Disney settled on Orlando as the perfect site, convinced by its year-round sunshine, its excellent road access and relatively cheap land, as much of its was covered by swamps. In 1965, Walt Disney made an announcement that would forever alter the course of Orlando's history.
If you're more interested in large rides like roller coasters, Universal is going to be your best bet. The same is true if you're a big fan of Harry Potter. If you don't mind some of the more family-friendly rides or you have little ones to bring along, Disney may be a better option.
If your family is partial to high-octane thrills, then Universal Orlando would probably be the better choice. Although Hollywood features some rides for thrill-seekers, such as the aforementioned Revenge of the Mummy coaster, Orlando boasts eight roller coasters between Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.
2023 Disney vs.And as a general rule of thumb, Universal is cheaper than Disney in almost every category, from tickets to theme park food, and the most noticeable being hotel rooms.
Is Universal Studios cheaper than Disneyland? Both SoCal theme park resorts are comparable in terms of ticket prices, with one-day, single-park tickets to Disneyland Resort beginning at $104 and one-day tickets to Universal Studios Hollywood beginning at $109.
If you're more interested in large rides like roller coasters, Universal is going to be your best bet. The same is true if you're a big fan of Harry Potter. If you don't mind some of the more family-friendly rides or you have little ones to bring along, Disney may be a better option.
For that reason, we recommend devoting a minimum of a full day to each Universal Orlando theme park, especially if this is your first visit. Three days is ideal, particularly with a park-to-park pass, as it will allow you to fully explore each park and revisit your favorite attractions.
So, needless to say, because of Disney's attention to detail and mission to maintain a clean and safe park experience, maintaining their parks and property is an expensive endeavor. And that cost is passed on to you.
Spanning 580 acres, Disney's Animal Kingdom is the largest theme park in America and the world. Most recently, the park's attendance count was 7,194,000 annual visitors in 2021. The theme park is located within Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. The resort itself is 43 square miles — that's 27,520 acres.
Universal Orlando Attendance Remains Higher Than Most Disney World Theme Parks as Disney Claws Back Market Share. The 2022 Global Attractions Attendance Report has been published by the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) and the Economics practice at AECOM.
The toughest decision is deciding which one. Islands of Adventure has the better roller coasters (VelociCoaster, Hulk, and Hagrid's) but Universal Studios has a better mix of attractions and the better Harry Potter land. As Harry Potter fans, I recommend Universal Studios.
People are often confused about where Harry Potter land is located. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is located at Univeral Orlando Resort and spans over two theme parks, Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. There are no Harry Potter-themed areas or attractions at Walt Disney World Resort.
For an alternate theme park: Busch GardensLegoland (Los Angeles) and Dollywood (Tennessee) offer Disney-like immersive experiences for a fraction of the cost, while classics like Hershey Park (Pennsylvania) and Cedar Point (Ohio) tout both nostalgia and adrenaline-packed thrills.
Additionally, as a general rule, Universal is less expensive than Disney in practically every area, including theme park meals, tickets, and hotel accommodations.
As a general guideline, vacation prices for Universal Orlando are most affordable during specific months: late August, September, January, and February. These months often align with the best time to go to Universal Studios 2023 and beyond, as they offer a combination of lower costs and fewer crowds.
If you want to visit more than one of the Florida theme parks, a combo ticket is guaranteed to save you money. With Disney and Universal tickets, you can visit all 9 incredible parks as many times as you like over a period of 14 days, at a lower price than buying individual resort tickets.
Price increases, inflation, and new and revamped add-on options for tickets mean the average theme park day costs substantially more money than it used to. In some cases, the increase in out-of-pocket expenses is dramatic.