Disneyland Resort from a WDW perspective

[grnflash]

Why would one want to visit a fake Hollywood when the real one is down the road? Why does one want to go to a cheesy amusement park setup when you can do that anywhere in the country? This is essentially the equivalent of WDW having a whole section devoted to Miami, how ridiculous.

DCA is an abomination to all things Disney. Drastic changes need to happen, DLR is so limited on space and instead of coming up with a WestCOT, Disney Sea or something, the imagineers and management settle on what is already in their backyard. More over, we're taling about a resort that is essentially a majority locals park. Very poor management during this era.

As a native Californian, I disagree. I love (LOVE) what DCA has become. Easily my second favorite US Disney park. Yes, hopefully more improvements will come, but the makeover management did it right. And while you may not be alone in your opinion of the current DCA, the obvious (and metrically tangible, provable) surge of popularity for this park shows that I am far from alone in my opinion.

 

[ClaraOswald]

I haven't heard people say Buzz at WDW is better than at Disneyland. Personally, I hate the fact you can't lift the guns out at WDW.

I also don't think Haunted Mansion at WDW is THAT much better. They have the stuff in the queue which I could take or leave. And then one or two extra 'scenes' but the rest is the same.

It's a shame Disneyland stopped doing the Remember...fireworks show. It is by far the best Disney fireworks show. I am hoping whatever they come up with for the 60th is equally as good.

I found Illuminations to be quite boring. I don't get the appeal.

"California Adventure must be re-themed and something similar to Epcot would be huge draw."
I am guessing you never went to DCA before all of the things that have been redone in recent years. It's my understanding that California Adventure is pretty popular now.

And I agree with another poster who talked about the buses and leaving the parks at WDW being pretty unmagical. It's my least favorite thing on our WDW vacations. I would much rather walk across Harbor to my hotel than wait 30 minutes for a bus and then possibly have to stand on said bus. Blech.

And as far as visiting 'real Hollywood'...have you ever been there? Yuck. I would actually prefer the Disney-fied version. Haha!

 

[Lucille1963]

Why would one want to visit a fake Hollywood when the real one is down the road? Why does one want to go to a cheesy amusement park setup when you can do that anywhere in the country? This is essentially the equivalent of WDW having a whole section devoted to Miami, how ridiculous.

I've been to the real Hollywood and I've been to modern day boardwalks and amusement parks.

The highlight of my Hollywood experience was listening to a junkie couple arguing and hearing the sentence "Since you spent the money, you're an accessory."

The highlight of my boardwalk amusement park experience, was listening to one of the game operators screaming a stream of expletives that would make a sailor blush.

I'd take California Adventure's version over the "real" one every single time.

And back to the OP, I love your post and your comments.

 

[DahliaRW]

The best part about DLR is the ease of getting in and out of the resort. WDW is a monster and unless you're staying at a monorail/boat resort, then things can be much tougher.

There is not one resort at WDW where you can avoid a bus if you're going to all the parks. The monorail only goes to 2. Boats don't go to them all. So unless you're only going to MK or something, you have to take a bus at some point!

The one thing I did like better at WDW was the free airport bus!

 

[Speechphi]

I have to disagree with the comment that DCA has no theme. The theme is California. The "amusement park" section is a reflection of the beach boardwalk amusement parks. Hollywood land speaks for itself. Pacific Warf is reminiscent of the warfs in numerous cities along the Pacific. The Grizzly section is a nod to the mountainous regions. Bugs land (leafy, woodsy regions) and Cars land (desert regions?) are a little stretch, but I still feel that they fit in to show the diversity that is California. There is a huge misconception in many parts of the country where many people think that California is all beaches and palm trees, but the state is wildly diverse environmentally and culturally. I think that DCA is themed to show some of that diversity.

Agree 100%. Every time I read that paradise pier doesn't reflect CA, I think, "haven't you heard of Santa Cruz?"

 

[sophies*mom]

Why would one want to visit a fake Hollywood when the real one is down the road? Why does one want to go to a cheesy amusement park setup when you can do that anywhere in the country? This is essentially the equivalent of WDW having a whole section devoted to Miami, how ridiculous.

DCA is an abomination to all things Disney. Drastic changes need to happen, DLR is so limited on space and instead of coming up with a WestCOT, Disney Sea or something, the imagineers and management settle on what is already in their backyard. More over, we're taling about a resort that is essentially a majority locals park. Very poor management during this era.

All I have to say is wow.

DCA has gone through some major changes, for the better. They knew they weren't pulling in crowds and they fixed the park. Will it ever be as magical as Disneyland? Probably not, but DCA has its own charm.

And yes, you can go to Hollywood and visit boardwalks but the whole point is being able to see these things as Walt did when he first came to CA, thus the newly done Buena Vista Street with the trolley cars and the old timey feel. I would much rather go to these places in DCA than to the real, dirty, smelly, some super sketchy, modern day versions of them.
I was born and raised in Santa Cruz, where there IS a beach boardwalk, which is nowhere near as nice or fun as a Disney park (and you can see all the negative things I described by visiting there), and I take pride in my roots there! That says a lot.

I think unless you can personally see how far the park has come, you can't really give an accurate opinion of it today compared to where you think it needs to go in the future.

 

[sophies*mom]

Agree 100%. Every time I read that paradise pier doesn't reflect CA, I think, "haven't you heard of Santa Cruz?"

http://www.disboards.com//www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/

 

[nannyz]

I have been to both parks many times. I have no plans to ever go back to WDW. It has just become too big to enjoy; and my family found Epcot boring.

 

[DahliaRW]

Agree 100%. Every time I read that paradise pier doesn't reflect CA, I think, "haven't you heard of Santa Cruz?"

I think the problem is that the only place in CA some people go is LA. If that's the only area you've been to you won't "get" it. But if you've traveled around CA, you can totally see the connection in the different areas.

 

[Lucille1963]

I think the problem is that the only place in CA some people go is LA. If that's the only area you've been to you won't "get" it. But if you've traveled around CA, you can totally see the connection in the different areas.

My husband spent his teenage years in Monterey and every time we end up at the Pacific Wharf section of the park, he starts telling stories about drinking at Cannery Row.

 

[AustinTink]

I have been to both parks many times. I have no plans to ever go back to WDW. It has just become too big to enjoy; and my family found Epcot boring.

This is us. We have been to WDW 10 times and DLR 10 times. With the introduction of FP plus at WDW, and the extreme crowds we have vowed never to return. DLR is our home now.

As far as the OP's original post about WDW vs. DLR... this subject has been hashed and rehashed ad nauseam. The most thorough synopsis can be found in Hydroguy's links, if you require more information.

And, since this is the Disneyland side of the Dis, you will find that the majority of us prefer DLR for many reasons and don't really enjoy pitting one resort against the other. The masses can keep WDW, I'll stay at DLR, thanks.

 

[sophies*mom]

My husband spent his teenage years in Monterey and every time we end up at the Pacific Wharf section of the park, he starts telling stories about drinking at Cannery Row.

haha! Cannery Row is awesome. I miss hanging out there.
http://www.disboards.com//www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/

 

[ClaraOswald]

To the OP - can I ask why you think your POV is "fair" and "balanced?" I mean, what makes it anymore fair or balanced than anyone else's POV?

 

[flyingdumbo127]

I have never been to WDW except from family who go every year and through the pages of a favorite kid's book. I would love to get out there one day. To me, the place sounds humungous and must be for 4 or 5? parks. I am a huge DL fan and am happy just being there on Main Street. I never thought about leaving the park to go back to the hotel and missing Disney because honestly at that point, I am usually thankful to be going back to the hotel for some rest. Only on my last day at the park, it would, of course, be harder to leave.

I did love that at one time MK had the Main Street Electrical Parade and oh I would love to one Christmas get to view the Osborne Spectacle of Lights. thanks to family photos, I have seen pictures of Christmas decorations at the parks and various hotels and they are awesome. To me it did feel like Christmas was more prominent there though DL décor was awesome, too.

PeopleMover, I wish would return to DL for sure. As for CA Adventure, Small World is exactly my speed and Dumbo my "flight." I also do have health issue, no herky jerky rides or coasters, thankfully since I wouldn't have gone on them anyway, I don't miss that. I shared because I went once very briefly when it first opened to DCA. DL will forever be in my heart and my park. One of these days now that I do have an annual pass I will check out DCA for a little while.

I think my main WDW preference is also Christmas related and that is that out there the Candlelight Processional is over the entire month of December. I said this in the Christmas thread on here and am hoping DL will expand it this year. It's more public in FL and not as much waiting all day or even standing for an hour+. I will forever be so grateful and know how blessed I was last year to see it and from a seat. I'm not complaining, just would sure appreciate it being more accessible out here. It'd be awesome to also see it closer to Christmas Day, too and with different narrators.

I would love to see DCA reimagined, with more Disneyland type rides. I think that would also help with crowds at DL. I am happy those of you who do enjoy DCA as is do enjoy DCA

 

[HeddyRuth]

All I can say is that I am perfectly happy and satisfied with DL and after going to WDW in 2012 we now only go to Universal when we visit Florida. It has the same feel for me (walk to city walk, hotels, back and forth to parks...). To each their own I guess. I should also mention that we always stay in property and don't really walk off the area so feel fully immersed.

Buzz is far superior at DL and I am not sure if anyone mentioned Space Mountain but that one is also far better at DL. I feel that some of the other ones (haunted mansion and jungle cruise) are the same. Splash mountain at WDW as well as TOT are better by far.

Did anyone mention Indiana Jones??? love that ride...

 

[DizMe]

My husband spent his teenage years in Monterey and every time we end up at the Pacific Wharf section of the park, he starts telling stories about drinking at Cannery Row.

 

[Jaylens Papa]

One thing not mentioned is the weather. You can spend a whole day at DLR without having to change your sweat stained clothes several times a day. You don't have to worry about a unexpected rainstorm popping up in the middle of the afternoon.
I have been to both, I like them both. But being born and raised in California I still believe we have the best all a round package.
Growing up in a poor farming family we watched Disneyland being built on television. It was always a dream to get to go. It took nearly 15 years for that dream to come true. I have been there almost every year since. Now I get to bring that dream to my Grand kids.
I don't feel that way about WDW.

 

[HydroGuy]

OP, thanks for posting your thoughts. There will always be debate on threads like this and hopefully that will be enlightening for others if done in a friendly way. So far this thread has been pretty friendly.

I really love both DLR and WDW but DL will always have my heart. Even so, there are things at WDW that pull on my heart now too.

It was not clear where you stayed at DLR but as you get further from DLR the streets do feel more and more disconnected from Disney. Much better than it used to be decades ago, but it is still there. For those who stay onsite, well they do not see those streets and the Disney bubble is pretty solid. Not quite WDW, but pretty good.

The hotels on Harbor across from DLR have a similar feel. I have felt different amounts of "bubble" at WDW and I would say staying at CBR one time did not feel like much of a bubble at all. I feel more in a bubble staying offsite at DLR on Harbor. However the non-Disney Swan and Dolphin hotels have become my best trade-off at WDW for being walking distance to two of the WDW parks and nice. But your overall point that WDW offers a more all encompassing experience is certainly true.

I tend to switch hats when I go from one resort to the other. That really allows me to focus on the strengths of each resort when I am there. Otherwise the buses and boats at WDW would drive me crazy with all the waiting. As would things like DLR's lack of a no bag line and fewer cool dining experiences.

While so many WDW vets rave about Epcot, for me Epcot was an acquired taste. I did not get it at first. My favorite park at WDW after MK is easily DHS. I love the vibe there.

If I did not get Epcot then it appears you certainly did not get DCA. I do get DCA and love what it explores. The theme of California is central to the story of Walt Disney and his company. Miami has nothing to do with Disney so that comparison you made is lost on me. Also, California holds a mythic status in our country and indeed around the world. This has been the case for centuries since the Spanish first started exploring there seeking cities of gold.

I am glad you had so many positives at DLR. I am glad WDW and DLR are not carbon copies of each other.

 

[mlnbabies]

We just back from DL and we are WDW vets. We were there from 12-9-14 to 12-13-14. This is my recap from my trip report.

My recap on the first and maybe last trip to DL. The reason I say that is because we are going to World in Dec. 2015. My husband told me that when we booked this trip to DL in May 2014 and the next one to World we are done going to Disney for a long time. Even now he still says that Disney vacations can't be done cheaply. Sure you can get room discounts but you can't on the tickets themselves. Food is expensive and getting there isn't cheap either.

I was surprised that my husband likes DL better than World. He doesn't like Epcot. He can do without DHS. He likes AK and MK. He did a lot of comparing DL to MK and DL won other than the fact the castle is small. He was impressed with the theming of DL. So with that attitude just maybe we will make it to DL one day.

I also fell in love with DL. It definitely beats MK at Christmas as far as the holiday overlays and decor. MK's fireworks are much better than DL's. We were really disappointed in them. DCA was really cool and we loved Carsland. We never did ride Screamin.

My girls love both DL and WDW. Each park has favorite rides for both of them. I really hoped that my oldest would pick DL for her 16th birthday trip in 12-15 and she almost did. She really wants to stay at the Grand Floridian in Dec. so that's what we will do. She was promised that we could go to WDW before we planned our DL trip so I can't fault her for wanting to go there.

My youngest who is 11, just told me that she likes DL better than WDW. She fell in love with Toontown.

Another big advantage DL has is the weather! We hate the humidity in FL. The crowds weren't too bad. Never had to wait more than 30 minutes in a ride line. The one day we noticed an increase in crowds was on Wednesday afternoon in DL. Even on Friday afternoon, DL wasn't as bad as I thought it would be after the weather cleared. We used FP when needed. Being able to walk from PPH to the parks by going through the GC was so easy. Park hopping was great. The food was good everywhere we ate. Didn't run into rude people or CM's. We got lots of "Happy Birthday's" from CM's. All in all it was a wonderful and amazing trip to DL. I can't wait to come back to DL.

 

[ClaraOswald]

We just back from DL and we are WDW vets. We were there from 12-9-14 to 12-13-14. This is my recap from my trip report.

My recap on the first and maybe last trip to DL. The reason I say that is because we are going to World in Dec. 2015. My husband told me that when we booked this trip to DL in May 2014 and the next one to World we are done going to Disney for a long time. Even now he still says that Disney vacations can't be done cheaply. Sure you can get room discounts but you can't on the tickets themselves. Food is expensive and getting there isn't cheap either.

I was surprised that my husband likes DL better than World. He doesn't like Epcot. He can do without DHS. He likes AK and MK. He did a lot of comparing DL to MK and DL won other than the fact the castle is small. He was impressed with the theming of DL. So with that attitude just maybe we will make it to DL one day.

I also fell in love with DL. It definitely beats MK at Christmas as far as the holiday overlays and decor. MK's fireworks are much better than DL's. We were really disappointed in them. DCA was really cool and we loved Carsland. We never did ride Screamin.

My girls love both DL and WDW. Each park has favorite rides for both of them. I really hoped that my oldest would pick DL for her 16th birthday trip in 12-15 and she almost did. She really wants to stay at the Grand Floridian in Dec. so that's what we will do. She was promised that we could go to WDW before we planned our DL trip so I can't fault her for wanting to go there.

My youngest who is 11, just told me that she likes DL better than WDW. She fell in love with Toontown.

Another big advantage DL has is the weather! We hate the humidity in FL. The crowds weren't too bad. Never had to wait more than 30 minutes in a ride line. The one day we noticed an increase in crowds was on Wednesday afternoon in DL. Even on Friday afternoon, DL wasn't as bad as I thought it would be after the weather cleared. We used FP when needed. Being able to walk from PPH to the parks by going through the GC was so easy. Park hopping was great. The food was good everywhere we ate. Didn't run into rude people or CM's. We got lots of "Happy Birthday's" from CM's. All in all it was a wonderful and amazing trip to DL. I can't wait to come back to DL.

There's a RUMOR (that's all it is at this point, I think) that Toon Town will be rethemed to Star Wars land or something. (Sadness.)