Do you like Disney World or Universal more? And why?

[damo]

You're picking flycrap out of the pepper.

It's still "scheduling" a later time to ride.

With no standby line, I'm trying to figure out if you'll be scheduling a later time to come back and stand in a long line, or if the ride is going to be very low capacity. No standby line really makes little sense.

Yup, it is still scheduling a later time to ride. I don't think anyone said it wasn't.

I'm not sure how I feel about it. I'll have to see how it goes. They've been trying it out on a few rides and it will be how Volcano Bay works.

 

[luvsJack]

We prefer Universal now but that's not to say we won't be back to Disney. Just not going to Disney without some time at Universal. We were there for the first time last May after years of trips to WDW. We really enjoyed it. Found it more laid back. Loved, loved, loved Diagon Alley. Enjoyed the characters that we saw. And everyone that worked there that we encountered in any capacity was just over the top nice and helpful and, dare I say, "magical"? Did not find that on our last trip to Disney.

We are all very nostalgic about Disney and will go back as new things are rolled out but I see many family trips to Universal in our future.

 

[JustCor]

I like both, but it depends on the time frame I'm working with. If it's a quick day trip to Orlando, it's Universal all the way. Universal is a very easy "no plans" kind of park for me. It's pretty easy to hop on most of the rides I want to do, and it's a park where the rides are the most important thing. If I'm doing a multiple day trip, Disney is superior for me. I like to enter the Disney bubble and just stay absorbed in it for the length of the trip as much as possible. The entire experience becomes the focus, rather than just rides. Universal has some nice themed areas, and the rides are great, but it feels like a fancied up carnival. Disney feels much more immersive to me, especially on a longer stay. I have annual passes to both and use them fairly regularly, but the Disney experience tends to feel more complete over the longer stays and the Universal experience feels more robust on a short trip.

 

[J-Dog]

But I wasn't fond of the repetitive motion simulator rides. There's so much going on that it's nearly impossble to take in what's happening, but at they same time they feel oddly flat, and even though they have different themes, one feels very similar to the next.

I totally agree with you here. I actually had this same thing on my list of cons for Universal, just forgot to type it out. At Disney, I can't think of any rides that are blatant copies of any other ride at Disney. But at Universal, you've got things like Spiderman and Transformers, which are literally the same ride with different theming.

 

[damo]

I totally agree with you here. I actually had this same thing on my list of cons for Universal, just forgot to type it out. At Disney, I can't think of any rides that are blatant copies of any other ride at Disney. But at Universal, you've got things like Spiderman and Transformers, which are literally the same ride with different theming.

Are you being sarcastic? There are tons of rides at Disney where you just sit in a vehicle that moves along a track, or you sit in a boat that moves along a track and you watch little animatronic figures while a sound track plays in the background. It is the classic dark ride.

I'm not saying that I don't think Universal can use more variety of rides---they also know that and rumoured future rides seem to be reflecting that, but WDW does have a lot of rides that use the same ride system too.

 

[J-Dog]

Are you being sarcastic? There are tons of rides at Disney where you just sit in a vehicle that moves along a track, or you sit in a boat that moves along a track and you watch little animatronic figures while a sound track plays in the background. It is the classic dark ride.

I'm not saying that I don't think Universal can use more variety of rides---they also know that and rumoured future rides seem to be reflecting that, but WDW does have a lot of rides that use the same ride system too.

Okay, maybe you're right about a few of the classic Disney rides from the inception of MK, like Small World and Pirates of the Caribbean. But I think most people will give those pass due to the "classic" nature of those rides that are almost 50 years old. I wouldn't consider Universal's "4D" simulators to be classics.

And maybe it's just me, but when I was on the Small World boat, I wasn't thinking "this reminds me exactly of Pirates of the Caribbean" - maybe it's the attention to detail that Disney has? Because I definitely was thinking that about Spiderman's and Transformers' similarity the whole time that I riding them.

 

[DisBuckMan]

Okay, maybe you're right about a few of the classic Disney rides from the inception of MK, like Small World and Pirates of the Caribbean. But I think most people will give those pass due to the "classic" nature of those rides. I wouldn't consider Spiderman or Transformers to be "classics", myself.

And maybe it's just me, but when I was on the Small World boat, I wasn't thinking "this reminds me exactly of Pirates of the Caribbean", because of the overt similarity - maybe it's the attention to detail that Disney has? Because I definitely was thinking that about Spiderman and Transformers.

Agree. To put it a different way...if you wanted to make Spiderman into Transformers, you simply change out the video program. If you wanted to make Simpsons into Minions, you change out the video program. Then, they're pretty much the same ride. If you wanted to change Small World into Pirates, well, there's really no comparison.

It's really all about a difference in theming. Universal has done a wonderful job with HP worlds, Jurassic Park, and I'm assuming Kong (haven't been there since it opened). The rest is just large warehouses with a little decoration out front. Disney goes above and beyond.

Reminder though...we love both. They're just different.

 

[jsmla]

Disney, I'm just more of a fairy tale than an action/adventure kind of girl. I've never seen most of the movies/shows that the Universal attractions are themed around. I enjoyed Despicable Me and remember the Popeye and Dudley Do-Right cartoons but that's pretty much it.

That said, I've read exactly 1/4 of the first Harry Potter book and have kinda, sorta seen the last film (I treated a friends' girls when it came out and understood nada.) and the Harry Potter lands at Universal blow me away.

 

[J-Dog]

Agree. To put it a different way...if you wanted to make Spiderman into Transformers, you simply change out the video program. If you wanted to make Simpsons into Minions, you change out the video program. Then, they're pretty much the same ride. If you wanted to change Small World into Pirates, well, there's really no comparison.

It's really all about a difference in theming. Universal has done a wonderful job with HP worlds, Jurassic Park, and I'm assuming Kong (haven't been there since it opened). The rest is just large warehouses with a little decoration out front. Disney goes above and beyond.

Reminder though...we love both. They're just different.

Yes! I completely agree with everything you just said. But you worded everything a little more elegantly than I did.

 

[Mjkre]

The Seas w Nemo and Little Mermaid are basically the same ride imho.

Love both parks for different reasons. But like the vibe at Universal Resorts much better lately. I feel like Universal work much harder to please their guests instead of the feeling I have been getting at Disney recently that seems to say "you should excuse any shortcomings (ride closures, etc) because we are Disney after all." But Disney has started to offer some things to DVC members that we can actually take advantage of so maybe that is changing.

 

[damo]

Agree. To put it a different way...if you wanted to make Spiderman into Transformers, you simply change out the video program. If you wanted to make Simpsons into Minions, you change out the video program. Then, they're pretty much the same ride. If you wanted to change Small World into Pirates, well, there's really no comparison.

It's really all about a difference in theming. Universal has done a wonderful job with HP worlds, Jurassic Park, and I'm assuming Kong (haven't been there since it opened). The rest is just large warehouses with a little decoration out front. Disney goes above and beyond.

Reminder though...we love both. They're just different.

Spiderman and Transformers actually have a lot of set pieces. You couldn't just replace video and have them interchangeable.

I would say that It's a Small World and Gran Fiesta Tour at Epcot are good examples of very similar boat rides at WDW. Haunted Mansion and Little Mermaid are good examples of similar dark rides....both have the backwards descent and slow movement through animatronics. Journey into Imagination and Nemo are also very similar...and also almost beside each other. There are a lot of attractions that are sit in your seat and watch the video as well.... Mickey's Philharmagic, O Canada (no seats), China, France, Circle of Life, Tough to be a Bug, Muppet Vision.....

Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike WDW. We're going in November. However, so many complaints about Universal can be applied to WDW.

 

[J-Dog]

Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike WDW. We're going in November. However, so many complaints about Universal can be applied to WDW.

I agree. And everyone's perceptions differ, and the weight that everyone gives to each point of perception differ. That's why both parks are wildly successful, yet different. If one was better than the other in everyone's opinion, then eventually one of the two wouldn't exist.

 

[damo]

I agree. And everyone's perceptions differ, and the weight that everyone gives to each point of perception differ. That's why both parks are wildly successful, yet different. If one was better than the other in everyone's opinion, then eventually one of the two wouldn't exist.

And they spur each other on....we, the consumer, only benefit from it.

 

[kniquy]

We are Disney goers with next years trip going to WDW for 7 days and 3 days at UO. We decided to stay at RPR for the express pass. Not sure if it will be needed but i definitely love the thought of having the unlimited express pass (that is a vote for UO). That alone has made me not have to plan much of anything for UO portion of our trip. As much as I love planning our Disney trips it is a bit involved and might require too much planning. I have yet to look into the dining options at UO and if you even need reservations for those restaurants, but we are trying to keep that portion of our trip a little more lax.

 

[Alicefan]

Speaking of phones, I found myself rolling my eyes at everyone in Diagon Alley waiting for the dragon to blow with their phones in hand. Guess what I was doing the next day? My son begged me to video it so he could show his friends. So there I was, being one of those people!

LOL! I always think, "If I need to see any of this, I'll just look up someone else's video of it...there's bound to be every angle you can imagine." I'm the same way with pictures too. I don't even take a camera because if I need to see it again, somebody else has a better shot than I could get. Google is all I need. lol

 

[tony67]

LOL! I always think, "If I need to see any of this, I'll just look up someone else's video of it...there's bound to be every angle you can imagine." I'm the same way with pictures too. I don't even take a camera because if I need to see it again, somebody else has a better shot than I could get. Google is all I need. lol

Yeah, that is most likely true, especially all the people with their camera phones.

Still I carry my DSLR to the parks almost every day and take tons of pictures that I'll probably never look at again.
For my it's mostly about playing with the camera and it's settings and seeing what I get.
I found far better pictures of HHN on Flickr than I got, but I learned a good deal about what the camera can do at night with various settings.

As for the topic of this thread which do I prefer...I'm done with Disney for a few years at least.
Everything there has become a money grab IMO...I have gone to at least 15 F&W festivals and it has become, overpriced, repetitive and mediocre...like most of the food in Disney.

I do see a few bright spots, I did enjoy downtown Disney and I did enjoy Trader Sams, but that is not enough to get me back and I dont need a park ticket for those.

Universal may be heading that way, but for now I far prefer the freedom of just showing up with little or no planning and doing whatever I like.

 

[quandrea]

We are here's now, day two of a three day stay. Disney is miles better in my book. I've really enjoyed the Harry Potter elements and Minion Mayhem. Every other ride has just fallen flat in my book. Spider man is highly regarded but I found it full. I was always aware that I was on a ride. Never did I feel immersed in the experience. Same with Kong. Most of the rides are one and done for me. Something is off with the story telling. Il be glad to hear home. Something that never happens as I leave WDW.

 

[wagman67]

We have been a Universal family for the last 10 years...my sons have been to Disney once, but every year we ask where they want to go on vacation, they say Universal. We have always stayed onsite with Universal Express Passes...the freedom to just go to the park for as long as you like, then head back to the room for some rest or hang out at the pool without feeling you haven't 'done' everything...very relaxing. It has gotten where I schedule two year's of vacation time, so we can buy annual passes to use both visits. I have often said it is my favorite time of the year, because nobody argues the entire trip.

 

[jollygreen]

I love both quite a bit but Universal has a special place in my heart, it was the first Orlando park I went to and what got me hooked on going down to Orlando. I love not having to plan things out as much and staying at the resorts with the unlimited EP are great, huge advantage over Disney. I like being able to walk to everything and not having to deal with buses or driving. It's just a lot easier to manage. I do still love Disney and can't wait to get there next month!

 

[nighttowll]

And everyone that worked there that we encountered in any capacity was just over the top nice and helpful and, dare I say, "magical"? Did not find that on our last trip to Disney.

This

I've had much better employee interactions at Universal in the last few years than Disney. I can think of only a few bad or mediocre interactions at Universal, with the rest being ok to great. At Disney, it has been the opposite, with only a few great interactions, many bad interactions, and the rest just blah, no one was mean to me, but no one was nice either.

I was also impressed with the first aid service at Universal as that experience went much better at Universal than at Disney. They were friendlier, more knowledge, and seemed to have a larger selection of medicine available.