We just got back from our first ever stay on property at Universal Orlando Resort, and I can’t wait to launch into my review to tell you all about it!

A few words first:
I will, inevitably, be making some comparisons between Walt Disney World (WDW) and Universal Orlando Resort (UOR). We are life-long Disney fans. We are also life-long Walt Disney World Fans. We have been going to WDW regularly since 1977. We bought into Disney Vacation Club (DVC) at three different resorts. All by way of saying that, if I am bring honest (which I will be), this is not “unbiased.” Although not unbiased, it will be real and honest.

Truthfully, WDW and UOR are different products and experiences. The dissimilarities are greater than their similarities, making certain comparisons either unfair or irrelevant. When I do compare the two, please know that I am doing my best to compare “apples to apples.”

A few (hopefully) obvious differences that have huge implications on guest experience are
1. Land. There was a time when WDW had 42 square miles of land all to itself. UOR has a fraction of that. The vastness of the WDW landholding allows for more space in between parks and resorts, and necessitates transportation in a way that UOR does not.
2. Ownership. WDW owns virtually everything you see. They own all of the hotels (with a few notable exceptions). They own all the restaurants (with the exception of restaurants at Disney Springs.) At UOR all the hotels on property are owned by Loews Resorts. It is unclear to me what – exactly- UOR owns and operates as deals with third parties seem to be par there.
3. Buy-in. Almost every Disney Cast Member we have had the happy experience of chatting with have had complete “buy-in” into the Disney Experience. They have wanted to work for Disney their whole lives, or wish they had done it sooner. Yes, there are union and employment issues, but the people who don’t have that same Disney “buy-in” don’t seem to last very long. At UOR many of the team members are genuinely good people, who are genuinely happy with their job. But, they do not have the same emotional attachment to the company that Disney Cast Members seem to have.
4. Nostalgia. Disney is unique in that it has it’s own mythology. There is a ton of mythos around the founder, Walt Disney, and the legacy that he is responsible for creating permeates everything. Nothing unifies a large corporation more than having a real human being who, having reached the level of Walt himself, is central and ubiquitous. NBC/Universal is a tremendous entertainment empire, but it will always lack the mythology that holds the Disney empire together and radiates out to the people who fall in love with it.

So, the rest of this will simply be about our experience during our stay at UOR and making certain observations along the way. In all truth, I do not think that one is “better” than the other. They are different products, appealing to different demographics (that often overlap), and generate different expectations.

Here we go. . .

We stayed at Loew’s Royal Pacific Resort from Saturday, February 18, 2023 through Friday, February 24, 2023. We stayed club level.

Our vacation actually began on Friday, February 17. I always consider our vacation having begun the moment we have a drink in our hand relaxing in the airport lounge. So, when we sat down with our wine in the Delta lounge we sat back and breathed a sigh of relief; we are finally on vacation!

It has become a sort of tradition that upon arriving at the Orlando airport we stay our first night at the Hyatt Regency inside the airport. That way, no matter how late we may arrive, all we have to do is walk a few feet to our hotel without ever leaving the building. In the morning we have a nice breakfast, and then head on our way to our vacation destination. Figuring the Hyatt into our plans helps to keep the pace slower, the vibe more relaxed, and certainly less stress.

Saturday, after having breakfast, we headed to Loew’s Royal Pacific Resort.

When we arrived, as we were exiting the car, a bellman came over and immediately helped us with our luggage. He was helpful and friendly and certainly a perfect way to begin. The luggage was placed in storage until our room was ready.

The resort is a very impressive place. I have seen people compare it to Disney’s Polynesian Resort, but I think that isn’t a valid comparison. Disney’s Polynesian is going more for the 1970’s Tiki kitsch vibe, which they do amazingly well. The Royal Pacific shoots for a clean, more authentic, South Pacific vibe; think Bali, Tahiti, etc. It is tastefully loaded with authentic South Pacific Island art and artifacts, along with many recreations and original art that blend seamlessly into the fabric of the resort. Disney’s Polynesian and Loew’s Royal Pacific are different products. Juxtaposing them is not an “apples to apples” comparison.

In the lobby you will find the reception desk (where you check in), the concierge desk(who can help you with meals and transportation), a luggage services desk (who will help you with storing your luggage for the day or helping you to your room) , a vacation planning desk (where they can sell and upgrade tickets and passes), and an Avis car rental desk. (There is also a small shop and restrooms.) I felt relaxed the moment I stepped through the door.
Since our room was not ready, we took that as an opportunity to walk around exploring the resort. We went to the concierge lounge to take a look at the place and introduce ourselves to the staff. Then we continued our walking tour around the resort looking at the restaurants, the gymnasium, browsed the shops, and ended up having lunch and cocktails at the pool bar. By that time our room was ready.

Housekeeping
At the resort, there were a few notable things that actually made our stay more enjoyable than staying at a WDW resort. First of all we had daily housekeeping! I know that seems like it should be normal. But, at Disney you do not always get daily housekeeping. If you are a DVC member, paying thousands of dollars in dues each year, you don’t get housekeeping AT ALL, except on your 5^th day. (If you leave on your 5th day, then you end up with no housekeeping at all.) Having our bed made and towels changed out was surprisingly refreshing. In addition to the regular housekeeping service, we also had turndown service! Maybe a small thing, but it made our stay that much more special. (Win for UOR.)

Texting Service
Secondly, there is the texting service. Need more towels? Text them and towels magically show up. Need to make a dinner reservation? Text them and you magically have dinner reservations. Need directions, or have a question about the parks? Text them! This service alone puts these resorts leaps above any Disney hotel. (Win for UOR.)

That evening we attended the Wantilan Luau. It was culturally respectful and stunningly entertaining. We attended Disney’s version of a luau when WDW offered a luau at their Polynesian Resort. (Sadly, WDW no longer offers a luau experience. That space has been demolished to make way for what looks to be cold, unthematic hotel tower.) Having done both luaus, the one at the Royal Pacific was much better!  (Win for UOR.)

The Universal Orlando Parks

Transportation
We stayed at one of four resorts on property at which the resort guest has the opportunity to take a boat to the parks. All the boats dock at City Walk and then both parks (Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida) are a very short walk. We took both the boat and the bus on various occasions and never waited more than a few minutes for either. I cannot say the same for Disney transportation, for which we have waited 30 – 40 minutes at times for something to show up. (Win for UOR.)

Annual Passes
We purchased an Annual Pass. Which gave us entry to both parks and their water theme park, Volcano Bay. It also gave us a 15% discount on food and merchandise throughout the resort! We used to be passholders at WDW, but then Disney decided not to sell APs any more, taking away that bit of magic from their fans, so owning APs for Disney is no longer an option. (Win for UOR.)

Access
Due to the resort’s footprint, we were able to walk to both parks, walk from park to park, and walk to/from many of the hotels. This is something you simply can’t do comfortably at Disney due to it’s size. (Win for UOR.)

We were able to go to any park we wanted to – whenever we wanted to. There was no requirement for a “reservation” for park entry or restrictions to “park hopping.” (Since Disney has taken away the magic of spontaneity, this is a Win for UOR.)

Experiencing Attractions
We did not have to pay for anything similar to Disney’s  “Genie +” which requires you to look at your phones all day long instead of paying attention to each other or taking in the park experience. Again, taking away the magic of shared experience as you turn a corner or discover something you had not seen before. (That’s kind of hard to do if you are looking at your phone trying to make your next “Lightning Lane” reservation.) We also did not have to pay ridiculous amounts of money to ride a single ride a single time! (Win for UOR X2!)

Refillable Mugs
Unlike Disney Parks, Universal parks have a refillable cup system in which you purchase a refillable cup and then ALL refills that day are FREE. I repeat – ALL REFILLS ARE FREE ALL DAY. The same mug can be used in ALL THREE PARKS – and as long as you visit those parks on the same day – ALL REFILLS ARE FREE. The system is based on the ubiquitous presence of Coke Freestyle machines in all three parks. My husband was very happy to have ginger ale options, as well as Powerade. After you purchase the mug, you can return with that same mug anytime (forever) and “recharge” the mug for about $10 to receive unlimited refills again that day. As a soda, etc will cost you around $4.50, it adds up fast. (A definite Win for UOR.)

Dining
Universal Orlando Resort advertises that they have “fast to fine dining.” My husband and I both take issue with the term, “fine dining.” (Maybe “mid-level dining” like Lombard’s in Universal Studios Florida, or Mythos in Islands of Adventure.) But fine dining? Nope. Do not look for any comparable to Citricos, Jiko, Boma, Narcoossee’s, California Grill, Chefs Du France, Monsieur Paul’s, Tiffin’s, Toledo. . .and the list of WDW restaurants goes on. Loew’s hotels and Universal Orlando Resort just haven’t put the time or money into the dining experience.  Please don’t get me wrong – the food is good. It’s just not the level of dining that people familiar with WDW would hope for. (This win goes to WDW for sure.)

City Walk vs Disney Springs
City Walk is often compared to Disney Springs. I understand the comparison; both are dining and shopping districts, both have movie theatres, etc. But, Disney Springs is a well thought out (if rambling) themed shopping and dining area. It is quite expansive, well themed, and boasts some of the best restaurants in Florida, including art shops and a spectacular Cirque de Soliel show. City Walk is a collection of mostly chain restaurants that people will be comfortably familiar with and a few restaurants that a slightly more upscale. There are no places to eat in City Walk that even come close to the variety of world class dining that you have at Disney Springs. And, City Walk has no definable theme other than an outdoor shopping mall that you have to walk through to get to your destinations. So really, there is no comparison. The experience of City Walk is much better if you just take it as it is.

Package Delivery
While WDW will deliver your purchased items to your on site resort hotel (…wait, are they even doing this again? When we were there in November 2022 they were not…) Universal not only will deliver it to your resort, they will deliver it to your room! It was so nice to walk into our room and find our packages waiting for us there. (Win for UOR.)

Thematic Money
Some of you are looking at the title of this section asking yourself, “What is ‘thematic money?’” And, you have a valid question. WDW used to offer “Disney Dollars” that you could purchase $1 = $1, and spend within their parks. Sadly, they have taken that magic away, too. Universal, on the other hand, not only sells money themed to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, they also have a specific “bank” operated by Gringotts where you can do the “currency exchange.” It’s brilliant and makes you feel part of the magic! (Win for UOR.)

Well, that’s all I have for now. Maybe in the next post I’ll do a day-by-day trip report, and do park and attraction descriptions. If there is something specific you would like me to talk about, let me know in the comments!