DIsney World: is it all that different from Disney Land???

[venport]

My Girl friend and I (possably includding her sister) are planning on taking a trip to Disney World (DW) however we are long time visiters to Disney land (DL). Being from Califonia and have DL only be about a 6 hour drive i don;t want DW to just be DL with a long plain flight.

So what makes DW so much different that DL.. Now i see that there are a few more parks.. Epcot center for one is somthint i would like to see... Disney MGM is that cool? It looks like Universal Studios disney style... or am i wrong here? The Disney Zoo thing dose not seem to interest me... so what else is there the Magic Kingom sees to be Disney land in the Hot heat of Foloria... is there a difference??

Now we are a a Buget and don;t have Tons of money to spend on this trip but we would like to do it right.

Any sugestions descriptoins or comments would help. I also would like to know is it truly worth staying in a Disney hotel? What do we get for staying in a disney hotel?

Thanks a bunch
Carl

 

[webray]

LOL, we recently made our first trip to DL after being long time WDW goers.

The differences are huge. EPCOT itself is two parks (future world and the World showcase, basically takes two days just to see all that is there). MK of course, has a couple of the same things, but quite different, and the castle at MK in WDW, well, you can actually see it when you enter, unlike castle at DL..which is so small.

Animal Kingdom is far from a zoo and one of the best parks ever..ya gotta love it.

MGM, definately worth seeing.

There are some great restaurants, the two water parks, two mini golf courses, plus the championship golf courses. More resort choices.

All in all, after our recent trip to DL, I told hubby I would probably never need to return to DL again, as it was a nice place to see, but there is nothing to draw you back over and over again.

 

[venport]

What makes the AK more than just a zoo?? WOW Epcot is that Large? You recomend two days to See Epcot? WOW...

See I agree With DL however my Gril friend will go there 3-4 times a year if she could get away with it

 

[phantom728]

We've been to WDW several times and was in California 2 years ago and decided to visit DL.
I have to say that after being to WDW, I was a bit disappointed in DL. I enjoyed California Adventure however, because it was it's own unique experience, similar to EPCOT and MGM Studios.
Magic Kingdom at WDW is similarly laid out, but different from DL. Some rides, although named the same are different at the WDW park. We found that we liked them better at WDW.
We love EPCOT and MGM, which has a bit of a Universal Studios feel, but still has that Disney magic we love
We are not crazy about Animal Kingdom and will only go there for new rides/attractions. Unless you're interested, I wouldn't waste your time if limited.

Whenever we visit WDW, we try and stay in a hotel on the grounds. When you stay at a Disney hotel, parking is included, plus the transportation they provide. They have some hotels in the Downtown Disney area, that still offer many benefits, but might help to save on costs.

I don't think you'll be disappointed with your decision to see WDW and see how it compares to DL.
Enjoy - Jen

 

[Tikiman]

Lets start with 46 sq miles of property (the size of San Francisco approximately).

I live and grew up in California going to Disneyland and I have done comparisons of both places (what is better here and there) and I consider Disneyland a fun weekend destination. Disney World is a complete vacation that is best done with 10-14 days available to spend there. Most of the duplicate rides that are in Disneyland are better in WDW (a few exceptions like Small World and Pirates to name 2) and the Resorts are destinations of their own. Everyone from out here that we take with us to WDW has been blown away and never expected it to be what it is.

Oh by the way the last thing the Animal Kingdom is would be a Zoo. It now has one of the best coasters in all of WDW. MGM Studios is nothing like Universal and that is a good thing.

Aloha

Steve

 

[Safari Queen]

I'd say Pirates is better at DL and there are rides at MK that are not at DL and vice versa. Aside from Pirates, everything at WDW is bigger and more spacious. There are over 300 eating place. Resorts offer boating, bikes, fishing, golf and excellent pools. Staying on property gets you not only transportation to all parks, resorts, water parks, and other recreational opportunities, you also get EMH, which lets you into a park early or allows you to stay late in a park each day.

We love AK, which is much more than a zoo. However, if you have to make choices and really don't care about seeing animals, perhaps it's not for you.

 

[venport]

assuming MGMD is not Like Universal... that would be a good thing i when to US when i was 13 and loved it.. i went back ten years later and they have changed like 2 things (borring)

So if we only had 4 days or so to spen in florida could i get some ideas on things that are must see?? that would be the most different from DL?

(BTW thanks everyone this is helping a lot in the pre planning stage)

 

[nhpooh]

LOL, we recently made our first trip to DL after being long time WDW goers.

The differences are huge. EPCOT itself is two parks (future world and the World showcase, basically takes two days just to see all that is there). MK of course, has a couple of the same things, but quite different, and the castle at MK in WDW, well, you can actually see it when you enter, unlike castle at DL..which is so small.

Animal Kingdom is far from a zoo and one of the best parks ever..ya gotta love it.

MGM, definately worth seeing.

There are some great restaurants, the two water parks, two mini golf courses, plus the championship golf courses. More resort choices.

All in all, after our recent trip to DL, I told hubby I would probably never need to return to DL again, as it was a nice place to see, but there is nothing to draw you back over and over again.

I have been to DL twice and I like WDW much better. More things to do and more places to eat, more resorts to pick from. I did enjoy DL but like WDW better.

Epcot is I think my favorite park at WDW, I love walking around World Showcase. Last time we were there it was without my DD and we took our time walking around World Showcase. We went into the different shops and was nice.

AK is nice, but I only like to do a couple of rides there. We could and do AK in half a day.

Whats also nice about WDW is the different resorts, they have value - deluxe. I haven't been to any of the value resorts, but have done mod's and deluxe. By staying at a Disney resort you get to go in earlier than if you stayed off site. That is they have different days for the different parks where you can go in early.

 

[DisneyGeek2000]

Lets start with 46 sq miles of property (the size of San Francisco approximately).

LOL - right - don't expect to do too much walking between the parks and the resort hotels (with a few exceptions!)

If you were doing 4 days, I would spend 1/2 day in AK, a day in MGM, a day in Epcot and a day in MK, with the remaining half day in either Epcot or MK.

Michael

 

[venport]

Ok so has anyone stayed off the property?? Do other places have shuttles? What was your experiance like??

(just trying to gather all the info i can before i spend $$)

 

[Tikiman]

We use to stay off property (Sheraton World) when I was younger and it is not with the time to travel into the property from resorts (that are truely off site)

I would rather not go if I could not stay onsite. I look forward to the resort almost as much as the parks.

 

[DisneyGeek2000]

Ok so has anyone stayed off the property?? Do other places have shuttles? What was your experiance like??

(just trying to gather all the info i can before i spend $$)

Don't forgt all of the onsite perks - EMH, dining plan, etc.!

 

[mamacatnv]

Having been to both they have their similarities and differences. DL is a 2-3 day trip where WDW is IMHO a 5-8 day trip and you still won't see it all. WDW is really a destination vacation with a ton of things to see and do besides the 4 great parks, there are water parks, DTD shopping and eating, Pleasure Island, boating, fishing, horseback riding and the list goes on and on. I agree that Epcot is at least 2 days if not more.

You mentioned budget. When you go to DL what kind of accomodations are you used to? Do you stay in one of the gazillion little hotels across the street (I do) or do you stay at a DL resort? This is a good place to start planning as the resort can really make the difference not only $$ wise but also in the overall experience.

MamaCatNV

 

[peter11435]

What makes the AK more than just a zoo??

How many zoos have roller coasters through the Himalayas in search of the mysterious Yeti, time rover trips back to the age of the Dinosaurs, etc. AK is far more than a zoo. It is a Disney theme park whose theme is Animals the same way MGM's theme is entertainment. It is not a zoo.

 

[venport]

mamacatnv: i my self stay at a friends house when i go to DL but not everyone has that option.

I'm trying to get why i want to spend extra money one a Hotel that has mickey mouse carpet when i don't plan on spending much time in the hotel? Can you find other hotels that are not WDW hotels that have shuttles? Or do you have to drive in if you are not staying at at WDW hotel?

(thanks again)

 

[BankBunny]

It's not just about having Mickey on the carpet. It takes much less time to use the Disney transportation from their resorts to the parks. Also if you stay on Disney property you can utilize the Extra Magic Hours when one of the parks either opens an hour early or stays open up to 3 hours later for Disney resort guests. This can be very helpful if you have such limited time.

 

[DisneyDotty]

Both parks are worth visiting--often, in my opinion!
We were just at DL in December and in WDW last June--and prepare to spend a lot of time walking, shuttling, monorailing, bussing, and plain ol' traveling in WDW. Nothing is close like DL. Going from resort to park or park to park pretty much requires a form of transportation other than feet. Therefore, a park/day is a good estimate, unlike DL where it's no biggie to hop from DL to DCA.
You'll see a lot of familiar sites in WDW--just spread out among the four parks. I enjoyed checking out the differences of the rides that are at both parks. There is also a better selection of restaurants at WDW--especially at Epcot and several resorts. There's also Pleasure Island to take advantage of--which has good eating/bar spots like DL's DTD. WDW's DTD is lacking, though, (compared to DL's) and I wouldn't necessarily spend much time there
Some say DL is a good place to visit for a day (I disagree--we were there six days and I could've stayed longer), but I agree that WDW needs a week--minimum.
Enjoy your trip!

 

[tmfranlk]

mamacatnv: i my self stay at a friends house when i go to DL but not everyone has that option.

I'm trying to get why i want to spend extra money one a Hotel that has mickey mouse carpet when i don't plan on spending much time in the hotel? Can you find other hotels that are not WDW hotels that have shuttles? Or do you have to drive in if you are not staying at at WDW hotel?

(thanks again)

You can find offsite hotels with shuttles, but I have never been a big fan of them. Most of the offsite hotel shuttles run a few times in the morning, once or twice in the afternoon and once or twice at night. I have found the times to be fairly inconvenient - you miss park opening or have to rush out at park closing perhaps missing the nighttime show. Also, some hotels charge for the shuttle.

 

[JennyMominRI]

You can find offsite hotels with shuttles, but I have never been a big fan of them. Most of the offsite hotel shuttles run a few times in the morning, once or twice in the afternoon and once or twice at night. I have found the times to be fairly inconvenient - you miss park opening or have to rush out at park closing perhaps missing the nighttime show. Also, some hotels charge for the shuttle.

ALso,to the OP. I was a DL regular for years ,living in San Diego for 16 years..WDW is not DL..There are not 40 hotels right outside the park.. WDW is bigger than Anaheim itself.. If you were to stay offsite you will have a 20 to 30 minute ride just to get to the parks.If money is an Issue stay at one of WDW's value resorts..They aren't much more than your local hotel. Then you get Disney transportation and don't have to pay for parking..For me abig part of my vacation is the reorts themseles.. SOme of these reorts are vacation distinations of their own.I could spend a 4 day Vacation at the Polynesian, Wildernes Lodge, Animal Kingdom Lodge, without even going to the parks..

 

[jaletu2000]

You know, as far away as you are traveling to get to WDW, you really shouldn't spend your vacation trying to get from point A to point B and getting really frustrated waiting. I've heard that some offsite hotels have good transportation but most are infrequent. That's the beauty of Disney buses - there's one every 15 to 20 minutes up past midnight!

And if you opt to stay at a Disney hotel, you are right there in the midst of the magic you came to see. It's not "just" a hotel. It's a haven also from the crowds and a great place to unwind and plan for the next assault on WDW parks.

Really, I've stayed offsite. I finally stayed onsite in 2002 and I will continue to do that. It made me a true believer. As for costs - you may very likely have to pay for shuttle service from an offsite hotel. AND if you get stuck somewhere because you missed the shuttle, you will pay a taxi to get you back to the hotel.

So, if it were me, and I had a limited budget (I usually do!) I'd still stay at a Disney hotel! Try the Pop Century, or All Stars Value Resorts. You still get the perks but it's easier on the wallet. They have excellent food courts too, so you can get a good meal for a good price too. If you want to do it right - stay onsite.