Need help Disneyland VETS!!!

[Disney Ron]

We go yearly to WDW, but I've always wanted to go to Disneyland. We are from Rhode Island but we can get flights out to LA on Southwest for the same money as Orlando. People have been telling my wife we would be crazy to go to DL over WDW. She says she'd still go to DL, but she sounds like she'd do it more for me, and not because she'd be looking foward to it. We would be coming 9/14/10-9/21/10. Please give me reasons I could give her for coming to DL this year instead of WDW.

I believe a trip to DL will be more relaxing for me than WDW.

One other question, if I can't truly convince the wife that this trip is worth doing, should I just divorce her?

TIA!!!

 

[RweTHEREyet]

Well, my main reason for wanting to go to DL is that I always wanted to "Walk in Walt's Footsteps." To know that this is where it all started. Disney has been such a huge part of our lives, and I wanted to see where it all began.

 

[Foxhound3857]

Sounds like your wife thinks that Disneyland is just an inferior ******* stepchild of WDW, which is redonculous (yeah, bad use of the word, I know).

Tell her about the benefits of going to Disneyland over WDW. Lower admission prices. Smaller lines. Less waiting. You get all the cool ammenities of Disney without feeling so small and overwhelmed, and it is indeed more relaxing. Some people like the adventure, but some actually want to be able to enjoy an entire park in one day, and it's hard to do that at WDW given how big it is in comparison.

California Adventure is the other big reason. That's something unique to Disneyland and is reason enough to go, even though you can realistically see everything it has to offer within six hours on a decent day.

You might also want to tell her of other history and things she could experience out here. Hell, may as well plan a trip to Knotts and Six Flags as well.

 

[DisneyMomma81]

As someone who visited WDW for the 1st time last Oct. and has visited DLR several times as seen below in my siggy ~ I very much prefer DLR - and mid Sept. the weather will be much more tolerable in S CA ~ it was way too hot & humid in Central FL last Oct. I very much prefer Disneyland over WDW Magic Kingdom.

 

[Huff]

I find DL more relaxing than WDW. No taking buses between parks, Disney hotels or Downtown Disney. At DL all are entirely designed for walking. Disneyland and California Adventure are 5 minutes from gate to gate at most. Downtown Disney is also 5 minutes away. Grand California is pricey but has its own gate into California Adventure or 5 minutes to Disneyland.

Because of proximity park hopping is on an entirely different level than WDW. We often go back and forth between the two parks a couple times per day essentially treating them as one giant park. We also exit the parks to eat at Downtown Disney.

 

[bumbershoot]

Too bad your wife has silly friends!

Just an FYI, Haunted Mansion will almost surely be closed at that time...they close for nearly a month every September to get it read for Halloween by putting the Nightmare Before Christmas overlay on it. In case that's a fave of yours, or in case you were going to use "Haunted Mansion Holiday" as a way to lure her out there...it's most likely not going to be open for your dates.

 

[chrissiecutie]

DL is where it all began! Plus there are so many cool things that are unique to DL- I'm sure there's even a sticky on here somewhere with that info!

Walt actually walked, slept, ate here vs. WDW. The Tiki Room is the original and so MUCH better, Fantasmic is on the River's of America vs. the theater/stage, you can actually walk from park to park, etc.

IMO WDW is just a poor imitation of DL

 

[Somegirl]

I've only been to Disneyland but I know several people who visited WDW after going to DL their whole lives and they felt that WDW didn't feel as "magical". I don't know if that's because they always went to DL as children and then went to WDW as adults or not. Maybe. They also felt less relaxed at WDW and unable to take in the small things that you usually can find time for at DL.

To many DL is the real deal since Walt Disney was so much a part of it.

 

[HydroGuy]

We go yearly to WDW, but I've always wanted to go to Disneyland. We are from Rhode Island but we can get flights out to LA on Southwest for the same money as Orlando. People have been telling my wife we would be crazy to go to DL over WDW. She says she'd still go to DL, but she sounds like she'd do it more for me, and not because she'd be looking foward to it. We would be coming 9/14/10-9/21/10. Please give me reasons I could give her for coming to DL this year instead of WDW.

I believe a trip to DL will be more relaxing for me than WDW.

One other question, if I can't truly convince the wife that this trip is worth doing, should I just divorce her?

TIA!!!

Reasons for visiting DLR over WDW?

1. Ride concentration - DLRs two parks have 90% as many rides as WDW's four parks put together

2. Shows - frankly the big ones at DLR are better. In Sept they will be showing Remember Dreams Come True which is better than any of the WDW fireworks-types shows including Illuminations, Fantasmic (better at DL) and the new World of Color at DCA (WDW does not have anything like it). Unfortunately you would miss the awesome Aladdin stage show which is closing in August after many years. Aladdin too was better than any of the WDW stage shows. If you can get to DLR by Aug 15 you can catch it!

3. Proximity - you can walk everywhere. There are numerous hotels where your hotel room door is closer to the DL or DCA park gates than some of the bus or boat drop-offs are to the park gates at WDW.

4. Unique rides such as Indiana Jones and California Screamin. Better rides such as POTC and Space Mtn.

5. Weather - better at DLR year round and especially May-Oct. See "Comparison of Weather For WDW and DLR" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1711098

For more ammunition (ooops, I mean information) see "A DLR Guide for WDW Vets" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1162599

 

[nana50]

divorce may be an option to consider.

 

[daneenm]

Yep, what HydroGuy said....

 

[Foxhound3857]

divorce may be an option to consider.

lol, but then the money he'd spend on DLR would go to alimony, to fund his ex-wife's trip to WDW. I don't think that would work out. =/

I also support with Hydroguy said. +1

 

[Disney Ron]

Thanks for the responses so far.

I have another question. Are their enough rides for a 3yo and a 1yo at DLR? I know this may be a stupid question, but it needs to be asked.

I've also always been intrigued in visiting the park that Walt built, plus a chance to visit the state of California makes this possible trip a no brainer to me.

 

[chrissiecutie]

thanks for the responses so far.

I have another question. Are their enough rides for a 3yo and a 1yo at dlr? I know this may be a stupid question, but it needs to be asked.

I've also always been intrigued in visiting the park that walt built, plus a chance to visit the state of california makes this possible trip a no brainer to me.

yes!

 

[Dizneydaz]

Oh yeah, plenty of rides for 1 and 3 y/o.

We go to WDW every year in Sept but the weather here at DLR is so much nicer. We have some of our nicest weather in mid-Sept. All the local kids will be back in school.

WDW has shortened hours in Sept so you can't do as much as you can at DLR.

DL is the original. I love going to WDW but DL will always have my heart!

And the last and best reason-no possibility of Hurricanes-ever! You might get a little Santa Ana winds one day or so but they're not that bad.

(FYI, in all the trips we've had at WDW, we've never had a hurricane)

 

[tinkermell]

Well I have to tell you that most people think DL is more magical than the MK, if those are the only 2 parks you compare to each other. DL is more compact, very intimate and charming IMO. Around every corner you will find something. There are absolutely no wasted spaces. Like Hydroguy said, there are more rides in DL than in the MK. Most people also agree that the detail and attention given to Fantasyland and Toontown are way better. New Orleans Square is wonderful too.

Since the park is smaller, it is not such a long walk to get around, which is nice with small children. But that can lead to crowded pathways and such when it is busy. Strollers are a challenge then.

What it doesn't have, is the exclusiveness of WDW, which is what alot of WDW vets like. But if you stay onsite, you never have to leave the magic. You walk to the parks through DTD which is connected to everything. If you want to spend some bucks, stay at the Grand Californian, which has its own entrance into California Adventures. Many people stay offsite too, which is a great perk to save money. If you do that, I would still try and stay somewhere close enough to walk to the parks. There are many hotels to choose from within walking distance. No need for busses.

Park hopping is a breeze.
If you walk from the entrance of DL to the entrance of DCA, it takes about 2 minutes. That's how easy it is to park hop.

There are quite a few attractions good for your little ones too at DCA. Bugsland, Redwood Creek Challenge to name a couple. And don't forget the most talked about show to come to any parks in a long time.
The "World of Color!"

If you want to see some other parts of California, this would be the perfect excuse to come. There is something called a city pass, which gives you passes to DL, the San Diego Zoo and something else.?

There are a lot of reasons to give DL a try. When folks actually give it a try, they are pleasantly surprised.

Oh and don't tell your wife how small Sleeping Beauty's Castle is. That just might push her over the edge to say "no." Then you will need that divorce!

 

[ktlm]

As a WDW vet, here is my take on it. When I go to WDW for a week, I never leave the property. WDW takes me to the resort from the airport on Magical Express; buses, boats and monorails me around while I am there; and then returns me to the airport. I am completely immersed. I never see anything in Florida other than WDW. There is just too much to do there, and it is too spread out. We never have time for anything else and we never even rent a car. If you have never been to DL before, you will be absolutely shocked at how close together everything is there. We can go to DL for 2-3 days, still get our Disney fix, yet also have time to explore other things in Southern California.

 

[Ecboyd]

These are different parks!
The FL in DLR is bigger and has more small kid rides, I LOVE Mr Toads adventure. and Our Small world is H U G H! Its a Castle and simply Stunning to see at night.

We have Indian Jones the Ride' but no Dino stuff.

Truly the difference is submersion. You can still see the freeways from the high places, but everything is RIGHT at your finger tips. All of DLR, DCA, DTD and the 3 hotels fit in the same square area as EPCOT. (Just EPCOT).

And we have the French Quarter. The French Quarter Rocks!
Make sure to eat at the Blue Bayou Restaurant IN SIDE OF POTC!

I gotta say the Food at WDW is better and you get a lot more selection. But Breakfast in Goofy's Kitchen is GREAT!

Go have FUN, but don't spend you time comparing. Its Disne'ys First dream, before he knew how wonderful his dreams really were.

IMHO, but I grew up at DLR, I parked where DCA is. :/

: ) Go Have FUN!

 

[Ecboyd]

If you want to see some other parts of California, this would be the perfect excuse to come. There is something called a city pass, which gives you passes to DL, the San Diego Zoo and something else.?

Disney Land, The San Diego Zoo, AND Universal Studios. One day for each.

 

[Ecboyd]

One last post...

Just Please PLEASE PLEASE don't bad mouth Disney Land after you leave.

I can't tell you how many times I have heard people bad mouthing DL while in line at something in WDW. its like some HUGE chip on the shoulder.

Funny thing is, I have never (ever) heard someone at DL bad mouthing WDW or heard any one from WDW (while visiting my fair state) speaking ill of DL.

Seems to only happen IN Orlando..... : /

I have been to 3 different Disney parks, they each have their own charm.
(There is truly something SPECTACULAR about main street USA covered by a glass and iron roof = Tokyo Disney)