Disneyland vs Disneyworld

[DLR29]

My family and I have been to DL twice now, over the past two years for our first Disney trips ever, and we fell in love of course! We are contemplating our next trip going to WDW and often wonder if it's worth it to go, when we love DL so much.... I have been on the WDW side of the boards and have to tell you all how helpful you all are over here! Much nicer than the WDW side. I'm sure there are some very nice and helpful people over there as well, but the overall 'feel' of the boards is just different. Here I feel like I'm asking friends a question who will always have friendly replies vs asking strangers who may or may not like what's asked.

This is a common occurrence. I'm glad you like the DLR boards. You could probably get a ton of WDW planning here too, on the DL community boards, anything is game.

 

[tlynk]

When doing a week long vacation- I prefer WDW. However, when doing a 3 day vacation I prefer DLR since it is within driving distance. I love both places and each experience is different for me- I cannot really compare. Usually I don't spend much time at the Magic Kingdom in WDW- this way here I'm always having the urge to go to DL. I like DL much more than the MK. However, I love all the other parks and atmosphere that WDW offers. The food is more diverse and the resorts are much more affordable and well themed. My daughter is coming home from WDW after doing the Disney College Program and she is so sad- she had the best time of her life! She did tell me she wants to go to DL soon though.

 

[Lizzybear]

I'm from the UK so really both DLR and WDW are definitely full vacation destinations (DLR I would combine with a vacation elsewhere in CA) rather than somewhere I could go for a day or a short break. The latter is possible for DLRP but I find it really overpriced with the current pound/euro exchange rate.
I've been to WDW 4 times and DLR once and though they both have their positives and negatives I feel that overall I prefer DLR. I can't really explain why 100%, I just immediately felt more 'at home' there and I love the layout of Disneyland park in particular: The theming is wonderful I also like that you can walk everywhere, it's nice to take in the atmosphere on foot and have a break from driving or riding buses It probably helps that I fell head over heels in love with California but can take or leave Florida!! We returned to WDW this year and I had pangs of wishing we were at DLR instead, especially when we were riding Soarin'

 

[Petraman]

My DW and I have four teenage sons. Is one "way better" than the others? It is not really a fair question. They all have things about them that are very cool.

So I do not think of DLR or WDW as "better" (or TDR or DLRP for that matter). Rather I think of what things I like about each.

Here are things I like about WDW and make it worth visiting:

1. There is just so much to do! You can spend 10 days there and still feel like it was not enough time.

2. They have cool hotels

3. They have creative restaurants (Sci-Fi Dine-In is one of our favorites - we also like Beaches & Cream and Whispering Canyon)

4. It feels more immersive

5. They have some unique rides that are cool - EE, RnR, Philharmagic, TT

6. They have some cool shows - Illuminations, Festival of the Lion King, Nemo, Lights Motor Action

7. They have two fun water parks

8. They have DisneyQuest

9. They have fun dinner shows - Hoop-De-Doo Revue and Polynesion Luau

10. They have activities that are just not possible a DLR - Disney movies shown outside at night at Fort Wilderness (we saw Finding Nemo there) and at the Boardwalk area by the Beach Club.

11. They have cool music - Off-Kilter at Epcot is lots of fun and so is Mulch, Sweat and Shears at DHS.

12. Plus lots more

The bottom line is that DLR or WDW can feel a bit repetitive year after year and it is fun to do something different. WDW is different but still very magical. WDW really requires more planning - especially for dining and for shows.Is it worth doing? Definitely!

I am truly impressed with all the info being given... very balanced. And Hydroguy has given a great list of WDW advantages. I would like to share some key things about DL that make it a great visit as well....

1. It is much more compact and easy to get around. Also, very nice to be able to walk out of the park and go to hotel for quick nap, swim, etc. If you stay in the GCH it even has a private entrance into DCA which was very nice.

2. Even though there are only 2 parks, many of the top rides found in DHS, Epcot are in DL or DCA (I am in no way saying they have the same rides or DL has all the best rides from WDW).

3. There are many restaurant choices that are not themed disney places that you can get to easily (Joe's Crab Shack, Mimi's Cafe, Tony Roma's). This feature is best accomplished with a car. Not saying there aren't other outside restaurants near WDW, just saying they are hard to find and get to.

4. This is clearly just my opinion (I'm sure some will disagree), but with the rides that are included in both resorts, we like the DL versions of the rides better than WDW versions except for Splash Mountain and ToT which are nicer at WDW

5. Tickets are cheaper at DL than at WDW. Right now a 5-day Park Hopper from DL online are $179 and the 5-day w/ Park Hopper at WDW (with no water park fun addon) is $280! For my family of 4 that is $400 more

All this is just opinion, but I think these are fair assessments. And with all that said, there is no way I could pick one over the other.. we absolutely LOVE them both.... and I didn't even mention the amazing Disney Cruises! Woohoo!

I will say those who have said that WDW is more like a vacation when going for more than a week are absolutely right. Ithink if we were going for short trip or we needed to do something more budget-friendly we would choose DL and if we had the extra $$ to spend (and you will spend more, count on it) and were going for a week or more then WDW is the choice.

Good news is, you really can't make a mistake here.... Disney Magic abounds in both, so go make memories!!!

 

[Disney Dreams]

... I would rank the parks like this:
1. DL
2. MK
3. EPCOT
4. DL Paris
5. DCA
6. DHS
7. AK
8. Studios Paris
...

I must respectfully disagree.

We LOVE EPCOT and AK. I would say DL, EPCOT and AK would be 1, 2, 3 or 1, 3, 2. But, that's what makes Disney so great... everyone has their own favorites.

- Dreams

 

[HydroGuy]

When doing a week long vacation- I prefer WDW. However, when doing a 3 day vacation I prefer DLR since it is within driving distance. I love both places and each experience is different for me- I cannot really compare. Usually I don't spend much time at the Magic Kingdom in WDW- this way here I'm always having the urge to go to DL. I like DL much more than the MK. However, I love all the other parks and atmosphere that WDW offers. The food is more diverse and the resorts are much more affordable and well themed. My daughter is coming home from WDW after doing the Disney College Program and she is so sad- she had the best time of her life! She did tell me she wants to go to DL soon though.

We live near DL, and maybe my opinion is shaded by the "its in my own backyard" syndrome, but I prefer WDW. The larger area helps with the crowded feeling, and I adore the Liberty Square area that is only available at the Mk. Add in the other parks [please, is there really any competition between Epcot/HS/or AK and DCA? Goodness, even the hotels at WDW are more interesting! for some reason, WDW feels friendlier, as well.

Don't get me wrong, DL has its own charm, and the weather is never the un-Godly hot & humid that is Florida, but its not really a vacation for me...we settled this year for APs at DL rather than another Florida trip [we've done WDW 3 times in less than 4 years], but I do view it as "settling" a bit. So far we've been to DL 3 times since the end of Oct. I'm already looking forward to FL again.

I will say those who have said that WDW is more like a vacation when going for more than a week are absolutely right. Ithink if we were going for short trip or we needed to do something more budget-friendly we would choose DL and if we had the extra $$ to spend (and you will spend more, count on it) and were going for a week or more then WDW is the choice.

Good news is, you really can't make a mistake here.... Disney Magic abounds in both, so go make memories!!!

As someone who doesn't have a 'home park' and visited WDW and DLR on consecutive days, I came to the conclusion that you must visit both, as they offer their own unique experiences. Not much help I know, but I can't recommend one over the other.

Having said that, if you want an actual vacation over a week or more, WDW is the hands down winner, purely based on it's size and variety.

I just wanted to collect the above sentiments to make a point about some WDW vets misguided comparisons of DLR and WDW. One sometimes sees a comment that WDW as superior to DLR because WDW is more of a "full vacation experience". Now I agree that WDW is more of a full vacation experience, but who says that "full vacation experience" is the right criteria to use to judge which resort is better? Based on where they live, some people do not care about golf courses, water parks or water sports because they already have so much of it where they live. So those "full vacation experiences" just do not count for much to some people.

For me (and this is just my opinion) the right criteria to use in judging which resort is better is which is more magical. I do not care about vacations. I care about magic - a feeling of wonder, transport, imagination. And each resort has lots of Disney magic.

I think tlynk and colb above have it right. If you really want a one week+ vacation then WDW offers more. If you want a 3-4 day getaway then DLR fits that better with less frustration. If you want Disney magic, then both WDW and DLR have it and Disney lovers owe it to themselves to visit both.

WDW lovers are accustomed to the one week full vacation experience. DLR lovers are accustomed to the short burst Disney experience. DLR is more like a sprint. WDW is more like a marathon. Both approaches have advantages. And disadvantages. To get the most of our resort one must approach it it the right way and not force it.

My two cents.

 

[HydroGuy]

I am truly impressed with all the info being given... very balanced. And Hydroguy has given a great list of WDW advantages. I would like to share some key things about DL that make it a great visit as well....

1. It is much more compact and easy to get around. Also, very nice to be able to walk out of the park and go to hotel for quick nap, swim, etc. If you stay in the GCH it even has a private entrance into DCA which was very nice.

2. Even though there are only 2 parks, many of the top rides found in DHS, Epcot are in DL or DCA (I am in no way saying they have the same rides or DL has all the best rides from WDW).

3. There are many restaurant choices that are not themed disney places that you can get to easily (Joe's Crab Shack, Mimi's Cafe, Tony Roma's). This feature is best accomplished with a car. Not saying there aren't other outside restaurants near WDW, just saying they are hard to find and get to.

4. This is clearly just my opinion (I'm sure some will disagree), but with the rides that are included in both resorts, we like the DL versions of the rides better than WDW versions except for Splash Mountain and ToT which are nicer at WDW

5. Tickets are cheaper at DL than at WDW. Right now a 5-day Park Hopper from DL online are $179 and the 5-day w/ Park Hopper at WDW (with no water park fun addon) is $280! For my family of 4 that is $400 more

All this is just opinion, but I think these are fair assessments. And with all that said, there is no way I could pick one over the other.. we absolutely LOVE them both.... and I didn't even mention the amazing Disney Cruises! Woohoo!

I will say those who have said that WDW is more like a vacation when going for more than a week are absolutely right. Ithink if we were going for short trip or we needed to do something more budget-friendly we would choose DL and if we had the extra $$ to spend (and you will spend more, count on it) and were going for a week or more then WDW is the choice.

Good news is, you really can't make a mistake here.... Disney Magic abounds in both, so go make memories!!!

Ahhh, since the OPs question was about why to go to WDW rather than DLR I oriented my post towards that. If a WDW person asks why they should consider DLR then my list would like yours.

I would add...

1. DLR has a higher ride concentration. WDW's four parks have only 10% more rides than DLR's two parks.

2. DLR's top shows are better than WDW's. DCA's Aladdin show is better than any of WDW's stage shows. DL's Fantasmic is better. And when the Remember Dreams Come True fireworks show is showing, it is better than any of WDW's outside shows.

3. The weather at DLR is generally better than WDW. Much less rain. Summer weather is way better.

. Tickets are cheaper at DL than at WDW. Right now a 5-day Park Hopper from DL online are $179 and the 5-day w/ Park Hopper at WDW (with no water park fun addon) is $280! For my family of 4 that is $400 more

Not a fair comparison IMO. DLR multi-day trips are usually 3-4 days while WDW trips are much longer. So per-day costs are not really comparable.

 

[HydroGuy]

Love them both. For the record I find walking to a harbor blvd hotel no more or less "Magical" than riding(standing) on a bus to return to my WDW hotel. I actually am more relaxed walking at DL than the feeling of helplessness when you are crammed with strollers and strangers on the Disney bus,especially if you had to wait 30 minutes for said bus!

Leave it to Judy to take the contrary opinion. I know you just recently read my my DLR Guide for WDW Vets thread and there I make the point that DLR has a different kind of immersion that is often overlooked. But you have to be in a walking distance hotel at DLR to really get the full benefit.

 

[Judy from Boise]

Absolutely.....I forget that there is a minority of people who don't stay either on site or on Harbor!
To be fair I must admit I am claustrophobic in restricted access situations....so walking unencumbered with the wind in my face will always be the right choice for me . At WDW we stay at the Swan, where we can walk to both Epcot and Studios. I guess that is also why those "in your face" WDW restaurants don't work for me. Let me get my food on a tray and find a nice outdoor niche for a fun and relaxing meal.

I think another issue in the WDW is a "vacation" and DLR is a "trip", is how much physical and psychic energy you expend, and how you feel when you get home.For most of us who have to return to work the Monday after arriving back home......you may feel like you need a "vacation" to recover form your WDW vacation! Going to DLR and staying 5 nights, now that is a vacation. No one needs 5 days for the parks alone, so you can really pace yourself, sleep in, swim, read, etc.

I love them both, and actually have spent more time recently at WDW just because we like to vacation in the winter where we can count on "shorts weather".

To throw a major wrench in the conversation....we also have done 3 trips to Universal Orlando, where we never stepped foot on Disney property!

 

[Petraman]

Ahhh, since the OPs question was about why to go to WDW rather than DLR I oriented my post towards that. If a WDW person asks why they should consider DLR then my list would like yours.

I would add...

1. DLR has a higher ride concentration. WDW's four parks have only 10% more rides than DLR's two parks.

2. DLR's top shows are better than WDW's. DCA's Aladdin show is better than any of WDW's stage shows. DL's Fantasmic is better. And when the Remember Dreams Come True fireworks show is showing, it is better than any of WDW's outside shows.

3. The weather at DLR is generally better than WDW. Much less rain. Summer weather is way better.

Not a fair comparison IMO. DLR multi-day trips are usually 3-4 days while WDW trips are much longer. So per-day costs are not really comparable.

Those are some great addon points Hydro.

IMO the OP was asking for a comparison in trying to decide if WDW was a better choice. I just added the DL points so they could have a comparison (you sound like you may have took it personal... I hope not, because my intention was simply to add some comparison to your excellent insight to WDW).

As far as my comparison of ticket prices, I agree it takes more days at WDW, I was simply pointing out how much more tickets are at WDW as a comparison. I agree that it will take longer at WDW than DL and a longer ticket. So what is a fair comparison? A 7-day at WDW and a 5-day at DL? That adds a whole $6 more per ticket than what I mentioned (so now $424 for 4 instead of $400). The point was to show how much more it costs and whether you get a 5 or 7 day ticket it will cost you approx $400 more.

On a side note, I heard that Aladdin show was coming to an end? That will be truly sad, that may be my all-time fav Disney show!

 

[Disney Dreams]

...we also have done 3 trips to Universal Orlando, where we never stepped foot on Disney property!

Ummm.... is that legal?

 

[seadd67]

Like so many there both so very nice. I grew up and still live on the west coast,been to DL through my childhood many of times and brought my DS to DL when he was seven.But since then we have gone to WDW the last 6 times and just fell In love with the whole WDW area. We are doing a split trip this comeing July and doing both DL and WDW.It will be the frist time we have been back to DL. The only comparson that I could see that has a diffrence Is the size,but we love them for both,DL being compact and the origneal and WDW for offering so mamny choices and something diffrent. no picking there both wonderfull and both should be enjoy

 

[HydroGuy]

IMO the OP was asking for a comparison in trying to decide if WDW was a better choice. I just added the DL points so they could have a comparison (you sound like you may have took it personal... I hope not, because my intention was simply to add some comparison to your excellent insight to WDW).

No, nothing of the kind. I hoped no one took my good points about WDW to mean that it was somehow superior to DLR. Your response echoed things I often write about DLR strengths and I wanted to agree with it.

On a side note, I heard that Aladdin show was coming to an end? That will be truly sad, that may be my all-time fav Disney show!

All good things must come to an end. Aladdin is special and I am sorry it is going away.

 

[HydroGuy]

To throw a major wrench in the conversation....we also have done 3 trips to Universal Orlando, where we never stepped foot on Disney property!

What a relief!

I know we are all Disney fans around here but some people seem to only go to Disney parks on their vacations. As much as I love Disney parks, I have never looked at the parks that way. Give me a week in Hawaii with my family over a week at Disney any time! At this moment we are on a four day ski trip in beautiful Colorado about two hours from home. I would take that over a Disney trip as well.

Disney is part of the mix for us. We do it and love it. But it is one of many things we do and love.

 

[Sherry E]

HydroGuy, I have a feeling that much of the reason why people don't travel to other places beyond DL or WDW is money. For those of us who have Disney in our blood, the thought of skipping a trip to any Disney park for a couple of years, or even one year, is unacceptable. And to go on a Disney vacation as well as, say, a trip to Yosemite, Las Vegas, Hawaii, Europe, Grand Canyon, on a cruise, to Universal, etc., in the same year as a Disney trip may just be too expensive for some families to manage, so they stick with what they know. I have a couple of different friends who have not even taken their families to any Disney park at all yet, let alone anywhere else, simply due to lack of money and lack of time.

So I think if money and time allowed, more people would be traveling elsewhere in addition to Disney parks, but they end up sticking with the tried and true. And Disney parks seem to lend themselves to tradition very well, making annual sojourns to whichever park it may be a very enticing prospect. I know, for me, DL is a convenient place for a certain group of friends and myself to get together every year, and it has become something of a tradition now. It makes sense for us. It would throw everything off kilter if someone suddenly said, "Let's have our annual meeting at Sea World." It would just disrupt the flow of the universe!!

 

[Judy from Boise]

What a relief!

I know we are all Disney fans around here but some people seem to only go to Disney parks on their vacations. As much as I love Disney parks, I have never looked at the parks that way. Give me a week in Hawaii with my family over a week at Disney any time! At this moment we are on a four day ski trip in beautiful Colorado about two hours from home. I would take that over a Disney trip as well.

Disney is part of the mix for us. We do it and love it. But it is one of many things we do and love.

We love to travel..... But we are very blessed to be able to indulge our love.I agree with Sherri that many people would chose to expand their horizons if they could do so financially in addition to Disney.
We love:
British Columbia, Vegas, Australia, Hawaii, Washington DC, and Orlando in general...but we can have fun anywhere!

Enjoy skiing, and many happy travels in 2010

 

[pixarmom]

I'm hopping over here again from the WDW boards. We're WDW vets planning both WDW and DL visits this year (at the end of our Clearwater vacation and at the beginning of our Newport vacation.) I haven't been to DL in 25 years, and we're excited to return with our boys. We have received such friendly and helpful DL advice here from all of you, and we're already feeling welcomed to DL! We're reading more about Walt and the history of DL, and we're looking forward to both the fun and the history of DL. I've really enjoyed reading these threads, and this one in particular, with such positive comparisons of both parks. Thanks, again!

 

[tholczer]

Go to WDW!! We are DLR AP holders and live here in LA. Although I prefer Disneyland over the Magic Kingdom, the entire experience we had at WDW just doesn't compare. A whole week of nothing but Disney. And a new Disney thing to do each day. Plus, as was mentioned earlier - half the fun was in the planning. I ordered fun boutique Disney things for my girls to wear and planned the meals and events for each day. It was a total blast. Even being on the phone with Disney Dining, over and over again, trying to get those elusive Cinderella's Castle reservations was fun!

So if you want the full immersion, Disney every day for a week, time of your life, I'd say go to WDW. Either way, though, you can't lose. Have a great time, whatever you decide.

Tracy

 

[mommato4]

WOW ! WOW! WOW! WOW!! WOW!!!!!
3 pages of responses !!! THANK YOU!!!!
All I wanted was opinions! And that's what you gave me! I didn't mean to offend anyone by asking if it was better, sorry. It's just alot more money and time and work to go to WDW compared to DL. So i needed to know!
Well we've decided we need to try WDW !
Now to decide if we want a Hawaiian or Mexican trip or WDW next christmas!!!

 

[disfan07]

Ive been to WDW 19 times (i grew up going there) and ive been to DL 6 time
It used to be a 2 hour plane ride to WDW for us so we would go every year. Now its a 1 hour drive to DL for us and we've gone twice since we moved here in june.

Personallly, while i love DL, to me it is just a filler to get my disney fix until i can go back to WDW. Its nice and eveyrthing but we dont need to be there more than 2 days, maybe 3 at the most when its really busy and we are ready to leave....our last trip we went for 1 night and we spent half of the first day at the pool....something we have never done before. We were kind of bored at the parks

At WDW we have gone for 14 days and we are not ready to leave at the end of that vacation. We have probably spent about 140 days total in WDW and we always find something new to do.

FOr us we like WDW more because:

1) there are cheaper disney hotels in WDW....$200+ for DL (we have to stay on site) to $75 at WDW....the values beat any of the off site hotels at DL within walkign distance IMO

2) more food options. We find that even after 2 days we are tired of the food at DL

3) more immersive disney experience

4) I actually like MK better than DL shocking I know

5) nighttime entertainment is better at WDW
-Fantasmic (i think its better at DHS and its not a cattle call like it is at DL)
- illuminations at EPCOT is teh best show
- spectromagic at MK is 10x better than ELP
-i persoanlly like wishes better than remember...dreams come true

6) just more to do in general

personally, if you tak eone big disney vacation a year, i think WDW is much more worth the money than DL