Disney Vs. Universal

     For my first topic-based entry, I thought I would discuss something very near and dear to me: Disney World. My childhood was made up of watching Aladdin become a prince and Belle fall for a beast, dressing up like the characters, and belting the songs as loud as my voice would permit. But what always excited me most was visiting the enchanting Disney World parks annually with my family. Disney World is a place where at any age, I feel like an innocent child with all possibilities and magic ahead of me.

    Of course, right down the road from Disney World in Orlando, Florida is the rival amusement park, Universal Studios. My family and I would often visit Universal for a day while we were in Florida, but that died down when we wanted to spend that extra day in Disney instead of Universal. A couple of weeks ago, I went to Universal with my family for the first time in five years (our reasoning being that the Harry Potter part of Islands of Adventure had recently been opened, and my mom, my sisters, and I are all big fans of the books and movies).

    On our trip to Orlando, we started the fun with two days jam packed with Mickey Mouse, princesses, and rides that took me back to my childhood. We saved Universal for last because that was the park everyone was anticipating most due to the new rides we were sure to encounter. I couldn't help but find myself constantly comparing the two parks. Don't get me wrong, the Hogwarts and Hogsmeade replicas were stunning, and the rides were far superior to my expectations...but Universal just doesn't hold the same magic for me. I have been going to the park since I was born, but I don't feel giddy excitement that anything can happen like I do in Disney World. 

    The big difference is not in the rides themselves, but in the atmosphere of the entire park. Disney starts your day with a show at the entrance of the park, music to enhance the mood, and there are cast members blowing bubbles at you throughout the park and telling you to have a magical day. At Universal I was greeted by a grumpy worker that wouln't let my younger sister into the park because we originally bought her a child's ticket for ages 0-10, and we didn't realize that by the time we went to Universal next, she would be 11.

    For some reason it just makes me mad. You can just tell that Disney is in the business because the company started with a man who didn't care about money as much as he wanted to make people feel the magic of being a child at any age. Universal is a park that wants to squeeze as much money out of you as you can. 

    As much fun as I had at Universal (don't get me wrong, I love the E.T. Ride, Harry Potter, and the Mummy, they're all fantastic), I just couldn't help being disappointed at the end of the day that we ended the trip with that. I went to bed longing for one more day of the magic that is encompassed so incredibly by Disney World.