I’m going to start this post by saying that I head down to Orlando usually multiple times a year and have stayed at at least eight Disney World property hotels in the past, including the on-property, off-brand Swan & Dolphin. I’ve stayed at five different Universal Orlando hotel properties. Every single one of them has its pros and cons. Yet, in recent years, I’ve found that Universal’s partnership with Loews is the place I’m returning to again and again.
At Universal, most of the hotels are new or the rooms are newly renovated. The ambiance is clean and clear and the food – while frequently counter service – is not the chicken nuggets and pizza you see at many of the hotels near the Disney Parks and their newest attractions. Disney, on the other hand, has a range of hotels that vary widely in quality, how recently they’ve been renovated, proximity to the parks and amenities.
So on the one hand, I can totally see it if you’d want to argue Disney has more options. But overall, I’m a little fed up with those options. Here’s why Universal is absolutely getting it right in the hotel game right now.
The Price Point. Duh.
While Disney splits its hotels into three tiers, Universal splits its hotels into four tiers: Value, Prime Value, Preferred, and Premier. Sure, it may be a little bit overkill given the theme park has fewer hotels than the House of Mouse. Yet it means families have options ranging from the extra affordable Endless Summer to a little bit more luxury with Premier hotels like Loews Portofino Bay Hotel. Plus despite these four tiers, the main point I'd like to note is none of these hotels have such wild variance in cost as some of the Disney properties do.
This is actually something I’ve been thinking about for a while, as prices at formerly affordable resorts like Coronado Springs at Disney World have bumped into the $300s (though they did renovate and add a tower a few years ago) and prices at Animal Kingdom Lodge have gone from a splurge to largely unaffordable (at least for my budget). I even looked at prices at Grand Floridian, a former favorite, recently, and the room averages per night were around $935 dollars. It's a great hotel, but that number is intense.
The range at Universal is less gape-worthy. Fans of the parks can actually book a room at Endless Summer for around $100 bucks a night (for a standard room). At the higher tier properties, like Loews Portofino Bay, the rooms start at $392 a night -- and you're getting a lot of options similar to expensive Disney Properties such as The Grand Floridian and The Polynesian. (Though I guess there's no monorail to look forward to.)
Even at the mid-tier, you will see savings at Universal. Looking at what something like what Sapphire Falls offers at Universal Orlando and comparing it to Coronado Springs at Disney World, you may have similar amenities, but as I already noted, Coronado is often priced over $300 bucks a night these days whereas Sapphire Falls has rooms for around $212 a night.
Regardless, if you want to save a buck or pay for luxury, Universal is winning me over, hands down, every time.
Proximity To The Parks
This is a bit of a tricky one as Disney World has some delightful ways to move from park to park and park to hotel.
Listen, it is absolutely a fun experience to take the Skyliner between hotels like Riviera Resort and parks like Epcot. It's cute to be able to walk from the Boardwalk to the back entrance at Epcot or to take the boat from Wilderness Lodge to Magic Kingdom, Disney is a much vaster property than Universal is. You sometimes wait 40 minutes to an hour for a bus.
I've missed dinner reservations before due to cutting a ride wait time too closely and then having to wait 40+ minutes for a bus to Downton Disney. It can be a nightmare to shift from place to place, even while some resorts and hotels are near-ish.
Meanwhile, at Universal Orlando, you have only a quick bus ride between CityWalk and whatever your hotel is. I don’t think I’ve ever waited more than 10 minutes for a bus (and if I have it's been rare), and because the buses come so frequently, they are often far less insanely crowded than some of the Disney buses. Four of the hotels on property also offer a boat ride to shift people between their hotels and CityWalk. Love me a good boat.
It could definitely be argued that Disney has more to do in terms of parks, restaurants and shops, but I've literally had a spare hour at a work event before and hopped on a bus to CityWalk just to buy a pair of socks at the Universal Studios Store, and made it there and back with time to spare. I'm just saying, the proximity is very nice, and it's particularly nice on a rainy day at Universal Studios.
The Hotel Food (AKA I Honestly Prefer Having A Starbucks)
I recognize this is another entry that could be argued a number of ways. A lot of the lower tier Loews hotels at Disney only offer counter service options or at least offer fewer restaurant options than some of their Disney counterparts. (Though Art of Animation and other value hotels at Disney similarly only have counter service options.)
However, the counter service food in most of the Universal hotels is demonstrably better than the counter service food at any of Disney's hotels; it's more interesting, there are more vegetables, and it feels like there's more variance between properties, including specialty menus for Mardi Gras and more.
If I'm spending $100 per night at Endless Summer, for example, I'm probably not on a theme park splurge where I want to dress up and order octopus for dinner ever night (although shoutout to Sapphire Falls' Strong Water Tavern for their bomb octopus dish if you're wanting to spend a little more). But I would rather have, say, a stir fry option than just pizza and burgers.
To the above point, though, the higher tier hotels at Universal Orlando have great sitdown options, just like their Disney counterparts, as well.
The other reason, of course, has to be Starbucks. While there are Starbucks' on property at Disney World, they aren't at the hotels, and the lines can be long in the parks. As cute as some of the Disney World cafes are and as fine as the coffee is, I'd rather just have a Starbucks in the lobby. To me, this is a clear win for Universal.
The Setup For Families
While suites exist all over both theme park properties, Loews offers several suites at discounted rates, and those suites are easy and convenient ways for families to stay together without having to spend an arm and a leg. More importantly, everyone still has space.
At Surfside and its newer sister property Dockside Inn and Suites, literally across the street from one another, a two-bedroom suite goes for $149. It's not fancy, of course. There's picnic table seating and a microwave, but there are two bedrooms that are separated so parents can have alone time, there's a separate bathroom and kitchenette and really an "endless" amount of space.
The cheapest suites I could find at the other theme park were at Disney’s All Star Music Resort and Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. The family suites when I looked at both of those hotels at the time of this writing cost around $400 a night. You can spend more expensively for specialty Minions-themed kids suites and more at Universal, but there are myriad options.
More Consistency Among Amenities At Lower Price Points
Not everyone goes on vacation and wants to get up at 7 a.m. to lift weights, but one of the main issues I have with Disney hotels is the fact that even among the higher end resorts amenities can be varied. Many Disney hotels don't have a fitness center. Some do. The lack of consistency around amenities may be appealing for different families looking for different things, but it does also limit choices for people depending on what is most important to them. Universal takes a more standardized approach on this front, while still offering some specialized amenities, like the bowling alley at Cabana Bay Resort.
At Universal, even the lower tier hotels have a fitness center. For example, Dockside Inn and Suites has a workout room. It has a really cute (and tiny) bar along with its counter service options. It has a gorgeous pool with a specialized cocktail list. And yes, this is all for around $100 a night. Does it have a fancy fine dining restaurant? No, but then again, CityWalk is a breezy bus ride away and I'd rather get the short rib pasta at Big Fire anyway.
Clearly there are some big differences between the strategies of both theme parks, to the point where CinemaBlend's own expert Dirk Libbey called comparing Disney and Universal accommodations 'a fools errand.' For me though, there's currently a clear place I'd rather be.
Disney and Universal are not horribly far away, and I've frequently rideshared between parks. If you're a family that, like mine, often does a few days at one theme park and a few days at the other theme park but normally chooses a Disney hotel for your vacation, I implore you to give the Loews hotels a peek. You probably won't be disappointed, and it will almost certainly be kinder on your wallet, no matter what price tier you're shooting to spend within.
