Just back from DL (and DL hotel)

[Tinkerbellie16]

I'm a regular Disneyworld visitor and this was my first time at DL as an adult. In fact, I haven't been to DL since 1977! I went with my DH and kids and stayed at the Disneyland Hotel. Just wanted to provide my thoughts on DL and the hotel in case anyone is interested.

Overall 'feel' of the parks/hotel area - You are in the middle of a city. It is evident. There is a different type of crowd here with a lot more locals than WDW. I really like the WDW 'bubble' and this is not existent at DL. In fact, DL is a lot less together than WDW. There are no fingerprint scanners and our tickets didn't even have our names on them (nor are they combined with your room key). So if we left a park, we had to get a hand stamp and show that and our ticket if we re-entered a park or went between the two parks. This is just one of the things that was not only different than WDW, but also behind the WDW times.

Disneyland - Well, I can't help it but I have to compare it to Disneyworld. I was prepared for a big difference and a big difference was what we got! I knew the castle was smaller, but WHOA it is really tiny looking. I don't go to WDW for the castle though so this was more of a shock than a disappointment. The park itself seems more congested with smaller walkways and attractions being close together. It was neat to see how some attractions differed and to get on some new attractions. The fireworks show is especially great! Tink flies on both sides of the castle - back and forth several times so you can see her really well. Overall, I enjoyed the Disneyland park ITSELF.

Disney's California Adventure - This was a complete disappointment. Now I understand that the main street is under construction but it really detracts from the enjoyment of the park when you walk through construction walls for 10 minutes to get to - anything. It also feels very poorly laid out with Paradise Pier being just awful. And I have to say I am really annoyed at World of Color - what a waste of time! I thought it was going to be so cool given all the comments on it and it is NOT. It is a bunch of Disney movie clips projected onto water shooting out of the lagoon with color added in. We left halfway through and could not believe we waited to see THAT.

Disneyland hotel - The pool area is really nice and the quick service is just like the Poly's! The bar, Trader Sam's, is AWESOME but tiny. The resort itself is small enough that you barely are walking far to get to anything (unlike many WDW resorts). The rooms are small though - really small. But they are nicely decorated, well kept up, and have very comfy beds. We did have some issues but the staff were great about addressing them until we were satisfied. I will not go into specifics because they are not a reflection on the hotel in general and I don't want to give the wrong impression. The staff was GREAT about resolving our issues and I would absolutely stay there again (but I may get two rooms if I go with my kids again due to the size of the rooms!)

I hope that helps someone. And feel free to ask me questions!

 

[Mickey527]

I agree with everything you said. I was shocked by how small the castle is compared to "my' castle in FL. I was also surprised at the restaraunts. Everything is creole or spicy, or fried. I had the famous Monte Cristo (or as I call it Monster Crisco) and it was so greasy that I took 2 bites and had to wipe the grease running down my arm. I couldn't eat it.
I also agree the construction on the mail street is a mess. I sm going back for my birthday with a friend who has never been there and I was looking forward to eating at Carnation and they are closed. I am sure we will enjoy our time there but so much is going to be closed and this mightr be our only trip there since I love WDW so much more.

 

[coaches24]

I'm a regular Disneyworld visitor and this was my first time at DL as an adult. In fact, I haven't been to DL since 1977! I went with my DH and kids and stayed at the Disneyland Hotel. Just wanted to provide my thoughts on DL and the hotel in case anyone is interested.

Overall 'feel' of the parks/hotel area - You are in the middle of a city. It is evident. There is a different type of crowd here with a lot more locals than WDW. I really like the WDW 'bubble' and this is not existent at DL. In fact, DL is a lot less together than WDW. There are no fingerprint scanners and our tickets didn't even have our names on them (nor are they combined with your room key). So if we left a park, we had to get a hand stamp and show that and our ticket if we re-entered a park or went between the two parks. This is just one of the things that was not only different than WDW, but also behind the WDW times.

Disneyland - Well, I can't help it but I have to compare it to Disneyworld. I was prepared for a big difference and a big difference was what we got! I knew the castle was smaller, but WHOA it is really tiny looking. I don't go to WDW for the castle though so this was more of a shock than a disappointment. The park itself seems more congested with smaller walkways and attractions being close together. It was neat to see how some attractions differed and to get on some new attractions. The fireworks show is especially great! Tink flies on both sides of the castle - back and forth several times so you can see her really well. Overall, I enjoyed the Disneyland park ITSELF.

Disney's California Adventure - This was a complete disappointment. Now I understand that the main street is under construction but it really detracts from the enjoyment of the park when you walk through construction walls for 10 minutes to get to - anything. It also feels very poorly laid out with Paradise Pier being just awful. And I have to say I am really annoyed at World of Color - what a waste of time! I thought it was going to be so cool given all the comments on it and it is NOT. It is a bunch of Disney movie clips projected onto water shooting out of the lagoon with color added in. We left halfway through and could not believe we waited to see THAT.

Disneyland hotel - The pool area is really nice and the quick service is just like the Poly's! The bar, Trader Sam's, is AWESOME but tiny. The resort itself is small enough that you barely are walking far to get to anything (unlike many WDW resorts). The rooms are small though - really small. But they are nicely decorated, well kept up, and have very comfy beds. We did have some issues but the staff were great about addressing them until we were satisfied. I will not go into specifics because they are not a reflection on the hotel in general and I don't want to give the wrong impression. The staff was GREAT about resolving our issues and I would absolutely stay there again (but I may get two rooms if I go with my kids again due to the size of the rooms!)

I hope that helps someone. And feel free to ask me questions!

Yea I can see how if you are used to one park (and how things work at that park) then going to the other could be a disappointment. Ive never been to WDW and would love to go sometime but the more I read about WDW the more I wonder if I will like it as much as I used to think. Having to take buses to get from one place to another doesn't sound fun to me. And I cant miss finger print scanners or anything else like that since I am used to DL.

I agree with you on DCA however. DCA has improved a lot over the last 7 years (I went first time in 05 and then again in 2011 and it was very different) but it still isnt great. We plan to spend most of one day in DCA our next trip just because there are some attractions there we like and dont want to miss. But we plan to spend the better part of our other 3 days all in DL (4 days total in parks).

Back to the comparison of WDW and DL I am so used to how things work at DL that its hard for me to imagine it any other way. So when I do finally make it to WDW it will be interesting to see how I feel about it compared to DL which I LOVE.

 

[soaringirl]

Of course you're going to be dissapointed if you are comparing all the time. DH was ready to be dissapointed on our 1st trip, being WDW fans and all, and he was pleasently surprised: "Disneyland is so, so cool!" he kept saying.
The castle? Yes it's small. And yes, it's the first also, and it has something that WDW's castle doesn't: the "secret" passage, which was very delightful for us.
Sorry you didn't enjoy.

 

[Tinkerbellie16]

Yea I can see how if you are used to one park (and how things work at that park) then going to the other could be a disappointment. Ive never been to WDW and would love to go sometime but the more I read about WDW the more I wonder if I will like it as much as I used to think. Having to take buses to get from one place to another doesn't sound fun to me. And I cant miss finger print scanners or anything else like that since I am used to DL.

I agree with you on DCA however. DCA has improved a lot over the last 7 years (I went first time in 05 and then again in 2011 and it was very different) but it still isnt great. We plan to spend most of one day in DCA our next trip just because there are some attractions there we like and dont want to miss. But we plan to spend the better part of our other 3 days all in DL (4 days total in parks).

Back to the comparison of WDW and DL I am so used to how things work at DL that its hard for me to imagine it any other way. So when I do finally make it to WDW it will be interesting to see how I feel about it compared to DL which I LOVE.

It is really hard not to compare something to what you are used to. I'd love to hear from people who frequent DL and then their impressions of WDW!

Funny what you say about the buses because we missed the transportation! It always provided us some 'down' time. The only transportation complaint I have about WDW is the buses to Downtown Disney. It seems to be horrible from all the resorts I've stayed at so far. But the rest of the buses have been just fine and the monorail and boats are so cool.

 

[Tinkerbellie16]

I agree with everything you said. I was shocked by how small the castle is compared to "my' castle in FL. I was also surprised at the restaraunts. Everything is creole or spicy, or fried. I had the famous Monte Cristo (or as I call it Monster Crisco) and it was so greasy that I took 2 bites and had to wipe the grease running down my arm. I couldn't eat it.
I also agree the construction on the mail street is a mess. I sm going back for my birthday with a friend who has never been there and I was looking forward to eating at Carnation and they are closed. I am sure we will enjoy our time there but so much is going to be closed and this mightr be our only trip there since I love WDW so much more.

I did have the monte cristo and couldn't believe they were charging $25 for a sandwich But I actually enjoyed it - although it was way too filling for just me

As for the food in general, I did not find as much as I liked but I also have had a lot of experience at WDW to discover my favorites. At DL, I really liked the Jolly Holiday bakery. I liked their cinnamon rolls and the iced caramel macchiato - it was just like starbucks!

 

[Tinkerbellie16]

Of course you're going to be dissapointed if you are comparing all the time. DH was ready to be dissapointed on our 1st trip, being WDW fans and all, and he was pleasently surprised: "Disneyland is so, so cool!" he kept saying.
The castle? Yes it's small. And yes, it's the first also, and it has something that WDW's castle doesn't: the "secret" passage, which was very delightful for us.
Sorry you didn't enjoy.

Oh, I said the DL castle was NOT a disappointment, it was a shock. I never said I didn't enjoy it - in fact, as I stated, I really liked Disneyland ITSELF (I did NOT like DCA). I know I rambled on in my first post so it was probably confusing.

It is hard NOT to compare things to something you love. I do that to all my vacations...and to my favorite restaurants...and to my favorite shoes...

If I were given a choice to go to DL or WDW, then I admit I would choose WDW. But I would happily go back to DL

 

[Disney_dreamer]

I'm a regular Disneyworld visitor and this was my first time at DL as an adult. In fact, I haven't been to DL since 1977! I went with my DH and kids and stayed at the Disneyland Hotel. Just wanted to provide my thoughts on DL and the hotel in case anyone is interested.

Overall 'feel' of the parks/hotel area - You are in the middle of a city. It is evident. There is a different type of crowd here with a lot more locals than WDW. I really like the WDW 'bubble' and this is not existent at DL. In fact, DL is a lot less together than WDW. There are no fingerprint scanners and our tickets didn't even have our names on them (nor are they combined with your room key). So if we left a park, we had to get a hand stamp and show that and our ticket if we re-entered a park or went between the two parks. This is just one of the things that was not only different than WDW, but also behind the WDW times.

Disneyland - Well, I can't help it but I have to compare it to Disneyworld. I was prepared for a big difference and a big difference was what we got! I knew the castle was smaller, but WHOA it is really tiny looking. I don't go to WDW for the castle though so this was more of a shock than a disappointment. The park itself seems more congested with smaller walkways and attractions being close together. It was neat to see how some attractions differed and to get on some new attractions. The fireworks show is especially great! Tink flies on both sides of the castle - back and forth several times so you can see her really well. Overall, I enjoyed the Disneyland park ITSELF.

Disney's California Adventure - This was a complete disappointment. Now I understand that the main street is under construction but it really detracts from the enjoyment of the park when you walk through construction walls for 10 minutes to get to - anything. It also feels very poorly laid out with Paradise Pier being just awful. And I have to say I am really annoyed at World of Color - what a waste of time! I thought it was going to be so cool given all the comments on it and it is NOT. It is a bunch of Disney movie clips projected onto water shooting out of the lagoon with color added in. We left halfway through and could not believe we waited to see THAT.

Disneyland hotel - The pool area is really nice and the quick service is just like the Poly's! The bar, Trader Sam's, is AWESOME but tiny. The resort itself is small enough that you barely are walking far to get to anything (unlike many WDW resorts). The rooms are small though - really small. But they are nicely decorated, well kept up, and have very comfy beds. We did have some issues but the staff were great about addressing them until we were satisfied. I will not go into specifics because they are not a reflection on the hotel in general and I don't want to give the wrong impression. The staff was GREAT about resolving our issues and I would absolutely stay there again (but I may get two rooms if I go with my kids again due to the size of the rooms!)

I hope that helps someone. And feel free to ask me questions!

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.... I am just starting to think about spring break 2013 and want to go to DL. Our family has been to WDW numerous times and we love it... but I want to see Walt's park and I think my whole family will enjoy Cars Land.
I have a couple of questions for you:
How many days did you visit, did you need more or less days in your opinion?
You say you would stay at the DL hotel again (but maybe get 2 rooms) What WDW property would the room size/quality be comparable to? We have stayed in all categories.... Do you think one of the other DL hotels might be better??
What did you think of the dining and how does it compare to WDW?
Thanks in advance for your thoughts

 

[soaringirl]

Oh, I said the DL castle was NOT a disappointment, it was a shock. I never said I didn't enjoy it - in fact, as I stated, I really liked Disneyland ITSELF (I did NOT like DCA). I know I rambled on in my first post so it was probably confusing.

My mistake, it gave me the impression that you didn't like it as much.
Glad then that you enjoyed Disneyland.

 

[Disneyqueendenmark]

Thanks for sharing your trips up's and downs
Thought it was quite fun to hear your comparision of WDW and DLR - since I've only been to DLR! I fully understand the issues with the DCA construction, it iritates me!! But how can you not like WOC lol.. Haha
Dosen't seem like you had a bad time, but not very very magical and great either... Hope you enjoyed DLR eventough you had some disapointments!

I can see that it's really hard not to compare your 'own' and beloved park to the next and new you are visiting - but I think that it is very important to try not to compare :b I know that DL is 'my' park and no other Disney park will ever take it's place in my heart! <3 I'm planning a trip to DL Paris, but I'm actually quite nervous about it!! I hear people talking about drinking and smoking all over the parks and that meet & greets are only for kids - and I'm like WHAAT! I hear other stories about WDW and again i'm thinking - How can they do it!
I think I will try to see all the Disney parks over the world as individual parks - with their own things and ways to run the park But hey - of course you can't visit two Disney parks without comparing, that would be naive to think but if I scould compare i'm affraid it would ruin a lot of my visit, cause 'Why is it not like at DLR.. They're not doing it right!!'

It became a long post about comparing - sorry
I think you tried to give a pretty objective and good trip report! Thanks

 

[donnishobson]

It is really hard not to compare something to what you are used to. I'd love to hear from people who frequent DL and then their impressions of WDW!

Funny what you say about the buses because we missed the transportation! It always provided us some 'down' time. The only transportation complaint I have about WDW is the buses to Downtown Disney. It seems to be horrible from all the resorts I've stayed at so far. But the rest of the buses have been just fine and the monorail and boats are so cool.

I visited WDW in January after going to DL many times. I loved WDW, but was disappointed in The Magic Kingdom. It didn't seem to have the charm of the smaller Disneyland. The rest of WDW was delightful.

It is hard not to compare, but both places are magical. I have only visited WDW and DLR during low season - late Jan and Oct, so the small size of DLR might be more of an issue when crowded. I doubt that any disneyphile would really dislike either resort.

 

[disneegrl4eva]

Ive never been to WDW and would love to go sometime but the more I read about WDW the more I wonder if I will like it as much as I used to think.
Back to the comparison of WDW and DL I am so used to how things work at DL that its hard for me to imagine it any other way. So when I do finally make it to WDW it will be interesting to see how I feel about it compared to DL which I LOVE.

Trust me you will love wdw

As for the food in general, I did not find as much as I liked but I also have had a lot of experience at WDW to discover my favorites.

I visited WDW in January after going to DL many times. I loved WDW, but was disappointed in The Magic Kingdom. It didn't seem to have the charm of the smaller Disneyland. The rest of WDW was delightful.

It is hard not to compare, but both places are magical. I have only visited WDW and DLR during low season - late Jan and Oct, so the small size of DLR might be more of an issue when crowded. I doubt that any disneyphile would really dislike either resort.

DL is MY park...always has been..I live just a few hours away and have gone so many times I cant keep track anymore....I went to wdw for the first time this past Dec. and I went with expectations that wdw was going to be so huge I wouldnt be able to get hardly anything done and that I had to keep my expectations low for MK because of how I love Disneyland and that AK would be my least favorite where Epcot would be my favorite...boy was I wrong..MK was my FAVORITE park with a tie for second between AK and HS...and Epcot was my least favorite..although I really liked world showcase ALOT! Future world just didnt do it for me...DL is much more compact therefore, it seems crowded all the time so when people complain about crowds at wdw I laugh because they dont know what crowds are...I agree with Tinkerbellie about the food too...I dont like DL food much...few things here and there and just a couple of sit downs ( Carnation Cafe and Minnie and Friends Breakfast at Plaza Inn) but wdw food is A M A Z I N G!!! I couldnt get enough...the only place we ate at that I didnt like was wolfgang pucks...everything else was awesome....

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.... I am just starting to think about spring break 2013 and want to go to DL. Our family has been to WDW numerous times and we love it... but I want to see Walt's park and I think my whole family will enjoy Cars Land.
I have a couple of questions for you:
How many days did you visit, did you need more or less days in your opinion?
You say you would stay at the DL hotel again (but maybe get 2 rooms) What WDW property would the room size/quality be comparable to? We have stayed in all categories.... Do you think one of the other DL hotels might be better??
What did you think of the dining and how does it compare to WDW?
Thanks in advance for your thoughts

Disneydreamer, if you're going to DL during spring break next year and it is your first time I would suggest 3 or 4 days...because it is compact and easy to walk to, you can take breaks in the day and go back to your hotel for a swim etc....then go back around 5 or so when sun is not as hot because it does cool down quite a bit...I cant answer your questions about comparability between DL hotel and the wdw hotels but all along Harbor which is right across the street and you can walk across the crosswalk to get to DL or CA, and there are others that either you can take a city shuttle or they have their own shuttles...there are TONS of hotels...reasonably priced and very nice...some of the favorite moderate priced hotels are HOJO, Sheraton Anaheim, Candy Cane Inn, Park Vue, Fairfield, Marriott, Hilton etc...there are tons....Disneyland Hotel is amazing...I love it there...if you want to go more expensive you can do the grand...it kind of reminds me of the wilderness lodge (i think mainly because the architect who did it also did the Grand) Paradise Pier is really nice and with all these hotels you get in early...they dont do EMH morning or evening...its just on select days they let you in 1 and 1/2 hours before park opens...alot of people do it and its really worth it especially if you have little ones...it allows you to get through most of the rides before park even opens...i mentioned above that there arent alot of great sit downs imo...it really depends on what you like to eat...my favorite character ones are Minnie and Friends breakfast at Plaza Inn (in the park) and Mickey and Friends at Paradise Pier...I love Carnation cafe for breakfast or lunch and I do occasionally go to BLue Bayou...its really mostly for the ambiance but if you've never been its a must do...

 

[KCmike]

Interesting report. I agree you are smack dab in the middle of a city. It has the feel of a local amusement park to me but when I enter Disneyland's gates it all changes from there. I actually get the goosebump feeling knowing that this is where it all started and Walt lived and worked in the park supervising rides and attractions. Disneyland is far and away the superior park in my opinion with Epcot being second and Magic Kingdom being third. We were WDW vets who went to Disneyland back in 2007 for the first time and we're completely had our hearts stolen. We went back to WDW this past summer to relive the magic of our first home resort but the Magic Kingdom just felt big, empty, and heartless compared to Disneyland. Anyways I can completely understand you not liking DCA with all the walls up right now. You have to admit though that Aladdin stage show, Little Mermaid, Grizzly River Run, the original Soarin' (cool because its all about California and funny how the WDW version doesn't use Soarin' over California in their title), and Screamin' are all great rides/attractions. Did you get into the Animation Academy? See the Toy Story Zoetrope? I agree with World of Color for the first time we saw it. Completely disappointed. We went a second time later in our vacation back in 2010 and it was like night and day. We had a better view and some of the effects from the seating areas were working this time around.

Appreciate your opinions. Would like to hear more about what you liked about the resort because many will be reading you account. So many WDW fans will be flocking over to DL this summer. It's going to be the summer of finding Walt's dream.

And one more thing....I actually prefer Sleeping Beauty's Castle to Cindy's. It feels like you in the story when you walk into Disneyland.

Thanks again for your report!

PS. My down time instead of riding the bus back to the resort was relaxing in the huge chaise lounge chairs at the Grand Californian pool.

 

[candy0730]

I too recently returned from my first trip to DL. I have been to WDW 4 times as an adult and thought I was going to be disappointed with DL. Boy was I wrong!

One of the things that I enjoyed most was that DL was smaller (or just felt smaller?) than MK in WDW. The attractions are so close -it was great not having to walk 5-10 minutes from one headliner to another. I also thought that some attractions were so much better at DL such as IASW, POTC and SM.

I absolutley loved that we could walk back to our hotel (HOJO) in 10 minutes instead of standing in line to wait for a bus and hope to get a seat for the 10-20 minute ride.

I do agree that I didn't have that total immersion feeling that I get at WDW but I did love DL much more than I thought I would and can't wait to go back!

I think our next trip will be back to WDW since my husband kept asking "Where is the real Disney?" I guess he didn't love it quite as much as I did.

 

[GeneralTso]

I totally get what you're saying. WDW and DL are so different, yet many similarities are there so you can't help but compare.

Keep in mind, what you saw at CA Adventure is the fix! That's the better plan! Imagine the "before" and there you have it. It's going to be much better.

I feel like you get totally immersed in Disney at DL. It just has more of that magical feeling to me. The biggest disappointment (yes, I said it) is Magic Kingdom at WDW. That was crazy. Especially Small World. I couldn't believe it.

I can appreciate the differences between Pirates and Tower of Terror. I kind of like that they are different entrances and walkthroughs.

The castle at WDW is just better. Plain and simple better. Amazing and gorgeous.

My heart belongs to DL though. It's all right there, all your lands in a wagon wheel set up. Easy to manage.

I do wish DL had the same dining options as WDW. That's awesome. You also need about a week to do WDW. It's a big time commitment

 

[dlinne]

It is really hard not to compare something to what you are used to. I'd love to hear from people who frequent DL and then their impressions of WDW!

I've been to DL many times. In fact I used to live in Southern CA in grad school and so it was a go to day trip every time i had a visitor. I've also been a couple of times since I've had my own child (i think visiting with children is a whole different experience!).

My family (myself, my husband and 9 yo daughter) just went to WDW in February. We had a great time

Some of the things I really loved about WDW include:

--It feels like you are in a different world. Everything is Disney--food, resorts, transportation.
--There are on site value resorts which fit better into my budget than a DL hotel
--Epcot's world showcase--so many foods and it was nice that they fit characters into the countries that fit best. My daughter loved doing the passports and got every stamp.
--Loved HS and that Fantasmic has seating!
--we really enjoyed AK--daughter did the kid stations, it was a mission.
--So many dining choices. We did a lot of character meals which were so fun!
--choices outside the parks--we did the hoop de do revue and had a blast
--The fast pass systems are applied to things that are important to my family (family rides like Peter Pan and Pooh)


Things I didn't enjoy as much or prefer at DL:

--The magic Kingdom park itself--while the castle was big and wonderful everything else seemed too spread out. We seemed to walk a lot farther for fewer attractions.
--I went in Feb so I had great weather mostly (after the initial high of 42 degrees day!), but I don't think i'd enjoy the summer humidity at all.
--i prefer some of the rides at DL--Peter Pan and Pirates in particular are better at DL i think
--ADRs are a pain. its too bad they don't have more ability to walk in some of the sit down restaurants. However I planned ahead and so we were OK. i would have liked a little more flexibility though.
--I don't like park hopping at WDW--too time consuming.
--I liked liberty square but I liked New Orleans Square better

Overall I really enjoyed WDW but I look at it like a very different experience from DL. At DL I love the familiarity I have with the parks' layouts and how much closer everything is. After all the walking at WDW I don't think i'll complain about walking at DL anymore

We are planning a trip to DL in July to see CARS and WOC. I suspect we'll be back to WDW in a year or so. Even my husband enjoyed it

 

[Carrie in AZ]

We've been to both DLR and DW a few times each and LOVE both. We positively adore the total immersion of staying on-site at DW resorts and being able to experience all the magic of the four parks and both water parks -- LOVE IT ALL!!

But, we also love DLR and the magic that can only be found in some of the attractions there -- Matterhorn, IASM, Pirates and eating at Blue Bayou. We love staying on-site at both DLH and GCH. We've had magical trips here as well and can't wait to return in June!

I am surprised you thought the DLH rooms were small. The web says they are 364-415 sf. The rooms at DW's Wilderness are 340 sf, GF 400 sf, Poly 415-476, and CR 422. Where do you normally stay at DW? We think the DLH rooms are pretty spacious (GCH are 353).

I'm glad you were able to visit DLR and experience it firsthand. It's pretty neat to say you've visited both -- at least that's how I feel.

 

[HydroGuy]

Interesting comments on DLR. WDW and DLR are of course different as you pointed out and not everyone values things the same way.

Too bad you caught DCA in its current state. One might be tempted to blame the messenger (you) but really Disney is to blame for its missteps with DCA in the past. That they recognized this and are making the current changes is huge, but guests have paid the price for the last few years with all the construction walls. From everything I have seen DCA will be just fine after June 15 and it will emerge as a first rate Disney park. I think folks are going to be really taken in by the new BVS entrance and will feel "Main Street-esque".

Your comments about WOC were quite surprising, but everyone is different which is what makes the world interesting. I have seen the acclaimed Illuminations at Epcot four times now and it still does almost nothing for me. Epcot itself is slowly growing on me, but it did not impress me at first.

Overall I have found tons of Disney magic at WDW and DLR, as well as DLR Paris and Tokyo Disney. They all have really cool things about them that are totally unique.

 

[zavandor]

I think that everyone keeps his first Disney park in a special place in his heart. My first one was Disneyland Paris, and while most Americans consider it inferior to the USA parks, it's special for me and I was slightly disappointed by Magic Kingdom.
However I loved all the WDW and other Orlando area so much that I bought a few DVC points to be able to go back every few year!

However next May I'll go to Paris and I'm really looking forward to go back to my first love

 

[Bete]

have done Disneyland about 5 times. Anyway, we are headed there in a week or so.

I feel there's more detail at Disneyland then Magic Kingdom. It's a Small Small World is one attraction where this comes to light. I like the scale of Disneyland; because, you do more and walk less.

The smaller castle actually makes the fireworks stand out more for me and I tend to shed a tear when I see it there. Also, I get emotional at thinking how Walt was so involved with Disneyland.

I still like Disney World better, but I'm all right with Disneyland. I feel more relaxed at Disneyland and not so rushed with it all.

I'll be returning to Disney World in December, 2013. My heart has room for both places.