Should You Vacation at Universal or Disney?
Disney and Universal are, without a doubt, the biggest theme park experiences in Orlando. However, it’s not always possible to fit both into one trip to Orlando. So let’s say you have to narrow it down to one experience…which should you choose? Here are some great questions to consider when making your decision.
How Old And/Or Adventurous Is Your Group?
If you have older kids or kids who love big roller coasters and thrill rides with lots of drops and turns, Universal would be the way to go. Disney has a few rides that I would consider bigger thrills, like Space Mountain, Rock n Roll Coaster, Tower of Terror, and Expedition Everest. However, most of their rides are slower moving or what I would consider mid-level thrill. Universal has quite a few kid-friendly rides, but they also have many roller coasters and 3D rides, including their newest, The Velocicoaster, to keep everyone’s hair on end. Disney tends to have more “magic” and is especially incredible for small children and those wanting a nostalgic and iconic experience.
What Kind Of Characters Are You Interested In?
Here’s the skinny of who’s at what park:
Disney
Marvel (so far at Disneyland only)
All Disney movies (which is substantial, of course)
Star Wars
Universal
Harry Potter
Dr. Seuss
DreamWorks (Trolls + Shrek)
Most Spielberg movies except for Indiana Jones (Jurassic Park/World, E.T.)
Some Marvel characters (Spiderman + the Hulk)
Fast and the Furious
Transformers
The Mummy
Curious George
Dora the Explorer
Illumination (Minions, Secret Life of Pets)
and more!
How Many Days Do You Have?
Disney World is enormous. I recommend a minimum of 4 days, but more is better. They have four main theme parks (excluding their water parks), which are all incredible. There is no way to do it all in one day per park, but you can hit the highlights.
Universal has two parks (three, if you count their waterpark) and is a bit more manageable for a shorter trip. If you set an aggressive schedule, you can do everything in a day, especially with an express pass. I’d recommend three days, and you should be able to hit everything.
How Much Do You Like To Plan?
You can no longer show up to a Disney park and buy a ticket the day of and expect to get in. Beyond tickets, you have dinner reservations, park reservations, and possibly lightning lane planning that must be completed. Universal is smaller and more friendly for those who like to wing it. If you use a travel planner (like me, hi!), they can make either trip much smoother and let you know about the ins and outs of each park beforehand, but Disney requires more work upfront.
Check out my Universal and Disney 101 pages for more planning tips! They are great places to get started.