While Walt Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando are two very different parks, it’s nearly impossible not to compare them. These two major theme parks are just down the road from each other and are the largest theme parks in the country. You have probably asked yourself at least once, “which park is right for my family?”
The truth is that the answer of Disney World vs. Universal Studios is going to look different for every family, so here at WDW Vacation Tips, we break it down so you can make the decision to pick which park is right for your family!
Background on Both Parks
Walt Disney World
Walt Disney World opened the Magic Kingdom in 1971 and has since grown to 4 separate theme parks and 1 shopping district. The 4 parks include the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Disney Springs is Walt Disney World’s free entertainment and shopping district.
Disney parks are mainly focused on family and family-friendly attractions to promote magic and togetherness. Each park features a few thrill rides, but you won’t find more attractions for the entire family than in Disney World. Known for the most intricate details, Imagineers bring magic to life.
Universal Studios Orlando
Universal Studios Orlando opened in 1991 and is comprised of 2 parks, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. These parks focus on thrills and fun. Universal Studios pushes the envelope on danger and excitement. This also means higher height requirements for most rides.
Comparing the Thrills of Disney World vs. Universal Studios
Disney World
With rides like Space Mountain, Expedition Everest: Legend of the Forbidden Mountain, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Twlight Zone Tower of Terror, and more, Disney World is definitely a player in the thrills market. What makes their thrill rides unique is the clever engineering to keep the height requirements much lower than the average thrill ride.
The highest height requirement in Walt Disney World is 48” and that is for the only roller coaster that goes upside down, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. Height requirements in Disney vary from 38” to 48”, so people of many ages can ride thrill rides.
Universal Studios Orlando
Universal Studios Orlando likes to push their guests outside of their comfort zones with straight drops and zipping speeds. They also specialize in 3D simulator technology that can put your body into scenarios that you never thought possible. (Do yourself a favor and take an anti-nausea before visiting just to ensure that you have a great time!).
Rides can get so intense that many like Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure, HULK, The Mummy, Velocicoaster, and more actually require guests to store absolutely EVERYTHING in lockers beforehand. Don’t stress about this step - The small lockers are free to use and Universal has made the process pretty seamless.
Universal Studios is a thrill seekers dream come true. With all of the thrill, however, comes very high height requirements, eliminating many of its younger guests. All but 2 rides in Universal Studios Orlando have a height requirement of some sort, this even includes the Dr. Seuss area. The tallest height requirement is 54”.
PSA - This is our Public Service Announcement to not fake your child’s height to get on a ride. If they are not tall enough that means it is not safe for them to ride. No attraction is worth risking your child’s health and safety.
Child Swap
Disney World
Disney World offers child swap as a way for more people to enjoy their vacations. If you have members in your party that are not tall enough to ride a particular attraction, or just don’t want to, guests can visit the Cast Member attending the ride to use “Child Swap”. This allows part of your party to wait in the queue while you wait with the child, and when they get off of the ride you get to walk up the Lightning Lane line, essentially skipping right at the front.
This means that in Disney World, children using Child Swap do their waiting outside of the line. No one under the allotted height can be in the queue line. We recommend getting a smoothie, playing with some bubbles, or check out the nearest merchandise shop.
Universal Studios Orlando
Universal Studios operates their Child Swap system a little differently. Instead of arranging it with a Cast Member and waiting outside of the attraction, the entire party waits in the queue together. Once you reach the end of the line, the non-riding guests go to a Child Swap room, and your party just takes turn riding and staying with the child.
What is really unique about how Universal does this is that they theme their Child Swap rooms! The rooms are themed to the ride, so the Child Swap room in Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journal is very castle-like and is playing the Harry Potter movies, whereas the room in the Fast and the Furious features magnetic racing cars to play with, including Dom’s car!
Immersive Lands
Disney World
Disney Imagineering is unmatched when it comes to land immersion. Only in Disney can you travel to space, back in time, and around the world all in the same day. Particularly impressive is Disney’s Pandora in Animal Kingdom. This land is home to 2 attractions, a snack stand, and a quick service restaurant, and will make you completely forget that you are in the middle of Florida. This land truly comes alive! There are sights, sounds, smells, and things to touch. Watch out for those flowers! Pandora is also the home of one of Walt Disney World’s most popular attractions that uses 3D simulator technologies to transform you into an avatar and take you to fly on a Banshee. The Imagineers created a way for the guests to feel the Banshee's breath between your legs. It’s wild and amazing!
Universal Studios Orlando
Universal Studios Orlando is home to perhaps the most immersive theme park lands in the world - The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Any fan of the wizarding franchise will be absolutely blown away at the depth of detail and the skill to completely replicate the land to mimic what we saw in the movies. Well done, Universal.
Walking into Diagon Alley you will forget about everything else. Here you can even purchase a wand and do magic like all of the other witches and wizards while enjoying a butterbeer. Don’t forget to turn down the dark Knockturn Alley. You will notice that it is not only dark, it’s wet and cold, just like how your would expect a dodgy alley in London, England. Now, that’s dedication!
Fantastic Food Options
Disney World
Over the years Disney has definitely made a name for itself in the food department. They are constantly changing the game of what to expect from theme park food. Sure, you can get hot dogs, hamburgers, and ice cream, but you can also get things like beef wellington, pulled pork jelly donut sandwiches, alcoholic milkshakes, and huge lineup of desserts. The possibilities are endless.
Foodies can have an absolutely amazing time at one of EPCOT’s many festivals. These festivals feature food booths all over World Showcase featuring different small plates of fancy food. You can expect to try things like risotto, prime rib, soft shell crab, and don’t even get us started on the craft beers and fancy cocktails.
There is almost always a festival going on in EPCOT. Throughout the year this is the Festival of the Arts, Flower and Garden Festival, Food & Wine Festival, and Festival of the Holidays.
Universal Studios Orlando
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter absolutely slaps with its food. All of the menu options are dishes mentioned throughout the books. There are dishes like toad in a hole, fish and chips, and shepherd’s pie, drinks like fire whisky, and of course, Butterbeer. All the Butterbeer!
Everyone can enjoy Butterbeer, which is great because it’s practically required for a trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. All Butterbeer in Universal Studios is non-alcoholic. There are 3 types, regular, frozen, and hot. All three are combinations of cream soda, butterscotch, and creamy foam. And all very delicious!
Food at the rest of the Universal Studios Orlando parks is not quite as exciting, however. Universal Studios sticks to the main theme park thoroughfare of hamburgers and french fries. There are a