We here at TouringPlans HQ love both Universal Orlando and Walt Disney World. We enjoy Disney’s family charm and classic attractions while getting a kick out of Universal’s thrills and adventures. One of the points in favor of Walt Disney World is its expansive size and diverse offerings – from Michlin Star restaurants to scuba diving. Despite it’s smaller size, Universal Orlando also offers several unique experiences at the resort. Here are our five favorite experiences at Universal Orlando you can’t find at Walt Disney World.

Marvel Character Dinner

Oh, you want to have a character meal with Marvel characters? Well, thanks to MCA and Marvel back in 1994, the only place in Orlando is at Universal. The Marvel Character Dinner, in Cafe 4 at Marve Super Hero Island, is a buffet-service meal featuring “American” food like burgers, pizza, chicken, pasta, and other family-friendly fare. Characters bounce around the tables, sign autographs, pose for photos, and talk to kids.

We’ll be real, you’re coming here for the meet and greet with the Marvel characters before the food. Here’s what our food reviewer said:

The food was better than average, but it was like cafeteria food. It tasted good and we happily ate until we were full, but it’s not what was memorable about the event. The best things were the pizza, the bite sized grilled cheese, the Mac and cheese, fruit, all of the salads and pasta salad and desserts.

Overall it was really fun and totally worth it. Especially if you have kids because of so much character interaction and excitement in the room during the event. Very memorable.

Wantilan Luau at Royal Pacific

Walt Disney World’s long-running luau at the Polynesian Resort closed during the COVID-19 shutdowns and never reopened. It is now home to the new DVC Island Tower at the Polynesian Village. If you miss this classic attraction, you will be happy to hear about the Wantilan Luau at the Royal Pacific Hotel. Offered on Saturday evenings, the Luau features all-you-can-enjoy dishes like pork, fish, chicken, stir fry, and more.

Our reviewer was ho-hum on the food but enjoyed the festivities:

Overall thoughts, the performances were amazing and definitely worth seeing, but the sound quality, average food and heat/no breeze really was an issue.

Learn About Your Favorite Attractions… For Free!

Universal Orlando offers several free, unpublicized tours of popular attractions. Tours last approximately 15-30 minutes and include behind-the-scenes information that explains the attraction’s stories and how the rides work. Many tours include visits to areas guests normally cannot access such as control booths, the Immigration Floor at MiB Alien Attack, or under the Revenge of the Mummy track.

Tours are available when staffing permits at the discretion of the Team Members. To request a tour ask the greeter Team Member located at the attraction entrance if tours are available. If the attraction tour is not available come back before park closing or the next morning.

Movie Themed Escape Rooms

Universal Studios Florida first promised you could ride the movies, and now you can escape the movies at Universal Orlando (ok, it doesn’t work quite as well as the original slogan). Universal’s Great Movie Escape is a minor attraction in CityWalk where guests solve puzzles in themed rooms in a progression to “escape” the experience. The lobby to the attraction is decorated like a chique vintage movie theater and features a bar with themed cocktails. There are two escape rooms – a Back to the Future adventure with Doc Brown and a Jurassic World control room puzzle.

This is Universal’s take on an escape room, so there are more resetting puzzles and audio/video segments than in other, more practical escape rooms. Also, some complain about the short bursts of puzzles and “busy work” until the door unlocks to the next room, making it feel less of an organic experience and more automated, like a theme park preshow.

Build-Your-Own-Bowl Style Mongolian BBQ

Disney can’t offer some dining offerings due to their throughput, like the Wok Experience at the Royal Pacific Hotel. For the reasonable price of $39 per adult and $18 per child, guests can enjoy an all-you-care-to-eat wok stirfry and Mongolian BBQ bowls. Pick from a huge buffet of vegetables for a chef to stir fry with your choice of proteins, sauces, and starches.

The Wok Experience is a huge hit with TouringPlans and our very own Derek Burgan:

In my mind, the Wok Experience is one of the best values at any theme park onsite restaurant. Fully customizable, all-you-can-eat, and Annual Passholder discounts apply. Soup, salad bar, and desserts included. The service is always top notch. On our last trip, once we told the chef our last addition to our wok, our server volunteered to wait for the dish to be ready and brought it to our table.

We’re fans of the quality-to-value ratio but unfortunately, there are some downsides. The Wok Experience is only offered on Fridays and Saturdays and unlike Ohana appetizers are not included in the price. But at $39 per adult, you can buy an appetizer or two and come out ahead of a similar dinner at Ohana.

What are your favorite things you can do at Universal Orlando but not Walt Disney World? Leave them in the comments below!