We found ourselves in Orlando on two separate weekends recently: the first to meet with our fairy, er, wedding godmother and her family who were in town for a conference, and the second as a side trip before watching Tori Amos in concert.

On the first weekend, we went park-hopping in Walt Disney World, and on the second weekend we visited Universal Orlando. Although neither Mark nor I are big fans of theme parks, we nevertheless enjoyed these visits, as they were much-needed breaks from our busy work schedules. It felt good to be outdoors in the spring sunshine, and to see kids enjoying the day with their favorite cartoon, comic book, or movie characters.

For those who are planning a trip to Orlando, here is a quick comparison chart of these two major theme parks:

Walt Disney World	Universal Orlando
Price:1-day pass: $53.75 ages 10 and up, 43.20 ages 3 to 9. Park Hopper (which allows you to get into any or all the parks on the same day): $35 plus tax.	1-Day, 1-Park: Adult $59.75, Child (ages 3-9) $48.00 Universal Annual Power Pass: $119.00 plus tax
Choices:Disney definitely has more choices which include Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios, Animal Kingdom, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. It has a restaurant/entertainment/nightlife complex called Downtown Disney.	Universal Orlando has two parks: Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. Right before the entrance to these two parks is Citywalk, the park’s dining and nightlife strip.
Getting Around: Because Disney occupies a much bigger space and comprises several different parks, getting around is a bit trickier. On our first trip out, we took a few wrong turns. Inside Disney World itself, there is a transportation system of trolleys, buses, ferries, and monorail cars. Getting from one place to another still takes getting used to though.	Getting around Universal Orlando is fairly easy. You park in the parking lot and walk to the entrance, which is about 5 - 10 minutes away. Taking the right or left turn brings you to either one of the theme parks.
Highlights: We thoroughly enjoyed seeing the kids have their pictures taken with the fairytale characters in Magic Kingdom. The “Haunted Mansion” ride and “Mickey’s PhilHarmagic” 3D show were a lot of fun. At Epcot, we found the “World of Energy” show/ride amazing, and “Mission: Space” challenged even the most theme park-savvy in the group. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to visit the other parks during this visit.	Mark and I both enjoyed the “Jaws” boat tour and the “Men In Black” 3D ride. I found the “Back to the Future” ride highly entertaining, but it didn’t seem to make the same impression on Mark. We only did a few of the “easy” rides that day, putting off the scary-looking “Incredible Hulk Coaster” and “Doctor Doom’s Fear Fall”, as well as the popular “Revenge of the Mummy”, “Twister”, “Amazing Spiderman” and “Shrek 4D” rides for another day because of the long lines. We definitely had a great time having OUR pictures taken with the comicbook/movie characters/superheroes.
Bummers: Although it was fun to watch the kids, we weren’t really that hyped about having our pictures taken with Alladin or Cruella de Ville, and the long lines for Mickey and the more popular characters under the hot sun dissuaded us from doing so. Navigating around the sprawling complex of parks, and getting back to where we parked (near MGM) from our last stop (Epcot) which took almost an hour, was also not a lot of fun.	We were bummed to discover that we needed to fork over extra cash to have our pic taken with Spidey (everyone else was for free).
Dining: We had dinner at Nine Dragons Chinese Restaurant in Epcot. We arrived just a few minutes before closing time but they still accommodated us. The food was great although the service was, understandably, somewhat hurried and harried. I give them 3 stars. (There are several other restaurants in each theme park, as well as as in Downtown Disney).	We had lunch at Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville. The service was friendly and courteous without being too aggressive. I simply loved my Shrimp Jambalaya, which was perfectly complemented by the pina colada I ordered. Mark liked his barbecued baby back ribs too. The large canvass TV screens played music videos of island music bands, and a musician played live reggae music out on the porch. I give this restaurant 4 big stars. (Margaritaville is one of the numerouse restaurants and bars in CityWalk).
General feel/main market: I think Disney World is more attractive to smaller kids and adults who are into the whole fairytale magic thing. We also got the feeling that the visitors to the Disney theme parks seemed to have a grim determination to have fun at all costs, so much so that it was somewhat creepy at times.	The crowd over at Universal Orlando was more laid back. I think this park appeals more to teens and “bigger kids” (like the one in the photo above ) who are into comic book or movie superheroes. During our visit, there was a cheerleading contest, which resulted in an inordinate amount of teens in cheerleaders’ uniforms strutting about, which was kinda cheesy but still amusing.

The verdict: For us, Universal Orlando was definitely more entertaining, with more bang for the buck. In fact, we got ourselves Annual Passes so we can go back and try the more challenging rides, as well as check out the other restaurants and bars in CityWalk.

However, if you plan to bring along small children below 12 years old when you go, they might enjoy Disney World more, and I think that for most parents (or grandparents), that might be more important and rewarding.

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