I’m a HUGE Disney World fan, but I’m about to convince you to switch sides.

Me at Epic Universe

I’ve been going to Disney World for my job for four years now, and that amounts to quite a few hours spent in the parks. On top of that, I’m just a generally hardcore Disney fan, and with my Annual Pass, I go to the parks as often as possible just for fun. (I even moved to Central Florida so that I could do just that!) But these days, I’m SEVERELY tempted to cheat on my favorite Disney World park.

I know many of you may disagree with my opinion here, but I’m of the belief that the best Disney World park is Animal Kingdom. I love the theming, the entertainment, the live animals, and it doesn’t hurt that I’m particularly obsessed with both DINOSAUR (I will be hosting a one-woman sobfest in front of the ride when it closes next year) and Avatar (I love me some Pandora, y’all).

A photo I took during a visit to Pandora last year! I could stand here all day.

I would spend an entire day subsisting on a diet of cheeseburger pods and Nomad Lounge churros while doing nothing but watching Festival of the Lion King on repeat…and it would be the best day of my life (apologies to my husband — our wedding was lovely).

So please do not take it lightly when I tell you that right now, I’m considering abandoning my favorite park…and cheating on Disney with Universal! 

Celestial Park in Epic Universe

I recently visited Universal Orlando’s new theme park, Epic Universe, and as a major theme park nerd, I was pretty darn impressed. The theming was incredible, particularly for someone connected to the IPs there. I grew up playing Super Mario Bros and Mario Kart with my sister, and stepping into that land was like living a video game in real life. Isle of Berk took my favorite DreamWorks franchise and made it real through the power of character interactions and an incredible score. And for a girl who planned her senior trip to go to Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Florida after reading the Harry Potter books the first time — the girl who still reads the books again every year and listens to a Harry Potter podcast every week — stepping inside the Ministry of Magic was absolutely jaw-dropping.

Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry

I visited the park during one of its previews, so Universal was still working out some kinks. But even so, I stood in the middle of Celestial Park, wowed simply by the fact that I was inside a brand-new theme park. Visiting a new park in its first year is the kind of thing not everyone gets to experience, and I was grateful to just take in the atmosphere and appreciate the hard work that all the people behind the scenes had put into making Epic Universe happen.

Epic Universe

I was impressed with the snacks around the park, and some of the ride technology used in various attractions was mind-boggling. While the day overall wasn’t 100% perfect (I faced several attraction closures and a fairly average sit-down meal), I still left the park at the end of the day feeling pretty pumped. I can’t wait to go back. And honestly? If I have to do it at the expense of my favorite park, I will.

The Portal to Dark Universe

I don’t want to give up Animal Kingdom right now, but here’s the deal — it’s a little lackluster over there these days, and it’s only going to get worse in the coming months. The park still has some amazing attractions and entertainment, but with the Tree of Life Theater under construction for a new Zootopia show, part of DinoLand, U.S.A. shut down, and the other part of DinoLand (including DINOSAUR) closing soon, it’s going to be DEAD.

Construction Walls featuring Artwork for Tropical Americas

With so few attractions available until the opening of the new Tropical Americas land, your ticket to Animal Kingdom is going to lose a little bit of its value. On top of that, the wait times for the remaining attractions may be longer due to an uneven dispersion of crowds.

©Disney || Tropical Americas Land coming to Animal Kingdom

So if you’re looking to get a little more bang for your buck and have a fuller day, Epic Universe may be the move. Many fans are trying to find ways to fit Epic Universe into their upcoming vacations, and if you have to cut out a Disney theme park to do it, Animal Kingdom is the clear choice right now — as much as it pains me to say that. Don’t worry, though, my favorite park will be back with a VENGEANCE in a few years!

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

We’ll make sure to keep you in the loop with any more news about the changes coming to Animal Kingdom. To see our ultimate guide to the park, check out the video below.

Stay tuned to DFB for more news from Disney World and Universal Orlando.

Click Here for Our List of the BEST Things to Eat in Epic Universe!

Have you been to Epic Universe yet? Tell us in the comments!