In the Disney vs. Universal debate, I find Universal easier to visit with my kids. It requires less planning.

• I've been visiting Disney and Universal with my kids for a decade.
• It feels like every minute at Disney has to be scheduled; the vibe at Universal is more laid-back.

I've been visiting Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando with my kids for over a decade. While the process for planning a successful Disney vacation have changed again and again, Universal has stayed pretty much the same.

To make the most of a Disney vacation, parents have to plan everything down to the minute — from which park they'll visit on a certain day to which character dining experiences are most important to them. Universal is simpler — you can have a great visit without having to make a lot of decisions in advance.

As a journalist who writes about theme parks, friends often ask me whether Disney or Universal is a better vacation. While both have their merits, I tell parents if they want a laid-back vacation where they don't have to plan in advance and follow a detailed itinerary, Universal may be the better option.

It's simpler to go between Universal's two theme parks throughout the day

The four theme parks at Walt Disney World are spread out, so to go from park to park, you have to take Disney transportation like the monorail or a bus. On the other hand, Universal's two theme parks — Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure — are next to one another, so it's easy to walk between the two parks if you've purchased the two-park ticket (the Hogwarts Express train is also available for those who prefer transportation).

Disney also requires a reservation to enter each of its theme parks. So in addition to needing a ticket, parents must reserve which park they plan to visit on each day of their vacation. A park-hopper ticket is required to visit a second park on the same day, but you can only leave one park and enter another after 2 p.m. (However, Disney is scrapping this policy beginning on January 9, 2024.)

Universal's app is helpful, but not required

The Disney experience relies heavily on the My Disney Experience app for everything from dining reservations to choosing which attraction to ride next using the Disney Genie+ service. When I visit Disney parks, my phone battery is not long for this world.

At Universal, we rarely use the destination's app, only pulling out our phones to check wait times or to order food in advance. Since you can navigate the Universal parks without needing the app, I find I'm more present with my family and spend a lot less time staring at my phone screen. It's also liberating to be able to ride attractions without having to depend on an app to schedule them.

With Universal Express Pass, you can easily skip ride lines

To shorten ride wait times at Disney, you have to purchase Genie+ (which varies in price depending on whether you're paying for single or multiple parks, but it costs about $20 per person on average). You can also purchase Individual Lightning Lane access, which costs more for higher-tier attractions like the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. While the system works, you have to use the My Disney Experience app constantly.

Universal's alternative to Genie+ is Universal Express Pass, which costs an additional fee (between $90 and $380 depending on the date) on top of park tickets, but it doesn't require booking attractions in the app. When you purchase an Express Pass, you just have to scan your pass in the Express line at any participating attraction. While some rides, such as Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, aren't included, most rides, such as the Jurassic World VelociCoaster and The Incredible Hulk Coaster, are, so it's a great way to easily skip lines without a ton of planning.

Meeting characters is way easier at Universal, too

At Disney, meeting characters often requires some advanced planning, too. Many character meet-and-greets have long lines that can only be avoided by booking a spot in advance with Genie+. Some characters are only available for meet-and-greets at restaurants, and those reservations can fill up months in advance. If you've got your heart set on getting a photo of your kid with Mickey Mouse or meeting some of Snow White's Seven Dwarfs, you'll need to plan ahead.

At Universal, the character interactions are way more laid-back and accessible. Walking around the parks, we've run into everyone from Beetlejuice to Dora the Explorer to the minions, all out in the open and ready for photos and hugs. At Universal, there's way less planning required to get those memorable character photos.

It's so much easier to have a sit-down meal at Universal

While you can make dining reservations far in advance at Universal, you don't always need to. I often make a dining reservation the day before I visit; we've also had great luck walking right up to a restaurant and grabbing a table.

Disney's dining reservations are available 60 days before your visit and, even then, they normally book up quickly. Keeping reservations can be stressful, as vacation plans can change and it's tough to know in advance whether your 4-year-old will have a meltdown and you'll want to skip dinner inside Cinderella's Castle. If you're looking for a more relaxed dining situation, Universal is the place to go.

The overall vibe at Universal is way more relaxed

The most important thing to consider when deciding between a Disney or Universal vacation is your own planning style. If you're really good at making plans and keeping to a schedule in your daily life, a trip to Disney will work just fine for you. If you prefer a more relaxed approach to vacationing, Universal may be a better option for your family.

While planning for a day at Disney doesn't bother me, my teenagers much prefer a low-key day at Universal, so it's also a good idea to know your kids and plan your theme-park vacation based on their styles as well. For my family, Universal has become our go-to destination — we really enjoy showing up to the parks without much of a plan and knowing our day will still be fun and fulfilling.