Disney Tips Your Guide To A Great Disney Vacation
Is Epic Universe cheaper than a day at Walt Disney World?
Credit: Andrew Boardwine, Inside the Magic
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While Disney World and Universal Studios are often seen as fierce competitors, there’s a smaller divide between them than you may think. For many fans, both Universal and Disney’s Florida theme parks act as a home away from home, each offering its own blend of rides, attractions, and other experiences to enjoy.
A Disney vacation is only made better by a detour to Universal and vice versa. However, in 2025, more guests than ever are likely to look at their wallets and adjust their travel plans accordingly. Both Universal and Disney have raised prices in recent years, a trend that shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. It’s not so much a question of whether travelers will visit Disney or Universal, but rather which one they will cut out, as the cost to do both has never been higher.
With Epic Universe now officially open, one might assume Universal has the upper hand. However, when breaking down the actual prices, you might be surprised to see that Disney can be the more value-driven option.
Credit: Paul Beattie, Flickr
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Prices for the theme parks vary by date, time of year, and park hopper options. For this experiment, we are looking specifically at single-day tickets for a single park. A single-day ticket for Walt Disney World’s four theme parks for August 1, 2025, is as follows:
- Magic Kingdom – $179
- EPCOT – $174
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios – $174
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom – $154
Unsurprisingly, Magic Kingdom is the most expensive park at Walt Disney World, at $179. EPCOT and Hollywood Studios follow close behind, leaving Animal Kingdom in last place. This is typically how the pricing structure breaks down per park, as Magic Kingdom is the most popular.
Credit: Universal Orlando
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A single-day ticket to Epic Universe for the same date, August 1, 2025, will also run you $179. Epic Universe is priced similarly to Disney World’s more expensive parks, Hollywood Studios, and Magic Kingdom. Obviously, Epic Universe is very new, so it will take some time for a consensus to form on whether the park earns its price.
So far, Epic Universe has received rave reviews, both for its selection of rides and its atmosphere.
Of course, there are other costs outside of a theme park ticket, as travelers will also need to plan meals, book hotel rooms, and lock down any other additional experiences. Walt Disney World features dozens of special add-on packages and activities, with one of the resort’s most popular events being Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.
This spook-filled party, held annually at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, has a hefty price tag. Tickets range from $119 to $229, with the higher number marking a $30 increase over 2024’s event.
Universal features its own set of Halloween festivities, with its Halloween Horror Nights becoming a staple of the theme park resort. Just like Disney World, Universal Orlando’s Halloween event delivers the tricks and treats, though in far more terrifying ways.
Halloween Horror Nights consists of multiple haunted houses, each with its own theme. These houses are usually based on existing franchises, with some of Universal’s most iconic taking inspiration from films and shows like Jurassic Park, IT, and Stranger Things.
Again, fans will have to wait until the dust settles around Epic Universe to truly judge the park, but so far, it looks like a big win for Universal.
Have you been to Epic Universe yet? What’s your favorite theme park in Florida?
