DW or DL?

[sheilarose2]

Hello all. I am wanting to plan a trip to DW with my family. We went about 3 years ago and are ready to go back. We all know that going is not cheap by any means. My son who is 13 says he would like to go to California so I thought that maybe we could check out DL there. I was just curious if going there would be any cheaper then going to DW. We live in Tx and when we went to DW we drove but next time I would like to fly. Can anyone give me any advice on which would be better budget wise? I frequent the DW boards but this is my first venture to the DL boards. Thanks for any help or suggestions.
Sheila

 

[CalGal]

While it's not hard to spend lots of money at DL, I would think it's much easier to do a budget trip there because:

1. There are lots of off-site options for $100/night and even much less. Many of these are walking distance to the parks; others are a short shuttle ride away (much closer than the WDW budget resorts, and much much closer than the WDW off-site hotels/motels.
2. While food in general may be a little more expensive at DL, it's pretty easy to hit McD's, Denny's, and other non-disney restaurants and fast food places just across the street.
3. There's only the two parks at DL, so you can see everything in fewer days. The multi-day parkhoppers will end up being cheaper for you I do believe.
4. I wouldn't think there would be much difference in airfare from Texas, but that could go either way.

You might want to check out the much referenced HydroGuy thread on DL for WDW visitors.

 

[the.leonhardts]

Hi,

We've done both. I have the good fortune of visiting DL this August with DW in September, thanks to an unexpected business trip to California. . . I think DL is a bit cheaper -- the annual pass or multiday tickets are cheaper and there are great, cheaper hotels near by. You might also be able to do better on your meal budget if you use the regular restaurants in the area or make full use of one of the hotels with mini-kitchens.

Time of year is a big thing for me in deciding between Florida and California. If I want a Disney trip anytime from May through August, I'm headed for California. Sunshine without the excessive heat and humidity. You can also turn a California trip into a combination beach/San Diego/Disney trip -- that hits all of our favorite vacation buttons.

Florida has sheer size and magnitude -- California has the original magic and all the best of the best attractions in a convenient location.

Can't lose either way

 

[Hound 109]

Hi,

We've done both. I have the good fortune of visiting DL this August with DW in September, thanks to an unexpected business trip to California. . . I think DL is a bit cheaper -- the annual pass or multiday tickets are cheaper and there are great, cheaper hotels near by. You might also be able to do better on your meal budget if you use the regular restaurants in the area or make full use of one of the hotels with mini-kitchens.

Time of year is a big thing for me in deciding between Florida and California. If I want a Disney trip anytime from May through August, I'm headed for California. Sunshine without the excessive heat and humidity. You can also turn a California trip into a combination beach/San Diego/Disney trip -- that hits all of our favorite vacation buttons.

Florida has sheer size and magnitude -- California has the original magic and all the best of the best attractions in a convenient location.

Can't lose either way

Nicely said.

 

[Master Mason]

And Walt actually walked down Main Street in DL

If you have already been to WDW, I would say you should come to DL, then you can decide where you want to go back to after that.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Here is the famous Hyrdoguy thread:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1162599

Park hoppers at DL are a bit cheaper than WDW ones and you don't need the time to see and do everything at DL you do at WDW. You can have a very thorough trip in three or four days (depending on time of year) at DL whereas a week feels too short for me when I go to WDW. Also, park hopping is standard with any ticket that is two days or longer, no need to add park hopping like the WDW tickets.

DL does scale down their entertainment during the offseason. The fireworks and Fantasmic will only run on weekends off season and the Electrical Parade (much like Spectro) doesn't run at all off season. So its essential to have a weekend night in your visit so that you can see the fireworks which are incredible.

I agree that there are plenty of nice offsite places to stay for under $100. Just be aware that these are older motels, no theming or landscaping (except for the Hojo that has some nice grounds and is very close, but nothing like the grounds of the WDW mods and values) and small, older, square pools. They are nice and clean and can be as close as a 2-3 minute walk to the gates but they are not resorts. If you click on the sticky at the top of this board, there is an arial map that shows how close many of the motels are to give you an idea.

If you can swing it, the three onsite hotels at the Disneyland Resort are all very nice. Comparable to the WDW deluxes (the Grand Californian in particular), they offer the amenities of a full service hotel with themed pools, slides, interior corridors and that Disney magic. But they are not cheap. If you go offseason however deals can be found and they also offer AAA discounts.

If you can, fly into John Wayne (AKA Santa Ana, Orange County). Its very close. Long Beach is also close and LAX and Ontario are further but still only about a 45 minute drive (depending on the traffic).

I think DL is wonderful and very magical. Its the original and many of the rides are superior to the WDW counterparts. It doesn't have that same resort feel that WDW does but its still easy to get lost in the magic. DTD, the three onsite hotels (and many of the offsite ones) and the two parks are all right together. No buses, boats or ferrys to get around. I really think every Disney fan must see Disneyland at least once. I think the smaller size of DL is a strong point, not a detriment. And there is a lot in the two parks. Very close to the same number of rides and attractions all four WDW parks have. Disneyland is charming and DCA is continually improving and has a lot to offer. Namely Aladdin, which is the best live Disney show I have seen at DL or WDW as well as some very good headliner rides. I don't think Disneyland ever has to take a back seat to WDW. Its smaller and different but not a lesser destination in my opinion.

Its really nice to combine a trip to DL with a trip to San Diego so that you can enjoy those sites and attractions as well.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[sheilarose2]

Oh my. Thank You all for the replies and for the link to Hyrdoguy's summary. That will help me alot. Where is the arial map that shows how close many of the motels are that Hyrdoguy is talking about? I would like to see it. I believe that DL is something that I would consider doing. I am excited now!!! It will probably be next summer before we could go but it's never to early to start planning. Thanks again!
Sheila

 

[CalGal]

Where is the arial map that shows how close many of the motels are that Hyrdoguy is talking about? Sheila

It's one of Mary Jo's sticky threads at the top of this board "IMPORTANT --PLEASE READ -- DLR FAQ ..." Lots of links to great information!

 

[mariezp]

Hello from another Texas Disney fan! While my family has never been to DW I can offer a few of my views on Disneyland. We love it! Our 7th trip will be in September. It seems that most people we know of go to DW but I just cannot imagine giving up Disneyland! We love that it is small enough to know our way around. I cannot imagine that being the case at DW. Plus I hear that the weather is so much better in Ca!
We stay off site at the Anahiem Desert Inn which is right across the street from the main entrance. Since we only shower and sleep there we don't care to invest the extra money into the room. We would rather have the extra to spend on meals and souvineers. We are a crazy bunch that loves to spend 10 days at the park. Our hotel usually runs about $1400. (I imagine that a Disney property would be at least double.) We do book their largest room which is actually 2 rooms so I am sure you can save even more if you do not need a suite. By the end of the day we find it best if we have plenty of room to spread out... the teen and the 7 year old! Plus the guys can watch tv late while us girls get our beauty rest!
This year we will be flying into John Wayne airport from DFW. Our rt airfare is $1100 for 4 of us. Last year we flew back on short notice and our airfare ONE WAY for 5 of us was MORE than our round trip so I am very pleased! There is a possiblity the fares have gone up or down but I haven't checked.
The rooms and airfare are the 2 things I try to get the best deal on. After that we do not really concentrate too much on saving money. We do generally only eat once in the park and order take out in the evening. I imagine that we spend close to $4000 per trip but it is so worth every penny!