Universally Better at Disney
13: a Disneyland/DCA VS Universal Studios Hollywood comparison
The last week of September, I was living my best life in Cali, at Universal Studios for a day and Disneyland for 3. It is not my first rodeo when it comes to either park, so I thought myself slightly qualified to share my experiences with both. I go to a Disney park at least once a year and definitely would qualify as a “Disney Adult”, but it’s been a while since my last trip to Universal Studios Hollywood, even though I am a Harry Potter nerd for sure. With Universal’s new addition of Super Nintendo World, I had my hopes apparently a little too high.
For clarity, there are multiple Disney park locations as well as Universal Studios locations around the world. Today, I will be comparing both California parks: Disneyland (and California Adventure ) with Universal Studios Hollywood. It is also impossible for me to be completely unbiased, as I’m sure my readers already know, but I will say the numbers speak for themselves. With that said… Let’s a-go! Here we gooooo!
Cost
Universal’s tickets range from $109-$149 depending on the day, with parking at $27 per car. On our particular day landing on Halloween Horror Nights (an after-hours ticketed event), it was $149 per ticket. I have gotten Express tickets in the past, which grant you quick entry onto all rides once and, with the addition of $100 more per express ticket, you can get through all rides at the park in a jiffy. Currently, it is $20 for early entry into Nintendo World and $149-$189 for a 2-day pass. Universal Studios Hollywood only includes one park, but that park exists in lower and upper lots separated with what I will unofficially declare the longest stretch of escalators in the world, very much dividing the park and consequently dividing your day.
Disneyland currently has 2 parks: Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure (DCA). These parks are conveniently located right next to each other in a way that makes purchasing the $60 park-hopper add-on hard to pass up. Tickets start at $109 for 1 day, getting lower per day until you get to 5 days at $83 a day. Prices for 1 day vastly change based on what particular day you choose (ranging from $109-$179), but once you are buying tickets for 2 people for multiple days, there are more static prices. For this particular trip, we purchased 3-day park-hoppers at $420 each, no parking needed. Parking prices vary based on the parking lot, with cheaper lots being $30 per car per day. Disney’s express feature is Disney Genie+ (previously known as Fastpass RIP) and is $50 per ticket while booking or $30 a day once you’re in the park (my parents gifted us on the last day of this trip). This gives you access to scheduled express passes to what Disney now calls “Lightning Lanes” for almost all rides in the parks excluding the 3 most popular and new. You can still purchase Lightning Lanes for these rides a la carte (without purchasing the full Disney Genie+) for prices ranging from $15-$25 for that one ride.
When it comes to cost, I expected Universal Studios to be cheaper, but it is only sometimes cheaper depending on the day. I still consider Universal Studios a quality theme park in the same tier as Disney (unlike Six Flags, a glorified state fair, and Knott’s Berry Farm— good food, but no theme), but Disney definitely gives the whole cake where Universal gives slices. Disney’s size and location make the parks easy to access and I want to take as many days as my budget allows to take full advantage of what both parks have to offer, while Universal leaves me feeling like one day was more than enough.
Rides & Attractions
At Universal, there is a total of 11 rides, including the Studio Tour. (You can check that if you want, but that is actually it.) In this list, we definitely have more screen-reliant rides than roller-coasters. Rides like the Simpsons, Despicable Me, and Dreamworks Theater include moving seats and stationary screens. I very much enjoy Despicable Me’s ride personally as an adopted person (cue Gru throwing a surprise party for his daughters on the anniversary of their adoption day, exclaiming “How could I forget the best day of my life?” and me sobbing on a ride), but the screen experience still excludes those sensitive to motion sickness. Even the newest rides like Super Mario: Bowser’s Challenge and Harry Potter & The Forbidden Journey use screens that will make your car-sick family nauseous, but I have to say those two rides will make it worth it through their amazing ride technologies. Mario uses AR (augmented reality) in an interactive experience that allows you to shoot at virtual enemies on Bowser’s team while you drive around in a very real and well-crafted ride set that I wish I could have fully focused on as a fan of of the game. I went on this ride twice and it is actually possible to lose and have Bowser win, which makes the challenge real! Forbidden Journey also blends real sets and screens, but at separate times and in a crazily unique ride vehicle (pictured below when the ride broke down on us) that has you unable to tell what’s coming next with its magical transitions. It’s easier for motion-sick family to close their eyes at the screen sequences in Harry Potter’s ride, but the interactive experience of Bowser’s Challenge is lost without the use of the visor. There are playgrounds for the little ones in Silly Fun Land and DinoPlay, but the park feels like it was made with tweens and teens in mind, especially if you’re there during Halloween. Even in the absence of horror houses during the day, there are still scary clown statues that don’t make me feel…good?
Across both parks at Disneyland, there are 50 rides, not including the ferry or the canoes. These rides range from tiny trains for kids to roller-coasters that invert and go up to 55 mph. You have rides your grandparents could go on, rides your infants could go on, and rides most any Disney fan young or old would want to go on. Some of my personal favorites include:
Incredicoaster (previously California Screamin’) which was recently re-themed by the popular Incredibles movies, adding even more draw to the already popular and thrilling roller-coaster ride.
Radiator Springs Racers (pictured above) which takes you through the town from Cars with wonderfully-made animatronics and ends with a race that you prepare for either through getting your car’s tires replaced or getting a paint job.
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway which is new to Disneyland and has a charming queue of props and costumes from past Mickey cartoons that lead you into a trackless ride that uses animatronics with projections, truly making you feel like you are in a Mickey short.
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance which is a ride in its own category and extremely popular across all guests, Star Wars fans or not. This ride only has one sequence with a screen and otherwise uses a real set with animatronics as you travel in a trackless ride to escape the First Order. This ride also has 2 pre-shows and a crazy immersive queue that makes waiting interesting!
And this isn’t even a full list of the rides I wouldn’t miss on a Disney trip. There are interactive shooting range rides like Toy Story Midway Mania and Web Slingers, rollercoasters like Big Thunder Mountain and Space Mountain, and so many classic Disney rides like Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, and even the Canal Boats (personal meaning for me) that stand out from your regular amusement park rides in imagineering. There are also splash pads, interactive play areas, and a whole playground in Toontown that will give little ones a place to play and plenty of beautiful seating areas to get out of the heat and enjoy a break.
Obviously, you get more bang for your buck at Disneyland. With their vast array of rides and attractions for all ages, Universal has a lot to catch up on.
Characters & Shows
During our day spent at Universal Studios, we saw Doc Brown and Marilyn Monroe, but I have seen lots of positive character interactions on Youtube with characters such as the Grinch, the Scooby Doo cast, and Minions. These characters we saw walking around were by happenstance and we didn’t stop to talk to them, but they were very much in-character. There being no way to know when characters will appear (other than Mario, Luigi and Peach) via the app feels very odd as a schedule would help the variety of characters be able to be seen by the specific demographic who would want to see that character. Even though she wasn’t a character I knew by name, I was still thrilled to be chosen by the witch inside Ollivanders to do the wand demonstration. I only cried a lot, as a huge fan of Harry Potter, but I waited until I was in line to purchase my new wand with a free engraving!
We also had full intentions of seeing Water World, but lost our chance due to the night event closing Universal earlier. I have seen that show a million times as it has been going for years, but it’s still so fun. There’s water, stunts, and (to spoil the ending) a huge plane that pops out at the end of the show. There is also a small show called the Triwizard Spirit Rally in the Wizarding World where you get to see some performances recreated from the movie. I am bummed we didn’t have any chance to see the Death Eaters night performance or the Wizarding fireworks, but none of that was in the schedule or available at this time and/or in Universal Studios Hollywood. Overall, nothing to complain about, but nothing to rave about.
At Disneyland, characters can be found anywhere, which does add to the idea that Disneyland is a magical place where all your favorite characters hang out. I have seen videos of the Mad Hatter and Alice riding the teacups or the princesses riding the carousel with guests, though I did not see any of these interactions myself. But there are also plenty of planned appearances that you can find through the Disneyland app. There are many places built throughout both parks that are made specifically for meet-&-greets, so if you hang out in those areas, you can find a cast member with a schedule, if there isn’t one posted there already. Character interactions are so special when you already feel you connect and relate to them. On this trip, we got to meet and have great interactions with the live-action Ariel, R2-D2, and— through Oogie Boogie Bash— Bruno, Mother Gothel, and Madam Mim.
When it comes to shows, there are many that pop up around the park from talented jazz singers to funny, drumming army men, but there are also sit-down shows with multiple showtimes during the day like Storytelling at the Royal Theater and Tale of the Lion King. In the evening, Fantasmic is still down due to the fire earlier this year and fireworks are no longer shown every night (apparently not on weekdays!) likely due to money as well as an environmental initiative. They have heavily leaned into projections and lights in the absence of both of these Disneyland nighttime shows, HOWEVER, Disney California Adventure takes home the gold with the return of World of Color, with the show ONE. Here’s a video of this amazing show that speaks for itself:
“Sometimes just one drop is all it takes. See the ripples. Watch them turn to waves.”
And again, Disney comes out on top with scheduled character meets, more shows, newer shows, and shows that make you cry from the artistry and deeper meaning it holds. Universal doesn’t need to fix what isn’t broken, but it does seem like it’s time to beef up their lineup.
The Food
At Universal we almost didn’t eat the entire day as we never passed by any scrumptious eats. Before going to the park, we looked up reviews of Universal’s food that really discouraged us from wanting to spend our money at many places in the park. Toad’s Cafe was one of the few on our list, but it was completely booked for the day by the time we got there. I knew the chicken plate from the Three Broomsticks in the Wizarding World was gonna be bomb, but the line was super long. I was excited to give Universal’s mobile-ordering a try, knowing it’s a huge time-saver at Disney. Unfortunately, what I thought would be quicker than the stand-by line was equal to or longer than. Not sure if there was a bunch of newbies behind the register but we waited a LONG time, probably 30-35 min after my app said things were “ready for pickup” and the cast member was rude to customers right in front of my eyes. I was standing at the counter and nothing was ready, with 3 parties ahead of me and at least 5 behind. Once we got our food, it was thankfully as good as I remembered, but it was barely worth that long wait. We ate more at City Walk outside of Universal, getting perfect margaritas at Margaritaville and a dozen Voodoo Doughnuts. Yum!
At Disney, mobile ordering is on another level, a functioning and thriving one. Mobile-ordering is a seamless way to help plan your day. Even if you’re waiting a little bit, the times are accurate and it won’t say anything is ready until it is actually there waiting for you. For example, if you want a Ronto Wrap in Star Wars land aka Batuu, you can order one on your phone and basically just walk up and get it while people stand in line. As some of my favorite food in the park, I always recommend getting both the breakfast Ronto wrap and a lunchtime Ronto wrap during your trip. The lunch one has the coleslaw… aghhhhh, I am craving it right now! Most everything in Star Wars Land is super tasty! The thing is—most food at Disney (outside of Tomorrowland) is consistently good. When I go to Disney, not only do I have a list of rides to go on, but also a list of foods to chomp on. Churros and corndogs really are that good at Disney, the Cozy Cones do put mac and cheese in a pretzel cone, and, yes, the food at PYM Test Kitchen is actually really good, no matter the theme of funky sizing. I am also pumped every time new food is added in the parks, knowing the flavors and quality can be trusted at Disney. The newest addition to DCA is San Fransokyo from Big Hero 6 (Baymax Sourdough pictured below) and their Beef Birria Ramen is to die for. Though I could go on, I will stop for the Disney Food Blog that is already out there. Highly recommend them as well! There are also plenty of great food and shopping options in Downtown Disney (DTD).
And again, Disney comes out on top with the ordering experience and food quality being accessible in multiple locations.
Park Vibes (Staff & Extras)
At Universal, you are confronted with a nonmagical atmosphere (outside of Potter World) that feels very disconnected to different parts of the park, emotionally and physically. Though Universal is a clean place, I shouldn’t be mentioning that as a perk when it is an expectation.
At Disney, you wait for rides in a clean, specifically imagined queue where you can use the line app Play Disney to help pass the time. Once you get to the ride, the cast members are always in good spirits but sometimes they add that extra bit of pixie dust before I fly to Neverland and I appreciate that small touch every time. I also super appreciate how much time they devote to guests learning to draw from real Disney Imagineer animators (Pictured above, my Mirabel drawing). Disney isn’t just operating and doing their jobs, they know the impact of joy they can have and they wield the power wisely.
Overview
I think we all know how that went. Disney comes out on top in all categories! I’m so happy to have done the research to share all of this detail with you all! Do you prefer Disney or Universal? Was any of this helpful for an upcoming trip? And please know, I am here to help plan your Disney trip anytime! Any takers?
Hey there friends! Thanks for reading!
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I need to plan another Disneyland trip now!