Disney World Hotel Perks vs. Universal Hotel Perks

If you’re planning to visit Orlando, you have a lot of decisions ahead of you.

Which theme parks should you visit? How much time do you need? And where are you going to stay?

While there are all kinds of choices when it comes to accommodations, including hotels at any price point, vacation homes, and campgrounds, many visitors opt to stay “on-property” at either Disney World or Universal Orlando.

Both resorts have theme parks, water parks, restaurants, shopping, evening entertainment, and other outdoor recreation — such as pools, golf, and boating — on site or very nearby.

While staying at a hotel owned by Disney or Universal often comes with a higher price tag than staying at a hotel further away, these resort hotels come with many perks that can make the extra money you’ll spend worth it. For example, both resorts offer lots of free transportation options, and early access to at least portions of their theme parks — so you can get some rides in before the crowds get there.

So how do you decide? Here’s a look at the many hotel perks offered by both Disney World and Universal Orlando.

As you can see — there are many similarities here like free Wi-fi, the ability to charge purchases to your account throughout the resort, and free theme park parking. But there are quite a few differences, too. While all resort guests at Disney World must pay for Disney Genie+ (Disney World’s “skip the line” ride reservation system), guests of the priciest resorts at Universal get their “skip the line” Express Passes for free. And Disney World hotel guests park free at their resort, while Universal charges hotel parking fees.

In the end, it all comes down to what is going to suit you best. Do you plan to spend all your time at Disney World, but head over to Universal for one day? A Disney World hotel might be best. Do you plan to party at nightclubs every night of your vacation? The free admission to Universal Orlando CityWalk’s nightclubs might sway your decision.

If you’re having trouble making this choice (hey, we know there are so many options it gets confusing!), you might talk to a travel agent who specializes in Disney World and Universal vacations. They have seen it all (probably twice!), and are experts at assessing your vacation priorities and guiding your decision — and their services are free to travelers! We recommend the folks at MEI Travel, because we’ve been using them to book our vacations for years. They can help take the stress out of this decision!

Disney World vs. Universal Studios