I don't want to start a war but...

[Bete]

but I would like to know if there are Disneyland fans out there that like those parks better then WDW. If so, could you please state why. I know they are both wonderful places but I would like to hear reasons from the diehard Disneyland fans.

 

[daannzzz]

I am from California and have been to DL many, many times and WDW only 8. In general I like Disneyland better than the MK but just barely. There are many things at each park that I think are better than at the other.
I thin Main St. is much nicer looking at MK and slightly more idealized (fantasy feeling) than at Disneyland. Both castles are great but the MK castle is so much more impressive but looses some of the warmth of DL pink and blue castle.
Splash Mountain is much better at MK while Pirates is much better at DL. Fantasyland doesn't work as well at MK with part of it populated with plam trees!!!!
But whne you start comparing the rest of WDW with the rest of the DL resort it just is harder to do. DCA is such a dissapointing park to me as was The Disney MGM Studios and I put them on par with each other. Both have some good points but both have some bad ones too.
The amount of property and greenery at WDW makes it so much more restful and beautiful. All the different resorts make for another day of touring and are almost all interesting. There are so many great places to eat there.
Both places are fun and have their pros and cons. WDW is much more involved though. I can go to Disneyland for a long week end. WDW takes me 10 days.

 

[Amberle3]

I think it's difficult to compare the two, because they were built with different purposes in mind. Disneyland was built as a 1-2 day destination, WDW was built as a resort and intended for guests to stay for a week or more at a time. When Disneyland was built they didn't even have their own hotel. The Grand Californian is the only hotel at DL that was built by Disney, the other two were already there and were purchased (Paradise Pier was the Pan Pacific hotel). If you're going to compare them then you have to compare the individual components - DL proper (without DCA) with MK at WDW, and DCA probably with MGM or Epcot.

I personally love DL. I love the coziness of it. I love the fact that Walt walked down the streets and corridors daily. I love sitting in New Orlean's Square are just soaking it up. I know that WDW vets have remarked that main street seems narrow and the castle small, but the castle has always seemed just right to me. And Main Street is narrower than at WDW, which was built to accommodate larger crowds.

DL is an urban park, WDW was built hoping that guests wouldn't go anywhere else while staying there. And one of the things I love most about DL is that despite being smack in the middle of dozens of hotels and busy streets, as soon as you walk into it you feel like you're somewhere else entirely. It doesn't need the distance and acres of land around it to feel secluded, and to me that's magical.

DCA is slowing coming into it's own too. I was there shortly after it opened, and wasn't all that impressed. It was good, but not the same caliber as DL. Slowly it's started becoming more of a destination on it's own, and I'm not entirely sure why. Yes they've added one or two new rides, but I think it's that it's starting to feel comfortable with itself. Everything seems a little more settled now than it did. And I love walking through there and noticing the kitschy things, like "Award Weiners", "Shmoozies", and "Taste Pilot (where great food IS rocket science!)". I'm sorry that the Soap Opera Bistro didn't survive, I think that's something they should have waited to open until the park had come into its own a little more. Perhaps they can open something similar where the waitstaff are celebrity impersonators - that would have a Hollywood feel to it. Or an Improv diner.

 

[Disneyland_emily]

I also love DL more and Ive come to the conclusion that what you know best is what you prefer-

I grew up going to DL- When we did disney it was to DL- My first WDW trip was in 01 when I was on the College Program. Ill head back to my 2nd trip in 4 days- Ive been to DL 3 times in the past year- Compare that to my friend who grew up going to WDW and has yet to go to DL- For her WDW is the "best and only" park and yes weve had our issues over it

I think alot for me is at WDW my autopilot is just broken- I *like* DLs Pirates and I *like* having it in New Orleans Square- having it in adventureland is just weird- I like having the Tiki room on the first left of Adventureland with the old show- I also love the smallness and closeness of DL- I also love DCA and think thats a great park (and heck after we get Rock n Roller- all my WDW favs will be there...)

-em

 

[pamkass]

We have been to WDW 15 times in the last 17 years, and went to DisneyLand last Nov. I love both WDW and DL. The things I realy enjoyed better at DL was that everything is in walking distance to the hotels. No bus rides, or waiting for the busses to get back to your resort. Plus some are the rides are better at DL like Its a small world and Pirates of the Caribbean. The Aladdin's show is great. We had 2 row in the middle. I totaly enjoyed it. And the big thing it cost me less to go to Disney for 6 nights with food than to go to WDW with a package with food.
Pam

 

[Firefly777]

I love Disneyland and I do like it quite a bit better than the MK overall. It just feels more homey to me and I like the ride mix there better. Rides like Space Mountain, Pirates, Small World, Haunted Mansion, Tiki Room are better an DL, IMO. But rides like Splash Mountain, Thunder Mtn.(slightly), and Jungle Cruise are better at the MK.

I like the small scale of Main Street at DL. Just feels more inviting to me. There is a little more charm since there are still little things there that have turned into stores at MK.

I like the more "jungly" atmosphere of Adventureland at DL, but it is a bit cramped. It has my favorite ride ever, Indiana Jones Adventure.

Fantasyland is nicer with the village theme and there a few more rides like Alice, Pinoccio, Storybookland Canal Boats, Circus Train, Matterhorn.

I like Frontierland better at the MK. I like how all of it is situated on the Rivers of America.

I like Toontown better at DL. It is a little more fleshed out. Roger Rabbit is one of my favorite dark rides.

Tomorrowland is better at the MK. It really isn't in good shape at DL right now. But that will change as Space Mountain and Buzz open. I like the theme chosen better at the MK. The buildings and design are a little more whimsical.

Now DCA is another story. I would put it below all of the parks at WDW right now. I think it is slowly getting better, though. Once they add a couple more good rides and maybe add in some more details to the park, I will enjoy it more.

So as a resort, WDW is definitely the leader. But as a theme park, Disneyland just can't be beat.

 

[year2late]

I love both, but I have to say my preference (since DCA/DD opened a few years ago) is Disneyland Resort.

Yes, I live here so it is way cheaper.

But my major reason is that it is a more relaxing vacation. DLR is a much more intimate experience. If on a whim (or due to crowds) I want to change parks, I just go. No big whoop. If I feel like going back to the hotel - I just go. At WDW it is a trek back to the hotel. Park hopping is a hassle.

I prefer smaller vacations (week or less) and no way is WDW relaxing if you only have a week.

Oh yeah, the weather. Anaheim weather (from a year round stand point) beats the heck out of Orlando weather anyday. The Florida humidity makes me cranky.

That being said, we are planning our Thanksgiving trip to WDW.

 

[5infam]

Comparing the 2 is difficult because they are set up completely different. We go to DL 20 times plus per year and have been to WDW only twice (although we own DVC now so will go there every other year). To me, Disneyland and DCA combined are the Cliff Notes of WDW. What I mean by that is that if you are looking for rides, you can not beat the proximity of the combination of the 2 parks, versus 4 parks at WDW. DL beats MK hands down in this respect. And with TofT, CA Screamin, and Grizzly River Run, the rides are plentiful. At DL we have The Matterhorn and Indiana Jones and at WDW they have Test Track and Mission Space and Dinosaur. We both have TofT (now) and you could swap CA Scream for RnR (although they are different rides). As the years go by, it seems that for the most part, they are trying to get the best rides on both coasts. Since we go to both DL and WDW now, this is sort of a disappointment as we enjoy the differences and look forward to rides that we can't ride here. The number one thing we are missing here is a World Showcase. This is absolutely our favorite part of WDW. In the end, both are great and there are things we love about both...but we are always happy to return to our home resort, DL

 

[Hermosa11]

I came across this thread...........as you can see from my signature area, I am also a veteran of DL.

I like having the Tiki room on the first left of Adventureland with the old show- I also love the smallness and closeness of DL

I chuckled when Disneyland_Emily said this. I too know every corner, turn there is. I cannot provide any imput, but I will report back beginning of July when I return from 1st trip to WDW. I am sure it will be an entirely different type of vacation......am looking forward to it but will be taking notes.

 

[turtle51]

I have just returned from my first trip to disneyworld and i really cant say I like one more then the other. There both different. The feel of disneyland has the more disney feel i think because walt acutally was involved in the making of it. I did like fantasmic more at wdw but i love other parts of dl. I guess being a DL veteran being that i go every week during the summer and one or 2 times during the off season i know DL better but im still kinda in the middle

 

[mlshields]

My DH and I combined have been to WDW over 20+ times and we made our first trip to DL last April and all I can say is Walt had it right!!!

Disneyland is by far my favorite. I loved everything about it from main street, the castle, Pirates, H. Mansion, Materhorn, absolutely everything!!!!

So much so in fact we are going back in January to see it again.

Can't Wait!!!!!!

 

[Blackunicorn]

Because it was first. It has sentimental value. Walt was alive when it was built. It has history. It's cozier. WDW seems oriented to older children. And, most importantly, there is no way my family could settle for the inferior Pirates of WDW.