Why I Chose Early January to Visit Universal Studios and Disney World

I decided to visit Universal Studios and Walt Disney World in early January 2026, and this choice was far from random. There were several practical reasons behind it, especially when planning an Orlando theme parks itinerary that included seven parks in a single trip.

First of all, I expected shorter ride wait times. The busiest period in Orlando is late December, with Christmas holidays and New Year’s Eve bringing massive crowds to both Universal and Disney parks. From January 5th onward, most U.S. holidays are over, schools reopen, and crowd levels usually drop significantly, at least in theory.

Another important factor was the weather. January offers a much more comfortable climate compared to summer months. While it is considered winter in Florida, daytime temperatures during my trip still reached around 28°C (82°F), with cooler mornings and evenings at about 16°C (60°F). It is warm without being overwhelming, making long park days far more enjoyable. Most importantly, there is no hurricane risk, unlike August, which was a huge plus.

That period of January was also the best possible option for me personally. In Italy, long vacation periods are usually concentrated in August or during the Christmas holidays, which are also the most expensive and crowded times to travel. Early January allowed me to take time off work more easily while avoiding peak season both in Europe and in the United States.

Finally, prices played a key role. Flights, hotels, and sometimes even park related expenses tend to be lower after the holiday season, making early January one of the most cost effective periods to plan a Universal Studios and Disney World trip without sacrificing the overall experience.

How I Planned My Theme Park Days in Orlando

For my Orlando trip, I decided to dedicate a total of five full days to theme parks, trying to balance intensity, energy levels, and overall enjoyment.

I spent three days at Universal, focusing on the three parks currently available in the resort: Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, and the brand new Epic Universe. Universal parks are more compact and thrill focused, but still very demanding if you want to experience the main attractions without rushing.

On my first day at Universal, I decided to combine Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure by purchasing a Park Hopper ticket, which allows you to move freely between the two parks on the same day.

I started the morning at Universal Studios Florida, focusing on its main attractions and taking advantage of the lower crowd levels early in the day. After spending about half a day there, I switched parks in the afternoon using the Hogwarts Express, which connects the two parks directly.

This is an important detail to know when planning a Universal Orlando itinerary. The Hogwarts Express is not just a means of transportation but a full themed attraction, and it can only be experienced if you have a Park Hopper ticket. Dividing the day between the two parks allowed me to enjoy both experiences without feeling rushed, while also making the most of one of Universal’s most unique rides.

On the second day, I decided to focus entirely on Epic Universe, Universal’s brand new theme park and without any doubt one of the highlights of the trip.

If you want to save time here, arriving before park opening is absolutely essential. Crowd levels build up extremely fast, especially for the most popular attractions. During my visit, rides like Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry and Donkey Kong Kart of Madness frequently showed wait times of over five hours throughout the day.

We arrived early in the morning and headed straight for the most in demand attractions. Even with this strategy, we still waited around four hours for the Harry Potter ride. It is a long queue, but in this case it was completely worth it. The attraction itself, the level of theming, and the overall experience fully justified the wait. Fortunately, since Epic Universe was open until 10 PM, we were still able to experience all the rides in the park despite the long queues earlier in the day. The extended opening hours made a huge difference and allowed us to explore the park at a more relaxed pace in the evening, once wait times started to decrease.

On the third day, I followed a strategy very similar to the first one. We split the day between Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida, starting the morning at Islands of Adventure and moving to Universal Studios Florida later in the day.

Once again, we used a Park Hopper ticket, which allowed us to ride the Hogwarts Express in the opposite direction. This is an important detail for Harry Potter fans, because the attraction features different animated sequences depending on the direction of travel. To fully experience it, riding it both ways is highly recommended.

We ended the day back at Universal Studios Florida, just in time to enjoy the park’s famous nighttime lagoon show, set on the main lake. The combination of fountains, lights, projections, and fireworks is a perfect way to close a long theme park day and adds a strong entertainment element beyond rides alone.

Visiting Walt Disney World in Two Days

For Walt Disney World, I decided to keep the schedule very focused and visit all four parks in just two days, concentrating only on the most important attractions and experiences. It is definitely an intense approach, but with clear priorities it is absolutely doable.

On the first Disney day, we combined EPCOT and Magic Kingdom. To visit two Disney parks in one day, purchasing the Park Hopper option is mandatory. This obviously increases the overall ticket price, but it is the only way to move between parks on the same day and make this kind of itinerary possible.

An important detail that is often overlooked is that the Park Hopper option also applies to parking. Once you pay for parking at the first park of the day, you can freely move to the parking lots of the other Disney parks without paying again. This makes switching parks much easier, especially when following a tight Disney World itinerary.

Combining EPCOT and Magic Kingdom in one day works well because the two parks offer very different experiences. EPCOT has a more relaxed pace and fewer must do attractions, while Magic Kingdom requires better timing and planning. With the right strategy, this pairing allows you to experience the highlights of both parks in a single day without extending the length of the trip.

On the second Disney day, we focused mainly on Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, organizing the day around park hours and priorities.

We spent most of the day at Hollywood Studios, which easily requires many hours due to its high demand attractions and consistently long wait times. Because of this, we decided to move to Animal Kingdom only in the early afternoon, arriving there at around 3 PM.

Animal Kingdom closes earlier than the other Disney parks, usually around 7 PM, which still gave us about four hours to explore it. During that time, we focused only on the main attractions and spent most of our visit in Pandora The World of Avatar, which is without doubt one of the most impressive themed areas in all of Walt Disney World.

This approach worked well, but it is important to be realistic. Animal Kingdom is a very large and immersive park, and to fully explore everything it offers, including trails, shows, and secondary attractions, a full day would be necessary. Visiting it in half a day means making compromises, but it is still a good option if the goal is to experience the highlights within a limited timeframe.

Is Walt Disney World Better Than Universal Studios Orlando?

Answering the question “Is Walt Disney World better than Universal Studios Orlando?” is not simple, because the honest answer is that it depends entirely on personal taste.

Both resorts offer an incredible number of world class attractions, easily among the best theme park experiences in the world. From this point of view, the ideal scenario is to visit both Universal and Disney, because each resort excels in different areas and targets a slightly different audience.

Universal tends to focus more on movie based attractions with a slightly more adult tone, featuring franchises like Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, and other blockbuster films. Disney, on the other hand, offers a broader family oriented approach, with many rides inspired by animated movies, classic characters, and fantasy worlds.

As a huge Harry Potter fan, I personally felt more connected to the Wizarding World lands at Universal. Among all the parks I visited, Epic Universe was the one that impressed me the most. This was partly due to the strong division into highly immersive lands, each accessed through dedicated portals, and partly because of the innovative ride systems that made the experience feel truly next level.

That said, this does not mean Disney is inferior in any way. The level of theming, storytelling, and attention to detail at Walt Disney World is exceptional.

I deliberately chose to spend more days at Universal and limit Walt Disney World to just two days, even though Disney parks are much larger overall.

The main reason is that I skipped many Disney attractions that I had already experienced in other Disney parks around the world, such as Disneyland Paris. Instead of repeating similar rides, I focused only on exclusive attractions and experiences that cannot be found elsewhere, optimizing my limited time in the resort.

That said, this strategy is very subjective. If someone has never visited a Disney park before, or wants to experience every attraction across the entire Walt Disney World Resort, two days would definitely not be enough. In that case, I believe at least five full days would be necessary to properly explore Disney World without rushing and to fully appreciate what each park has to offer.

Once again, it all comes down to personal experience and expectations. Having visited multiple Disney parks in the past allowed me to be selective, while first time visitors should plan a much longer stay dedicated entirely to Disney.