Disneyland versus Disneyworld: Your views please

[Chris and Pooh]

Hi All,

Please can you tell me how Disneyland compares to Disneyworld. We are hoping to do our first West coast visit next year, we have been to Disneyworld many times and love it , but how does Disneyland compare. Iam hoping to get unbiased comments so I have also posted this in the Disneyworld section.

Many thanks in advance

 

[heatherfeather24]

For context about my comments: I have only been to DL twice (will be returning for trip no. 3 in Sept.), so I am by no means a DL expert. Been to WDW at least 12 times.

In my mind, DL is not a "destination" vacation. Don't get me wrong, it's a lot of fun, but for us it isn't worth a trip to CA from IL all by itself. Fortunately, FIL lives in San Diego, so we have a perfect excuse to split a week between the beach down there and DL.

WDW to me is huge and immersive and allows me to forget about anything else going on in the world. It's a place completely unto itself filled with so much to do that I can happily enter WDW grounds and not leave again for another week.

DL is not. When you leave DL park, you immediately see outside hotels, chain restaurants and you can even walk to Target. I see no real benefit to staying on grounds at DL because of the close proximity to so many less expensive options. In addition, while there are some excellent dining options at DL, there are certainly not enough to keep you paying the Disney premium for all of your meals.

In case you haven't picked up on it yet, my real complaint about DL is that it is not "immersive" enough for me. That is probably the case primarily because I was exposed so much earlier (and so much more frequently) to the complete Disney vacuum that is WDW.

The immersion complaint aside, DL is still a very fun place. There are some experiences in DL that are *vastly* superior to WDW. POC is amazing at DL. All of Fantasyland at DL puts WDW's to shame! Even though there aren't nearly the amount of dining options at DL as WDW, I can't think of a single one at WDW that is as interesting as Blue Bayou (it's a little like San Angel Inn, but done much better IMO). Liberty Square is missing in DL, but instead there is New Orleans square which is richly themed and has all kinds of little back alleyways to get lost in. I cannot speak to the newer attractions like the rethemeing of Tom Sawyer's Island or the Nemo ride, but I'm very much looking forward to trying them out in September.

I absolutely think that DL is a great place to visit, but that you have to go in with your eyes wide open if you are accustomed to WDW. I was not aware of DL's proximity to the real world the first time that I visited and, as such, was a little put off. Now that I know the scoop, I'm letting go of my issues and seem to enjoy DL more and more each time I visit.

Hope my rambling helped a bit!
HF24

 

[gatorfreud]

I totally agree. We mainly do WDW, but we have started quite a few DLR trips, and are even getting annual passes to DLR this year!

I think you need to go into it that DLR is a very different vacation than WDW. To me, WDW is a vacation spot, to spend 10 days if possible. DLR is much smaller and it is more about the parks only - whereas I see WDW as a place to do some parks, and lots of other things too. We did spend almost 5 days over Thanksgiving at DLR last year, and we did find plenty to fill the time, but that's about as long as I would go.

It is kind of weird that DLR is just right there, next to the McDonald's and Best Western. The first time I wasn't quite prepared for that, and it was honestly pretty depressing to just walk right out the gates, and down a regular old street to the HoJo. That said, that is one of the beauties of DLR, you can be on Main Street and then IN your hotel room in about 10 minutes, whether you stay onsite or off. At MK, you would maybe just be getting to the bus line in 10 minutes. You just have to manage your expectations.

The hotels are nothing like at WDW - the GCH is very nice, similar to WL, but we stayed at DLH and it was ok. I felt more immersed than at the HoJo for sure - but still it is not like being at a WDW resort. I liked it fine, but again, just don't be prepared for it to be the same.

So after all of that, DLR has tons of big plusses. A lot of the rides are better at DLR - same ride, just better at DLR. Also, they have some rides that WDW does not have so that is fun. It's fun to compare - everything at DLR is smaller - seems like WDW in miniature! Logisitics are so simple at DLR - DCA is right across the way, DTD right there also. That is pretty nice. F! is way better at DLR, and I like their fireworks better too.

Be aware that everything doesn't run all the time at DLR. Often on weekdays and even weekends in the off season, things are not running - so check the schedule.

Oh and if you can go for the holiday overlays, that is super cool as well.

OK well that is about it. Bottom line, I think WDW will always be my favorite because of the full immersion and so many things to do to make a true vacation out of it. But DLR has plenty of upsides as well. Go to each and love each for what it is since to me they are very different.

Kim

 

[Whidbey5]

We're west coasters, so Disneyland is where we go most often. I like the originality of the place, the idea that DL is where it all began. I like that the parks are a short distance from each other.

We've been to DW twice and are most likely going again in December. It drives me batty to have to take transportation between parks. I don't get that "connected" feeling when I get on a bus, only to get off at another location.

DL feels way more relaxed to me. While we've encountered stressed out people in both parks, there seems to be a furious pace at DW...like everyone is trying to get somewhere, fast. I'm also not a fan of "bigger is better" so the vastness (is that a word?) of DW is not something I see as a plus.

I'm pretty convinced that the parks you love are the ones you've spent the most time in. For us, it's Disneyland. Our kids have been to both and are split on their findings (hence the trip to DW in December!). Our older two love DL and our youngest is facinated with DW (especially EPCOT).

 

[ballarinamom]

I totally disagree about the immersion of DL. We stay at the DLH and feel more immersed at DL than WDW. No matter what you pay for a hotel at WDW, you still have to take a monorail, boat, or bus to get from park to park. At DL, you walk out of your hotel and right through DTD and into the parks. We never see anything non-Disney. We have freinds who were die hard WDWers and just came back from DL. Like us, they said they would never go back to WDW.
Now that being said, a full week or more ar DL is too much. I think most folks here will tell you 5 days is enough time to do everything. At WDW with the waterparks etc. 10 days. Now I'm from San Antonio and we have tons of waterparks. Schiltterbaun is 15 minutes from my house and they have the originally surfing water rides. It is always winning the awards for waterpark design. So waterparks at WDW did not intice us to stay longer.
AS far as hotels, again, no matter what you paid, there was only one hotel that offered Disney themeing- All Star Movies. We stayed there just because DD wanted to stay where the characters were. She is used to DLH. I have never stayed at a place where the furniture was CHAINED TO THE WALL!!! Very unDisney!
AS for the parks. justbecause there are more parks does not mean there are more rides. My sister-in-law said WDW is bigger and better. But when we showed her the comparison between the number of rides. DL wins. There are rides unique to DL that WDW does not have. And there are similar rides- IASW, Pirates, SM that are so much better than WDW. Toontown is really a town and not a 20 foot strip of crwodedness. When you get there you will see what I mean. It has such a surreal look and feel.
DL has a quaintness about it that makes it charming. Walt lived threre in the apartment. He planted some of the plants. Call me sappy I don't care!
All I know is we will never go back to WDW. DL is better when you compare rides. There are plenty of nice restaurants if you are only there for 5 dyas. And if you want a waterpark- The Pacific Ocean is the ultimate and only 20 minutes away

 

[annacali]

I don't know...we just got back Friday after 3 days at Disneyland (total week trip with some time in San Diego area first). We did WDW last summer. For me, DL was just way more stressful (and we stayed at the DLH and offsite in WDW). It seemed like we had to walk sooo much more in DL...we didn't really seem to need the stroller in WDW-kept leaving it parked and having to walk back and get it. So, I didn't bring one to DL thinking everything was smaller and closer together (my kids are 6 and 4 now) and by halfway thru the first day I had to rent one. The traffic was also very stressful for me...getting to and from the airport (LAX) and thru the airport itself was seriously a trip ruiner for me. We left at 6:30 am Friday for an 11 am flight to be able to return the rental car and check in and get through security and everything. Very much not fun.

On the plus side...the kids had some great character interaction and we LOVED the character meals...Goofy's, Minnies and Ariels. Fantasyland was fun, and my 4 year old positively LOVED Soarin and got to ride it several times because the lines were not as long at DCA as they are in Epcot. We had a magical moment on the Fantasyland Carousel when Alice and the Mad Hatter and the Queen of hearts and a Marching band joined us. IASW is very fun there too...my girls adored it. But all in all, I think we will stick with Florida simply because getting there is less stressful.

 

[disneynerd420]

3 words... It's the original.

WDW is amazing, but for me it does not share the same magic that DLR has. This is the land that Walt built. The only park he was ever in.

As far as rides are concerned... Space mountain is absolutely superior in DL compared to MK. Gotta try the Matterhorn when you go, as far as roller coasters go, it is nothing special, but you need to at least do a ride on each side to say you rode on the first tubular steel roller coaster.

Indiana Jones is much better than Dinosaur!

WDW does have DLR beat on the food aspect... but I do love the food at DLR. I recommend Goofy's Kitchen, Blue Bayou, Cafe Orleans, Carnation Cafe, Taste Pilots grill, hungry bear restaurant, Plaza Inn, ESPN Zone, Wine Country Trattoria and Napa Rose. There are lot's of others, but you gotta decided for yourself what kind of food you want to eat. You can check out the restaurant menus here
http://www.wdwinfo.com/disneyland/dining/menus.cfm
http://www.themouseforless.com/tripplanning/menus/dl/menus.shtml#DL

I'm surprised no one has mentioned that fact that Sleeping Beauty Castle at DL is less than 1/2 the size of Cinderella castle in MK. So be prepared. You will think that it is really small.

I hope you have a great time!

 

[teatime]

I am not into " the emersion theory" I love disneyland but do not like staying on property as the cost is high and there are just as nice hotels right out side the gate. I like disneyland as its simple and easy for this old gal, but WDW was so much more. great resturants, more treats, so much more to do and I loved that place!!
But the transportation is so long, confusing and tiring. If I was 20 years younger WDW would be it for me, but at my age in order to get all I can from disney I have to go to disneyland and I am thrilled with that.
I love DCA my kids love that park and we do not get all bottle necked during shows and parades.
Disneyland was my first park, and Im closer to it then WDW but WDW has way more to offer for the buck. I also loved pop century.

 

[Pacific Northwest]

First of all, I live in Eastern Washington so a trip to DL is much easier and more affordable than a trip to WDW. I've been to WDW twice and DL five times (with a surprise trip coming in October).

What I like about Disneyland:
I can spend 3 days in the parks (even in peak season) and do everything that I would like multiple times. For me and my family 3 days at DL is enough.
I like the big rides. At DL, they are all close to each other. I can do all of them (in each park) at least twice each day during the busy season. Not possible at WDW because everything is so spread out.
I can walk from my hotel to the front gates in less than ten minutes.
It's an easier trip because it is close to my home (as compared to WDW).

What I like about WDW:
Once I'm there, it's all Disney all the time. I love that.
It requires a longer stay and it's harder to travel because of where I live.
I love the water parks.
Disney quest was cool. One of my favorite things.
There is more to do than at DL.

If I lived an equal distance from the two, I would probably go to WDW more often than DL. That's probably because when I do Disney, it's the only thing that I want to do and at WDW I feel more immersed in the Disney experience than I do at DL.

 

[Canyon girl]

I lived in Orlando during my last year of college and had an AP. I also have done a total of 6 trips to DLR, so I feel fairly confidant in what I am about to say. I prefer to do DLR than WDW. I also made sure that my kids do DLR several times before I even attempt to take them to WDW (hopefully next year). As others have said, this is the ORIGINAL! It is also a much more relaxed feeling (apologies to the pp who actually had to walk). Whether you stay on site or off site at a close (walking range) hotel, you don't have this maniacal need to rush. You can take your time and walk and enjoy the ambiance of the place. At WDW, you have to plan the bus trip to the park. You have to make sure you are on the right bus with enough time to get to your next ADR or rope drop. I recently read a TR (on another site) written by a mother who was actually upset that her children were chosen to open the park (AK) because it interfered with her run for a FP. A CM offered her PS for a show, and she was upset because she didn't plan on doing that show until several days later, and it interfered with her plans for running her family ragged the entire day. This type of trip is not my idea of a vacation. It is just more work. Please let me enjoy my nice relaxing trip to Walt's original park.

 

[Marciern22]

Everyone does have their own opinion. In my opinion DLR is the best! I live 30 minutes from DLR and We are there 3-4 times a month. I've also stayed on property several times for mini vacations. We love DLR with all our hearts! When I walk thru those gates, I forget all about the outside world. We are never stressed when we are there because we just enjoy it, but then again we aren't trying to rush around and get it ALL in. (I have been super stressed playing Mouse Adventure there though)
Last year my kids and I and my cousins family (also DLR lovers) went to Florida for our first time. Kids ages: 18, 16, 15, 12. They really liked Epcot because of the World Showcase, they sorta like Hollywood Studios, but thought it was too much like Universal Studios Hollywood. You can get Tower of Terror, Toy Story Mania, and Fantasmic!(so much better at DL) at DLR too, without paying to get into another park. They didn't like MK. We were gonna stay there the whole day, but the kids after being there, decided they would rather go spend time at the resort pool. WDW: talk about a lot of traveling! In DLR, POTC, IASW, Fantasyland, SPACE MOUNTAIN!!!!, BTM are ALL so much better than at WDW. And we love Nemo Subs, and we spend alot of time in Innoventions doing stuff and relaxing.
Remember, DL is the original and Walt didn't know it would become what it was to become so that's why everything is so close. I love that I can get anywhere on that property in 15 minutes!
The one thing I do remember that was horrible about WDW, the weather. We went in September, it was soooo hot and humid. The humidity put us all in such a bad mood. And being Californians we are used to hot, but not humid.
We did like Animal Kingdom. It was so beautiful! We've decide that if we go again to WDW we would do AK and Epcot again but not the other two and do other things.
When you are here, go to Knott's Berry Farm. You can see it from the DLR parking structure. It has huge Roller Coasters! and Camp Snoopy and Knott's Soak City waterpark. The beaches are close by and Mexico is 2 hours away, Hollywood is one hour, San Diego is 1 and a half hours to Sea World and the Zoo and Wild Animal Park and you can go on the USS Midway. California has so much to do that is so close and if you get stranded on the side of the road, you won't have to worry about getting eaten by an alligator. (that freaked me out!!).
Just Enjoy!!
Now that was some rambling! Sorry

 

[raftislander]

Here is my background: grew up in California and have been to DL many, many times. Have taken my daughter to DL three times and have taken her twice to WDW. Those two trips are my only experience with WDW- the most recent was this past March.

DLR is compact- both parks, DTD, the Disney resorts and many off site hotels are all with in walking distance. This has advantages and disadvantages. Because there are only two parks, you dont have the stress of trying to figure out which park to go to an a particular day to avoid crowds, whether to do EMH or not, or where to make your ADRS months in advance so that you are not trying to get from one part of the world to another to eat. DL is always more crowded than DCA, it opens earlier, and it has the only early entry opportunity, which you should use if you have the option. When DL gets too crowded for you, then you walk over to DCA. If you like the resort feel of WDW and spend a good portion of your vacation at your resort lounging by the pool, then I would expect that you would not be as happy with the DLR experience, especially if you are not staying on site (GC and DLH both have nice pools- it is hit or miss at the surrounding hotels- some are, literally, in the middle of the parking lot). If you love eating at the restaurants at WDW- you will not be as happy at DLR. While there are a few good restaurants and character meals, there is not the variety found at WDW. It seems to me that eating is a BIG part of the WDW experience - not so much at DLR. You don't have anything like the World Showcase choices, Sci Fi drive in, the 50s primetime, or the place at Wilderness Lodge where you might end up with scads of bottles of ketchup on your table.

I agree with the above posters that if you want to go onto Disney property and not leave for a week, then you should go to WDW. There is much to do and see in the SO. Cal area, however, you can easily spend a week to ten days there and barely touch the surface. You can also expand your trip to other parts of California and see some sights that everyone should see at some point in his/her life, such as San Francisco, Yosemite Valley, and the California coast. I see that you are from the UK, so am assuming perhaps incorrectly, that you dont make many trips to California. This might be an opportunity.

If your favorite park at WDW is EPCOT, then you probably wont be very happy at DLR. We have Soaring at DCA and the Nemo ride at DL has some similarities to the one at Living Seas, There is a small Innoventions pavillion in Tomorrowland -but it doesn't compare very well. If your favorite park is Animal Kingdom because of the animals, you wont be happy at DLR. We have a couple rides that are similar to AK rides: Grizzly River Run is, IMO, vastly superior to Kali River Rapids; Indiana Jones is same ride system as DINOSAUR but a completely different themed ride. But there are no animals at DLR (except for the horse pulling trolleys on mainstreet). You would have to head down to San Diego to get a comparable animal experience.

If, however, you go to Disney to spend time in the parks and love the attractions, I think you should come experience DLR. With one notable exception (Tower of Terror) whenever the same attraction exists in both DLR and WDW, the DL version is better than or equal to the WDW version(again- IMO!). A couple like the HM are just different enough that you can end up liking both equally well. Like the other posters said, DL's Fantasyland is far better than WDW's. On the downside, it was not designed to handle the volume of people that it now attracts and can get extremely congested with strollers.

If I was forced to choose between DLR and WDW resorts and pick one resort to go to for the rest of my life- I would choose DLR. Maybe there is nostalgia in that decision as I went to that park as a child, but I think it has more to do with the feel of the park itself. I am charmed by DL in a way that MK does not come near. I would miss Epcot and AK, but not as much as I would miss DL. My daughter, who is now15, would choose WDW "because it has more options." So let's hope my family never has to make this choice. Good luck with your trip planning!

 

[teatime]

Hollywood studio's was amazing! rocking roller coaster, great movie ride, voyage of the little mermaid, we loved the dining, but we loved every park. I was not so much in to the magic kingdom as I am with disneyland, but epcot and the animal kingdom was awesome to.

 

[Lynzer Torte]

Methinks on this board the results will be: DLR, and on the other board: WDW.

 

[LavenderPeach]

Methinks on this board the results will be: DLR, and on the other board: WDW.

Yes, I think so too!

Like PPs have said, DLR and WDW each have their pros and cons. Since you haven't been to DLR I definitely think you should give it a try! But you need to make sure that you aren't expecting it to be the same as WDW. I think if you view it as it's own place with it's own unique features and try not to do too much comparing, then you will have a great time. Make sure to read the sticky at the top of the page with Hydroguy's guide to DLR for WDW vets. That will give you an idea of what to expect. And feel free to ask lots of questions!

 

[liesel]

I grew up going to DLR and have been to both DLR and WDW within the past year. Here's how I would rank my favorite parks:

1. Disneyland
2. Epcot
3. Animal Kingdom
4. DCA
5. Magic Kingdom
6. Hollywood Studios

The attention to detail at DL is awesome with much more ride choices compared to MK. MK felt a little more sterile with its wider walkways and the landscaping is not as impressive as DL. Sure DL can feel more packed in, but wait time in line is really how you measure crowds, and it is significantly less at DL. WDW and DLR were both wonderful, yet different, experiences and I appreciate both of them.
As far as food goes, IMO CS is much better at DL than MK with a bigger variety of food choices (you can't get soup in a bread bowl at MK, for instance). The CS at Epcot was wonderful and I enjoyed many of the TS restaurants throughout the world (Boma being my favorite-if they had something like that at DLR I'd be in heaven).
For transportation, I love being able to get from the hotel to the front gate in 10 minutes at DLR and the proximity of the two parks. This allowed us to take the afternoon breaks at DLR that we were unable to do at WDW becuase of the time and hassle involved. We spent much more time in the parks.
For us, the lower cost of visiting DLR (tickets-loved the Deluxe AP from costco, with the gift card an AP is cheaper than a 6 day park hopper at WDW, cheaper airline tickets from Colorado, lower car rental cost, entertainment rate at Hojo's), combined with being able to show our kids where their parents grew up, visit the grandparents and other family and friends, and enjoy everything that Ca has to offer, will keep us coming for a while. I do look forward to visiting WDW again when the kids are a little older.

 

[PinkBudgie]

I notice that one of the most common questions WDW vets ask over here about DLR is how many days they need at each park. It is better to ask how many days as a whole should you stay at DLR. At DLR you don't stay in one park all day. Most people park hop. We go back and forth between parks several times a day. It only takes a minute or two to walk between parks.

In fact, while I'm looking at going to WDW someday I'm overwhelmed with the fact that you have to take some sort of transportation everywhere. I've been trying to figure out the best place to stay with the least amount of busses, but you just can't get away from it. Park hopping at DLR and also wandering through DTD is something I really appreciate at DLR.

 

[mattj009]

We live in Maryland, and therefore, have always been just a quick two-hour flight from WDW. We love WDW, but we prefer Disneyland for all of the reasons previously cited, plus one really inportant one that I haven't seen cited here - the WEATHER!

Being from the East Coast, we're used to hot, muggy summers, and we can't even begin to consider going to WDW during July and August because it is just unbearable to be in that steambath. Going to Disneyland in the summer, is, by comparison, a dream! In Florida, you can almost always count on an afternoon thunderstorm. In California, the chance of rain is almost zero in the summer. Even when it's hot in California, you can always get real relief in the shade. No such luck in Florida.

We always stay at the Grand Californian at DLR. Yes, it's very expensive, but we are DVC members, and we consider the points we use to be a bargain, considering we can walk a few steps and be in either park. It's nice to not have to rise before dawn to get everyone dressed and fed, then drive to a park, then catch a ferry or monorail, then walk some more just to get to the entrance. In other words - that's 45 minutes more sleeping time that you don't get at WDW!

One Man's Opinion... Your mileage may vary!

 

[nunzia]

Like many others here DLR is the park I'm most familiar with and the biggest fan of. When I started going to Disneyland in 1963, that was the only Disney choice I have great memories with my family there as a child..the whole family even pitched in and took my grandparents for their 50th wedding anniversary. They were amazed. I was a child in northern California and spnet most of my growing up years in Reno, so DL was our top vacation spot (along with Santa Cruz). As an adult and parent we took our kids there repeatedly and now take the grandkids. We did WDW once and no one really liked it, although we are trying again in January and hope to love it this time.
We didn't stay onsite when I was a kid (once at DLH..it was so fancy to us), and never when my kids were little. In 2001 we stayed at the Grand and that was that. The immersion thing many talk about is worth it to me to save extra for that privilege. (can you really walk to a Target?) I'm a Walt buff and I just love all the nooks and crannies and stories about his 'little park'. WDW is a magnificent idea and I hope I can become a fan, but right now I'd have to choose DLR for many many reasons (and..no busses either!)

 

[Sleepless Knight]

As I think about the two resorts, I've come to conclude that I love them about equally for entirely different reasons. While the DLR itself cannot match the total immersion and getting lost in Disney feel of WDW, WDW cannot match the charm and intimacy of Walt's park. They are completely different and equally wonderful experiences. I wish I could get out to WDW more often than I do, but living on the west coast means that I make it out to Disneyland often, even before I had an AP.

Comparing WDW to the DLR is like comparing apples and oranges. The two offer vastly different experiences, each wonderful in their own way. If you respect and admire Walt Disney the man, then you owe it to yourself to experience the only park in the world that he built. While WDW rightly does talk about Walt a lot, Disneyland has his spirit and imprint all over the place.

For anyone who wants to love the "other" park, my best advice is to do your homework and then focus on what is unique to the "other" park. For instance, I've never stayed onsite at the DLR since I can remember. There are indeed offsite hotels closer to the parks than onsite hotels at the DLR. But I would never dream of staying offsite at WDW because that would be like sacrificing one of the unique things to WDW that make it special for me.