I am so torn and need some advice

[klamb55]

I have quite the dilemma on my hands....I am taking my first solo trip in September but it was booked for Disneyland as WDW was too expensive at the time. I have now rerun all the numbers for WDW and it's very close to being the same cost wise. I built in $50 day for Genie+ for the trip estimated cost.

The WDW numbers I ran are for staying at All Star Music with a 6 day park hopper ticket.

My dilemma is this.....do I stick with DL which I have not been to for 20+ years and that trip also included one day at Universal Hollywood (Ive done Universal Orlando a lot as i was an AP). Or do I switch to WDW?

The downsides I see with WDW are:
No guarantee for getting Genie+
It's still hella hot in Orlando in September
WDW is work, you have to plan things all out the right way vs DL you can be way more flexible.

The downsides to DL are:
It's all new to me so I dont know the parks well
There are not as many table service dining options
I would have to drive a rental car up to Universal Hollywood then back to Anaheim for the DL portion of my trip.

I know only I can make this decision for me but would love to hear some thoughts as I am truly conflicted.

 

[Cupcakesmum]

Disneyland ALL the way!!! We went last June for the first time (after many WDW visits which we love!) and completely fell in love with Disneyland. We went in June and it was hotter in Canada than in LA. It was just gorgeous beautiful non humid weather and the parks are just so much fun and so accessible. I think if it has been 20+ years, you will have an absolute blast!!!

 

[Cupcakesmum]

We also just did a car service rather than a rental car and you don’t need to worry about knowing the parks well! Half of the fun is discovering them!

We also really enjoyed Universal - they had some really neat things that Orlando doesn’t have. The studio tour is a MUST do!!

 

[Rogue1677x]

I guess some things to weigh also are:

Cost of getting to DL from where you are vs DW. Being that they are on different sides of the country, is there a substantial difference?

Think about how you would spend your time at DL and if you are going to DCA as well.

Think about what parks you would go to if you went to DW.

I've been to DW a lot and I've only had 1 successful trip to DL since I was 13 (meaning that I got on more than 2 rides in 2 days, everything was breaking down, etc.). and that was this past February. We were only there for 8 hours, divided between DL and DCA and had managed to get on a lot of rides.

If I had to do it again, I would give myself 2 full days.

DW, this is where things really become subjective regarding the different parks. I love the Magic Kingdom and could easily go back there a couple of times. I don't care for Animal Kingdom at all and would skip it, but I know some people like it.

EPCOT is 50/50 for me. I really like the world showcase but beyond that there's nothing else I really want to go to the park for.

Hollywood Studios is fun, though I'm torn whether the Tower of Terror is preferred there for me or I've been won over by Guardians of the Galaxy Mission Breakout at DCA.

As for Universal, I haven't been to the one in Hollywood in forever, but if you're interested in seeing the Nintendo section, then that adds weight to going the CA way.

I'd normally say factor in hurricane season for Florida, but when I was in CA in February, the amount of rain that was coming was unusual, so weather seems to be an unpredictable factor no matter what.

I don't know if I've made it easier or harder for you to decide now, but whatever you choose, you'll have a great time.

 

[ak517]

As someone who is not local to either and has been "solo-ish*" to both, I would recommend DL. It is so, so nice to be able to walk across the entrance plaza between the parks to hop around. I would rent a locker in one park and just pop in and out as needed from across the plaza and it was like night and day from trying to park hop in WDW. I opted out of table service meals because it was my first trip to DL in like 12 years, so I just ate whatever I could. The quick service and food carts are basically WDW quality...and I was so excited because I had heard it was stupendous but most of it fell pretty flat. I had three day park hoppers but really only had two and a half days. I sort of wish I had more time just to relax a little bit, but I did end up doing a lot, including some specialty Chinese New Year stuff as that was ongoing during my trip.

I was a little anxious about going to DL and DCA while my "home" park is WDW, but it was super easy to pick up on the layout. There are some bathrooms in different places in DL versus MK, but once I had that down it was smooth sailing! Plus the footprints of the parks felt pretty small overall, so it wasn't as hard to maneuver around. All in all, everything still felt so special because it wasn't where I normally vacation!

All that said, if you end up deciding on WDW, don't skip on Nomad Lounge, Enchanted Rose, and Skipper Canteen as a solo diner! They are my go-to's, and I have great memories of grabbing an espresso martini at Enchanted Rose before strolling into MK.

*I say solo-ish because my mom tagged along to DL but she was just my shadow and did whatever I wanted. My original plan was to go solo, so I basically treated it as such, haha.

 

[Mouse Tracker]

I'd stick with original plan due to peak hurricane season

 

[Nimbus]

I personally would struggle to keep myself sufficiently entertained/occupied at Disneyland for 6 days without feeling like I'm either getting bored or forcing myself to do things just to do them to fill the time. Universal Hollywood can be done pretty well in a day, so that would still leave you with 5 days at Disneyland; which is, again, I think more than what most people would devote to the two parks.

WDW will obviously have more options, so you can have pretty full days without hurting for more things to do. That could be a pro or con, though.

 

[Mommb]

I would see "It's all new to me" as an advantage. I also wouldn't worry about "There are not as many table service dining options" as long as there are enough restaurants for you to visit each day during your trip.

If you are spending several days at Disneyland Resort, you should have time to visit everything you want even if you don't have an "optimal" plan in place.

I second the idea of finding a car service or shuttle bus to get you to Universal Studios, unless you would use a rental car to get to other areas. I avoid driving in southern California whenever possible, because of the heavy traffic and exit ramps that pop up out of nowhere so that I'm always in the wrong lane.

 

[HopperFan]

I'd stick with original plan due to peak hurricane season

And the water is so warm in FL that there are rumblings hurricane season might be rough.

I too would stick with DL!

 

[gottalovepluto]

I prefer WDW as a solo traveler due to not needing a rental and much better food options. However, I would lean towards DL for you. Sept weather in FL is rough and with a chance of a hurricane wrecking your trip whereas Disneyland has like .00001% chance of a hurricane (never say never ). Fwiw G+ will not sell out in WDW in Sept though, that sorta thing only happens at like Xmas and Spring Break.

(Also DL has HM Holiday!!)

Downtown Disney has seen major changes the last few years, I’d read up on the new offerings to expand your TS options beyond the parks.

 

[DWillowBay]

Disney LAND and Universal Hollywood. Both are superior experiences to WDW and Universal Orlando, in my very humble opinion. I'd never pass up that opportunity, if I had it. You can see from my signature that I love WDW and spent much time (money) there, but if I lived closer to DL, I'd spend just as much (or more) time there. Just my preference based on the nostalgia factor, cost, less planning, far better churros, easy layout to the parks and available characters. Just my 2 cents. Hope you have a great trip, no matter where you go.

 

[Skippyboo]

It’s jungle hot in September in Florida. Never been to Disneyland but I have watched Mammoth club videos in Disneyland and DCA and it’s looks like the Disneyland quick service and snacks are way better than what WDW. Don’t forget Universal will be doing HHN in September so you have to plan around that if you’re not interested in HHN.

 

[Nicnicnic.nic]

Disneyland has really good churros, Indiana jones ride and bobsleds.....

 

[robinb]

No question, keep Disneyland. It's the park that Walt built.

 

[Marthasor]

DL > WDW!

I'm an east coast girl and go to WDW multiple times a year. I've only been to DL three times, most recently in 2022 and, wow, it is just AMAZING! I would stick to the original plan. WDW in September is so, so hot. DL is so easy to navigate and I love being able to walk everywhere and park hop so easily.

 

[neverlandsky]

I would keep Disneyland and skip Universal Hollywood. Last time we went to Universal Hollywood was over 30 years ago for me & Husband. We decided since the kids never have been we would go back. Yep not much has changed. We went Oct. 2023. We all agreed afterwards, we would have rather have had a day at the beach or another day at DL/CA.

Going from DL to Universal Hollywood, the traffic was no joke.
2 hours to get there and almost 3 hours to get back.

 

[scrappinginontario]

We are WDW vets and did our first DL trip 2 years ago. I highly recommend keeping your DL reservation since you’ve already booked it. I’m sure you’ll have a great time!!!

 

[katyjeka]

We liked DL, especially Cars Land but I'm in the minority here and I'd go with WDW. Yes it's hot in Orlando and hurricanes are a possibility..I spent 23 years in Florida and saw my share. However very few impact WDW. Rainy days at Disney are the best. The crowds leave, rain stops, and you have an empty park. Yes it's hot and steamy but it never bothered us as we casually walk on one ride after another .. WDW has Epcot and Food & Wine which we love. I've visited Magic Kingdom more times than I can count but I still get chills walking down Main Street, this did not happen at DL. Sorry but it reminded me of our days at Hershey Park. We love Hershey but when we go to Disney I want to feel removed from the world. This didn't happen at DL. Another plus for WDW is AK. I know it the least favorite park for many but it's a must do for us. Whatever you choose have a great time.

 

[john7994]

Really don’t care about churros at either park, but would stick with DL and use the time to explore and expand your comfort level daily in slower small steps - which is an absolute luxury to be honest. Also not really into the idea that one park has to be better than the other - the fact that each location is different makes the journey something to anticipate and special.

 

[loves to dive]

Tough decision. You don't say how often, if ever, you have been to WDW, where you will be coming from, if this is a one and done, is the amount of time in DL the same amount of time as WDW, where would you be staying at DL? All of this would make a difference in my decision were it me. For example, I go to WDW at least 2 to 3 times a year. I live within 7 hours driving distance and it's easy for me to drive down.

A few points: I don't think you need to worry about Genie + selling out at WDW. Yep, it's hot there in Sept., liked 7th level of Hades hot and yep, a hurricane might occur but there is a 85% chance it's only going to cause a lot of rain at WDW and not close down anything. The amount of planning you do at WDW is up to you. You can actually do it without much planning at all or you can plan down to the minute, up to you and what your goals are for the trip. We do no planning other than tickets and hotel reservations. We don't book ADRs in advance, always day of. We always have park hoppers (I have an AP) and we don't buy Genie+, just go and do whatever we are in the mood for. Having said that, we are not ride centric (my son has a 3 year old who has already been 3 times so they don't get to ride much anyway) and don't try to see how many rides we can get done. We tend to think about one or two things we want to get done in a day and go from there. The last time I was at DL I was about 2 years old so can't speak to much about it, but from what videos I've seen and read about it, 6 or 5 days is probably going to be over kill. If I were going, I'd plan to spend some time doing other things in the area as well. Not a Universal fan so can't speak to that.

DL is on my list of somewhere I want to go at some point but if I were going I'd probably just plan 3 nights at the DL resort and have park hoppers and then spend the rest of the time exploring the area. In all fairness, we have a niece and nephew who live in the area and the nephew is in the band at DL so we would most likely have some personal guides if we wanted them to both DL and the area.