Oh My Lands! Where do I even start?

[Edelweiss]

Hello!

I am a newbie to this board as well as to anything Disney. I want to plan a vacation. We have three young kids ages 8, 6 and 3. My big question is this:

Disneyland versus Disneyworld?

Help! Where do I start?

THANK YOU!!!

 

[Pakey]

How long are you going? I've been to each over 20 times and in my opinion Disneyland is a 3 day vacation but S Ca offers many other things to see. Disneyworld could be a 2 week vacation without ever leaving Disney property.

I live in Ca but prefer Disneyworld.

 

[nonstopdisneymom]

Idk exactly what your asking but I've been to both so here's a general comparison.

Disneyland --
2 parks
California Adventure and Disneyland
**California is beautiful weather wise no matter what month you go in. It not humid and even in August the temps are going to be in the 70-80's. with only having 2 parks they can be accomplished in just a few days and aren't as overwhelming as Disneyworld.
**The Disneyland parks are literally a walking distance away from each other which is really nice.
** Also tickets to Disneyland can be purchased at a cheaper price than disneyworld. Just recently they ran a promo for a 3 day park hopper pass for under $200.

Disneyworld--
**4 main parks + 2 water parks + down town disney + too many resorts to count. Lol
**Main parks -- Magic Kingdom (castle), Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom
**water parks-- Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon
**Each of these parks is huge!! You can stay a week and not see everything, for that matter you could stay 2 weeks and not see everything.
**the parks are spread out no walking from one to another here.
** weather in Florida can get humid. Summer temps can be 90+ degrees with 100% humidity. Best time to go is off season.

Don't know if that helps. Best thing to do is go get either the Braumans guide to Disneyland or disneyworld or both and compare. Then maybe you'll get a better idea.

 

[Edelweiss]

Maybe I should elaborate a bit more. We live in the west so Disneyland is feasible by car. It is probably about a 10 hour ride? We would probably only have about 1 week and yes, we would have a budget.

I am a gal who loves to research, research, research! So this board has been helpful.

The one thing I am seeing in my opinion is that WDW seems to be THE PLACE to go. Disneyland doesn't seem to get the love that WDW gets.. why is that?

I have been to Disneyland once about 18 years ago. I was in high school and I don't remember much. We didn't do family vacations growing up, so dang it! I would like us to have a family vacation.

So I guess what I am really asking is this: Why does WDW seem to get a lot more attention than Disneyland?

I think the thing that appeals most about Disneyland is that it is smaller. Will the kids get the same experience at Disneyland as they would at Disneyworld?

 

[The Fox Menagerie]

Both WDW and Disneyland are fantastic, you will enjoy either. We live in Northern CA and go to Disneyland 1-2 times a year. We always stay on sight at DL and really have lots of fun, every trip is different and every time we go we change up the experience. DLR is very compact with lots to do. We are headed to WDW for our 3rd trip in June. WDW is spread out and can be overwhelming, but it is an amazingly awesome experience if you have a plan that works for your family. Pick a resort, plan your trip and enjoy the magic.

 

[Caseheidi]

We have done both, and love both. If you are on a budget, I would recommend DLR. Just driving and not having to rent a car or pay for plane tickets is a large savings in itself. Also, with the ages of your children and the fact that this is a first trip, there is more then enough at DLR to have a great trip. WDW is a lot more to do and see, but can be overwhelming to someone who is not familiar with Disney.

I personally think the reason you are seeing so much more about WDW is the size. It also pulls in a huge international crowd. I think DLR is advertised more on the west coast while WDW on the East as well as in the mid-west. Also with most the cruises going out of Florida, it just all brings more attention to WDW. I have seen a lot more attention for DLR this past year with the opening of Cars Land and DCA's refurbishment.

As for your initial question of where to start, I would recommend your library. Check out some of the guides that are out there for both places. There are several, but many on these boards use the Unofficial Guide to Disney... Also check out Disney with kids. Another thing you might do is order the planning video from Disney. I believe both WDW and DLR are in the same DVD. Lots of good info to get a feel for both places.

Another thing you can do to help you decide where to go is determine if there is anything around either location that your family would like to do. Things such as a beach trip, San Diego zoo, Kennedy Space center. Disney is great, but it is nice to explore the local area as well, and if there is something you, your DH or kids would love, it may help you to decide.

Have fun planning your trip, but don't let it become a chore. I highly recommend making it a fun family activity. Explore the websites, and visit YouTube videos with your kids to help them prepare and make some if the decisions. We find that half our fun in a family vacation is planning it together and looking forward to the actual trip.

 

[Aliceacc]

Your kids are young, you live on the west coast, you love the idea of a smaller park, and you're on a budget. Cross country airfare for five is brutal!

It seems to me that all signs are pointing toward DisneyLAND, not Disney World.

I live in NY, and have never been to Disneyland, so I'm not the one to be giving you much advice (Yet, watch... I'll keep typing!!)

Take a look at http://allears.net/dlr/dlresort.htm for a good starting place. Once you have a handle on what you're doing, try www.mousesavers.com and follow the Disneyland link. There will be info on lodging, on meals, and on tickets. (then, if you want, do the same with Disneyworld. Make your comparisons.)

Have fun!

 

[Edelweiss]

After lengthy discussion with my DH last night, I think that we are going to start planning a trip to DisneyLAND.

Now this is the other big question I have: When to go? Is a summer vacation to Disneyland a huge mistake? Is it just too crowded? Would we be better off doing a fall trip? I initially wanted to go on Christmas Day, but if we are going to drive, that wouldn't be the best idea since our state gets so much snow and driving could be treacherous.

So if we did go around Christmas, we would have to fly. I like the idea of having our vehicle though to be quite honest!

Thank you so much for everyone's help. I am definitely not worthy!

 

[Mousemommy1]

You may want to ask your questions on the Disneyland part of the boards. You'll probably get more answers from those folks more familiar with Disneyland.

http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=30&f=5

 

[J.C.&ALI'SMOM]

Christmas is a very crowded time. Summer trips would be less crowded than Christmas.

 

[mmmears]

After lengthy discussion with my DH last night, I think that we are going to start planning a trip to DisneyLAND.

Now this is the other big question I have: When to go? Is a summer vacation to Disneyland a huge mistake? Is it just too crowded? Would we be better off doing a fall trip? I initially wanted to go on Christmas Day, but if we are going to drive, that wouldn't be the best idea since our state gets so much snow and driving could be treacherous.

So if we did go around Christmas, we would have to fly. I like the idea of having our vehicle though to be quite honest!

Thank you so much for everyone's help. I am definitely not worthy!

Definitely move over to the DL part of the boards (link in post above) and you'll find that there are plenty of people over there to help you.

We live in CA -- Flights to Orlando run us $400-$900 (we don't go when it's $900) per person, so a trip to WDW costs us quite a bit more. Plus, WDW is so much better if you can stay for a week or two. DL can be a shorter trip with no air-fare, so it makes it more affordable for us.

Both are wonderful and amazing. I think starting at DL is the right choice... then you can plan another trip to WDW.

 

[1coolnini]

Christmas is extremely busy at DLR. it is not uncommon to have the parks filled to capacity during the week between Christmas and New Years, especially if we are having good weather. Honestly fall can be very nice, if that is an option for you. I noticed someone mentioned that August temps are in the 70's and 80's, but I will caution you that they also may be in the 90's to 100's. Even September can have temps of 100 (we sure did this last year!). Just arrive early in the morning and enjoy the cooler temps. You and your family will have a great time, whatever you decide.

 

[Edelweiss]

WoW! Thanks for the great advice!!! I was dreading planning this vacation, but all this fantastic advice has really helped me. We are definitely going to plan on Disneyland this go around so I will move this thread over there and continue my bazillion questions. Thank you! You guys are in my eyes!