Does Disneyland have more "magic" than Disney World?

[friedela]

Popping in from the Disney World forums, we took our first trip about a month ago and it was absolutely insanely amazing, we loved every single second! This was our first experience with Disney. But the more we talk to people who have done both the more people agree - Disneyland has more magic.

True? False? (if you've been to both).
If true, what makes it more magical in your opinion?

 

[katyringo]

I have nothing to really contribute to your question except to say I have the opposite thought! Our first was Disneyland and felt the magic and worry WDW wouldn’t feel the same lol!

I hear from many that the spontaneous character interactions at Disneyland is what ups the magic for them. We found this to be true. It’s hard for me to imagine WDW and having only character meet in greets when most our character interaction at Disneyland was spontaneous.

 

[friedela]

I hear from many that the spontaneous character interactions at Disneyland is what ups the magic for them.

But for Disneyland, how does that work? Are you having to push through crazy crowds to see the characters if it is spontaneous and there are no lines to meet them? I think the longest we waited in line at WDW to meet a character was 30 minutes, but we saw a ton of them by doing character meals. The characters are definitely my FAVOURITE part so I am intrigued about that part of Disneyland.

 

[katyringo]

But for Disneyland, how does that work? Are you having to push through crazy crowds to see the characters if it is spontaneous and there are no lines?

That wasn’t our expirence and we were there on capacity days. The spontaneous character meets aren’t like the character is standing there waiting for people to come up to them. They are interacting with the people around them and continuing to walk.

One of the most magical moments we had was We were in an actual line for spider man. And then Mrs. Incredibles was walking by. She waved to my son and gave him a hug, but the captain America walked by (he was going to take spider mans place for the meet and greet) and Mrs. Incredible gave him googly eyes and fanned herself lol and then Mr. Incredibles shows up out of nowhere and looks at Mrs. Incredible like “how could you!” And then Mrs. Incredibles goes and hugs him and is all sweet. It was so funny.

We also saw Donald Duck walking with a group of kids.

Fresh baked Disney (a you tube Disneyland channel) had a video a few days ago of the Mad Hatter and Alice riding the teacups with guests.

 

[Malcon10t]

I was astonished at the lack of character interaction at WDW. Yes, you can get FP+ for characters (seriously?) I tend to love walking in the park and seeing pluto in Town Square, or Cruella out by the train station, or the Mad Hatter and Alice bringing kids to dance with the band.

Characters usually have a handler to direct you. Sometimes they form lines to take pics, other times the characters are out to play and you jst take a photo and play. I've been by the matterhorn early in the morning and had Peter Pan come up and sit with me on a bench. I've watched him line up people to "take pics", and once he had them in the line, he took off.

I enjoyed WDW, but it didn't have the magic for me like Disneyland does.

 

[friedela]

Haha, aww that's awesome. Sounds totally different from WDW in that regard!

Is California overall more expensive in terms of accommodations?

 

[friedela]

I was astonished at the lack of character interaction at WDW. Yes, you can get FP+ for characters (seriously?) I tend to love walking in the park and seeing pluto in Town Square, or Cruella out by the train station, or the Mad Hatter and Alice bringing kids to dance with the band.

Characters usually have a handler to direct you. Sometimes they form lines to take pics, other times the characters are out to play and you jst take a photo and play. I've been by the matterhorn early in the morning and had Peter Pan come up and sit with me on a bench. I've watched him line up people to "take pics", and once he had them in the line, he took off.

I enjoyed WDW, but it didn't have the magic for me like Disneyland does.

Yes, that is what I keep hearing! So is it safe to say that Disneyland is your favourite of the two then?

 

[SD33]

In a word, yes. Disneyland is more magical. And here are a few reasons that come to mind for me.

1. That intangible energy that often comes with something being "original" or "first" or "the one park that Walt was really, truly a part of"...it's there. It isn't just rhetoric. It actually has a certain feel to it.
2. It's smaller and more quaint. And quaint things often feel more magical to me.
3. It seems less polished. But in a good way. Like a classic jazz record--or jazz in general--it doesn't resolve. And it has some little imperfections that make it all the more enduring.
4. As others have said--more random character interactions. Again, it's got this "anything could happen" kind of vibe that lends itself to a feeling of magic.
5. It has the original Club 33. We got to dine there last year, and if you ever get the chance, it's impossible not to feel the magic in that place. Nostalgia cranked to 11.

Other reasons range from the quality of attractions (they seem to keep things fresher since most of their traffic is from California residents who attend regularly vs. the every-5-to-10-years vacationing family at WDW) to the easy walkability of it (it's so small that you can move quickly from one place to the next without running yourself ragged).

All that to say, yes, Disneyland is more magical. I'm not sure it's overall better than WDW. There are pros and cons to both places (the food at WDW comes to mind as something that is vastly superior to DL), but ultimately it's just a matter of preference and opinion.

For my money, I'm a west coast guy and will always be a diehard devotee of Walt's original park, flaws and all.

 

[Disneyland1084]

I think it's all personal preference. I've been to Disneyland 20+ times, but went to Disney World for the first time last year. The only part of Disney World you can really compare to Disneyland is Magic Kingdom. I had a really good time there and plan to go again some day, BUT for me it didn't have the same magic as DL. It's kind of hard to explain. I suppose I'd feel different if Magic Kingdom were the Disney park I grew up going to through out my childhood.

 

[Disneyland1084]

I think it's all personal preference. I've been to Disneyland 20+ times, but went to Disney World for the first time last year. The only part of Disney World you can really compare to Disneyland is Magic Kingdom. I had a really good time there and plan to go again some day, BUT for me it didn't have the same magic as DL. It's kind of hard to explain. I suppose I'd feel different if Magic Kingdom were the Disney park I grew up going to through out my childhood.

 

[WonkaKid]

I've only been to DW twice (DL about 100+). I love DL and always refer to it as "The original." Things are not so spread out and, as many have observed, it's the only park in which Walt Disney set foot. Any other park is simply trying to be like DL, IMO. Since it's the oldest park, it also has a sense of history to me.

On an unrelated note: I don't care for Florida. When it gets hot, it gets humid. Even on hot days at DL, the shade is perfectly tolerable.

 

[gottalovepluto]

False. They are 2 completely different experiences to me & comparing them in an apples to apples way does them both a disservice.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I think it's all personal preference. I've been to Disneyland 20+ times, but went to Disney World for the first time last year. The only part of Disney World you can really compare to Disneyland is Magic Kingdom. I had a really good time there and plan to go again some day, BUT for me it didn't have the same magic as DL. It's kind of hard to explain. I suppose I'd feel different if Magic Kingdom were the Disney park I grew up going to through out my childhood.

I have to agree here though. If it was just MK vs DL, DL is more “magical” to me.

 

[Niltiac]

I think you'll see a lot of love for disneyland here because this board is full of people who frequent DLR, but at the same time I know lots of people find WDW more magical. Those people tend to reference things like a bigger castle, themed resorts, the "bubble," and more non-ride activities. I think it will vary a lot from person to person. Personally I've never been to WDW but I'm curious about the differences.

But for Disneyland, how does that work? Are you having to push through crazy crowds to see the characters if it is spontaneous and there are no lines to meet them?

I've seen other WDW vets confused about the character interactions and it's kind of funny, I think we've been sort of trained to expect different things from the characters. I've never seen people crowd around and push to get to a roaming character, because the character makes it clear from their manerisms that they're, well, in character. That is, they're not there specifically to take a photo with anyone and everyone who wants one, they're there to walk around and interact the way that character would if they were real. That means that some people will be lucky and get to interact directly, while others will only get to watch, and most people are just ok with that and don't try to force themselves on the character. Personally I'm not crazy about meet and greets and I can't imagine using a FP for one, but I love seeing the characters going around being silly with guests, and that's something I think I would miss if I ever go to WDW.

 

[Skyegirl1999]

I've never seen people crowd around and push to get to a roaming character, because the character makes it clear from their manerisms that they're, well, in character. That is, they're not there specifically to take a photo with anyone and everyone who wants one, they're there to walk around and interact the way that character would if they were real.

So, I would have said this a couple of months ago (and did a few times on these boards), but I’ve now experienced this “herd of people around a character while a CM hollers that’s there’s no line” thing a couple of times now. It’s a recent change, per some character “friends” that I know... and I hope they come up with a better system soon. It’s rare, and still certainly not the majority of character interactions, but it does happen (most recently saw it with Oswald, who then had a regular meet and greet set a few hours later).

I completely agree with you that OP is likely to find more DL-lovers on this board because it IS the Disneyland board! I think the two resorts are very different, and as mentioned, each will have their fans for different reasons. I also think it does a disservice to both to try to find the one that’s “better.” It’s like asking, “what’s the best ice cream flavor?” You’re not going to find a universal answer...

 

[karly101]

They are magical in different ways -
DL is intimate, nostalgic, everything is close to each other this can equal crazy crowds and long waits sometimes. Character interaction = we had the best spontaneous moments.. Chip and Dale actually running along the rope area and playing with kids on the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail, Oswald playing peek a boo with shoppers in DCA, going for a stroll with Minnie on Main St. Personally there's also so many things I love about DL- the old fastpass system (and Maxpass makes it even better), the food and restaurants, how close everything is, how walkable it is! How it's easy to get a break from Disney too!

DW is great in the opposite ways - you are immersed in this bubble, I found you tend to get more time with character meets, this is a generalization but I found CM's tended to be a bit more enthusiastic and often the kids were spoilt by them (stickers/a bus driver gave my cousins kids a wand each/mickey straws for no charge etc).

Have been to Disneyworld a few times (long trips each time) and have no urgency to head back for a little bit (once star wars is up we will definitely be back!) - I find the HUGE amount of planning now needed to go to ADRS/schedule fast passes is just a bit overwhelming when I want to just enjoy my holiday, however I can't wait to go back to DL each time.

 

[MischaOz]

For a lot of people I think it depends on the park you “grew up” with. I’ve been to WDW so many times it feels like “home.” I’ve only spent one day at DL and it was an awesome day! But it doesn’t feel like “home.” I’m looking forward to returning to DL in Feb, finally going to check out DCA too and I can’t wait!

 

[mom2rtk]

OP, if you're looking for photos and autographs with the characters, you are likely to find some of those spontaneous interactions very frustrating. They are not designed for that. You have to view them as part of the park show. The characters decide who to interact with, not the other way around. It's a fun addition to the atmosphere, but not an addition to your autograph book. We saw both Gaston and Beast in Fantasyland last trip, but they were definitely trying to evade anyone seeking out a photo with them.

That said, there are still a lot of cool traditional character sets.

We've been to WDW and DLR many times each. We're in the middle of the country so geography doesn't dictate which is our "home park". Each has its own magic. I prefer the intimate magic of DLR, as does my daughter. But many prefer the grandeur of WDW. I love having both parks side by side at DLR. And I love the laid back planning of a DLR trip.

 

[StormyCA]

I think a lot of it has to do with your 'home park'. I've been going to DL since I was a baby (opening day!!) and to me DL just has this magic that is deep inside me. WDW was fun and lovely and great, but the 'magic' wasn't the same. It was the 'magic' of realizing a lifelong dream (going to WDW, I never thought I would) but not that 'magic' at DL where I'm a child again and the troubles of the world all disappear.

I expect the reverse would be true for someone who was 'raised' on WDW and later visits DL.

 

[GenGen22]

First off I prefer DL to WDW but I have experienced more pixie dust at WDW than DL. On my last trip to WDW we were really spoiled with free stuff by cast members which never happens to us at DL. I was given a free Mickey back pack with my name embroidered on it. My DD was given a light up graduation lanyard and we were given a free meal, popcorn and ice cream.

I don't think they are really comparable because they are so different IMO. But I have felt more magical at WDW.

Also at WDW I can afford to stay on site where as DL I cannot so you stay inside of the Disney bubble which makes you feel like your always within the magic with animal towels being left in your room and the dining plan allows you to afford to dine at all the character meals and themed restaurants and dinner shows each day you are there. I.e. Be our Guest, Cinderella's Royal table, Sci-Fi & Aloha Dinner show.

I agree that everyone's experiences will differ.