Yes you are doing the right thing. Parents get brainwashed into visiting only Disney every year. The kids go along with it at a young age because they don't know what else is out there. As the kids turn 8-10, Disney turns into kiddie rides with long lines. The parents keep going back year after year because they don't know any better. Then something amazing happens. They try Universal and "a whole new world" opens up.
The best advice is to spend a morning at each park. To get the full effect, you really need to stay on site, so go with an open mind. The best advice is to arrive the parking garage at 07:45am, tour a park, then leave. The crowds arrive at 11am. Do not arrive at 11am or you will have a bad time and write a negative trip report. If you arrive early at least the lines will be short. You probaby won't feel the "magic" because you are not staying onsite. You can still walk to the onsite hotels and check them out, so you can plan a visit for next year.
SWF is easier, they only have 2 coasters, and the rest is shows. All you have to do there, is arrive each show 30 minutes early, and eat lunch at 11:30am before the crowd packs the restaurants.
After visiting Universal and Sea World, you can drive over to Busch Gardens Tampa, and from there you schedule trips to Cedar Point. Disney is great and all that, but honestly, you only need to visit every 4 years once the kids grow up.