Disney World or Disneyland end of August

[Frozen2014]

We went to Disney World in October 2014 and had am amazing time. We just returned from a Royal Caribbean cruise and also had an amazing time. We want to do both again at some point, but think we'll do a Disney trip again. Since they are both pricey trips, we would be looking August of 2017 or later. Our son is getting older and so we're at the point that we no longer want to take him out of school.

We're Canadian so we have an extra week of summer compared to US and we often take off the week before labor day so we'd be looking at doing a trip this week.

My question is...what do you recommend for the last week in August? Disney World or Disneyland? I am worried that we will be disappointed at Disneyland after being to Disney World, but I think the summer hear would be really hard (I like heat but my DH detests it). If we did Disneyland then we would most likely combine it with other things in California.

PS - Another possible option would be the week just before Christmas break since school work is lighter then. But how are the crowds this week?

 

[KittyKitty]

Both will be hot in August. WDW will also have the humidity and rain. Week before Christmas will have more crowds than August.

 

[Frozen2014]

SO weather-wise, Disneyland would be better?
Will we be disappointed with DL after visiting DW?

 

[PirateFish989]

I live in California and go to Disneyland multiple times per year (I've been to WDW once). Disneyland in August will be hot, probably between 90-100 degrees. However, the humidity won't be nearly as bad as in Florida.

And Disneyland is a different duck than WDW. Yes, it's smaller. But honestly, I think it has just as much and even more charm, magic and character than WDW. Don't expect to be disappointed because then you are setting yourself up to be. HydroGuy over on the Disneyland boards has a ton of great threads about Disneyland for WDW veterans - worth checking out.

 

[ArwenMarie]

Both will be hot in August. WDW will have the added fun of daily thunder and lightning storms.

If I had a choice, I would pick that week before Christmas and deal with the crowds over the heat. Have fun planning

 

[KittyKitty]

I go to WDW more than Disneyland, even tho I live in Seattle. BUT, Disneyland has my favorite all time ride, Radiator Springs! I personally feel you must try them both to see what works for your family. As PirateFish989 says, they are different. You will have a great time either way!

 

[PaintsWindColors]

Disneyland is amazing - I try to make a trip there every year to even out my WDW/DLR addiction. Cars Land and World of Color (Disney California Adventure park as a whole, really) are totally worth going to Disneyland. Plus there are the nostalgic Walt memorials in the Disneyland park that will really add to the atmosphere. I get a little teary-eyed walking into the park and knowing it was all part of his dream.

 

[AshleeH]

Disneyland. Florida is like the surface of the sun in August - and with humidity and storms. DLR will be hot, but not miserable. We went at the end of July and it was beautiful weather.

 

[Lynzer4]

I've been and enjoy both but DL is different from WDW. DL can be done in 2 (at most 3 days) before you have seen and did everything at least once (my opinion and experience). While there are hotels on-site there at DL there are a lot more hotels around DL that are much cheaper and walking distance from the parks. Its not like WDW in that you are in a Disney bubble. There isn't transportation to parks because both parks are across from each other. Downtown Disney is right there too.

I would ask yourself what type of vacation are you looking for... a completely Disney trip or some Disney with other things. If its Disney (complete theme park experience) then WDW would be my choice. If you want a little taste of Disney but would also love to do other things then I would do California and plan a few days at DL. LA is about beaches, walking the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Seeing the Chinese Theater. You are "see" things not always "doing" things. I would research LA/San Diego and see if you would be happy doing those offerings on your vacation. With the new Harry Potter world opening in Universal Hollywood you can also do that while in CA.

Both places will be hot. I'm not sure I would say one would be hotter then the other... just HOT. But DL at christmas time isn't like WDW. While it will be crowded it wont be like WDW.

Prices wise I'm not sure of the difference but for California you will need a car and I would plan to hit LA and/or San Diego while there. If not you will most likely not have enough stuff to fill a week+ at just DL (again that is my opinion based on MY experience).

Here is a sample of what my California itinerary looked like for my West Coast Trip: Flew into LA: toured LA for 4 days (2 days where via the double Decker site seeing bus that stopped at all the LA tourist stops; one day at Universal Hollywood and one at Warner Brothers studio getting a tour). Then headed to DL after WB tour and had two full days at DL. Then headed to San Diego for 2 days site seeing (including whale watching trip) before flying home from SD.

Hope that was helpful. Either way I think you will have a good time it just depends on what type of vacation you are looking for!

 

[rastahomie]

Disneyland will be bone-dry and super-hot at the end of August. I would take bone-dry and super-hot over hella-humid and super-hot any day of the week.

For what it's worth, I hope to go to Disneyland some day, but one has to be in the right frame of mind to do it. You can't go to DLR and try to understand it in the context of WDW. Just accept that it's a completely different experience and force your brain not to compare the two. To me, it's like comparing New York to Saint Louis - one may be bigger and have more of a cachet, but that doesn't mean that one is necessarily better than the other. They both have their strengths and weaknesses.

One thing you will notice at DLR is that every brick, every tile, every drop of paint bears Walt Disney's personal touch.

 

[agavegirl1]

Weather wise, Disneyland would be better. Dryer for sure. I enjoyed Disneyland in August but wouldn't even consider WDW during the same time frame. The humidity is so draining. California is not subject to large tropical storms either.

 

[ktlm]

We love both Disneyland and Disneyworld. The last 2 years we have gone to Disneyland in July. We felt like the heat was definitely manageable. It was very comfortable in the mornings and evenings, and just got hot for a few hours in the afternoon. Temperature wise, it felt much better than our WDW July trips, and even better than a couple of the hot days on our WDW trip last October. We spend 4 full days in the parks at DLR (well one of those days we usually build in a couple of hours of pool time in the afternoon and then head back to the park until about midnight), and still feel like we aren't ready to leave. We still feel like we would enjoy adding one more day. DD was 9 on our last trip. My first adult DLR trip, it was just DH and I as DD was a baby and I was there on business. As 2 adults, we could probably do 2 days and feel like we had done most everything (we only had one and we made the most of it), but the minute you add a kid into the mix everything slows down!

If the heat is a factor, I would say try DLR. Carsland is amazing! We typically do those 4 full days at DLR, and then we head down to the San Diego area and spend a few days there doing the beach and other activities. We love the San Diego zoo's Safari Park.