Six reasons Disneyland beats Disney World

[LisainCalifornia]

http://orlandoweekly.com/arts/culture/live-active-cultures-1.1116572

 

[PirateFish989]

Thanks for sharing! There are so many reasons why I LOVE Disneyland and this captures them all!

 

[TheColtonsMom]

Cool article...thanks for sharing

 

[skiingfast]

Sure it's full of Hyperbole but I'll still be sending it to some of my, WDW is the best why go elsewhere? friends.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

Ooooo... I never get tired of the "east coast" vs "west coast" war. Always good for a few laughs

 

[Disneyfreak616]

This has some truth to it, I will admit. However, here are 6 reasons why WDW is better:

- Epcot
- Animal Kingdom
- Illuminations
- Osbourne Lights at Christmas
- Resorts
- Cinderella Castle (bigger & more stunning/breathtaking)

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Disneyland, but I do think WDW has an edge on it, IMO.

 

[wbl2745]

Great article! We're a split family. I think DLR is better than WDW and DW thinks the opposite. We still seem to get along...

 

[skiingfast]

This has some truth to it, I will admit. However, here are 6 reasons why WDW is better:

- Epcot

Agree, it's my second favorite park after DL

Animal Kingdom

Agree and Disagree it's my second favorite park in WDW, but DCA is now better than AK.

- Illuminations

Disagree WoC is many times better. Illumination needs a huge update or replacement.

Osbourne Lights at Christmas
- Resorts

Agree, wish they added this to Hollywood land, but Halloween is many times better at DL and if I combined the two holiday season DLR would be on top.

Cinderella Castle (bigger & more stunning/breathtaking)

Disagree, it lacks an attraction inside that DL now has and is too tall and you can see it too easy from all the other lands worseneing the MK.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Disneyland, but I do think WDW has an edge on it, IMO.

The experience is different and I enjoy both and strongly encourage anyone who has just been to one of the coasts resorts to see the other one. But DL is so easy to visit and so rich and valuable to see. I think TDA beats TDO over and over again and you can feel this when there. That's why I like DL better.

 

[Lights_Out]

That article forgot Napa Rose!!!

Also,
We only need one reason on why Disneyland is better. That reason being... Disneyland is the ORIGINAL!

 

[HydroGuy]

This has some truth to it, I will admit. However, here are 6 reasons why WDW is better:

- Epcot
- Animal Kingdom
- Illuminations
- Osbourne Lights at Christmas
- Resorts
- Cinderella Castle (bigger & more stunning/breathtaking)

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Disneyland, but I do think WDW has an edge on it, IMO.

My list would be different and the only two of your list I would include would be the Resorts and the Castle. (I have not seen the Osbourne lights so have no opinion on that.)

IMO WOC and RDCT are both better than Illuminations. I like DHS better than Epcot and AK. And better than DCA.

I wish the writer would have stated his case not as DLR being better than WDW straight-up but as his list of what ways DLR is better.

 

[maberlyne]

What an awesome article

I've made one trip to WDW. I will definitely return. However, Disneyland, in my opinion, is the best and no one will ever convince me otherwise . When we were in WDW, we actually had a CM telling to us about his coworkers calling WDW the "happiest place on Earth." The CM was like, "no, Disneyland is THE original, the happiest place on Earth, not WDW!" We agreed

 

[brocklesnar69]

Disagree, it lacks an attraction inside that DL now has and is too tall and you can see it too easy from all the other lands worseneing the MK.

I would hardly say that worsens the MK. I happen to like the much bigger castle. I also like the little shop and restaurant inside. Everything but the price is wonderful.

 

[twopeasonepod]

Great humor and thought-provoking commentary! I love it!

We like them both for different reasons. Obviously DLR is closer and easier, but we love Cinderella's castle, DHS, and the fact that we can also go to a much better Universal while in Florida. We have loved staying off-property at WDW (where every 3-bedroom townhouse has its own pool!), but recognize the value of staying at GCH when we go to DLR. Any Disney vacation is fantastic!

 

[JH87]

interesting! i didn't know that the WDW AP didn't offer discounts like the DLR AP!

 

[RweTHEREyet]

I don't think one is better than the other in any respect, but feel they are two different experiences and love them both for what they are. WDW will always be my "home" resort, but DL is like my favorite "beach" house. I love going to the beach, but then always love getting back home. I am just thankful I can do both.

 

[Huff]

For us cost has been lower to go to WDW because of free dining and free transportation to/from airport, resorts and parks. This is true even if staying at a value resort which are far better than any 2 star near Disneyland such as Hojo's.

No need for rental car including free transportation from airport.

Free Dining allows nice dinner every night and overall huge savings

Better immersion factor without distrating city sites viewable within park

Generally longer park hours even in value season

Selection of onsite Disney resorts including Value POP, All Stars.

That said, we have AP's for DLR and go a dozen times per year as we live only a 6 hour drive away. DLR is better for short weekend trips because of compactness but I can't imaging staying for 7-10 days at DLR as we do at WDW.

 

[robinb]

http://orlandoweekly.com/arts/culture/live-active-cultures-1.1116572

Yes! That article covers the three main reasons why Disneyland California is my favorite park (and I have been to ALL of them around the world).

For me it is (in order):

(1) "Charm" - It's "Walt's Park" and everywhere you look there is a concentration of "Disney magic" and details you just don't get anywhere else.

(2) "Classics, not clones" - IMO just about every attraction is better at DL than at WDW. Now ... some of the other out of county parks have an edge (like Space Mountain in Paris or Tower of Terror in Japan) but the DL attractions almost always have an edge over the WDW versions. PLUS, there are attractions that are not even at WDW like Toad & Alice.

(3) "Compact" - You don't need a road map or an hour to get from one park to another. You also don't have to walk miles and miles within each park. OK ... DCA can be a trek, but DL itself is tiny compared to the MK in WDW.

Other reasons why I love DL:

(4) You don't have to pay extra to stay onsite to be close to the parks.

(5) You don't have to plan your day around where you can get ADRs. We ate at Via Napoli in DTD on 12/30/2010 for dinner and was able to walk right in.

 

[DangerMouse]

I'm a DLR veteran, visiting dozens of times over the past 15 years. However, I just visited WDW for the first time this month. Stayed for 7 days, onsite at a 2 BR Villa and had multiple visits to each park.

While I enjoyed the experience, I can't wait to get back to my "home park" on the West Coast (after many more construction walls disappear).

MK felt wrong. Like a blown up version of DL with poor imitations of the most of the attractions (i.e., Peter Pan, Buzz, IASW, Space). After the initial "WOW" factor, even the castle felt wrong to me. Fantasyland at WDW is joke, while it's my favorite land in DL.

While the theming at HS was overall far superior to DCA, the park had tons of unused space and meaningless dead ends.

Epcot and Animal Kingdom were my favorite parks at WDW. Both incredibly unique and full of fun, new experiences.

I've read about the "immersion factor" for years on this board and I can honsestly say that I didn't feel it. Each time I had to wait on a bus/boat/monorail or other form of transportation instead of just waking where I wanted to go, I was instantly yanked out of the magic. I don't lose that feeling walking across the esplanade between parks at DLR (or even walking across Harbor to get to my bed in less than half the time of most bus rides at WDW).

I appreciate the article in the OP and agree wholeheartedly!

 

[luvdumbo]

I happen to enjoy both equally, to me there is no real comparing the two. But if I had to pick one to visit over the other it would be WDW.

One thing that is for sure is at WDW I would never stay off property! And at DL I will probably never stay on property. WDW as more to offer with staying on property than DL.

I would hardly say that worsens the MK. I happen to like the much bigger castle. I also like the little shop and restaurant inside. Everything but the price is wonderful.

The store in the castle is now the BBB. So little girls get transformed into Princesses inside the castle now!

 

[ducky_love]

I'm going to keep this article to share when people tell me I am INSANE for vacationing at DL when we live at WDW!

They both have their high points and low points. I prefer DL mainly just because I'm a "real tourist" there.