When tourists are planning trips to the Orlando area, the first question many face is whether to visit Walt Disney World or the Universal Orlando Resort. While there are a litany of reasons to visit both world-class resorts, sometimes the decision can come down simply to dates.
Universal Studios
Whether it’s due to what Universal is offering, or simply what some guests may wish to avoid at Disney World, these are the dates that many will be looking at Universal Orlando for their theme park fun.
Let’s begin with some of Universal’s best offerings:
- March 1st will see the start of Butterbeer Season, a celebration of the iconic Harry Potter drink, which is available at Universal’s Wizarding World locations in several forms, including cold, hot, frozen, and as ice cream, fudge, and potted cream. The event, which extends to May 31st, will feature “limited-time treats and merch inspired by the iconic drink.”
- Of course, there’s Halloween Horror Nights, the premier Halloween event in the whole theme park world. Pretty much any day is a good day to get HHN tickets… EXCEPT the opening night and Halloween itself, both of which are usually slammed.
- Finally, Universal’s Holiday Season — including the Holiday Parade and the Grinchmas celebration — kicks off on November 14th.
Universal Orlando Halloween Horror Nights
However, like we said above, Universal’s offerings aren’t the only reasons the resort is better to visit on certain days. Some are based on days guests would rather AVOID Disney World.
Let’s begin with EPCOT’s festival start dates. While the park’s annual fests are some of the best times to visit overall, their opening days tend to be crowded, with items often unavailable or selling out.
The remaining festival openers for 2026 are Flower and Garden on March 4th, Food & Wine in late August, and the Festival of the Holidays on Black Friday, November 27th.
Bambi topiary
The (re)opening days of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (spring) and the new Muppets take on Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster (summer) promise to be the biggest and most in-demand ride openings at Disney World this year, meaning that both days might be better spent visiting the competition.
©Disney
While Universal’s parks will surely be crowded on America’s 250th birthday, it seems likely that their 4th of July crowds won’t be close to those of Disney World, especially the Magic Kingdom, since Universal isn’t nearly as well known for its fireworks show as the “Most Magical Place on Earth.”
The sky just lights up with this show
Finally, there’s the runDisney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend, which lasts from October 22nd to the 25th. Simply put, while race weekends are great for competitors and their families, for uninvolved guests, they usually involve crowded parks, delayed openings, rerouted roads, and traffic snafus.
©Disney
If you’re making your way to the Central Florida area in 2026, you may want to consider Universal Orlando on these dates. Stay tuned to DFB for more travel tips.
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WOW Beer, Horror, and one Parade vs Flower and Garden, Food and Wine Festivals, A fun for the whole family Halloween party. No brainier – stay away from Universal and all their ride problem. See you at all the fun in the Disney parks in 2026.