Disney Land or Disney World???

[hipmaman]

Hi,

We are thinking of the next vacation and thought either Disney Land in Anaheim or Disney World in Orlando might be great. Now, I need your help to decide which one, lol.

We have a 4 yrs old (in Aug) and a 28 months old.

Here is the background and my jumble thinking...

1) If we go to DLand, we thought maybe go in May 2004. Is this a good time? We hate crowds, plus the kids are little and I don't think they are that patient. Dd will be over 4.5 yrs old and ds just about 3 (bday on 25 May).

My aunt also lives in Anaheim Hills (minutes from DLand), so we would save money on accomodation.

We are thinking of going for about 7-10 days. Can we do DLand in 3 days? There might be other things to do w/ the kids like Sea World, Lego Land, etc.

Do you think the ages of my kids would be better at DLand (less overwhelming)? Save DWorld for later when they are a bit older to do more parks?

2) If we go to DWorld, I hear 3rd or 4th wk of Sept is good (less/no line-ups). Is this correct? What about the weather? Dd will be 5 and ds will be 3.5 yrs old.

We of course will have to plan the whole trip from flight, accomodation, food, to rental car. This of course costs more money, but would this be a 'waste' w/ kids as young as 5 and 3? We would only do a wk with DWorld.

I would love to get any insight you might have to offer. Btw, we would be going from Canada, if it makes any difference

Thanks in advance

Tam

 

[ceejay13]

I am a huge fan of both parks but they are much different in size. We have been to DL several times in early to middle May and love it. Just avoid DL on a Saturday as it is very crowded and the locals come out in droves. During the week is a perfect time. You could easily see both DL and DCA in 3 days and as you said there is much more in the area to visit. We have also been to WDW in Sept. It is a slow month and the crowds very manageable. It is, however, still fairly hot if that makes a difference. You could spend 2 weeks at WDW and not see everything. We visit WDW twice a year and it is my favorite of the two but we are also planning a trip back to DL for next April. You also have a point that your children are young and maybe you would want to wait until they are a little older to invest more money and time in a trip to Florida. Either way you will love your choice.

 

[AZKathy]

We have been taking our kiddos to Disney Parks since they were around 13 months old. All three had a blast even at those young ages. Our two oldest started in Disneyland. Our youngest's first Disney trip was in WDW.

Both are nice trips. We prefer to go to WDW because there is more to do and we can totally escape reality when staying at WDW. We can drive to DL, but prefer to spend the extra and do Disney at WDW. It truly is incredible.

You certainly can do DL and DCA in three days, take an hour and a half drive to San Diego area and do Lego Land and Sea World and the zoo. All fun for kiddos your age.

I don't think that WDW would be overwhelming for the kids, honestly. We have done it a lot of times and we just make sure we take breaks in the day for some relaxation. Which ever way you choose to go, stay around here and you will get all your questions answered. We had the best trip to WDW thanks to these forums.

The decision is totally yours as to which direction to take your family to Disney. Do what is best for you and happy planning!

 

[roserae]

The question is, do you really want to stay with your aunt? Of course I don't know your aunt, but sometimes staying with family can be stressful. For instance if your agenda is different from theirs, or they want you to spend more time with them at home. Or they want to make dinners or make plans for you. Just something to think about.

I think either would be a great choice with kids of that age. You just have to decide what it is you want out of the vacation? Is being totally immersed in Disney important? If so, then WDW is the better choice. If not and you don't mind your aunt's company then maybe DL is better. I don't think you can go wrong with either as long as you know your priorities.

 

[Michelle2]

We just barely got back from our very first trip to WDW late last night, and you just asked my favorite question to answer, especially now that I have been to 3 of them. We spent about 10 days at WDW, and I feel that I am still learning alot about that area, but when it comes to DL, I am an experienced veteran. I have been going there every year since I was 3. I also made a trip to Disneyland Paris about two years ago. All the parks each have their pros and cons, and personally I like DL the best. I think that it all matters on individual opinion. Some have certain rides that others don't, and some have way better versions. Here are my findings: (even though your kids may not be able to go on all.)

Pirates of the Caribbean-- much better at DL!!
Splash Mountain -- longer and more storyline at WDW, but the one at DL is good and long too, just scenes are different.
ThunderMountain Railroad-- DLP - The best by far!!!
Haunted Mansion --DLP- best!
Space Mountain --WDW and DL a little different, but mostly the same ride.
Peter Pan --DL --better music, and whooshes!
Snow White's Adventure - WDW longer and a little better.
Character greetings-- much better and diversified at WDW!!
More shows and parades at WDW

DL has the Indiana Jones ride, which is by far one of the most awesome ride experience ever!!
The most kid friendly park in WDW is the Magic Kingdom (to me), and even though it is bigger than DL, I found DL to have more younger kids' rides in it. And most of them are in Fantasy Land so they are easily accessible from one to the other because they are closer together. They are: Storybook land, Mr. Toad's wild ride, Pinocchio's Journey, Alice in Wonderland, and Casey Jr's train. The only rides WDW has in Fantasy Land that DL does not, is Winnie the Pooh, and the new Mickey's Philharmagic which is great, I loved it!!
You would also love DL's California Adventure's new little kid's area themed after "Bug's Life" --with your kids' ages, they will love it! It is especially for kids their age, about 2 to 7 years old.
I could go on and on about the great rides that one park has, that the other's do not, but I won't! lol There are too many things that make each park unique. I tried to tell you about the younger kids' rides that might make a difference in your decision.

I have taken babies as young as 4 months old to Disneyland, and our youngest child was 15 months this last trip we just took to WDW. I think with the ages of 3 and up they would have a great time. Certain rides will be limited to them of course, but there is always the baby or stroller swap if you guys want to give the rides a try.
In my opinion, I like Disneyland because of everything's close proximity. Everything is a close walk away--DTD, California Adventures, Disneyland, and the 3 Disney hotels. When you want to switch to the other park, you exit one, and the entrance to the other is right in front of you. Now that I have been to both here in the US, I actually liked DL better, maybe I am biased, I don't know. But things are too spread out in WDW, and the transportation was a little too inconvenient for me, and I was staying at the GF, a monorail resort. We ended up using our car to all the other parks.
I will say about the times that you wanted to go. May is a pretty time of year there at DL, and I have never gone at that time..I try to avoid the spring and summer there, due to crowds, but I had in laws that go every year in beginning/mid May and it was really crowded they said. But everyone's "crowded" is different. And yes, September is really hot and humid at WDW...We just got back, and some days, thought we were going to die...LOL
If you go to DL, try and go to Lego land like someone else suggested. It is more little kid friendly too. They would love it there!! If you have any more questions about DL, be sure to contact me and I can answer any questions you have about it! Sorry for the rambling.... Either one, you will have a great time!!

 

[missypie]

I'm sure I'm in the minority here at disboards, but I say go to DL first. We waited until our kids were 12, 10 and 7 to give them their first Disney vacation. (Every kid was tall enough to ride every ride except one.) I chose DKR BECAUSE there was less to do. For selfish reasons I wanted a vacation and I thought that if there was less to do I would not be dead when I returned to work.

It worked out great. Arrived at DL Hotel on a Saturday. Swam in the afternoon, had a character dinner at Goofy's Kitchen at night. On Sunday went to Crystal Cathedral and then to the beach. Monday DL, Tuesday DCA, Wednesday USH, Thursday DL, Friday parkhopped between DL and DCA, Saturday morning a character breakfast, then home. It was a great week - I could have used even another day at DLR! You'll find lots to do in Southern CA.

Next vacation is Paris and 2 or 3 days at DLP.

Then, after the kids have enjoyed the two smaller parks, we'll have a 10 day trip to WDW. Didn't want the kids to get jaded from the get go by WDW before they could enjoy the other parks.

Also, DL in CA is physically smaller than the parks at WDW, so you can see more with less walking.

You have LOTS of family vacations ahead of you. Have a great time!

 

[Kimberle]

I've been to CA & FL several times. I think you really want to look at what you want to do on your vacation.

It's been a long time since I've been to DL, I just returned from DW.

DL is kindof equal to MK. So you'd be missing Epcot, MGM, AK, the water parks, DTD, and the other more minor attractions. DL does have that new amusment park that DW does not have.

LA is a very, very large spread out area. Traffic is terrible (I live in the NYC area so I do "know" bad traffic.) LA also had Knotts Berry Farm, Universal Studios, etc. The drive from DL to US is about an hour on the freeway. Sea World is wonderful, however it is in San Diego, a good 1.5 hours away.

So, I guess what I'm saying, take a good look at the LA area & decide exactly what you would like to do and how long you'll be in a car. How comfortable are you at following directions/maps and driving in heavy traffic in another country? LA is wonderful, but can be very overwhelming. You will diffently need a travel plan/schedule.

If you should decide to go to DW, you can fly down and take a towncar right to your resort. You will not need a car unless you decide to stay off-site. DW has wonderful transportation (busses/monorails/boats). There is so much to do at DW, you can easily "fill" 7-10 days.

We've been there 3 times with our dd (at 2.5, 3.5, & 4.5). She has a wonderful time. She expecially loves finding/meeting the characters. (DW has many wonderful character meals.) We had always stayed off site & rented a car. Our first trip w/ dd (2.5), we decidied we didn't want to be putting her in & out of a hot rental car, so we opted to stay on site. Well, we were "hooked". It's so nice not to bother with a rental car. We are able to spend time together & apart. Generally, we'll start the day at a park, then dh will return to the hotel to rent a boat or something. DD & I will spend more time at the park & return to the hotel later.

Either place you decide to visit will be wonderful. You just need to decide what you want to "accomplish" out of your vacation.

 

[faithfull]

I live in Arizona so I could very affordably go to Disneyland once a year. Instead, I spend the extra for Disney World. The two are not comparable. It is like Disneyland was built before he had enough time and money to do it right and then Disney World he went all the way. With the exception of the California Adventure, Matterhorn, Indiana Jones, Roger Rabbit, and the beautiful entrance to Small World, all can be found at Disney World plus much more. Disneyland is about a 3 day experience even considering California Adventure. Disney World is at least a week. BUT... don't go to Florida in the summer or SEPTEMBER! September is hurricane season. Early May really is a nice time in Florida too. Good luck.

 

[momoftwins]

We did it all - lol!! This past April we took our 6 yr old twins to California. We got 4 free tickets from Northwest so we could not pass up the chance go. It is a long way from Massachusetts.

Now, for my insight:

We stayed in San Diego for 4 days. We went to Legoland, Sea World, and San Diego Zoo. Legoland is a blast. Everything is so kid friendly. Sea World and the Zoo were wonderful. There are lots of great shows, but beware a lot of walking! I did not bring strollers for my kids thinking they are 6 why bother. Well, was I wrong.

I searched the internet for lots of deals. This site: http://getawaytoday.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.attractionTickets has good ticket prices. I also posted quite a bit at the http://mouseinfo.com/, the http://www.mouseplanet.com/index.php, the http://laughingplace.com/, and of course the DL board here. People were do nice. Someone on one of the other boards sent me tickets they had gotten on one of their fast food meals for free entry into Legoland. I had also gotten tickets from the getawaytoday site for: free kids into the Zoo with adult purchase. Sea World, I think I also got the kids in free.

Keep scouring the internet and the boards I mentioned. You are sure to find some nice people. Ask if there are any deals going on. The locals from the area are more than happy to keep you up to date. Many time there are specials that they advertise only locally, but can be used by anyone.

Oh, I forgot I made use of http://www.mousesavers.com/ rental car codes and just happened to luck into a full size car for the 10 days (picking it up in San Diego and dropping it off in Anaheim) for @120.00 for the week. Yes, you read it right.

Now, for Disneyland. The Magic Kingdom park was wonderful. Lots of characters about. I cannot say anything bad about it! The DCA side, however, was just o.k. The Aladdin show they were having at the time was outstanding. There was far less for my kids to do at the DCA - and even less for your kids. With that said, great parades, Soarin over California, and the food were excellent. They do have an area, I think it was called Flik's Fair, that would be fun for the kids. It has very low key rides, a play and climb area, and a spray mister area. Bring those bathing suits!

We stayed here for 4 days. We stayed at the Howard Johnson Hotel in Anaheim. We got a great deal from them from the Mouseinfo site. As a matter of fact, there is still a thread there. http://www.mouseinfo.com/mousetalk/forumdisplay.php?f=15

We went during our April Vacation. We did have flights that made one stop each way. This was actually nice so the kids could run off some energy. Make sure you bring plenty of snacks and fun things to do. We did have a lot of fun, but boy it was a long trip. You think well if we get up have breakfast, drive leisurely to my attraction of the day, come back and have an easy supper it sounds like fun - right? It does get old. Even though we did not have to get to these attractions until 10:00 (they did not open any earlier) and leave around 4 or 5:00 everyday, we were so exhausted it felt like all we did was eat, drive, play, drive, eat, baths, bed. The kids and us were very worn out.

Same thing when we got to Anaheim. Really our hotel was right down the street from DL. But after walking around all day, the kids and us were on overload from all of the sites, sounds, and what not.

Now I guess you could call what we did commando touring. We knew it would be a very long time before we ever went there again. My kids were at a good age where they will remember.

My choice of DL or WDW would be WDW - . First, it is only a 3.00 hr trip from Providence, RI. Their on-site transportation is outstanding. It just seems so easy to go back to the hotel if you need to. Lastly, while I think some of the attractions at DL are more enjoyable, there is so much variety at WDW you can beat it for a vacation.

If you need anymore info, just ask. If I can think of anything else I'll post. Though, I probably told you more than you wanted to know at this point -

Have a great day.

 

[LadyTrampScamp&Angel]

Hi there,
Lots of good points in the other posts. I also have young children and have been to DL, DLP, and WDW. My favorite is WDW, especially with the kids. It will cost more if you have to get accomodations but I think it'll be a whole lot more stress free than driving CA freeways. I used to live in Newport Beach CA and worked in Anaheim Hills. It used to take me an hour or more during rush times - traffic there is horrible, bumper to bumper, and everyone out for themselves. You won't be going quite as far but be prepared for gridlock like crazy, and mostly not polite drivers (ok everyone is CA don't flame me, this was my experience).

So- the convenience of staying at a WDW Hotel and hopping on a monorail, bus or boat can't be beat - especially at nap time when the kids are tired out and grumpy and you want to get back to your room fast. You can easily take a rest and go back to a park in the evening if you like. I'd even pick a closeby offsite WDW hotel over DL but if you can do it - chose a Disney hotel an be immersed in the experience.

There are a lot of other fun things to do in Orlando (universal, sea world, Kennedy Space Center) also but there's so much at WDW you won't get to it all.

And finally Disney owns something like 47 square miles encompassing the WDW area - still lots of trees and natural spaces. It's laid out to be pretty. DL is crowded by Anaheim sitting right up to it, lots of cheaper hotels, fast food, souvenir shops, etc, honestly it can look kinda trashy touristy. It's not near as pleasing just looking at the congestion.

So-any of the Disney parks will be fun and you'll be happy there. It's when you step out of the parks that leads me to WDW and the total experience. My kids have just as much fun at the WDW resorts as they do in the parks. And no it won't be wasted on your kids, mine still remember things from their trips and even if they didn't - I do! I have precious memories and pictures that make it all worthwhile.

Have a great trip and happy planning!

 

[missypie]

Go with whatever you and your spouse want because the kids will love either.

Today was my second grade daughter's school field trip. They went to an apple orchard, then ate lunch at a park and then played in the park. This morning she was so excited when she was talking about this ... playing in the park!

So if an almost 8 year old gets excited about playing in a park, your children will love whatever you choose. (But if it's CA, try to keep time on the highways to a mimimum!)

 

[crazywig]

and if you do go, what stroller will you bring?

i couldn't resist Tam, i recognize you from PP boards (i'm mom2tony over there)


no advice here, i've only been to wdw.

 

[Laura]

Originally posted by missypie
Then, after the kids have enjoyed the two smaller parks, we'll have a 10 day trip to WDW. Didn't want the kids to get jaded from the get go by WDW before they could enjoy the other parks.

I think that's a good point there.

I also would suggest DL first, WDW later. Although I like WDW more, I think your kids will appreciate DL more if they see it first. Just my $.02. You just need to factor in staying with your aunt and how convenient that really would be for you. Because staying in a DL hotel would be most convenient.

 

[hipmaman]

My head is swimming with great advices, but honestly I'm going to need a few days just to digest them all and come to a decision, lol.

Dh and I did DL, US and Sea World about 7-8 yrs ago w/o kids and forgot how traffic would be like. I agree that traffic might be a deciding factor as we live in the Greater Toronto Area and traffic here is a killer too. So, we might just decide to escape reality and hole up in and around the WDW area for this trip.

We thought to combine family visits and DL together, but w/ 2 young kids that might be pushing it. We know they would have fun either way, but at this point the less stress I get from travelling the better, kwim?

I'll come back to ask lots of questions on how to plan this trip. You ladies (I think all ladies so far, right?) have been great and I so thank you for your time and help. Think 7 months is enough to plan this trip w/ good discounts? I'm thinking early to mid May now for either DL or WDW.

Oh Kim, ya ahead of me! I figure once I know where we are going, then I'll pop the stroller question, lol. All in good time, I'm sure everyone would give me great advice there too.

Thanks again everyone. Until later.