Disney & Universal vs Dubai & Abu Dhabi Theme Parks – Why the UAE is the Smart Choice in 2026

By Kat & Simon at Hays Travel

Let’s be honest… we all love Orlando. Disney. Universal. The magic. The memories.
But if you’ve looked at prices recently, you’ll also know one thing:

👉 Orlando has become eye-wateringly expensive.

And that’s exactly why more of our clients are now choosing Dubai & Abu Dhabi for their theme park holidays – and coming back saying “Why didn’t we do this sooner?”

Let’s break it down properly.

1. The Big One – PRICE 💷
Orlando (Disney & Universal)

A typical Orlando family holiday now looks like:

£4,000–£6,000+ for flights & hotel
£500–£800 per person for park tickets
£30–£40 per person PER DAY for fast passes / express passes
£20+ for a basic meal in the parks
£10+ for a bottle of water in peak season

By the time you’ve added:
✔️ park tickets
✔️ fast passes (because nobody wants 2–3 hour queues)
✔️ food
✔️ transfers
✔️ and souvenirs…

You are very easily at £6,000–£8,000 for a family of four.

And that’s before we even talk about the new Epic Universe pricing, which is already pushing costs higher.

Dubai & Abu Dhabi

Now compare that to the UAE:

Multi-park tickets from around £55–£80 per person

World-class parks like Ferrari World, Warner-style parks, indoor mega parks, water parks

No $40 fast pass pressure – queues are generally shorter

Meals at sensible prices

Hotels that are 5★ for the price of 3★ in Orlando

We are regularly pricing Dubai or Abu Dhabi theme park holidays thousands of pounds cheaper than Orlando – with better hotels, better weather and far less stress.

2. Waiting Times – The Hidden Holiday Killer ⏱️

Let’s talk queues.

Orlando

We hear it all the time:

“We spent half the holiday in queues.”

2 hours.
3 hours.
Even 5-hour waits for new rides unless you pay extra.

So you either:

Pay through the nose for express passes
or

Accept you’ll only do a handful of rides per day

That’s not magical. That’s exhausting.

Dubai & Abu Dhabi

Because the UAE parks are newer, bigger and less saturated:

✔️ Shorter queues
✔️ Less crowd pressure
✔️ More ride time, less standing time
✔️ No constant upselling of queue-skipping passes

Families come back saying:

“We actually got on everything.”

That’s how a theme park holiday should be.

3. The Experience – This is where people get shocked

Here’s the bit most people don’t expect…

They think Dubai & Abu Dhabi parks will be “smaller” or “less impressive”.

They are wrong.

UAE Theme Parks give you:

The world’s fastest rollercoaster
Huge indoor parks (air conditioned – hello summer 😎)
Incredible water parks
Stunning architecture
Ultra-clean facilities
High-end tech rides
And… space – everything feels open, modern and premium

Add in:
🏖️ Beaches
🏨 5★ hotels
🍹 All Inclusive options
🌆 Iconic skylines

And suddenly your theme park trip becomes a proper luxury holiday as well.

4. Hotels – This one isn’t even close

In Orlando:

A “nice” hotel can be £250–£300 per night
4★ often feels like 3★
Resorts charge for parking, resort fees, extras, everything

In Dubai & Abu Dhabi:
£150–£200 per night gets you serious luxury
Rooftop pools, beach clubs, massive rooms, incredible service
Often All Inclusive or Half Board
You are genuinely getting double the hotel for the money.

5. Weather & Reliability ☀️

Orlando:
Storms
Humidity
Hurricane season
Random downpours that close rides

UAE:

Sunshine.
Reliable heat.
Blue skies.
Outdoor rides actually stay open.
When you’re spending thousands, reliability matters.

6. The Honest Truth (from people who sell both)

We sell Orlando every week.
We sell Dubai & Abu Dhabi every week.

So this isn’t theory – it’s based on real bookings and real feedback.

And here’s the pattern we’re seeing:

👉 Families who do Orlando once… then try Dubai… often don’t go back to Orlando.

Why?

Because they get:

Less queues
Better hotels
Better value
Better weather
And a more relaxed holiday overall

Without sacrificing thrills.

So… Is Orlando Dead?

Absolutely not. It will always be iconic.

But is it still the best value?
Is it still the easiest?
Is it still the least stressful?

👉 No.

Right now, pound for pound, experience for experience…

Dubai & Abu Dhabi are the smarter theme park holiday.

Our Advice as Kat & Simon

If you:
✔️ Love theme parks
✔️ Want thrills
✔️ Want luxury
✔️ Want better value
✔️ Want less queues
✔️ Want sunshine you can rely on

Then stop defaulting to Orlando and at least look at the UAE.

We think you’ll be very, very surprised.

Want us to price it properly for you?

We can build:

Dubai only

Abu Dhabi only

Or Dubai + Abu Dhabi combined with theme parks

📞 Call Kat & Simon – 0800 0662 694
💬 Or message us “UAE PARKS” and we’ll show you what your money actually gets.

Same thrills. Less stress. Better value. Welcome to the future of theme park holidays. 🇦🇪✨