Disneyland or Disney World??

[leazel]

My son and I have been going to Disneyland for the past 5 years now and now my husband suggests we try Disney world. But, I just can't decide. After all, I'm already familiar with DL that at this point I don't do much planning in the park.
But, on the other hand DW would be something new. From what I've seen on the net, it looks the same (rides) just bigger. I'd love for someone to tell me the comparisons Pro & Con.
And, if anyone has stayed at one of the DW resort hotels that would be helpful also.

Thanks a bunch!

 

[rentayenta]

I put off Disneyworld for a few years and finally gave in in 2007. It is AMAZING! Really. Go to the WDW boards and check them out but for starters:

• there are 2 more parks plus 2 water parks
• tons of restaurants- so many great choices
• some different rides: Expedition Everest for starters is super cool. Plus the have the CoP. Philharmagic in MK rocks.

I know it sounds funny but WDW to me is a totally different experience. They are both fabulous in their own ways. Remember, you will need at least a week. 10 days was perfect for our first trip.

 

[magicalfoursome]

I am doing the opposite! I am a WDW vet who is planning my family's first trip to DL. I wondered also if I should go to DL because I love WDW and I am very comfortable there. From reading these boards I learned that while they are similar they are different experiences. I want to visit DL because it is the original and I love Disney!! WDW is a lot bigger but offers some things not found in DL. World Showcase in EPCOT is fantastic as is Animal Kingdom. There are also two themed waterparks. The resort experience is part of my family's trip to WDW. The resorts are themed and the deluxes are especially beautiful! I found Hydoguy's advice on these boards to be invaluable. He has sticky threads for those who are WDW vets visiting DL, and I think he also has one for DL vets going to WDW. I definitely think you should visit WDW!!!

 

[Luv4Disney]

I am doing the opposite! I am a WDW vet who is planning my family's first trip to DL.

Me too!

You HAVE to go to WDW!! It's AMAZING!

 

[mystic_path]

Why not try it out? You have seen Disneyland, and it would be fun to compare the 2. It will probably be a totally different experience, but just as magical. Then you can at least say you went there and got to see what all the hype is about. Ive been to DL multiple times and have been threatening to go to WDW, but this last trip I caved and booked DL again instead. Now I kinda kick myself, but that's definitely something to look forward to for my next trip.

I agree 100% that part of why the magic feels so different between DL & WDW is because Disneyland has the "Originality" where the other park/s wont ever have that option. Still many say Disneyland Vets say WDW doesnt lack any magic or imagination what so ever.

I agree with the other posters. Go to the WDW section of the Dis and read and post some questions. It will be a good start for you to some planning, and you get an idea as to what is in store for you. You might find something that really peaks your curiosity and gets you super excited.

 

[amym2]

WDW is a whole different "world." Yes, some of the rides are the same, but there are so many WDW experiences that are completely different. As others have mentioned, EPCOT has the World Showcase (movies, restaurants, shops in the various countries) as well as some unique rides like Test Track, Mission: Space, Living with the Land, etc. Animal Kingdom has the Nemo and Lion King shows as well as the Kilimanjaro Safari and Expedition Everest rides. Disney Studios has many shows and rides that are not at DLR.

As others suggested, plan at least a week at WDW. WDW is so spread out and it requires more effort to travel between the parks. You'll also need to plan your meals in advance (most 90 days out, 180 days if you want to eat in Cinderella's castle). It does require a whole lot more planning than DLR but is very worth it!

In terms of hotels, there are tons of options, so do your research. We prefer to stay off property in a rental house since we go with extended family, but if we were staying in a hotel we would definitely stay on property. WDW offers the Magical Express where they transport you from the airport to your Disney hotel. The bus service at the hotels is usually sufficient, although if I had my choice (and loads of money) I'd stay at a hotel on the monorail line for easy access to MK and EPCOT.

 

[HydroGuy]

My son and I have been going to Disneyland for the past 5 years now and now my husband suggests we try Disney world. But, I just can't decide. After all, I'm already familiar with DL that at this point I don't do much planning in the park.
But, on the other hand DW would be something new. From what I've seen on the net, it looks the same (rides) just bigger. I'd love for someone to tell me the comparisons Pro & Con.
And, if anyone has stayed at one of the DW resort hotels that would be helpful also.

Thanks a bunch!

WDW is a great experience but different than DLR. IMO you need to take a more aggressive approach to trip planning or you will be overwhelmed. I hope this link helps get you pointed in a good direction:

"An Introduction To WDW For DLR Vets" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=16541636

WDW Pros:

o Four theme parks, two water parks, Disney Quest, plus lots of other activities. Some might say "who cares about water parks?". And that is a good question. If you plan WDW properly and build in some down time over 7-10 days, the water parks are good diversions to cool off and relax more. Same thing abotu Disney Quest. Air conditioned and not very much walking so low energy usage. We use the water parks and DQ as ways to regather our energy for the theme parks. We take whole or half days off from the parks to do this.

o Dining - lots more variety and theming. We got converted to placing more emphasis on dining by our WDW trips.

o Hotels - Disney has some cool themed hotels

o Lots more goes on outside the parks liked dinner shows, outside Disney movies (at Fort Wilderness and Boardwalk), water sports, etc.


WDW Cons:

o The larger area means getting to the parks is harder than at DLR. You need to learn abour transportation and (if you decide to have a car there) parking

o Dining Reservations - during peak times dining reservations get taken up 6 months in advance. You need to spend time figuring out how ADR's (Advance Dining Reservations) work and make them far in advance - preferably 6 months

o Weather - it rains a lot more in Orlando and is very hot and humid in the summer. They also have hurricanes and tropical storms (something we found out first hand on our first trip there). See "Comparison of Weather For WDW and DLR" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1711098

 

[DisneyMomma81]

We visited WDW last Oct. (10/1-10/10) and other than the weather being way too hot and humid we had a fantastic time. Dining was a huge part of our trip *we had free dining* we enjoyed lots of character meals and several meals in Epcot's World Showcase. We stayed @ POP and enjoyed it - it was fine for sleeping, swimming and getting ready. We used Disney transportation the whole time and that was fine as well. Disneyland is so much better than MK IMO ~ especially FL *but they are updating it so we'll see... The only thing DLR/S CA is missing compared to WDW is Epcot World Showcase and Expedition Everest, again that's my opinion. DLR will always be #1 for me but we'll return to WDW, my mom wants to visit Universal in Orlando next early Spring and we wouldn't visit central FL without stopping by WDW - I don't think we'd stay as long and wouldn't focus so much on dining.

 

[Zoesmama03]

Epcot is SOOOOOO worth it. They are getting more and more fun stuff for younger ones but its well worth a trip. And Animal Kingdom. DEFINITELY a fun family park. Sure Magic Kingdom will have a lot of your normal rides but I definitely prefer my WDW. And The Lion King show in particular is A++ definitely a must see. It was amazing. I saw it pre-child. DD has not been to Animal Kingdom but she will one day(have family 45 minutes away).

I live closer to DL so go figure but I've been to WDW countless times and DL ONCE and never California Adventures. I'm planning to go over this year and can't wait. But always be a special place for WDW and I know I'll be back there for many more trips.

 

[Shock13]

Hey leazel, I've been going to DL since childhood and finally made it to WDW last year. It was a great trip with definitely more to see and do. Epcot and AK were my favorite parks. There are also lots of dining options and had some great meals. Just a small word of advice is if you do decide to go, I wouldn't plan a whole lot of time at the MK as it has less rides than DL and that "magic" feeling you get at DL is definitely not the same. I went to MK one time and left at 3pm that day and never went back during the week.
I stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge with a savanna view and loved it. Waking up to see the animals outside the door just made the trip even better.
I hope you have a fun trip whatever you decide!

 

[HydroGuy]

Hey leazel, I've been going to DL since childhood and finally made it to WDW last year. It was a great trip with definitely more to see and do. Epcot and AK were my favorite parks. There are also lots of dining options and had some great meals. Just a small word of advice is if you do decide to go, I wouldn't plan a whole lot of time at the MK as it has less rides than DL and that "magic" feeling you get at DL is definitely not the same. I went to MK one time and left at 3pm that day and never went back during the week.
I stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge with a savanna view and loved it. Waking up to see the animals outside your door just made the trip even better.
I hope you have a fun trip whatever you decide!

We did the AKL Savannah view as well and it was very cool.

I had a different experience that Shock. For me Epcot did not really click. Disney Hollywood Studios (DHS) was my favorite park after MK. And I liked MK and would not skip it at all. I liked Epcot better the second time.

I think we all have different experiences and it is hard to generalize.

 

[carolinamama]

I am a tried and true WDW vet coming to DL as part of a CA vacation in June. Quite frankly, I'm missing the amount of planning that's necessary to *do* WDW!

Definitely check out the WDW threads above.

Know that while WDW is in a major metro area, it's also out by itself. There are tons of places off property to stay, but I'm a hard core stay on property girl. For me, I don't need a break from the magic. I get that the resorts are more expensive than comparable resorts out of the park, but it's more than just about the room.

I don't know what your budget is, but we prefer the deluxe level resorts. I've never had a bad experience where I wouldn't go back to one - my list is below, but know that the Disney Inn no longer exists in that form.

You can easily spend a week in WDW and not see everything.

It definitely rains a lot in the summer. Yes, it is very hot and humid between June - late Sept/early October. I live in NC, and it's very humid here, but it's a tropical humidity in FL and a totally different ballgame. If you go in the summer, be ready for rain. It rained more than 2 inches our first day there last July.

 

[tholczer]

We love DL and go 6-8 times per year as AP holders. Before that, we'd go every couple of years for a day trip. Two years ago we went to WDW for the first time and loved it there, too. As pp's have said, they are very different experiences. There was a HUGE amount of planning that went into the WDW trip, but I love the planning, so didn't mind. We stayed at the GF and opted for the concierge level room, but were very unimpressed with the food offerings and so changed to a standard room. The GF was very grand, but we felt the steep cost was because of the outside, not the room itself, so we will stay somewhere else next time and save those extra dollars for more fun in the parks!

We did not have enough time to do everything in seven days. With two of those days as travel days coupled with the decision not to rush around the five we had left, sadly, we didn't see Hollywood Studios or do the water parks. Our favorite park was the Animal Kingdom. And although we didn't see everything, we defintely felt the seven days was enough in terms of being ready to come home. Not sure if others feel the same way, but the food was so consistently bad, that we felt a bit sickish all week. We will definitely order grocieries and plan many more meals that we can make for ourselves next time around.

It's definitely worth it if you haven't been. No regrets here.

Tracy

 

[plutorules]

I am doing the opposite! I am a WDW vet who is planning my family's first trip to DL.QUOTE]

Me too! We're Disney Vacation Club members, and our home resort is saratoga springs. We've had the luxury of living in FL for 18 months, and we'd go monthly.

To me, planning our upcoming DL vacation was *sigh* boring. For WDW, you plan, plan, plan. We've been in the Magic Kingdom and had people complain they had no place to eat because everything was full. To me, that's a shame because a little planning could have solved that. And yes, it really is that busy.

What I like about WDW is that there is SO much to do. We've done 2 11-day vacations there, and usually about day 10, you're getting that last ride in you haven't yet. What I like, is that when a ride has a 3 hour wait time, you can say "I'm here for 11 days, I can catch that later". I can't imagine waiting that long for a ride anymore.

I have high expectations for our trip next month. Quite a few friends of ours have said we'll be disappointed because DL is so small. I hope they're wrong.

We've stayed onsite at WDW and offsite, and I can honestly say I'd never stay offsite again. It's just not worth it. I would spring for the largest room you can--- it's nice to be able to spread out and maybe even have kitchen facilities. We've adopted the following touring plan -- open the park in the morning, eat lunch somewhere, go back to swim and cool off. Back to the park/another hotel for dinner, then to a park until 7-8ish. My kids are small though -- 6 and 10, so we don't close the parks. Helps limit tantrums and the grumpys!

So far, we've stayed at All Star Music, All Star Movies and All Star Sports, Port Orleans French Quarter, Port Orleans Riverside, Coronado Springs, Saratoga Springs, the Beach Club, The Boardwalk Villas, and Old Key West. If you're considering any of those, I'd be glad to let you know how our stay was.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions-- I LOVE TO TALK DISNEY! I think most of us do. Or you could post over on the WDW forums on the disboards.

Shawn in AK

 

[magicalfoursome]

The GF was very grand, but we felt the steep cost was because of the outside, not the room itself, so we will stay somewhere else next time and save those extra dollars for more fun in the parks!
Not sure if others feel the same way, but the food was so consistently bad, that we felt a bit sickish all week. We will definitely order grocieries and plan many more meals that we can make for ourselves next time around.

It's definitely worth it if you haven't been. No regrets here.

Tracy

Tracy,
Next time try a different resort. While the GF is beautiful I prefer the Epcot resort area-- Beach Club especially. I also have a fondness for the Wilderness Lodge. The great thing about WDW is there is truly a resort to fit everyone's taste and budget. I am sorry you did not enjoy the food. There are lots of great restaurants in WDW but most are in the resorts or EPCOT-- IMO. I can't wait until my DL trip this summer-- I know it will just as special as WDW!!!

 

[HydroGuy]

I have high expectations for our trip next month. Quite a few friends of ours have said we'll be disappointed because DL is so small. I hope they're wrong.

If WDW vets insist that DLR has to be just like WDW then they will probably be disappointed by DLR. But if that is what they want, why go to DLR at all?

The truth is that in some ways DLR is disappointing compared to WDW. But in other ways WDW is disappointing compared to DLR.

I am saddened when WDW vets get so consumed by the differences at DLR that they fail to see and enjoy the DLR strengths over WDW.

BTW, the same thing can and does happen in reverse when DLR vets go to WDW. I think the best experiences are had by all when they enjoy each resort for what it does best and (as pluto says) do the necessary planning.

 

[magicalfoursome]

I am doing the opposite! I am a WDW vet who is planning my family's first trip to DL.QUOTE]

Me too! We're Disney Vacation Club members, and our home resort is saratoga springs. We've had the luxury of living in FL for 18 months, and we'd go monthly.

To me, planning our upcoming DL vacation was *sigh* boring. For WDW, you plan, plan, plan. We've been in the Magic Kingdom and had people complain they had no place to eat because everything was full. To me, that's a shame because a little planning could have solved that. And yes, it really is that busy.

What I like about WDW is that there is SO much to do. We've done 2 11-day vacations there, and usually about day 10, you're getting that last ride in you haven't yet. What I like, is that when a ride has a 3 hour wait time, you can say "I'm here for 11 days, I can catch that later". I can't imagine waiting that long for a ride anymore.

I have high expectations for our trip next month. Quite a few friends of ours have said we'll be disappointed because DL is so small. I hope they're wrong.

Shawn in AK

Shawn,
I miss all the planning also!! We are going to DL for our first time in July. People have also told me it is much smaller than WDW and why do you want to go there? I would love to hear your experience in DL. Wishing you a magical time!!
Linda

Hydoguy-- Yes!! I am going to DL for a different experience than WDW-- that is why I am going!!!

 

[tholczer]

Tracy,
Next time try a different resort. While the GF is beautiful I prefer the Epcot resort area-- Beach Club especially. I also have a fondness for the Wilderness Lodge. The great thing about WDW is there is truly a resort to fit everyone's taste and budget. I am sorry you did not enjoy the food. There are lots of great restaurants in WDW but most are in the resorts or EPCOT-- IMO. I can't wait until my DL trip this summer-- I know it will just as special as WDW!!!

Thanks for the tip on the Epcot resorts. The Beach Club looks beautiful. I've also thought about the Animal Kingdom Lodge since we loved the Animal Kingdom so much.

My main complaint about the food is the level of additives and preservatives they use. I think we're spoiled living in California with all the organic produce and we are lucky enough to have a local organic butcher. So we really feel it when we eat processed. If I could have two meals a day that are fresh and one processed, I'd probably be okay. Next time I'll definitely be more careful how I order.

Have fun in DL!

Tracy

 

[tholczer]

BTW, the same thing can and does happen in reverse when DLR vets go to WDW. I think the best experiences are had by all when they enjoy each resort for what it does best and (as pluto says) do the necessary planning.

This happened a bit for me when we went to WDW. For the first part of the morning in the MK, I was so disappointed. Then I had a stern talking to with myself and realized I was on vacation and everything was going to be very different.

I do prefer DL over WDW simply because DL is "home" for me. I grew up going to DL and go often with my family. I'm sure others feel the same about WDW. Keeping an open mind is the key to a happy vacation

Tracy

 

[blackjackdelta]

Based upon what I have read "do the world".

Jack