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Our Ultimate Orlando Vacation Itinerary: How to Visit Both Universal Epic Universe and Disney World in 2025

by Mommy Frog on October 22, 2024
Orlando

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It's happening! You and your family are planning an Orlando vacation in 2025. There is so much to do in Orlando in 2025! From the opening of Universal Epic Universe on May 22, 2025, to an all-new nighttime parade at Magic Kingdom, to the debut of a villains show at Disney's Hollywood Studios, summer in Orlando is shaping up to be a toadally incredible time to visit. We've got a whole post on choosing the right time for your squad to visit both Disney World and Universal Orlando. But what if you know when you want to visit — it's how to split your time that has you scratching your head? Don't worry — we're here to help you plan a split Orlando vacation in 2025 so that you can fit it all in. Not only did we build the perfect trip, but we’ve also built your cart so you can easily click "add to cart" and purchase. Let's jump in!

Orlando Split Stay

Planning an Orlando Vacation to Disney and Universal in 2025

Planning a Split Orlando Vacation in 2025 - Epic Universe

First thing first: If you want to visit both Universal Orlando Resort and Walt Disney World Resort, we recommend dedicating a full week to the theme parks to make the very most of your time.

(Remember how we were talking about everything there is to do in Orlando? That was just a brief highlight — here's the full list of everything coming to Disney World and Universal Orlando in 2025 and beyond!) We toadally get it — if you're making a trip to Orlando and have the means, we think it's worth it to squeeze in a visit to both big destinations! A lot of families are over the moon to visit Universal Epic Universe (ours included), and with these big theme parks being so close together, it may make sense for your family to do it all in one trip. That's why we wanted to price out a split Orlando vacation for you!

If this is your first time hearing about Undercover Tourist, you may be wondering why you should purchase with us. Undercover Tourist offers the exact same theme park tickets you'd get directly — for less! No catch. We also offer a 365-day ticket refund on Universal Orlando and Walt Disney World tickets, meaning you can shop for your Orlando split vacation with confidence. Below, we'll also list the hotel cancellation options for easy reference. Undercover Tourist also offers a Best Price Guarantee, so you can be sure you're getting the best value. You'll also get additional savings through Undercover Tourist by bundling your Disney World and Universal Orlando tickets (which you'll see in our price breakdown below).

To showcase everything you can squeeze into a week in Orlando in 2025, we've put together two sample trips, complete with the all-in cost when purchasing through Undercover Tourist (and your savings!). Both trips include visits to Universal Orlando Resort (including the all-new Universal Epic Universe) and Walt Disney World Resort. The prices below are for a family of four (two adults and two children) for an Orlando split vacation from June 1-8, 2025. Note that this is one calendar week — Sunday to Sunday — but technically 8 days if we count arrival day as day 1. Flip-flop your arrival and departure days depending on where you're traveling from. We know our West Coast friends are traveling forward in time, likely arriving later in the day on arrival day, and leaving later in the day on departure day. The difference between the two trips? Where you start, and how long you are at each destination.

4 Days at Universal Orlando Resort (including Universal Epic Universe), 3 Days at Walt Disney World

Planning a Split Orlando Vacation in 2025 - Universal Stella Nova Resort - Guest Room

Let's plan for 4 days at Universal Orlando Resort and 3 days at Walt Disney World Resort.

For our Universal tickets, we want to visit Universal Epic Universe, but we also want Park-to-Park access so we can freely move between Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure, as well as taking the Hogwarts Express (both ways — they're different on each journey!). That means if we want to hop back into Islands of Adventure to ride Jurassic World VelociCoaster or The Incredible Hulk at night after a day exploring Springfield, Diagon Alley and DreamWorks Land at Universal Studios Florida, we toadally can.

For the first leg of our trip, we opted to stay at Universal Stella Nova Resort, one of Universal's newest hotels with a dedicated walking path to Epic Universe. This property looks incredible, complete with capsule-style windows to emulate space travel accommodations. Plus, it's got an incredible resort-style pool, perfect for an after-park dip. Stella Nova runs as low as $207 a night as one of Universal's Prime Value hotels, and offers complimentary shuttle bus service to Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure. It also means we get Early Park Admission, allowing us entry to one of the Universal theme parks up to an hour early — a huge perk! And for additional savings, you'll save an EXTRA $10 per ticket when you book both your hotel and theme park tickets to Universal Orlando. This is an exclusive offer only through Undercover Tourist!

Planning a Split Orlando Vacation in 2025 - Disney's Art of Animation Resort - Ursula Overlooking Pool

For the second leg of our split stay, we make our way to Disney World. We chose Disney's Art of Animation Resort. It's one of our favorite Value Resorts, and we're going under the sea to a Little Mermaid room, starting at $287 per night. Art of Animation also provided free transportation to the Disney theme parks, including the on-site Disney Skyliner. All on-site Disney hotel guests also receive benefits like Early Park Entry and the ability to reserve Disney Lightning Lane passes up to 7-days in advance.

Planning a Split Orlando Vacation in 2025 - Universal globe

  • Day 1 - Arrival Day
    • Start at Universal Studios Florida
      • Dinner at Minions Cafe (banana?), then enter the Museum of Antiquities to check out the new exhibit. Choose an epic song for your Rip Ride Rockit ride, or go check out DreamWorks Land for tadpoles ... or those really wanting to meet Shrek (judgment-free zone).
      • Ride the Hogwarts Express to get a Butterbeer nightcap and watch the Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts Castle. Will a wand choose you? Step into Ollivanders and see!
  • Day 2 - Universal Epic Universe all day! Get to know the five all-new worlds within:
  • Day 3 - Start at Universal Islands of Adventure
    • Use Early Park Admission to hop on Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure and VelociCoaster.
    • Have an English breakfast at Three Broomsticks and watch VelociCoaster roar by!
    • Take a stroll to take photos and explore, then get back to rides. We do like Green Eggs and Ham tots from Green Eggs and Ham Cafe in Seuss Landing.
    • Take the Hogwarts Express from Hogsmeade to Diagon Alley and finish out your day at Universal Studios Florida.
  • Day 4 - Your choice — jump around both parks to ride on any favorites again! 
  • Day 5 - Morning, transition over to Disney World
    • Grab a lobby Starbucks before you say goodbye to Stella Nova.
    • Leave your luggage at the Bell Desk and hop into Disney's Animal Kingdom!
    • Wrap your day up with a dip in the Big Blue Pool at Art of Animation.
  • Day 6 - Disney's Hollywood Studios & EPCOT
    • Easily hop between the two theme parks by water taxi or Skyliner. Go explore Galaxy's Edge and Toy Story Land, then jump over to travel the world and try out some festival food at EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival. Then, take the Skyliner back to your hotel.
  • Day 7 - Magic Kingdom & any re-rides
    • Miss something on your list, or just want to meet the yeti again? Today's the day!
  • Day 8 - Flex day & departure

Split Orlando Vacation - Cart Summary

Pricing Breakdown with Undercover Tourist:

Additional In-Cart Promos: -$45 ($10 savings per ticket to Universal Orlando for bundling your tickets and hotel stay, plus an additional $5 off for bundling your Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando tickets!)

Grand Total: $6,101.00

Total Savings with Undercover Tourist: $488

Click here to add this itinerary to your cart!

4 Days at Walt Disney World, 3 Days at Universal Orlando Resort (Including Universal Epic Universe)

Planning a Split Orlando Vacation in 2025 - How much does it cost to go to Disney World - Pop Century Room

Looking for a longer visit at Disney World?

No problem! We stuck with a value resort for this sample itinerary to keep things affordable (we're frugal frogs, what can we say). We also can't get enough of that easy Skyliner access, so we chose Disney's Pop Century Resort this go-around, which runs from $208 per night. In 2025, Walt Disney World is offering resort guests a FREE water park visit on their arrival day — so for this itinerary, we're getting our splash on! Disney's Typhoon Lagoon water park alternates a refurbishment with Disney's Blizzard Beach water park, so take a peek at the schedule before you go. Because we have four dedicated days for Disney World, we're opting for base tickets in this sample — 1 day for each park. Guests of Pop Century also receive free park transportation and early Lightning Lane booking.

Planning a Split Orlando Vacation in 2025 - Aventura - Room

When we make the jump to Universal Orlando Resort, we'll be staying at Universal Aventura Hotel. This Prime Value hotel runs from $262 per night. We love the sleek, futuristic feel, including room automations available at the push of a button (like your lights and drapes) and a hopful on-site robot. Guests of Aventura Hotel also receive Early Park Admission and free transportation to the theme parks, including a shuttle bus to Universal Epic Universe. There's also a walking path from Aventura to the CityWalk area; just know that this path is a 20-30-minute walk.

Planning a Split Orlando Vacation in 2025 - Cinderella Castle

  • Day 1 - Arrival Day
    • Free water park admission on arrival day!
  • Day 2 - Magic Kingdom
    • Which way will you start? Adventureland? Tomorrowland? Fantasyland? Frontierland?
    • Step into The Grid for an electric ride with Team Blue on TRON Lightcycle / Run and splash down the bayou to make it on time for a Mardi Gras party on Tiana's Bayou Adventure — two of the newest rides at the park.
  • Day 3 - EPCOT
    • Travel the world (and maybe even the galaxy!) Don't forget to make a stop by Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana for a beautiful cooldown (especially at night).
    • End the night with Luminous: The Symphony of Us, which takes you on an emotional journey through life, loss and love, accompanied by fireworks, fountains, lights and Disney ballads in different languages.
  • Day 4 - Disney's Hollywood Studios
    • Lights, camera, action! Live out your own "Star Wars" or "Toy Story" adventure at Galaxy's Edge and Toy Story Land — complete with Ronto Wraps and Woody's Lunch Box Tarts.
    • Tackle the thrills of Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith and The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.
  • Day 5 - Disney's Animal Kingdom until dinner, then transition over to Universal Orlando:
    • Take a gentle morning safari ride and ride a banshee before fueling back up with Satu'li Canteen bowls for lunch.
    • Bigfire for dinner at CityWalk — did someone say tableside s'mores?!
  • Day 6 - Universal Epic Universe all day! Get to know the five all-new worlds within:
  • Day 7 - Start at Universal Islands of Adventure
    • Use Early Park Admission to hop on Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure and VelociCoaster.
    • Save the day alongside the Hulk and Spider-Man on The Incredible Hulk and The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man.
    • Have a restful lunch at Mythos before hopping on the Hogwarts Express over to Universal Studios Florida.
    • Practice your spells around Diagon Alley, and indulge in a cone from Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour.
    • End the night around the lagoon with CineSational.
  • Day 8 - Start at Universal Studios Florida, departure
    • Use Early Park Admission to ride Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts.
    • Get recruited into the secret MIB headquarters and blast aliens in the streets of New York City.
    • Watch the Universal Mega Movie Parade before you head out.

Split Orlando Vacation - Cart Total

Pricing Breakdown Through Undercover Tourist:

Additional In-Cart Promos: -$45.02 ($10 savings per ticket to Universal Orlando for bundling your tickets and hotel stay, plus an additional $5 off for bundling your Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando tickets!)

Grand Total: $6,109.69

Total Savings with Undercover Tourist: $508

Click here to add this itinerary to your cart!

Save and Book Your 2025 Orlando Vacation!

Are you ready?!

We sure are! We've bundled the above tickets to make it easy for you to click and purchase — all you have to do is click on the following links to add the products mentioned to your cart!

Looking for additional ways to enhance your trip? Undercover Tourist offers savings on Universal Express Passes — both standard and Unlimited — if you want a more upgraded experience with skip-the-line capabilities (up to $20 per ticket!). We've also got savings on VIP Experience tickets (up to $20 per ticket!). While we opted for Prime Value hotels in these examples, if you're interested in Express Pass, you may want to consider staying at select Signature hotels, which offer Universal Express Unlimited as a FREE benefit for each day of your stay. Note that Universal Express tickets including Universal Epic Universe will be sold at a later date.

And at Walt Disney World Resort, several special events, including Disney After Hours and H2O Glow typically take place in the summer. These separately ticketed events are a great way to beat the heat and experience the parks with more limited crowds. Undercover Tourist offers discount tickets for these special events, too! While we opted for value resorts for these scenarios, know that guests of Disney Deluxe Hotels and Villas receive access to Extended Evening Hours on select nights.

There you have it — two itineraries for an Orlando vacation to Universal and Disney for around $6k for a family of four! WHEW! Are you planning on a split Orlando vacation soon? What is your dream itinerary? Let us know in the comments below!

Prices were pulled from UndercoverTourist.com on Oct. 21, 2024, and are subject to change.

Related: The Very Best Times to Visit Universal Orlando in 2025

Related: The Very Best Times to Visit Walt Disney World in 2025

Keep hopping, Mommy Frog!
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Undercover Tourist is the leading supplier of online discount tickets to Orlando, Florida-area attractions, including Walt Disney World® Resort, Universal Orlando Resort™, SeaWorld® Orlando, LEGOLAND® Florida Resort and more.

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