4. Cabana Bay Beach Resort = Art of Animation Resort

Image: Universal

When Disney opened Art of Animation in May 2012, it was greeted with open arms and even more open pocketbooks. Not only did families love the theming and vibe of the resort, they adored the efficient family suites contained within. Universal saw Disney's great success and, in July of that year, announced the construction of Cabana Bay Beach Resort.

With Cabana Bay, Universal was going directly after Art of Animation, and they weren't even hiding it.

When two companies compete, the winner is always the consumer, and that's exactly what happened here. All of the best parts of Art of Animation – the wonderful theming and the family suites – were copied over to Cabana Bay, with a few extra touches to add flames to the fire. But, ultimately, the result is an equivalent experience between the two. Both are ostensibly value resorts (Cabana Bay is Universal's first resort to require shuttle transportation to the parks – something Art of Animation, obviously, also requires), but offer much more than that “value” label would seem to indicate.

While their themes are very different, the experience of staying in teh two resorts is very, very similar.

5. Sapphire Falls Resort = Caribbean Beach Resort

Image: Universal

When Caribbean Beach was first built in 1988, it was designed to be a Deluxe resort. However, once it was completed and opened, Disney realized that it felt smaller and less grandiose than its other high-end hotels, and instead downgraded it to the Moderate class, of which, it was the very first member.

Twenty-six years after Disney created the idea of a Moderate resort, Universal is finally getting around to building its own. And the fact that it's also themed to the Caribbean? Well, that's just a coincidence.

With Cabana Bay, Universal managed to open its first Value-equivalent resort – an important milestone in their growth and their battle with Disney. They'd long since had their own Deluxe hotels, but diversifying their portfolio would only help them in the long term. But now that the flashing-red light emergency that was the need for a Value-type resort has been addressed, it's time for them to build their own Moderate.

Not quite as luxurious as Portofino Bay, Hard Rock, or Royal Pacific, but not quite as simple as Cabana Bay, Sapphire Falls is designed to hit that sweet spot right in the middle. Its concept art is certainly beautiful, and when it opens, it too will have sit-down restaurants, quick service options, bars, and, of course, scenic Caribbean-style views.

It's Universal's first Moderate, so it only makes sense that they'd recreate Disney's first Moderate too.

It's fun to think about Universal and Disney competing. At the end of the day, these two powerhouses going toe-to-toe causes them to provide us, the consumers, with newer and better experiences. But, on top of that, it's also fun to see where the two draw inspiration from each other. Ultimately, they're both fantastic theme parks and wonderful vacation destinations – a little copycatting never hurt anyone.