Has a visit to Walt Disney World gotten too complicated? This Disney Fanatic thinks so…
Everyone who has gone to Walt Disney World in Central Florida over the past few years knows that you practically need a Ph.D. in Disneyology to plan your vacation.
First, you have to find your hotel and purchase your tickets. Then come the park add-ons like Park Hopper, Disney photo pass, and water park option. And if your trip is in 2024, you must settle on a Disney Dining Plan.
You make all these decisions and haven’t even gotten to the airport yet. Then, you have to set your calendar for 60 days from the day you leave to make your dining reservations.
And when you finally arrive at the Disney Parks, you have to make sure you wake up at 7 a.m. to get your Disney Genie+ rides for the day. It’s a lot of work for a vacation.
Sure, some of us anal retentive types (slowly raises hand) enjoy that kind of planning. In fact, it’s part of the allure of a vacation at Disney World. But others just want a vacation, not a Black Friday-type online event, just to get a Lightning Lane pass for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT.
Now, add in the stress of going to Disney World with a family, and some people are realizing that it’s just not worth it for what is supposed to be a vacation. But some families have found an alternative just up the road. Travel writer Terri Peters tried out Universal Studios Orlando and Walt Disney World and found that a trip to Universal was much easier and felt more like a “typical” vacation.
What Universal Offers That Disney Doesn’t
Let’s start with the obvious: accessibility. Walt Disney World is massive, and walking to a park is not an option unless you stay at a hotel close to the Magic Kingdom or one of the EPCOT resorts.
While the Disney transportation system has improved since COVID-19, having to take a bus everywhere is still a pain. There are some options if you want to park hop, but even those take time out of your day.
Universal Studios is very walkable. If you are staying on property, it’s easy to head back to your hotel during the day to relax and swim, then head back to the parks. Park hopping is also extremely easy at Universal.
You can buy a Universal Express Pass in advance. Unlike Disney Genie Plus, you know you are set to skip lines before you leave for your trip. You don’t need to be at a specific ride at the time that Disney gives you. Just walk up to the attraction, scan your pass, and get on the ride.
It allows you to travel through the parks on your own time and not have to bounce around because you have a Lightning Pass for a specific time. You also don’t need to be glued to the Universal App as you do with the My Disney Experience App.
At the Disney World Resort, dining reservations are a must. But at Universal Studios, you don’t really need a dining reservation for most locations and if you do, you can make them days in advance, not months.
A Walt Disney World vacation has gotten much more complicated, and the average person does not want to have to think that much about a Disney trip. It is, after all, a vacation. The Walt Disney Company probably won’t make any wholesale changes anytime soon. Still, if fewer people visit Disney World because it doesn’t feel like a vacation and another theme park does, perhaps changes will occur.
Which is easier, a visit to Walt Disney World or Universal Orlando Resort? Tell us about it in the comments below!
This is exactly how I feel. I let my pass go because it wasn’t as much fun as it used to be. So much work and racing around to get to your reserved ride. Boo on that.
Not happy about paying additional money for genie + rides. We already paid a lot of money to get into the parks. Also, food is not as good.
Crowds are ridiculous. Cost of snacks are outrageous. Example chocolate donut $ 6.50 at a cart outside of animal kingdom.
Disney needs to be fun and reasonable again !
Agree with article. Disney was a magical place but not now. Prices are ridiculously high for everything. Been to Universal 3 times ,Disney 35. Last trip was in January 2023. Universal is cheaper on everything and we can get top of the line room for what bottom to mid line cost at Disney. Granted there is not as much to see but we still had a great vacation without the higher prices and trying to be at a ride at a certain time just kills the fun.
I will never ever visit Orlando again for the following reasons,finger prints to get into parks apps to download, horrendous cost every where,need driving license for ID,even to hire a bloody kayak!
Not to mention booking in advance nightmare lost its magic
Thing is, Universal is mostly roller coasters, I can’t ride them because of vertigo, been years since I went to Universal but I prefer Disney. If you can’t afford their prices, don’t go
I have been a DVC member for 20 years. The changes in the process to get the experience you want is so time consuming! We used to jump at the time to get our reservation in on our anniversary date, now I am not so eager since the changes that are complicated and changing each year. It is even more rare to get our home resort due to units being gobbled up by none members. We get home exhausted from having to meet time lines to eat, genie pass times which may conflict with dinner reservations because it is the only time left. I agree Universal’s Park is much easier to navigate and you don’t need to waste a lot of time at home planning your trip.
I love Disney and would not stop going as I have grown up Disney. I started going to the park in 1971 and have been hooked since. I am frustrated with how the inflation of pricing has made the Park seem NON family friendly. And we are only a family of 3, and we have to save for a few years just to get there. That is not even cost of food or food plan, park tickets and any needed essentials, like scooter rental, or stroller rentals. Or photo plans etc.
And as far as Universal, the ease of renting a scooter at the park, you still have to be able to “WALK” THE LONG DISTANCE TO GET TO THE rental area to pick up scooter. And most of the rides at Unoversal are not nicely adaptable to the “LARGER” scaled clientele. So, even though Universal may be least costly, and confusing and “pre” work….Disney offers more for the larger clientele and better access to mobility issues.
I have always loved Disney! But I am now hesitant to go back with all the changes. It’s also so expensive. The executives of Disney have destroyed the Magic. The greed has taken over! The lack of knowledge is not working for the Disney experience.
I have been going to Disney World sence rhey opened andyes i agreit has become way to complicated. Its not fun anymore when you have to keep getting on your phone!! The time you spend with your family is cut down by 80%, not enjoyable.
I have been a Disney fanatic since my mother took me to my firt movie over fifty years ago. However, I agree that WDW has become too complicated. You are virtually forced to bury your nose in your phone the entire time you’re in the Parks (making reservations, booking rides, checking times, etc), instead of just enjoying the wonderful ambiance. It used to be a wonderful experience just being there…but no more. Disney needs to go back to their roots and have just one stand-by line for every ride so that everyone has an equal chance to experience it (but greed will never let this happen). We have made two trips (from NY state), and have still not gotten on Guardians. Too complicated!
I know this article is a little old but it perfectly expresses the frustration I feel. We used to go to Disney almost every year, but switched to Universal because of the fast pass, lightning pass, virtual line, etc. etc. Disney has become way too complicated. It Is not fun anymore. I do not want to be forced to wake up at 7 o’clock to stand in line for a ride. And I don’t wanna be told that I had to buy tickets to get on the ride online and There was no other way. I don’t want to have to elbow, my way through the crowds. universal is fantastic. You wear a pass on a lanyard around your neck and go up to the ride whatever time you want and guess what it’s a short line. Why can’t Disney do that? Or why can’t Disney go back to the simple paper fast pass to where you just have to come back at your designated hour. There was no schedule and hidden tiers and online crap.