I am also a WDW vet that REALLY likes the "Land." I actually grew up in the West and, so, we used to vacation to
Disneyland a lot when I was very young. When I got older, my sister was a Disney princess in WDW for YEARS and so we always did our vacations there. This trend continued for over a decade -- even when I had a young family of my own. Add to the fact that this is where our family has Disney points and, well...my wife and I had not been back to Disneyland in a very long time, since we were both kids.
However, 3 years ago, my wife decided to take us on a trip to Southern California. After all, we live in Utah and the airfare to California is a little cheaper than Florida, so why not? Since we are both Disney nuts, a 3-day trip to the Land was surely to be included.
Since that trip 3 years ago we have never been back to WDW and this time are (once again) planning a week-long trip to DL over New Year's. Don't get me wrong, WDW is AMAZING. However, for our family right now and our young children, we GREATLY prefer DL over WDW. Maybe this will change as the kids get older (possibly), but here are our reasons for "Prefering the Land:"
1.
Everything is so close. The two parks, the hotels, and downtown disney are all right next to each other and, indeed, are all part of the same seemless resort. We can walk out of the park and attend our dinner reservations at the hotel or rainforest cafe or anywhere without any travel or hassle whatsoever. When traveling with young kids, it is really nice not to have to sit outside the park or the hotel and wait 35 minutes or so for a bus, boat, or monorail just to (1) get to and from the hotel and/or (2) to get to and from the dinner reservations. If the kids get tired, you just have to walk out of the parks and you are back at your hotel room. It is as simple as that.
This makes for a really nice overall vacation experience that I don't feel can be replicated at WDW. Indeed, even if you stay at, say, the Polynesian and are close to the MK, you still are many miles from any other Disney location or theme park and the travelling back and forth and the waiting for transportation can get pretty tiresome for the young ones (and mom and dad as well).
If ever we get tired of the parks at DL, we just walk over to our hotel room to swim for an afternoon, or take a nap, or workout, or go to the spa, or go catch a movie or whatever...and then walk right on back. That fact that you are always only a 5-10 minute walk from any location in any of the parks or the resort and the lack of the mandatory travel makes the whole trip not nearly as stressful. There is also the added bonus that you spend much less time traveling and much more time PLAYING. While there is not the HUGE selection of ENDLESS options of activities that exist at WDW, there are still plenty of options to choose from.
2.
Arugably the Two Best Disney Theme Parks. Yes, WDW consists of 4 theme parks and 2 water parks and is otherwise HUGE. (I can admit that what DL is really missing is a waterpark.) However, aside from EPCOT (which I personally really enjoy, but which is more geared toward adult couples and older teens), DL and California Adventure are arguably the two best disney theme parks ever created for the entire family. In a sense I feel that you get a certain "quality over quantity" experience at DL (at least when it comes to families with younger kids, which is all I can really opine about). At any rate, I have said that each of the two DL parks are really the equivalent to 1.5 WDW parks as far as family-oriented attractions are concerned.
What impresses me most about the two DL parks is how much stuff they have been able to fit within a relatively small space. Indeed, there just seems to have been a lot more "heart" and "effort" and "magic" put into the two DL parks in total. With very few exceptions, if it is a major ride or attraction in some park in WDW, you can almost be certain to find some version of it in DL. On that note, you don't have to trek your way through 4 different parks that are widely separated from each other to get to the different major attractions. Oh, and almost every ride that is duplicative in some fashion tends to always be much better at DL (pirates, splash mountain, etc) with very few exceptions (buzz lightyear/jungle cruise). There are so many quality attractions, activities, and shows for the whole family around every corner. Again, with young kids who can tire out quickly, this makes for a very nice vacation experience.
For example, while I personally love Animal Kingdom, I still have nightmares of carting my kids all over that place in 100 degree heat and 80 percent humidity just to go see the two or three attractions in the entire park which were more geared for their level (though personally we LOVED the WDW safari). I am a fitness nut and I am in excellent shape, but that was a nightmare. I have never had a similar experience like that at DL...NEVER (thank goodness). Likewise, I remember taking my young kids around the World Showcase at EPCOT and having an absolute melt-down from my 6-year old at the time becuase she was so bored. (Really she was just hot and was sleep deprived.) In contrast, we don't have major meltdowns in DL. If we feel one approaching, we call a time-out and just walk over to the hotel to rest, take a nap and swim for an afternoon, then walk right on back once everyone is back to 100 percent.
3.
Weather. As much as I love Orlando, let's face the facts...it's a swamp. I have never been to WDW when it wasn't extremely humid, sticky and did not downpour at least one or two days we were there. And, yes, I have been to WDW in the fall, spring, winter, and summer and the weather is always the same, sunny, hot, humid with an extremely good chance of rain. Personally, I don't mind the humidity too much, but you'd better believe my 4-year-old does.
On the other hand, I have never been to DL when it was so humid or hot that it was totally unbearable. On the rare occasion I have been to DL when it rains, you can generally expect the rain to clear up pretty quickly (most times within an hour). Orlando just cannot compete with the weather in Southern California and, if you go to WDW, I would recommend planning for at least 1 or 2 extra days to compensate for almost assured bad weather and the setbacks it will cause. Again, with young kids, this can make a real difference to your vacation...trust me.
4.
More Kid's Rides and Attractions. It is really nice that younger kids (i.e., 9 and younger) have so much to do in Disneyland. Disneyland and California Adventure are truely the themeparks for children of all ages. There are very few rides or shows that you can't do with the whole family. For the few rides and attractions that do have height requirements, there are a number of attractions right next door for Dad and the little ones that will keep them happy while mom and the older kids go on the "big ride." Unlike EPCOT, Animal Kingdom, MGM, and Magic Kingdom, the two DL parks were truely designed to appeal to the whole family (and especially young children) which provides nothing short of a "magical' experience for the whole family.
Sorry for the rambling, but I really do love Disney and I love the memories and experiences we have had as a young family at DL. While I can appreciate it is a largely a matter of personal preference, I would recomend DL to any family with young kids. You won't be disappointed.
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