Central Florida · USA
Two Resorts.
One Week.
Decide the Split First.
Walt Disney World runs four theme parks and two water parks; Universal Orlando runs three theme parks and the Volcano Bay water park. The planning work is the park-day split, the hotel that unlocks each resort's perks, and the booking windows that open weeks before arrival.
Best Season
Jan – Feb · Late Apr – May · Sep – Nov
Best For
Families
& Multigen
& Multigen
The Destination
Disney and Universal Are Different Trips.
Plan Them That Way.
Walt Disney World has four theme parks and suits children from about age 4; under-3s enter free. Universal Orlando has three theme parks since Epic Universe opened on May 22, 2025, and its headline rides need 40 to 48 inches, so it fits roughly age 8 and up. For both, a sensible starting split is four Disney days, two Universal days and a pool day.
The two resorts share an airport and a climate, and very little else. Walt Disney World spreads four theme parks, two water parks and more than 25 Disney-owned hotels across roughly 40 square miles, linked by its own buses, monorail, boats and the Skyliner gondola. Universal Orlando is compact by comparison: 11 hotels, Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure within walking distance of each other, the Volcano Bay water park beside them, and Epic Universe on its own site a few miles south.
That difference in shape is why the split matters more than the ride list. Disney rewards slow days and an early start at one park; Universal rewards a tight two or three days built around the franchises the family actually cares about. The hotel decides the perks on both sides: Disney's early entry goes to Disney hotel guests, and Universal's Express Unlimited goes only to guests of three specific hotels.
The age of the youngest traveler usually settles the order of operations, which is the same logic behind how we plan family trips by age. Orlando is also one of the few places where multigenerational trips work without compromise, provided the grandparents' days are planned as carefully as the children's. Park rules, heights and hotel benefits on this page were checked ; they change, so confirm before booking.
Central Florida · Orlando · USA
The Parks and Hotels
Six Parts of an Orlando Week Worth Planning
Four park groups and two hotel decisions. Each one changes how many days the week needs and which perks come with it.
Walt Disney World
Magic Kingdom
The park most first visits are built around, and the one that suits the youngest children best: gentle dark rides, character meetings and a nighttime fireworks show. It is also the busiest, which is why the 30-minute early entry for Disney hotel guests matters most here. Plan a full day, not a half.
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Universal Orlando
Universal Studios Florida & Islands of Adventure
The two original parks, side by side and joined by the Hogwarts Express for guests with a park-to-park ticket. The Wizarding World is split across both, so a family that wants all of it needs both parks. Height minimums decide who rides what: Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure needs 48 inches.
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Walt Disney World
EPCOT, Hollywood Studios & Animal Kingdom
The other three Disney parks, each a different day. EPCOT walks well with older children and adults, Hollywood Studios carries the bigger thrill rides, and Animal Kingdom runs early and closes early. A base ticket is one park per day; Park Hopper adds a second park after the first.
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Universal Orlando
Epic Universe
Universal's newest park, opened May 22, 2025, with five themed worlds including SUPER NINTENDO WORLD and a second Wizarding World land. Stardust Racers, the headline coaster, needs 48 inches. It is a full day on its own and sits on a separate site, so it does not combine with the other two parks.
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Walt Disney World
Disney Resort Hotels
Value, moderate and deluxe tiers, all with 30-minute early entry at every theme park; deluxe and Deluxe Villa guests add Extended Evening Hours on select nights. Of the two water parks, Typhoon Lagoon has been closed for seasonal refurbishment since September 9, 2026, per Disney's water-park page, checked October 2026; Blizzard Beach is open.
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Universal Orlando
Universal Hotels & Express Unlimited
Portofino Bay, Hard Rock Hotel and Royal Pacific include Universal Express Unlimited for every guest in the room, at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure only, not Epic Universe. All on-site hotels get Early Park Admission. Water taxis link the three Express hotels to CityWalk.
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The Decision
Disney or Universal? How to Split the Week
Six questions settle it, in roughly this order. Heights come from Universal's ride height requirements; line-skipping and hotel rules from Disney's Lightning Lane page and Universal's Early Park Admission page. Checked .
01
Ages & Heights
Disney works from about age 4, and children under 3 enter free. Universal's big rides are height-gated: Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge from 40 inches, Hagrid's and Stardust Racers from 48. Measure the children before choosing the split, not at the gate.
02
Line-Skipping
At Disney, Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass are bought per day, at prices that vary by date. At Universal, Express is bought per day too, unless you stay at one of the three hotels that include Express Unlimited. Epic Universe sells its own Express separately.
03
The Hotel Perk
Every Disney hotel guest gets in 30 minutes early at every theme park, every day. Universal's on-site guests get Early Park Admission up to an hour before opening, at the parks and rides Universal names for that period. The longer head start is Universal's.
04
How Many Park Days
Four Disney parks in four days is a sprint, so a pool day goes in the middle. Universal's three parks need two days with Express Unlimited and three without it. Epic Universe always takes its own day.
05
Doing Both
Put Universal first or last, never in the middle, and change hotels once. Two hotel stays mean each resort's perks apply on the days spent there, which is the only way to get both early entries in one week.
06
Teens vs Young Kids
Young children pull toward Disney's characters and dark rides; teenagers pull toward Universal's coasters and franchises. A mixed-age family usually means both, with the Universal days built around the oldest child.
Featured Itineraries
Three Ways to Build the Week
Orlando itineraries built around the youngest traveler's height, the hotel that unlocks the right perks, and enough rest days to make the park days work.
Year-Round · 7 Days
Disney Week with a Pool Day
Arrive, check into a Disney hotel and keep the first evening free. Magic Kingdom on day two using early entry, then Animal Kingdom on day three, which opens and closes early. Day four is the pool, or Blizzard Beach. EPCOT and Hollywood Studios on days five and six, with Lightning Lane bought for the days that need it. A last morning at the hotel before the flight home.
Plan This Trip
Year-Round · 4 Days
Universal Long Weekend: Three Parks
Three nights at one of the three Express Unlimited hotels. Day one at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure with a park-to-park ticket and the Hogwarts Express between them. Day two at Epic Universe from Early Park Admission to close. Day three repeats the favorites in the original two parks, which is where Express Unlimited earns its rate.
Plan This Trip
Year-Round · 9 Days
Both Resorts, One Hotel Change
Five nights at Disney for four park days and a pool day, then one hotel change to Universal for three nights and two or three park days. Universal goes last so the oldest children end the week on the rides they waited for. The single move keeps both early-entry benefits and costs one morning, not a day.
Plan This Trip
Why Plan With Us
What We Add to Orlando Planning
An Orlando week is decided by a handful of dates and rules set weeks before arrival. Planning is mostly getting those in the right order.
Booking Windows
Disney hotel guests can book dining 60 days before arrival for the whole stay, per Disney's dining FAQ, and can buy Lightning Lane 7 days before arrival instead of the 3 days everyone else gets. Those dates go in the plan the day the hotel is booked.
Tickets Matched to the Plan
A one-park-per-day ticket, a Park Hopper and a Universal park-to-park ticket each suit a different itinerary. Buying the ticket after the day-by-day plan exists, rather than before, avoids paying for flexibility the week will never use.
Hotel Chosen by Perk
On both sides the hotel decides more than the room. A Disney deluxe adds Extended Evening Hours; three Universal hotels add Express Unlimited. Whether those are worth the rate depends on the park days, the ages and the dates, so the comparison is done per trip.
Pacing for Heat and Rain
Central Florida summers bring heat and frequent afternoon storms. Days built around early starts, a midday break at the hotel and a return in the evening hold up better than a rope-drop-to-fireworks plan, especially with young children or grandparents.
When to Go
Orlando by Season
Mid-Winter
January – February
Outside the New Year and Presidents' Day weeks, the most comfortable stretch for walking parks all day: mild, drier and before spring break. Some attractions close for refurbishment in these months, so check the schedule before fixing dates.
Best Overall Window
Spring
March – May
March and Easter fill with school spring breaks. Late April and May, once those end and before summer vacation starts, are a strong second choice: warm, still mostly dry, and quieter than the weeks either side.
Summer
June – August
School holidays, heat and near-daily afternoon thunderstorms. Workable with early starts and a midday break. The National Hurricane Center dates the Atlantic hurricane season from June 1 to November 30.
Autumn & Holidays
September – December
September through mid-November is the other quiet window once schools are back, at the cost of peak hurricane months; flexible bookings and travel insurance matter here. Thanksgiving and Christmas to New Year are among the busiest weeks of the year.
Ready When You Are
Plan an Orlando Week
Around the Right Split
Tell me the ages and heights of the children, the dates you can travel, and whether Universal is a must or a maybe. I'll come back with a park-day split, a hotel on each side if the week needs one, and the booking dates to diarise — within one business day.
No booking fees · Response within one business day · Fully bespoke
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What It Costs
What an Orlando Week Actually Costs
Priced per park day and per hotel night, by date
Disney and Universal both price tickets by date, and Lightning Lane and Express are sold per day on top, so the same week costs a different amount in February than at Easter and no single band describes it.
What actually sets the number
- School-holiday weeks against quieter dates, since both resorts price tickets by date
- Hotel tier, and whether it is one of the 3 Universal hotels that include Express Unlimited
- How many days carry paid Lightning Lane, bookable 7 days ahead by Disney hotel guests and 3 by others
Tell me the dates and the party and you get a real quote, not a range. Source: Walt Disney World Lightning Lane passes.
Common Questions
Orlando — FAQ
The questions that decide an Orlando week: which resort, how many days, which hotel, and how the line-skipping products work.
Disney World, for children under about 8. Its parks are built around characters, dark rides and shows with no height minimum, and children under 3 enter free. Universal's headline rides are height-gated: Universal's ride height page lists Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge at 40 inches, and Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure and Stardust Racers at 48. A child under 40 inches can still enjoy the Wizarding World's shops, shows and smaller rides, but will watch siblings ride the big ones. If an older child is the reason for Universal, add two days at the end rather than replacing Disney days.
Eight to nine days covers both without rushing. That allows four Disney park days with a pool day in the middle, one hotel change, and two or three Universal days. Two Universal days work with Express Unlimited at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure plus a full day at Epic Universe; without Express, plan three. A family with only a week should choose a primary resort and give the other one or two days, rather than trying to see all seven theme parks.
Usually, yes, because three benefits come only with a Disney hotel. First, early theme park entry: 30 minutes before opening at every theme park, every day. Second, dining reservations open 60 days before arrival for the whole stay, and Lightning Lane can be bought 7 days before arrival rather than 3. Third, deluxe and Deluxe Villa guests get Extended Evening Hours at select parks on select nights. Disney's buses, boats, monorail and Skyliner also remove the daily parking. The case is weakest for a short visit with no early mornings planned.
Portofino Bay, Hard Rock Hotel and Royal Pacific include it, but not at Epic Universe. Express Unlimited covers Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure for registered guests in the room, from check-in day to check-out day. Epic Universe sells its own Express separately. Every on-site Universal hotel, including the three, gets Early Park Admission up to an hour before opening, at the parks and rides Universal lists for that period. Checked ; confirm on Universal's hotel pages before booking.
It is a paid, per-day pass that books return times so you skip most of the standby queue. Lightning Lane Multi Pass covers a set of attractions, chosen in advance with arrival windows. Lightning Lane Single Pass is bought ride by ride for a few of the most popular attractions not in Multi Pass. Prices vary by date and park. Disney's Lightning Lane page sets the purchase windows: 7 days before arrival for Disney hotel guests, for the length of the stay, and 3 days before the park day for everyone else. Checked .
January and February outside holiday weeks, then late April to May. Both windows fall between school breaks and before the summer heat. Summer adds near-daily afternoon storms and the school-holiday crowds. September to mid-November is quieter once schools return, but it overlaps the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs June 1 to November 30, so flexible bookings and insurance matter. Christmas to New Year is among the busiest weeks of the year at both resorts. The case for shoulder season sets out the general trade.
Not if you stay on site at either resort. Disney hotel guests ride Disney's complimentary buses, and some hotels add the monorail, boats or the Skyliner. At Universal, the hotels near CityWalk connect to Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure by walking paths, with water taxis from Portofino Bay, Hard Rock and Royal Pacific, and Universal's own guide lists complimentary shuttle buses, including to Epic Universe. A car helps for a split week, a supermarket run, or days outside the parks. Otherwise, a private transfer handles the airport and the single hotel change.
Yes, especially at Disney, where on-site transport and gentle attractions suit every generation. The planning point is that grandparents and young children tire on different schedules, so the day needs a midday break and a way to split the group. A Disney deluxe hotel on the monorail or Skyliner shortens the trip back. For guests who cannot wait in a conventional queue because of a developmental disability such as autism, Disney's Disability Access Service provides return times, with registration by video chat before the trip. Our multigenerational trip planning covers the rest.
More questions answered on the
Full FAQ Page
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