Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure vs Disneyworld

[Michaelsch]

We are taking our daughter who will just be turning 4 to Disneyworld. We have about 5.5 days at Disneyworld then we are going to the beach for two days and then coming back to Orlando one day before we fly home. We were planning on a waterpwate that last day .

My question is, would it be worth it to take time out of one of the Disney Parks to visit Universal? Or even instead of the water park? It will definitely cost more and that is a factor. Should we take her to Universal for a day or just do Disney the whole week?

 

[markb681]

IMO....Uni/IOA are just not geared to younger guest...Very few rides for kids that young! To me its seems that they have given up the chase of small children and have let Disney have them...BUT when they are in the 8/9 yr old group and older...That's when they start wanting to do bigger rides and IMO that where Uni/IOA beat Disney...I'd much rather go to Uni/IOA than WDW just for the fact that most of the rides AREN'T kid friendly...Give ur daughter a few more years and IF she's anything like my daughter she will be burnt out on Disney Princesses and will move onto more challenging rides like the ones at Uni/IOA

 

[FCDub]

It’s hard to say if it’s “worth it” without more information.

Have you looked at the attractions Universal offers? Do you think she’d be interested by them? If not, then no. But if yes, then it’s something you could consider.

 

[jwolfpack]

In my opinion, Universal isn't worth it until your child is 8-10 years old.

 

[OB1]

another vote along with the previous suggestions. It seems that the tweens & teens often go for Universal. More thrills for sure. The younger set will be very limited and may not recognize a lot of the characters. Stick to Disney for now.

 

[winnieofpooh]

I agree there won't be much for your daughter to do there. Most of it is roller coasters or moderately intense thrill rides. I think Disney would be a much more magical and beneficial experience, there's a lot more geared towards her age there.

 

[quandrea]

I’d stick with Disney. Doing both Resorts is so expensive and your daughter is quite young.

 

[CAS239]

With only a 4 yr old I'd stay at Disney. I'd go to Uni/IoA when their a few years older

 

[sponica]

I'd only go to Universal with someone that young if they LOVED harry potter, and even then it's a stretch....

 

[Hoodie]

At 4 - stick with Disney. Maybe Sea World if he likes animals, but Universal doesn't really have anything for her.

 

[Gussie Granger 1969]

What about Suess Landing? Isn’t that still there? My kids loved it when they were younger.

 

[DisneyTravelers2008]

In my opinion Universal inst worth it unless you or your kids are big Harry Potter fans. We are...so we have Universal annual passes...but we mostly use them to go to the Harry Potter sections and to ride the thrill rides / rollercoasters....yep...I have an annual pass just for access to butterbeer! LOL!

 

[ddavis3586]

I am actually going against the majority here. We have done Univeral and IOA both times we have been to Disney and have had a blast! The first time we went my daughter was 3 and she loved Seuss Landing, Curious George Play area and the Animal Actors show! There are quite a few play areas geared towards younger kids. The second time we went, my daughter was 6 and my son was 3 and both of them had a great time! Of course my daughter was able to ride more rides now, but my son at 3 was still able to do a few rides (E.T., all Dr. Seuss rides, and even King Kong!) *he is fearless*. The Jurassic Park play area is also amazing! He could have spent all day in there if we let him. Honestly, you are the best person to judge depending on what your daughter likes, but we truly did have a blast there! Planning our next trip for April 2019 to include Disney and Universal again!

 

[rrobin3051]

We just got back from a universal and beach trip. Our kids ranged from 4 to 12. We had a blast. Our 4 year old was 43 inches so she rode the majority of the rides..seemed like 42 was the magic number. That being said I would not do universal with a disney trip. 1 day is not enough...we did 5 days at universal and felt like we coukd use another day. So stick to just disney ..beach...and waterpark

 

[tlmadden73]

No way is Universal worth it for a 4 year old .. for just a 1 day trip.

1) Universal is a REALLY expensive ticket for just one day. Save a ton of money and just add on a day at WDW for a fraction of the cost.
2) A lot of the rides are geared towards older kids and adults .. either in the theme of the ride or the thrill factor.
(Most 4 year olds aren't going to know or care about Jimmy Fallon, Fast and Furious, Harry Potter or the Simpsons or Transformers (at least the awful movie ones)).
There are some great play areas and kid zones there, for sure, but not enough to make it "worth" doing a separate day there.

I usually see families with smaller children doing Sea World as an extra day as sea animals has more universal appeal.

if you are truly looking for something non-Disney to do? Go 40 minutes south and go to LEGOLAND .. THAT is entirely worth it for a 4-year old .. a fun little park, and probably won't be crowded AT ALL and there are tons of promos out there where kids go free with an adult admission.

We did a day there on my last trip when my son was 4 -- he and his friends, who we were vacationing with (ages 4-8) loved it. Besides MK it is probably the best theme park for kids of that age. Not much for adults, obviously, but it was fun for us to see the kids having fun. it was so not crowded, most rides were walk-ons and you could simply go on them over and over and over again.

 

[NYCgrrl]

At your child's current age Universal is for the parents' gratification based on cost and the fact that the areas dedicated for younger children are a take off of the Disney choices with different characters.

Since money is a factor(when is it not?) I'd save Universal for an older child.

 

[DisneyOma]

What about Suess Landing? Isn’t that still there? My kids loved it when they were younger.

Seuss Landing is great, but it's like going to WDW just for Fantasyland. No, wait, Fantasyland has way more stuff for little kids than Seuss Landing.

OP, if you go to Uni, are you picking one park, or the more expensive two park ticket? I don't think it's worth the money for a 4 year old to go just for one day unless you don't mind splitting up to take turns going on the rides/waiting for parent if you want to do the coasters.

 

[EveDallas]

We are taking our daughter who will just be turning 4 to Disneyworld. We have about 5.5 days at Disneyworld then we are going to the beach for two days and then coming back to Orlando one day before we fly home. We were planning on a waterpwate that last day .

My question is, would it be worth it to take time out of one of the Disney Parks to visit Universal? Or even instead of the water park? It will definitely cost more and that is a factor. Should we take her to Universal for a day or just do Disney the whole week?

Despite what most people are saying, there are actually quite a few rides for little ones. At the Studios, she can do Despicable Me, the Woody Woodpecker coaster, E.T., The Simpsons - as well as the whole Curious George play area. At IOA, she can do Spiderman, Pteranodon Flyers, Flight Of The Hippogriff, and all the rides in Suess Land, plus the Jurassic Park play area. Only you can decide if it is worth it, but there is lots of stuff she can do.

 

[monica9]

Would you consider seaworld? Does your daughter like Sesame Street? They are making a Sesame Street land soon which looks great. They have good rides and shows

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I'm with the others who suggest skipping Uni until your daughter is older. IMHO, it is simply not worth the hundreds of dollars you would spend on a 1-day ticket. I would wait until your child is older and into Marvel/Harry Potter, etc.

I would look into spending one more park day at WDW - the cost to upgrade your WDW ticket will be negligible compared to buying separate tickets to another Orlando attraction.