Universal for a day worth it?

[DisneyAddictTom122]

Ill premise the question by saying my fiance and I are huge Disney fans and specifically love going to WDW because of the so called "Disney Bubble." The thought of leaving WDW property even for part of a day has always seemed like a waste of time to us or like we might miss out on something on property. We love visiting WDW so much that we have never even looked into or thought of visiting another part or area of Florida (with the exception of the Keys) because we would know that we are in FLA and that to us means Disney. We do have many friends who are fans of WDW as well but keep telling us to visit Universal for a day.

Some side notes that might sway some opinions here: My fiance and I are both late twenties and have no kids, our typical WDW vacation is 100% on property - we stay at a WDW hotel, essentially remove ourselves from our typical lives (social media, cell phone use, etc at a minimum and really only if needed), simply put we love how WDW immerses us in another world that is magical. We typically do 8 days (minus 2 for travel gives us 6 full days) and in that we take 4 days for parks and 2 for other activities (Disney Springs, resort hopping, massages, relaxing, etc). We do enjoy the adult side of Disney as well - meaning going out at night for drinks at Disney Springs or if in a park like Epcot, drinking around the world.

That brings me to the question or I guess in this case more of a poll/opinion of others that love WDW as we do.... Is it worth taking a day out of a WDW vacation to visit Universal?

If we were to take one of our days would we really be able to do a whole lot at Universal? Is the cost to get to Universal from WDW plus the cost of Universal (tickets, food etc) justifiable when compared to what we could do if we stay on property? WDW has that magic we love to be surrounded by and from what I know of Universal it leads me to believe we would be going for a day just to compare it to WDW - do a couple of rides, have some drinks and food, walk around a bit to take in the scenery. I feel like I am not giving Universal a chance but in my mind I'm almost 100% sure that after an hour or so in Universal we will be silently counting down until we get back to the magic of WDW.

 

[KenHutch]

I am being semi forced into this. At the one year mark I asked all of my daughters extended family if they wanted to do 2 days at Universal. The all said no. Then about 4 months ago her half sister (my god daughter) discovered Harry Potter. I could not say no to a 7 year old and so I have bought 4 2-Park 1 day tickers with the Universal Meal Plan. They are planning on doing only the 2 Harry Potter areas for the entire trip. I will be honest I winced at the $800 dollar cost for everything but I have a lot of trouble saying no to my god daughter. Now at 7/8 she is an uber planner who has informed me that they can do everything in Harry Potter in one day and possibly 2 or 3 rides outside Harry. I know it must be expensive because she has asked for half of her loot money for a two week trip for that one day ($400). But I expect the 2 of you would not need the massive list of stuff she is planning on getting.

 

[randumb0]

I love Universal. If you've never visited then you should definitely give it a try

 

[jwolfpack]

I totally get the concept of the "Disney bubble" and not wanting to burst it. Are you Harry Potter fans? If so, I think you'd appreciate the theming and immersive feel of those areas in Universal. If you're not, I'd skip.

We are die hard Disney fans, and we added 1 day at Universal on the front end of our last trip. Because my oldest daughter had just finished reading the Harry Potter books and was OBSESSED, it was worth it. Had that not been the case, it would have been a waste of time and money for us. We go to theme parks for the "feeling" not just the rides, and its hard to explain how Disney does that for us, but Universal does not.

By the time you book tickets (both parks needed for full Harry Potter experience) and purchase express pass (so that you can be efficient and get back to or to Disney ASAP!), it ends up being very expensive. We ended up adding a night at a Universal hotel on the front end of our trip so that we got express pass + early entry privileges. We are currently planning our next Disney trip and despite all of our kids being older and tall enough to ride most things at Universal now, we are going to skip and stick with just Disney.

 

[DisneyLore]

I would say if you are a Harry Potter fan you should go! But I really get where you are coming from, I love my Disney bubble. We generally take 6 days in Disney and 1 day at Universal (always a 1 day park to park ticket) but I really like to do Universal the first day so that I can immerse myself in Disney as soon as day 2 arrives without ever leaving it. Now financially it is another story, it is really pricey for one day, I would say invest in going once because there is a lot to love about Universal. The rides are excellent (with the exception of FOP) they are some of my favorites, and the theming is wonderful in all the different areas(not Disney but really really good). I usually find 1 day enough for me but I enjoy it very much. If you decide to give it a try, try it on the first day so you don't leave your Disney bubble once you enter your first Disney park, and then if it is something you really enjoy you could add a couple of days at the beginning and try staying at a resort for 2 or 3 nights and then moving to Disney. Either way, you can go to Universal without losing your Disney Bubble as long as it is at the very beginning! Enjoy either way!

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Based on how you've described yourself, IMHO, unless you are Harry Potter fans, I would not bother with Uni. I am also a huge WDW fan and have visited Uni twice (specifically for HP as my DS finished the entire book series and that was his reward). The theming and detail at Wizarding World of Harry Potter is exceptional. Truly an incredible, immersive experience (that, I dare say, is better than anything currently at WDW). But the rest of Uni is seriously tacky, IMHO. If you have any interest in HP, perhaps consider a 1 day, park-to-park ticket and uber over from WDW for the day. Otherwise, no, it's not worth the expense.

 

[bchbetha]

You can make a lovely bubble at Universal. A rushed Universal trip with a negative attitude would be no good though. If you’re willing to be open minded that other places can be as good- just different- than Disney, you should try. If you’re going to spend all your time saying how Disney does something better, it’ll be a disappointment.

I admit that I can’t understand the Disney or nothing mindset. There are too many great places in the world (Universal included ) to see. No need to limit yourself. Seriously, Universal is just as much a top notch destination as Disney is, especially for Harry Potter fans. Live a little. . try something new.

The best way to try it though isn’t like you’re describing. Rushing over in the AM and, obviously, wishing you were still at Disney, isn’t ideal. To do it right, book yourself 2 nights at the end of your Disney trip over at Universal instead- modify that Disney reservation. Leave Disney and check in at Royal Pacific, Hard Rock or Portofino then go explore CityWalk. In the AM, stroll over to the parks (because everything is close and easy at Universal!) with your early entry and express passes (which put Disney fast passes to shame). Next morning, hail an Uber or Lyft and head to the airport. You’ll have sampled them bubble and experienced Universal on a more equal playing field to Disney. If you wind up hating it, well it’s good that you tried.

 

[EveDallas]

Ill premise the question by saying my fiance and I are huge Disney fans and specifically love going to WDW because of the so called "Disney Bubble." The thought of leaving WDW property even for part of a day has always seemed like a waste of time to us or like we might miss out on something on property. We love visiting WDW so much that we have never even looked into or thought of visiting another part or area of Florida (with the exception of the Keys) because we would know that we are in FLA and that to us means Disney. We do have many friends who are fans of WDW as well but keep telling us to visit Universal for a day.

Some side notes that might sway some opinions here: My fiance and I are both late twenties and have no kids, our typical WDW vacation is 100% on property - we stay at a WDW hotel, essentially remove ourselves from our typical lives (social media, cell phone use, etc at a minimum and really only if needed), simply put we love how WDW immerses us in another world that is magical. We typically do 8 days (minus 2 for travel gives us 6 full days) and in that we take 4 days for parks and 2 for other activities (Disney Springs, resort hopping, massages, relaxing, etc). We do enjoy the adult side of Disney as well - meaning going out at night for drinks at Disney Springs or if in a park like Epcot, drinking around the world.

That brings me to the question or I guess in this case more of a poll/opinion of others that love WDW as we do.... Is it worth taking a day out of a WDW vacation to visit Universal?

If we were to take one of our days would we really be able to do a whole lot at Universal? Is the cost to get to Universal from WDW plus the cost of Universal (tickets, food etc) justifiable when compared to what we could do if we stay on property? WDW has that magic we love to be surrounded by and from what I know of Universal it leads me to believe we would be going for a day just to compare it to WDW - do a couple of rides, have some drinks and food, walk around a bit to take in the scenery. I feel like I am not giving Universal a chance but in my mind I'm almost 100% sure that after an hour or so in Universal we will be silently counting down until we get back to the magic of WDW.

I'll be honest and say that it sounds like you are already set on disliking Universal. In your case, staying in the WDW "bubble" would probably suit you better.

 

[OKW Lover]

I voted no. Like the OP I'm a big Disney fan. Just haven't found Universal to be on a par with Disney. Plus, adding a day's admission at Disney will be much cheaper than paying for a one-day ticket to Universal.

 

[JaxDad]

I'll be honest and say that it sounds like you are already set on disliking Universal. In your case, staying in the WDW "bubble" would probably suit you better.

I got the same impression...

@DisneyAddictTom122, there are probably hundreds of threads on the Universal Board with other Disney addicts asking this same basic question. You should be able to get lots of opinions/advice/information there.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Other: Take two days. One isn't enough.

 

[BrinkofSunshine]

I’m a huge WDW fan and I love Universal; I think a lot of the theming is on par with Disney (and, imho, both HP lands are the best themed environments in all of Orlando). Do you like thrill rides/simulators? There’s a lot of those. I will say there’s not as much atmospheric entertainment, and the shows and parades are not in the same league as WDW (although the shows in Diagon Alley are great!). Volcano Bay is also beautiful, but that’s a desperate admission. If you can save up and extend your next vacation and tack on a couple days at Universal, especially if you can stay on-site (there’s unlimited express pass and early entry perks for some of the hotels), I think it’s totally worth it.

But please don’t go into it wanting it to be an extension of Disney. It’s its own experience, and a really fun one if you allow it to be

 

[jdb in AZ]

DH and I are Harry Potter fans and would like to do Universal. However, he's a big guy and the rides aren't one-size-fits-all. For example, last month we waited 90 mins in line at WDW for the 7 Dwarfs mine train only to find that he couldn't fit his bucket into the dwarf-size car. Likewise, he would be very uncomfortable (as in no-can-do) the Universal rides he'd most like to try. Maybe when the grand kids are taller. Then again, the 6.5-yr-old was terrified on Space Mtn and is not likely to enjoy the thrill rides in Universal. His 3.5-yr-old bro is an adrenaline junkie and loved TofT, but isn't tall enough for the biggest rides.

 

[davper]

Only 6 days, I am not leaving the bubble.
9+ days, sure I would take 2 days to visit.

What I do now is plan split stay vacations. 3 nights at Uni and 8 nights at WDW

 

[quandrea]

We did Universal twice. Once last year during a dead time in January. It was okay. No where near the immersion that is Disney. The HP areas are well designed, the rest of the two parks are not well done. This year we did two days at Universal during the first week of January. It was a disaster. The parks were busy and Universal could not move people. Horrible experience and very little value for the dollars spent.

Split staying with Universal is very expensive. I’d just stay on WDW property and save your money.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I wouldn’t try to cram in a single day at Universal as part of a WDW trip. I’d plan an entire trip around Universal/SW and skip WDW entirely on that trip.

I say that because that’s exactly what we did with zero regrets.

 

[bchbetha]

The theming is pretty good all over Universal. Simpsons and Jurassic Park are especially good. Make time to play in Camp Jurassic! It’s awesome!

 

[tasha99]

We love Universal. Stay at one of the three Loews hotels that give you front of the line. It's much better than Disney's fast pass system. Generally, I recommend 2-3 days at universal and 7-10 days at Disney world.

 

[focusondisney]

I just did what you are asking about: stay at Disney & do 1 day at Universal. We had not been to Universal in probably 15 years. My DH & I love the Disney bubble too, but we were traveling with our DS & DDIL. She is a huge Harry Potter fan & hadn't been to either Disney or Universal in over 20 years. We got 1 day, 2 park tickets. Took a Lyft both ways. That was quick & easy. She had a $5 off coupon I think & each ride was less than $10 plus tip.

We were there mid December. I don't know anything at all about HP, never read a book or saw a movie. But I was absolutely blown away by the themeing in both parks. She loved it of course. I will say none of us are into roller coasters or simulator rides. My DS & I get extremely motion sick. So there were actually not a lot of rides I wanted to do. My DH is a big Simpson's fan so he liked walking around there. DS & I did that ride with him which was a big mistake. I skipped the Jimmy Fallon Race Around NY ride but everyone else really enjoyed that.

We enjoyed looking around but found we did not do many rides. It was too cold for anything that involved water that day. I would say it is worth a one time visit. The rides & attractions there seem much more intense & not what we enjoy. So staying at a hotel there would not have made a difference for us. If you enjoy more intense or thril type rides, there will be lots for you to try out there. Glad we went, DDIL enjoyed it which was our main goal. We won't go back for many years tho.

 

[Marchand63]

If you like roller coasters - for sure. Universal has much better roller coasters.