is WDW worth it for a West Coast family who love DLR?

[aprincessatlast]

Yes I think you should. I am in the camp that WDW has become a lot of work and it is not my preferred park despite it being what I guess you would call our "home park" (easy to get to, have been more times than DL etc.)

I think you should go into it the same way people tell WDW vets to go into DL. Do not compare, as it is not the same experience but a different one. Realize that things are different in a good way at both parks. I love the compactness of DL however there are times it if fascinating to see how huge WDW is. With all the details in not just the parks but the hotels etc. Take advantage of the things that are unique to WDW. Stay on property, ride the Magical Express from the Airport, Get enveloped into the vastness of WDW. Visit and eat at the different resorts, go to Fort Wilderness and see the show and check out the free movies/marshmallow roast with Chip n Dale, hit the waterparks with the adorable Disney themes, go putt putt golfing on property, walk the boardwalk. Relax at the themed Disney pools. Then check out all the parks and notice the differences in a good way. Epcot is like no other and the thing I miss the most when at DL. Animal Kingdom is fantastic. Hollywood studios.... well I might skip that one The castle alone at MK is fun to compare and fantasyland is done very well.

All in all yes I much prefer DL for its ease of use and signature details however if you love Disney and have never been to WDW I think it is something to see for sure!

 

[HydroGuy]

WDW is definitely worth visiting. But it can cost more depending on where you live (obviously more if you live on the West Coast vs. East Coast).

Here are some things I would advise:

- Don't go unless you can spend at least seven complete days at WDW

- Be prepared to tour in a different way - you must plan more down time at WDW such as taking days off and relaxing

- If you follow the above two items spend at least two full days at MK and Epcot, and one full day at DHS and AK

- Be prepared for much more planning and make the effort to do the planning

- Not sure how you do dining at DLR but if you are a typical DLR visitor you do not put that much thought into it. Do not make this mistake at WDW. IMO a WDW trip is much better if you weave it around dining experiences.

- Do not go in the summer if at all possible

- If all of that sounds like a lot of effort and hassle, the payoff is a really awesome resort where you can do things that you just can't do at DLR

- I have seen several positive comments about Universal Studios in Orlando. We do not share that view and will never waste time there again.

 

[RKKUNK]

Once again the "value" of one resort over the other is personal perspective. We live in CA and are AP holders, so of course DLR is near and dear to our hearts.

We just went to WDW in November as we already had a 4-day Disney cruise booked and thought since we were already spending the money on airfare, we might as well make the most of our trip. We stayed in a timeshare condo for a week and did the parks for 5 days. We did not have parkhoppers so we did a day at each park and then repeated one park. WDW is very different than DLR. One thing I did like about WDW was how they could take a theme and do so much more with it as they have more room. The part that I didn't like the most was all of the planning and since we were not staying onsite, we didn't get any of the dining options that we wanted so we only did QS when eating. We did have fun and enjoyed our time there but we came to the decision that we like DLR better. Would we do WDW again? Maybe someday, but there are other things that we would spend our money on first.

 

[niffer5150]

we (hubby, 15 yo DD, and i) live in l.a. and adore DL for day trips but we vacation at wdw. it's like trying to compare apples and oranges, both fruit but totally different. wdw offers wonders dl can never offer. the bubble is incredible and the packages are well done. if you've done your planning right, it's effortless once you get there. that alone seals the deal for even my "not a disney fan" husband. well, that and we got a preferred room at POR for what we had paid recently at a good neighbor best western. the cost was the same but you get just SO much more.

 

[Iceman93]

WDW is definitely worth visiting. But it can cost more depending on where you live (obviously more if you live on the West Coast vs. East Coast).

Here are some things I would advise:

- Don't go unless you can spend at least seven complete days at WDW

- Be prepared to tour in a different way - you must plan more down time at WDW such as taking days off and relaxing

- If you follow the above two items spend at least two full days at MK and Epcot, and one full day at DHS and AK

- Be prepared for much more planning and make the effort to do the planning

- Not sure how you do dining at DLR but if you are a typical DLR visitor you do not put that much thought into it. Do not make this mistake at WDW. IMO a WDW trip is much better if you weave it around dining experiences.

- Do not go in the summer if at all possible

- If all of that sounds like a lot of effort and hassle, the payoff is a really awesome resort where you can do things that you just can't do at DLR

- I have seen several positive comments about Universal Studios in Orlando. We do not share that view and will never waste time there again.

I agree with every one of the above points! In fact, I usually recommend first-time visitors spend a full two weeks at WDW to prevent the need to take another vacation to recover from the "death march" approach many visitors take who don't have enough time.

Make time for the water parks, DisneyQuest, and just wandering around the various resorts. Enjoy your resort's pool. Catch the show at Cirque du Soleil. Spend a night at the Hoop-de-Doo Revue and potentially the luau.

And don't waste your time and money at Universal. I guess if you are the world's biggest Harry Potter fan then a day trip is inevitable, but just be ready to be disappointed in almost every way.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I agree with every one of the above points! In fact, I usually recommend first-time visitors spend a full two weeks at WDW to prevent the need to take another vacation to recover from the "death march" approach many visitors take who don't have enough time.

Make time for the water parks, DisneyQuest, and just wandering around the various resorts. Enjoy your resort's pool. Catch the show at Cirque du Soleil. Spend a night at the Hoop-de-Doo Revue and potentially the luau.

And don't waste your time and money at Universal. I guess if you are the world's biggest Harry Potter fan then a day trip is inevitable, but just be ready to be disappointed in almost every way.

If I spent two weeks at WDW, I would be bored out of my mind. Personally, a think 5-7 days is plenty.

 

[skellinton]

I think so, it isn't like WDW is the same as DL just in a different location. They are VERY different. Besides the different parks that WDW has compared to DL and DCA, the MK park is very different then DL. There are some things that are the same, but there are far more that are very different.
I love them both and wouldn't miss a chance to visit either if I had the funds and time!

 

[MichelleWDWfan]

I'm just the opposite. I fell in love with WDW our 1st trip in 2009 and was hooked.
I'm making my 1st visit to DL in 2 weeks!

WDW takes a lot of planning ahead of time, but so worth it! I love planning my WDW trips.
I'm an AP holder and go 3-5 times a year. For 5-7 days each time.

You can make dining ressies 180 days in advance. Fast pass reservations in advance.
I would recommend staying on property in a Value hotel. All Stars, Pop Century (our fave), Art of Animation.
Don't go between May and early Sept....too humid and hot.

You can get really good prices for the Values Sept, Oct, Jan, Feb. and they have the free dining offered usually every Fall.
You will need 5-7 days, as lost*in*cyberspace said.
I suggest 2 days Magic Kingdom, 2 days Epcot, 1 day Hollywood studios, at least 1 day Animal Kingdom.
I wouldn't recommend park hoppers for your first visit.

Disney only requires $200 down to book a package and you have up till 45 days before arrival to pay it off.
There are always new specials coming out too.

The Christmas season is so beautiful at WDW.
This year we are going during Christmas time at the beginning of Dec.

 

[leahlefler]

We have been to both - I grew up in California (Riverside) and had annual passes to Disneyland. I now live in Western NY and have been to WDW a few times. They are different experiences. When we go to the So Cal parks (family is still in California), we usually spend one night in a hotel and spend one day in Disneyland and one in California Adventures. Sometimes we just do Disneyland and make it a day trip. We get there in the morning and leave late at night, riding all the rides we can and "winging" it for dining, etc.

We just returned from WDW in February. We spent 6 days in the parks - I can't imagine spending less time as you just can't see everything. The rides are spread out at WDW. Star Tours is not in the Magic Kingdom, but is at Hollywood Studios (example). Midway Mania is at Hollywood Studios, Soarin' is at EPCOT, etc.

WDW takes a lot more planning. Dining reservations must be made for sit-down restaurants, Fast Passes planned, etc. We did great planning and had a FANTASTIC time - but my poor parents didn't have reservations (they wanted to wing it) and couldn't get into any place - even in Downtown Disney - and had to eat counter service for the times they wanted to wing it. We really enjoy the sit-down restaurants, so I am glad we had reservations.

We love both places, but they are quite different experiences. Here is what I love about WDW:

• Staying on-site. Expensive, but the hotels are gorgeous and beautifully themed.
• No need for a rental car. This reduced the cost for us, as we didn't plan on visiting other Orlando attractions. The bus system worked wonderfully.
• Disney handling our luggage - this was a HUGE plus for us (flying in from Western NY), but an awful mess for my parents (flying in from California). Our flight landed at 9:10 am, and Disney had our luggage delivered to our room by the time we arrived in the room that afternoon. My parents landed in the late afternoon and their luggage wasn't delivered until nearly midnight. So be careful if flying from the west coast and landing late (if using the bus/luggage delivery option). It worked wonderfully for our (early) flight, as we were able to go to the hotel, confirm our online check-in, and jet off to a theme park with no worries about our luggage.
• The restaurants. There were so many really, really cool places to eat. T-Rex cafe, Coral Reef, and Sci-Fi Dine In made my kids' jaws drop with the theming. We ate at so many neat places on our trip.
• EPCOT. I love this park. It is just so cool! My boys were 7 and 9 at the time of our trip in February. We spent most of the time in Future World - my kids couldn't get enough of Test Track. We went on Soarin' once, but only once since we often visit California. I bought an oyster pearl for my mom in Japan, the kids loved the drum show in Japan as well. Some of the rides at EPCOT are outdated or old, but we really enjoyed the park.
• Animal Kingdom. This is my personal favorite. The day we went was fantastic because the park was empty. We rode Expedition Everest a gazillion times and loved it. The park is just gorgeous. The dinosaur playground was a big hit with the kids. We had our character breakfast here one morning.
• The pace. It felt like a true vacation. We would go to a park, and if we got tired or the park was too crowded, we'd just head back to the hotel and swim. Or hang in a hammock. Or get a margarita at the pool bar. We were up early, it is true, but we were completely isolated from the "real world" for an entire week. It was delightful.
• Typhoon Lagoon. The water park is just beautiful. We had more fun here than we thought we would! The magic bands were great here, too, as we didn't have to carry anything (wallets, etc) into the water park.

Here is what we didn't like/were disappointed by/thought were better in California:

• Long waits/need for sign-ups for certain character meets/shows/interactions. The Jedi Training Academy at Hollywood Studios is insane. It is a literal run for the sign-ups, and they cut off the line shortly after the park opens because it is full. We waited for 45 minutes to sign up for a 4:15 show (all other times were booked). We went at a "low crowd" time of year. I can't even imagine how this is during the high season! There were experiences we chose to skip, like Enchanted Tales with Belle, because we didn't want to use a FP+ for them and the wait was longgggggg (hours). I love the Jedi Training in California - they pick the kids there at the time and there are no sign-ups ahead of time.
• The cost. It was about $4000 for us, total. On the other hand, our flights to California out of Buffalo are VERY expensive now, so WDW is actually the cheaper option (but our family is in California so we visit periodically). Still, if you are local to Disneyland, the cost of WDW is MUCH more than a day-trip to DL.
• Huge waits for rides that have NO wait in California - Peter Pan had a 90 minute wait at 9:00 am the last week of February. Winnie the Pooh was similar. We just skipped them since we can see them in California.
• Space Mountain. The one in California is better (in our opinion).
• The ability to "wing it" - the last time we went to Disneyland (2012), we walked up to the BBQ place in Fronteirland and were seated without a reservation. You just can't do that at WDW.
• Downtown Disney is at a distance from the theme parks. Not the end of the world, but we love being able to walk out of Disneyland and just meander through DTD.

We love both places. They are just... different. Overall, I like WDW more because it is a full week of vacation and not a more-hectic day trip. We live in WNY now, though... I'm not sure if we'd travel from California to go to WDW if we still had Disneyland in our backyard.

 

[HappyDisneyMama]

We love DLR and really wondered of the hot weather at WDW would be worth it. Then we decided to give it a try and are currently preparing for our third trip and anticipating future ones. I will always love DLR, it really is the happiest place on earth. But the thing that makes it for me at WDW is being able to stay inside the Disney Bubble for the whole trip. From the moment we reach the Disney Magical Express Desk at MCO until our flight home, everything is Disney. Resorts are available at all price points so even if you are on a budget you can stay on-site, use the internal transportation system, using the dining plan and enjoy Disney magic 24/7. Definitely worth it!

 

[HappyDisneyMama]

I should also say that it helps a lot to have a full year to plan ahead. It is a very large place and all the necessary details can be quite overwhelming. But if you do your research a little at a time it is very manageable. Then make sure you book your resort in time to do the 180 day ADRs and you are set.

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

I grew up in SoCal and went to DLR many, many times growing up. Now I live on the east coast and have visited WDW several times. They are two completely different places. DLR is compact and easy to get around. WDW is huge, with several different parks and takes a lot more planning.

Personally, I'd take the kids to Europe before visiting WDW. They are great ages right now to make this trip.

Can I triple ... quadruple like this? LOL. I really couldn't agree more. We started taking our kids when they were 4 and 6, and never looked back. Admittedly I'm a DL snob and don't care for WDW so a choice between WDW and Europe isn't really a choice

 

[BryANDJessMom]

I grew up with WDW....but I guess my heart is now with DL. We are only 6 hours away from DL and have annual passes.

That said we still go to WDW every 3 years. I am originally from Virginia but wow, the heat and humidity about did my family in last time. What keeps us wanting to go back? Mostly the resorts...I fell in love with the animal Kingdom lodge. I love waking up before the family..making a cup of coffee and sitting on the balcony looking at all the zebras, giraffes, etc. worth the trip!!

Even though I think Disneyland is better, I still really love the parks there as well! (And the special activities like lunch with an imagineer)

 

[Castillo Mom]

I'm a California girl and have been to DLR countless times and have had a premium AP for several years, so needless to say our family loves DLR. In '02 we decided to take our first trip to WDW and planned for two years and finally went in '04. We were hooked from the beginning and are in the process of planning our 7th trip. While our heart is at DLR, we love WDW and the immersive experience we get while staying there, so much so that I purchased DVC in '08 and chose Animal Kingdom Villas as our home resort. DLR and the Magic Kingdom have similarities but they have some rides we don't and vice versa. They also have the three other main parks and two water parks which we also enjoy visiting.

Bottom line is I recommend going at least once and if possible, stay a minimum of 10 days if you can swing it. This is key in being able to withstand the heat and humidity of summer while ensuring that you get to experience most of what WDW has to offer. We typically get an early start and hit the parks at opening, get on the most popular attractions, have lunch and then head back to our resort for a swim. After a shower and change of clothing, we have a nice sit down dinner and go back to a park. We typically do a maximum of two park days in a row, followed by a non park day at our resort or DTD.

 

[mariezp]

We've been making an annual trek to DL for the past 15 years. And, thanks to having friends in Florida, we have now visited WDW twice. Have to say that my family strongly prefers Disneyland and are not likely to make a return trip to Florida.

We love Disneyland because it is smaller and more intimate. Because the 2 parks are so close together it is much easier to navigate, takes less planning and it just has this awesome "ahhh, home" feel. The park is better maintained. The weather is generally fantastic. And, for the most part, the people are friendlier. Though DL has less food choices we like the food at DL much better and it is so much easier to make reservations.

Is it worth it for your family? Hard to say. As a Disneyland fan here's what I have come away feeling from our WDW experience.

Cons:

• It was interesting to visit WDW at least once. It is extremely hard to go and not compare the two.... and even if YOU can manage not to compare, someone in your party may still get stuck playing the comparison game. We've also been to Disneyland Paris and a certain member of my family was so stuck on making comparisons that it took away from everyone else's experience. Don't let this happen to you. If you have someone who shows the slightest resistance to wanting to try WDW you might just take it into consideration as to how much it could affect the vacation for everyone. Hopefully you don't have a grump like I do. lol!
• Aside from internal problems, one of the biggest factors we did not like was weather. I swear Animal Kingdom has got to be one of the hottest, wettest places on earth! One of our trips to WDW was in December and the other in April. Both times the weather was unpredictable and different everyday. It was humid and hot. It was cold. It was raining cats and dogs. Very hard to plan for and not particularly comfortable.
• Next strike against our overall experience was people. The cast members at WDW just didn't seem to enjoy their jobs too much. The crowds of visitors were downright rude. Be warned... parade time can be a nightmare. And, the mass exodus to get in and out of Magic Kingdom on the ferry and shuttles seemed, for us, far from magical.
• It's nice that WDW provides the transportation options they do. However, we are not really ones to enjoy relying on public transportation but besides that prices to stay onsite to take advantage of Disney's transportation is prohibitive because it is expensive. If you stay offsite, as we do, you will need a car anyway. We did not like that the parks are so spread out.

Pros:

• Epcot! I do wish California had one. We didn't have as much time to explore as I would have liked. Would love to try all the dining options and check out all the details of every land. The park is absolutely beautiful.
• If you stay off site there are so many nice and affordable vacation homes to choose from. We stayed in a super nice 3 bedroom home with a private pool for probably half price of what it costs us to stay in a mid range hotel at DL. DL does have a lack of affordable really nice hotels.
• If you stay close to DL you don't need a transportation option because you can just walk between the 2 parks. So simple and easy!
• I did enjoy the WDW versions of the same rides at DL. It was fun to see the differences.
• I did enjoy the many entertainment options available at WDW. One of our favorite memories was going to the Hoop De Doo Revue. I love shows and unfortunately DL does not have many to choose from.

Personally, after having gone to Europe last September, I have to say I agree with lost*in*cyberspace and CaliforniaGirl09. I'd recommend to anybody to take the kids on an overseas adventure. I love DL but I am really dying to make it back to Germany!

 

[Athenaa]

Yes, yes, yes! I'm 43 and I've been going to Disneyland every few years since I was four. I am so incredibly attached to it. However, I went to WDW for the first time last November, and I loved every minute of it. Yes, it is expensive to fly out there, so if you do it, go big. I got my ticket paid for, and I had a limited time, so we only got to visit three parks. Epcot was amazing, but we went during the Food and Wine festival and ate our way through the whole back half of the park. Plus, we rode a ride a dark ride there called Spaceship Earth that I loved so much, I got right back in line afterwards. I could imagine feeling such nostalgia for it if I had the chance to see it as a child. It was pure Disney and so unique.

Yes, some things aren't as good (i.e. Pirates), but they have some things that Disneyland doesn't (i.e. Mickey's Philharmagic or the amazing Electric Light Parade). I cried when I saw the Electric Light Parade; I hadn't seen it since I was little.

A few tips for someone from the west coast: First, go in the winter. We went the week before Thanksgiving and it was still a bit hot for me. I wouldn't even bother going in October. This is especially true if you aren't used to humidity. I'm from Reno, so I struggled a bit. You could not pay me to go to Florida in the summer. It was okay in the high 70s, but when it hit 80, I was wet and uncomfortable. Second, be prepared for the amount of traveling between parks. Stay in one park per day, unless you spend the day in a park that closes early and you want to catch shows in park that stays late, like Magic Kingdom. Nothing is in walking distance. This isn't the type of place where you go back to the hotel and rest and then head back to the park. You'll waste massive amounts of time doing that. It's definitely an adjustment to plan for, but I loved it and I would definitely return.

 

[Brancaneve]

Yes, yes, yes! I'm 43 and I've been going to Disneyland every few years since I was four. I am so incredibly attached to it. However, I went to WDW for the first time last November, and I loved every minute of it. Yes, it is expensive to fly out there, so if you do it, go big. I got my ticket paid for, and I had a limited time, so we only got to visit three parks. Epcot was amazing, but we went during the Food and Wine festival and ate our way through the whole back half of the park. Plus, we rode a ride a dark ride there called Spaceship Earth that I loved so much, I got right back in line afterwards. I could imagine feeling such nostalgia for it if I had the chance to see it as a child. It was pure Disney and so unique.

Yes, some things aren't as good (i.e. Pirates), but they have some things that Disneyland doesn't (i.e. Mickey's Philharmagic or the amazing Electric Light Parade). I cried when I saw the Electric Light Parade; I hadn't seen it since I was little.

A few tips for someone from the west coast: First, go in the winter. We went the week before Thanksgiving and it was still a bit hot for me. I wouldn't even bother going in October. This is especially true if you aren't used to humidity. I'm from Reno, so I struggled a bit. You could not pay me to go to Florida in the summer. It was okay in the high 70s, but when it hit 80, I was wet and uncomfortable. Second, be prepared for the amount of traveling between parks. Stay in one park per day, unless you spend the day in a park that closes early and you want to catch shows in park that stays late, like Magic Kingdom. Nothing is in walking distance. This isn't the type of place where you go back to the hotel and rest and then head back to the park. You'll waste massive amounts of time doing that. It's definitely an adjustment to plan for, but I loved it and I would definitely return.

I also loved Spaceship Earth. It made me emotional!