Disney Land vs. Disney World

[blmalloy]

Hello all!

My family is west coast based, so our home park is DL. We go there at least once a year, but is usually twice since its only about a 6 hour drive from us. I've obviously become accustomed to that park and know it like the back of my hand.

My daughter was granted a wish through Make a Wish, and she wants to go to World (can you blame her, lol?). I am stoked to make it out that direction! I visited WDW in my early 20s, but this will be our first time as a family of 5.

I read this article not too long ago that basically blasted WDW in comparison to DL. Said the food was awful. The atmosphere was "different" and not as magical. I got a little worried. So, I'm coming over here for you all to reaffirm the position that WDW is just as amazing as I've made it out to be in my head! Ha!

For those of you who have been to both parks, what differences can we expect besides just the size?

Thanks so much!

 

[FlightlessDuck]

While we enjoyed DL, we didn't think of it as a "magical experience". I don't like the Anaheim area. I thought the guests were ruder and the traffic was worse than Orlando.

The two have totally different attitudes. WDW is an family vacation event. A multi-day extravaganza. Once you are on property, you would never know you were a stones throw from Orlando. DL seem much more like a "locals" type of park. Food was about the same, as far as I remember.

We loved California Adventure, especially CarsLand. You can't find that at WDW. We like DL, and will go back sometime, but next time we will fly in and avoid driving anywhere.

 

[EPCOTgrl1]

DL and WDW are 2 very different places. You tend to like the one that you go to most often better. I am a WDW girl so I put it high above DL, though your space mountain is amazing!

I think the major differences are size and types of guests. WDW is much bigger and it feels that way. There are more people in the parks and but it doesn't feel like there are. I also thing the CMs are much nicer at WDW then DL by a million. When we were at DL CMs would ignore us, not deal with problems, and not follow company rules. It was ridiculous.
As for the guest DL has a lot of Tweens/teens running around thinking that they own the place. While at WDW we have a lot of tourists groups that think they own the place and people who expect everything because they spent thousands of dollars to be there.

The food is the same in both places so don't worry about that. If you would like ideas of where to eat I am sure everyone here can help and you can also check out allears.net. It isn't any less magical. Know at WDW you will have to stand in like to meet characters. They don't roam like they do in DL. in the end the trip is what you make of it. Just go in ready to have fun and you will.

 

[bsj1701]

I've been to both many times. I much prefer WDW (except in the summer!) Their are a few exceptions where DL comes out ahead (like Pirates of the Caribbean) but overall with 4 parks, more hotels, more events (like FOOD and WINE) and so many other things, I have to say I like WDW more. I know it's very subjective, and it depends on the day, situation, and cast member, but I have experienced more "rudeness" at Disneyland and far more "Magic" at Walt Disney World. Just my 2 cents, enjoy your trip!

 

[Nikodemos]

DL has the advantage that you can park at a hotel within a few hundred feet of DL/CA/Downtown Disney, and not drive again till you leave. You can also take an nap break during the day, which is a huge win for folks with toddlers. And for west coast folks, you save a lot of money on travel costs. Being from the Bay Area, it's a much more relaxing vacation than going to WDW and the weather is superior. I don't have to plan as much for DL since you can change you mind at any time at go to another park by walking 100 yards, whereas it's a hassle in WDW. If you have teens with limitless energy, you might be able to park-hop in one day in WDW. It just wouldn't work with young kids though (although I see plenty of parents in DL who try to do rope-drop to closing and end up with crying kids who aren't in the happiest place on earth

WDW/Universal does have the advantage of many varied parks and restaurants. I agree that you'd see a lot more tourists in WDW and more locals in DL. I haven't see a difference in the CM's. Traffic to DL can be a pain if you don't know the right routes, but when we've flown into John Wayne airport, it's always been a easy van ride in the car pool lane to the hotels (and you don't have to rent a car). Traffic in the evening to Downtown Disney in WDW can be quite horrible, even during low season, but my DS loved the T-Rex restaurant. On the other hand, he also loves the music at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen and the 'street musicians' at DL's Downtown Disney.

If your kids are into HP, then you must do the two Universal parks in Orlando. Teens tend to be attracted to the action rides at Universal as well, but our experience was that there was not as much for young kids there. WDW has AKL, but those on the west coast can drive to San Diego for the incredible Safari there (but yes, you have to drive). We mixed some days at AKL, MK, and Universal with down days having fun in the several pools at Bonnet Creek, which seemed a good mix for a 3.5 year old last November.

Overall, the experience at each has advantages, and each would be a unique experience for your children.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

We also live on the West Coast and about 6 hours from DL. We've been living here for 15 years now but from NJ. When living on the East Coast, it was all about WDW. Yes, it's closer but really never considered DL. Even though we're on the West Coast now, we still prefer WDW. We never stay more than three days at DL and consider it just a "getaway" especially if we just need to use up points (we're DVC members). There is just so much more to do at WDW. More restaurants, more places to say, water parks, more parks equal A LOT more to experience. It's just MORE....bigger and better. WDW has the magic band system going on which includes Fast Pass Plus. People do A LOT more planning way in advance (like fast pass plus and dining reservations) for WDW than DL. People will log on at midnight when their reservation window opens to get the hard to get ressies. The variety of food in WDW is massive. Just think about Epcot alone....there's France for French food and all their yummy pastries and gelato, England for authentic fish and chips, Japan for a BeniHana style meal (forget the exact word for it). If you miss the Californian cuisine, you can eat at the California Grill and schedule your time their to coordinate with fireworks. Each hotel has fantastic dining experiences and if you want to eat really high end, there's always Victoria and Alberts at the Grand Floridian. I really don't notice any difference in CM's. There's no Cars Land at WDW, but they did a re-do in Fantasyland a year or so ago and now have the Beast Castle and you can eat at BOG Restaurant, which is extremely popular. There's also the mine train. I can go on and on. Go on line, do some research. Check out what you want to do, where you'd like to eat, etc. And check out these boards. People here always seem willing to help and answer any questions. I'm sure you'll have the most magical trip!

 

[alc571]

We have been to WDW numerous times, and DL twice (once for our honeymoon and once in 2013 with our DS8). We much prefer WDW. At the end of the trip, my husband remarked that he never wants to come home from a WDW vacation but that he couldn't wait to get back from our DL vacation. WDW has a whole Disney bubble that you basically live in for your entire trip. It's awesome having resorts at all different price levels, and they're all equally great - good food, awesome pools, super clean. The food at WDW ranges from good fast food, to amazing table service experiences - all depends on how much money you have to spend on the food. We just do the fast food route, and it's all pretty good.

With DL, we found that the CM's were ruder, the crowds weren't managed as well, the traffic around Anaheim is awful, and the hotel selections were lacking. We couldn't afford to stay at any of the Disney resorts, so we stayed offsite. The hotel was nice, but it was definitely not a resort - the pool was small and located IN the parking lot. There's also just something sad when you look down main street and you can't see the big castle at the end of the road. We loved California Adventure - Carsland was worth the trip - but we won't be yearning to get back to DL any time soon. We love our WDW!

 

[mandis77]

WDW is more immersive (I refer to it as the Disney bubble) - you really feel detached from everything while you are there. It's enormous and take much longer to get around. I loved how DL and DCA were right next to each other, so it was definitely easier to park hop!

 

[blmalloy]

You all have been incredibly helpful!

I agree with the posters who mentioned only needing to be at DL for 3 days…that's our max as well. You definitely still feel like you are in Anaheim when you are at DL, and I love the idea of being immersed in Disney. Good to know about the food, because DL food is amazing. Going with Make A Wish changes things a bit for us; we get the Genie pass which is a fast pass to all the rides, but we also only get a 3 day Park Hopper (plus 2 days in Universal and 1 at Sea World). Having only 3 Disney days means that I have to cut out a lot of parks. We need two for Magic Kingdom alone (we have littler kids), and I think I'll use one day on Epcot (maybe AK, too? IDK…I love magic kingdom, so may just hop back over there). My son is 9 and is reading Harry Potter, so that is a must for us. We will be staying at the Give the Kids the World resort, so going back to hotels and such isn't feasible. They will be long, amazing days.

Thank you all…if you had only 3 days, what would you do?

 

[ktlm]

We love both DL and WDW. We alternate between the parks, typically hitting DL in the summer and WDW in the fall or winter. They are both magical. For 3 days, we would do 2 MK and 1 EPCOT. I would not try to do EPCOT and another park in a day. DD is 9. Our first trip when she was 2, we only had one day allocated for EPCOT and found it was not enough time. Since then we have done 2 full EPCOT days every year. If any of your kids like Phineas and Ferb (and even if they don't), the Agent P missions throughout World Showcase are a lot of fun. There are also Princesses and characters to meet and greet all throughout World Showcase. Don't underestimate the living with the land ride- every little kid I know has really loved seeing those greenhouses- and that is something you will not see anything similar at DL. When we go to DL, the only thing anyone ever really misses is EPCOT. EPCOT is big- to give you an idea- it is almost a full mile to walk from one end of WS to the other. As far as AK, DD has never been a big fan- but that is largely because we have a good zoo at home. If you don't have a decent zoo where you live and if your kids love animals, they may love the place. For us, I like AK, but DD is usually begging to leave after about 2 hours- she wants to ride Safari, see a couple of characters, and maybe see the Lion King show and that is it. I will say though that when they started doing the books with the Wilderness Explorer missions all over the parks, she did like those and that would keep her in the park. As far as DHS, rumor is they are getting ready to redo a whole lot of that park. The feel of it is like California Adventure, but not nearly as nice. Be aware though that is the park were Star Tours and Toy Story Mania are at WDW. No Star Tours in Tomorrowland at WDW.

The main difference you will find is that hopping is more of an ordeal at WDW. Unlike DLR, where you can be out of one park and in the other in 5 minutes, at WDW it can take you an hour or more to get out of one park and into the next. They aren't exactly close together. For example- Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom are about 6 miles apart.

I'm sorry to say it- but the CS food is far superior at DLR to what you can find at WDW. I would not remotely say it is the same or similar. I think that because DLR caters to a large local crowd there a lot more CS options and a lot better food. MK CS at WDW is the worst. BOG is decent, but now they are ADR only even for CS meals. EPCOT, because of WS, does have some decent CS options- although there are so many great TS choices there, we focus on those- and also if you are there during food and wine there are lots of fun foods to tray. TS at WDW I would say is comparable to DLR.

Have a great WDW trip!!!!!

 

[Nezumi Fan]

I first visited WDW with my family as a child; I was five, and don't remember it well. DLR's always been our home resort, and although we're currently in Seattle, we maintain our AP's and sneak down whenever we've a chance.

This past year has been crazy and continues to be so.

2014, Christmas
10-day, three-person trip to WDW. First Disney Christmas outside DLR

2015, New Year's
Two-day kamikaze to DLR with the family and my sister's family

2015, Mid-Winter Break (February)
My 11-year-old and I escape for four (maybe five) days at DLR

2015, April
"April Birthdays"/Spring Break trip for my son and me to DLR.

2015, May
The boy and I take a week off for Star Wars Weekend at WDW.

2015, June
The husband and boy get three days at Tokyo Disneyland as part of a fifth-grade field trip

As you can see, that is a lot of Disney, and not have been even remotely possible if I hadn't been able to leave teaching and go back to my old career (hello, full benefits and three times the salary). And it's not over yet...

2015, August
The boy and I are joined by Mister Nezumi Fan for a four-day trip to DLR for the 60th. His best pal from school will come too, and visit the Parks for the first time.

2015, October
Halloween Time. If we could have just one Disney trip during the year, we'd make it Halloween Time. This trip, for the first time ever as a family, we will spring for on-property and stay at the Grand Californian.

2015, December
WDW, to take advantage of free dining. Teresa was able to book us into the Contemporary on the Club Level. We are so excited.

In answer to the question, then, about DLR/TDLR/WDW, each park has its own advantages. We like them all for different reasons.

DLR is, as many have posted, a "locals" park; the fact that most guests seem to have AP's definitely changes the vibe. In the case of our family, we found that, once we had AP's, we immediately started to change how we vacationed. When you have an AP, you no longer worry about "trying to do everything" in one day. Crowd levels fluctuate dramatically by not just day, but time of day; many locals "drop in" after the work or school day for even a few hours. You can do that at DLR. And, depending on the tier of your AP, blackout dates mean you might not be able to make Saturdays, but you can descend in force on Sundays. Sundays are the days you'll see the most Gangs of Disneyland, for example:

http://jezebel.com/disneyland-social-clubs-are-the-gangs-you-always-want-1540007369

(I have gone up to and spoken to several of these "Gang" members, and they have never been anything but unfailingly polite.) Are the Gangs even a thing in WDW? I'm thinking probably not.

When it comes to choosing DLR vs. WDW, another consideration -- perhaps the major consideration, at least for us -- is price. Even with us now being in Seattle (we used to live, like many of you, five-six hours away and could drive), a lucky flight grabbed via Google Flight Search and a 3.5- or even 4-star hotel grabbed "blind"* on Hotwire can get my son and I four days at DLR for under a grand. Compare to WDW, where not only are the flights sometimes as much as $600 a person ($600x3=$1,800, almost twice what DLR costs for flights alone), an on-property hotel, and THEN tickets** for the three of us...even a modest trip to WDW ends up costing us four to five thousand.

Which Park is better...? None of them. All of them! We all have favorites, but I don't think anyone can say a particular Park is "better." BLMalloy, I wish you a wonderful, magical trip, and may all your Disney wishes come true.

*when you visit DLR as often as we do, we never ever get surprised on the hotel; there are only so many hotels in the Disneyland South area, for example, and we can almost always tell which are which just by amenities listings

**my son and I upgraded our DLR AP's to DLR/WDW Premier Passes this past Star Wars Weekend -- the jury's still out on whether it's actually a cost savings to have access to both coasts, but it sure feels nice to imagine we could just pop off to the Magic Kingdom at a moment's notice

 

[Quellman]

Three days and two for Magic Kingdom. It can be very difficult to try and develop touring plans for your amazing make a wish dream trip without knowing when you will be going and if there are medical considerations that need to be considered.

The time of year ultimately won't matter too much with your genie pass, but park hours may dictate how long your day is and what night time shows you will be able to see. You mentioned lots of time at the Magic Kingdom. You will certainly find some favorites there and many are quite different from those at Disneyland despite similar names. Our Space Mountain has you sitting single file, but our Splash Mountain side by side. Our mansion still has room for 1,000 but is still unique in its own right. A thought to consider might be to do a full day at MK, and then split another day (or 2 days) with another park. Either do it in the morning or in the afternoon.

EPCOT could be an easy transfer since you can ride the monorail (with a switch in lines at the transportation center). How can you pass up riding up into a giant golf ball, or visiting the seas with Nemo and friends? Turtle talk with crush, and soarin are the same. Test Track is similar in the ride vehicles but you design your own. There is a boat ride in Mexico, and in each country there are kids stations. Not to mention the Agent P mystery game if your kids like Phneas and Ferb. The night time show reflections of earth features fountains, fireworks and music, but is not similar to WOC at california adventure. It tells the story of the creation of the earth and the culture of mankind.

Hollywood Studios has stage shows (Beauty and the beast, Frozen, Little Mermaid, Indiana Jones, Lights Motors Action, and Disney Junior). Tower of Terror has a surprise that you are lacking in California and is in my opinion much better themed with the surrounding area. Toy Story Mania, Star Tours, and Muppets are the same. Fantasmic is similar but instead of Peter Pan's battle we have Pocahontas.

Animal Kingdom has tough to be a bug which you have likely seen. Dinosaur has the same track ride as Indiana Jones, but obviously features dinosaurs on your journey through time on the rover. Shows, festival of the lion king (characters from the Lion King Movie, new story) and finding nemo (a retelling of the movie). Also there is a roller coaster that goes backwards, a river rapid ride, different animal trails, and a safari truck ride. If someone likes animals this is a great place to be and it really is Natazu (Not-a-zoo) with the way it is lain out and presented. No night time show exists at this park (yet) and it closes earlier than any of the others.

In all honesty involve your daughter in mapping out the must sees and dos. Then fill in with any other see and do attractions. I hope it is a magical time.

 

[blmalloy]

We love both DL and WDW. We alternate between the parks, typically hitting DL in the summer and WDW in the fall or winter. They are both magical. For 3 days, we would do 2 MK and 1 EPCOT. I would not try to do EPCOT and another park in a day. DD is 9. Our first trip when she was 2, we only had one day allocated for EPCOT and found it was not enough time. Since then we have done 2 full EPCOT days every year. If any of your kids like Phineas and Ferb (and even if they don't), the Agent P missions throughout World Showcase are a lot of fun. There are also Princesses and characters to meet and greet all throughout World Showcase. Don't underestimate the living with the land ride- every little kid I know has really loved seeing those greenhouses- and that is something you will not see anything similar at DL. When we go to DL, the only thing anyone ever really misses is EPCOT. EPCOT is big- to give you an idea- it is almost a full mile to walk from one end of WS to the other. As far as AK, DD has never been a big fan- but that is largely because we have a good zoo at home. If you don't have a decent zoo where you live and if your kids love animals, they may love the place. For us, I like AK, but DD is usually begging to leave after about 2 hours- she wants to ride Safari, see a couple of characters, and maybe see the Lion King show and that is it. I will say though that when they started doing the books with the Wilderness Explorer missions all over the parks, she did like those and that would keep her in the park. As far as DHS, rumor is they are getting ready to redo a whole lot of that park. The feel of it is like California Adventure, but not nearly as nice. Be aware though that is the park were Star Tours and Toy Story Mania are at WDW. No Star Tours in Tomorrowland at WDW.

The main difference you will find is that hopping is more of an ordeal at WDW. Unlike DLR, where you can be out of one park and in the other in 5 minutes, at WDW it can take you an hour or more to get out of one park and into the next. They aren't exactly close together. For example- Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom are about 6 miles apart.

I'm sorry to say it- but the CS food is far superior at DLR to what you can find at WDW. I would not remotely say it is the same or similar. I think that because DLR caters to a large local crowd there a lot more CS options and a lot better food. MK CS at WDW is the worst. BOG is decent, but now they are ADR only even for CS meals. EPCOT, because of WS, does have some decent CS options- although there are so many great TS choices there, we focus on those- and also if you are there during food and wine there are lots of fun foods to tray. TS at WDW I would say is comparable to DLR.

Have a great WDW trip!!!!!

NO STAR TOURS IN TOMORROWLAND?!?!?!

Crap. Now I'm going to have to make it to DHS. That's THE ride for my 9 year old.

 

[ktlm]

NO STAR TOURS IN TOMORROWLAND?!?!?!

Crap. Now I'm going to have to make it to DHS. That's THE ride for my 9 year old.

UGH--- So sorry- I wondered if you knew that. I don't suppose you could get by on just letting him think there was no Star Tours at WDW?

Probably doesn't matter much to you since you have Genie passes, but on the bright side, as long as you don't get there right when the Indiana Jones show is getting out, the line for Star Tours is typically very short- walk on up to 10 minutes. They have a lot more bays than DL does. It always surprises us how long the line stays for it at DL because we are used to walking on it multiple times at WDW. It has been one of DD's absolute favorites since she was 5.

 

[Nezumi Fan]

Yup. It's pretty confusing at first.

Star Tours
DLR: Tomorrowland
WDW: Hollywood Studios

Toy Story Mania
DLR: California Adventure
WDW: Hollywood Studios

Soarin'
DLR: California Adventure
WDW: Epcot

What else am I missing?

 

[Nezumi Fan]

Oops!

Indiana Jones Adventure
DLR: Adventureland
WDW: NOPE, although you do get the "Stunt Spectacular"

 

[ktlm]

Oops!

Indiana Jones Adventure
DLR: Adventureland
WDW: NOPE, although you do get the "Stunt Spectacular"

Or you could say

WDW -- AK -although it is not Indiana Jones themed and is the much inferior "Dinosaur"! I love Indy and won't miss it- I hate Dinosaur and won't even ride it unless someone else wants to ride.


Fantasmic:

DLR- Frontierland
WDW: DHS- and not as good.

 

[Nezumi Fan]

Good point, ktlm -- Hollywood Studios. At TDLR, it's at Tokyo Disney Sea (ぼくのイマジネーション！["Some imagination, huh?"]).

 

[blmalloy]

Three days and two for Magic Kingdom. It can be very difficult to try and develop touring plans for your amazing make a wish dream trip without knowing when you will be going and if there are medical considerations that need to be considered.

The time of year ultimately won't matter too much with your genie pass, but park hours may dictate how long your day is and what night time shows you will be able to see. You mentioned lots of time at the Magic Kingdom. You will certainly find some favorites there and many are quite different from those at Disneyland despite similar names. Our Space Mountain has you sitting single file, but our Splash Mountain side by side. Our mansion still has room for 1,000 but is still unique in its own right. A thought to consider might be to do a full day at MK, and then split another day (or 2 days) with another park. Either do it in the morning or in the afternoon.

EPCOT could be an easy transfer since you can ride the monorail (with a switch in lines at the transportation center). How can you pass up riding up into a giant golf ball, or visiting the seas with Nemo and friends? Turtle talk with crush, and soarin are the same. Test Track is similar in the ride vehicles but you design your own. There is a boat ride in Mexico, and in each country there are kids stations. Not to mention the Agent P mystery game if your kids like Phneas and Ferb. The night time show reflections of earth features fountains, fireworks and music, but is not similar to WOC at california adventure. It tells the story of the creation of the earth and the culture of mankind.

Hollywood Studios has stage shows (Beauty and the beast, Frozen, Little Mermaid, Indiana Jones, Lights Motors Action, and Disney Junior). Tower of Terror has a surprise that you are lacking in California and is in my opinion much better themed with the surrounding area. Toy Story Mania, Star Tours, and Muppets are the same. Fantasmic is similar but instead of Peter Pan's battle we have Pocahontas.

Animal Kingdom has tough to be a bug which you have likely seen. Dinosaur has the same track ride as Indiana Jones, but obviously features dinosaurs on your journey through time on the rover. Shows, festival of the lion king (characters from the Lion King Movie, new story) and finding nemo (a retelling of the movie). Also there is a roller coaster that goes backwards, a river rapid ride, different animal trails, and a safari truck ride. If someone likes animals this is a great place to be and it really is Natazu (Not-a-zoo) with the way it is lain out and presented. No night time show exists at this park (yet) and it closes earlier than any of the others.

In all honesty involve your daughter in mapping out the must sees and dos. Then fill in with any other see and do attractions. I hope it is a magical time.

Thank you so much for all of this. We will be at GTKW 11/5-11/11. There aren't medical considerations like wheelchair to consider, but she may tire out faster than the rest of us (she has a brain tumor).

I'm leaning towards doing one full MK day, and then splitting the other two. Or, maybe one full day at Epcot and a split between DHS and ending at MK the last day. Its just hard to know...I could plan out three days perfectly at DL because I know the parks so well there. WDW is overwhelming, and without knowing what parks take the longest, its hard to map out a tentative plan. All my Wish girl cares about is a meal with Cinderella, going to the BBB, and riding the Peter Pan ride. She always wants to ride that, but the line at DL is ridiculous for it (I'm sure it is at MK as well). Our Genie Pass will get us into that one, thank goodness, lol. Everything after that is icing on the cake.

And ADRs?! Good grief. I could call Disney Dining right now and get into a high demand restaurant next week at DL. It seems like at WDW, getting into a character meal is as rare as petting a unicorn.

 

[Quellman]

Thank you so much for all of this. We will be at GTKW 11/5-11/11. There aren't medical considerations like wheelchair to consider, but she may tire out faster than the rest of us (she has a brain tumor).

I'm leaning towards doing one full MK day, and then splitting the other two. Or, maybe one full day at Epcot and a split between DHS and ending at MK the last day. Its just hard to know...I could plan out three days perfectly at DL because I know the parks so well there. WDW is overwhelming, and without knowing what parks take the longest, its hard to map out a tentative plan. All my Wish girl cares about is a meal with Cinderella, going to the BBB, and riding the Peter Pan ride. She always wants to ride that, but the line at DL is ridiculous for it (I'm sure it is at MK as well). Our Genie Pass will get us into that one, thank goodness, lol. Everything after that is icing on the cake.

And ADRs?! Good grief. I could call Disney Dining right now and get into a high demand restaurant next week at DL. It seems like at WDW, getting into a character meal is as rare as petting a unicorn.

I have a family member with a TBI traumatic brain injury. Over stimulation is a concern for him because of the sheer amount of brain processing to filter out the background noises and tracking people an objects crossing his path.
If you can rope drop magic kingdom and go see the queue line for Peter Pan not using the wish pass. There won't be much of a line but you can stop and see all the delights as the Darling's room comes to life with Pans shadow and tinkerbell. You can always let people pass you by so you can fully enjoy it. I would suggest picking a land and doing everything you want to do in that land before moving on to the next one. This will limit your walking back and forth.

I don't know about all of the unicorns, but they can sometimes be tough to get. You either have to check a lot during the days and be lucky, or shell out some money to a few disney dining tracker websites that will let you know when an opening comes up that you could book.