Film franchises have a lot of reputable and instantly recognizable characters, which can be sold very easily as tourist attractions. This is why they create parks themed with such characters and rides.
Walt Disney World and Universal Studios are theme parks open to the general public, which house various elements of appeal while differentiating from each other on the basis of the history of their franchises.
Key Takeaways
- Walt Disney World is a vast entertainment complex with four theme parks and two water parks, while Universal Studios consists of two theme parks and one water park.
- Walt Disney World focuses on family-friendly attractions and immersive character experiences, while Universal Studios emphasizes thrill rides and attractions based on popular movies and TV shows.
- Universal Studios caters more to older kids and adults with its adrenaline-pumping rides, whereas Walt Disney World appeals to all age groups with a wider variety of attractions.
Walt Disney World vs Universal Studios
The difference between Walt Disney World and Universal Studios is that Walt Disney World is located in Florida whereas Universal Studios is located in California. Walt Disney World is purely an entertainment hub, whereas Universal Studios is also a film studio still in use and a theme park.
Walt Disney World, called Disney World, is a gigantic theme park and entertainment complex operated by the Walt Disney Company, which is responsible for the creation of some of the most iconic cartoon characters in history, such as Mickey Mouse and Cinderella.
Universal Studios is a film studio and theme park whose main attraction is the tours of Hollywood sets of great movies. It is one of the oldest Hollywood film studios still in use, responsible for big titles such as King Kong, Jurassic World, and Minions.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Walt Disney World | Universal Studios |
|---|---|---|
| Location | It is located in the Bay Lake region in Florida, United States. | It is located in San Fernando Valley, Universal City, California, United States. |
| Establishment Date | It opened on October 1, 1971. | It opened on June 7, 1990. |
| Attractions | It has cartooned theme parks, water parks, specially ticketed events, and resorts. | It has small movie-like environments such as Waterworld, Simpson’s ride, and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. |
| Size | It covers an area of approximately 25000 acres, of which only half is in use. | It covers an area of about 415 acres of land. |
| Turnover | The Walt Disney Company’s turnover in 2020 was about 65 Billion US Dollars of which 16.55 came from Walt Disney World. | Universal Studio’s estimated revenue is about 385 Million US Dollars. |
What is Walt Disney World?
Walt Disney World, also known as Disney World, Walt Disney World Resorts is an entertainment complex and theme park in the Bay Area region of Florida, United States.
It is sprawled across a campus of over 25000 acres of land, of which only half has been put to use.
It is a support project alongside Disneyland, California, to capitalize on the massive brand recognition and use the massive fan following The Disney Company has to make more and more profit.
The main attractions of the park include 4 theme parks named Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studio, and Disney’s Animal World.
It became the most visited vacation spot in 2018, crossing over 58 million visitors annually. It also has two water parks named, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon and Disney’s Blizzard Beach.
The most popular monuments inside Walt Disney World are the Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom, Spaceship Earth at Epcot, the Tree of Life at Animal Kingdom, and The Chinese Theatre at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
It was opened on October 1, 1971, and it comprises 31 Disney-themed resorts with different characters and environments from Disney cartoons. It also has a shopping center named Disney Springs.
What is Universal Studios?
Universal Studios (Hollywood) is a film studio and theme park located in the San Fernando Valley in California. The region is also called Universal City. Universal gets the credit for being the oldest and largest film studio still in use.
It opened on April 30, 1912, and as a theme park on July 15, 1964. Its main attractions include Motion simulators such as Minion Mayhem and Despicable Me.
One of the biggest reasons people visit it is the Studio Tour, a tram ride that leads people to different built film sets used in Universal Studios’ movies.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is the largest themed area of the Upper Lot and is also loved massively by Harry Potter fans. It features an animatronic thrill ride titled Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.
The main attractions in the Lower Lot of the Studios are 3D rides. Jurassic World, Revenge of the Mummy, and Transformers: The Ride 3D are the most notable ones.
The Jurassic World ride goes through the actual sets used in the movie, and the ride ends on an 84 feet drop.
Its tagline is “The Entertainment Capital Of LA.”
Main Differences Between Walt Disney World and Universal Studios
- Walt Disney World is much larger than Universal Studios in terms of infrastructure and investment.
- Universal Studios is based around movies and television shows for a bigger audience, whereas Walt Disney World is more aimed at kids who love cartoons.
- Walt Disney World is in Florida (US), and Universal Studios is in California (US).
- The rides and themes at Universal Studios are more thrilling and risky, whereas, at Walt Disney World, the themes are more suited to the whole family, including young audiences.
- Walt Disney generates much more money than Universal Studios and therefore is expanding really fast, whereas Universal Studios make much less and are more restricted in the choices available to them.
- https://repository.asu.edu/items/22000
- https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdf/10.1086/scr.1984.3536941
Last Updated : 13 July, 2023
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
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