Disney World or Disneyland

[Maddysdaddy]

My family would choose to go to DL instead of WDW one hundred percent of the time.

We love that at DL, everything is "there", and we don't waste time having to travel from hotel to park to park to Downtown Disney to hotel - if we wanted to spend two hours a day commuting on a bus, we'd stay home and go to work.

Yes, you are not as immersed in the "Disney Bubble", but you also have the option of exploring the "awesomeness" that is Southern California. We normally tack on a week or so of vacation time in the San Diego area, and never seen to see and do everything we want.

 

[rangebob]

I'd say DL. I didn't see it mentioned but Smallworld Holiday and Nightmare Before Christmas will be open December. I want to get back there again during the Christmas season.

 

[sonofanarchy]

Disneyland....because they don't have this FP+ debacle yet.

LOL - Good answer!

 

[sonofanarchy]

I've been to WDW 40+ times, and we'll be going to DLR next summer for the 1st time. Honestly, I wish it was this year. I've been reading books and watching videos about Disneyland. It seems much less hectic and corporate than WDW. Plus, Disneyland Hotel looks like an amazing place to stay.

 

[Bluegrrl]

Try DLR once, I don't think you will be disappointed.
WDW is my home, but there were some really neat things at DLR
What I enjoyed:
Castle walkthrough!
It's a Small World. It's really big and has lots of neat scenes that WDW doesn't. Plus its facade is really cool!
Their Fantastyland - DL has Mr. Toad still. So jealous. Plus all the rides are themed to the ride (Toad looks like Toad Hall, Peter has a neat pirate look, Pinocchio looks like the movie, etc)
the Subs! We lost ours years ago.
The wonderful New Orleans area and the Blue Bayou Restaurant! Very Yummy (a little overpriced, but it's still worth the experience.)
The little quick service place in New Orleans - I think I ate the bread bowl clam chowder every day for lunch!
The way the quick service places - they are a really nice cafeteria set-up, it's so cool and different.
Being able to get your dole whip and bring it into the Tiki bird show! Plus, Tikibirds was Walt's pet project.
The CANOES!!! I love it - you paddle a canoe around the Rivers of America! It's so cool and unique! My arms were tired afterward, but it was worth it.

The ability to walk back to your hotel (we stayed at DL Hotel and had a military discount) Overall, I'd recommend doing it, and you are NOT missing out on anything down here at WDW. It's a cool little place. The castle is tiny, but the Matterhorn is VERY cool. Also, try the Walking in Walt's Footsteps Tour. We did that and it was worth the price. Also watch the 1960's special "Disneyland after Dark" - it's on the Disneyland USA DVD, and really gets you in the "Disneyland" mood.

 

[czmom]

We have been to both parks in December. WDW in 2011 and 2012, and most recently DLR in 2013. They are both amazing!! You cannot go wrong either way.

Honestly, we went to DL thinking we would go check it out, especially Carsland, and then always return to WDW. Well, we fell in love. Not so much with the nostalgia. But with the ease and proximity. It was SO NICE to not ride a bus all week and walk everywhere. We had 5 day hoppers and still did not do everything. And we are rope droppers and fast walker! However, we did do our favorites multiple times. There is just as much to do in their 2 parks- they are just a lot closer together.

WDW has Osborne Lights and CP.
DL has CP only 2 nights, but has a few ride overlays. You also see the Christmas Parade and fireworks daily- no need for a party ticket.

Enjoy your trip! Wherever you chose it will be great!

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

There is a lot to factor. First is travel cost, is it more expensive for you to get to CA. Then hotel cost though you can find bargains at both. How long will you stay. For a long vacation pick WDW if it is short DL is also a good option.

I love both parks. Since I live on the east coast it costs double to get to DL so we do not go too often.

 

[amosser]

We did DL in early Jan 2013 while the Christmas decorations were still up, very pretty. My family loves WDW but we wanted to check out DL. I read and researched and knew it was going to be a different Disney experience but still Disney, and that's exactly what it was.
1. We stayed onsite at the DL resort. Pros - love the lighted headboards that play Wishes. Con - further away from the parks and price
2. There were things I really enjoyed about the parks; closeness, Carsland is great! and Screamin is a blast.
3. LOVED WOC - imho one the best "shows" Disney parks put on. Probably one of the biggest reasons we'll go back.
4. The food options for us were lacking. I planned a birthday dinner for my dh at blue bayou and it didn't turn out so great. And just an overall lack of options.
I'd say the biggest difference was the hospitality of the cm. Maybe it was the time of year but the cm at DL just didn't seem that friendly or helpful. My dh, who is disabled, flipped over a post while walking over on of the bridges in CA, a nurse and security were called. They gave us a list of local er facilities and that was it - absolutely no follow up what so ever. It was very disappointing.
So, for us as a family, we do plan on going back to DL but it will be with very different expectations. We won't stay on site, will plan on eating off site and will not expect the Disney magic we've found at WDW.

 

[disworlddad]

Love'em both, but find ourselves going to WDW for longer holidays like spring break and DLR for shorter school holidays with long weekends. We're in Colorado, so closer to DLR.

 

[Viva Las Disney]

To me WDW is more spectacular but DL/DCA is the better theme park.

The pros of WDW is it's more grand, has the "Disney bubble", more dining, more hotels, and more shows. The cons are the rides aren't as good as DL or DCA.

The pros of DL/DCA are the parks are small and compact, it's easier to get around, and both parks have a better selection of rides than any of the WDW parks. The cons are the Disney hotels are expensive and although the surrounding hotels are nice and close you lose some Disney magic, dining options are also limited.

I love both parks but go back and forth on whether I prefer WDW or DL. Like the previous poster for me it comes down to time, if I had a week or more I'd go to WDW, if I only had a few days days I'd go to DL.

 

[Ashlotte]

Disneyland....because they don't have this FP+ debacle yet.

Exactly!

Seriously though, definitely give DLR a try. We consider DLR our "home" park and really enjoy it. It is a different feel than WDW for certain. DLR feels more intimate and personal (and I feel like the CMs are nicer overall), while WDW is a total experience. Our family is pretty much all about commando attractions riding, so the "extras" that WDW has to offer (properties to stay at, water parks, dining, etc) are not as important to us.

But if you haven't been, give it a go. Also, I second reading the tips by Hydroguy. He knows his stuff.

 

[cheesemouse]

They are both great, just different. We love both but for different reasons or types of trips. The way I sum it up is that DL has the best of WDW but without all of the transportation hassle. By the "best of" I mean Toy Story, Soarin, Tower of Terror, River Rapids ride, Playhouse Junior Show, Star Tours, Jedi Training. And park hopping is SO easy at DL that it makes it much more feasible to go back and forth between the two.

Plus, DL has Carsland and the World of Color show which is simply outstanding. The best show ever created at either DL or WDW in our opinion.

That said, the downside to DL is that it's not as much of an all-in type of vacation. There are only 3 DL resorts and some are not that close really compared to off-site hotels. The dining at the parks is much more limited for table service restaurants. And there is no seating arena for Fantasmic which is a huge downside for us.

I feel that to do WDW adequately I need a whole week's vacation (9 days including 2 weekends) with a minimum of 6 park days, preferably 7. For DL 4 park days is good enough although 5 makes for leisurely touring.

We have been at DL in December and the holiday decorations are great, particularly in New Orleans Square. And the It's a Small World holiday projection show is great.

Have fun either way!

 

[Mad Hattered]

The last time we visited DL we bought the "box picnic" that included access to F! I have no idea if that still exists now or not. I had researched ahead of time on our last trip but F! is down (well....starts back up the night of our afternoon flight home) during this visit so I didn't bother checking it out. We had chairs set up available for us to sit in. It was inside the section I have marked on this pic...

People CAMPED out for this thing big time. It was pretty great to have a reserved seat. Not to mention.....DLs dragon in F! just blows the DHS version the hell out of the water...but I digress.

I think their version of Space Mountain is MUCh better than the MK version. Instead of sitting single file like on Matterhorn (which is classically awesome to boot), you sit side by side like on most coasters. When MK closed down SP for what seemed like the longest refurb in it's history, I assumed they were switching it out to the DL version. What a let down to find out that they pretty much just installed an interactive version of Space Invaders/Defender/Asteroids in the que. I am all for anything that slows down the standby line even more.

And don't even get me going about how cool WOC is. When I said people "camp" out for F! earlier was nothing like the people who "lived" in the WOC area many hours before the show. We did have the dinner package/reserved section and you can see where we are. We could have gotten closer but felt comfortable where we were. There are no seats and you do stand for the whole show. It lasts 26 minutes but by the time you are allowed in you could be standing for quite a bit longer.

On another note about airfare...we live in the middle of the country and our airfare was $250 each roundtrip to SNA. Last year we flew to San Fran for $150 roundtrip. I am always one to jump on a deal when it fits our work schedule...wherever that may be. I know that isn't possible for everyone, but there are deals to be had. We typically travel during low crowd seasons if it involves Disney or Universal, whichever coast that involves. We stayed offsite our first trip and it was great...a short walk to the parks...stopped and had a decent/affordable breakfast in a diner each day and were still there at RD ready to go.

Since everything is within walking distance once you are onsite made it a huge plus. I mean, you don't HAVE to walk. Their Monorail system allows you to catch it in DTD and glide into MK if you wish, and vice versa. Since everything was so within reach we decided to take a stroll through GCR on our last trip and thought..wow....it would be cool to stay here once in our life.

Then DW surprised me on my birthday 2 weeks ago and asked me if I would mind planning and booking a "surprise" birthday trip to DL for us. Hence this upcoming trip. We are looking forward to Carsland as it was just steel reinforcement the last time we were in DCA. Actually, we are looking forward to it for many more reasons but this is a positive post so I say let's keep it that way.

I will just say.....if you still like the Disney experience then you really should visit DL at least once in your lifetime. Even though you are still giving your money to the beast, it makes it seem a little less painful. You can still get some pleasure/magic out of it. Just think of it as Methadone to a Heroine addict. I mean I guess I could have used Hi-C to a Kool-Aid drinker but I didn't want to offend anyone.

 

[Bracho]

We live in Las Vegas and the way I drive only 3.5 hours from Disneyland and for us, we fly almost 5 hours to Florida. There's something about WDW that just feels better to us. Now that's not to say we don't hit Disneyland every once in a while but.... WDW is the place for us!

 

[N10CJT]

For me Disneyland offers a number of advantages.

1. Pirates is much better, and its location far better integrated into the park. Haunted Mansion is also in a better spot. Small World is better. A lot of people like Space Mountain better, though I think it's a wash (I sort of like that WDW's is wilder). You get to shoulder your gun on Buzz. Main Street..... no comparison. MUCH BETTER! Fantasmic is performed on Tom Sawyer's Island, and the mere fact that this is possible makes it wondrous even before your proximity to the action factors in. The entire feel of the park is superior to Florida's version.
2. Radiator Springs is amazing. California Screamin' is an excellent coaster. You can actually get near Toy Story. No Illuminations sucks, but World of Color more than makes up for it. There is a lot more to do in California Adventure than in any of the secondary parks in WDW.
3. Everything is ridiculously close. The parks are right next to each other, and attached to Downtown Disney (which with the exception of having no Raglan Road is better, in my opinion, with a more unique nighttime atmosphere). The hotels are right there.
4. Disneyland Hotel is a wonderful place if you can stomach the price.
5. There aren't as many options, but on the whole the food is much better and more diverse. I'm a big fan of Jiko and California Grill, for instance, but there is nothing like Napa Rose in WDW. The Carthay Circle WOC package beats any show package in WDW. And the quick service options tend to be more interesting.
6. It's sunny. Pretty much ALL THE TIME.
7. Maybe the most important. You're in Los Angeles (okay, Anaheim, but consider what they call their baseball team) and not Orlando! I mean, let's be honest here. The Bruery is 10 minutes away. Downtown L.A. is 45. San Diego is only an hour or so south if the traffic isn't bad. The Central Coast wineries can be reached inside two hours. Inestimable advantage.

But there are also cons:

1. Pricy hotels (though staying offsite at economy motels still allows you to walk to the parks). Additional fee for parking. Come on, Disney....
2. No Animal Kingdom (though many are blah about it, I like it a great deal)
3. Way more hotels with excellent theming in WDW. Paradise Pier isn't particularly Disney (in fairness it wasn't built by them), and the Grand Californian is impressive but obscenely priced.
4. Tomorrowland doesn't have the same retro-futuristic cool as in WDW. Plus no Laugh Floor = Boo. (I just saw the pun there....)
5. Yes, there are places where you're going to be reminded that you're on planet Earth, and that the decidedly un-magical world is a few-hundred yards thataway.....

Wash: There is no judging if there are more drunks (and if they are drunker) in World Showcase or California Adventure. There is no judging which place is more likely to have the most obnoxious tourists on any given day (though on the weekends the locals in DL might sneer at you). You are just as likely to be fleeced of the contents of your wallet on both coasts. On the whole the performers are better in DL, but if Pluto just flunked his audition for Days of Our Lives he is much more likely to mail it in.....

Conclusion:
GO!!!!!

 

[Bracho]

Great post N10CJT. Loved the drunk part.. Isn't that the truth. Wow all these posts makes it a hard choice but to be honest, there really isn't a bad choice!

Good luck

 

[DisneyQueen1320]

Thanks for all the great post.

That's why I love the Disboards.

Is it true the Christmas Parade at Disneyland is the same one at the MVMCP?

With ticket prices being so high, DL is looking like a winner.

 

[DahliaRW]

It's totally personal preference, but I really prefer DL to WDW. You spend a whole lot less time commuting to and from and between (if you choose to park hop) the parks. The best rides are also "condensed" into DL and DCA, versus being spread between 4 parks (and we really felt that Epcot especially, but also HS and AK needed more rides - the rides between the three of them are about equal to DCA).

 

[robin19871]

Visit DL for sure.. I grew up 10 minutes from there and have been at least 100+ times before I moved to the East Coast.. WDW is our vacation destination now because we like to go to the parks and also cruise on DCL.. I like certain aspects of both parks now.. WDW is more relaxing to us because they have 4 parks.. DL is better because they have the 2 parks that are right next to each other.. You can't go wrong..Do what you have not done before and decide for yourself.. You will have a great time either way...

 

[Kristina4109]

Cannot and will not pick one over the other. I grew up in NY and WDW was my family's vacation place - every single vacation, we went there. The absolute immersion in magic is something that cannot be found anywhere else, even DL. I was raised with the idea that DL was that little dinky park that Walt and Roy did first, and they made lots of mistakes, and that's why they built WDW.

Well, I live in L.A. now and I have completely fallen under the spell of DL. It's intimate, magical, and charming. Most importantly, DL Park is the only park that Walt actually walked in. That's history.

So I refuse to choose. But I really do believe that one cannot claim to be a Disney Parks fan if they visit one but not the other.