Can DL be just as magical as WDW?

[TeamBelle]

Admins, I’m posting this here instead of on the DL thread bc I’m hoping to get the opinions of WDW fans who have also been to DL.

We just had the most magical time in WDW (MK and Poly) and I’m already planning our next trip. We’re thinking about trying DL bc we’ve never been to CA before. But will we miss the magic that is magic kingdom?

I just don’t think we can swing the cost of Poly next year (and now that we’ve stayed there and fell in absolute love, I don’t think we can stay anywhere else in WDW). So we’re considering DL. Will DL feel like six flags though? Or is it still full of magic? I know it’s what we make of it, etc. but wondering how others have felt. TIA!

 

[FCDub]

Welcome to the DIS!

It will definitely not feel like Six Flags. There's a quaintness and real sense of history to Disneyland that all fans should experience. In some ways, it's MORE magical – after all, it's the original.

 

[Robo]

Can DL be just as magical as WDW?

As much... and more.

 

[patty57]

I didn't love DL as much as others seem to. I did have a feeling of it being similar to an amusement park. I liked California Adventure more than DL. I am probably in the minority though. I very much prefer WDW.

 

[Ermise]

Absolutely! We have been to WDW annually for the past 8 years. Finally made it out to DL last summer and it was magical. I loved riding the longer (better) version of Pirates, Space Mountain with the side-by-side seating, getting to re-visit my childhood by riding Mr. Toad and Snow White, Indiana Jones, eating at the Blue Bayou.....plus all of the great things at California Adventure: the Guardians of the Galaxy version of Tower of Terror was a lot of fun, the Paint the Night parade, Cars Land, the Incredicoaster, etc.

And the most magical part? Walking across the street to the hotel at the end of the night!

 

[natfrac]

We find DL much more magical than WDW. It's the house that Walt built and there's a quaintness that we don't find at WDW. Plus it's a less stressful vacation--no planning months in advance, no buses between the parks, etc.

 

[DLgal]

Disneyland > Magic Kingdom

By a long shot. Disneyland has far more magic. Magic Kingdom is "too much" of everything. Told big. Too crowded. Too full of annoying guests who are all "me me me" all the time. Too much running to rides at rope drop. It's just too much.

Disneyland is charming. Disneyland is better themed. Disneyland is better maintained. Disneyland has a more laid back crowd. Disneyland lets its characters roam freely, and no one mobs them. Disneyland has better food. Disneyland has more rides. Disneyland has longer hours. Disneyland has better nighttime entertainment. Disneyland has more live entertainment, like bands and singers. Disneyland has better weather....MUCH better weather (present rainy winter anomaly excluded). Disneyland has a better Peter Pan's Flight, Pirates of the Caribbean, Railroad, Tiki Room, Small World, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blastesrs, Big Thunder Mountain, and Space Mountain. Disneyland has tons of rides Magic Kingdom doesn't, like Matterhorn, Nemo Submarime Voyage, Mr. Toad's, Indiana Jones Adventure, Alice in Wonderland, Casey Junior Train, Toontown, and more. Disneyland has Walt Disney's personal touch. Disneyland has history. Disneyland has everything Magic Kingdom is missing.

And there is still California Adventure as well.

As for the hotels, the Grand Californian and Disneyland Hotel are among the best Disney resorts I've ever stayed in. I've stayed in all the WDW resorts (practically) and only the Beach Club is better than both of them, overall, IMO. The Disneyland Hotel has a lot of Polynesian influence/vibes, so you should stay there if you like the Poly.

 

[TeamBelle]

Oh wow! You have all sold me on Disneyland big time. Thank you. Do you think a 7 night stay at DL resort plus 4 day tickets would be less expensive than the same at poly in WDW?

 

[FutureDisneyEventPlanner]

As everyone stated, I think Disneyland is more magical than WDW. And I've been going to WDW for 20 years now.

In terns of hotels, I would think you would just have to check. The Poly and DL hotel are probably comparable in price but I wouldn't know for sure.

 

[skippytx]

DL doesn't feel like Six Flags, but DLR is not like visiting the "bubble" of WDW. The history of DL is amazing, and riding those old rides is really cool. In my opinion it's 2 different experiences though.

My kids actually like visiting DL more than WDW as everything is closer together and you can do everything in 3 days or so.

Things I like at WDW more than DL
- The "bubble". You get off the plane and you can forget about the outside world for the rest of your trip. You get on the Mickey Bus and you step into the Disney Bubble.
- The Cast Members are friendlier in my experience
- How much there is to do. I've been to WDW 5 times now and there are still things I haven't experienced at the parks.

Things I like at DLR more than WDW
- Cost - it's much less expensive for us to visit DLR than WDW. At WDW we stay onsite, DLR we don't have to. Airline tickets to LAX tend to be less expensive for us, and you don't have to go for as long. 3 full days is enough, we went 5 full days once and we were ready to go by day 4. WDW trips are almost always week long 5 figure trips. We can hit DLR for days for a third of that staying offsite across the street.
- Less planning. Small countries have been invaded with less planning that we put into a WDW vacation. We generally start planning those 12 to 15 months out. DLR, no planning needed. Show up and have fun, unless you want ADRs, but even those are only 60 days out I believe.
- How close everything is. Want to visit Carsland and then go to Tomorrowland?, no problem, like an 8 minute walk. For reference Buzz to Pirates is half the distance at DLR as it is at MK. You get around much faster.


Try to go to DLR when the local annual passholders are blocked out. There was a big difference in crowds when we went last on the days the locals were blocked out and the day they were not anymore.

Both are great and I recommend everyone experience both places. Cars Land is hands down my favorite place at any Disney property that I've visited. It's amazing and worth the trip just to see it.

We didn't expect to like DL as much as we did. We went one year as we got a tremendous deal on airfare, and absolutely loved it.

 

[Gussie Granger 1969]

My first trip ever to Disney was DL, it was about 25 years ago. Maybe it was because it was my first ever visit, but it was magical. Changed my life, not to be dramatic. Maybe 5 years after that I started going to DW regularly with my DH. I do have a preference to DL, specifically HM, SPace and Pirates. They were just better at DL and I can’t give a reason why, they just were. I’ve heard many people say this over the years so I know it’s not just me. I haven’t been back to DL. We will make it there someday. We live on the East coast so flying to Florida is easy. CA, not so much.

 

[westie55]

I had always been to WDW but finally got to DL 3 years ago. It is also quite magical, albeit some differences from WDW.

Pros of DL:
-Transportation is nonexistent at DL. If you stay at either DLH or the GC, you never take a bus. You walk directly into downtown Disney and to the parks. It is incredibly convenient, especially with strollers. This makes it so much more convenient to get around.
- new rides! If you love WDW and have never been to DL, it would be like going to WDW when 30 new things opened. This is GREAT!! You can also relive some old favorites like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and Snow White's Scary Adventures. Disneyland Park is VERY similar to Magic Kingdom in feel, and a lot of the rides are the same or similar like HM, Pooh, Pirates, Small World, etc. Most people give the edge to DL in the similar rides. I personally love the charm of the old dark rides and DLP is full of them!
-DCA Cars Land. Enough said.
-Nighttime parade
- WOC is my favorite Disney nighttime show
- The Plaza Inn at DLP has more characters than you'll find in any WDW character meal. It feels a little chaotic, but there are about 8-10 characters vs. 3 or 4 in WDW.
- more casual character meets. No long lines to see characters. They roam the parks and may only have 3 people around them vs. a line of 45.

Cons of DL:
- fewer Disney resorts. There are only 3: GC, DLH, and Paradise Pier. They are ALL expensive. PP is the cheapest but it is also thWDW has a lot more options that are more affordable.
- more of the lines at DL are not shaded and temperature controlled like many are in MK in FL. Some of them are just typical ropes out in the hot sun with no shade.
- only 2 theme parks vs. 4
- longer, more expensive flight if you're on the east coast
- no water parks
- old paper FP system. Some like this better, but I don't. I don't want to have to run around the park and wait in line to get my FP. IMO, FP+ is more convenient.
- WDW has a wider range of dining options
- no magical express. You're on your own to arrange transportation from the airport.

Overall, DL is DEFINITELY worth visiting! It is harder for me to get there since I am on the east coast, but I will definitely be back!!

 

[gwynne]

I didn't love DL as much as others seem to. I did have a feeling of it being similar to an amusement park. I liked California Adventure more than DL. I am probably in the minority though. I very much prefer WDW.

Same here. I was glad we visited once, but we are back to WDW for our Disney vacations.

 

[tinkerbelletreasure]

I’ve started alternating WDW and DL. I love to visit DL during Halloween. They go all out with extra theming and decorations. You do lose that feeling of being isolated in Disney, but I also really like being able to walk between the two parks and get to do everything in just a few days. The rides are different enough to be unique. I stay offsite in DL so it is less expensive for us. But I also agree with the person who said DL has better food.

 

[DLgal]

I had always been to WDW but finally got to DL 3 years ago. It is also quite magical, albeit some differences from WDW.

Cons of DL:

- more of the lines at DL are not shaded and temperature controlled like many are in MK in FL. Some of them are just typical ropes out in the hot sun with no shade.

- old paper FP system. Some like this better, but I don't. I don't want to have to run around the park and wait in line to get my FP. IMO, FP+ is more convenient.

Since it has been 3 years since you visited, you might be interested to know these have changed.

They have reworked many queues to include shade. In particular, Dumbo, Small World, Space Mountain, CA Screamin (now Incredicoaster) and Matterhorn have brand new, refurbished queues that are mostly shaded. They also added air conditioning to the Toy Story Midway Mania queue

Disneyland now offers Maxpass, which is the ability to make FP using the Disneyland App, rather than running around to all the machines. It costs money ($15/day) but is FANTASTIC and is what WDW SHOULD HAVE DONE rather than that FP+ monstrosity. Maxpass is a game changer at Disneyland and is the way to go now. You can get a new FP as soon as every 15 minutes, can get a fastpass while you are standing in line, can get a fastpass for either park from anywhere, can make a fastpass during your midafternoon break, can cancel fastpasses if you change your mind and get a different one, etc.

 

[Erzengel]

The way I describe the difference between Disneyland and Disney World is that going to Disneyland can be a weekend but Disney World is a vacation.

I think we can stretch it to 3 days but that's about it. I do like staying at the good neighbor places and walking to Disneyland. But in terms of the overall experience, I like Disney World more.

 

[mamapenguin]

I <3 DL, but I’m taking a break from there as SWGE is going to ruin it for me for at least the next year or so.

 

[Micca]

DL doesn't feel like Six Flags, but DLR is not like visiting the "bubble" of WDW. The history of DL is amazing, and riding those old rides is really cool. In my opinion it's 2 different experiences though

Well said! I think if you have an appreciation of Disney history (like I do) then Disneyland is full of magic touched by the hand of Walt Disney. But if you have a family where it's just about rides, nothing measures up to WDW.

There are many wonderful resorts at WDW, I'd encourage you to consider something other than the Poly if that's what is holding you back from returning. OTOH if you like Disney history and back story I would talk you out of a DLR trip.

 

[DCLPrincess]

I love WDW but also loved DL. What's more magical then walking where Walt walked?

 

[5lilfish]

We just got back from our 3rd trip to DL. Our first trip was in 2005. Our second trip was in 2011 and then this one, 2019. We have LOVED it each time....but even a little more this time. It was awesome! DL has all the Disney magic with this charm and quaintness that is hard to put into words. It's also so easy and manageable. We really enjoyed just being able to walk from resort to park and from park to park in just a few minutes. Even most of the rides that are 'the same,' we felt were a tiny bit better in DL. We also loved Guardians of the Galaxy (Tower of Terror is our favorite WDW ride), The IncrediCoaster (rode it 4 times...so fun), Radiator Springs (think Test Track with a Cars theme that is very well done...feels like driving through the movie). Truly, we just loved the whole trip....so much so that we are trying to figure out how to go back sooner than later.

Adding one more thing...LOVED Maxpass. We never waited for anything.

On the other hand, we also did Universal Hollywood and we will never do that again. Doesn't compare to Orlando...and even there we really only like the Harry Potter sections.

Jess