When it comes to amusement parks, Florida has some of the best ones on the planet. First of all Disney World - the most popular amusement park in the world is located in this state. In 2020 alone, Magic Kingdom- a theme park at Disney World received approximately 7 million visitors, making it the most visited amusement park in the world. This strong start for Disney World no doubt poses a heavy threat for the contender - Universal Orlando which is also one of the most popular theme parks in the world.
In 2020, Universal Studios Florida - a theme park in Universal Orlando received a total number of 4.1 million visitors placing it among the top 10 most visited theme parks in the world. In comparing the two parks, the numbers barely matter as both parks have their unique experiences to offer. This will certainly go down as the most epic theme park face-off of this century. So take a seat, grab a bottle of drink and get ready as we compare two of the most amazing parks in Florida.
Walt Disney World Resort
- Location: Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista
- Area: 25,000 acres
- Features: 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, lots of golf courses, 30+ hotels, 200+ restaurants, a camping resort, a large shopping center, and an entertainment complex
Disney World is a theme park in Florida known for its magical and amusing atmosphere. The park has no rival when it comes to Disney-related attractions. Its four theme parks and the numerous adventures they offer are what make this park the most popular worldwide. Disney World is dedicated to all things related to Disney but its inclusion of other non-Disney-related attractions such as animal exhibits is what makes it a target for so many adventure-loving tourists.
What Disney World Offers
Disney World has four different theme parks and guests can choose from these parks depending on the type of experience they seek. For a better understanding, these are the theme parks in Disney World and what they offer.
- Magic Kingdom - The oldest and unarguably the most popular park in Disney World, Magic Kingdom is indeed filled with magic. Guests at this theme park will be welcomed into a magical world with the sights of castles, mesmerizing fireworks, beautiful gardens, and lots of Disney characters. The park also features musical parades, entertaining shows, and the incredible space mountain roller coaster for those seeking a thrilling ride. And there’s so much more.
- Epcot - The second oldest theme park in Disney World. The park’s main focus is celebrating human achievements in the areas of technology and culture. Epcot presents its amazing festivals, rides, restaurants, as well as other attractions that showcase modern innovations of humans.
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios - Dedicated to showcasing the amazing works of Hollywood through shows, roller coasters, sing-along events, and many more attractions.
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom - Presenting a more zoological and botanical experience to its guests. Here guests will find live animal exhibitions, thrilling rides, as well as other nature-related attractions.
More Things To Enjoy At Disney World
The adventures offered at Disney World are so much that it is practically impossible to explore everything in one visit except (of course) the visit lasts up to two weeks. If you’re lucky to have finished exploring the four theme parks, check out the two water parks - Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard beach for some water activities then proceed to explore the golf courses, the shopping center, and the entertainment complex.
Universal Orlando Resort
- Location: Orlando, Florida
- Area: 541 acres
- Features: 3 theme parks, a waterpark, an entertainment spot, and 8 hotels
Universal Orlando is one of the most popular theme parks in the world as it offers a different kind of experience from others. The park focuses on presenting guests with experiences of some of the most exciting movies ever produced and this is usually done mainly through rides and also through shows. Universal Orlando is made up of two main parks namely - Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Island of Adventure. These parks have attractions that literally bring guests into the movies.
What To Expect At Universal Orlando
Universal Orlando might be much smaller in size when compared to Disney World but it is not in any way short of offerings and these are what to expect when visiting this park.
At Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida is one of the two theme parks in Universal Orlando. The experience here mainly revolves around attractions that have something to do with riding but there are also other things to do and these are some not to miss out on.
- Meet Some Characters: There is always a character to see at Universal Studios at any time. The characters even change so one might want to come back some other time to see more of them. Meanwhile, Minions, SpongeBob SquarePants, Transformers the Simpsons Family, Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, and Hello Kitty are some of the characters to expect on a visit.
- Fast & Furious - Supercharged: Ever watched any Fast & Furious movie and wished you were the one behind the wheels of Dom’s 1970s Dodge charger R/T or Hobb’s Land Rover Defender chasing those bad guys? Well, now there’s a chance to do that at Fast & Furious - Supercharged. Actually, you’ll be the one getting high-speed chased here by Owen Shaw while trying to get home from a party with the Fast and Furious family. Dom’s always there to save you but good luck escaping Deckard Shaw’s weird brother.
- Despicable Me Minion Mayhem: Enjoy an epic and hilarious stimulator ride with Gru, his little daughters, and a couple of minions. The hilarious ride takes less than ten minutes and usually has everybody laughing at the end.
- Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit: One of the fastest roller coasters in Florida with a speed of 65 mph, a length of 1,200 m, and a height of 51 m.
The list of rides goes on but more rides to enjoy at Universal Studios Florida include - Harry Potter And The Escape From Gringotts, the Simpsons Ride, TRANSFORMERS: The Ride 3D, Revenge of the Mummy, and Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon.
At Universal’s Island Of Adventure
Rides also make up a huge part of the things to enjoy at Universal’s Island of Adventure but other things are included as well and here are some attractions to enjoy at this park.
- The Amazing Adventure Of Spider-Man: An adventure to help spider man fight a syndicate’s mission to capture the Statue of Liberty.
- The Incredible Hulk: A thrilling roller coaster ride that portrays the failed scientific experiment that transformed Dr. Bruce Banner into the Incredible Hulk.
- Jurassic World Veloci Coaster: An thrilling and scary ride that will have guests speeding through a jungle full of dinosaurs at an unbelievable speed of 70 mph.
More To Enjoy At Universal Orlando Resort
The list of things to enjoy for both Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Island of Adventure is just too bulky but assuming you have explored all of the parks, then wave a wand at Diagon Alley, take a photo with the dragon or a dinosaur in Jurassic Park, and checkout Volcano bay water park - the third theme park in Universal Orlando.
In Conclusion...
Never before has a face-off been so tight. None of them is a clear winner over the other, they simply offer their own different experiences. But one similar thing between the two parks is the fact that they both offer rides. If this is the main deciding factor then Universal Orlando no doubt has the upper hand. Nevertheless, consider the fact that Disney World has four gigantic parks offering unique experiences including animal exhibits. In this case, it’s not about a winner but about the park to visit first and that decision is better left to the decision-maker so choose wisely!