DISNEY and UNIVERSAL

[bumbershoot]

We stayed at The Royal Pacific two nights at Universal with the Express Pass and left the parks for dinner and did not go back.

This sort of thing mystifies me.

We had a stay of 8 nights and although we were stymied by illness, if we hadn't been sick as dogs I know we would have found things to do every single day. We plan on that length of trip in the future.

I was at Disneyland 18 days one year, and I didn't do everything I *wanted* to do, let alone everything there IS to do. I've barely explored all I want to see at Universal, and we've held APs for it since 2011 (and we live in WA).


OP, I'm sure you want to enjoy this party, right? If so, take the positive things people are saying and look for the good. Work parties, no matter where they are, are what you make of them. Our holiday party and summer picnic each year for DH's job are held at the Seahawks stadium. I could think "I hate football and I don't much care about soccer, either" and have zero fun, or I could get into it.

 

[PaintsWindColors]

We always spend 6 days at Disney and 2 days at Universal when we visit Orlando. Disney has more special events throughout the year, as well as better culinary experiences imo, but Universal is a must-do on every trip because we are adults-only and sometimes it's just nice to have options that cater to us (like Halloween Horror Nights vs. MNSSHP).

 

[xlxo]

I felt Universal is for the bigger kids.... those that have outgrown the pixie dust.

 

[tinkerbella16]

I did enjoy Universal, but can't see myself spending a vacation there like we do at Disney. I usually never leave Disney property, but this past November I had a longer trip than usual, so I did 1 day at both Uni/IOA. It was so much fun and I chose the perfect day to go, because both parks were empty and I got everything done in 1 day. By the end of the day, I could not wait to get back on property and back "home" to my resort lol.. not because of anything bad, I had a really great time. I just prefer Disney.

Now my parents love Disney, but they also really love Universal. They take Universal only trips and stay at one of their resorts for 4 or 5 nights. They love it! But I couldn't do it lol. I can't imagine flying into MCO and not going to Magical Express - it would be downright depressing for me! Lol

I really enjoyed all of rides at Uni/IOA though. I was SO impressed with Transformers and Spiderman - amazing! Rip Ride Rockit was SO much fun! All of the Harry Potter stuff was really neat and I'm not even a HP fan. Gringotts was on a whole different level. I also loved Revenge of the Mummy and Jurassic Park was just crazy fun! I was glad that I actually did something I normally wouldn't do, and took a day to enjoy a something other than Disney.

 

[Planogirl]

I have been going to WDW for many, many years and I now prefer Universal. I understand that feeling that nothing else can compare to Disney but I think that both Disney and I changed while Universal improved massively. It's fun there and very easy to tour which is part of the reason people get done so quickly. I can stay in the Universal parks for several days without a problem but to each their own.

Go with an open mind and don't expect Disney and hopefully you'll have a nice time. There is a good Universal forum on this website if you have any specific questions.

 

[Planogirl]

I love both and every trip Ive done to Orlando we do both. So been about 8 times. I'm actually doing my first universal resort stay (cabana bay). As much as I love Disney (I really do I was a ICP cast member) universal to me is actually on par. Especially with Harry Potter.

We absolutely adored Cabana Bay and I'm excited to go back. I hope that you enjoy it.

 

[fairyprincess88]

I have been going to WDW for many, many years and I now prefer Universal. I understand that feeling that nothing else can compare to Disney but I think that both Disney and I changed while Universal improved massively. It's fun there and very easy to tour which is part of the reason people get done so quickly. I can stay in the Universal parks for several days without a problem but to each their own.

Go with an open mind and don't expect Disney and hopefully you'll have a nice time. There is a good Universal forum on this website if you have any specific questions.

This is me pretty much as well. I was a huge Disney girl but then Universal got Potter, which is my one true love. So of course that meant leaving the Disney bubble to see Hogwarts and that was pretty much the end of my Disney vacations. I still go to Disney of course but I'll skip it for Universal now without blinking if I have to make the choice. Universal just fits me now and while I still love MK and the Mouse, if I'm Orlando I'm going to be staying at Universal.

 

[Planogirl]

This is me pretty much as well. I was a huge Disney girl but then Universal got Potter, which is my one true love. So of course that meant leaving the Disney bubble to see Hogwarts and that was pretty much the end of my Disney vacations. I still go to Disney of course but I'll skip it for Universal now without blinking if I have to make the choice. Universal just fits me now and while I still love MK and the Mouse, if I'm Orlando I'm going to be staying at Universal.

I agree. I prefer to stay at Universal and make trips to the Disney parks. I guess that we're the opposite of most people here.

 

[Disney Khaleesi]

I really enjoy Universal and want to go back someday and spend more time there. Of course, I adore Disney, but it's hard to compare the two parks as they aim to accomplish different things. I'm not a big rollercoster fan (I can't ride RNRC) but I still found plenty to do at Universal. I am a big Harry Potter fan and Wizarding World was amazing, and I went before the Gringotts expansion! There's a lot to do and see there. I don't think I could make it as lengthy as a Disney trip, but I could easily spend a good three days there.

 

[tstidm1]

Islands of Adventure. I like rollercoasters but I like DISNEY rollercoasters. Not massive insane ones that rattle my head like the ones at 6 flags lol

There are two significant roller coasters that are at IOA. The Hulk and Dragon Challenge. Both have inversions (Take you upside downs). Check out ride videos before deciding if they are for you. My thoughts would be to do these attractions in that park:

-Spider-Man
-Dr Doom Freefall
-Flight of the Hippogriff
-King Kong (if it's open. Expected to open Mid june).
-Jurassic Park River adventure
-Bluto's Bilge Raff Barges
-Forbidden Journey (Hogsmeade)
-Hogwarts Express
-Have a butterbeer. (That is an attraction.)
-See Olivanders.

With those attractions, you should have a blast at the park.

 

[mellyf]

I have been going to WDW for many, many years and I now prefer Universal. I understand that feeling that nothing else can compare to Disney but I think that both Disney and I changed while Universal improved massively. It's fun there and very easy to tour which is part of the reason people get done so quickly. I can stay in the Universal parks for several days without a problem but to each their own.

Go with an open mind and don't expect Disney and hopefully you'll have a nice time. There is a good Universal forum on this website if you have any specific questions.

This is me pretty much as well. I was a huge Disney girl but then Universal got Potter, which is my one true love. So of course that meant leaving the Disney bubble to see Hogwarts and that was pretty much the end of my Disney vacations. I still go to Disney of course but I'll skip it for Universal now without blinking if I have to make the choice. Universal just fits me now and while I still love MK and the Mouse, if I'm Orlando I'm going to be staying at Universal.

Me three! We had gone to Universal in 2008, I think, and liked it, but no where near as much as we loved Disney (although we LOVED Revenge of the Mummy). Even after WWoHP opened, and I am a huge HP freak, we still couldn't manage to break the Disney bubble. Last year, after Diagon Alley opened, we decided to do a Universal trip and went for a 4-day weekend in January, 2015. We stayed at Royal Pacific, which we thought was beautiful, and loved being able to walk to parks in the morning. Islands of Adventure was the Early Entry park when we were there, so we started every morning with Forbidden Journey & Dragon Challenge, and then explored Hogsmeade before taking the train to Diagon Alley, or staying for the rides in IoA. Since it was late January, crowds were really low that early in the morning (although it was still fantastic to have Express Pass later in the day). Our only disappointment was that it too chilly while we were there to do the water rides. At least too chilly for us. We've decided that when we go to Orlando, we'll be staying at Universal. Possibly doing a day or something at Disney, but Universal seems to suit us much better now.

 

[A State Of Autumn]

This sort of thing mystifies me.

We had a stay of 8 nights and although we were stymied by illness, if we hadn't been sick as dogs I know we would have found things to do every single day. We plan on that length of trip in the future.

I was at Disneyland 18 days one year, and I didn't do everything I *wanted* to do, let alone everything there IS to do. I've barely explored all I want to see at Universal, and we've held APs for it since 2011 (and we live in WA).


OP, I'm sure you want to enjoy this party, right? If so, take the positive things people are saying and look for the good. Work parties, no matter where they are, are what you make of them. Our holiday party and summer picnic each year for DH's job are held at the Seahawks stadium. I could think "I hate football and I don't much care about soccer, either" and have zero fun, or I could get into it.

Wow! I'm so jealous that you can go to Disney for that long!

 

[A State Of Autumn]

When we visited we spent time at Disney and Universal, we'll do the same in February. I love them both but they are very different...My fave rides of the trip were 7DMT and Forbidden Journey at Universal. It's not Disney, it's different - I'm sure you'll like it.

 

[SpaceMtnGirl]

We have been to both (just once to Universal, though).

We had a great time at Universal. We stayed at the Royal Pacific Resort for 3 nights with 3 day park-to-park tickets, and of course, Express Pass. While we had fun, my son (12) and I agreed that it just does not have that magic for us like Disney does. I really can't describe it. We both agreed that when we go back (and we would like to, in a few years), it will be just for a day during a longer Disney trip. To each their own, right?

To be fair, The Mummy is one of our favorite rides at any theme park! We absolutely loved it.

 

[SnipsNSnails]

You will have a great time! We did 2 days at USO over Christmas 2014 and had so much fun. The Harry Potter areas are so well done. We did 9 days at WDW in Feb/March and my boys 7 & 9 are asking for us to go to USO again. But we will be doing Sea World and Busch Gardens next time. We like all the parks for different reasons.

 

[Moonwolf]

I took my younger brother(19) on a Disney/Universal trip last year. 7 1/2 days at WDW and 2 1/2 at Universal. He had been to WDW twice before and we had just visited DL the year before but he had never done Universal. We were both raised on Disney but we have a pretty strong love of movies in general. I'm also a huge Harry Potter nerd and while he never read the books he has enjoyed the movies. He also loves thrill rides as opposed to me (I can do all the Disney thrill rides at WDW except ToT but Splash is pretty much my limit for "straight" drops).

From what I read on the boards I fully expected him to love Universal more than Disney. And while his favorite ride between all the parks was Rip-Ride Rocket as we were leaving Universal he clearly said to me that Universal was fun but given the choice he would chose Disney. For him it was all in the nostalgia. While Universal had more of the thrill rides he likes. In between those thrills Universal didn't really have much to offer. Where as in Disney even if your not on a ride just around every corner there is something that brought memories of the movies we grew up watching. I actually think I enjoyed Universal more than him because of my love of HP which does have that Disney level of themeing.

We spent five days in Disney last year and felt we did not do everything. We stayed at The Royal Pacific two nights at Universal with the Express Pass and left the parks for dinner and did not go back.

This was exactly our experience. For Disney we pretty much literally went from Ropedrop to park close every day of our stay and we still have things we are kinda annoyed we missed (in all our trips we keep wanting to go but still have not set foot on Tom Sawyer's Island... and it took us 1 1/2 days to finish HS mainly because we couldn't stop re-riding Star Tours). Universal there were a few things we skipped but we didn't really feel like we missed anything. We left early on our first full day for dinner and never made it back and on our last full day we were pretty much done about 2 hours before closing. We sat around waiting to see the end of day show but ended up leaving part of the way through it.

For our future visits, while we will still probably make the trip over to Universal for a day or two. Disney is were we have the most magical time.

 

[bumbershoot]

I felt Universal is for the bigger kids.... those that have outgrown the pixie dust.

Fwiw our first Orlando trip was the first time we went to uni as well (bc why would you not???) and my 6 year old loved uni as much as WDW.

I agree. I prefer to stay at Universal and make trips to the Disney parks. I guess that we're the opposite of most people here.

Same. The resorts there are so resorty! The perks onsite there are better than the onsite perks at WDW. We own dvc, having purchased for WDW before ever going to WDW, and even on our first trip we thought "oops".

Best combo? Cruise and universal. Either order. So much relaxation with fun.

Wow! I'm so jealous that you can go to Disney for that long!

The 18 days was over the course of an AP year.

But we do get to take decent length vacations since dh's job gives decent vacation time (he's at 4 weeks a year at this point) and he can be gone 10 working days at a time without any special permission or issues. They truly encourage people to take their off time, all of it.

 

[tlmadden73]

I did Universal once .. 4 years ago in November during a special "Harry Potter DVD release party".
It was fun and we thought the Harry Potter area (Hogsmeade) was amazing and had that special Disney-like magic and theming.

The rest of the parks? Ehh. It felt dated and and themed areas that was just uninteresting. I know a lot has changed since Nov. 2011 (like the adding of another Harry Potter area), but it wasn't anything special. Don't get me wrong. We had a wonderful time (the crowds were so low, the rides were fun.), but just not "magical". Having rides based on movie properties just made it feel dated. ET? Men in Black? (before the latest movie), Twister? Mummy? Jaws? Shrek? Simpsons? Jurassic Park (before Jurassic World was even an idea). I felt like I was visiting the park during the 90s. Due to my age I found the rides interesting and somewhat relevant from a nostalgia standpoint, but I can't imagine anyone younger than me finding it interesting as they probably haven't even seen those movies (and would probably find them 'cheesy' by today's movie standards).
Even the Marvel Comics area was more 90s comic-book style . .and not updated.

That being said, we did find that the crowds were low enough we could do whatever we wanted SEVERAL times if we wanted .. without Fast Passes. Even on a special HP event weekend where that area was crowded, we rode the Harry Potter rides each twice, had dinner at the HP-themed restaurtant without an ADR and still had time to spare.
I would go back and visit now . .if for nothing else but Diagon Alley and the new King Kong ride. They have really done a LOT in the past 4 years (compared to Disney (though Disney will catch up with all the new lands coming out in the next few years)).

My general impression was that Universal is for a much older crowd (teenagers and up). I have a 3 year old that I took to Disney twice already . .I can't imagine taking him to Universal for a while as it feels the majority of rides and areas just aren't for young kids.

 

[buccikulju]

Great question and great answers. I've often wondered this myself. Never been to Universal but been to Disney many times.

 

[Hootch]

This sort of thing mystifies me.

We had a stay of 8 nights and although we were stymied by illness, if we hadn't been sick as dogs I know we would have found things to do every single day. We plan on that length of trip in the future.

I was at Disneyland 18 days one year, and I didn't do everything I *wanted* to do, let alone everything there IS to do. I've barely explored all I want to see at Universal, and we've held APs for it since 2011 (and we live in WA).


OP, I'm sure you want to enjoy this party, right? If so, take the positive things people are saying and look for the good. Work parties, no matter where they are, are what you make of them. Our holiday party and summer picnic each year for DH's job are held at the Seahawks stadium. I could think "I hate football and I don't much care about soccer, either" and have zero fun, or I could get into it.

In those two days at Universal, we hit almost every ride (skipped Jurassic Park - my son and I found it boring the first time) and did the better ones multiple times. I can spend days at Disney just exploring details in many of the lands. In Universal, only the HP properties are that detailed.