I can’t believe I’m going to say this but I like Universal better :(

[KsGiGi]

We have been to Universal several times in the last few years, and have not been to Disney in about 16 years. We love Universal. It is a more relaxing vacation, like others have said, you don't have to plan what you want to do 60 days ahead. We have a young grandson that we plan to take to Disney soon, and I dread planning this trip. There is so much effort that goes into planning a Disney trip, and since it has been so long since we have been, I don't really even know where to start. But, on the other hand, I can't wait!

 

[Davey Jones II]

We do both on every Orlando trip, but we still prefer Disney. The parks feel much more like real theme parks, not just a collection of rides and attractions (USF feels very much that way, although IOA is closer to what a theme park should be).

Disney is open later and has much more nighttime events and entertainment. Also, Universal has way too many simulators and screen-based rides, as people have been saying for years.

Yes, I did like the short wait times on weekdays at Universal. However, on Saturday, those wait times ballooned, so that's when we could have used the Express Pass.

 

[FLVacationGirl]

On my last 2 theme park trips to Orlando, I ended up switching from Disney to Universal pretty last minute. Disney had my heart first, but Universal has been winning it lately. They really have me with the onsite resorts (at a decent price) that include express passes and the boat transportation. And the lack of required planning.

I used to think the amount of planning for a good Disney trip was perfect, but now it feels overwhelming. I feel like I need to be there for a long time to do Disney properly, where as Universal I can do pretty well in 4 days. And I need to plan Disney one year out.

It's also taking so long to complete all of the new attractions at Disney World which is another reason for my family to push back trips. There is a good chance we are adding a quick Universal trip to a cruise this January because you can't really do a quick Disney stay. And my kids are also pushing for Universal over Disney and are okay with pushing back Disney another year. I hope that we do finally go back in 2019, that Disney lives up to our memories from our first 3 vacations there. Sorry that your trip didn't live up to past trips.

 

[FutureDisneyEventPlanner]

i love love LOVE WDW and will probably never give it up. but Disney needs to take serious notes from Universal when it comes to hotels. Universal hotels are far superior and you actually get value in the price that you're paying.

 

[pattyw]

Universal hotels are far superior and you actually get value in the price that you're paying.

And their employees are stellar!! The customer service there is great! You call THE FRONT DESK not a call center!!

 

[andrencau]

Just got back from Disney for the 5th time, 20th day in the last year. Found everything to be on par with every other year I have been to Disney for the past 15 years. Not sure where the trash was in the streets and lack of CMs. I am curious about the far superior hotels at US. Are we comparing Apples to Apples or is it like comparing POP Century to the Grand Floridian. Any issues we have had with our stays have been handled professionally. Can not say the same about other places we have stayed.

 

[FLVacationGirl]

Just got back from Disney for the 5th time, 20th day in the last year. Found everything to be on par with every other year I have been to Disney for the past 15 years. Not sure where the trash was in the streets and lack of CMs. I am curious about the far superior hotels at US. Are we comparing Apples to Apples or is it like comparing POP Century to the Grand Floridian. Any issues we have had with our stays have been handled professionally. Can not say the same about other places we have stayed.

So far at Universal, I've stayed at the Royal Pacific and The Portofino. They are in line with a Disney Deluxe but as others have said, you get more value with the included front of the line passes.

That is great to hear that your recent trip was fantastic!!

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I honestly didn’t like many of the rides at Universal, they are too intense for me I did love the feeling of the parks. The Harry Potter rides were just meh! However both Harry Potter lands are amazing.. the detail is unmatched..
I didn’t think Pandora was that fantastic, however FOP was the best ride I have ever been on. But the new Pandora world was well done it just didn’t hold a lot of interest for me.

I love Universal. I love WDW just a smidge more but still.

I can't do simulator after simulator (I can handle some just can't do a lot) and I'm not a big rollercoaster person (I don't like big huge drops and upside down stuff) but I still find enough to do at Universal. My husband loves those bigger rides and I'm content just enjoying the ambience while he rides the rides I won't go on.

Now we don't do EP but we have the last 2 trips done 3 days (2 days plus 1 day free tickets). Park-to-park is also our go to.

Universal has a very laid back feel to it. CityWalk is also nice to have right there.

Both WDW and Universal have their pros and cons to them. I'm glad to hear you had a good time at Universal!

 

[dlavender]

We've been migrating slowly to Uni.

As has been stated, we love the more laid back feel.

The hotels are far superior. Especially at the price point.

For example, we stayed in a Cabana bay family suite for $200/night. A similar accommodation at WDW is going to run you at least $300, if you can get it. That hotel is fabulous! The amenities are better than what WDW offers. We've stayed at Royal Pacific, a month after our Poly stay. RPR was $300 less a night, and we enjoyed it more.

Our youngest are still too small to really enjoy Uni to its fullest. But when that changes, we will continue our "migration".

 

[jane2073]

We were WDW pass holders for 10 years. This year we opted to renew our Universal pass and drop WDW.
It does feel weird but Universal is filling the void pretty well.
We got annual passes for the first time last year and had a lot of fun. They have many holiday events that you don't have to pay extra to enjoy.