Disney World and Universal on One Trip
Yes, you can do Disney World and Universal Orlando on one trip. They are usually 20 to 30 minutes apart by car. Plan on one day per park, and add a rest day once you pass four or five park days. Treat them as two separate stops: tickets, line-skip systems and transport are not shared between the two resorts.
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How many days for Disney and Universal
A starting point, not a rule. The two resorts have 7 theme parks between them, 4 at Disney and 3 at Universal, so choosing parks sets the length of the trip.
| Trip length | Disney park days | Universal park days | Rest days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 days | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 6 days | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 8 days | 4 | 3 | 1 |
What to know before you split the trip
Tickets are separate
A Disney ticket does not get you into a Universal park, or the other way round. A park hopper only works inside its own resort, so buy for the days you plan at each.
Skip-the-line systems are separate
Disney sells Lightning Lane and Universal sells Express. Neither carries over, and they work differently. Our Disney vs Universal guide compares the two.
No transport runs between them
Disney and Universal run no transport to each other, so that leg is a rideshare or your own car. If you stay at a Disney or Universal hotel, your plan shows that ride on the days you cross over.
Keep each day at one resort
Crossing Orlando in the middle of a park day costs time on the road. Our suggestion is to give each day to one park, and to group days at the same resort when you can.
Early entry depends on your hotel
Early entry is a hotel perk at each resort, so where you sleep can change which mornings start early. When your hotel qualifies, the plan starts that day at early entry.
Heights change by park
Each ride’s height minimum is checked against your kids. With two or more adults, when a kid is too short, Kid Charter can send one adult and that kid to something that fits the wait while the others ride.
Still choosing between them? Read the Disney vs Universal guide or try the one-day itinerary planner.
Questions
How many days do we need for Disney World and Universal?
Plan on one day per park. Four days covers two parks at each resort. Eight days covers all 7 theme parks with one rest day. Those are starting points, and young kids may want more rest.
Should we do Disney or Universal first?
There is no fixed answer. It usually comes down to your flights, your hotel and which park your family cares about most. Choose your parks first, then group the days at each resort.
How far is Universal from Disney World?
Usually 20 to 30 minutes by car, and longer in heavy traffic. Disney and Universal run no transport to each other, so plan on a rideshare or your own car.
Can one plan cover both Disney and Universal?
Yes. ParkCharter builds one day-by-day itinerary that can mix Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando parks in the same trip, and you can ask Arrow, the in-app assistant, to change a day before you apply it.
What does a Disney and Universal plan cost?
You can start with a free first day, no credit card: one park day planned in full. A Per Trip plan is $14.99 once for one trip. The Planner Pass is $34.99 a year, billed yearly, for unlimited trips.
Build one plan across both resorts
Pick your dates, parks and party, and ParkCharter lays out every park day of the trip in one plan.
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