Magic Kingdom vs Universal Studios Florida

Which is the better park?


  • Total voters
    47

DisneyAndUniversalFan

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
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Let's say that you have one single day in the Orlando area, and you can only go to one of these two parks. Which would you pick?
Both parks have many rides, themed lands and a lot of shows and attractions.
Which park is superior, has better rides, more fun, etc? Which is the better park? Discuss.
 

wdwfan4ver

Well-Known Member
Magic Kingdom. I'm going by how the 2 parks are currently.

Magic Kingdom vs USF are not close. I know MK going to take big hit from an atmosphere standpoint once Rivers of America is gone, but that hasn't happened yet.

USF right now has plenty of problems that need to be fixed. The problem with anything happening doesn't start till next year or 2026.
 

Quietmouse

Well-Known Member
I’m still salty they got rid of jaws and the earth quake experience ride.

My other issue is that universal is very avoidant of dark rides. Et is an amazing ride, but I wish there was more.

Also, they abuse ips. There is no reason why Harry Potter needs to be in 3 lands. It’s like they got a hold of a popular ip and they are constantly looking on how to Harry Potter ify it. It’s kind of tiring.

As someone who is not entirely big on thrill ride experienced I end up experiencing both parks in half a day.
 

TrainsOfDisney

Well-Known Member
Universal has a new parade and a new night time show - that would definitely sway my current decision cause I’d like to see both.
 

wdwfan4ver

Well-Known Member
Also, they abuse ips. There is no reason why Harry Potter needs to be in 3 lands.
Universe is going to do the same thing to Nintendo IPS coming up.

Disney has to be accused abusing IPS also. Disney has multiple IPS in multiple parks. Beauty and the Beast is in MK, DHS, and Epcot. Disney also has Mermaid, Toy Story, Nemo in 2 parks at WDW. Indiana Jones is going to be in 2 parks coming up also.
 

Quietmouse

Well-Known Member
Universe is going to do the same thing to Nintendo IPS coming up.

Disney has to be accused abusing IPS also. Disney has multiple IPS in multiple parks. Beauty and the Beast is in MK, DHS, and Epcot. Disney also has Mermaid, Toy Story, Nemo in 2 parks at WDW. Indiana Jones is going to be in 2 parks coming up also.

I guess? But isn’t Harry Potter 3 physical lands? Kind of different.
 

wdwfan4ver

Well-Known Member
I guess? But isn’t Harry Potter 3 physical lands? Kind of different.
Nintendo is not different coming up. What I mean by that is Pokemon will be replacing Simpsons and there are rumors about Zelda replacing Lost Continent.

2 out of the 3 Harry Potter lands are connected by Hogarts Express and that means there should be not problem of IOA and USF having Harry Potter Lands.

Also you said the word abusing IP and acting like Disney doesn't abuse IP is not a good look considering what Disney did with Star Wars at DHS. Disney abused Star Wars at DHS by Star Wars Launch Bay is in animation Courtyard, Star Tours in Echo Lake, and we also have Galaxy's Edge. Disney didn't connect Star Tours and Galaxy's Edge and that is a themed mess. Star Wars Launch Bay also caused a themed mess because of the location of Animation Courtyard.
 

JIMINYCR

Well-Known Member
My heart belongs to MK. 💝
Early entrance with late exit, I get more enjoyment there with what I find to do. ( But as said above, thats with whats there now and who knows how Dis will alter the way I experience it going forward. )
 

Coaster Lover

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
Magic Kingdom by a county mile... Diagon Alley is fantastic (maybe better than any single land at MK), but that's about all USO has going for it (well, maybe Mummy and MiB too). Plus, I feel like visiting Diagon Alley is incomplete without also taking the Hogwarts Express over to IOA for the rest of the Harry Potter stuff, but it seems like that is not allowed in this scenario. I'd also put USO's CineSational above every night time spectacular at Disney, EXCEPT HEA... which happens to be at MK. So, yeah, I'll take MK over USO.
 

Trueblood

Well-Known Member
I don't think it's an entirely fair comparison, since I see those parks being different things. My brief opinion is that the Universal parks are in costume, and the Disney parks are in character.

Universal is the pinnacle of amusement parks like Six Flags, and Disney is the pinnacle of theme parks like... well... Disney.
 

NickMaio

Well-Known Member
I’m still salty they got rid of jaws and the earth quake experience ride.

My other issue is that universal is very avoidant of dark rides. Et is an amazing ride, but I wish there was more.

Also, they abuse ips. There is no reason why Harry Potter needs to be in 3 lands. It’s like they got a hold of a popular ip and they are constantly looking on how to Harry Potter ify it. It’s kind of tiring.

As someone who is not entirely big on thrill ride experienced I end up experiencing both parks in half a day.
Don't forget back to the future......
 

NickMaio

Well-Known Member
I love them both.
They do immersion on a level never before achieved.

Uni got the ball rolling with Hogsmead.
Then Diagon

Then GE. And Pandora

So unique
 

J4546

Well-Known Member
I heard they are perm closing fnf and redoing that area, if so that'd be a plug plus up of the park a lot. But mk still wins imo
 

Mr. Sullivan

Well-Known Member
Magic Kingdom, but if they actually use the years post-Epic Universe to finally address the park's issues, there's a good chance it could rise dramatically in quality.

It's funny, I think USF is more similar to Magic Kingdom than it appears on the surface. It, like MK, is that resort's original gate but has been surpassed in quality by subsequent parks that opened after it. Magic Kingdom isn't the worst of the 4 parks (it's a comfortable 3 to me) but USF is the worst of the two existing parks and will no doubt remain the worst of the three until it gets it's much needed rehab.
 

TrainsOfDisney

Well-Known Member
Universal is the pinnacle of amusement parks like Six Flags, and Disney is the pinnacle of theme parks like... well... Disney.
Universal Studios has the best THEMED land in any theme park in the USA. Mummy is one of the best themed coaster in the USA too - it certainly beats out rock n roller coaster.
 

Disneyhead'71

Well-Known Member
I'm not sure which area you're referring to, or what you value, but I didn't see anything in Universal (Orlando) that was as immersive for me as any number of lands in WDW.

Pretty sure he is referring to this land.

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That said, MK is the best park at WDW, and USF isn't even the best park at UOR. It should be MK vs IOA (soon Epic) and USF vs DHS. Then we can do Volcano Bay vs TL vs BB.
 

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