10 Things That Surprise Disney Fans on Their First Universal Orlando Visit

Those who are adamant Disney fans, self-labeled Disney Adults, or frequent Disney park goers may have particular thoughts and opinions about Universal Orlando. Due to a deep-felt connection to the parks and an unwavering loyalty towards Disney, it’s often thought that it has to be one or the other – Disney or Universal.

However, that’s not the case at all. Here at Mickey Visit, we frequently visit Disney and Universal and enjoy what both have to offer. We highly recommend that any Disney fans who haven’t visited Universal Orlando before do so if they can. There may be a few things, however, that surprise Disney fans when they experience Universal Orlando for the first time. Here’s a list of what’s most likely to catch you off guard!

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1. Express Pass vs. Lightning Lane Passes

Universal Express Pass is Universal Orlando’s version of a fast pass system. It allows Guests to bypass the regular standby line and enter a prioritized line instead. For Disney fans who utilize Lightning Lane Passes, Express Pass will undoubtedly be something that is surprising in more than one way.

The first thing that most Guests will notice is that Express Pass is much more expensive than Lightning Lane Passes. At Walt Disney World, the Lightning Lane Multi Pass hovers around $25 per person, per day, but has also gone up to around $40 per person, per day. Lightning Lane Single Passes generally range from $12 per person, per ride to $25 per person, per ride, depending on the attraction. Universal Express Pass, however, starts around $80 per person, per day, and can go upwards of $350 per person, per day.

Even though Express Pass is much pricier, Disney fans are sure to be shocked by its simplicity. One of the most common complaints about Lightning Lane Passes is that the system is too confusing. Another complaint is that Guests don’t want to be tied to their phones all day, pre-selecting what rides they want to experience. With Express Pass, this isn’t an issue. You simply walk up to whichever ride you want to ride. No mobile app and no pre-planning is needed.

Universal Express Pass also covers a lot of the heavy-hitter rides. At Disney, you’re required to pay for Lightning Lane Single Passes if you want to skip the line at popular rides. While Lightning Lane Multi Pass covers a variety of rides, the newest and most popular rides generally aren’t included and require separate payment.

2. The Use of Screens and Motion Simulators

One thing that can be really jarring for Disney fans, when they first go to Universal Orlando, is the large amount of screens and motion simulators that are used on the attractions. While there are a few rides that don’t use these features (generally the rides that take place outdoors), a large portion of the parks’ attractions utilize screens and motion simulation.

Disney, on the other hand, while having some rides that do use screen technology, there are plenty that still rely heavily on physical props and sets. When Universal Orlando first opened, this was how many of the rides were. With barely a screen in sight, many props, special effects, and advanced ride technologies were used to make attractions more realistic for the Guests, allowing them to “ride the movies”. Unfortunately, most of these rides have now gone, making room for rides with trendier themes that showcase the progression of technology.

If you’re a Disney fan who’s searching for a bit of old-school charm and physical sets, go on a journey with E.T. on E.T. Adventure. This is the only remaining opening day attraction at Universal Studios Florida. It’s a slow-moving dark ride that’s full of physical sets and props and gives off a very similar feel to a popular Disney ride – Peter Pan’s Flight.

3. On-Property Hotel Perks

A variety of perks are available for Guests staying on-property at Walt Disney World Resort hotels. However, in my opinion, the biggest benefit to staying on-property is Early Theme Park Entry. All Guests staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel are able to enter the parks 30 minutes before they open up to the general public. While this isn’t a huge amount of time, it’s a great way to get a head start on your day.

To take things even further, if you’re staying at a Walt Disney World Deluxe Resort, you also have the opportunity to utilize Extended Evening Hours. This is a perk that’s exclusively for Deluxe Resort Guests and allows them to remain in the parks after closing time.

While extra time in the parks is great, Universal Orlando may have Disney beat in regard to hotel perks. Universal Orlando offers Express Passes, free of charge, to all Guests staying at a Signature Collection Hotel. While Guests staying at Deluxe Resorts at Walt Disney World can get some extra time in the parks at the end of the day, Universal Signature Collection Guests can use an Express Pass all day, every day of their stay. Also, as a reminder, Universal Express pass isn’t cheap, so this is an amazing deal.

4. Park Closing Time

While Walt Disney World doesn’t stay open quite as late as it used to, apart from special events and Extended Evening Hours, it still doesn’t see closing times quite as early as Universal Orlando. Sometimes Universal closes as early as 7:00 pm, with 10 pm being the latest that it’s usually open. (Again, apart from special events.)

While Disney goers are used to earlier closing times for Animal Kingdom and the water parks, it’s not common for one of the more popular theme parks to close quite so early in the evening. This may catch Disney fans by surprise when they visit Universal Orlando. Especially since the parks at Universal Orlando are pretty close in popularity, all offering thrilling and exciting experiences.

5. It’s Easy to Get Alcohol

The Disney Parks have had a love/hate relationship with alcohol over the years. Initially, Walt was adamantly against having alcoholic beverages in his park, as he didn’t want to draw a certain crowd in and he deemed it unnecessary. However, over the years, alcohol gradually became more present in the parks.

Today, a fan-favorite activity is to drink around the world at EPCOT’s World Showcase. Even so, alcohol isn’t as readily available in all of the Disney Parks. For example, at Magic Kingdom, Guests can only enjoy alcoholic beverages at full-service restaurants.

When Disney fans visit Universal Orlando, they’ll find that things are very different when it comes to adult beverages. Alcohol is readily available at the Universal theme parks, water park, hotels, and CityWalk. It’s available at walk-up stands, quick-service restaurants, full-service restaurants, and bars.

There are also a number of Universal Orlando-exclusive alcoholic beverages, such as the Dragon Scale Lager and Hog’s Head Brew that can be found at Hog’s Head in Hogsmeade.

6. There’s Dole Whip!

One of the most popular snacks at the Disney Parks is Dole Whip. This sweet, tart, and creamy soft-serve treat is a refreshing go-to snack for many. It’s also one that some can’t imagine going without during their trip to Disney.

It’s often thought that Dole Whip is a Disney-exclusive snack, but it’s actually not! Dole Whip can also be found at Universal Orlando Resort. The delightful dessert is available at multiple locations, in several flavors, and in a variety of styles.

Most of the Dole Whip locations are located in Universal Islands Adventure. However, there are also some available in Universal Studios Florida! If you’re visiting this park and find yourself craving a Dole Whip, you’ll want to head to Schwab’s Pharmacy. This location offers Pineapple Dole Whip in a cup for $4.49 or a cone for $4.99.

At Universal Islands of Adventure, there are three locations where Dole Whip is available – Chill Ice Cream, Wimpy’s Burgers, and Thunder Falls Terrace. Standard Pineapple Dole Whip is available at Wimpy’s Burgers. Here, a cup is $4.99 while a cone is $5.49. For more unique offerings, you’ll want to visit Chill Ice Cream. This location has three different Dole Whip sundaes available – Piña Colada, Strawberry S’mores, and Lime Tart – all of which are $6.49.

In regard to flavors, Thunder Falls Terrace has the most unique. Currently, Pomegranate Dole Whip is available at this location. It’s available for $6.99 and also comes with pomegranate seeds on top.

7. Great Character Experiences

Character experiences are a big part of the Disney theme parks. Once Disney fans leave the Disney Bubble, they may not expect to have the same opportunity for fun character interactions. However, at Universal Orlando, there are plenty of opportunities! At Universal Orlando, you can find characters roaming throughout the parks, in parades, at meet-and-greet locations, and during character dining experiences.

There’s a very wide range of characters that you can meet. Throughout my years visiting, my family and I have met characters such as Cat in the Hat, the (animated) Grinch, the penguins from Madagascar, Shrek, Donkey, and Fiona, The Simpsons, Beetlejuice, Marilyn Monroe, Scooby-Doo and the Gang, Patrick and Squidward, and the Minions. We’ve even met the Bubba Gump Shrimp when passing the restaurant on CityWalk!

One thing that I love about the characters at Universal is that the lines generally aren’t very long. Currently, the longest character lines are at Epic Universe. This is understandable since there are so many new faces to see! At Epic Universe, you can meet Mario and Luigi, Hiccup and Toothless, classic monsters, and Hogwarts students.

While the character lines at Universal are normally pretty short waits, there’s one character in particular that always draws in a large crowd. This character is the Grinch! While I’ve met the animated version of the Grinch, the Grinch that draws in the most attention is the one from the live-action Grinch movie. Each holiday season, the wait time to meet him reaches multiple hours long pretty early in the day.

8. Universal Has Great Immersion

One well-known characteristic of the Disney Parks is that Guests are continuously being immersed. Whether that be through attractions, entertainment, characters, theming, or landscaping, there are immersive details around every turn. Disney fans have come to expect this from Disney Parks, but they may not expect it from others. Or at the very least, they may not expect other theme parks to do it just as well (or arguably better) than Disney.

Disney fans are in for a pleasant surprise when they visit Universal Orlando. Universal Orlando has highly immersive lands, attractions, dining experiences, character experiences, and entertainment offerings. Remember, from the very beginning, Universal’s goal has been to provide a way for Guests to be able to “ride the movies”. They’ve successfully done that and more. They’ve created a place where Guests step directly into the movies, become the characters, and live out the experiences.

9. Park Hopping is Easy!

Those who have utilized Disney’s Park Hopper option at Walt Disney World, know that it can be a bit of a nuisance. This is simply because Walt Disney World property is so large and everything is very spaced out. None of the parks are very close to each other and it requires one form of transportation or another to get from one park to the next.

Some forms of transportation offer a quicker and more convenient way to get from park to park, such as the monorail or the Skyliner, which can be used to get from EPCOT to Hollywood Studios. However, while those forms are less of a hassle than the buses, they currently only connect to those two parks, leaving the other two parks without an easier option.

At Universal Orlando, this isn’t something you’ll have to worry about. For Disney fans who have visited Disneyland Resort, Universal Orlando has a similar, simplistic setup. The entrances of Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure are within walking distance of each other, making it easy to go from one to the next. Beyond that, there’s an option for Guests with Park Hopper tickets to hop on the Hogwarts Express and quickly travel from one park to the other.

The only instance where this ease and convenience doesn’t apply is in regard to Universal Orlando’s newest park, Epic Universe. Epic Universe is about 4 miles from the other two parks. Or in driving time, about 13-15 minutes. However, at the moment, there are no park hopping ticket options that include Epic Universe. Therefore, in comparison to Walt Disney World, park hopping is indeed much easier to do at Universal Orlando.

10. It’s Easy to Get Around

Not only does the setup of Universal Orlando make it easy to park hop, it also makes it easier to get around in general. Again, Disney fans who frequent Walt Disney World are used to everything being spaced out. At Universal Orlando, it’s quite the opposite. Instead, everything is close by.

Besides Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure being in close proximity, Universal CityWalk is also on the outskirts of the theme park entrances. For those who aren’t familiar, CityWalk is essentially Universal’s version of Disney Springs. It has a variety of shopping, dining, and entertainment options. However, since it’s located within walking distance of the theme parks, it holds an ease and convenience that Disney Springs doesn’t offer.

Many of the on-property hotels are also very close to the theme parks, quite a few of which are within walking distance. While some may try to argue that there are Walt Disney World Resort hotels within walking distance of the parks, remember that those hotels are only close to one theme park, while the Universal Orlando hotels are close to two theme parks as well as CityWalk.

A new on-property also came with the new addition of Universal Epic Universe. This hotel, called Universal Helios Grand Hotel, brings Guests even closer to a theme park since it’s located inside of Epic Universe, something that is completely unheard of at Walt Disney World.

Universal Orlando’s water park, Universal Volcano Bay, is also within walking distance of multiple on-property hotels – Cabana Bay Beach Resort, Aventura Hotel, and Loews Sapphire Falls Resort. Again, this is something that’s unheard of at Walt Disney World. Both of the Disney water parks require bus transportation from all of the on-property hotels.

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