Is it worth it to change and split my stay at both Universal and Disney?

[OP95]

Hi all ,

I will be travelling solo later this year and have originally booked a two week stay at Disney. However I am now contemplating on doing a split stay at universal maybe for less then 5 days or so at the beginning . I’m a big Harry Potter fan and feel rushed most times when I visit as it’s usually just a one and done thing. But now with epic it’s making things a bit more complicated. For those who have done this before were the benefits of staying on site worth it? As I’ll be a solo traveller I’ll be able to use their single rider.

Any advice is appreciated!

Edit: apologies if this has been posted in the wrong section.

 

[goofyernmost]

That is an individual decision. My reaction is that I would for sure. I cannot understand anyone staying at either one for more than a week, but that might just be me. Two weeks is a long time. If you have your own transportation then you get the opportunity to do so many more things in central Florida as well as easy drives to the Atlantic side (Kennedy Space Center) and the Gulf side (Tampa, Bush Gardens, the Sunshine Bridge). Life isn't just animatronics and thrill rides. Anyway, it is certainly up to you. To me personally, it's a no brainer. Split them.

 

[disneyseniors]

Hi all ,

I will be travelling solo later this year and have originally booked a two week stay at Disney. However I am now contemplating on doing a split stay at universal maybe for less then 5 days or so at the beginning . I’m a big Harry Potter fan and feel rushed most times when I visit as it’s usually just a one and done thing. But now with epic it’s making things a bit more complicated. For those who have done this before were the benefits of staying on site worth it? As I’ll be a solo traveller I’ll be able to use their single rider.

Any advice is appreciated!

Edit: apologies if this has been posted in the wrong section.

Five days sounds great to do Universal and the new Epic Universe. We are doing exactly that, with only a 1/2 day available on arrival. That seems to be enough to take it all in. The HP lands are wonderful, so immersive. I usually go back to them at least once during our trips, usually a lot more than once. I'm a big HP fan too We get the buy 2 and get 2 days tickets to the Studios and IOA, then will add one day to Epic when we go this fall. I hope this helps.

 

[georgina]

Hi all ,

I will be travelling solo later this year and have originally booked a two week stay at Disney. However I am now contemplating on doing a split stay at universal maybe for less then 5 days or so at the beginning . I’m a big Harry Potter fan and feel rushed most times when I visit as it’s usually just a one and done thing. But now with epic it’s making things a bit more complicated. For those who have done this before were the benefits of staying on site worth it? As I’ll be a solo traveller I’ll be able to use their single rider.

I agree it is worth it to stay at Universal for part of a long trip. The early entry and short travel time to the parks are great. Definitely feels less hectic.

If you are looking for more things outside of theme parks to do, I had a free day last Friday and visited the Leu botanical gardens which were nice.

 

[disneydreamer1980]

I’d split them. We usually do 2-3 days at US followed by 11-12 days at Disney, but this last trip we just did 2 weeks at Disney and we missed Universal. We usually stay at Royal Pacific for our US portion,so we get the express passes, but sounds like being a single rider you may not need them. It would probably be easier to stay at a Universal hotel for that portion of your trip though. Now with Epic, there’s even more reason to go to US and more time will be needed there. Our next trip we’re doing 4 nights at US and 10 at Disney.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

I'd avoid the hassle of going back and forth multiple days in a row. The UO hotels are pretty reasonably priced, more so if you have an AP and don't have a car. It's nice to be able to take a 5min bus/boat ride back to the hotel & recharge, and then be able to fully enjoy the lighter evening crowds.

 

[Skippyboo]

Definitely easier to visit Universal if you are staying in Universal area than trying to deal with traffic on I4 twice a day.

Staying onsite will give an hour of early plus some of the lower end hotels like Cabana Bay have way more amenities than Disney values like hot tubs, lazy river, pool slides, Starbucks in lobby.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

I’m a big Harry Potter fan and feel rushed most times when I visit

Just a quick note also - you can stay in the parks after they close, until the ride lines clear out. This gets you a little time in Diagon Alley (maybe a half hour or so) when you can do spells, explore the area with minimal crowds. Shops will be closed. In Hogsmeade, you can usually get about an hour, since it takes a long time for the Hagrids line to work through. Hogsmeade is lit up very prettily at night, and is usually such a godawful crush of people during the day. The spells are more "magical" when you can walk up and just do them, without watching the effect from other people doing them first.

 

[OP95]

Just a quick note also - you can stay in the parks after they close, until the ride lines clear out. This gets you a little time in Diagon Alley (maybe a half hour or so) when you can do spells, explore the area with minimal crowds. Shops will be closed. In Hogsmeade, you can usually get about an hour, since it takes a long time for the Hagrids line to work through. Hogsmeade is lit up very prettily at night, and is usually such a godawful crush of people during the day. The spells are more "magical" when you can walk up and just do them, without watching the effect from other people doing them first.

I didn’t know this, I’ve always wanted to try the spells but didn’t want the pressure of the lines behind me. Thanks!

 

[OP95]

Definitely easier to visit Universal if you are staying in Universal area than trying to deal with traffic on I4 twice a day.

Staying onsite will give an hour of early plus some of the lower end hotels like Cabana Bay have way more amenities than Disney values like hot tubs, lazy river, pool slides, Starbucks in lobby.

Thank you, i was looking at cabana bay. I have done the I drive before and it always scares me even just using an uber so this was the main thought of a split stay to minimise the time on there.

 

[jimmymc]

I've done split stays a few times and have really enjoyed them. Universal's hotels are really nice and convenient to the parks. Having Unlimited Express included in the premier hotels is also a fantastic perk. Even as a solo, it can be worth the price increase. They also offer annual passholder rates if you think you'll be back within a year.

In summary, I think it is if you want to spend more than 1 or 2 days at Universal.

 

[kwdw]

With epic opening, I’d split it. Cabana family suites are my favorite! Unless you are going to Volcano bay, I think four days is enough.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I haven't been there in a while but 3 original hotels offer unlimited Express Pass just by showing your room key. We had APs for a while and went a few times per year. Dh won't go unless we can have the room key perks. It's like an unlimited Fast Pass.
That may be harder to justify for a solo traveler but still your time is valuable.
Those hotels are Portofino Bay, Hard Rock Hotel, and Royal Pacific. If you stay at one of these hotels, do it at the end of your trip. It's really hard to go to Disney and wait in line after a few days at USO.