They really are like apples and oranges.
They are both so great, different... yet similiar.
Disneyland v. Magic Kingdom: I love both parks but comparing just the two DL-MK parks I really like the original better.
MK has the space and logistics worked out better because they learned so much from building and running DL and they just had unlimited space down in Florida. Aside from that I think DL is the better park and here are a few reasons why:
Pirates is a truncated version in Florida being quickly built after visitors the first year after opening kept asking where the pirates were when the WDC assumed being so close to the actual Caribbean people wouldn't feel the novelty. They were mistaken! Plus, you can feel Walt's presence in POC DL!
Space Mountain is not nearly as fast and thrilling. Apparently to save money and to utilize a two-track, two-line design the WDC used the blue-prints from the Matterhorn for MK SM and it doesn't have the same verocity that the DL single-track SM has... that was built after Florida's SM which was the original. Space Mountain Magic Kingdom can handle more people per hour so the lines are not as long on a busy day as in Anaheim for SM mainly because it has two tracks, like the Matterhorn in DL as it is esentially the same ride with different theming. Space Mountain at Disneyland RULES!!
The Magic Kingdom has no New Orleans Square. To me, NOS is the best part of DL and it kinda bugs me that they ommited it for MK. Since there is no NOS in Florida there was no need to give the Haunted Mansion a southern look so it has Dutch colonial manor architecture which is cool, very cool but not nearly as neat as the original Haunted Mansion in New Orleans Square at Disneyland!
Adventureland is not as "adventurous" as it is missing one huge asset: Indiana Jones and The Temple of the Forbidden Eye! Great ride and yes the Dino ride at AK is great but it is not nearly as awesome as Indy! Also, my favorite food items at DLR (including DCA and Downtown Disney and Blue Bayou) is Bengal BBQ, located across from Indy... Yummy spicy chicken and veggy kabobs! I wish they had Bengal BBQ in FL, hopefully they will soon.
No Mr. Toad! You think Mr. Toad had road rage... I'm feeling some myself when thinking about how they pulled that ride for the bear and donkey. I hate how they killed the Country Bear Jamboree in CA but atleast Mr. Toad lives in DL!
No Matterhorn! I know, yes the Everest expedition but still, no Matterhorn in the middle of the park... I like to ride the Matterhorn bobsleds but I also just like to look at it from all over the park and you don't have the stare at the Matterhorn luxury at MK.
Of course there are a bunch of things about MK that I think are superior to DL but I'll leave that for another thread. If you look at the entire FL resort as opposed to the CA resort WDW takes the cake because it is so much larger and has much more to offer but straight up DL v. MK I'll respectfully take DL by a slim margin!
Also Disneyland was the park that started it all... It is the genesis, the park that made all the others possible. DL is also the one park that Walt enjoyed himself and that is never lost on me whenever I visit.
Both parks are endlessly fun and wonderful but DL has that magic, that intangible quality that only an original can have.
The fun honestly is going to both parks tons of times and realizing and learning and subtle differences and advantages between them. Either way, you can't go wrong but my advice would be to go wherever you have been to less.
