Just had 1st WDW trip & really, really missed DLR!

[grelca]

This is so funny to me because I've been to WDW for quite a few vacations, and about a year and a half ago I moved to LA and have been going to Disneyland fairly regularly. I can't help but compare the two every time, and in my mind WDW always comes out on top.

I'm not sure I'll ever get over how tiny Sleeping Beauty's castle is.

I'm trying to convince my mom we need to take another WDW vacation this year or next year, so I'll see how I feel going back! Last time we went was a little less than two years ago.

 

[NewbieMouse]

Your [shudder] made me laugh. That's exactly how we felt after Space at WDW.

DLP really does look beautiful. I've heard that it's not as clean and that the service is not as good, either. Did you find that? Where did you stay? The Disneyland Hotel is breathtaking and fabulously located, but SO expensive.

That is accurate - it's definitely not as clean, and the service is not as good in the parks (although it was good at the hotel). We stayed at Sequoia Lodge, which I would recommend - it was nice. Pool was great; the hotel reminded me of the GCH. We went for three days at the very end end of a 6 week Europe trip, and I was so happy to see Earl of Sandwich for some "North American" food. Definitely worth visiting - but I love DLR.

 

[barbaraann]

This is so funny to me because I've been to WDW for quite a few vacations, and about a year and a half ago I moved to LA and have been going to Disneyland fairly regularly. I can't help but compare the two every time, and in my mind WDW always comes out on top.

I'm not sure I'll ever get over how tiny Sleeping Beauty's castle is.

I'm trying to convince my mom we need to take another WDW vacation this year or next year, so I'll see how I feel going back! Last time we went was a little less than two years ago.

Having just returned from WDW, it reaffirmed my love for Sleeping Beauty Castle. With all the activity/shows that go on at Cinderella Castle, all day, that castle looks gaudy to me. Sure, it's nice the way it lights ups all different colors at night during the fireworks, and the preshow, but you can't really get near it all day. Can't walk through it, and see the beautiful murals inside.
Of course, it's difficult to get a good picture anymore, because of the crowds in the parks.

I prefer both castles when they are unadorned without any additional banners and such. They both do light up spectacularly at night, that's for sure.For me, Sleeping Beauty Castle is just the right size, for the park in which she stands, and the same can be said for Cinderella Castle.

 

[DLRExpert]

If you ever get tired of DLR and WDW. You can probably go to the best Disney Resort...In my opinion. Tokyo Disneyland Resort.
Their MK is a mixture of both Disneyland and WDW MK. The upkeep, the Cast Members, the guests, the food are all perfect.
Then you have Tokyo Disney Sea which is the best park Disney has ever done. You can literally not ride one attraction and still think you got your moneys worth because the place is so beautiful.
The Disney Hotels in Tokyo can also be expensive, but they also have the Hilton type of hotels nearby and you can even take the Monorail if you stay there.

 

[albertamom]

I grew up in Southern California and also felt disappointed the first time we went to WDW. We had a great time, but realized WDW does not hold the "magic" for us. Maybe it's nostalgia, but DLR feels like the house that Walt built and we love its charm. That being said, we love going to WDW but it's a completely different vacation. When we go to WDW, we only focus on the rides not found at DLR and it's more of a party vacation now that all the kids are over 21. We drink our way around the world and hit Jellyrolls almost every night. We stay at the Boardwalk, which feels more adult and makes it easy to crawl back to our room. Being on the west coast and DD living in LA makes it easy for us to visit DLR resort whenever we feel the need for a magical Disney fix.

That sounds exactly like the approach we would take next time. I'd love to explore the Boardwalk area and focus our trip on Epcot. It would be a blast, but DLR will always hold the magic for us.

 

[albertamom]

This is so funny to me because I've been to WDW for quite a few vacations, and about a year and a half ago I moved to LA and have been going to Disneyland fairly regularly. I can't help but compare the two every time, and in my mind WDW always comes out on top.

I'm not sure I'll ever get over how tiny Sleeping Beauty's castle is.

I'm trying to convince my mom we need to take another WDW vacation this year or next year, so I'll see how I feel going back! Last time we went was a little less than two years ago.

That IS funny, but not at all surprising, really. DLR is simply "home" to us, as WDW will always be for you. How incredibly lucky we are that we even get to do the comparison.

I'm sure WDW will feel just as magical as always when you return.

 

[albertamom]

If you ever get tired of DLR and WDW. You can probably go to the best Disney Resort...In my opinion. Tokyo Disneyland Resort.
Their MK is a mixture of both Disneyland and WDW MK. The upkeep, the Cast Members, the guests, the food are all perfect.
Then you have Tokyo Disney Sea which is the best park Disney has ever done. You can literally not ride one attraction and still think you got your moneys worth because the place is so beautiful.
The Disney Hotels in Tokyo can also be expensive, but they also have the Hilton type of hotels nearby and you can even take the Monorail if you stay there.

This is definitely next on my daughter's list, after DLP. I highly doubt we'll ever make it there, but it's wonderful to have something to dream about. It's neat to think of travelling the world, with a focus on Disney. What could be better than that?

 

[barbaraann]

I have no desire to ever visit any of the oversea's parks, even if I could afford the trip, which I can't. I stayed away from WDW for a few years, while they were construction their new Fantasyland. Now I will stay away from Disneyland until they complete the new Star Wars Land. Hopefully, by the time that is, I will still be able to afford my usual trip which is about a week long. I have a long time to save.

 

[DahliaRW]

If you ever get tired of DLR and WDW. You can probably go to the best Disney Resort...In my opinion. Tokyo Disneyland Resort.
Their MK is a mixture of both Disneyland and WDW MK. The upkeep, the Cast Members, the guests, the food are all perfect.
Then you have Tokyo Disney Sea which is the best park Disney has ever done. You can literally not ride one attraction and still think you got your moneys worth because the place is so beautiful.
The Disney Hotels in Tokyo can also be expensive, but they also have the Hilton type of hotels nearby and you can even take the Monorail if you stay there.

I agree with Disney Sea, but TDL is tiny. It's worth going once for the Winnie the Pooh ride, which is amazing, but the rest of the park didn't stand out as anything special. Sea is well worth it. And you can take the train in from anywhere in the city quite easily.

 

[Belledisney]

I agree. I went to WDW for the first time this month and we enjoyed it for different reasons but, I did not feel the "magic" I feel being at Disneyland. When I go to DL I get a feeling like no other and when I walked into magic kingdom I was like eh. It didn't feel special it is more commercialized to me.
I also agree that just getting around DL is just so much easier and I totally
Love how small it is now. I think the transportation system in DW is so overwhelming.
I did however really enjoy Epcot the around the world area I really enjoyed and went back there almost everyday I was there haha.
I knew going in it wasn't going to be the same and people say to not compare but it's hard not to. I like DW for different reasons but, now that I've been DL is my go to place now that I've been to both.

 

[clm10308]

My guess would be that most people prefer which ever park that went to first or where they have been most often. I did not expect the rides to be identical, so I did not pay attention to stuff like that.
I think they each have highlights.
Many years ago, we took a two week vacation to DisneyWorld and never left Disney property. We had a great time, and did not run out of things to do. I've only been to California one time, but 3-4 day was enough time to see and do all we wanted on property. Any more time, and we would have started looking for stuff outside of Disney. That isn't really good or bad - just different.

 

[barbaraann]

My guess would be that most people prefer which ever park that went to first or where they have been most often. I did not expect the rides to be identical, so I did not pay attention to stuff like that.
I think they each have highlights.
Many years ago, we took a two week vacation to DisneyWorld and never left Disney property. We had a great time, and did not run out of things to do. I've only been to California one time, but 3-4 day was enough time to see and do all we wanted on property. Any more time, and we would have started looking for stuff outside of Disney. That isn't really good or bad - just different.

I went to Disney World first. In fact, I had five visits there, before I ever set foot in Disneyland. However, once I did, I wanted to go back again, and again, and again. I always loved my trips to Disney World, but there was just something so special about Disneyland that captured my heart. Perhaps it was the fact that I visited for the first time during their 50th celebration. All I know is that I've been back to WDW 5 more times, since 2005, but my Disneyland trips since then have numbered double that amount.

It's a feeling deep down inside that's hard to explain to people unless they feel the same thing themselves. People, no doubt ask, why do you keep going back to Disney? They don't understand, if they have never been, or have not been bitten by the Disney bug.

 

[albertamom]

there was just something so special about Disneyland that captured my heart.

It's a feeling deep down inside that's hard to explain to people unless they feel the same thing themselves. People, no doubt ask, why do you keep going back to Disney? They don't understand, if they have never been, or have not been bitten by the Disney bug.

I couldn't agree more! DLR truly is my happy place. I quite possibly smile, laugh, giggle and feel pure joy more in a week there than throughout the whole rest of the year. It is completely magical!

 

[Disney127]

I actually really enjoyed Splash. I was so surprised at how different it was from DL. The characters seemed brighter and more vibrant, and the side-by-side part was really nice. The sides of the logs are taller, and we definitely didn't get as wet (a plus for some and a minus for others).

Good to know, we don't usually go on Splash at DL so will try it at DW. Did you go on Kali Rapids at AK? Is it like Grizzly Run over in DCA?

 

[TXAKDisneyFan]

We usually go to WDW, but are going to DLR later this month and I'm honestly having a little trouble getting excited. I'm sure we'll have a good time, but it's costing so much more than WDW and I absolutely HATE how close the "real world" is to DLR. All the cheap motels, Denny's, etc, so close really turn me off. I LOVE the Disney bubble of WDW. (Plus I'll sorely miss AK and EPCOT; and I in general just don't like California.)

We stay on property at WDW (moderate), but are staying at a good neighbor hotel in Anaheim and it's costing more (almost twice as much per night!) for what I'm worried is nothing more than a low-quality motel. (BTW, the prices for the GC are outrageous.) Plus no free transport from the airport.

I am looking forward to a smoother Space Mountain and longer POTC. On the other hand, WDW has a better Splash and TOT (my fave ride ever) at DHS is better than at DCA.

Maybe reading some pro-DLR posts will help me get excited about the trip.

 

[TXAKDisneyFan]

If you ever get tired of DLR and WDW. You can probably go to the best Disney Resort...In my opinion. Tokyo Disneyland Resort.
Their MK is a mixture of both Disneyland and WDW MK. The upkeep, the Cast Members, the guests, the food are all perfect.
Then you have Tokyo Disney Sea which is the best park Disney has ever done. You can literally not ride one attraction and still think you got your moneys worth because the place is so beautiful.
The Disney Hotels in Tokyo can also be expensive, but they also have the Hilton type of hotels nearby and you can even take the Monorail if you stay there.

I'd love to visit the Tokyo parks!

 

[albertamom]

Good to know, we don't usually go on Splash at DL so will try it at DW. Did you go on Kali Rapids at AK? Is it like Grizzly Run over in DCA?

Unfortunately we didn't get to ride Kali, as it was closed for refurbishment. We love Grizzly, so were really looking forward to it.

 

[DahliaRW]

I didn't go on Kali, but my dh and 3 kids did (they got soaked). The ride itself is similar, the scenery is different is what they said.

 

[Disney127]

I didn't go on Kali, but my dh and 3 kids did (they got soaked). The ride itself is similar, the scenery is different is what they said.

Thanks for that, we will give it a try but probably at the end of the day just in case we get soaked!

 

[gottalovepluto]

I agree so much! DLR is my home park by far but World Showcase was really neat. I went for Food and Wine last year and am already hoping to return. If you're looking to go back I would steer you towards F&W time of year, it really brought world showcase to life!