22. Areas Where DLR Exceeds WDW
Let me come out and say it right upfront - WDW has many things about it better than DLR. However, not everything about WDW is better than DLR and there are several areas where DLR exceeds WDW. That is what makes each resort special. Here is my list of areas where DLR exceeds WDW:
1.
Weather - IMO the weather at DLR is better than WDW on average, and especially in the summer. Less rain and less humidity. See "Comparison of Weather For WDW and DLR"
www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1711098
2.
Ride concentration - One would think that WDW would have twice as many rides as DLR since it has twice as many parks. Nope. WDW has only 10% more rides. DLR has lots more rides packed into those little parks.
3.
Entertainment - as of today DLR's top four shows are better than their counterparts at WDW. That would be World of Color, the Remember Dreams Come True fireworks/laser/special effects show (shown seasonally), Fantasmic and the Aladdin stage show
4.
Accessibility - everything can be reached on foot and park hopping takes about 1 minute. The walking distance hotels makes for a different experience.
5.
Longer park hours - along with #4 above makes it easier to spend more time in the parks.
6.
Much less need for planning - for those accustomed to choosing parks and ADR's 6 months in advance you can forget about that. You can't make dining reservations until 2 months in advance and even then they are in much less demand than WDW. Even if you wait until a week before your trip many dining reservations are still available. And since it is so easy to parkhop there is no need to commit to parks on given days. Finally, if you stay at a walking distance hotel there is no need to plan for transportation.
7.
Seasonal makeovers - Because DLR caters less to out-of-town vacationers they are more free to change their rides. So every year three rides get seasonal makeovers: From September-January Haunted Mansion is converted into "Haunted Mansion Holiday". From November-January It's A Small World is converted into "It's A Small World Holiday" and from September-October Space Mountain is converted into Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy. This keeps the parks more dynamic and interesting. This does require taking down the rides to install and remove the makeover elements.
8.
Extended trip touring outside DLR - as discussed in the next section, there is a
lot to do in California if you stay longer than DLR - natural, cultural, historical, entertainment, sports, etc. More of a variety and more interesting things than Florida. Fabulous National Parks such as Yosemite and Sequoia, within reach of the Grand Canyon in adjacent Arizona, accessible to Las Vegas, San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, Wine Country north of the Bay Area, Monterey, Big Sur coastline, and Death Valley. Then there is Hollywood and the entertainment industry, aviation history, a real Universal Studios that is not just a theme park, Spanish mission history, mountains and skiing, and whitewater rafting. The list goes on and on and on. Florida is not without opportunities outside WDW but the list is much shorter.
Have a look at the Anaheim Resort Transit website and map for other hotels in the area that are linked by bus to the parks. 
As we prepare for the trip, I compare the feeling to a band of zealots preparing for a religious pilgrimage. 
