Talk me into Disneyland.....

[raider97]

I have been to WDW as an adult 4 times. One of those being my honeymoon and another our first trip their with our kids in April 2007. I was hoping to go back for our 10 year anniversary in Dec. 2009. I am married to an non-Disney person. I got to thinking maybe we should got to Disneyland instead for this thread. We will be travelng with the kids and probably my parents.

What do you think? DL or WDW. Give me some pros and cons especially from those who have been to both and those that absolutely love Disneyland. How crowded would it in DL from around the 17/18th of Dec. through the 23rd/24th or so. Thanks for all the help.

Stephanie

 

[Sherry E]

Hi, Stephanie. I will be the first to chime in. Do Disneyland this time instead of WDW again since you have been to WDW four times. Now you can do DL as well as California Adventure and get more out of your trip. It will be crowded at Disneyland during that week you mentioned because it's Christmas, but as I have said on this board before, as hokey as it sounds, there is something so magical about being there during the holidays. The decorations, the weather, the carolers, the food, the shops, everything. It's just special. It is different than any other time of the year there. I personally have NOT been to WDW at all yet, and am dying to go, but I have heard that when you compare just the Magic Kingdom (forget the other parks for the moment) with Disneyland, while they share many of the same little touches and rides, people often prefer Disneyland because supposedly it has more overall charm and character and warmth and is a little more intimate. People have told me that they felt the Magic Kingdom was a bit more sterile in comparison. Disneyland also has the only New Orleans Square that there is, as well as a longer and better version of the Pirates ride. So, come to Disneyland and make the comparison yourself! Sherry

 

[Hound 109]

It's DLR (not DL) if you're comparing to WDW.

Share with us your kid's ages & what else you would like to visit in SoCal.

Share what your DH likes to do or visit.

Read all of HydroGuy's tip threads, but especially his "DLR for WDW vets" thread, it is the primer & is essential.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1520483

Fwiw, It would be better if you could visit a week or two earlier.

Basically.....WDW is better than DLR in 21 different ways. DLR is better than WDW in 83 different ways.

Post again & we'll get DH on board.

 

[raider97]

My kids will be 7 1/2, 5 3/4, and 3 (turning 4) while we are there in 2009. We only plan to do DLR. We went to San Diego a couple of years ago and plan to make another trip of just that area sometime else. My husband overall is not a big theme park or vactionioner. He is a home-body. The choices right now is just between DLR and WDW. Thanks for the help!!

 

[raider97]

Oh and that is the only week available.... my husband doesn't want to take the kids out of school more than just a day or two. Thanks again!!

 

[raider97]

Oh and that is the only week available.... my husband doesn't want to take the kids out of school more than just a day or two. Thanks again!!

 

[blackjackdelta]

I have been to WDW as an adult 4 times. One of those being my honeymoon and another our first trip their with our kids in April 2007. I was hoping to go back for our 10 year anniversary in Dec. 2009. I am married to an non-Disney person. I got to thinking maybe we should got to Disneyland instead for this thread. We will be travelng with the kids and probably my parents.

What do you think? DL or WDW. Give me some pros and cons especially from those who have been to both and those that absolutely love Disneyland. How crowded would it in DL from around the 17/18th of Dec. through the 23rd/24th or so. Thanks for all the help.

Stephanie

I wish you luck but I am selfish. The less amount of people going to DLR the nicer it will be me. But if you go, I think you will love it. You can not walk in Walts footsteps in WDW or any of the other parks.

Have a great time no matter where you go.

Jack

 

[FigmentsBiggestFan]

I'm not sure which way to recommend. I've been to WDW more times than I can count, and am a recent transplant to Southern California and now have been to Disneyland many times. And we actually hit both WDW and DL during the Christmas season this year.

I'll try to do some comparisons.

In WDW, remember that you have four parks, and each will be decorated for Christmas. In Epcot, all of the countries will be doing their own Christmas celebrations (Santas, Christmas stories, etc.) and they have the Candlelight Processional which is a tradition for us. The Magic Kingdom has Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party (another tradition for us) and Cinderella's Castle was absolutely incredible this year! I have NEVER been told "Merry Christmas" at WDW as many times as we were this year! But, unlike Disneyland, the Haunted Mansion and Small World weren't decorated. After seeing DL's before we went back to Florida, I was disappointed when I saw them. I had told my Mom & Dad how beautiful it was/is and then we got there and...nothing.

And for DL (I LOVE Disneyland!!), it is also decorated for Christmas and the Haunted Mansion is all "The Nightmare Before Christmas." And Small World, well, it's hard to describe how breathtaking it is. They've completely redone it will colored lights outside and a hat on the clock. And the inside has been done with Christmas celebrations from all over the world and it plays a great mixture of Christmas tunes (Jingle Bells and Deck the Halls) and "It's a Small World." I haven't found out if they have any Christmas parties yet, but I didn't look too hard this year. Next year I definitely will. We did see some sort of Candlelight Show one night on the Main Street Train terminal, but we didn't stick around to see much of it and I don't know if they do it more than once. And Sleeping Beauty's garage apartment (oh, sorry...Castle) was decorated, but it's not the centerpiece that Cinderella's is at WDW. California Adventure is decorated beautifully, but since it is more of a thrill park, you do lose a lot of the coziness. But I still love it!

So for the recommendation. If you've never done either place for Christmas, I'd say do WDW because it is so much bigger and there is so much more to do for Christmas. And the Castle alone is worth the price of admission. But if you've already done WDW FOR CHRISTMAS, I'd certainly recommend DL for the differences. It's worth it too!

 

[Hound 109]

My kids will be 7 1/2, 5 3/4, and 3 (turning 4) while we are there in 2009. We only plan to do DLR. We went to San Diego a couple of years ago and plan to make another trip of just that area sometime else. My husband overall is not a big theme park or vactionioner. He is a home-body. The choices right now is just between DLR and WDW. Thanks for the help!!

My mistake Stephanie, you had your kid's ages in your signature.

Their ages might make DLR a good fit. After reading HydroGuy's thread for WDW vets, please consider:

- The hotels (both onsite & inexpensive hotels) are a short 5-7 min. walk to both park's front gate.

- No waiting for busses, shlepping strollers onto busses, wondering if it's the "right" bus.....& no bus rides.

- Easy to go early before the crowds, 5 min. back for a nice nap/break....& 5 min. back to the parks for the evening.

- DTD is next door. (Did i say no busses? )

- Much more "little kid" friendly since the rides are closer together (less spread out).

- Much better FantasyLand (with 4-6 extra FL rides).

- Better Buzz, Pirates, SM & IASW.

- Flik's Bug area for toddlers.

- I can get done in 3 days at DLR what it would take 7 days at WDW.

(But i don't care about golf courses, water parks & huge shopping malls, since we have plenty in Central Texas.)

Negatives?

- Fewer dining options. (But plenty for a young family.)

- No World Showcase.

- No Mission Space.

- No Animal Kingdom (but SD Zoo - one of the best in the world is 2 hours down the road).

- Legoland might be a nice one day diversion (if going to SD) for your age group, as well.

& finally -

- Mr. Toad, Alice, Pinocchio, Storybookland Canal Ride, Monster's Inc. Ride, Matterhorn.

- It's Walt's Park.

Have fun considering your options.


(& tell "homebody" DH that's it's easier to get a higher score on Buzz, & easier to get back to the comfy hotel/motel room at DLR than at WDW. )

 

[Sherry E]

Yes, I can't believe I forgot to mention that before, about the holiday versions of the two rides. Let me reiterate what Michele just said - if you go to Disneyland in December, the revamped Small World Holiday ride has a short line in the daytime, but at night, it is SPECTACULAR to look at. As Michele said, you can't even describe it. The lights are so beautiful, and alluring, because when we went back to ride it at night, the line was ten times as long as it had been in the afternoon. People see the lights and are drawn to it! But it is not just the outside of the ride - you HAVE to see the incredible detail INSIDE the ride. They don't just stick up a tree or two. Every inch of the ride is taken into careful consideration when doing the holiday thing. It IS like a truly different ride. Also, Small World is being renovated this year - new boats, new paint, more water, etc - so it will be interesting to see if any of that makes a difference. And the same goes for the Haunted Mansion Nightmare Before Christmas Holiday ride. It is a different ride from the regular Haunted Mansion, and the attention to detail and holiday spooky decor is fabulous. Everything is different - the music, the characters, all of it.

In fact, I already said in my earlier post that you should do Disneyland rather than WDW this time, and now that I remember the two holiday rides, I say not only should you skip WDW this trip and come to DLR, but the two holiday rides are worth the trip alone!!! Sherry

 

[Hound 109]

Yes, I can't believe I forgot to mention that before, about the holiday versions of the two rides. Let me reiterate what Michele just said - if you go to Disneyland in December, the revamped Small World Holiday ride has a short line in the daytime, but at night, it is SPECTACULAR to look at. As Michele said, you can't even describe it. The lights are so beautiful, and alluring, because when we went back to ride it at night, the line was ten times as long as it had been in the afternoon. People see the lights and are drawn to it! But it is not just the outside of the ride - you HAVE to see the incredible detail INSIDE the ride. They don't just stick up a tree or two. Every inch of the ride is taken into careful consideration when doing the holiday thing. It IS like a truly different ride. Also, Small World is being renovated this year - new boats, new paint, more water, etc - so it will be interesting to see if any of that makes a difference. And the same goes for the Haunted Mansion Nightmare Before Christmas Holiday ride. It is a different ride from the regular Haunted Mansion, and the attention to detail and holiday spooky decor is fabulous. Everything is different - the music, the characters, all of it.

In fact, I already said in my earlier post that you should do Disneyland rather than WDW this time, and now that I remember the two holiday rides, I say not only should you skip WDW this trip and come to DLR, but the two holiday rides are worth the trip alone!!! Sherry

I agree. IASW & HM are magical in December.

(Anyone know the refurb schedule for IASW for this year? Will it be complete in time for the holiday overlay?)

 

[Sherry E]

IASW is supposed to be shut down for a whopping 10 months (!!!) this year, to reopen in November...which seems that it would be the ideal time, right before the holidays! They had better do the holiday version again! I recall someone at DLR saying once that they were not sure if they were going to do it every year like they will the Haunted Mansion, but they have to!

By the way, has anyone noticed on the IASW holiday version, you get a whiff of peppermint as you sail through the candy factory inside? It is very faint and easy to miss if you turn the wrong way, but it is deliberate!

 

[Hound 109]

I am a typical "guy"....which means i ride IASW once a trip....because you "have to". (& with my fingers in my ears the last half of the ride)

And I LOVED IASW holiday version. The outside (which rocks anyway) is magical. The inside has such detail & the christmas songs (sung by children) in different languages were wonderful. I rode it twice in two days & would have ridden it again (just to check out all the detail) had we been there longer.

 

[raider97]

Hound 109- Central Texas huh? We are currently living in Corpus Christi. Small world

 

[DangerMouse]

I wish you luck but I am selfish. The less amount of people going to DLR the nicer it will be me. But if you go, I think you will love it. You can not walk in Walts footsteps in WDW or any of the other parks.

Have a great time no matter where you go.

Jack

I agree with Jack. If visiting Walt's original dream isn't good enough of a reason, then don't go. I like an uncrowded park.

 

[Disneyluvr2]

^^Perfectly stated DangerMouse! I can't believe anyone would need to be talked into going to Disneyland! If you're a Disney lover there should be no need for anyone to talk you into visiting the only park Walt walked in. If you don't care about Walt or the history of Disneyland, I'd say just continue going to WDW.

Gosh, after reading my post it sounds kind of mean! I don't mean for it to sound that way but it's so frustrating when "WDW veterans" post wanting to know if it's "worth it" to visit Disneyland! They make it sound like little old Disneyland is the red headed stepchild compared to WDW. Disneyland is Walt's original dream, as DangerMouse stated, and everyone knows...the original is always the best! So feel free to come visit if you're looking for a magical experience. I don't know how you couldn't love it!

 

[MommyWithDreams]

I wish you luck but I am selfish. The less amount of people going to DLR the nicer it will be me. But if you go, I think you will love it. You can not walk in Walts footsteps in WDW or any of the other parks.

Have a great time no matter where you go.

Jack

Jack you were reading my mind....I was thinking the same thing. The less people at DLR the better off we are. When I first read the subject "Talk me into Disneyland" I thought you gotta be kidding me. Just the thought of going gets me excited. No one would EVER have to talk me into going. Good luck with whatever you choose.

 

[tinkermell]

Well I have been to both parks at Christmas. It was a dream to go to WDW for the Holidays for many years, and finally in 2005 we were able to go.

I will give you my thoughts.

Overall, DL wins over the MK hands down in the decoration area. I think it is because it is more intimate, and every nook and cranny is packed with decor and lights. We love the HM and IASW overlays for the holidays. Sometimes I wish they could be there all year! I think most people would also agree that most of the rides at DL are better than the MK's, with a few exceptions. Fantasyland is soooooooo much better. I do wish it had Mickey's Philharmonic though. That was the only ride at WDW, that I wished DLR had. Oh and New Orleans Square is pretty darn beautiful too. There is also Woody's Reindeer Roundup area too. Maybe the MK has that? I don't remember seeing that.

As far as the special Christmas party? Well DL in December has one everynight for everyone. You don't have to have a special ticket to go. So everyday you get the Christmas pararde 2 times (one in the afternoon and one in the early evening,) and every night you get the fireworks and snow. And during the time you will be there, it stays open late every night. Unlike WDW which switches all over the map. Let me tell you..............that was hardest part of WDW. Planning which days to be where for the best bang for the buck. Anyways, that was one of my biggest dissapointments in WDW. I had already paid for my family of 10 to go to WDW. At that time it would have cost us another $400.00 plus to go to MVMCP So we never got to see the Christmas parade or fireworks.

Now for the other parts of WDW at Christmas. The Osborne Lights, Epcot, and the GF's Gingerbread house. Fanstastic!!! The highlight of our trip was the Candlelight Processional. We saw it on Christmas Eve, and afterward had dinner at the LeCellier. One of the best meals ever. And we go out alot.

I hope this helps. There is certainly alot more to do at WDW, but if you check out Hydroguys thread, you will see how much is packed into just 2 parks here at DLR. I remember walking around the MK and thinking to myself that DL is alot more doable for small kids and seniors. Since everything is so close, you don't have near the walking. Oh and don't forget that DCA is a 1 minute walk outside of the DL gates. Gotta love it! And one more word. If you have the finances I would stay at the Grand Californian. The lobby is so warm and beautful during the holidays. And there is a big hearth right there where they tell stories. Carolers, Santa and a big gorgeous tree.

 

[HydroGuy]

I am a typical "guy"....which means i ride IASW once a trip....because you "have to". (& with my fingers in my ears the last half of the ride)

And I LOVED IASW holiday version. The outside (which rocks anyway) is magical. The inside has such detail & the christmas songs (sung by children) in different languages were wonderful. I rode it twice in two days & would have ridden it again (just to check out all the detail) had we been there longer.

That's me. I can barely tolerate IASW but really enjoy IASWH and would not miss it.

As for HMH, I prefer the regular HM.

 

[blackjackdelta]

Jack you were reading my mind....I was thinking the same thing. The less people at DLR the better off we are. When I first read the subject "Talk me into Disneyland" I thought you gotta be kidding me. Just the thought of going gets me excited. No one would EVER have to talk me into going. Good luck with whatever you choose.

Since I have never been to WDW I can not make a comparison. It is like the state where I live. Becuase of the cost of living and what you can get for the money(as long as you stay away from the big cities(2), I wish people would stay put.

Jack