These Are the 10 Things Universal May Do Better Than Disney

Universal and Disney are each other's biggest competition in the world of theme parks. They both have impressive offerings and bring in a large number of Guests each year. Both continue to expand, improve their parks, and progress with the ever changing Guest demands, while still maintaining their unique identity and charm.

Without a doubt, Universal and Disney are both amazing places to visit. Even so, there are things that one might do better than the other. These are a few things that I think Universal just might have Disney beat on.

1. Universal Trips are Easier to Plan

There are many Guests who feel as if Disney vacations have become overly complicated. While not required, there are multiple aspects of the trip that are able to be booked in advance. This includes things such as dining reservations, Lightning Lane Passes, tours, special experiences, photo sessions, and more. While it is recommended that Guests make reservations for things they absolutely don't want to miss, some feel as though the Disney planning process has taken the bliss of spontaneity out of vacations.

Besides the complication of advanced planning, Lightning Lane Passes are another part of a trip that's felt to be unnecessarily stressful. Guests don't enjoy that they have to continuously be on their phone throughout the day in order to try to secure their desired passes.

At Universal, many of these extra stressors don't apply. While there are still opportunities to book dining reservations and tours, most of your Universal vacation can be decided on a whim. Even the use of Express Pass is decided the day of. There's no need to book any passes in advance, and you don't need to continuously book passes on your phone during the day. You simply walk up to the attraction you want to ride and use your pass.

While youcanvisit Disney and attempt to do things without advanced planning, you most likely won't be able to accomplish much. This is simply because you'll be waiting in long lines or there won't be any space available due to the advanced reservations that were made. Again, planning everything in advance isn't a requirement at Disney, but it's almost a necessity.

2. Popcorn Buckets and Sippers

Disney is very well-known for its refillable popcorn buckets and sippers. These aren't standard tubs or cups that popcorn or drinks are put into. These are elaborately designed buckets and sippers that are inspired by popular characters and items. Different buckets and sippers are released for holidays, movie releases, special events, and celebrations.

Since my husband is one of the many that collects these, I've become very familiar with all of the different options that are available, new and old. There's always been one thing that's stuck out to me. While Disney does create new, fun designs each year, they do tend to be very repetitive.

They frequently put out the same Christmas tree popcorn bucket year after and simply change the color of the tree. Or a Toy Story alien bucket is released with the outfit that it’s wearing being the only thing that’s changed. They also re-release designs with even smaller differences, such as the Mickey mummy popcorn bucket that was released one year and then again the following year. The only difference was, the second time it was designed to glow in the dark. They've also released numerous versions of Mickey balloons and have simply changed the color combination or pattern on them.

As someone who's not even personally interested in these items, I often find myself bored with the repetitiveness. I know that Disney has amazing design teams and could come up with new designs, rather than revisiting old ones over and over.

Universal, however, continues to put out different popcorn buckets and sippers. I've yet to notice a repeat or re-release with only the slightest of differences. Their designs have ranged from a dinosaur egg with a baby raptor hatching out of it, to a light up Mario Kart, the Grinch, Minions, a Transformer, a Butterbeer cart, and so many more. The most recently impressive one is the Harry Potter Time-Turner popcorn bucket!

3. Universal Has More Thrilling Rollercoasters

Disney has a number of roller coasters that are exceptionally fun. Some of these include Incredicoaster, Rock ‘n' Roller Coaster, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Space Mountain, Matterhorn Bobsleds, Slinky Dog Dash, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and TRON Lightcycle / Run. The most impressive, however, is Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. This indoor roller coaster introduced the first ever reverse launch at Disney, has omni-mover technology, and places Guests right in the middle of the action by surrounding them with visuals on huge screens. It really is Disney's best roller coaster to date.

While Disney's coasters are fun, only a select few of them can be considered "thrilling". Many of the coasters can actually be considered family friendly, with height requirements that allow younger children to ride. Those who are passionate about roller coasters, and long for more intense experiences, will have a more enjoyable time at Universal.

Thrilling roller coasters at Universal Studios Florida include Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, and Revenge of the Mummy. At Islands of Adventure, Guests can enjoy VelociCoaster, The Incredible Hulk Coaster, and Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. The newest park, Epic Universe, also has a thrilling coaster called Stardust Racers. Over at Hollywood Studios, a brand new coaster is being built which is sure to be both fast and furious. Yes, this new coaster is themed around the Fast & Furious franchise. The coaster, which is called Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift, is set to open in 2026.

4. Express Pass is Better than Lightning Lane Passes

Universal and Disney both offer fast pass services, which give Guests the opportunity to skip regular standby lines and get on the attractions faster. At Disney, these are called Lightning Lane Passes. Over at Universal, these are called Express Pass.

Disney fans have had a love/hate relationship with Lightning Lane Passes for quite some time now. In the past, Disney offered their fast pass service to Guests free of charge. However, after the parks reopened from their Covid-19 closures, a new fast pass service was introduced that was not only more confusing to Guests, it also came with a price tag.

This was a big change for Disney park goers. While the new fast pass service wasn't as expensive as those that are offered at other theme parks across the country, it was a hefty total that now needed to be considered in Guests' vacation budgets. It was exceptionally unpleasant for those traveling with larger travel parties, as the total that was spent on the service added up quite quickly.

Beyond the price, the service was very confusing, which made it even less appealing. There was a large cry for the more simplistic and free fast pass service of the past.

Universal Express Pass is one of the fast pass services that are priced much higher than Lightning Lane Passes. While Lightning Lane Multi Passes range from around $25-$40 per person, per day, Express Pass starts around $80 per person, per day, and can reach prices around $350 per person, per day. However, even though it's a lot pricier, it's still a favored fast pass option.

One great thing about Express Pass is that it does give Guests access to some of the most popular rides at Universal. At Disney, however, Guests are required to pay for a Lightning Lane Single Pass if they want to bypass the lines on the more popular rides.

Express Pass is also extremely simple to use. Unlike Lightning Lane Passes, which require Guests to continuously make advanced bookings throughout the day, Guests can simply walk right up to whichever attraction they want to ride and use their Express Pass.

5. Universal Wins at Halloween Scares

Disney and Universal offer two very different Halloween experiences. While Disney is known for its family-friendly fun at Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Oogie Boogie Bash, Universal focuses on the frightening side of the holiday with its Halloween Horror Nights events.

Halloween Horror Nights packs in the fun with haunted houses, fright zones, scare actors, decorations, entertainment, and merchandise. The event can be so frightening that it's not recommended for children under the age of 13.

Depending on what kind of Halloween experience you're looking for, you may prefer Disney's family-friendly offerings over Halloween Horror Nights. However, those wanting to embrace the scary side of Halloween can do so in full swing at Halloween Horror Nights.

6. Universal Concerts Have More Popular Artists

Each year, Guests can enjoy free concerts during select times of the year at Universal Orlando and Walt Disney World. At both locations, the concerts are free to Guests who have valid theme park tickets on the days of the concerts. No additional purchase is necessary.It may seem like Universal and Disney are on the same level when it comes to concerts. However, that's not the case.

Universal Orlando brings in big name artists and has an amazing stage set up. When attending these concerts, you'll feel as if you've actually purchased a concert ticket and are attending the event. It doesn't feel like you're simply catching a free show on your day at Universal Studios Florida.

This year, the Mardi Gras concert lineup included headliners such as T-Pain, Joe Jonas, Scotty McCreery, All Time Low, DJ Pauly D, and more.

The concerts at Walt Disney World take place during the EPCOT festivals. While the names of the acts may sound familiar, they're seldomly artists who are currently topping the charts. More or less, the artists that perform at EPCOT are ones that are somewhat washed up. For example, some of the headliners at EPCOT this year have been Tommy DeCarlo (former lead singer of Boston), 98°, Plain White T's, and David Archuleta. Again, it's not as though these acts have never been heard of before. They just aren't necessarily in their prime, unlike the artists headlining at Universal Orlando.

7. Universal Has the Best Hotel Perk

Both Disney and Universal offer a number of perks to the Guests that stay at their on-property hotels. At both locations, the biggest incentive is that you're able to enter the theme parks early at the beginning of the day. Walt Disney World takes this perk even further for Deluxe Resort Guests by giving them the additional perk of Extended Evening Hours. With Extended Evening Hours, on select dates, Deluxe Resort Guests are able to stay at the parks past closing and have even more time to ride their favorite attractions.

Universal Orlando also offers additional perks for Guests staying at their top tier resorts. When staying at these hotels, in addition to Early Park Admission, Guests also receive Universal Express Pass for free. This is an exceptional perk, and one that I would prefer to receive over Disney's Extended Evening Hours.

With this perk, Guests are able to use Universal Express Pass and bypass the regular standby lines on multiple Universal Orlando attractions. It's also important to note that the Signature Collection hotel Guests receive Express Pass for every single day of their stay.

While Deluxe Resort Guests are able to get more attraction time during Extended Evening Hours, it is a date-specific perk and can only be utilized in the evening. With the perk of Express Pass, Signature Collection hotel Guests are able to skip the lines during the entirety day, making it a more beneficial perk.

8. Better Themed Lands

This may strike a nerve with some, but Universal may just do a better job theming its lands than Disney does. Don't get me wrong, Disney does a fantastic job with theming. It's clear to see that extensive thought goes into every tiny detail of the Disney Parks. However, there are only a select few lands at Disney that feel somewhat comparable to the immersive theming of Universal. Some of Disney’s best themed lands include Cars Land, Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, Pandora – The World of Avatar, Avengers Campus, Toy Story Land, and Pixar Pier.

Universal, on the other hand, has incredibly themed lands around every corner. This includes Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley, Minions Land, Springfield, Dreamworks Land, Marvel Super Hero Island, Toon Lagoon, Seuss Landing, and Jurassic Park.Universal Orlando also just opened Epic Universe, which introduced five more amazing lands. All of these new lands are intricately detailed and extremely detailed.

Again, Disney has proven that it can make lands that are more detailed and immersive, but at the moment, Universal provides lands like this for its Guests on a greater scale.

9. Quicker Project Builds and Expansions

On the operational side of things, Universal generally completes projects and expansions much quicker than Disney does. For example, it took Disney about 5 years to build TRON Lightcycle / Run. However, it only took Universal about 2 years to build VelociCoaster.

Taking longer on the build didn't even necessarily yield a better outcome. Many Guests would rank VelociCoaster over TRON, myself included. It's taller, faster, has more inversions, and a longer ride experience. It also has better theming. I love the Jurassic World movies and I, along with many others, have never even seen TRON.

We can also compare what the two theme parks have done with the same amount of time. It took Disney about 6 years to build Pandora – The World of Avatar. It took Universal that same amount of time to build an entire park. To look at that even closer, in the amount of time it took Disney to build one land, Universal built 5 lands and luxury hotel. Plus, there's no question that Epic Universe is much more impressive than Pandora – The World of Avatar.

10. Universal Has the Better Water Park

Walt Disney World has two water parks on property while Universal Orlando has one. Nevertheless, it's often considered that Universal's water park is better than both of the Disney water parks. The reason for this is that Universal has more thrilling attractions.

Now, don't get me wrong. Disney's water parks are great and provide everything that's needed for a fun day in the sun. There's lazy rivers, pools, kiddie areas, and a number of different water slides. While Universal's water park, Volcano Bay, more or less has all of the same stuff, theirs is just… better.

Volcano Bay offers a number of water slides and water coasters that are more intense than the ones that can be found at Disney's Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon. Plus, even though Volcano Bay has more options for thrill seekers, it still has plenty of these to offer to those who are looking for a more relaxing experience as well as those who have little ones with them. It really is a great water park that can meet everyone's expectations of a good time.

Besides better attractions, Volcano Bay also offers a more relaxing day with their Tapu Tapu bands. These waterproof bands allow Guests to scan into a virtual queue for the attractions they'd like to ride. This cuts out the need to stand in line. Guests can continue splashing in the water or soaking up the sun until it's their turn to go ride the attraction.