DL review from a WDW vet

[jentea]

I wanted to share some observations based on our recent visit to DL. We are WDW vets (I've gone at least annually since I was a kid and now take my own kids), but we had never been to DL at all. I relied on this forum for a lot of pre planning so wanted to pay it forward!

We stayed at the Doubletree Convention Center on S Harbor. It's about 0.75 miles walking from front door of hotel to bag check at DL. We have done the walk twice a day with a stroller and a walking 5yo and its been no issue. About a 20 minute walk. It's been fine but would try and stay a wee bit closer next time.

Food-beer is better at DL (more interesting and diverse selection). Fireball cocktail with horchata rum-divine. Lobster nachos at Cove Bar-heaven. We are Texan and love our nachos and these are out of this world. I also loved the beef and cheddar Sammy at Flo's Cafe. Churros are ok (we eat them in Texas as well), but cookies and cream churro we had at Cozy Cones-fantastic. Other than that, we miss the diversity of food choices at WDW. We were able to walk up with no ressie to almost every place we wanted. That would never happen at WDW.

Rides-Monsters Inc, POTC, Radiator Springs Racers, IASW, Haunted Mansion...amazing. Felt the quality of these rides blew a lot of the standard fare at WDW out of the water. Lines felt much more manageable and I personally adore not having to book FP months in advance. That's one of the things that kills the magic for me at WDW now. Cars Land was the bomb. Loved it. Weather was more temperate at DL in March, and smaller parks made waking easier.

Overall-DL felt more like what it used to be like at WDW when I was a kid. CMs still really trying to make things magical, random character bump ins, shorter lines, and no need to hyper plan. On the flip side, we missed EPCOT, the immersive experience of WDW, and the food options. I wouldn't say I liked one overall more than another-just different, but I would definitely go back to DL again.

 

[ljcrochet]

Thanks. This WDW wet is going to DL and starting to stress about planning. I'm so laid back at WDW since we have been so many times.

 

[lindyv321]

Glad you had a good time! I've never been to WDW but hop to someday. The largeness of the parks and their proximity to each other seems overwhelming to me!!

 

[PoohsFan1]

Thank you for your report. We too are WDW vets and will be heading back to DLR for our second trip in June. What we really loved about DLR compared to WDW is the fact that everything is right there. You don't have to worry about waiting for a bus or boat to get you to your resort or to another park (I would of put the monorail in that sentence too but both coasts have one even though I think DL's is much better then WDW's). Also, park hopping is so much easier in DL due to the closeness of the 2 parks. I agree with the OPs points on the differences between WDW and DLR, and I would also say that for the rides that both are on the East coast and West coast, some are better then their counter parts...for instance, I think that Space Mountain in DL park is so much better then the one in WDW (and that is my favorite ride in WDW) while Splash mountain, to me is slightly better at MK. As for the food, well I love the food at both but then again I love Disney food no matter what coast I am on. The biggest difference to me is the nostalgia that DL spews out compared to WDW (I am a huge fan of Walt Disney history and DL Park just screams it to me). I don't know if it is because Walt Disney actually created DL Park and saw the whole thing through while at WDW he was only involved in the planning stages since he died before it was actually built. The first time I walked onto Main Street at DL Park, I could just feel the presence of Walt (I know call me crazy) and I knew that every bit of that park, he had a hand in building.

 

[Elk Grove Chris]

Glad you had a good time. They really are two different experiences, there are a lot of similarities, but enough differences to make them both individually great. I do wish DLR had more room for the pathways and different food options. We really loved Epcot and the World Showcase. What WDW lacks in overall rides per park, they somewhat make up the difference in interesting shows and displays and interactive options. I agree that for the most part the rides get a slight nod and DLR, but the queues at WDW are generally quite a bit better (IASW at DLR much better though).