How Far is Universal From Disney?

The two parks in Orlando that bring the tourist to town are Universal Studios and Walt Disney World. Having visited both parks, it is not a question as to why Orlando is a top destination in the United States for vacations.

We visit Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando frequently and make the trip between both theme parks as often as we can. Our best tips and guide is based on personal experience of navigating those trips.

There are many visitors each year that want to make sure they get to visit both on one EPIC vacation. However, planning the logistics of a Universal Studios and Walt Disney World trip can be daunting. The most basic question to start with is how far away are Universal Studios and Walt Disney World from each other?

How Far is Universal From Disney?

According to Google, Universal Studios is only 9 miles from Walt Disney World Resort, only about a 14 minute drive. This makes visiting the two theme parks in Orlando incredibly accessible for any vacation.

Depending on where you are leaving from and trying to get to at Walt Disney World and Universal Studios, the ride can be a little longer or a little shorter than the average 9 miles.

Disney Springs to City Walk is about an 11 mile drive on 1-4 whereas Magic Kingdom to the Parking Garage for the Universal Theme parks is about 17 miles.

Depending on where you are trying to get on each property, you may have to budget a little more time, especially when taking into account the fact that most of the travel between the two parks is on I-4, where during any major time of the day is full of traffic adding a significant amount of time to travel.

Where Should I Stay?

When splitting your trip between Walt Disney World to Universal Orlando, you can choose to stay at an on-property Walt Disney hotel or an on-property Universal hotel. Both sets of hotels have perks for staying on-property that may affect which hotel you stay at and which theme park you travel to.

When staying at a Universal Hotel, guests get early entry into the parks and more exclusive perks. Those staying at select hotels onsite (Royal Pacific Resort, Hard Rock Hotel, or Portofino Bay Hotel) also receive unlimited Express Pass access.

Guests staying at a Walt Disney Resort hotel get early entry to the theme parks, the option to book ticket and dining packages, and access to Lightning and Genie Plus selections at 7 am. 

No matter which hotel you stay at, you can easily get between the resort property and the theme park of the day. 

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How Can You Get from Universal to Disney?

With Universal only 9 miles from Disney World, there are many affordable ways to get between the two locations.

1. Drive or use a Rental Car

To drive to Universal from Walt Disney World, you just need to take I-4 East to exit 75A. Once you’ve exited, just follow the signs to Universal Orlando’s main parking garage!

Self-parking at Universal Studios starts at $27 per day, while prime parking can cost between $40 and $60 per day, depending on the season.

To drive from Universal to Walt Disney, you also use I-4 and follow the signs for Disney. Disney parks charge similar rates: $25 per day for standard self-parking and $45 to $50 per day for preferred parking at their theme parks. If visiting Disney Springs, you can park for free, but this will not provide you free transportation to the parks. 

If you already have a car with you, this a great option. Renting a car can be a good idea if you know that you have other places you want to visit besides the theme parks; however it is not the best idea to just rent a car to drive between Universal and Disney. 

2. Taxi/ Rideshare

Lyft rideshare apps will cost anywhere between $20-30 for the trip depending on the type of car chosen. If using a rideshare like Lyft or Uber, there are many factors that go into the pricing of a rideshare such as surge pricing, tips for your driver, and availability.

For a Taxi, Mears is the biggest name in the Orlando area. Using the Taxi-Calculator, it would be about $35.00 to travel the 9 miles between Universal Studios and Walt Disney World.

While the trip is short, factoring the wait time for your rideshare and the traffic, the route could take a longer amount of time than what is estimated through the directions. 

3. Public Transportation

This is the least recommended option on the list. Public buses through the local LYNX system offer transportation from Disney to Universal. The two theme parks are serviced by different bus lines, which means you’d need to transfer buses and spend around two hours for the 9 miles between the two parks.

Getting to Universal and Walt Disney World Out of the Box

Depending on where you stay in Orlando, there are hotels situated perfectly to allow complimentary transportation to both Universal Studios and Walt Disney World theme parks.

Since the parks are less than 10 miles apart, many hotels have the ability to shuttle guests visiting the area to their choice of the two parks throughout their vacations.

What is the Best Way?

Our top pick to get between Walt Disney World and Universal is to use a Rideshare. This is the quickest and cheapest way to get between the two parks. You can see at what time the car is going to pick you up, how long it will take them to get to you, the type of car you need, and more. This is the most convenient option because you can book at any time and for the amount of people traveling with you. Having used the Rideshare serves previously, it is one of the easiest ways to get around Orlando when you don't have a car.  

Ready to Plan Your Visit?

If you are ready to plan your next visit to either Universal or Walt Disney World, make sure to subscribe to our FREE deals newsletter. Here you will receive helpful​ planning information, exclusive Disney deals, and access to the lowest priced Disney tickets anywhere. You can find more information on planning your vacation here:

1. Universal Studios vs. Islands of Adventure 2024
2. Walt Disney World 2024 Planning Guide: Experience More, Save Money at Disney
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4. When to Visit Disney World 2024 Disney World Crowd Calendar
5. Best Disney World Value Hotels- All Value Walt Disney World Resort Hotels Ranked!