This isn't as simple as Disney for little kids and Universal for teenagers.
That shortcut gets repeated all the time, but it doesn't tell you very much. Disney has plenty for teenagers and adults. Universal has plenty for families and younger kids. And now that Epic Universe is part of Universal Orlando, Universal can be a much bigger vacation than it used to be.
I would start with what everybody actually wants to do. Which attractions matter? How much do you care about Disney characters and stories? Is Harry Potter a big reason for going? Does somebody in the family love thrill rides? How many days do you have? And do you want to stay at one resort or try to do both?
Don't choose by age alone. Choose by the vacation your family actually wants.
Before comparing ticket prices or hotels, I'd figure out what is actually pulling your family toward Orlando.
If Magic Kingdom, Disney characters, Star Wars, EPCOT, Disney's Animal Kingdom and the whole Disney resort experience are what everybody is talking about, Walt Disney World is probably going to be the center of the trip.
If Harry Potter, Epic Universe, bigger thrill rides and Universal's attractions are driving the conversation, Universal deserves to be treated as the vacation — not automatically as a day or two added onto Disney.
Then doing both can make a lot of sense. The trick is giving each resort enough time instead of trying to cram every Orlando park into one exhausting week.
They are both major Orlando resorts now, but they still create very different vacations.
A huge Central Florida resort with four theme parks, Disney Resort hotels, dining, shopping and a transportation system that becomes part of the vacation.
A growing Orlando resort with Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, Epic Universe, Volcano Bay, Universal hotels and CityWalk.
Four theme parks, lots of Disney hotels and a large transportation network mean where you stay and how you pace the trip can make a big difference.
With Epic Universe joining Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay, there is enough at Universal Orlando to build a real vacation around it.
These are the kinds of things I would use to narrow it down.
Disney World is going to give you much more of that from the parks to the resorts, dining and entertainment.
Universal is the obvious place to look. The Wizarding World experiences are spread across Universal's parks, so this can affect how many Universal days make sense.
Then I would build the Universal part of the vacation around it instead of trying to squeeze Epic Universe into an already packed Orlando schedule.
Universal has a strong lineup for thrill-ride fans, but don't assume Disney has nothing for them. I'd compare the actual attractions your group cares about.
Don't automatically rule Universal out. Height requirements and what your kids actually recognize and enjoy matter more than their age on paper.
Great. Then the question becomes how many days you have, where to stay, whether a split stay makes sense and how to avoid spending half the vacation moving between resorts.
Once you get past the attractions, hotel benefits, transportation and how many days you have can change which vacation makes more sense.
I wouldn't use a fixed rule like “Disney needs a week and Universal needs three days.”
Disney has four theme parks. Universal now has Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, Epic Universe and Volcano Bay. Either resort can fill several days depending on what your family wants to experience.
Start with the parks and attractions everybody cares about, then figure out how many days make sense. That's better than picking the length first and trying to force everything into it.
These are not the same system.
Disney World currently uses Lightning Lane Multi Pass, Single Pass and Premier Pass. Depending on which option you're using, there can be advance planning and attraction selections involved.
Universal Express works differently and is tied to eligible attractions and the Express product you're using. One important detail: complimentary Universal Express Unlimited is currently included with stays at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel and Loews Royal Pacific Resort for eligible attractions at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure.
That complimentary hotel benefit does not currently apply at Epic Universe or Volcano Bay.
These systems and benefits can change, so I check what applies to the actual travel dates instead of expecting somebody to learn all of this before asking me about a trip.
This is one place where I would look at the whole package instead of comparing hotel room prices by themselves.
Disney Resort hotels can come with Disney transportation and benefits that may affect park planning.
Universal hotel guests currently receive Early Park Admission to select attractions on eligible days with valid admission. Some Universal hotels have additional benefits. Portofino Bay, Hard Rock and Royal Pacific currently include Universal Express Unlimited for eligible attractions at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure.
Helios Grand Hotel is different again because it sits at Epic Universe and has a dedicated entrance into that park for hotel guests with valid park admission.
So I wouldn't choose an Orlando hotel without looking at what the hotel actually does for the rest of the vacation.
Disney World is huge. Depending on where you're staying and where you're going, you may use buses, boats, monorail, Disney Skyliner or walking.
Universal is more concentrated overall, but Epic Universe has expanded the footprint of the resort. Hotel location matters there too, and Universal hotels provide transportation options to the parks.
If you're doing Disney and Universal in the same vacation, transportation between the two resorts becomes its own decision because Disney transportation and Universal transportation don't connect the resorts to each other.
Absolutely. A lot of families want things at both.
What I wouldn't do is automatically try to cover every Disney park and every Universal park just because they're all in Orlando. That's how a vacation turns into a race.
Depending on the trip, staying in one place and using a rental car or rideshare may make sense. For another family, splitting the stay between Disney and Universal could make the trip easier.
The right setup depends on how many days you have and where you actually plan to spend them.
There isn't an honest evergreen answer to this one.
Hotel choice, number of nights, ticket type, travel dates, Lightning Lane or Express purchases, airfare and promotions can all change the comparison.
Universal Express can be a significant cost if you buy it separately, but the hotel benefit at certain Universal hotels can completely change that calculation. Disney has its own hotel and Lightning Lane decisions.
I'd rather compare the actual totals for your dates than tell you one resort is always cheaper.
This is where the “Disney for little kids, Universal for teens” shortcut can get families in trouble.
Disney has a lot for younger children, but that doesn't mean Universal has nothing for them. Universal also has family attractions, shows and experiences. What matters is which attractions your children can ride and which characters, movies and experiences they actually care about.
I would look at height requirements before making the decision, especially if several of the attractions driving the Universal trip are rides a younger child can't ride yet.
These get repeated so often that they start sounding like rules. They're not.
Disney has plenty for teenagers, adults and people traveling without kids. The better question is whether your group wants what Disney offers.
Universal has changed a lot, and Epic Universe makes that old description even less useful. Look at the actual attractions and experiences instead.
Sometimes it may be. Sometimes it isn't. Tickets, Express, hotel choice, dates and the number of days can move the total quite a bit.
That's a good way to need another vacation when you get home. I'd rather pick the things everybody actually wants and leave enough time to enjoy them.
If you're still figuring out the trip, these pages can help narrow it down.
You don't have to decide before you contact me. Tell me who's going, when you're thinking about traveling, how long you want to be away and which attractions everybody keeps talking about. We can figure out whether Disney, Universal or some of both makes the most sense from there.
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