Is Disney World or Disneyland the Crown Jewel of Disney?

[MerlinandtheMouse]

I think I would WDW more a second time because we learned that you really need to only go to one park a day instead of park hop like you do at Disneyland.
I also don't understand why Disneyworld parks hours are so much shorter. Today the Magic Kingdom was open 9 am to 7 pm. Disneyland is open 8 am to Midnight. That's six hours less time in the park for the money.

I assume there’s a Christmas party tonight normally it closes much later.

 

[MerlinandtheMouse]

I see the appeal of Disneyland being the OG and the park Walt built but as an East coaster WDW is my home park so it will always be my favorite, plus I love being in the Disney bubble almost as much as I love the parks so that makes it even more special for me.

Building on the OP’s question slightly, if you could only go to one resort for the rest of your life, would that change your orignal answer?

 

[tvguy]

I assume there’s a Christmas party tonight normally it closes much later.

Yup, special event. But even on a normal night MK closes at 10 pm, 2 hours earlier that DL.

 

[MamaMermaid]

WDW - it's an entire resort. 4 parks, 2 water parks, etc.

 

[limitdis]

I suppose I was asking more about which resort Disney treats as their crown jewel? It seems like Disney leadership continues to treat Disneyland as the crown jewel bc of nostalgia reasons, but Walt was clearly on the path to make Disney World the crown jewel. But I do understand that he never had the chance to finish it.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

It seems like Disney leadership continues to treat Disneyland as the crown jewel bc of nostalgia reasons,

For example?

 

[Chili327]

They are clearly different parks.
I'm not sure Disneyworld is the park Walt wanted. He died 13 months into the project, and 5 years before WDW opened. So most of WDW was planned and built after his death. I think WDW would have been different if he had lived another 5 years.
Disneyland was 100% under his control.
Just seems to me, what park you grew up with shapes your view of what a Disney park should be. And the DIS is largely made up of WDW regulars.
Disneyland is my park. Went to WDW and was disappointed, largely because if so spread out. I spent way too much time in transit at WDW, and too little time in one of the parks.
And while I like California Adventure, I'm not sure Walt would have done things the same way. Even after the changes they had to make spending $1 billion to fix up things that weren't working.

Definitely true... according to all the plans he ever showed or talked about (especially Epcot), it's nothing like what he was planning. Not to say its not better than what he wanted, because what he had planned was a much different experience, & not to say it wouldn't have ended up similarly to what it is now by trial and error, or by veto of ideas when it came to actual reality, but just not to what he ever talked about.

FWIW, most people (not here, but public normies) have no idea Walt never stepped foot in WDW... Technically Disneyland is Walt's park, & WDW is Roy's park.

 

[TCRAIG]

Well - I’d say they both are…(and no, I’m not a politician )…they’re both part of the Disney Royal Jewelry Collection…

 

[gmi3804]

I also don't understand why Disneyworld parks hours are so much shorter. Today the Magic Kingdom was open 9 am to 7 pm. Disneyland is open 8 am to Midnight. That's six hours less time in the park for the money.

I imagine it has a lot to do with parkgoing habits of its biggest market, millions of locals. It’s not uncommon for them to pop in after work for an evening, especially since so many have annual passes.

 

[The Mayor]

Went to DL in October and to me it was just blah. Felt like 10 pounds of poop in a five pound bag. I much prefer DW and all it has to offer.

 

[wabbott]

Yup. DisneySea is the best theme park in the world.

Just saw this. I unequivocally agree. There needs to be a Disney Sea at WDW yesterday.

 

[tvguy]

I imagine it has a lot to do with parkgoing habits of its biggest market, millions of locals. It’s not uncommon for them to pop in after work for an evening, especially since so many have annual passes.

I would expect the parks to stay open later then, not close earlier than Disneyland.

 

[gmi3804]

I would expect the parks to stay open later then, not close earlier than Disneyland.

I was referring to DLR, not WDW.