I am die-hard Disney fan. I have an extensive Disney movie collection, I have a dedicated Disney playlist on my phone and my dog is named after "The Little Mermaid" herself. But, this past weekend, my fiance and I decided to go to Universal Studios for the first time instead of our traditional Disney adventures. It was life-changing. My Disney heart has to confess that Universal is so much better than Disney in so many ways.
1. The Wait Times.
At Disney, there is a 30 minute wait to even get on the monorail to get to Magic Kingdom. At Universal, it's so easy to get on a ride in under 30 minutes. Maybe I just got lucky and it was a slow day, but it was a Saturday so I doubt that's the case. Universal also only lets their parks reach a certain capacity until they call it quits. Disney just shovels people in until you're unable to take a breath without inhaling someone else's heat.
2. Roller Coasters.
I have been spending the last three years going to Disney that I forgot what actual thrill roller coasters are like! Disney only has about two, the Tower of Terror and the "Aerosmith" Rockin' Roller Coaster. Don't get me wrong, those two are great and irreplaceable rides to the park. But, they aren't the "Incredible Hulk" where you feel like your heart is going to leap out of your chest.
3. Adult Beverages.
"The Simpsons" land has it's own Duff bar right beside the lake where you can see King's Cross and dream about going to Diagon Alley. Then, while you make your way to King's Cross to stand in line to get on the trolley, there's a drink stop inside the line! It's genius and they're not incredibly overpriced. Disney, on the other-hand, has a dry park (Magic Kingdom). The other parks at Disney, that aren't dry, the drink cost are ridiculously high just for a Budlight.
4. The Food.
This was by far my fiance's favorite part of the whole day. We went to eat at Hogsmeade and when we got our food, it actually tasted good and worth the 30 dollars we paid for it! At Disney, the food is more expensive and also tastes like cafeteria food which is a let down when you're paying anywhere from 30 to 50 dollars.
5. Quantity Over Quality.
Overall, this trip to Universal has helped me see the light. Disney has become more focused on how much people they can pack into their park and how much money they can make off of them. While, Universal actually tries. They put in so much detail into Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade and many of their other attractions. They also make sure that it is a kid and adult friendly park. They serve edible food that is worth your hard earned money. Universal puts quality into their parks.
Sorry Disney, but Universal is our new go-to adventure.