Having visited Disney World numerous times, will I be "let down" when visiting DL?

[HydroGuy]

Yeah, I am starting to plan a trip to WDW for November 2012. I am totally excited for it and want to do everything with an open mind. But I am freaking out about the planning. How am I supposed to know what I will be doing on a certain day so I can plan meals? It makes me appreciate the laid back attitude at DLR. Bottom line though is that I wouldn't be making the trip to WDW if it was exactly like DLR. There would be no point! So I will figure it out and have a great time.

Yes, you gotta do your homework for sure at WDW. I would say on a first trip to forget about parkhopping at WDW. Except in very special circumstances. Too much wasted time for too short of park hours. And you lose your FP advantage.

For a west coaster the ideal park for day #1 is, IMO, AK. You can get a solid day in and then take off at 3-4PM for the hotel and rest and recover from your flight the previous day. We always save MK and especially Epcot until at least day #2.

Do your best to decide on ADR's and then make them at the 6 month point. Change them later if you want but at least you have them. Plan to do more Disney dining than you might at DLR. And don't forget the restaurants at the hotels such as Whispering Canyon and Boma's and a slew of others. It really feels different to have all the dining options available and it affects your trip differently than at DLR because it becomes more integral to the overall experience.

Oh, and did I mention you should plan?

 

[ArchOwl]

Yes, you gotta do your homework for sure at WDW. I would say on a first trip to forget about parkhopping at WDW. Except in very special circumstances. Too much wasted time for too short of park hours. And you lose your FP advantage.

For a west coaster the ideal park for day #1 is, IMO, AK. You can get a solid day in and then take off at 3-4PM for the hotel and rest and recover from your flight the previous day. We always save MK and especially Epcot until at least day #2.

Do your best to decide on ADR's and then make them at the 6 month point. Change them later if you want but at least you have them. Plan to do more Disney dining than you might at DLR. And don't forget the restaurants at the hotels such as Whispering Canyon and Boma's and a slew of others. It really feels different to have all the dining options available and it affects your trip differently than at DLR because it becomes more integral to the overall experience.

Oh, and did I mention you should plan?

Thank you! I gotta just plunge in and do it! This is all complicated by the fact that DH will be at a national convention (at the Swan and Dolphin) and doesn't even know what his schedule will look like for quite some time. Thanks for the advice, I will focus on one park a day and eating my way through WDW!

 

[Lucille1963]

Save the "let down" feeling for your ride on POTC next time you go to WDW. DH and I only ride it about once per trip at WDW, it doesn't come close to the original!

 

[J. Galt]

Yes, you gotta do your homework for sure at WDW. I would say on a first trip to forget about parkhopping at WDW. Except in very special circumstances. Too much wasted time for too short of park hours. And you lose your FP advantage.

Agree with this, unless you have little kids that need to nap. Then you can consider park hopping an opportunity for them to take a nap. We gave up trying to get them back to the hotel for a nap b/c they would just fall asleep in transit and then be up again once we got back to the hotel. Kind of a waste. Instead, we started using naptime as parkhopping time. The key is to use transporation where you don't have to take them out of their stroller... monorail or boats. Buses won't work for this. Sometimes we would try to find the longest route from A to B with bus or boat... the kids could easily get an hour "+" nap and we could enjoy some AC (monorail) or breeze/scenery (boat). Glad we have outgrown those days!!!

 

[Niebz]

Lots of good comments and tips on this thread and I'm pretty much just reiterating what everyone else said but I just had to post my love for Disneyland too. While I love WDW (went there on my honeymoon) Disneyland has come to feel like home to me. If you truly love Disney you won't be disappointed. While in the parks it is just as immersive as WDW and it is possible to stay on property to prevent the urban real world from creeping in. My favourite Disney hotel at either resort is the Disneyland Hotel and I suspect I'll love it even more once the construction is done this November. Not needing bus transportation is a big plus over WDW. You can wake up and take a nice leisurely stroll through downtown disney to get to the parks each morning. I love that when my kids fall asleep in the stroller we can saunter over to Downtown Disney for some shopping and be back in the parks within minutes of them waking up. There are so many more rides at Disneyland and all closer together so that there's so much to do and more time to do it in. I don't even feel the need to watch Fantasmic at WDW after seeing it at Disneyland which blows the WDW version out of the water. We watch it nearly every night that we're there. Main Street at Disneyland is sooo much better with more transportation to the hub options and fun attractions like the Main Street Cinema, Penny Arcade and Magic Shop. The weather is usually better at Disneyland (cooler, less rain) the pace is more relaxed and the attractions seem better maintained to me. I could honestly go on like this forever about the pluses of Disneyland but I'll stop here and let you make those discoveries for yourself.

 

[johde]

Ahhh, but POTC, HM and Splash were all built first at DL. Pooh was at MK first. And BTMRR was built first at DL and then MK. That Splash and BTMRR are right next to each other at MK is the aberration. It is MK which is "off" not DL!

I would think what ever park you visited most especially as a kid is the one that would feel "right" to you. But I know what you mean.

Yes, you gotta do your homework for sure at WDW. I would say on a first trip to forget about parkhopping at WDW. Except in very special circumstances. Too much wasted time for too short of park hours. And you lose your FP advantage.

I would agree with that especially in "high" season. One of the "special circumstances" in my mind might be off season. There are times of the year especially in September where everything but EPCOT closes at 7:00 or earlier. If your group is not full of small kids, the ability to hop over to Epcot in the evenings is nice. Also, on days when the MK is open later with fireworks and Spectromagic, the park is packed. Spending the rest of the day somewhere else then arriving in the evening for the nighttime show can be beneficial.

Save the "let down" feeling for your ride on POTC next time you go to WDW. DH and I only ride it about once per trip at WDW, it doesn't come close to the original!

Unfortunately, I only got to ride this once due to refurb. but I agree DL's ride is much nicer. I did miss the cave queue from WDW.

 

[gmi3804]

Yeah, I am starting to plan a trip to WDW for November 2012. I am totally excited for it and want to do everything with an open mind. But I am freaking out about the planning. How am I supposed to know what I will be doing on a certain day so I can plan meals? It makes me appreciate the laid back attitude at DLR. Bottom line though is that I wouldn't be making the trip to WDW if it was exactly like DLR. There would be no point! So I will figure it out and have a great time.

May I suggest you check out easyWDW? Josh's blog has invaluable information for planning a WDW trip (look at the right-hand side of the page.) I'm a WDW guy (also love DLR, of course), and have gotten pretty good at planning. The key at WDW is to always plan on going to the least crowded park on any given day, not necessarily AK first, Epcot second, etc. After figuring parks, then move to ADRs. You do have to plan on making those at WDW, unlike DLR. Figure on where you want to eat, then insert those meals into days where you'll be close by based on the park/resort you'll be at. The Forums at easyWDW are very informative too. Register there and anyone will help you plan your days and touring strategy. It's not that difficult, but does take planning and understanding how crowds work there and how to avoid them.

And TSMM is a FastPass attraction at DHS!

 

[soaringirl]

Yes, you gotta do your homework for sure at WDW. I would say on a first trip to forget about parkhopping at WDW. Except in very special circumstances. Too much wasted time for too short of park hours. And you lose your FP advantage.

For a west coaster the ideal park for day #1 is, IMO, AK. You can get a solid day in and then take off at 3-4PM for the hotel and rest and recover from your flight the previous day. We always save MK and especially Epcot until at least day #2.

Do your best to decide on ADR's and then make them at the 6 month point. Change them later if you want but at least you have them. Plan to do more Disney dining than you might at DLR. And don't forget the restaurants at the hotels such as Whispering Canyon and Boma's and a slew of others. It really feels different to have all the dining options available and it affects your trip differently than at DLR because it becomes more integral to the overall experience.

Oh, and did I mention you should plan?

Indeed, parkhooping at WDW is a waste of time. Animal Kingdom is our favorite part to start our vacation, since it's a more relaxed park. But we always stay until it closes, I never think of it as a half day park.
And dining is one of the best parts of a WDW vacation, they have so much marvelous offerings there!! I almost decide going again at WDW just because of dining! So, sooo goood!
Also, going to an hotel restaurant is a must. First, the deluxe resorts there are so beautiful, specially when Xmas decoration are up, you can stay hours and hours just admiring all the hotels!!! Dining at Narcoosee's or California Grill Kitchen is also a must. Boma is also wonderful!!

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

The key at WDW is to always plan on going to the least crowded park on any given day, not necessarily AK first, Epcot second, etc.

The key at WDW is to have a good touring plan. During busy time periods, hitting the worst park with a good touring plan may cost an hour on the day. Not having a good touring plan may cost an hour on Dumbo alone even on MK's best day. A good touring plan is far more important than hitting the right day of the week.

Save the "let down" feeling for your ride on POTC next time you go to WDW.

The first time I went on WDW's it was like, Oh that must be a faux splash down. Little did I know it was THE ONLY splashdown. And then it was like Oh is that it? If I hadn't already come to know Disneyland's, I'd have thought it fine though. So it's still a nice ride.

 

[gmi3804]

The key at WDW is to have a good touring plan. During busy time periods, hitting the worst park with a good touring plan may cost an hour on the day. Not having a good touring plan may cost an hour on Dumbo alone even on MK's best day. A good touring plan is far more important than hitting the right day of the week.

True enough. The touring plan is important, no doubt about it. But going to a WDW park on its least crowded day is noticeably more relaxing than going to the same park when it's the most crowded of the four, even with a good touring plan. Josh at easyWDW just had a blog post about MK on two consecutive days, with two vastly different crowds.

 

[KCmike]

First of all let me say that Disneyland is far and away the best Disney park period. I was a WDW vet and thought the end all be all to vacations was WDW in Florida. Man was I wrong.

Top 10 Reasons for me:
1. Remember Dreams Come True Fireworks show is the best of all firework shows. Even Magical, summer show, is so much better than Wishes.
2. The major rides are so much better at DL. POTC, HM, Space, ALL of Fantasyland, etc.
3. Fantasmic! is amazing.
4. World of Color. Enough said.
5. Aladdin Stage show is Broadway good.
6. Parades are so much better.
7. Downtown Disney is just a few steps away and bands play during the evening.
8. Billy Hill and the Hillbillies
9. Carnation Plaza (Date Night at Disneyland) Big bands play on the weekends and people swing dance.
10. Weather.
The list goes on forever. 2 parks with so much to do. It's the little things at both that make it so much better than WDW. Casey Jr, Storybook Canal, Autotopia, Sleeping Beauty Castle with the walkthrough, Penny arcade (what happened in WDW?), Walt's apartment, the Lilly Belle, Matterhorn, Indy, Buzz has removable guns, etc.

Favorite Quotes:
Al Lutz from miceage.com
There's an answer the old timers at Disney like to give when asked to compare the Anaheim and Orlando main parks, and to me it still applies as to how they are currently run: Disneyland is a park designed by a father for his daughters, while the Magic Kingdom is designed by a committee for the hordes.


Tony Baxter:
Tony Baxter also serves as Creative Executive for Disneyland; a role he has filled on and off for nearly 25 years. He enjoys the position because he grew up with Disneyland, and it still evokes powerful feelings that are different from the other parks. Tony describes Disneyland as “a park that was not manufactured to reproduce something successful. It was that successful thing that all the other parks have been trying to emulate.” Thus, Disneyland is one example of a wildly outrageous and successful project that is the product of these creative attitudes Tony will be describe in his keynote presentation in Buffalo. Disneyland can never be duplicated because it was the original “I’ve never seen anything like this!

~~~~~~

Disneyland is the original. Nostalgia is everywhere. You can walk where Walt walked, lived, and imagined. It's all just so magical.

Go and enjoy. Get hooked!

I would say go for 4-6 days and then find yourself somewhere else in California. Yosemite National Park is one of the most amazing places I have ever been. Go and be inspired. Drive the PCH Hwy 1 from LA to San Francisco. The best drive in North America. Visit San Diego and go see the Hotel Del Coronado from where the Grand Floridian got its idea.

Skip Hollywood as its dirty and not worth the time.

PS. Your 20-30 minutes from the gorgeous Pacific Ocean. Take a sunset cruise from Newport Beach.

~~~~~
We went back to WDW this past summer after several years of Disneyland and the family was just in awe of how we missed Disneyland.

I hope you get to go and experience what Walt built.

 

[LisainCalifornia]

I was prepared for a real "urban" experience when I visited in '05, and indeed, the surrounding area is pretty congested. But once you enter Disney property, the magic descends. Yes, it is more compact than The World, but altogether charming nonetheless. And historic.

This is only true if you stay off property (especially at a hotel on Harbor). If you pay to say on property (Grand California Hotel, for example)--then your experience of the "urban" park will be much different.

 

[bumbershoot]

o DL's Tiki Room

Did you hear that WDW's is no longer under new management, yes? I'm no tiki expert, but it seemed just the same as at DL, when we experienced their tiki room last month!

For a west coaster the ideal park for day #1 is, IMO, AK. You can get a solid day in and then take off at 3-4PM for the hotel and rest and recover from your flight the previous day. We always save MK and especially Epcot until at least day #2.

Ooh that's probably a good idea... Better than the choices we've made so far!

We're staying at the Ramada Maingate and are looking forward to being across the street from the parks. I'm also looking forward to a smaller price tag than POR. I don't expect the same experience as staying at a WDW resort, but it's a lot closer and cheaper! I think our room w/tax comes to about $80 per night.

I'll first say that I liked that hotel white a bit. And we were there when The Cheerleaders were there, lol. OK, one of Them was my sister! We heard them ONCE the night we stayed there, though they did fill up the dining room in the morning!

And it IS closer than resorts at WDW! But while it is across the street from the park, it's not across from an entrance to the park. It's not a bad walk at all, but it's not instant. Probably like parking at epcot and walking to the gates. But with crosswalks.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

6. Parades are so much better.

And DLR pawned off its weakest one (Block Party Bash) onto the studios awhile back. And the parade formerly known as Block Party Bash is even worse.

Josh at easyWDW just had a blog post about MK on two consecutive days, with two vastly different crowds.

Josh is comparing a Mnsshp day with a normal day. Of course a day where there is no parade and fireworks and where you get kicked out at 7 isn't going to be all that crowded. That difference isn't even close to typical during any time of the year when those hard ticket parties are not present.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Did you hear that WDW's is no longer under new management,

The Tiki Gods finally got so fed up with Iago, they burned the whole place down instead of just his tail feathers.

 

[HydroGuy]

Did you hear that WDW's is no longer under new management, yes? I'm no tiki expert, but it seemed just the same as at DL, when we experienced their tiki room last month!

I did. I guess there was a fire at some point which was probably a good thing. I was guessing many WDW vets had not been recently enough to see it so DL's would be novel.

 

[HydroGuy]

I would think what ever park you visited most especially as a kid is the one that would feel "right" to you. But I know what you mean.

We are on the same page here. I was trying to expand the idea to cover WDW vets who - not knowing that in many cases MK's rides came after DL's - try to imply that DL somehow put them in the "wrong" place and somehow MK's arrangement is inherently the "right" arrangement.

 

[HydroGuy]

The key at WDW is to always plan on going to the least crowded park on any given day, not necessarily AK first, Epcot second, etc.

Oh, I agree with you. It is just we usually travel to Orlando on a Friday and usually AK is one of the best choices for Saturdays. Since we are still experiencing jet lag and we really like to hit rope drop, the 9AM RD is like 7AM for us. For a west coaster that is like 6AM. Hard to do but IMO worth it. Just don't stay all day at the park and kill yourself on your very first day!

 

[ArchOwl]

May I suggest you check out easyWDW? Josh's blog has invaluable information for planning a WDW trip (look at the right-hand side of the page.) I'm a WDW guy (also love DLR, of course), and have gotten pretty good at planning. The key at WDW is to always plan on going to the least crowded park on any given day, not necessarily AK first, Epcot second, etc. After figuring parks, then move to ADRs. You do have to plan on making those at WDW, unlike DLR. Figure on where you want to eat, then insert those meals into days where you'll be close by based on the park/resort you'll be at. The Forums at easyWDW are very informative too. Register there and anyone will help you plan your days and touring strategy. It's not that difficult, but does take planning and understanding how crowds work there and how to avoid them.

And TSMM is a FastPass attraction at DHS!

Thank you! Lots of reading to do...

 

[Eeyore11081]

Over the years, I've begun to appreciate the laid back attitude at DLR as compared to WDW. WDW is special in its own way, but DLR has a unique feel that is entirely unlike six flags, etc. (note, our trips are usually in the offseason, so others visiting during peak times have slightly different experiences). We used to stay off property or make day trips from San Diego, because from the outside it never seemed like the Disney hotels were any big deal. After staying on property (PPH) for the first time...boy were we wrong! I agree that other than GCH the hotels themselves really don't stack up with the WDW offerings, but DLH and PPH are still pretty good and there is something special about never leaving Disney property and not getting on any busses that's hard to describe.

There's also a sense of "ownership" among DLR regulars that's hard to describe. It's "our" park in a way and is largely free of the accumulated stress that comes with thousands of people flying from around the world who have spent major $$$ for a blowout experience...they're gonna get their money's worth and have to see everything (and I don't blame them cuz I felt the same way when I have been there)! At DLR, there's less novelty to the regulars, but that's not always a bad thing ("Line's long at Toy Story? Just hit it next time").