Beyond WDW —› Universal Studios & Sea World

Overview: Universal Studios and Sea World
Universal Studios is, without a doubt, Disney's biggest competition. That said, to me Universal comes in a far second behind Disney. Universal has two main parks (compared to the four main parks at Walt Disney World). The biggest difference is that the employees at Universal can be grumpy or clueless. At Walt Disney World, you'll find consistent high quality service.

Universal Studios is favored by teens and the twenty-somethings. This is in part because of some of the better thriller rides at Universal Studios, and also in part because of the "cuteness factor" aversion a few teens and twenty-somethings have against anything Disney.

A vacation to Universal Studios can be a good departure for the family or couple who generally goes to Walt Disney World, but are looking for something a bit different this year. I don't recommend mixing Disney with Universal on one trip because you're not saving any money (in fact, you'll probably end up spending more), and also because there's a bit of a distance between the two park areas.

Universal Studios is actually made up of two parks - Universal Studios itself (the original park) and the innovative and incredibly creative Islands of Adventures. Islands features the Spiderman Ride, which is arguably the single most amazing ride to be found in all of Orlando. This ride combines 3-D technology with a ride and (even) pyrotechnics that'll demand you get back in line a second time just to experience it all over again! Islands also offers thrill rides that are more extreme than what you'll find at Disney world (hence the draw with the teens and young adults). Islands offers fantasy-type themes (such as Dr. Seuss, Marvel Comics, and Dinosaurs).

Universal Studios itself offers a movie-goers theme. There are some good rides to be had, though this park isn't as fantastic as its sister, Islands of Adventure. Both parks are within a (long) walking distance to each other, connected by a shopping and dining complex called Citywalk.

Universal Studios frequently offers fantastic discounted passes for longer length of stays. A pleasant itinerary to Universal Studios would be for your first day at Universal Studios, your second day at Islands of Adventure, your third day at Sea World (generally under a separate admission pass), and your fourth day split between your favorites at Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios. If you're a thrill fanatic, you might be able to spend 6 days between the two Universal parks, but that's probably a bit redundant.

If you've got little ones, you might find that there's not enough for you to do at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. That's because there's so much focus on the thrill rides. There -is- the Dr. Seuss area at Islands of Adventure that might satisfy your little one. Just don't expect these parks to be in the same league as Disney world.

Sea World in Orlando is a fantastic experience. Again, I don't recommend combining Sea World with Disney World. Sea World is a super sized aquatic park with the world famous Shamu and buddies, lots of other marine mammals and cute critters. There are large staged productions, interactive exhibits, and amusement park rides to make for a full and fun day.

Because of the popularity of some of the shows and the size of their theatres, traffic flow here is determined by the show schedule. You'll need to obtain a day schedule as you enter the park, and then plan your day according to the show times.

Universal Studios pairs nicely with Sea World. Together, you can spend 4 or 5 nights in order to see and do most everything.