We have been to UOR twice. Once in 2000 with just dh and I (pre kids), and once with the kids in 2015 or 2016.
It was fine. I am glad we went both times, but I have no need to go again anytime soon.
It was so much more stressful than WDW for me. The lack of planning, the early park closing times, the difficulty in planning a TS dinner with early park closing (all the park TS closed too early), and the challenge of having a tween (and now grown teen) who wants no part of thrill rides while still trying to have a family vacation.
The HP areas are gorgeous, the rides are fun, but it isn’t a destination for us like WDW is.
The kids are older and we have been doing shorter trips (~5 days), I would far rather spend all that time at WDW than split it between the two… and I don’t see us ever making UOR a sole vacation destination (our previous visit was 2 days/1 night before a cruise).
I know it isn’t a popular opinion, but UOR just isn’t family friendly for us to choose it over WDW.
Totally get this, and you’re definitely not alone. For me, they’re both family-friendly but in different ways. Depends on what everyone in the family is into. Being on WDW property is pure magic, but I have more actual raw fun at UOR I think (but it’s a shorter burst of fun vs WDW’s more prolonged lower-key magical fun). I find the two experiences quite complimentary, and hope they have a fierce competition that makes both better for their guests.
Last trip DH, eldest DS and I went to UOR just to do Diagon Alley and the Hogwarts Express. We did ride ET too but that was literally all we did.
It obviously doesn’t help that we’re just not coaster junkies, in fact coaster wimps is a better description of us. The Universal rides really don’t hold any appeal. I think we’re skipping it altogether this next trip, unless our youngest decides he wants to see the HP areas.