DL Pales in comparison to WDW

[HydroGuy]

Can't we all just get along???

FWIW if we all agreed all the time the forum would be very boring...

 

[GhostlyHitchhiker]

I think you do a fair job in your description here and I for one never use the quote to which you were responding. It does not strike me the right way.

However I think there is a little more to the story than you summarize. You are talking about the construction of DL. But of course work continued on DL and in 1959 they opened three new E-ticket rides. In the 60's they added things like POTC and HM. Walt had an apartment at DL and walked the park frequently. So it is true he was integrally involved not just with the 1955 construction and opening (the rush job) but the whole evolution of the park for 11 years until his death in 1966.

Having visited the four major Disney resorts in the world I think the DL park is the crown jewel and the best of all of them - as far as theme parks go. However the whole notion about "Walt's personal touch" at DL is a bit lost on me. Yes it is true and it is nostalgic to think of Walt actually being at DL and overseeing it. But 45 years have passed since then and the park's evolution has gone on without his personal direction for a very long time.

I do not see that much difference between DL and MK other than DL has lots more rides and it's smaller size makes things feel a little more integrated and intimate and self-reinforcing. MK has plenty of the same feeling.

Thanks!

Thanks HydroGuy.

And yes, I know there was/is far more to the story of the construction and ongoing evolving process that was and still is the Disneyland Resort. I was just struck by AlLutz quote and many of the knee-jerk reactive comments in this thread.

While I do love all things Disney (I will go to all the parks before I die, Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea are incredibly high on my list), I get most frustrated with the "our park is better than your park" attitudes and dissension that sometimes crop up on the DIS boards. Sometimes I want/need to post to make people actually stop and THINK instead of just REACT. I tend to kill threads this way much of the time. Hehe.

 

[GhostlyHitchhiker]

Sorry, double post.

 

[Love Tink]

Can't we all just get along???

I actually found this to be a very mature, interesting discussion.

Everyone isn't agreeing, but I think they are "getting along."

 

[furb & dez]

I actually found this to be a very mature, interesting discussion.

Everyone isn't agreeing, but I think they are "getting along."

"Can't we all just get along" == "I don't like anyone disagreeing with me, so I'll attempt to stifle any discussion whatsoever!"

Fallacy Category: relative of the Thought-Ending Cliché

 

[rosiep]

I actually found this to be a very mature, interesting discussion.

Everyone isn't agreeing, but I think they are "getting along."

I agree lmao. I think everyone here is doing a great job of expressing their viewpoints without getting defensive or hostile.

I, for one, find it very interesting that people seem to find attachment to one park over the other. I am certainly partial to WDW because of it's size...the very thing that someone else deems a drawback!

So...let's continue the discussion and get to know one another better.

 

[ArchOwl]

Thanks HydroGuy.

And yes, I know there was/is far more to the story of the construction and ongoing evolving process that was and still is the Disneyland Resort. I was just struck by AlLutz quote and many of the knee-jerk reactive comments in this thread.

While I do love all things Disney (I will go to all the parks before I die, Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea are incredibly high on my list), I get most frustrated with the "our park is better than your park" attitudes and dissension that sometimes crop up on the DIS boards. Sometimes I want/need to post to make people actually stop and THINK instead of just REACT. I tend to kill threads this way much of the time. Hehe.

Although people here are passionate about Disneyland (why else would they be here?), the OP's manner of introducing the topic was almost inviting a "knee jerk" reaction. It is almost like busting into a Star Trek convention and yelling out "Star Trek is stupid, Star Wars is the bomb!". And then being all hurt when the Star Trek people get upset. Um, yeah. Just because it is an online forum, doesn't mean all social niceties get ignored. A better explanation of what was good and bad about both resorts, even if it resulted in WDW being the better resort for the OP wouldn't have invoked such defensiveness. This poster was brand new, with no history here, and an inflammatory title.

For better or worse, all the Disney resorts will be compared to each other forever. Frankly, I think that is good because it means no park (even my beloved Disneyland) can rest on its laurels. WDW got a new Fantasyland?! Well have you seen Carsland?! And on and on.

 

[rosiep]

Although people here are passionate about Disneyland (why else would they be here?), the OP's manner of introducing the topic was almost inviting a "knee jerk" reaction. It is almost like busting into a Star Trek convention and yelling out "Star Trek is stupid, Star Wars is the bomb!". And then being all hurt when the Star Trek people get upset. Um, yeah. Just because it is an online forum, doesn't mean all social niceties get ignored. A better explanation of what was good and bad about both resorts, even if it resulted in WDW being the better resort for the OP wouldn't have invoked such defensiveness. This poster was brand new, with no history here, and an inflammatory title.

For better or worse, all the Disney resorts will be compared to each other forever. Frankly, I think that is good because it means no park (even my beloved Disneyland) can rest on its laurels. WDW got a new Fantasyland?! Well have you seen Carsland?! And on and on.

I wonder how the OP post would have been received on the WDW side of the forum? I bet they would have considered it bragging!

 

[Scaramedic]

If I may just throw in my .2 here.

It seems to me that if you were looking for attractive people who can act, want to act, want to be seen by the public, and are hoping to be 'discovered' then it would be a lot easier to find 'locals' in the greater Los Angeles basin than it would be in the middle of Florida.

I can see why they might have to 'ship' people in rather than just put out a casting call in Tinsel Town and have five thousand wannabe Snow Whites audition.

Was that enough 'air quotes' for everyone?

 

[ArchOwl]

I wonder how the OP post would have been received on the WDW side of the forum? I bet they would have considered it bragging!

Honestly, that side of thing scares me! I am starting to plan for WDW in October of 2012 and it is giving me anxiety. Ok, maybe that is an exaggeration, but still!

 

[GhostlyHitchhiker]

I, for one, find it very interesting that people seem to find attachment to one park over the other. I am certainly partial to WDW because of it's size...the very thing that someone else deems a drawback!

I completely agree with this. I see WDW's expansive-ness much more appealing and "Resort-like" whereas Disneyland Resort feels more cramped and not so much a "Resort" as a couple amusement parks with some nice Disney-owned hotels nearby to me.

I don't really consider Disneyland's Downtown Disney very Disney-feeling so it breaks up too much of the full immersion in DISNEY that I get when I visit WDW. I don't leave Disney property for days/weeks when I'm there and that is the constant feeling of Disney Magic I enjoy most. Even their Downtown Disney has more Disney-related stores and DisneyQuest. I just don't consider stores I have in every mall near my house Disney.

When at WDW I would never stay off-property. There are too many hotel choices within every price range that are full of the constant Disney touches, pixie dust and magic that I love about Disney.

At Disneyland, however, there are hotels closer to the main park than the Disney Hotels, the costs of which are prohibitive to many people. I can stay at a nicer boutique hotel across the street for $150/night on my upcoming October trip. The cheapest DL hotel I can get is Paradise Pier at $225/night WITH my AP discount. That is an extra $300 for our 4 night stay just on hotel. Paradise Pier is the furthest hotel from the parks and can be quite the trek (with the construction at the Disneyland Hotel in April we walked that far from our furthest Tower through the Grand Californian to get to the parks). It also doesn't seem to have the level of Disney magic as even the cheapest hotels at WDW (the All-Star Movies is one of my budget faves, though I always have a fondness for the Contemporary Resort since that is where I stayed for my honeymoon).

The point of all my posts here are that there are some very key differences at the two Resorts. Some people are going to prefer one over the other. Honestly, if all things were equal I would choose WDW more often. I like the open-ness. I think there is more room to relax and people watch and just immerse yourself in the Disney Experience. But there are times when I want the faster-paced busy-ness of Disneyland. And other times still I want a Disney Cruise, where I have to not deal with "rides" of any kind (well, except the AquaDuck if I went on the Dream), but get the full Disney immersion and relaxation I also enjoy.

 

[disneychic2]

Here's my take. I don't know why we have to compare the two. They are similar in some respects but different in a lot of ways. Both are wonderful IMHO. I don't like the whole WDW is better than DL or vise versa. Why can't we just love them both or take them each with their strong points? I've only been to DL once, but would love to go again soon.

 

[GhostlyHitchhiker]

Honestly, that side of thing scares me! I am starting to plan for WDW in October of 2012 and it is giving me anxiety. Ok, maybe that is an exaggeration, but still!

For better or worse, all the Disney resorts will be compared to each other forever. Frankly, I think that is good because it means no park (even my beloved Disneyland) can rest on its laurels. WDW got a new Fantasyland?! Well have you seen Carsland?! And on and on.

To be perfectly honest, when I first started coming here from the WDW boards I felt the same way about Disneylanders. You guys scared the beejesus outta me back then. I had always felt the WDWers were more welcoming to new posters, but that was just one perspective and that was many moons ago. Now I think even I'd be scared to go to the WDW boards. Even I'd be an "outsider" there now.

To be fair, I think Disney Cruisers are the most critical of other's opinions. They seem the least tolerant of repeated questions, etc, but again that may just be perception and not really true. I see the rivalry like my children vying for attention and affection when they were toddlers. Each one showing off their latest drawing or story they came up with trying to top the other one. It wasn't ok for my kids to be like that because I love them both the same but differently, just like the two Disney parks. (I'm sure the other parks would be the same, but I've not visited them yet.)

I, personally, believe and feel these boards are for EVERYONE who loves Disney whether it be Disneyland, WDW, DCL, Disney movies, or just the Mouse himself. There shouldn't be rivalry since we all love something Disney or we wouldn't be here. I just wish everyone else felt the same way sometimes. I think others see it more as Disneyland is their child and WDW is someone else's and they want their kid to be better than the other guy's kid.

 

[HydroGuy]

I completely agree with this. I see WDW's expansive-ness much more appealing and "Resort-like" whereas Disneyland Resort feels more cramped and not so much a "Resort" as a couple amusement parks with some nice Disney-owned hotels nearby to me.

I don't really consider Disneyland's Downtown Disney very Disney-feeling so it breaks up too much of the full immersion in DISNEY that I get when I visit WDW. I don't leave Disney property for days/weeks when I'm there and that is the constant feeling of Disney Magic I enjoy most. Even their Downtown Disney has more Disney-related stores and DisneyQuest. I just don't consider stores I have in every mall near my house Disney.

When at WDW I would never stay off-property. There are too many hotel choices within every price range that are full of the constant Disney touches, pixie dust and magic that I love about Disney.

At Disneyland, however, there are hotels closer to the main park than the Disney Hotels, the costs of which are prohibitive to many people. I can stay at a nicer boutique hotel across the street for $150/night on my upcoming October trip. The cheapest DL hotel I can get is Paradise Pier at $225/night WITH my AP discount. That is an extra $300 for our 4 night stay just on hotel. Paradise Pier is the furthest hotel from the parks and can be quite the trek (with the construction at the Disneyland Hotel in April we walked that far from our furthest Tower through the Grand Californian to get to the parks). It also doesn't seem to have the level of Disney magic as even the cheapest hotels at WDW (the All-Star Movies is one of my budget faves, though I always have a fondness for the Contemporary Resort since that is where I stayed for my honeymoon).

The point of all my posts here are that there are some very key differences at the two Resorts. Some people are going to prefer one over the other. Honestly, if all things were equal I would choose WDW more often. I like the open-ness. I think there is more room to relax and people watch and just immerse yourself in the Disney Experience. But there are times when I want the faster-paced busy-ness of Disneyland. And other times still I want a Disney Cruise, where I have to not deal with "rides" of any kind (well, except the AquaDuck if I went on the Dream), but get the full Disney immersion and relaxation I also enjoy.

Which gets back to a previous post I made to the OP. It is really short sighted to say "DL pales in comparison to WDW" because ... why? ... "the CMs are better at WDW". Why hang your hat on that isolated metric?

One person's preference for the expansiveness of WDW is another person's annoyance at the headache of getting to the parks and parkhopping. One person's preference for the larger castle at MK is another person's annoyance at the lack of a Matterhorn, Nemo Subs lagoon and less rides in Fantasyland. One person's preference for all the dining options at WDW is another person's annoyance at the difficulty and meticulous planning required to get reservations.

I have gotten comfortable with the differences. I am annoyed by WDW's need for buses but enjoy the greater space and feeling of immersiveness. You can't have one without the other.

I do not want the resorts to be copies of each other. What I really want is the resorts to all offer a common thread of Disney magic. IMO they all do in spades - with the exception of DLR Paris's second gate Walt Disney Studios. It is a very poor second gate and by far the worst of all Disney theme parks. Horrible layout - horrible entry experience - non-magical feeling. All the bad things about DCA (now being fixed) times 10.

I personally do get annoyed at smug WDW vets who stop in to drop their "WDW is better" bombs. Which does not happen often here but does happen. If they think WDW is better then make a case - like you have. But the ignorance attached to the OP in this thread and others like it is just annoying. And comical. It makes WDW vets look brainwashed. I love to dialog with the thoughtful ones who stop in here.

In the end I think my visits to the other resorts from my DLR home resort has made me love DLR more. Not because I think it is the best but because it helps me see DLR differently and better appreciate it's grandeur and history and quirky limitations.

 

[Hoku]

Having visited the four major Disney resorts in the world

I think there are 5. California, Florida, Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong. Rumor has it they've got their sights set on another one in Shanghai.

And there's always the copycat park in Beijing. NOT Disney, of course, and tremendously controversial. Still, it could be interesting. It has not only Disney "wanna be" characters, but also "wanna be" characters like Shrek and Hello Kitty.

 

[HydroGuy]

Here's my take. I don't know why we have to compare the two. They are similar in some respects but different in a lot of ways. Both are wonderful IMHO. I don't like the whole WDW is better than DL or vise versa. Why can't we just love them both or take them each with their strong points? I've only been to DL once, but would love to go again soon.

Because if we did not compare them and debate things like that there would be little need for forums like this. Forums are here for us to debate things to our heart's content. Why? Because we are fans and that is what fans do.

Fans of football do the same thing on sports forums. Fans of movies do the same thing on movie forums. Any general interest topic that draws a community of fans sufficient to merit a forum will be the same.

IMO the open minded ones will progress from "WDW is better" or "DLR is better" - if they actually travel to the other resorts and engage in forums or read guidebooks to learn the ropes - to "WDW is better in this regard but DLR is better in that regard".

I see things unique and better about each resort I have visited and I rarely care to argue which resort is "better". I will argue with folks who ignortantly and smugly throw out "my resort is better" with simple-minded reasons like "I had a bad experience with a CM".

 

[rosiep]

Which gets back to a previous post I made to the OP. It is really short sighted to say "DL pales in comparison to WDW" because ... why? ... "the CMs are better at WDW". Why hang your hat on that isolated metric?


I do not want the resorts to be copies of each other. What I really want is the resorts to all offer a common thread of Disney magic.

With all due respect HydroGuy...I think that is the crux of the arguement. The OP did not compare the parks or their features...what he said was he found the CM's at DL to be less than stellar ( as did I on my last trip). For me, the CM's and their attentiveness and attitudes are a huge part of the Disney Magic.

 

[HydroGuy]

I think there are 5. California, Florida, Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong. Rumor has it they've got their sights set on another one in Shanghai.

And there's always the copycat park in Beijing. NOT Disney, of course, and tremendously controvertial. Still, it could be interesting. It has not only Disney "wanna be" characters, but also "wanna be" characters like Shrek and Hello Kitty.

There are four major resorts and one minor resort in Hong Kong to which I have not been. HKDL has a single park with about half the attractions as the other Magic Kingdoms.

Shanhai Disney is not a rumor. They have broken ground. I think they will have it ready by 2015. And for all those "my castle is better than your castle" threads, the castle in Shanghai is going to be queen of all the castles. I saw drawings and plans last week at the D23 Expo and Disney is going all out on that one!

 

[Hoku]

HKDL has a single park with about half the attractions as the other Magic Kingdoms.

Maybe so, but I hear they do one heck of a Lunar New Year celebration!

 

[HydroGuy]

With all due respect HydroGuy...I think that is the crux of the arguement. The OP did not compare the parks or their features...what he said was he found the CM's at DL to be less than stellar ( as did I on my last trip). For me, the CM's and their attentiveness and attitudes are a huge part of the Disney Magic.

Well for you that sounds like it is true. CMs can add or enhance for me, but Disney magic goes far beyond the CMs. When I go to DLR I rarely notice the CMs. Unless they are super, extra friendly. I notice them a little more at WDW but now that I know my way around there I rarely need to interact with them all that much.

I get magic from the music, the shows, the themed rides, the smells, the beauty of the grounds, etc. The CMs are at very most 5% of the magic for me.

But even it were greater, I still think it is flawed to focus on that as the only metric.