Disneyland vs. WDW

[DizBelle]

I have to say that the Fireworks Tinkerbell is WAY better at Disneyland than at the Magic Kingdom. I love the way she flys over the castle.

Being at Disneyland is kind of weird for us WDW vets. My DH described it pretty good. It's kind of like if we took our cats to another house in our neighborhood that is the same model. The layout is the same but there is different furniture and it may be arranged differently. They would be thinking this place looks like home but something is off....

[Mortimer Mouse]

While most would agree DL is much better than MK, WDW has many things on DLR, such as dinning. I try not to look at it as a "Vs." type thing, more of a different experience which enhances my love for Disney. You're absolutely right about your observations of the firework show. Sounds like you had a great time, care to tell us more?.......popcorn::

[mikayla73]

That's how we felt when we went to the MK for the first time. Your DH gave a great analogy! We think the fireworks are better at DL too. :) We also try not to compare the two, although it canbe hard sometimes. We love them both, though DL holds the special place in my heart.

[CAbryan]

It's very hard not to compare the parks. I have already issued a preemptive strike for our next trip. The family knows I don't want to hear one thing about how DL's version is better or worse.

Anyway, I like WDW and DLR about the same.

[mlggator]

I grew up with MK at WDW and then moved to SoCal as an adult. I think your analogy is great. The first moment I stepped into DL and saw the castle, I laughed. It was so small. I really didn't like DL at first. But it didn't take long for me to really fall in love with it. Now I prefer it. I remember reading all these post of how everyone loves its charm. I didn't see it at first, but now I understand.

I really love both places, DLR and WDW and see both as very different experiences. We moved away from SoCal a year ago and I am really missing DL.

[Lakewood]

All I have to say is that you guy have EPCOT and a viable Monorail system... Sad to say I prefer WDW over D Land.

[KelsiesMommy]

That's how I felt on my first trip to WDW last year- like I should know where everything is, it's eerily familiar, but different :)

[gowensby]

I returned last Friday from my first trip to DLR after dozens of trips to WDW. I grew up on the East Coast and lived in Central Florida for years, so WDW was home. So...if I had my choice, I would transport Disneyland's MK to WDW. I did miss the castle, but it didn't take long to enjoy every other aspect of the park.

As for dining. New Orleans Square did it for me. The clam chowder in a bread bowl was great!

I think I'll post about DCA in another thread.

[teatime]

All I have to say is that you guy have EPCOT and a viable Monorail system... Sad to say I prefer WDW over D Land.
Same here, The only reason I do Disneyland over WDW is the fact its a 10 hour flight and I just can not do that any more. But I will always have WDW in my heart. 6 years ago I had never been to any theme park, but I have been to Disneyland 4 times ( 5 times coming up ) and WDW 1 time, but that one time was the best trip of my life. there down town disney rocks to!! the yeti, the rocing roller coaster, and the great movie ride, space ship earth, test track, the living sea's not to mention world show case !!! more rides and way fun!! I will never forget my trip there as long as I live!!

[teatime]

I just want to say, I love disneyland also, its a wonderful place full of magic. I love going there ( i must I go each year :lmao: It is a wonderful, magical place !!

[fairycat]

It's so funny how what you are used to really effects your perspective of the park. When I saw the MK castle I was shocked!! It looked so garish and I was so disappointed that you couldn't walk through it, instead it almost sits on a stage platform. Between that and missing the Matterhorn I was disappointed at first. But getting to eat in the castle did warm me up a bit to MK :)

Overall I think both have their pros and cons, but overall my heart will always belong to DL because it is what I know and I have grown to love about Disney. But I do like WDW too, though WDW can keep their buses :sad2:;)

[Mike_M]

... Between that and missing the Matterhorn I was disappointed at first.

I think the lack of the Matterhorn is the strangest visual at MK for me. I'm just so acustomed to seeing a mountain to the side of the castle that not having it was a strange void for me. I think I can appreciate MK more than before but that will always be odd to me.

[fairycat]

I think the lack of the Matterhorn is the strangest visual at MK for me. I'm just so acustomed to seeing a mountain to the side of the castle that not having it was a strange void for me. I think I can appreciate MK more than before but that will always be odd to me.

I so agree! It's hard when all your life your goal is to be the very first person in the car to see the Matterhorn, to know you are almost there!!! Then you walk in this park that is similar yet different, slightly backwards, but familiar enough and then you look to the end of the street and there is a big giant whole where a mountain should be. It is so mentally WRONG!!!!! All I could do was point at my DH our first trip and say "The Matterhorn is missing!".

Our last trip we only spent about 2 hours in MK and I tried not to look that direction because I knew I would just be too confused again by the lack of mountain hahah!

[HydroGuy]

I get a kick out of the small castle/large castle discussions. As others have said, we get conditioned to need to see what we have seen in the past with the danger it blinds us to seeing new things.

A WDW vet thinks Disney parks must have a large castle. Their first impression at DL is often disappointment at the small castle. They bring their WDW castle thinking to the wrong place.

A DLR vet thinks that the Matterhorn is the center of a Disney park and must dominate the small castle adjacent. Their first impression at MK is disorientation because they cannot find the Matterhorn. They bring their DLR Matterhorn mountain thinking to the wrong place.

That is why I recommend people try very hard to not bring their home resort expectations to the opposite American resort. It only sets one up for disappointment and can, if not recognized, blind one to the really great things at the opposite resort.

BTW, if you want to see a really cool castle go to DL Paris. Wow!

[pycees312]

WDW verses Disneyland. goodness.
for me i've been to Disneyland many of times and when I went to Disneyworld i think i was too excited to dwell on any diffeences. I was just so wowed by what i considered additional attractions i was experiencing. However when i went back to Disneyland I did find myself saying wow i wish we had mickey's phillhar magic intead of Honey i blew up the kid, and how i wished we had the stich ride and so on. Each has it's own special attractions and for this i'm greatful and the reason I have to get my butt back to Disneyworld. My first trip was in 07. The castle has never been a big deal to me lol.. the only time I care about it is when Tinkerbell goes flying in front of it some nights lol..

[Mike_M]

I get a kick out of the small castle/large castle discussions. As others have said, we get conditioned to need to see what we have seen in the past with the danger it blinds us to seeing new things.

A WDW vet thinks Disney parks must have a large castle. Their first impression at DL is often disappointment at the small castle. They bring their WDW castle thinking to the wrong place.

A DLR vet thinks that the Matterhorn is the center of a Disney park and must dominate the small castle adjacent. Their first impression at MK is disorientation because they cannot find the Matterhorn. They bring their DLR Matterhorn mountain thinking to the wrong place.

That is why I recommend people try very hard to not bring their home resort expectations to the opposite American resort. It only sets one up for disappointment and can, if not recognized, blind one to the really great things at the opposite resort.

BTW, if you want to see a really cool castle go to DL Paris. Wow!

I agree with what you are saying but I think that it is inevitable that the differences will sneak into your head at some point (With me there was the first sight of the castle with the missing mountain, the strange feeling of being lost in Liberty Square and of course POTC. I have to say though, I didn't know what to expect back then and actually thought the two parks would be closer to each other then they are). I think that multiple visits is the cure since after a couple times, you start to separate MK from DL and see each park as different, rather than similar.

[KCmike]

I love both DL and WDW but I prefer DL. If DL had Epcot it would be hands down in my opinion. Even saying that though I still prefer the original park. I actually prefer Sleepy's castle as well. It has a special charm to it and not so in your face big. I love this quote that I found by Al Lutz.

"There's an answer the old timers at Disney like to give when asked to compare the Anaheim and Orlando main parks, and to me it still applies as to how they are currently run: Disneyland is a park designed by a father for his daughters, while the Magic Kingdom is designed by a committee for the hordes."

[Cliffside]

This thread is very interesting. I am going to DL in August for the first time with my DH and DD. I have not been there since I was a child. In recent years we have become DVC members and have visited WDW often so I have been apprehensive about visiting DL. I have become very comfortable with our routines there and now feel like a fish out of water when it comes to DL. The funny thing is I took a class in college on Disney and my term paper was on the differences between DL and DW and why. I can't remember what I wrote. Although I don't think while I was taking this class that I actually thought I would be spending so much time at the parks. I guess the class had a big impact on me.:yay:

[DizBelle]

This thread is very interesting. I am going to DL in August for the first time with my DH and DD. I have not been there since I was a child. In recent years we have become DVC members and have visited WDW often so I have been apprehensive about visiting DL. I have become very comfortable with our routines there and now feel like a fish out of water when it comes to DL. The funny thing is I took a class in college on Disney and my term paper was on the differences between DL and DW and why. I can't remember what I wrote. Although I don't think while I was taking this class that I actually thought I would be spending so much time at the parks. I guess the class had a big impact on me.:yay:

One thing that I definitely appreciate about DL is the close proximity of everything. You can walk from one park to the other in a matter of minutes. Another few minutes to walk to DTD. It really is nice not to face the daunting bus wait or trek to the parking lot and drive back to the hotel that you get at WDW.

My original comment was more about the difference in layout. The first couple of days we kept saying, "wait, the Tiki room isn't supposed to be here. It's supposed to be there. And what is the Haunted Manision doing there?" The layout is similar enough to MK that you are kind of expecting things to be where you are used to them being. We are adapting though and thoroughly enjoying our trip. But I think my "home" Disney will always be WDW.

[bennyb98]

I generally don't like these threads for a number of reasons but I will agree with PP that I remember having such a hard time with BTMRR being so close to Fantasyland my first time in DL, it bothered my most of my trip that I couldn't see the mountain way off to the side of Splash when walking through Frontierland.

[HydroGuy]

I agree with what you are saying but I think that it is inevitable that the differences will sneak into your head at some point (With me there was the first sight of the castle with the missing mountain, the strange feeling of being lost in Liberty Square and of course POTC. I have to say though, I didn't know what to expect back then and actually thought the two parks would be closer to each other then they are). I think that multiple visits is the cure since after a couple times, you start to separate MK from DL and see each park as different, rather than similar.You are right of course. Comparisons are inevitable.

But I am talking about expectations which are different than comparisons. When someone expects something then when they do not see it they are set up for disappointment. On the other hand, if they expect and accept things will be different and then do the inevitable comparisons then there is less chance for disappointment. Of course the danger with disappointment is that it is an emotion that can detract from and possibly ruin later positive experiences. As the PP said, she had to overcome the disappointment and eventually enjoyed DL.

I agree with the idea about multiple visits too. When I started going to WDW (been twice now) I had no idea I would miss things about it when I next went to DLR. Now while at DLR I miss things about WDW and while at WDW I miss things about DLR. I guess that means I am attached to both. But DLR will always be closer to my heart. :)

[teatime]

wdw verses disneyland. Goodness.
For me i've been to disneyland many of times and when i went to disneyworld i think i was too excited to dwell on any diffeences. I was just so wowed by what i considered additional attractions i was experiencing. However when i went back to disneyland i did find myself saying wow i wish we had mickey's phillhar magic intead of honey i blew up the kid, and how i wished we had the stich ride and so on. Each has it's own special attractions and for this i'm greatful and the reason i have to get my butt back to disneyworld. My first trip was in 07. The castle has never been a big deal to me lol.. The only time i care about it is when tinkerbell goes flying in front of it some nights lol..

ditto :)

[teatime]

You are right of course. Comparisons are inevitable.

But I am talking about expectations which are different than comparisons. When someone expects something then when they do not see it they are set up for disappointment. On the other hand, if they expect and accept things will be different and then do the inevitable comparisons then there is less chance for disappointment. Of course the danger with disappointment is that it is an emotion that can detract from and possibly ruin later positive experiences. As the PP said, she had to overcome the disappointment and eventually enjoyed DL.

I agree with the idea about multiple visits too. When I started going to WDW (been twice now) I had no idea I would miss things about it when I next went to DLR. Now while at DLR I miss things about WDW and while at WDW I miss things about DLR. I guess that means I am attached to both. But DLR will always be closer to my heart. :)

My expectations were that it would be like Disneyland.... what I found was WDW was so much more. but totally different. I fell in love with tomorrow land, and it was so different then DL version, but the 3 other parks sold me on WDW. so much more to do and see :)

[Disney Dreams]

...It's kind of like if we took our cats to another house in our neighborhood that is the same model. The layout is the same but there is different furniture and it may be arranged differently. They would be thinking this place looks like home but something is off....

:rotfl: This is almost word for word how I have described Disneyland vs The Magic Kingdom to many WDW regulars on this board (minus the cat part since we don't have one LOL).

DH and I went through the MK last October saying many times, "Okay, wait, that's, wait, what's supposed to be right THERE? Isn't there something there?" We had a great time, but someone moved our furniture! LOL

[daisy2jae]

I love WDW better but I've only been to DL once. We're going in a month so maybe my opinion will change. I love MK and MGM.