This one is...uh...I'm actually going to have to think this match-up out. Park that was better in the past vs. park that was better in the past? Well...
-DCA definitely has better food.
-I don't love the layout of either park, though I suppose I have to give USF points for theirs being more logical.
-Both parks have one great land that has actual attractions. Diagon Alley is a better land, BUT Gringotts, amazing queue aside, is just ok. RSR is the clear winner from the headlining IP ride perspective.
-It is easier to go from the ok park to the great park in California (not dramatically so, but true nonetheless).
-USF has a better coaster collection. It also has my favorite shooting dark ride ever in Men in Black.
-DCA has a water ride, USF does not (if it were any other park, I'm sure the Jurassic Park ride would be here).
-I don't actually like ET, but I suppose I should give them some points for keeping it around as a nostalgia draw.
Past attractions:
DCA-I don't know if it's better or worse that many things at DCA have simply been *tweaked to be worse* rather than outright removed as they often have been at USF. I preferred SOC over SATW and Paradise Pier/Screamin' to Pixar Pier/_____coaster. Bugs Land was nicer than Avengers Campus. I'm personally fine with the change from TOT to MB, but TOT undeniably fit better. I'm probably the only one that actually misses ITTBAB (slightly) and Muppetvision (a lot). The destruction of Animation hasn't been fun to watch or experience. Bring back the zoetrope!
USF-Twister wasn't amazing or anything, but it was memorable and at least showed you something about special effects. MUCH better than Fallon. Earthquake had a really cool SFX demo followed by the same Earthquake simulation still available in Hollywood vs. the memetic worst attraction ever, FATF. Jaws didn't really make much of an impression on me as a teen, so I guess Gringotts gets a point there. I would prefer BTTF over Simpsons. Bourne is really cool, but I miss Terminator quite a bit. Transformers didn't really replace anything, but is redundant within the resort and an underratedly ugly building that really kills the look of the area. Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket is a ride I hate so much that maybe USF shouldn't automatically get the points for best coasters, actually.
DCA has a really nice entrance still (albeit with a lot of features similar to DHS). USF's entrance is one of the worst of any big parks I can think of, just ugly and without any character or positive distinguishing features.
USF has HHN, one of the best Halloween events in the country, vs. DCA's OBB, an event I couldn't even successfully get tickets to attend.
At the end of the day I think I have to go with gut instinct here, and come to the conclusion that I simply would rather be at USF than DCA.
So USF ultimately wins by just a hair, but this is the first park match-up in awhile that I really had to think about. I'm kind of shocked that the parks ended up ranking so close to each other.
