The best Disney Parks for 6 year old kids, see which we preferred in Orlando, Florida.
At the time we went to Orlando Freddie was six, so we agreed to spend 3 days at Universal Studios and 4 days at Disney World. This post is based on our experience with a 6 year old. If you are going to Disney check out these top tips on what to pack for Disney World.
Before I go on about which theme park we preferred I thought I would mention where we purchased our tickets.
Buying Tickets for Universal Studios and Disney Parks Orlando
I did a lot of research into this and the cheapest place I could find Disney and Universal tickets was here, Attraction Tickets Direct. We ordered the park tickets in advance and they were posted to our door. We had absolutely no problems using them, and they were the cheapest company in the UK by far.
Universal Studios v Disney World?
Out of all of the Disney Parks Orlando theme parks our absolute favourite was definitely Animal Kingdom. There was so much to do for younger kids. It was really interactive, there were loads of animals. It was just fantastic. We loved all of the parks however I wish we had spent longer at the Disney resorts and less time at Universal Studios. I think however, now Freddie is 8 he would probably have a different opinion!
The Best Bits at Universal Studios
The Blue Man Group
If you are a regular reader of my blog you will know our love of the theatre. This was an amazing show, we hadn’t pre booked tickets and just got them from a stand outside, but it wasn’t cheap. So I definitely recommend booking them in advance. You can get them from only £39 per adult and £25 per child (we paid double that on site)
The Eighth Voyage of Sindbad
This again was fantastic, there are pirates fighting and flying! It really was very good, there is no extra charge for this show.
Fear Factor Live
Well this was absolutely disgusting! With contestants eating the most revolting of cocktails (similar to I’m a Celebrity in the UK) but Freddie absolutely loved it.
The Blues Brothers Show
This was definitely worth a watch, it is out on a street and they dance and sing outside a “shop”. They get everyone singing and dancing with their very popular music.
Springfield
The home of the Simpsons. This was ok, however, the ride scared Freddie half to death. There were other children of his age there who enjoyed it. But it wasn’t for Freddie. The characters and the arcade type games were fun though.
Crazy Golf
So who doesn’t enjoy being silly! This was great fun, there are two to chose from either Aliens or Haunted House.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Don’t shoot me…… BUT….. this was the worst bit for us. Now yes it looked fantastic and they had created the scene very well. We went on the Hogwarts train which was great, but other than that I didn’t get it. This however, was the busiest part of Universal Studios my some considerable margin, which might have been half of my problem?
For even more rides check out these top 10 rides at Universal Parks.
Disney Parks Orlando
Hollywood Studios
We really enjoyed it here, especially as they have loads of Star Wars characters!! The best bit for us was getting to meet all the amazing characters. This would be great for kids of all ages, as there are some great rides here too. But for us meeting the characters was the highlight.
Magic Kingdom
This was stunning, there are lots of characters to meet again, and of course the parade was spectacular. This is magical for everybody and you can not go to Disney World and not visit this.
Animal Kingdom
Unfortunately it absolutely hammered it down with rain the day we went here so most of the rides were shut. However, we did have a lovely lunch in the Rain Forest Cafe, which I highly recommend. It stopped raining in the afternoon and we managed to do half of the Wilderness Explorers Handbook. This was our favourite park, as there was so much to see and do, and learn.
We went on a safari to see some amazing animals, zebra, elephants, tigers to name just a few.
There were also some fab characters to have your photo with too.
Epcot
I recommend buying a passport at Epcot so the kids have something to look for in each country. This is really educational as you walk round each country learning about their cultures and seeing what their houses would look like.
Also there is a kids section where you get your passport stamped. There is a lot of walking here, but it really is a great day. Again there are lots of characters to meet.
Other Blogger Opinions on Universal Studios v Disney Parks Orlando
Pete “I prefer Universal as I think the rides are better – much more suitable for teens and older. Plus, I’m quite a fan of the Marvel films”
Claire “I’ve been to both & it really depends on the individual & also the age. Disney World has 4 major theme parks & 2 water parks, & Universal has 2 major theme parks & the volcano water park. At Disney most rides are geared towards small children & is rather ‘magical’ as Disney is known. Universal is my favourite, I love the adventure feel of it & it’s really fantastic for kids: more thrilling with things like Jurassic & Marvel”
Star “We go to both every year. In a way we like Universal better, the rides are more suited to older children and adults and the theme is great. However we couldn’t go without also visiting Disney and that magical feeling you get as you walk down main street! Our favourite rides are at Universal with the exception of Flights of Passage, which is worth getting Disney tickets for by itself! The fireworks are also better at Disney and we prefer the Disney water parks to Volcano Bay.”
Suzy “Secretly we preferred Universal. The queues were shorter not just for the rides but the meet and greet. The two parks were much easier to walk around and food a lot cheaper. We have a four year old and he was as happy at Universal as Disney world. The shows are much better at Disney though and it has more magic but we all preferred Universal”
After reading my blogging friends responses I think we need to go back to Universal. Freddie is now 8 so it would be interesting to see if our opinion changes!
You may also want to read Top 10 Walt Disney World Tips For Your First Visit by the Life of Spicers.
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Have you been to the Disney Parks Orlando? Which was your favourite resort? Universal Studios v Disney World? Let me know in the comments.
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