Do you get that magical feeling at Uni?

[Aimee Wolfe]

Hi everyone,

My daughter and I are huge fans of Disney. I think what we love most about it is that magical feeling you get there. I am often moved to tears in the MK. Lol. Do you get that feeling at universal? I have thought about booking a trip there because I know the rides are impressive and it seems less crowded but am afraid I would spend thousands and be disappointed that the magic isn't there if you know what I mean. Def going to try 1 day during our next Disney trip in Dec.

 

[damo]

I honestly believe the magic comes from nostalgia. Our family definitely gets it. Walking through Port of Entry at Islands of Adventure with its unique music and atmosphere gets me every time.

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

I get that magic more at Uni than Disney, honestly. The magic Disney feels are vicarious through my kids (DH and I went as adults before kids and didn't get Disney then). I am blown away by the HP areas. They make me a bigger fan of the franchise. It is so amazing to be there. I want to just hang out all day. I also love the JP and Simpsons area. IMO Uni does immersion better than Disney. Disney has its moments and I do now love it because the kids love it so much but I love Uni more.

All that said, if you don't have a connection with one of their properties it may not feel as magical to you as Disney. Some people do come here and say that they don't feel that same magic. I think maybe it comes down to the fact that a lot of Disney's theming is to general things whereas a lot at Uni is very tightly tied to its properties.

If you do choose to go maybe try to go in with the mindset of not comparing them. It's hard but if you can enjoy each for its own charms I think it helps. I think there are things that Disney knocks out of the park and things that Uni knocks out of the park. It's just a matter of which of those things are most important to you.

 

[jerseygal]

We enjoy and have great vacations and memories at both! ENJOY if you decide to go!

 

[Disneylover99]

I personally don't get that magical feeling, but I'm impressed every time I go. The theming is awesome. The parks and washrooms are super clean and the CM's are always friendly and professional.

I agree with @damo. I think the magic comes from nostalgia. I'm pretty new to Universal. Maybe the magic will develop over time.

 

[MarBee]

I too often cry walking down Main Street. We went to Universal for the first time a few months ago. The magical feeling wasn’t there, but we definitely enjoyed it and would go again.
We stayed at RPH for the first 2 nights of a trip before switching over to Disney. I highly recommend staying on Universal property, especially a hotel that gets you the free express pass. Then I’d switch over to Disney. We still had fun at universal but when we got to Disney had that “aaaaah, we are here” moment.
Enjoy your vacation!

 

[georgina]

I enjoy Disney World, but don't get the 'magic' people gush about. I didn't go as a child either and have no nostalgic feeling about it. I think I come closer to feeling 'magic' in the Harry Potter areas of Universal, and am also very fond of Seuss Landing.

My DD and I made special trips to Universal in 2010 and 2015 to see the new Harry Potter areas. We also had to go to the midnight book releases as the books came out over the years.

 

[EveDallas]

Honestly, when people come on here asking about whether there is magic at Universal, I'm usually tempted to tell them not to go because those are usually the people who come back here and complain. If you do decide to go, I hope you go in with an open mind and not expecting a copy of Disney. Appreciate Universal for its differences and what it has to offer and you'll have a great time!

 

[bumbershoot]

Walking through Port of Entry at Islands of Adventure with its unique music and atmosphere gets me every time.

I *love* that music! And the music outside the gates; when I hear a certain song by Imagine Dragons it reminds me of being at Universal.

Port of entry is so cool. I slow way down and read all the funny signs.

I get that magic more at Uni than Disney, honestly.

Same.

Even at US Hollywood, actually. There’s some quality to it that just gets to me.

I highly recommend staying on Universal property, especially a hotel that gets you the free express pass. Then I’d switch over to Disney. We still had fun at universal but when we got to Disney had that “aaaaah, we are here” moment.

I do recommend the onsite deluxe, but I go the opposite way.

Unlimited express pass is amazing, and no version of fast pass comes even close to it.

For me, Universal is the vacation from my Disney vacation.

Even though, as a Dvc owner, the rooms at Universal are generally smaller than where I stay at Disney.

 

[macraven]

In 1992, I left Disney to do a day trip at universal

I was hooked from the moment I saw their entrance

Watched it grow over the years and it became a place that 2 days was not enough for us

For years I have done split stays at both parks

Magical is not what I use for Disney or any park

But the darkside

 

[bchbetha]

Sure do. I’m not a die hardcore Disney person so not biased to think Disney is always best- I can be open minded and enjoy the differences.

 

[SaintsManiac]

Yes I had the magical feeling, but I am a Harry Potter fanatic and going to those lands was very personal and emotional for me.

The feeling I get at Disney is different, but just as magical.

 

[shh]

I think there are things that Disney knocks out of the park and things that Uni knocks out of the park. It's just a matter of which of those things are most important to you.

Couldn't have said it better - exactly!

 

[Summer2018]

I don't at all. However, I know that many people do, and I respect their feelings and opinions. Everyone is different.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

I spent the weekend watching You Tube videos with my son about interactive wand spots, and I almost got teary just thinking about how excited I am. So, yes, Universal to me is magical.

In saying that, I do think that like WDW, part of the magic comes from staying onsite. I feel the magic at WDW, but not really at Disneyland, and I account that to being immersed in a bubble.
Being able to walk to Universal from a deluxe and use an included express pass is definitely part of what makes the experience feel extra special.
As bumbershoot memtioned above, fastpass doesn’t even compare. It might cost in the form of a more expensive hotel, but once you have it, you don’t feel nickle and dimed like I am feeling a bit this trip by all the optional extras at Disney.

 

[Summer2018]

I spent the weekend watching You Tube videos with my son about interactive wand spots, and I almost got teary just thinking about how excited I am. So, yes, Universal to me is magical.

In saying that, I do think that like WDW, part of the magic comes from staying onsite. I feel the magic at WDW, but not really at Disneyland, and I account that to being immersed in a bubble.
Being able to walk to Universal from a deluxe and use an included express pass is definitely part of what makes the experience feel extra special.
As bumbershoot memtioned above, fastpass doesn’t even compare. It might cost in the form of a more expensive hotel, but once you have it, you don’t feel nickle and dimed like I am feeling a bit this trip by all the optional costs at Disney.

I wish we had stayed at a deluxe onsite resort and were aware of the express pass when we went to Universal. I think it would have made our trip better. We had already spent more than a week at WDW at the Beach Club, and we were very sad about leaving there. Universal was at the end of our trip. Funds were running low, and we were staying at an off-site hotel having no idea that people staying onsite were going to have access to the parks before us. The hotel wasn't as nice as expected, and the shuttle to Univ. was awful. Getting into the park was confusing, not at all what we were used to, and it was already jam-packed at "rope drop." Harry Potter was body to body to body. We didn't get to do everything we hoped for, and there was no magic whatsoever. We couldn't wait to return to our crappy hotel and call it a day.

Had we researched things more and stayed onsite, I believe we would have had a completely different experience. I still don't think it could compare to the magic I feel inside the WDW bubble, but I think my DD would have felt it being such a huge Harry Potter fan. i know she will return one day and do Universal the right way. As for me, you will find me in WDW at the Polynesian, sipping a Captain's Mai Tai by the pool.

 

[crostorfer]

Since the Wizarding World opened, absolutely. I cried walking through the gates of Hogsmeade for the first time. It was like actually stepping into the pages of a book. I love Disney, but because I'm so emotionally attached to the boy wizard, I haven't ever been able to replicate that feeling I get there on WDW property. Its MORE immersive, its MORE inclusive.

Unfortunately, every year that passes Disney keeps becoming LESS magical for me, but that is a rant for a different thread.

 

[keishashadow]

I’ve been a disney gal since I was a ‘lil, it is my happy place. I am utterly relaxed there, it is truly a bit of a second home. Nice to put it on auto-pilot when I step into the bubble.

Universal is more of a special treat since I have to pay for accommodations there lol. It’s definitely more exciting. Tends to engage & challenge me, keeps me on my toes and if I don’t work it into a Disney trip am disappointed.

 

[Danadanes]

I think the above poster is right about being onsite. If you treat uni as an amusement park diversion from your Disney vacation (aka going one day from your Disney hotel) then no, you won't get the allure. Stay onsite for 3 plus nights at a hotel with express and you will get it.

 

[VacaPlanner2012]

I will chime in, but with nothing new to say. EveDallas was spot on, and I totally get with what keishashadow says, but I am the opposite. I just feel calm at Univeral, and I feel very rushed at Disney. Just personal.

I plan a lot of vacations for my friends and family, and we have fun wherever we go, but I would not define myself as "calm", not my nature. Except at Universal. I don't find it at Disney, I don't find it in Jamaica, I don't find it in museums in big cities. When I am at Universal, things align for me. It starts when the boat goes under the bridge from RPR and I first see City Walk. It continues when I get to Confisco Grill, see Toon Lagoon/Jurassic Park areas, and when I ride Mummy. But, there is nothing in my world that compares to the castle and the bank, that is truly magical for me!