasters. Harry potter land was definetly the highlight as well.

I guess it's all up to you and your family and what they like too.

 

[turnlisa]

I don't really think so. We did the IOA section after staying the night at the hotel to get early admit. My kids are big Harry fans so we had to see it. The park is nice BUT it's not Disney. We were all done there by 4:00 PM and on our way to Disney. I don't think I'd pay that much unless you are planning on staying all day. We had seen everything and even ate lunch at that point.

 

[hockey mom]

If you are huge Harry Potter fans then yes- if not I would skip it.

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

Personally although I enjoyed it I did not feel it was worth the money. I do not do big rides either due to disability. Harry Potter world is good but for us it did not quite have that magic feel Disney does. I could enter the Disney parks, not ride anything and feel as happy as can be. There is plenty going on , shows etc. It was lacking atmosphere. But that was my personal view. I did like Seaworld though.

 

[robin19871]

It was worth it for us but I have to say that the price of just one day was a bit of a shock.. If you have the money and the chance to visit it once I say "Go for it." We are glad that we did..

 

[mesaboy2]

The price of any one-day ticket at a theme park is high. It is no different at Disney.

 

[tndisneyfan]

I think it depends on you and how much $400 means to you. For me the answer is no. $400 is too much out of my vacation budget to spend on just one day at one park. US is OK, I don't like it as much as WDW but I do enjoy it. The Harry Potter area is great but just not worth it to me.

We had to decide the same thing. We are taking a cruise out of Port Canaveral next May (not Disney). DH said something about driving down a day early and driving to Orlando to do US for one day. I thought about it and looked up the prices, it's was going to be closer to $300 for a family of three, and decided no way. Way too much money for one day.

I just wanted to add that I honestly would say the same about visiting WDW for just one day. One day tickets are just too high.

 

[RMulieri]

I agree with MESA , ONE day tickets to ANY Orlando themepark are pricey.Disney one day tickets cost just as much.The more you stay, the more economical it becomes.That said we did a 5 day only Universal trip with our 8 yr old this past Jan and had an absolute BLAST.We loved it so much and plan going back again this year.It is NOT Disney, but its not supposed to be.IF you go in with an open mind, not expect anything ,and STOP STOP STOP comparing it to Disney, you can appreciate it and even enjoy it.For us, Universal was like Disney back in the 80's( I know I just compared them..LOL)....Not that many parks, plenty to do (and it is done well)with LOADS of time to do it again and relax at the resort.

 

[CTDisneyfan816]

Can anyone tell me is it worth the $$ to do Universal for 1 day whilst we are in Disney? Keep in mind, we don't do the "big" coasters

In my opinion yes. Yes Universal has a few big coasters, but it's not what makes the parks. They also have some good simulator rides (Harry Potter, Spiderman, the Simpsons, Despicable Me to name a few). Also some great shows and other kind of attractions. I love Universal and would even if I didn't like coasters.

 

[Magpie]

I don't think Disney's worth 400 dollars a day!

That said, we spent a week at Universal a couple years back, and will likely do it again in 2014. It's well worth a visit, and while plenty of hard core fans will disagree, I personally think it's equally as wonderful an experience as Disney. You get immersive theming, wonderful "team members" (versus "cast members" - some of whom work in both parks), and rides that are actually more technologically innovative than most of the rides at Disney. Plus, wonderful deluxe-level resorts on property (the only way to stay, especially as it gives you front of the line privileges!), and great entertainment in their restaurant/shopping district. However, Universal has only two parks and there aren't as many shows or parades or meet-and-greets or cool restaurants, and of course, there's no Mickey Mouse.

For us, given the cost, it makes more sense to do separate "Universal trips" and "Disney trips".

 

[jgh]

I guess it just depends on your family. My dad and brother like Universal, because they like the thrill rides.

Personally, I really don't like Universal. I don't know why. I don't like their rides or the movie rides they have. I literally can't stand to be in Orlando and not go to Disney. I just can't seem to enjoy it.

We haven't been since Harry Potter opened. I wouldn't mind doing that for one day, but that's about it.

 

[disneyfan888]

Universal is nice and we enjoy the parks, HP land is wonderful and we do enjoy thrill rides, but it is NOT Disney. While I think you may have fun, the experience will be extremely different. Also, we find Universal to be a bit more expensive food and merchandise wise in comparison to Disney. Only thing I will give Universal that is nice is the meal deal. If you have no interest in eating at table service restaurants, the meal deal is great. For $22 dollars for adult and $10 for children, you can get unlimited food throughout the day at select quick service restaurants.

 

[RMulieri]

Universal is nice and we enjoy the parks, HP land is wonderful and we do enjoy thrill rides, but it is NOT Disney. While I think you may have fun, the experience will be extremely different. Also, we find Universal to be a bit more expensive food and merchandise wise in comparison to Disney. Only thing I will give Universal that is nice is the meal deal. If you have no interest in eating at table service restaurants, the meal deal is great. For $22 dollars for adult and $10 for children, you can get unlimited food throughout the day at select quick service restaurants.

PBI-Universal accepts aaa discounts at almost all stores and most eateries

 

[eliza61]

I don't think Disney's worth 400 dollars a day!

, ".

Ain't that the truth!!

Op, When we plan on doing Universal (which we love, it's totally different than disney) we usually do more than one day. One day tickets for all the parks are ungodly expensive.

So if you really can only go for 1 day I would say skip it but if you can squeeze in an extra day then I would go for it. I think you'll like universal, it's different than disney but just as enjoyable.

 

[scottmel]

We did Us/IOA for HP opening weekend and again this past summer. I was counting the minutes down until we could leave. I so dislike the place and the only reason I returned is b/c they comp'ed me tickets so it was free. For free it was ok. To pay that price for one day? NEVER and I tend to spend money on just about anything.....

 

[Magpie]

Ain't that the truth!!

Op, When we plan on doing Universal (which we love, it's totally different than disney) we usually do more than one day. One day tickets for all the parks are ungodly expensive.

So if you really can only go for 1 day I would say skip it but if you can squeeze in an extra day then I would go for it. I think you'll like universal, it's different than disney but just as enjoyable.

And if you can go two days, then book one night at any one of their onsite resorts. They're all walking distance from the parks (and you can take a boat), and when you factor in the unlimited express line privileges hotel guests get, as well as early entry to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, they're actually not that outrageously expensive. Regular park guests can pay for express passes, but they're limited and the cost adds up quickly if you're buying for a whole family.

One night onsite gets you two whole days of guest benefits.

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

The only thing I forgot to add was Universal was very accommodating about my disability. Probably doesnt apply to you but they could not have been more helpful. I found the staff exceeded my expectations.

 

[MinnieSummer]

We used to get AP's to Universal but we let them expire because after two or three trips each year for two years everything seemed stale. Initially though it was great. It was the whole Wizarding World of Harry Potter that drew us in, it just wasn't enough to keep us. I don't think I would spend that kind of money for just one day though. If you want to do something different, I suggest you try SeaWorld. One day is considerably less expensive and the entertainment factor is incredible. I would recommend spending a day there rather than US/IOA

 

[puffkin]

We enjoyed our time there and their rides/shows are very innovative. I know it is cliche...but there just was something missing. I agree that I could spend hours in a Disney park and not ride a single ride and still feel like I got my money's worth, but I don't feel that way about Universal. We did 2 days there last October (1 day per park) in the middle of our Disney trip and we pretty much did everything by late afternoon. There just wasn't that extra something to keep us in the parks into the evening, which is my favorite time at Disney.

HP World was great, but it is very small and crowded (I knew that going in from pre-HP world visits and knowing the location, and I still thought it was small). Also there just isn't much to hold younger children's interest like there is at Disney. My DS was 5 and tall enough and mature enough to do almost everything but there just isn't nearly as much for the below 48" set. Universal is an every 3-4 year type of park for us, where Disney we can do 2-3 trips a year.