Quick Links

In the magical expanses of Florida Shines a wonderful city full of easily accessible wonders, Orlando. More than 10 million tourists from all over the world travel to this dazzling metropolis each year since it is situated in one of the most popular tourist areas on the globe. The splendid Orlando offers tourists a well-deserved vacation, whether they enjoy bird watching, sunbathing, water sports, shopping, gastronomy, arts, amusement parks, or everything in between.

There are countless options. There are theme parks that appeal to anyone’s love of comic book characters and far-off galaxies, leaving vacationers screaming at every splashdown and free fall. While many people mistakenly believe that Disney World and Universal Studios are solely family vacation spots with a focus on kid-friendly activities, adults will also find plenty of entertainment for them. No one is ever too young or too old to wave a wand, put on Mickey’s ears, or giggle with glee. Activities, shopping, dining, and live entertainment are all combined in Disney World and Universal Studios, and it is so hard to choose between the two bewitching parks. Therefore, here is an overview of both of them, including the prices of the more affordable park that will help visitors choose the park they want to visit.

UPDATE: 2022/12/08 09:40 EST BY TYLER GOLEC

Universal Vs. Disney (Vs. SeaWorld Vs. LEGOLAND): Which One Is The More Affordable Park?

Orlando, Florida, and the surrounding area are loaded with major theme parks. Travelers often visit the area with the intention of visiting more than just one park. So to give travelers the best ideas for the costs of these parks and what to expect, this article has been expanded to include SeaWorld and LEGOLAND.

Related: 10 Things You Need To Know Before Visiting Universal Studios

Universal Studios, Orlando

In the 1920s, leading short movie serials were produced by Universal Studios, an American motion picture studio. From there, the company grew to become the media conglomerate it is today. Carl Laemmle, the original creator of Universal Studios, welcomed guests to his 230-acre (930,776 square meters) ranch in Universal City, California, in 1915.

Visitors could enter and see the production of forthcoming silent films for just 25 cents ($6.50 in 2021). Due to the fact that the sound stages were not soundproof, Laemmle had to close them when he began inserting sound in his movies. The Universal backlot tour opened again for a brief period in 1961, while Disneyland launched in 1955. In 1964, it enhanced the place to become a full-fledged tourist destination. In the 1970s, Universal began to take off while Disneyland lagged.

Just to go back a little bit, Universal Studios Florida was the largest undertaking ever. Long considered a Florida theme park, Universal Paramount Studios (with early designs reportedly dating back to 1982) was one of the companies that Universal sought in an effort to find a partner to help with the astronomical production costs. Michael Eisner, who would later become the CEO of the Walt Disney Company, was the head of Paramount at the time.

Then, Universal Studios Hollywood was thought to be unable to compete with Walt Disney World on Disney's own ground. Therefore, the project was so shelved. However, Universal Studios did not give up, and the real contest started in 1986 and still going on. Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida are the two theme parks at the Universal Orlando Resort. Volcano Bay is a water park, there are eight resort hotels on-site, and CityWalk is a shopping district.

Disney World, Orlando

The "Happiest Place on Earth" is the other name of Disneyland in southern California for more than 60 years. It's not quite little, but Walt Disney turned an orange grove, which covered 160 acres (647,497 square meters), into a magical paradise that has welcomed more guests than any other theme park in the world since it opened. Disney bought the land for the park in Anaheim and began development in 1954 under the names "The Mickey Mouse Park," "Disneylandia," and finally, "Disneyland." On July 17, 1955, Disneyland opened its doors with 18 rides and attractions. Five million guests had visited Disneyland in just one year of its opening.

Walt Disney had plans to expand the concept of Disneyland by creating a new theme park in Florida in the middle of the 1960s. When Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, opened in 1971, the idea became a reality. Walt Disney, unfortunately, passed suddenly in 1966 and never got to see his dream for the park come true.

The initial plan was to build a new theme park that was comparable to Disneyland but with additional features, including hotel options and other cutting-edge concepts. The Walt Disney World consists of 25 on-site resort hotels, the Disney Springs retail district, and four theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom. It also has two water parks, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon.

Prices In Disney vs. Universal Studios

The argument has been going on since both joined the Florida theme park market, and it is getting hotter than ever now; which park is better? That is a foolish endeavor. It is likely that visitors already have a preference, and no amount of passionate prose will persuade someone who is firmly committed to their opinion to change their mind. Any alleged rivalry between theme parks is largely a fabrication of their supporters and not anything that genuinely exists between the parks.

Is Disney or Universal Cheaper? Is another often asked topic. Additionally, as a general rule, Universal is less expensive than Disney in practically every area, including theme park meals, tickets, and hotel accommodations. In addition to being less expensive, the hotels at Universal seem to provide more facilities for free than those at Disney World. It is also vital to keep in mind that while one-day ticket rates are comparable between Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando, multi-day ticket costs are lower at Universal Orlando. Universal Studios Hollywood general admission tickets range in price from $109 to $135 for one day. A one-day regular ticket at Disney World ranges in price from $109 to $159.

Ticket prices:

At Disney World:

  • 1-Day Disney World ticket: $109.00 per day
  • 2-Day Disney World ticket: $107.00 per day
  • 3 or 4-Day Disney World ticket: $106.00 per day
  • 5-Dayay Disney World ticket: $91.00 per day

At Universal Studios:

  • 1-Day Universal Orlando ticket: $109.00 per day
  • 2-Day Disney World ticket: $85.00 per day
  • 3-Day Disney World ticket: $62.34 per day
  • 4-Day Disney World ticket: $62.25 per day

Related: Orlando Is More Than Disney: Here's What Else To Experience

Don't Forget About SeaWorld Orlando - Orlando's Third Theme Park!

Orlando is not a straight choice between the famous theme parks of Disney and Universal. Orlando is also home to a number of other major theme parks - most notably SeaWorld Orlando. SeaWorld Orlando is a major theme park and marine zoological park and welcomes around 4.5 million visitors every year.

It is the 10th most visited amusement park in the country offering close-ups with animals, epic coasters, and water slides. Animals are the focus of the park, and it offers all-around family fun. The kids enjoy feeding the sea lions and dolphins.

Single-Day Ticket

  • General Entry: From $99.99 Per Day
  • All-Day Dining: From $139.99 Per Day

SeaWorld's Discovery Cove is an all-inclusive day resort with the opportunity to swim with dolphins, snorkel with thousands of tropical fish, and much more. People can hand-feed exotic birds and kick back and relax on pristine beaches.

The prices are similar to Disney and Universal Orlando and the theme park offers just as much fun.

What About LEGOLAND? Can't Forget About Them!

LEGO Land is popular with travelers of all ages. At LEGOLAND Theme Park everything is larger than expectation. It is every child's dream to want through attractions like Lost Kingdom Adventure and LEGO NINJAGO World. When travelers want to cool off they can wander over to Pirate’s Cove to watch Brickbeard’s Water Sports Stunt Show on the lake at the back for the LEGOLAND property.

LEGOLAND is also constantly growing. In 2022, they opened a new attraction called Pirate River Quest. LEGOLAND is also popular for its snack options such as its Granny's Apple Fries, which are amazing!

Single Day Ticket

  • Single-Day Entry: Starting From $89 per person
  • Two-Day Entry: Starting From $114 per person

LEGOLAND's price point makes it competitive, if not more affordable than the three above parks. Those that take advantage of the Two-Day Entry will enjoy an incredible value.