Where to Stay for Disney and Universal: Split Stay or One Base?

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If you’re working out where to stay for Disney and Universal on one trip, most people do best with a split stay: a Universal hotel for the Universal days, then a hotel at or near Walt Disney World for the rest. A single base on south International Drive or Universal Boulevard, near the Orange County Convention Center, works for short trips or if you have a rental car.

The reason is logistics. Disney buses don’t go to Universal, Universal’s hotel shuttles serve only Universal, and each resort saves its best perks for its own hotel guests.

Quick answer: For free Universal Express, book Loews Royal Pacific Resort; for Epic Universe, Universal Stella Nova Resort. Budget families do well at Dockside Inn and Suites, then Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando for Disney. For one base without a car, Rosen Inn Lake Buena Vista runs free shuttles to both resorts; with a car, look at Hilton Orlando, Hyatt Regency Orlando or Rosen Shingle Creek. Marriott’s Grande Vista suits villa seekers, and Waldorf Astoria Orlando is the luxury Disney-half pick.

First trip? Lean toward a split stay. When you don’t know the parks yet, on-site perks do the most work: early entry at both resorts, Express at three Universal hotels, and transport that makes a car optional.

Check prices at hotels between Disney and Universal

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Where to stay for Disney and Universal: how to decide

Start with how many days you’ll spend at each resort and whether you’ll have a car.

Your trip	Best setup	Why
Universal 1–2 days, Disney 4+ days	Split stay	Each half gets that resort’s hotel perks
2–3 days at each, with a car	One central base	No moving day; both resorts roughly 4–14 miles away
No car	Split stay, or Rosen Inn Lake Buena Vista	Each resort’s transport covers only its own parks
You want Express Unlimited	Split stay at Royal Pacific, Hard Rock or Portofino Bay	Only those three hotels include it

Still choosing a part of town? Our guide to the best areas and neighborhoods to stay in Orlando compares each district.

How far apart Disney and Universal are

Without traffic, most drives between the two resorts take about 15 to 30 minutes. These are approximate OpenStreetMap-based estimates, so treat them as best-case times.

Destination	From Universal main garage	From Epic Universe	Drive, no traffic
Epic Universe	About 4.3 mi	—	About 12 min
Disney Springs	About 10 to 11.3 mi	About 8.3 to 10.7 mi	About 16–21 min
EPCOT	About 13.2 to 13.8 mi	About 12.1 to 12.6 mi	About 22–24 min
Hollywood Studios	About 13.6 to 13.9 mi	About 12.2 to 12.9 mi	About 25–28 min
Magic Kingdom parking lot	About 15.8 to 16.1 mi	About 14.1 to 15.5 mi	About 24–27 min
Animal Kingdom	About 14.6 to 15 mi	About 13.3 to 14 mi	About 22–25 min

From the Magic Kingdom lot you still take the monorail or ferry to the gate. Epic Universe, about 4 to 4.5 driving miles south of the original parks near the Convention Center, has put south I-Drive and Universal Boulevard between the resorts. Most routes use I-4, which slows at rush hour and after big events; check Google Maps for your departure time.

Option 1: the split stay (pros, cons and which order)

With a split stay, each half gets that resort’s hotel perks (compared in the perks table below), and each resort’s own transport covers the commute. The cost is one moving day, two check-ins and packing twice. For more Universal picks, see our best hotels near Universal Studios for every budget.

Which order? There’s no rule. Universal first works if Express or early admission matter most, or to do the thrill rides while energy is high; Disney then gives a slower finish. End at Universal if you have an early flight, since it’s usually a shorter ride to Orlando International Airport (MCO) than the Magic Kingdom side of Disney.

A simple moving day:

1. Check out (11 a.m. at Universal hotels) and ask the bell desk to hold your bags.
2. Spend a half day in a park or at the pool.
3. Collect your bags, move, and check in from about 4 p.m. (the Universal hotel time; confirm yours).

Option 2: one central base and the best areas

One hotel means no moving day and suits trips of about a week or less with a car, but you lose most resort-only perks and pay park parking on driving days ($35 a day standard at both resorts at the time of writing).

• South I-Drive and the Convention Center: Hyatt Regency, Hilton Orlando and Rosen Shingle Creek sit about 1.5 to 3 miles from Epic Universe and 10 to 11.5 miles from EPCOT, and each lists a Universal shuttle.
• Lake Buena Vista and Palm Parkway: close to Disney Springs and EPCOT; Rosen Inn Lake Buena Vista adds a free Universal shuttle.
• Central Florida Parkway villas: Marriott’s Grande Vista is about 4 to 10 miles from Epic, Universal’s main garage, Disney Springs and EPCOT.
• Disney Springs area and Bonnet Creek: great for Disney but 9 to 15 miles from Universal, so they suit only the Disney half.

Compare totals, not nightly rates: resort fees, parking and hotel tax (about 12.5% in Orange County, including I-Drive, and 13.5% in Osceola County).

How we chose these hotels

We weighed each hotel’s location relative to both resorts, transportation and perks (checked on official hotel, Disney and Universal pages or reputable trackers in September 2026), published fees and family room sizes. We don’t assign scores.

Best hotels for a Disney and Universal trip at a glance

Hotel	Best for	Getting to the parks	Key perk or fee
Universal Stella Nova Resort	Universal half	Walk or shuttle to Epic	Early Park Admission
Loews Royal Pacific Resort	Universal half	Boat or walk to USF/IOA	Free Express (USF/IOA)
Dockside Inn and Suites	Universal half, budget	Shuttle to all 4 Universal parks	Suites sleep 6
Hyatt Regency Orlando	One base, with a car	Universal shuttle listed	$48–$54 resort fee
Hilton Orlando	One base, with a car	Universal free; MK/EPCOT via fee	$47 resort charge
Rosen Shingle Creek	One base, with a car	Free Universal shuttle	No resort fee
Marriott’s Grande Vista	One base, villas	Drive (no shuttle)	Villas sleep up to 12
Rosen Inn Lake Buena Vista	One base, no car	Free shuttles to both	No resort fee
Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando	Disney half, budget	Shuttle to all 4 Disney parks	Free breakfast
Waldorf Astoria Orlando	Disney half, luxury	Disney shuttle (resort charge)	Early Theme Park Entry

Hotels with free shuttles to both resorts

Few hotels cover both for free. Rosen Inn Lake Buena Vista comes closest, though it has no Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom stop. For more options, see our hotels with the best shuttles to Disney and Universal.

Perks you keep or give up

Perk	Who gets it	What a split stay means
Universal Early Park Admission	All Universal hotels (not partner hotels)	During your Universal stay; parks vary by date
Universal Express Unlimited	Royal Pacific, Hard Rock, Portofino Bay	USF/IOA only, check-in to check-out day
Disney Early Theme Park Entry	Disney hotels plus 15 others, incl. Drury and Waldorf	Pick a qualifying hotel for the Disney half
Extended Evening Hours	Disney Deluxe hotels, Swan, Dolphin, Swan Reserve, Shades of Green	Not at Drury or Waldorf
Lightning Lane window	7 days before check-in at Disney Resort hotels, Swan/Dolphin, Shades of Green	Others, incl. Waldorf and Drury: 3 days
Free Disney park parking	Disney Resort hotel guests	Others pay $35/day standard

Perks change, so check current terms before you book. See the full list of non-Disney hotels with Early Theme Park Entry. Disney-owned resorts aren’t sold on Booking.com and are booked directly with Disney; our guide to the best hotels near Disney World covers them.

Getting between the resorts: rental car, rideshare and luggage

You have three options:

• Rental car: the most flexible. Budget for park parking on driving days plus hotel overnight parking.
• Rideshare or taxi: the simplest option for a single moving day. Fares vary by time and demand.
• Hotel shuttle: only the few hotels above. At a Universal hotel, ask reservations whether a Disney transfer can be arranged and its cost.

Luggage: Universal hotels hold bags on arrival and departure days, and Bell Services at Disney Resort hotels store bags and can deliver them to your room. Mears Connect runs only between the airport and resorts, not hotel to hotel. For more planning basics, see our guide to choosing a hotel in Orlando.

Sample plans for 5, 7 and 10 nights

• 5 nights: 2 nights at Royal Pacific (Express runs through check-out day, so that covers three park days) or Stella Nova (for Epic Universe), then 3 nights at Drury Plaza for three Disney park days. Or skip the move with 5 nights at Rosen Inn Lake Buena Vista.
• 7 nights: 3 nights at a Universal hotel for Epic Universe, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, then 4 nights near Disney for the four Disney parks.
• 10 nights: 3 to 4 nights at Universal and 5 to 6 near Disney, with a rest or pool day at the moving point.

Still deciding how to split your days? Our Orlando itinerary lays out 3, 5 and 7-day plans that combine Disney and Universal.

Still deciding between the two? Our Disney vs Universal comparison covers tickets, line-skipping, ride heights and which resort suits which ages.

Getting between the two resorts: see Disney to Universal transportation: car, rideshare, hotel shuttles and LYNX buses compared.

Frequently asked questions

Is it better to stay near Disney or Universal if you’re doing both?

If you’ll spend more days at Disney, base yourself there and add a short Universal stay at the start or end. With roughly equal days and a car, a central hotel on south International Drive or near Grande Vista keeps both resorts within about 4 to 14 miles. Without a car, split your stay or choose Rosen Inn Lake Buena Vista.

How far is Universal from Disney World, and how long is the drive?

From Universal’s main garage it’s about 10 to 11 miles to Disney Springs, 13 to 14 miles to EPCOT’s parking toll plaza and 16 miles to the Magic Kingdom parking lot, or roughly 20 to 30 minutes with no traffic. Epic Universe, farther south, is about half a mile to 1.7 miles closer to each Disney park. Rush-hour I-4 traffic can add a lot.

What is the best area to stay between Disney and Universal?

South International Drive and Universal Boulevard near the Convention Center are closest to Epic Universe and about 10 to 11.5 miles from EPCOT. The Central Florida Parkway area around Marriott’s Grande Vista is among the most even, about 4 to 7.5 miles from Epic Universe, Universal’s main garage and Disney Springs. Lake Buena Vista suits Disney-heavy trips, and Rosen Inn there adds a free Universal shuttle.

Should I do Universal or Disney first on a split stay?

Either works, so build the order around your flights rather than the parks. Keep your most important park days away from moving day, and plan a lighter day at one end of the trip. If your flight home leaves early, ending at Universal usually means a shorter ride to the airport.

Do Universal hotel guests get early entry to Epic Universe, and which hotels include Express?

Yes. Guests of every Universal hotel get Early Park Admission, up to an hour early at select attractions, now including Epic Universe; which parks open early varies by date. Only Hard Rock Hotel, Loews Portofino Bay and Loews Royal Pacific include free Express Unlimited, valid at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure only. Universal Helios Grand Hotel, inside Epic Universe, does not include it.

Sources checked in September 2026: Loews Universal Orlando hotel benefits, Walt Disney World Early Theme Park Entry, Rosen Inn Lake Buena Vista services and amenities, Hilton Orlando resort charge, Waldorf Astoria Orlando resort charge.