Choosing between Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Orlando Resort?
Go to both.
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...okay, let's try to explore this heavyweight fight a little bit. Let’s start with the basic information, Walt Disney World includes FOUR main theme parks, one water park, and entertainment spots, here are the exact names:
- Magic Kingdom
- Hollywood Studios
- EPCOT
- Animal Kingdom
- Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park
- Disney's Blizzard Beach (yay, another water park).
- Disney Springs
The most popular theme park is Magic Kingdom, with more than 17 million visitors a year. It's one of the most classic theme parks in the world. In fact, Disney has 7 of the top 10 most popular theme parks in the world. Universal has the other 3. Let's say that they are pretty powerful.
On the other hand, we have Universal Orlando Resort, which counts with TWO main theme parks, one water par and also entertainment spots:
- Islands of Adventure
- Universal Studios Florida
- Volcano Bay
- Universal CityWalk
In this scenario, the most visited park from here is Island of Adventure, with over 11 million visitors a year. It's also considered one of the best theme parks in the world, often figuring in a top 5 list made by the Golden Ticket Award.
There is an upcoming park that will open in the summer of 2025 and will include Super Nintendo World Section, can you guess which one is it? Yes, we are talking about Universal Epic Universe.
Now the difference between these two juggernauts
Of course, when it comes to ticket prices, it's all about the date and the park you've got your eye on. A date on Christmas or Halloween will be more expensive. Here's a rundown of the basic costs for a one-day park ticket for anyone over 10 years old:
Disney World
Between 109 and 184 USD
Orlando Universal
Between 109 and 159 USD
If you're keen on skipping those never-ending lines, here are some extra options you can tack onto your ticket price:
Disney World
Disney Genie+: Between $18 and $35 per person, per day, depending on the date and traffic.
Individual Lightning Lanes: Between $12 and $25 for certain rides, per person, per day, depending on date and traffic.
Universal Orlando
Unlimited Express Pass: Between 90 and 300 USD, per person. You don't need to book attractions or anything like that, just head to the entrance and you are good to go.
Character meetings in both Parks:
This is crucial because your park choice will heavily influence the characters you'll encounter. Let's break down which characters you can expect to meet at each park:
Disney World
- Mickey Mouse and Minnie
- Goofy, Donald Duck
- Stitch
- Ariel
- Tiana
- Dingo
- Merida
- Elsa
- Olaf and Anna, Belle
- Others: Cinderella, Bambi, Snow White, Aladdin, Pocahontas and Wall-E.Star Wars franchise (BB-8, Darth Vader, Grogu, Han Solo) from the Pixar franchise (Flash McQueen, Tow Mater, Woody, Buzz Lightyear) Marvel franchise (Ant-Man, Captain America, Hulk, Iron Man, Spider-Man)
Universal Orlando
- Harry Potter
- The Simpsons
- Dreamworks
- Minions and Hello Kitty
- Transformers
- Shrek and Princess Fiona
- Curious George, Dr. Seuss, The Grinch, Cat in the Hat, and The Lorax
Fast & Furious - Jurassic Park and Revenge of the Mummy
- Kung-Fu Panda and the Madagascar Gang
What’s the winner between Universal and Disney?
If you are traveling with children or multi-age groups, your best choice is Walt Disney World.It's much more easily to accommodate different kinds of people. If you are looking for adventure, head to Universal Orlando, you won’t regret it! Islands of Adventure has some of the best rides in the world, like Hagrid's Motorbike Adventure and Jurassic World VelociCoaster, so you can't go wrong with it.
The boring answer, though?
Visit both resorts. They are only 40 minutes away from each other, and if you are in Orlando, you should just go to every theme park they have to offer. We can help with that! Contact us free of charge, and let us create your next amazing vacation together!
