Universal, Disney, or Both? Where do you stand in the biggest theme park debate?
Image: UniversalJett Farrell-Vega:
I fall undeniably in the Disney camp. I will give it to Universal that they have far better thrill rides. I would even venture to say that they still have Disney beat on immersive ride technology. I am not really a Harry Potter fan, but I have to say that Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is one of the most insanely immersive rides I have ever experienced. The technology is absolutely mind-blowing, and I personally feel like it leaves Avatar: Flight of Passage in the dust. The theming of the two Harry Potter lands is spectacular. Universal also has the market cornered on teenagers.
However, for me, Disney wins overall. Whenever I visit Universal – even Islands of Adventure – the experience feels extremely disjointed, particularly at Universal Studios Orlando park. It feels like a hodge-podge of rides pieced together to make a theme park. Islands of Adventure is an amazing park that does a little better, but I still have to give it to Disney. With the exception of the Harry Potter areas, The Lost Continent, and perhaps the Jurassic Park section, the theming still misses the mark for me. Disney’s parks feel much more seamless to me, and the stories make more sense.
Image: UniversalI also think that Disney has Universal absolutely trounced on food. With the exception of the Mythos restaurant, too much of Universal’s food choices are the same variations on classic American food, whereas Disney has so many more choices, and many of those dining experiences are very immersive in themselves. In most cases, I also find Disney’s cast members more helpful and friendly. My other points against Universal are poor crowd control (the locker areas are particularly bad), lack of air conditioning at too many locations, and too many ride breakdowns.
Amanda Kondolojy:
Image: DisneyBOTH. I love Disney for the history and classic rides like Space Mountain, the Haunted Mansion, and the Tower of Terror. Disney parks are also very easy to just show up to and walk around for a few hours. Bored on a Wednesday? Stop by Disney’s Animal Kingdom, grab a drink at the Dawa bar, take a spin on the Safaris, and then head home before the afternoon rain comes in. Disney also always has something “new” going on thanks largely to Epcot’s year round festivals.
HOWEVER, Universal has Disney beat in some big ways. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter continues to impress with every new attraction they open, and rides like The Mummy and The Adventures of Spider-Man are undeniably modern classics. Though Universal has made some big fumbles lately (Chopping up the USH Studios tour and making it into Skull Island: Reign of Kong and The Fast and the Furious: Supercharged has been a real misstep), Universal is still an amazing destination, and with special events like HHN and Mardi Gras getting better every year, the repeat visit factor continues to grow for Universal, even if it’s not quite as high as Disney (at least for me) right now.
Brian Krosnick:
Image: UniversalIf I’m heading to Orlando, Universal is always my primary destination. After falling in love with Disneyland, I love that Universal Orlando’s scale is so similar – stay on International Drive, walk beautifully landscaped paths, end up in a plaza between parks so you can easily go back and forth between them…
I like that both Disneyland and Universal Orlando feel like they were “master-planned” as a resort (which, of course, they were… in 2001 and 1999 respectively) with all of the components fitting together in a really thoughtful and modern way. I definitely know Universal has problems (Customer service. “Attitude.” Screens!) but I appreciate its push to keep up, and I *love* Islands of Adventure. The Wizarding World only reinforced that Universal should be a destination.
As someone who grew up at Walt Disney World before “discovering” Disneyland at the age of 10, any Disney-focused vacation for me now heads to California. And thanks to being “spoiled” by Disneyland’s ride lineup, chill atmosphere, paper Fastpass, relaxed locals, walkability, and California Adventure, I’m fully in that camp now.
Image: DisneyBecause of that, I just… don’t love Magic Kingdom. I don’t think it has a standout anchor attraction that makes it a must-visit (it’s basically Disneyland without U, V, W, X, Y, and Z in that regard) and I prefer Disneyland’s ’50s charm and scale over Magic Kingdom’s monumental ’70s one. Epcot is currently meh. Hollywood Studios… well, you know.
I appreciate Walt Disney World as a monolithic international destination, and every time I make it to Orlando (maybe every 5 years), I definitely jump over to Disney World to see the new “thing” at each park (I still haven’t seen Pandora… oops…), but since that really needs at LEAST a three-day Parkhopper, that’s not cheap… I can’t picture myself planning a vacation *for* Disney World…
Natalie Sim:
Image: DisneyLiving in the UK with two young children, the last time we were able to visit Florida was 2013. At that point we had a nine-month-old who was amazed by everything at Disney and Universal and was just happy being carried around and taking in all the sights and sounds and atmosphere of both Disney and Universal. Nick and I visited Florida on our honeymoon for the first time in 2009, so my decision for this question is coming from those two visits. Our “home” Disney Park is Disneyland Paris. I visited there last in 2014 and am going there to celebrate what would have been our 10-year wedding anniversary in August.
This is the ultimate question and is so hard because there are so many amazing points for both, but if my life depended on it and I had to decide I would have to go Disney. The simple reason being that there is nothing that can top that feeling of walking into the Park with the music and atmosphere of Main Street hand in hand with those that you love knowing that you are stepping into a magical world for the day free of worry, pain and anxiety and just full of fun! It’s the combination of the sight of the castle and smiles all around, the sound of the familiar music and laughter, the smell of the bakery and the touch of a hand that makes it the perfect combination.
Having said that, the spectacle and thrill of Hogwarts at Universal, Spiderman and the Mummy is on a different level of experience as the rides at Universal are just awesome.
Ashley Varela:
Image: UniversalFamily vacations and childhood nostalgia makes me a little biased here, but I’m firmly in Disney’s camp. While I absolutely love what Universal has done with the Harry Potter franchise, I’m more drawn to the Disney Parks’ cohesive branding and compelling history.
With the lone exception of Butterbeer, Disney also offers a much more diverse selection of dining experiences and entertainment options throughout each of their parks, so I feel like I can visit again and again and try something new every time.
Since I’m not as personally invested in some of Universal’s IP (Despicable Me, King Kong, Simpsons, etc.) and I’m not a thrill junkie, I find it difficult to spend more than half a day at any Universal park – and outside of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, it doesn’t feel like there are new things to explore each time I visit, either.
David Mumpower:
Image: UniversalIf Disney didn’t exist, Universal Studios would be my second-favorite theme park in the world (behind Cedar Point). And the gap between Cedar Point and Disney, my favorite, is a chasm. So…
Look, I love Harry Potter and was actually on the bandwagon a long time before most people. I have a first edition of every book from Prisoner of Azkaban on, and the sensation of escaping to the Wizarding World remains wonderful.
Still, when you compared those themed lands to Pandora — The World of Avatar, the difference in quality at Disney parks is undeniable. My *favorite* Universal attraction is The Simpsons Ride. It wouldn’t finish in the top 10 of my greater Orlando area rankings.
Image: DisneyI don’t live in Florida, yet I’m a Disney Vacation Club member who owns a Platinum Plus pass to WDW. I vote with my wallet which park I prefer to the point that I only spend time at Universal about every fifth trip. It’s a $30 Uber ride away, yet I don’t do it most of the time.
All of those motion-simulation rides are lazy and wholly lacking in creativity. Until Universal tries to deliver a more robust, nuanced customer experience, it’ll always fall far behind Disney, at least for me.
