Disney World Vs Universal Lockdowns
- Thread starter limitdis
- Start date
GBRforWDW
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2020
I think both places are constantly fluctuating. A lot of what she described in the video as far as crowds are concerned was first week of January and before. Universal was same way, constantly running out of park passes early in the day. Since then, and I was there at WDW Jan 7-13, it hasn’t been bad at all. Early morning and last couple hours of the day are best for lines, but even so, mid day waits are nothing right now. That will change in a few months as more people book for spring break, Easter week and end of school year/summer.
as an out of towner, one big plus Disney has over universal is the park pass reservation system. At UO you just show up and if there’s availability for you, they let you in. If you were to go in December and sleep in, you would have missed out on getting in. When parks get busy again, this could happen more. Whereas at Disney, you make a reservation and can get in at any time of day.
as an out of towner, one big plus Disney has over universal is the park pass reservation system. At UO you just show up and if there’s availability for you, they let you in. If you were to go in December and sleep in, you would have missed out on getting in. When parks get busy again, this could happen more. Whereas at Disney, you make a reservation and can get in at any time of day.
TommyJK
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2015
After watching the video, a lot of those things have been problematic for a while already (i.e. not related to pandemic) and other things are related to pandemic precautions. Here's my comments on some of the key things that were brought up (I'm ignoring mild nuisances like not being able to order Starbucks via mobile ordering, or the price of bottled soda) .
1. park pass reservations, and how far in advance you need to plan things to get a reservation etc.
- So this is pandemic related. With reduced capacity they need a way to control how many people they let into each park. Universal meanwhile isn't using a park reservation system but it's first come first served and once they hit capacity you can't get in (unless you wait for people to leave and they start letting people in). Not really sure which is better. They both have their pros and cons. But for Disney folks who are used to booking everything way in advance down to the day (Fast Passes, ADRs etc.) I don't see this as being a huge gripe.
2. ADRs being all over the place with reduced capacity and changing lead times as to when to book them.
- Well, ADRs have never been a thing at Universal so can't really compare the two. I've never been an ADR guy and like to go with the flow of where and when I want to eat. So dealing with ADRs would have always been a Disney annoyance to me
3. Rack Rates are high. For example Pop is at $160 - 300
- looking at rack rates for something comparable at Universal. Cabana Bay's Rack rates look to be $154 - $249. Endless Summer has Rack Rates for $112 - $198. They are cheaper though if you stay for 4 nights or longer (Savvy Traveller Discount). For example CB discounted rates with Savvy Traveller are $114 - $180 and Endless Summer are $85 - $158. These prices seem in line to what they were pre-pandemic though so it doesn't appear that Universal has upped their room rates during the pandemic.
4. Rise of the Resistance - Changes to how they are doing boarding passes, and how often it breaks down
- Only thing to compare at Universal really is Hagrid's coaster. When Hagrid's first opened it was plagued with uptime issues similar to Rise. Looks like they got the ride sorted out though during the close down back in March. The ride seems fully stable now. Also, Hagrids before only used standby line so it had really long waits. Now Hagrid's is using virtual lines but from all the reports I've read it's not that difficult to get a return time (and people have reported being able to get multiple return times throughout the day). In the end Rise is a victim of its popularity and these issues (with having to do boarding passes and ride breakdowns) would probably still be an issue regardless of pandemic
5. Crowds in pinch points, like when it rains and people cluster under awnings or when the mini-parades come by
- IMO crowding in pinch points has always been a problem at Disney. This is nothing new just now it's heightened due to the pandemic and trying to remain socially distant. When busy Universal also has crowded pinch points too.
6. Amount of plexi-glass
- well, this is another pandemic measure to try and keep people safer. I don't believe Universal is using as much as Disney, but it's ultimately just a result of the times we are living in right now.
7. Lines and sellouts for limited edition merch
- hasn't this always been a thing at Disney? New limited edition items get announced. Huge lines form to get them (for which many will then re-sell at inflated prices online). Maybe the lines seem worse now because of social distancing but from what I gather, this got out of control long ago and is not something new?
8. Character meal prices. Just as expensive but lesser experience
- The abundance of character meals and their exorbitant prices has always been an issue at Disney. Now it's just worse because the character interactions are from afar due to the pandemic. It's not really a big thing to begin with at Universal
9. Construction Walls in Epcot
- To me this is just a sign of progress and that they are building new things. And Disney is in a heavy construction period right now. Universal has a bunch too right now with the new Velocicoaster at Islands of Adventure. Yes it sucks now too that due to the pandemic some construction will take longer which means the walls will be up longer. But progress makes this a necessary annoyance for the time being
10. Still no Fast Pass
- Universal doesn't have this issue as these don't exist. Universal has the paid express pass feature (or "free" as a perk for staying at a Universal Deluxe resort). With the reduced park capacities and such I guess Disney doesn't have a way to make Fast Pass work efficiently at the moment.
But to me the moral of the story above is, that during this pandemic the parks are giving a lesser experience (on top of what is mentioned above, there are also no fireworks, no major parades, no up-close character meet and greets etc.). And with that all of the limitations prices are still the same as pre-pandemic. So the moral of the story to me is that it's not worth going right now. Disney and Universal will still be here after the pandemic settles down. Currently cases and deaths in Florida are as bad as they were in the height of the bad numbers in the summer (and in some cases worse). So either you accept the above if you feel you HAVE to go (though to me, a trip to Disney/Universal is a "want" and not a "need"), or wait it out until things settle down post pandemic.
1. park pass reservations, and how far in advance you need to plan things to get a reservation etc.
- So this is pandemic related. With reduced capacity they need a way to control how many people they let into each park. Universal meanwhile isn't using a park reservation system but it's first come first served and once they hit capacity you can't get in (unless you wait for people to leave and they start letting people in). Not really sure which is better. They both have their pros and cons. But for Disney folks who are used to booking everything way in advance down to the day (Fast Passes, ADRs etc.) I don't see this as being a huge gripe.
2. ADRs being all over the place with reduced capacity and changing lead times as to when to book them.
- Well, ADRs have never been a thing at Universal so can't really compare the two. I've never been an ADR guy and like to go with the flow of where and when I want to eat. So dealing with ADRs would have always been a Disney annoyance to me
3. Rack Rates are high. For example Pop is at $160 - 300
- looking at rack rates for something comparable at Universal. Cabana Bay's Rack rates look to be $154 - $249. Endless Summer has Rack Rates for $112 - $198. They are cheaper though if you stay for 4 nights or longer (Savvy Traveller Discount). For example CB discounted rates with Savvy Traveller are $114 - $180 and Endless Summer are $85 - $158. These prices seem in line to what they were pre-pandemic though so it doesn't appear that Universal has upped their room rates during the pandemic.
4. Rise of the Resistance - Changes to how they are doing boarding passes, and how often it breaks down
- Only thing to compare at Universal really is Hagrid's coaster. When Hagrid's first opened it was plagued with uptime issues similar to Rise. Looks like they got the ride sorted out though during the close down back in March. The ride seems fully stable now. Also, Hagrids before only used standby line so it had really long waits. Now Hagrid's is using virtual lines but from all the reports I've read it's not that difficult to get a return time (and people have reported being able to get multiple return times throughout the day). In the end Rise is a victim of its popularity and these issues (with having to do boarding passes and ride breakdowns) would probably still be an issue regardless of pandemic
5. Crowds in pinch points, like when it rains and people cluster under awnings or when the mini-parades come by
- IMO crowding in pinch points has always been a problem at Disney. This is nothing new just now it's heightened due to the pandemic and trying to remain socially distant. When busy Universal also has crowded pinch points too.
6. Amount of plexi-glass
- well, this is another pandemic measure to try and keep people safer. I don't believe Universal is using as much as Disney, but it's ultimately just a result of the times we are living in right now.
7. Lines and sellouts for limited edition merch
- hasn't this always been a thing at Disney? New limited edition items get announced. Huge lines form to get them (for which many will then re-sell at inflated prices online). Maybe the lines seem worse now because of social distancing but from what I gather, this got out of control long ago and is not something new?
8. Character meal prices. Just as expensive but lesser experience
- The abundance of character meals and their exorbitant prices has always been an issue at Disney. Now it's just worse because the character interactions are from afar due to the pandemic. It's not really a big thing to begin with at Universal
9. Construction Walls in Epcot
- To me this is just a sign of progress and that they are building new things. And Disney is in a heavy construction period right now. Universal has a bunch too right now with the new Velocicoaster at Islands of Adventure. Yes it sucks now too that due to the pandemic some construction will take longer which means the walls will be up longer. But progress makes this a necessary annoyance for the time being
10. Still no Fast Pass
- Universal doesn't have this issue as these don't exist. Universal has the paid express pass feature (or "free" as a perk for staying at a Universal Deluxe resort). With the reduced park capacities and such I guess Disney doesn't have a way to make Fast Pass work efficiently at the moment.
But to me the moral of the story above is, that during this pandemic the parks are giving a lesser experience (on top of what is mentioned above, there are also no fireworks, no major parades, no up-close character meet and greets etc.). And with that all of the limitations prices are still the same as pre-pandemic. So the moral of the story to me is that it's not worth going right now. Disney and Universal will still be here after the pandemic settles down. Currently cases and deaths in Florida are as bad as they were in the height of the bad numbers in the summer (and in some cases worse). So either you accept the above if you feel you HAVE to go (though to me, a trip to Disney/Universal is a "want" and not a "need"), or wait it out until things settle down post pandemic.
TommyJK
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2015
The choice to go right now or not is a personal one. Many people have gone and felt safe and had a great time.
For me the health risks and downgrading of experience is not worth it right now.
We went to the parks over Thanksgiving and had a blast. I didn't view the experience as downgraded, and in some ways was better than previous trips:
- We had already gotten used to wearing masks, so that didn't deter us too much.
- The EP lines were much shorter than previous Thanksgivings, and the park was much less crowded.
- US did have their Cinematic Celebration going, with fireworks. We weren't able to get close because of the crowds, but it was still enjoyable.
- They did not have the parade running, but had the floats in a back warehouse. It seems like a good compromise. I'm not a big parade fan, so it wasn't much of a loss for me
- Aside from the Grinch show, all of the other shows were running (Bourne, Horror Makeup Show, Tales of Beedle the Bard, etc)
I think we just appreciated doing something "normal" again, after being stuck in the house for so long. Even after 8 days in the parks, our kids were asking if we could come back again one last time before our APs expire next month.
TommyJK
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2015
That's fair. From what I've read over these many months the loss of experiences seems more pronounced for Disney as many things "core" to many people's Disney experience (Fireworks, Big parades, Character Meet and Greets, ADRs with up close character dining, FP+) are currently not there.
On the Universal side the possibility of not getting in the park because they reach capacity is a big issue for me. We almost always do mid-day breaks so if leaving the park mid day and then they hit capacity and I have to wait to get back in (or potentially not be able to get back in at all) is my biggest issue. If I'm spending thousands of dollars on a Universal vacation and I can't reasonably guarantee I can get into the parks whenever I want is a deal breaker for me.
I agree...if they ever remedy that, I'll go back.
I thought an onsite stay was that guarantee?
GBRforWDW
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2020
According to Undercover Tourist, hotel guests are given priority access, but entry is not guaranteed. Though they do have early morning access for onsite guests, allowing them entry before non hotel guests.
That’s right. Here’s from Universal
“
- Will hotel guests be turned away if the theme parks reach capacity?
Hotel guests will be given priority entrance to theme parks during our phased reopening. We encourage our hotel guests to take advantage of their Early Park Admission benefit to access the parks prior to our daily opening to the general public, and we will accommodate hotel guests on a priority basis in the parks throughout the day.”
TommyJK
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2015
Hotel guests have priority access, but not guaranteed access. If the parks get full, resort guests will still have to wait to be let back in (there is a separate place to stand and wait for resort guests), but that's only IF they start letting people back in (i.e. if enough people leave the park mid-day).
TommyJK
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2015
Yes for sure. As a hotel guest and with Early Entry you will for sure get in if you're there for EE rope drop.
I'm referring to when park hits capacity, which it has more often being doing especially on weekends. If I don't feel like doing rope drop, or if I leave for a mid-day break (which we always do) is when you can be out of luck.
Hi Everyone,
We will be visiting the first week of April. I already have ressies off property. We have no problem getting up early to get to the park when it opens (which I think is 9 am for those not staying on property?) I know that they will stop letting folks in if the park reaches capacity.....Do you think that would happen in the early am hours though? My concern is that we only have a limited number of days in Orlando and I'd hate to spend hundreds of dollars on tickets not to get in. Would they refund us if this were the case? I am ready to purchase the tickets and I see they ask you to put in your start date as well; maybe they will only sell a certain amount during each time frame? Is that why they do this? Confused...
We will be visiting the first week of April. I already have ressies off property. We have no problem getting up early to get to the park when it opens (which I think is 9 am for those not staying on property?) I know that they will stop letting folks in if the park reaches capacity.....Do you think that would happen in the early am hours though? My concern is that we only have a limited number of days in Orlando and I'd hate to spend hundreds of dollars on tickets not to get in. Would they refund us if this were the case? I am ready to purchase the tickets and I see they ask you to put in your start date as well; maybe they will only sell a certain amount during each time frame? Is that why they do this? Confused...
At Christmas they hit capacity before 9am some days.
Your tickets would be refunded if you can’t get in.
Arrive in the parking lot, tickets in hand, an hour before you can get in.
TommyJK
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2015
From everything I've been reading on the days it reaches capacity usually it doesn't happen until 10 or 11ish (other than the super busy days over the holidays where it got to capacity earlier) so if you're there for park open you should be fine.
And yes, they do offer refunds if you go and can't get in.
yellowfish78
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2004
I was one to say that resort guests were not guaranteed admission based on what Universal stated in @bchbetha 's post. But since maybe early December, reports have been coming in stating there is a Resort Guest Only entrance (someone posted about this in another thread) and then over the Christmas, these were what Universal released to the public each morning when they reached capacity:
OPERATIONAL UPDATE:
We have reached capacity on 12/30/2020 at 8:10AM at Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure, and our parking garages are now closed to further guest entry. Universal hotel guests are still able to access our parks. Date-based tickets for today’s date are no longer on sale. Flexible tickets that are not date-specific are still available for purchase, but guests may not be able to use the flexible ticket to access the parks today if they remain at capacity.
We appreciate your patience. For real-time updates, please check UniversalOrlando.com or the Official Universal Orlando Resort App, or call the Universal Orlando Resort Capacity Hotline at 407-817-8317.
So to me, it's ever changing. As of now, resorts guests are getting in.
OPERATIONAL UPDATE:
We have reached capacity on 12/30/2020 at 8:10AM at Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure, and our parking garages are now closed to further guest entry. Universal hotel guests are still able to access our parks. Date-based tickets for today’s date are no longer on sale. Flexible tickets that are not date-specific are still available for purchase, but guests may not be able to use the flexible ticket to access the parks today if they remain at capacity.
We appreciate your patience. For real-time updates, please check UniversalOrlando.com or the Official Universal Orlando Resort App, or call the Universal Orlando Resort Capacity Hotline at 407-817-8317.
So to me, it's ever changing. As of now, resorts guests are getting in.
Thank You
Thanks so much.
Share this page
GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE
Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.
Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!
Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.
Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!
