After my last vacation to Walt Disney World in November, it struck me that for the first time (perhaps ever), I would not recommend vacationing to Walt Disney World over Universal Orlando in 2021. I know! I’m as surprised as you are. I’ve always loved Universal Orlando but never really looked at this resort as a vacation destination. Until now. In today’s post, I’m going to discuss my thoughts on Universal Orlando vs. Walt Disney World in 2021 and why I’m choosing Universal.
COST
Let’s start with everyone’s favorite question, how much does it cost? And what kinds of “deals” are available right now?
Walt Disney World
When it comes to promotions, Disney is pretty consistent. Generally, we see promotions a few times a year with discounts ranging from 25-35% off. The same has been true this year. Disney has even been offering Florida residents, annual passholders, and Disney Visa card holders, some SERIOUS discounts in the 40% range. That said, staying on property at a Disney Resort is really really expensive to begin with. In some cases, it’s double or triple the cost of staying at a competitive hotel in the area. So if Disney is offering 35% and Marriott is offering 35%, Marriott is still going to be the cheaper option.
Universal Studios
So how does that compare with Universal? Universal has been offering AMAZING deals for the end of 2020 and into 2021. Discounts of up to 40% for everyone (not just Florida residents) and their resorts are much more reasonably priced to begin with. You can find rooms at their premier hotels in the $200-300 range. Pretty amazing considering all the perks that come with those resort stays.
FASTPASSES
Walt Disney World
When it comes to theme park vacations, there’s one thing I really don’t enjoy… AT ALL… and that’s waiting in lines. I despise it. I get antsy, anxious, and claustrophobic. Because of this, I’ve perfected the art of doing theme park attractions in a particular order to avoid waiting in lines. Sadly, because of the pandemic, Walt Disney World has been forced to eliminate their FastPass reservation system. And there is no end in sight to this. While lines do tend to move “quickly”, not being able to plan my day with FastPasses in mind really put a damper on my Walt Disney World experience.
Universal Studios
Universal, on the other hand, has not eliminated their FastPass system. Universal’s system works quite differently from Disney’s and is actually superior in a number of ways. For an additional $69.99-89.99 per ticket, patrons are able to skip the regular lines throughout the day on most popular rides. This is called the “Universal Express Pass”. AND if you stay on property at a “deluxe” Universal Resort this comes INCLUDED in your resort stay. This is a HUGE perk and one that puts Universal in the lead in 2021.
EXTRA MAGIC HOURS
Walt Disney World
One of the best perks of staying “on property” at a Walt Disney World Resort is having access to each day’s designated “Extra Magic Hours”. Unfortunately, again due to the pandemic, WDW has been forced to eliminate all Extra Magic Hours. Going one step further, due to lower than average capacity restrictions, Walt Disney World has even shortened regular park hours beyond what we usually experience. This means you have less time to get all of your desired activities in. I found this to be stressful and had to come to terms with the fact that I just wasn’t going to get everything in. (A common problem when visiting Walt Disney World.)
Universal Studios
Again, here is where Universal is winning. Each day Universal designates one of the two theme parks for early morning extra magic hours. If you are staying at a Universal Resort, have a Universal Annual Pass, or purchased your theme park tickets through an authorized Universal travel agent, you can get access to these extra magic hours. This could make the difference between riding Hagrids Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure once or twice! (The best ride at Universal Orlando, IMO).
DINING
Walt Disney World
Disney has been forced to eliminate the Disney Dining Plan for 2020 and into 2021 (no updates have been made as to when this will return yet). Additionally, dining reservations can only be made 60 days in advance now. While some people might love this, it has created some dining reservation availability issues.
Universal Studios
Universal Studios Orlando was able to keep their Dining Plans intact for 2021. Their dining plan works similarly to what we’re used to at Walt Disney World. You purchase your “level” upfront and are giving dining credits to use throughout your stay.
Additionally, if you’re staying at one of Universal’s premier hotels, you’ll receive priority dining seating. Many of the restaurants in Universal Orlando (especially the ones in CityWalk) have first-come, first-serve seating. If you’re staying on property at a Universal Resort premier hotel, you receive priority seating for these restaurants, a huge perk around lunch and dinner times.
MERCHANDISE
Walt Disney World
One of the things I used to love about stay on property at a Walt Disney World hotel, was the ability to send all my purchases directly to my resort. Another perk that has been eliminated due to the pandemic. Disney does not want to be responsible for handling guest goods. Not sure if this is really necessary for safety or another one of WDW’s cost-cutting measures taken to financially survive this year. Either way, it’s a perk I miss.
Universal Studios
Universal has not eliminated this service from their hotels, however. So if you’re staying on property at a Universal Resort you can still send your merchandise back to your hotel for your convenience.
ENTERTAINMENT
Walt Disney World
One of the saddest things we’ve seen go this year has been all of the amazing entertainment that Walt Disney World is known for. Almost every show has been eliminated, along with the cast members. This has been heartbreaking to watch and also has left a huge hole in the Walt Disney World-going experience.
Universal Studios
On the flip side, Universal has figured out a way to keep most of their entertainment! It’s been truly incredible to see. From socially distanced indoor seating to talent mandated masks, Universal has kept this aspect of the parks alive. We saw musical outdoor song and dance numbers with performers wearing masks and even an indoor stunt show, again with performers wearing masks, and patrons sitting in pods throughout the theater to remain socially distanced. If Universal can do it, why can’t Disney? Additionally, Universal has also figured out a better way to use costumed characters throughout the parks. There are still character photo opps, they are just distanced. Disney has made almost no attempts to do anything similar with the characters. Major missed opportunity, in my opinion.
GENERAL CLEANLINESS AND COVID-SAFETY
While I actually think both Walt Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando are doing a great job with this category, Universal comes out ahead for me. Before you get on a single ride at Universal, staff members are standing by with bottles of hand sanitizer that guests are required to use. At WDW, there are self-pump stations before you get on rides but it’s up to guest discretion if you want to use it or not. How many guests do you think are voluntarily hand sanitizing before they get on the rides? I guarantee it’s not as many as you would hope. I also saw employees physically cleaning areas of the park with cleaning products far more at Universal than I did at Walt Disney World.
CROWD LEVELS
This category also comes out about even between the parks. Both Universal and WDW have been unseasonably busy and low at random points throughout the pandemic. It’s become increasingly difficult to predict what the crowd levels will be. I do believe that Walt Disney World has a stricter policy on park capacity levels however (although they did recently raise capacity to 40% now).
All in all, I would definitely recommend Universal Orlando over Walt Disney World for family vacations in the first part of 2021. I’m sure Walt Disney World will continue to update and evolve their policies as the pandemic evolves but if you’re looking for an experience that still has a few “perks”, Universal is where it’s at.
What do you think? Which vacation destination would you choose based on your experiences in 2020?
Need help planning your upcoming family vacation? Check out the travel planners at YAA Travel for all your planning needs. It’s totally FREE and could make the difference in your next trip to either Walt Disney World or Universal Studios.
