Visiting Universal and Disney Orlando

The great thing about magic, is that you know it's not real but deep down you think it could be real, somewhere, somehow. At Universal Orlando Resorts magic is real. 

Universal Islands of Adventure (IoA), Universal Studios and Volcano Bay (VB) are absolutely incredible experiences. And if you are, like me, a Harry Potter fan, this is your place. 

Universal vs Disney 
I'm very happy with my choice of spending 3 days in Universal rather than Disney Magic Kingdom (spent 1 day). Some people may not agree with me, but I was looking for nice rides, magical experiences and hassle-free entertainment and I felt that an update/upgrade to Disney Magical Kingdom is urgently needed. 

Universal Orlando (IoA, Studios, VB) has:

• an extremely helpful staff, they are always smiling and ready to assist. First aid is also quick and easy. 
• wide and comfortable walking paths, there is plenty of space for everyone. I would recommend the less busy days Mondays/Tuesdays/Wednesdays. I didn't have a express ticket and the maximum queue was 30min which actually was only around 15min. 
• plenty of rides for all ages and all levels of braveness: there are extreme rollercoasters, 3D/4D experiences, kids attractions, "lazy"rollercoasters, shows throughout the day, etc. 
• excellent amenities: toilets everywhere (clean and theme-based), smoking areas all over the parks, spaces to relax and have a break, first aid, tones of merchandise stores, restaurants/bars/ice-cream shops
  
• amazing logistics: they tell you how long you need to wait and then you have the surprise that it takes less time; your pass works fine with additional finger print scan; no shuttles, the entrance is the entrance, security is fast and easy, etc. 
• a pleasant and theme-based music all over the resort 
• parking: you can choose between a $20/day normal park or $30/day prime parking, the difference is, how far do you want to walk. Tip: the VB parking is $20 and they offer prime, you can take this parking lot and walk to the other parks and it's not far.
• all queues are accessible to guests using manual wheelchairs (with the exception of Pteranodon Flyers at Universal’s Islands of Adventure)

I have more information, what to pack advice, tips, etc. for Volcano Bay, Island of Adventure and Universal Studios. Take a look and let me know if you need more information. 

Disney (only Magic Kingdom) has: 

• Infinite queues for everything (except the toilets), if you want to eat, you better eat out-of-hours (recommended lunch after 2pm and dinner after 8pm)
• Very difficult logistics:
• Upon arrival you need to queue up for a shuttle that will take you to the Magic Kingdom entrance 
• If you have a FastPass+, it's a whole new story. You pay more to avoid the 80-120min standby queues, and you think, "That's it!", well... No! If you haven't booked the rides you want in advance (some rides require a month in advance), then you probably won't be able to ride them on the day. You have to go to one of the six kiosks and book your rides, but... only 3 rides per person per day. 
• Ok merchandising, if you are looking for new-born gifts I think it's best to buy them at Universal as there is much more offer. 
  
• The AMAZING "Happily Ever After" show at Cinderella's castle with fireworks and castle projections (on Saturdays the park is open until midnight, so the show is at 10pm; check the park hours for other days of the week times, it goes month by month, but they are usually at 6pm)
• A Disney Parade only at 2pm each day
• Parking: if you are going to Magic Kingdom do NOT take your car, the parking queue to arrive and depart is immense and after a long day you wouldn't mind to spend $20 in an Uber.

In terms of attractions I personally found Universal much more modern, real and hassle-free. They made me feel very happy whilst my Disney experience was quite poor and I was a bit grumpy for most of the day (definitely would go again to Paris instead of Orlando for this one). Note that I haven't been to the other Disney Parks so let me know your thoughts. 

How to buy your tickets for Universal and Disney: 

There are a LOT of options. So many that you may get lost on what, where and when to buy it. 

Let me make it slightly easier for you. 

If you are buying last minute but don't want to pay the gate price, you'll need to choose a company that offers ticket collection services (and there are not as many as you think) and that also opens early so you can collect your tickets and go straight to the parks. 

I've bought my Universal tickets in Park-Tickets and I strongly recommend you to buy the 3 park park-to-park option independently of how many days you want to go. This will allow you to come in and out of all parks at all times. Note that if you buy your tickets for more than 1 day you'll have to use them consecutively, meaning you can't skip a day. Check for offers like Universal 3-Park 3-Day Park to Park Ticket - 4th Day Free. 

If you're buying in advance consider that offers are changing all the time, so you'll need to do some research to find good deals. Websites like attraction-tickets-direct and floridatix have good prices and free UK delivery. 

Renting a car:

If you are an AMEX credit card holder be aware of the T&Cs of each company. We had to pay $25 a day because Green Motion does NOT accept Amex, which in America you would expect otherwise. Conclusion for a $94 deal we had to pay $219, ridiculous in my opinion. 

If you don't want rent a car: 

Taxis are a bit expensive, I would recommend Uber or similar. 

For Universal and Disney parks, check with your hotel, the majority has free shuttles that will take you there and back, so you avoid traffic and taxi/parking expenses. 

Visiting hotels for cash or offers in Orlando: 

It's common in Orlando to be approached on attractions parks and hotels with offers like "if-you-visit-this-hotel-we-give-you-$100-cash". I was a bit sceptical, but this is not a scam, I actually got my Disney tickets half-price by doing this. The catch is that you have to spend 90min (which is actually more around 2 hours) hearing a sales person talk about options to buy a hotel room, but the majority also offers breakfast. So if you have time, but only if you have time and you want to earn $100 cash, or free weeks in hotels or discounts in tickets this may be something you want to do. I recommend to choose the 7am/8am slot so you have time to enjoy the rest of the day. Make sure it's a well know hotel group and that you are approach in either your hotel or inside a park attraction. 

Hotel in Orlando: 

There are tresillian hotels around Universal and Disney. I stayed at Comfort Inn Maingate, a modest hotel but with GREAT beds, which for me was a big thing due to the amount of km I walked a day. 5 days on a queen standard room costed $300 with buffet breakfast included. 

They have free transportation shuttle for the main attractions, check the schedule. 

I hope you enjoy your trip to Orlando, mine was certainly a hell of a ride. 😊