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Credit: Disney (left) Universal (right)In the battle for theme park supremacy, Disney and Universal are constantly at the top — battling for Guests to pick their theme parks over the competition in both Florida and Southern California. While many Guests have their theme park preference, there are some who decide where they will go based on the prices that they will pay.
Budgets can be very important to many Guests when they decided to splurge on a theme park vacation. And one report is now saying that people who want to get the most bang for their buck should absolutely pick one theme park over the other — which spells bad news for Universal Studios Hollywood.
British-based travel site Etias.com recently conducted a study that showed how much Guests will pay per attraction and compared the 50 most visited theme parks in the world. According to the study, Guests visiting Universal Studios Hollywood will pay about $12.83 cents per ride — the highest cost — where Guests visiting Disneyland will pay about $1.37 per ride and California Adventure Guests will pay about $2.80 per ride.
Both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure have a much higher number of rides and attractions compared to Universal Studios Hollywood. According to the Disneyland Resort mobile app, Disneyland Park has approximately 40 rides and attractions and Disney California Adventure has about 24 rides and attractions, not including the carnival games on the boardwalk. Universal Hollywood, in turn, only has about 13 rides and attractions.
Universal Studios Hollywood’s biggest problem is space. Even though Disneyland also is restricted in its size, it was built on a much larger parcel, to begin with than Universal. Universal Hollywood is not only in an incredibly congested area, but it was also built on a hill. There is nearly zero room to expand, so when new rides and attractions are brought to the Park, it usually comes at the cost of another ride being replaced.
Universal responded to the report, which was published in The Orange County Register, and said:
“Relegating the value of our theme park to a price per attraction doesn’t make sense,” Universal Studios Hollywood spokesperson Audrey Eig said via email. “It’s a comparison that lacks crucial context.”
Universal is right in that regard. Universal Studios Hollywood is home to several popular fandoms, including Harry Potter, Jurassic World, and The Simpsons, so Guests who love those fandoms may prefer to spend their money on a Butterbeer instead of a Mickey pretzel.
Do you think Universal Studios Hollywood gives Guests enough bang for their buck? Let us know in the comments!
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