Skip AK to go to Universal Studios?

The drive between Disney's Pop Century hotel and Islands of Adventure is 14miles, mostly via the I-4 highway.
It takes about 30minutes, slightly longer in traffic. (Art of Animation =12miles, while the Grand Floridian =17miles)

AND...

Grand Floridian to Animal Kingdom also takes time. They are 6.4 miles and 10 minutes apart. If you take the WDW bus, you'll also wait for the bus to arrive, plus the AK bus stops at the water park.

= Not much of a time difference, if any. (Depends how long it takes for bus to arrive)
 
First timers typically allow a full day for each theme park. In addition to rides, all Orlando theme parks have non-rides to see, and you'll also lose time in lines. There are waits all over the parks: to get food, at security, restrooms, at cash registers to buy merchandise, etc. It all adds up. As a WDW repeater, I skip some things. You might want to see all, or you might want to skip some, like some gift shops.

Also , both WDW and Universal charge extra for park hopping. (going to 2 parks in one day). Disney charges about $75, and Universal charges about $60.

So 3 days of WDW, no hopping = $331-$476 (adult tickets, variable depending on your dates)
Four days at WDW, no hopping = $426-$596
If you want to hop, add $75 = so now each person's 3 day ticket will cost = $405-$550.

A 1 day Universal, no hopping ticket = $121-130. (depends on time of year)
A one day Universal hopper = $180-$188.

So, not counting transportation, and using the value season pricing:

4 days WDW, no hop, 4 adults = $1704
3 days WDW +hop, AND 1 day Universal, no hop, for 4 adults = $1624 +$484 = $2108

Since OP has an 8 year old, the child ticket would be a few $ less, but these are ballpark numbers.

Just tickets, not transportation, the cost to add hopping+ go to Universal is about $400 extra.
If you opt to use a taxi, add about $80 for round trip transportation. Lyft or Uber will roughly run $30-60.

So...I'll say a day at Universal roughly adds $450+ to the cost of your trip (instead of 4 non-hop days at WDW.
In my opinion, cost is the biggest factor. the logistics are easy. It is simple get a taxi at all WDW hotels.

To make it work cost-wise for us...we usually buy Universal annual passes. Do Universal now for one day+ a 2nd trip less than a year from now....Universal's AP's run as low as $325 each. For 4 people =$1300, which is only $145 more per person than 1 day hoppers. So less than the cost of buying another 1 day ticket, you can return many times.
But do make sure you understand all the details, the price I list is for Universal's lowest $ AP.
 
I have to go with everybody else.

You do not have enough time to do disney AND universal. Pick one or the other.

Disney is great esp for kids the age of yours. But there is a lot of waiting at disney during normal times. I don't think you understand how much waiting there is. You will get 3 fast passes for rides, and maybe if you are lucky a few more. The lines are going to be LONG. They are always long but with the new openings around the time you are going, I expect them to be extra long. If you are going to be using disney buses, that adds on a whole new level of waiting. Nothing is close to anything else in disney world.

Let me make a case for turning this into a universal vacation with maybe one day in the magic kingdom. You have three days without squeezing an extra day so let's go with that. With the length of your stay and the time you are planning, I think disney is going to be crazy or should I say craizer than usual. Predictions of crowds are all over the map, but even I am tempted and I gave up disney 5 years ago.

If you stay at one of the top three hotels on universal property, you get free express pass. That is like a fast pass on every ride as many times as you want to ride something and you don't have to make decisions about what and when you want to ride something 3 months in advance. See something that interest you, get in the express line and ride. You are not going to do that at disney. It is pretty much one time and done at disney.

The last time I was at the magic kindom, the kids I was with really enjoyed buzz light year, but after the fast pass, the line was 45 min long, so it was one time and done. At Universal, men in black is very similar and we rode that about 5 times in about 40 min. I rode Kong 5 times in a row because it makes me laugh and still had enough time to leave the parks early to have a nice supper off site.

Most people think the universal hotels are a little nicer than disney and they are cheaper. You can pool hop from hotel to hotel. Everything at universal is right there. Minutes away. And with express pass, you will have time to pool hop or do other evening activities without stretching your day. Cabana bay has a lazy river and a fire pit you can do smores at. There is mini golf in city walk, again, very close to the hotels.

Whatever the parade is at universal when you are there. Find a spot 5-10 min before and you are good. At disney, you will have to stake out your spot at a min of 1 hour before. By the time you have watched the parade at disney, that has cost you 2 hours out of your day. The reason disney parks are open later than universal. If they closed as early as universal, nobody would get to do anything. Of course, being in the parks late every day just makes you more tired the next day.

There is plenty to do for children the age of yours at universal, and let's not forget the interactive wands. Perfect for children in the age of yours although, I have seen adults with no children doing them.

If you decide not to take my suggestion, totally understandable. Universal is not disney, thank goodness.

But universal with an express pass is unbelievably satisfying, calm and relaxing. Food is good. Great places to eat in city walk, which is right there. Your day in the parks can easily be shorter to do other things without missing things you want to do in the parks. The train ride between the two parks is 5 minutes if you want to park hop vs a min of an hour to park hop at disney probably a lot more time. At the end of a nice park visit, it will be a short wait if any for a boat back to your hotel, or you can even take a short walk. You would probably be back at your hotel before the disney bus would even be there to pick you up unless you got real lucky, and then you may not actually get a seat.

With the very short about of time you will have you are not going to be able to fully do disney, whereas you will be able to fully do Universal.

In all honesty, I would plan another trip for when disney will have probably settled down a good bit. It is true universal will be opening a new harry potter ride and I do expect crowds to swell at that time, but with express, that should not be a big deal for you, plus it is one ride in one park, and I am hoping the new ride with thin out other areas.

Think about it, a nice relaxing, enjoyable park experience, against the craziness I expect disney to be.
 
Ok so the general consensus is skip US. My daughter just wanted to see the Harry Potter themed area but I didn't realize it was that large and required so much time to cover it all.

I'm not super worried about doing Disney in 4 days because 4 days of rides is A LOT. My kids like rides, but not that much. It's more about the atmosphere and vibe and all the other little experiences like fireworks, parades and magical feeling.
My kids aren't so much into animals and hate even going to the zoo so that's why I was going to skip AK. Now Im reconsidering.

I was reading that last week of August and September were considered less busy season. I'm guessing because of the new SW that is going to change things. I might have to reconsider dates too.

Thanks for everyone who provided input. It was super useful.
 


Visiting both Disney World, and Universal in such a (relatively) short trip is going to be quite expensive, and you really won't have enough time to see everything at either resort. I would spend the extra day at AK. It truly is an amazing park, with quite a lot to see, and do.
 
Ok so the general consensus is skip US. My daughter just wanted to see the Harry Potter themed area but I didn't realize it was that large and required so much time to cover it all.

I'm not super worried about doing Disney in 4 days because 4 days of rides is A LOT. My kids like rides, but not that much. It's more about the atmosphere and vibe and all the other little experiences like fireworks, parades and magical feeling.
My kids aren't so much into animals and hate even going to the zoo so that's why I was going to skip AK. Now Im reconsidering.

I was reading that last week of August and September were considered less busy season. I'm guessing because of the new SW that is going to change things. I might have to reconsider dates too.

Thanks for everyone who provided input. It was super useful.

AK really isn’t as much about animals as you’d think, there are more rides and shows than there are animal encounters. But it’s certainly themed around animals. If you think that’s not your families cup of tea do two days at MK, one at Epcot, and one at HS. Although I’m guessing kids of that age would enjoy AK more than Epcot even if they don’t realize yet.
 
I enjoy Universal and Disney.
I would disagree that AK is a half day park. If you only want to do a few rides, skip the shows and the trails it could be done in half a day. But you would be missing a lot.
I would agree with the others that you are really there too short of time to try and do both.
With SWGE having just opened, I would skip HS as i expect that to be ridiculously busy. SWGE opens August 29th.
 


AP Holder for DW and US and LOVE them both for totally different reasons. Since your trip is soooo short (3 nights) for DW I would focus just on DW and don't attempt a National Lampoon vacation. Relax, enjoy yourself, and be in the DW moment. Save US for another trip and most importantly stay at their on-site hotels that offer Express Passes with your hotel reservation, i.e. Royal Pacific, Hard Rock etc. We have found that kids, especially boys, (age 8 and up) who really enjoy roller coasters, Marvel Comics Super Heroes, Harry Potter and Dinosaurs prefer US over DW anyday. Boys are not into the heavy Princess emphasis at DW. In fact they are so jaded they no longer want to go to DW - over crowded and not enough constant stimulation. You can't beat the US Express Passes for kids going on rides over and over again back to back. DW is wonderful but as kids get older their interests change and may find US more to their liking. But the key is stay on-site at an Express Pass hotel. Enjoy your DW trip and start planning and considering US for your next trip.
 
I agree with the others. Your trip is too short to do both WDW and Universal. Concentrate on WDW, and save Universal for its own trip.
 
Ok so the general consensus is skip US. My daughter just wanted to see the Harry Potter themed area but I didn't realize it was that large and required so much time to cover it all.

I'm not super worried about doing Disney in 4 days because 4 days of rides is A LOT. My kids like rides, but not that much. It's more about the atmosphere and vibe and all the other little experiences like fireworks, parades and magical feeling.
My kids aren't so much into animals and hate even going to the zoo so that's why I was going to skip AK. Now Im reconsidering.

I was reading that last week of August and September were considered less busy season. I'm guessing because of the new SW that is going to change things. I might have to reconsider dates too.

Thanks for everyone who provided input. It was super useful.
If you go maybe the second to last week in August you should be ok. You just missed the sun and fun room discount rates, but there's a chance other discounts will be offered so be on the lookout for those. 4 days will be enough to give you a taste of everything, but it definitely won't be A LOT. My cousins kids don't even like rides, they're too scared to go on any of the headliners, and they still fill up a 7 day trip every few years. You definitely need to research the specific rides and shows at each park and prioritize which you would like to see and have a rough plan for each day so that you can make the most of what little time you have.
 
AK is generally a half day park for us, but I would still do that over Universal. As much as I love Universal, it would not be an efficient use of your time or money. I think the money would be better spent on a park hopper ticket so that if AK doesn't take you a full day, you can hop elsewhere. It would give you more flexibility around WDW and that extra day can be used to cover the areas of the parks you missed.
 
Universal is my happy place, but I concur that you just don't have enough time, even for Disney alone. It seems you haven't really booked yet, so you might want to reevaluate where your budget is going on the trip. Look at options for off-site or value hotels where you could spend less on the room while adding more days.

If you have a Harry Potter fan, the HP areas are incredible - one of my favorite activities is to sit near the entrance and watch peoples' faces when they enter for the first time. Even adults often have a look of pure wonder. Heck, I get teary eyed when I haven't been there in a while. So, I wouldn't necessarily discount Universal if you have a big HP fan, but I would see if different choices could be made with your budget to fit them in.
 
You could easily see both HP lands in one day. I have visited both lands in one day many times,
if that is what you want to do. Just understand HP is two lands, not one. Hogsmeade is located on Islands of Adventure and Diagon Alley is located in the park called Universal Studios. Universal charges a premium to visit both lands in one day.

So cost wise, you'll pay far less if you pick either WDW or Universal.

Second, there is more to Universal than the Harry Potter areas. I think, what folks a re saying is that you won't be able to see EVERYTHING in just 4 days.

Just talking food: WDW and Universal each have over 100 restaurants, and many are elaborately themed. Even if you ate 5 meals a day, that would only =20 meals.

Four days will = choices of one kind or another.

If you are into atmosphere and exploring, then I suggest Epcot, Magic Kingdom, and if you want to pay the extra cost of admission: Diagon Alley. I would also suggest - here's a crazy idea - consider a non-park day! We have bee to WDW many times, and stayed at just about all of the WDW. weather allowing, we usually spend half a day just at our WDW hotel. All the WDW hotels have beautiful themed pools and grounds to explore.

You cold likely spend a full 4 days just exploring all of WDW. Some of the WDW hotels are connected by (free) monorail . others are linked by (free) shuttle boats, all offer free busing to all of the parks. Animal Kingdom Lodge has animals you can see for free. You can even watch them while you dine at Sanaa. Over at the Boardwalk, you can rent a surrey bike (holds 4 people together). All the resorts have multiple gift shops to explore. Most WDW hotels offer lake views and walking paths around those lakes. Multiple WDW hotels feature live music part of the day. Anyone can sit in the lobby of the Grand Floridian for free while the live pianist plays Disney songs.

The Universal hotels are also elaborately themed, with free shuttle boats, paths, elaborate pools, and live musicians. the Hard Rock has live poolside musician every afternoon (weather permitting).

I think all the WDW and Universal hotel pools feature pool games every afternoon. Most WDW hotels also regularly offer PM movies on big outdoor screens, and other activities.

And if that isn't enough....you could also go on a Hidden Mickey scavenger hunt! Oh, do read up about hidden Mickeys. It is great fun to search for them as you explore WDW.

If that isn't enough, WDW and Universal also have themed mini golf, live dinner shows, and many shops to explore. Disney Springs has tons of shops to explore; many are highly themed. The Lego store, for example, is decorated with a number of VERY large Lego creations. There's also a Coca-Cola store, and the World of Disney, House of Blues (live blues while you eat), and multiple AMAZING confectionary shops! The shops sell Disney themed everything: high end purses, adult cosplay, art prints, kids costumes, toys galore, Disney candies, Disney socks, Disney themed cookware, TONS of jewelry...you name it, they probably sell a Disney themed version of it! I would say Disney Springs is free, but odds are high you'll end up spending money there.

Traditionally, September was a slow month at WDW. That's why they are opening the new ride then -so it isn't slow this year. There are multiple reasons why it is a slow month: hot, hurricane season, start of the school year, frequent afternoon rain storms. I don't think it will be slow this year. If you want a slower time, go in August (before 8/29).

Also know, at WDW, dining reservations start 180 days (half a year!) before you arrive. You don't have to book any table service dining, but the best ones get fully booked that far in advance! Yes, it is that crazy! You also get to book 3 fastpasses at 60 days (if you stay at a WDW hotel). So please read about how both of those work.

Universal is a little more flexible. If you stay at the Hard Rock, Portofino, or Royal Pacific, those hotels include a perk called Express Pass. Express Pass = you don't generally wait more than about 15 for most rides. Universal is also more flexible when it comes to dining. They take reservations, but most also take walk-ups (with a wait).

Oh, one more thing...at both Universal DO understand the cost of food! Character meals and buffets can be quite $$$, but you can look at menus online. Some meals easily run $50 per person!
 

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