Just back-my thoughts

[Disneynut71]

I have been following this since the first post..thought I would address a few things.

Please excuse me if I sound harsh it isn't meant to be.

First Crowds. I found the crowds at DLR much lighter then WDW. I normally go to Disney in June or July. Wait times for the any of the mountains at least an hour, usually more. Not to say DLR doesn't get busier.

One trip to WDW it was so crowded, I was told by a CM not to leave the park as I would most likely not get back in due to high attendance. MK was already closed off and I was at EPCOT.

For the record, I enjoyed DLR.Yes there were issues but we still love it. I heard for years that DLR was the better park. SOOOOOOOOOO I had very high expectations, which I think why I was a bit disappointed. I have been to WDW 9 times and have had issues too. I don't think any park is perfect.

DLR Better then WDW- Yes it's Walt's park. See his apartment, The gold spike in the center of the park. The clock that sits above it, The drawings at the DL Hotel of the original rides were amazing, something WDW could never duplicate.

We found Space Mountain, Pirates and Soarin much better then WDW. Rides like Monsters Inc and Alice in Wonderland were fantastic and wish they were in WDW.

Negative- teenage CM's having their buddies around and chatting while working, Very slow food service (45 min wait in line at French Market just to get our food) the swearing and making out around my kids really bothered me.

Besides Toontown we did not see Mickey anywhere (he's my favorite) No Donald Duck (DS favorite).

I hate seeing anyone getting bashed for their opinion. Not that I am trying to convert anyone but to have such harsh remarks about WDW without ever visiting would be just as bad as me doing that about Disneyland a few weeks ago.

 

[Quest4Kingdom]

D'oh! I'm so sorry! I meant to put down a different posters name. Teehee. It was supposed to be canadianmommy.

whehw! it's ok- no harm... just wasn't sure at first where that came from, now i got it...
i am tho' a little lost here, the pages piled up quite fast!

 

[stopher1]

I have been following this thread and wanted to say that I also had an experience with rude and obnoxious school groups. However my experience was at WDW two weeks ago. We were at Epcot and had boarded the boat that takes you across the water to the countries. A group of pre-teens came on. They were arguing among themselves about whether they should have boarded the boat or not and their language was very inappropriate as well as very loud! And since we were out on the water there was no way to escape it. I was very thankful we did not have kids with us. In fact a mother sitting in front of us was covering her son's ears!
Anyway, the school groups were ALL OVER the parks that day (May 30th). Some annoying - some not. But the school groups certainly show up at WDW as well as DL. It is a matter of timing really.
Even before reading this thread I had made a mental note to not visit DL or WDW in late May or early June. I think this is when you are going to find most of the school's visiting.

I had a very similar experience to this in January when I was at WDW. BOTH Disney resorts - CA and FL have local populations that go and feel it is their own to enjoy. Both have rude and obnoxious visitors - be they local or from hundreds if not thousands of miles away. Both have good points and bad points. Neither resort complex is perfect. WDW would not exist if it were not for DL. Everyone in our society has a right to express their opinions, unfortunately - as in so many other parts of life - other people like to disparage them for expressing it, or try to top them with some other negative expression. I think if we all tried hard enough, we'd all realize that we've had a bad experience at some time in any of the Disney parks. We've certainly had bad times in DL, but also in WDW.

Both complexes are operated by people - none of which are perfect. It's certainly not a secret that So. Cal is facing an employment issue, no matter which industry you look at. DL pays less than a lot of comparable places, so they aren't able to hire the cream of the crop as they once were. I don't know about FL's pay situation, but the level of pay does have an impact on staffing and tenure. When I worked there back in the 80's and early 90's, the average tenure was like 9 or 10 years ... I read somewhere recently that the average DL tenure is now like 9 or 10 MONTHS. That certainly is a bit telling about the CM situation.

 

[dizzi]

I wondered about the employment situation when we were there.

 

[ArielAdventurer]

We have really gotten into this at WDW, however it seemed as though the majority of the CM's at DL did not wear any pin trading lanyards.
5. Lack of Character escorts: Each individual character at WDW seems to always have a CM escort with them...managing the lines, character breaks, taking pictures when asked. While at CA Adv, we saw a stage show which included Mickey, Cinderella, and Woody. They announced after the show that the 3 characters would be available for pictures/autographs.


I am from Ca. but have been to both places..and.. I think each have their charms..but..to respond to this above statement..I just got back yesterday from DL.. all the characters I saw..(with the exception of the ones at character meals) had escorts..and all the CM's I saw..were wearing lanyards..I even traded pins with a few....I am sorry your experience wasn't as magical...

 

[kmaclou]

I've had some CMs just "going through the motions" in Florida and some who made the experience so much better. Likewise, I've had some hysterical CMs at DCA who were perfect for the Tower of Terror. Sometimes it literally just comes down to who you get at the time you ride.

Same here! I have been going to WDW for 25ish years now and love, love, love it. I made my first visit to DL just two years ago and my third visit was this past weekend. Our CM at TOT was so great we applauded him when he sent us off on our ride.

I love them both for the characteristics that make them unique. If I spent all of my time comparing them or picking apart all of things that tweeked me about DL, I would have missed out on the nuances that make DL so darn cool.

 

[Bugsmom73]

WE enjoy both parks. I LOVE the size of DL though when compared to WDW. You lose a lot of time driving a car, or riding transportation at WDW. I found that Pirates and Peter Pan are much better at DL. I loved Mr. Toad so I am thrilled I got to do that again.

 

[Quest4Kingdom]

WE enjoy both parks. I LOVE the size of DL though when compared to WDW. You lose a lot of time driving a car, or riding transportation at WDW. I found that Pirates and Peter Pan are much better at DL. I loved Mr. Toad so I am thrilled I got to do that again.

Wow, I didn't realise this, how different is Pirates and Peter Pan DL vs. WDW? Just curious. Does WDW also have Captain Jack?

 

[Disneynut71]

Wow, I didn't realise this, how different is Pirates and Peter Pan DL vs. WDW? Just curious. Does WDW also have Captain Jack?

WDW does have Captain Jack. DL is longer and has more. As my DS loves two drops instead of one.

 

[disney-inspired]

t'

Just back from a 2 week trip out west, which included 4 nights at the Hojo and subsequent days at DL. Here are some of my random ramblings for anyone who is interested:

DL vs. WDW-I was born and raised in So Cal, so DL was a huge part of my life as I child. I hold many fond memories and a special place for DL in my heart. I even got engaged to my wife at DL about 15 years ago. With all that said, it saddens me to think, let alone say, that WDW has now become the favorite of the two. Don't get me wrong, I love DL, but it does not seem to hold nearly as much magic as WDW does for us now. Why am I saying this? Just some observations on our parts:
1. I can no longer get over the lack of total immersion at DL when compared to WDW. I love escaping the outside world at WDW. I guess unless you stay at the DL Hotel or GC Hotel, you could...but even then I would venture to say you still cannot totally escape.
2. The Castle: It has never been a second thought to me, but on this trip my 5 year old DD was quick to comment on how tiny it looked.
3. CM's: Sadly, I can count on one hand how many CM's at DL were truly magical. In retrospect to our visit to WDW last Oct, I can count on one hand how many CM's were not in the spirit.
4. Pin Trading: We have really gotten into this at WDW, however it seemed as though the majority of the CM's at DL did not wear any pin trading lanyards.
5. Lack of Character escorts: Each individual character at WDW seems to always have a CM escort with them...managing the lines, character breaks, taking pictures when asked. While at CA Adv, we saw a stage show which included Mickey, Cinderella, and Woody. They announced after the show that the 3 characters would be available for pictures/autographs. The one CM with the characters was more concerned with picking up confetti and streamers than maintaining any semblance of control over the character interaction. She did not announce anything to any of the 3 seperate "lines" about how much time the characters would be available, let alone stop people from joining lines based on a time limit. After 20 minutes of my DD waiting to see Cinderella, we were third back from our turn. The CM out of nowhere went to each of the characters and pretty much grabbed them by the arms and took them away with not even a word to anyone waiting in line. Needless to say, those still waiting their turn were livid. I went to Guest Relations along with a couple others to let it be known what happened. The CM apologized profusely, and offered us meal vouchers (which I refused) and fast passes, but I was really only wanting to relay what happened.

I guess my rambling has gone on long enough. At this point, I cannot see any plans for a return visit to DL anytime in near future. Maybe my feelings are isolated or maybe there are others out there with similar thoughts. Just needed to ramble somewhere. Thanks for reading and I welcome any comments...

You can't compare DL and WDW. You have to compare DL and the Magic Kingdom. In comparing those two, I'd still stick with DL. Yes the MK has a bigger castle but it is also bigger in size with less rides, making you more tired and riding less. I love DL's version of SM and POTC way more than the MK.

Now if you want to compare the DLR and WDW, then WDW wins. They have way more to do and it's far better than DCA. I enjoy DCA but if it wasn't included in my annual pass, I wouldn't be going. It's just not worth the $66 admission.

 

[DoomBugger]

t'

You can't compare DL and WDW. You have to compare DL and the Magic Kingdom. In comparing those two, I'd still stick with DL. Yes the MK has a bigger castle but it is also bigger in size with less rides, making you more tired and riding less. I love DL's version of SM and POTC way more than the MK.

Now if you want to compare the DLR and WDW, then WDW wins. They have way more to do and it's far better than DCA. I enjoy DCA but if it wasn't included in my annual pass, I wouldn't be going. It's just not worth the $66 admission.

I would agree with these statements. Santa Clarita... well alright!

 

[Silly Little Pixie]

I know that Disneyland is special because it was the first and I'm not trying to be mean by sharing my thoughts, I'm just trying to be honest about our trip. Who knows, maybe it was just the timing...there were a lot of teens on school trips, maybe if it was a different crowd it would have made the experience different.

There are things that I don't like at WDW as well, so it isn't perfect but being the DL board I thought that I wouldn't share my thoughts on WDW because I don't want to come across as a WDW pusher.

Actually, being local (oh no!!), there are lots of end-of-school-year field trips to Disneyland, especially in middle school. There are also lots of summer camp field trips there too. Anyone wishing not to see non-tourist children, beware! Okay, that was snarky- but how on earth did the poster know that these teenagers lived in California? Could they not be on a trip from elsewhere? I actually found it nice that "teenagers today" would want to spend their time at Disneyland. I was at DL on Thursday and Friday of this week. We stayed offsite to save money, although I prefer onsite. I had wonderful CM interactions at Cafe Orleans and Tower of Terror (my dd knows a CM there by name- loves Benny! And he went and got her and my ds stickers when I told him how much she looks forward to seeing him every time at TOT. He is terrific.).

I also saw characters in DCA with their handlers, and we didn't have any trouble getting in lines for them, and they were short. We didn't see any cutting. I did notice that Cinderella was walking back to go "off", and she had 2 sisters with her, holding each by the hand. She was chatting with them quite intensely. Obviously they had been waiting to see her, and her time was done- but she just took them with her. The look on their faces, as well as that of their parents walking behind them, was the *magic*. I am sorry that the previous posters didn't have a chance to meet that Cinderella. It made my heart glad just to watch them, as a bystander. Our family with us on this trip go to WDW a lot, and hadn't been to DL in 16 years. They commented on how polite and happy the CMs seemed. So I guess it all depends on who you meet.

To the OP, I respect your opinions. I do think some of the reaction to this thread is that many WDW vets post here and on the WDW forums about how DL is a "lesser" park/resort/destination. They are really just very different. It's crazy to expect the same "immersion" experience, especially if people stay offsite. It's just not possible. I have been to WDW many times, and am returning this fall. I love the World! I honestly don't "get" why people feel the need to compare them down to every last detail.

 

[stacymomof2]

Finally read through this whole thread! I was out working in the yard all weekend and didn't get to "Dis" much

When we went in May...we had an incredible time. Every CM we ran into seemed to just go over the top of our expectations...We had multiple CM's just give my dd8 pins from their collections and they were always more than helpful to us.

We were just thrilled to be there and maybe people were being rude, we just didn't notice because we were in DL!!

All the talk about teens makes me nervous. My dd16 is going down with her marching band end of October and I would just die if I ever found out my DD acted like some of the teens mentioned. Although, she is a different kind of kid...we are headed down the same time and she told us that on their ONE day in DL that they get, she wants to hang out with us! I hope all the other teens from the band are well behaved. I do know there will be chaperones posted all over the park...I know the band instructor would probably not be thrilled to hear of bad behavior from "his kids".

As far as WDW...I've never been, one day we'll get there, but right now, I'm in LOVE with DL

 

[CalvaryMike]

Was at DL all day Saturday. It was busy, but it wasn't as crowded as anticipated. We collected FP's all morning and spent the afternoon on all the FP rides. We arrived at 8:30 and we were able to do Nemo, SM, ST and Buzz by 10:00 w/out using a FP.

There were groups of kids throughout DL with colorful beads covering their entire arms and/or legs. We were trying to figure out what the meaning was and I finally asked a group of them. They just ignored me and laughed. I thought how dumb was that?! If you're there to make a statement by wearing the beads, why not tell the general public to get your statement across?

I was later told by someone in one of the lines that it was, "Rave day". I had no complaints at all from the Rave crowd. It was a great day at DL!

 

[canadianmommyof2]

Actually, being local (oh no!!), there are lots of end-of-school-year field trips to Disneyland, especially in middle school. There are also lots of summer camp field trips there too. Anyone wishing not to see non-tourist children, beware! Okay, that was snarky- but how on earth did the poster know that these teenagers lived in California? Could they not be on a trip from elsewhere? I actually found it nice that "teenagers today" would want to spend their time at Disneyland. I was at DL on Thursday and Friday of this week. We stayed offsite to save money, although I prefer onsite. I had wonderful CM interactions at Cafe Orleans and Tower of Terror (my dd knows a CM there by name- loves Benny! And he went and got her and my ds stickers when I told him how much she looks forward to seeing him every time at TOT. He is terrific.).

You are right, maybe not ALL of the teenage groups were from California but I would be willing to put money on it that a lot of them were from California. It would cost a lot of money for large school groups to travel to Disneyland from out of state. I mean some of those groups had 30 + kids with them. And again, I'm not saying that they couldn't be from elsewhere but I KNOW they weren't all from out of state. I have no problem with them wanting to spend their time at Disneyland either, but it was their behaviour that I could do without. These kids were acting like they didn't need to respect anyone, and that they were the only ones there. And you asked how I would know that they were from California, well you just told me!

there are lots of end-of-school-year field trips to Disneyland, especially in middle school. There are also lots of summer camp field trips there too. Anyone wishing not to see non-tourist children, beware! Guess I right when I assumed they were local.

 

[Liverlips]

I will not go in to a full comparison here, but I did want to comment on the CM's from both parks. I just got back from Disneyland and have to say Disney World wins hands down on the CM front. The CM's at Disneyland were not bad just not friendly. One example: at Disneyworld if you pass a CM in an uncrowded space they always smile and speak. At Disneyland I passed numerous CM's at the DL Hotel, Downtown Disney and in the parks and none of them would even look at you. I ran in to maybe four CM's at Dinsneyland that were personable.

 

[Silly Little Pixie]

You are right, maybe not ALL of the teenage groups were from California but I would be willing to put money on it that a lot of them were from California. It would cost a lot of money for large school groups to travel to Disneyland from out of state. I mean some of those groups had 30 + kids with them. And again, I'm not saying that they couldn't be from elsewhere but I KNOW they weren't all from out of state. I have no problem with them wanting to spend their time at Disneyland either, but it was their behaviour that I could do without. These kids were acting like they didn't need to respect anyone, and that they were the only ones there. And you asked how I would know that they were from California, well you just told me!

Well, nobody enjoys badly behaved folks of any age! Teenagers can be delightful or nightmarish, often in the same day. I think a previous poster said it well when they stated that many of these kids never "learned no". At my DD's orchestra concert last week, a 4 or 5 year old repeatedly ran up and down the aisle, diving full force at the bottom of the aisle, and once ran across the front of the band as it played! His mother, who was ignoring the band director's request not to photograph/video from the aisle, ignored his behavior. After 10 or 12 times, I told him to "go sit down right now". He ignored me. I told him again on his next "run through", and he looked at me like I was nuts. He did eventually got sit down in the middle of the aisle with his mother. This kid is the future badly-behaved kid at DL! I was appalled that none of the band instructors, nor any other adult asked him to sit down even once. It did not surprise me that his mother never made him stop. If the rules don't apply to her, why should they apply to her child? Sorry for the rant, but I share your frustration with this issue.

I don't have any knowledge about how many school groups come from out of state, but there are plenty, as there are plenty from California as well. It is actually closer to DL from parts of Arizona and Nevada than from some parts of Northern Cal. Many school groups do raise money all year for such a trip, my DH's 3 siblings all did it every YEAR in high school in the midwest, to go to WDW. I can't imagine how they do it, any of the groups, local or not given current prices!

 

[Nora94]

only read the first page, but... I have to agree.

We went to WDW in May 2005, and just went to DL from June 5 - 11.

We will return to WDW but NOT return to DL.

Our main reason was the meals honestly. We experienced 3 good meals this trip and only one of those was a WOW great meal. (Carnation Cafe for breakfast, Goofy's for dinner and Ariels for dinner, Goofy's was our wow one.) At WDW we had at least one WOW meal every day, usually even our counter service meals were close to wows. Counter Service at the land was sad, slow, yucky and disappointing in all respects. We loved the dining plan at WDW, and because of it we will return to WDW.

Some rides we liked much better at WDW. Tower of Terror was better there. Space Mountain is different at WDW and both are good so not sure I can pick a better from that.

Another reason to do WDW over DL for us was the tour we did. We did the Discover the Magic tour at both parks. This is the one where you do a scavenger hunt and solve clues. The one at WDW is so much better. Yes, at DL you get to go on 4 rides immediately which was nice as we didn't bother redoing most of those rides, but at DL they were so much less into it. WDW the guide was super - spread the magic, made us believe it, made all of the group part of it. He was super. But the DL hosts were um, lame and stupid and really not into the whole thing.

The magic just wasn't there at DL.

Nora

 

[Nora94]

read about the teens and had to comment.

On our last night there we did the fireworks show. A group of teens asked politely if they could sit behind us. They had college sweat shirts on so we started a conversation about that. Over the next 2 hours they played with our children (ages just turned 9 and almost 6), chatted with us, and played cards and ball. They were just graduated from high school and the utmost in politeness. In fact one is going to go to college near me and I am going to offer to be her surrogate parent. They were so nice, so good with my girls and just beyond belief well behaved. My dh and I said that it restored our belief in the next generation of kids.

Also, when I was comparing the scavenger hunt above I forgot to mention that at the end of the DL one you get to "meet" Mickey and get a treasure chest with a pin in it. This was a nice touch. But it didn't compare to my dd's getting to MEET Wendy, skip through the Magic Kingdom with her, hold her hand and chat with her, play Wendy Says and sit through Mickey's Philharmonic with her right next to her (and have her handler and our guide tell others to stay 2 rows away and not talk to her!!).

Nora

 

[JenM]

Disneyland has one thing that WDW will never have. That light in the apartment over the firehouse on Main Street means something. And the reason for that light is why so many of us Disneyland regulars have such strong and visceral reactions to Disneyland bashing.

Well that's not really fair...the only reason WDW doesn't have that is because Walt died before it was built. He didn't have anything against Disney World. If he'd lived to see it, I'm sure he would have had a place there too, and WDW would have it's own special memories of Walt.

It does make DL a bit more special because it's the only park he ever saw, but it doesn't take away from WDW--the park was just an expansion of his dream.

For the record, I love both parks. I've taken 8 amazing trips to WDW, and I wasn't disappointed at all when I finally went to DL for the first time last month. I loved DL!

And as a WDW vet, and a lover of all things Disney (the firehouse was one of the first things I'd looked for)...yeah, I still did a double-take when I saw how small that castle was. It's not a knock on it, it's a beautiful castle. But it's definitely a jolt to the system when you're so used to how big WDW is. All of Disneyland is.

But I love both parks for their own reasons. I'd go back to either of them in a heartbeat.