Disneyland vs. Disney World - opinions please...

[RamseyTrio]

Hi everyone -

We live closer to Florida so we automatically think of going to WDW over Disneyland BUT for our trip next year my DH said "why don't we try Disneyland instead". Airfare wouldn't be much more for us.

Looking for any opinions as to which you prefer.

Thanks!

 

[wdwluvr]

Comparing DL just to MK, I like DL better for many reasons:

1) I like that the monorail goes into the park at DL going through Tomorrowland and part of Fantasyland.

2) DL has attractions MK doesn't, such as Casey Jr Circus Train, the Storybook Canal Boats, the Pinocchio ride, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.

3) The outside of It's a Small World at DL is so much better than the one at MK with the clock and all the topiaries.

4) Space Mountain at DL has the sound track that plays during the ride.

5) DL has the Matterhorn.

6) The Sleeping Beauty walk through display in the castle at DL.

7) The Snow White figures and wishing well by the castle at DL.

8) Fantasmic at DL is soooo much better than WDW

9) DL has Indiana Jones

Overall, WDW is somewhat better because it is bigger and offers a lot more than DL. Also, you have that away from it all feeling at WDW because it is so big and isolated from Orlando and everything else. But after this last trip the DL Resort with the 2 parks and the resort hotels has more of a WDW feeling to it than it ever has. I want to go back to DL now just as much as I want to go to WDW. There were times at DL that I kind of forgot I was in the LA area. I think if you combine other things in LA with DL it won't feel like WDW but if you compare only the DL resort to WDW you will like it almost as much. I hope this helps. Have a good time if you decide to go!

 

[year2late]

I find WDW more relaxing. You can retreat to your hotel room without a hitch to rest up for the evening. You can stay within WDW boundries for a week and never consider crossing the borders into the outside world.

DL/DCA is not like that. if you are staying for a week, venturing outside of Disney property is certainly a must. San Diego is great - the Zoo is the best with Seaworld/Wild Animal Park close behind. Your little ones may enjoy Legoland.Or just park your car at the boder and pick up some great deals at Tijauna (ok half the shops are pharmacies begging for business) And of course there is Universal Studios. To stay on Disney property is pricey, though. The Grand Californian is their flagship hotel, and it is beatiful, built right into Downtown Disney. If ypu want a very nice hotel and are willing to stray from Disney property, try Priceline and choose the best class available - we got a great room at the Marriott in the Convention Area for $40.00!!!!!! But if you can afford Grand Californian, I am sure you will not be disappointed.
I love WDW, but DCA has the Electric Parade!!!!!!

They are totally different vacations!! California has better weather, too. But if you are from the East Coast, Florida weather isn't a stretch for you.

 

[Uncle Mikey]

It's like comparing apples and oranges. Disneyland and WDW are two totally different experiences. First of all you can do Disneyland (DCA included) fairly thoroughly over a three day period of time. WDW on the other had takes a minimum of a week just to scratch the surface of all the things there are to do. Having the Disneyland experience to learn from, WDW is set apart from its surrounding communities. You can enter the WDW property and not have to deal with the real world until the day you leave. You walk out of Disneyland and you walk right back into the real world. Don't get me wrong I love Disneyland and make at least one trip there per year. But for a week of vacation, I would definitely go to WDW. Now there are other things to do in Southern California but you will have to venture out on the So. Ca. freeways. Not my idea of a good time.

 

[TigerBear]

There was a thread several months ago you might find helpful:

http://64.225.125.24/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=47529&highlight=Disney+World

I am in the process of planning our first trip to DL and I can not wait to see Walt's park! I'm also really looking forward to Indiana Jones, Soarin' Over California, & California Screamin'. We do plan on spending several days visiting other destinations (Knott's Berry Farm, Universal Studios Hollywood, touring Hollywood & Beverly Hills, Descanso Gardens).

You may also find MaryJo's thread above helpful on "Other Things to Do in Southern Cali..."

Good luck with your decision!

 

[teri]

As others have said, DL/DCA is compact and urban. Downtown Disney is not separate, it is right between the onsite hotels and the parks, and everything is walking distance. WDW is rural and laid back in comparison, you are in a secluded atmosphere. Both are equally worthwhile destinations, IMO.

 

[jlima]

I grew up in Louisiana, and went to WDW several times while I was growing up (73, 77, 79, 81, etc). I moved to LA in 87 and after I graduated from college got my first DL annual pass in January 89. We moved to Las Vegas 4 yrs ago & kept our APs.

Disneyland, IMHO, has so much more personality than the Magic Kingdom. Virtually everything in the resort is in walking distance. We just got back 2 hours ago from our weekend trip. We stayed at the Paradise Pier hotel; we had a $120 rate (booked thru Travelocity). You are a 3 minute walk from DD and the monorail station into Tommorrowland, and the hotel has its own entrance into DCA (another 3 minute walk). Through my work I can get employee rates at Hilton Sutes, Homewood Suites & Hilton Garden Inn, but I may never stay at a Hilton property in Anaheim ever again, this was so convenient!!

We were in Orlando most recently the week of July 2; we stayed at the Dolphin. The MK just isn't the same. Take your trip to Disneyland; you'll love it. Hope this helps.

 

[DawnCt]

We too are heading for Disneyland next April. We are planning three nights in Anaheim, visiting DL DCA and Universal and then will head down to San Diego. My son really wanted to experience a couple of nights at the Hotel Del (Coronado) because he is hoping to run into Kate Morgan's ghost. and then we will stay the remaining time at the Marriott Coronado Island Resort. During that time we are stopping at Wild Animal Park (en route to SAN), we are planning a day at SeaWorld and the SD Zoo. There is a five day multi park ticket available. We also want to see the city, Balboa Park, etc. So much to do, so little time.

 

[sueg]

We go to WDW every March, but I never wanted to go there in the summer. So this Aug., we made our first family trip to California, ending in DL/CA. We really enjoyed it and throughout the trip, we discussed WDW vs. DL. Our conclusion was that despite many similaritiies, it was a different experience.
We stayed at GC and we loved the walking distance convenience to both parks. Some ride experiences are unique to DL. Indiana Jones is a great variation on AK's Dinosaur. They still have Mr.Toad, my oldest DS's favorite. We all felt that Pirates was a better ride in DL, plus we lunched at Blue Bayou (THE BEST) afterwards and that made it even better. We thought that the DL/CA employees were wonderful; in our four days, we never had a negative experience.(Unfortunately, we feel that WDW, at times, suffers from some employee quality issues) The respect for Walt and DL is most evident in Great Moments w/ Mr. Lincoln, a great audio-video experience. Soaring over California was the high point of CA and probably is the best Disney ride, to date. We also enjoyed the soft opening of Millionaire.
As DVC members, we will continue to go to WDW annually. We may never go to DL/CA again. But we are really glad that we did.

 

[WDWfanatic288]

well u cant compare DL to WDW but u can compare DL to MK


I like DL and WDW...but WDW has my heart but Dl has a space too

I think you should go to DL at least once...I mean you have to see where Walt really was.

 

[goldengurl999]

It is really hard to compare the two because they are so different. I have been to each twice but I would choose WDW. Here are my reasons:

1)WDW has more ps restaurants

2)Splash mountain is better at WDW because you sit side by side and not in one in front of the other

3)WDW has three nice water parks you can take a break at in the middle of the day

4)WDW has more resorts

and I would say more but it is really hard to compare them...

 

[chloesmommi]

We just returned from our first trip to DL, having been to WDW many times in the past 20 years. In a nutshell, DL is much more convenient than Magic Kingdom. Smaller is better, at least in this case. The feel of DL is more authentic, and the attraction facades are more realistic to the theme of the attraction. DL's Fantasyland also has more attractions than MK.

Having said that, DL CM's can't hold a candle to WDW CM's. Most of them did not have a clue about show times, parade times, where to find characters, or even which characters would be in the park on a particular day. They were rushed and indifferent to most of the questions I had. I even went up to a CM who had a "Ask me about characters button" on his shirt, and all he could tell me was to go to the "toon finder" on the other side of the park and ask him. That would never happen in WDW. The cashiers in the gift shops at WDW are more informed than the people at DL's Guest Services, and if they couldn't answer your question, they would be on the phone in a jiffy to get the info you needed.

If you have little ones who love the characters, MK handles this much better, with clearly defined lines and attentive handlers. In DL, it is a free-for-all with people pushing past others to get their child up front. The DL handlers might just as well be out to lunch.

Another problem that, although increasing in both parks, seems more prevalent at DL is cell phone use/abuse. Cell phones were constantly ringing in the middle of a performance or ride.

One other thing, many WDW people complain about the size of Sleeping Beauty's Castle, but I much prefer it to MK's. There is a real fairytale feel about it that is lost In MK's Cinderella's Castle. I'll never forget how disappointed I was on my first entering Cinderella's Castle 20 years ago and finding there was nothing inside. Reading the Sleeping Beauty tale to my daughter while viewing the dioramas in the castle was a wonderful experience.

You really need to experience both parks, as they are unique. I know WDW will be a more frequent destination for us because we live on the East Coast, but I loved DL and hope to return again. I just hope by then Management can instill a sense of pride and helpfulness in their CMs.

 

[Magikem]

Disneyland is a planet. WDW is the universe.