Talk to me about WDW vs DL

[mouschievous]

So first of all - I am freaking out and second guessing myself. We made the decision to switch our canceled Sept 2020 trip to WDW and are booking for Jan 2022. We've never been before and I keep second guessing that move and thinking maybe we should just plan for DLR Jan 2022. The reasons for making the change were cost (cost to stay VGC has gone up significantly since we originally booked) and potential for things to be "normal." I didn't realize at the time that WDW tickets were so much more expensive than DL, making the savings on the room a wash, and now I'm wondering if things at DLR will be just as normal as at WDW in Jan 2022 and if so, will we regret going to WDW instead? Not to mention it's a cross country flight instead of just 2 hours. The $$ is about the same, but the time is significantly more and we'll lose a full day to travel.

So what I need to know -as DLR people, did you love WDW too? What did you love about it? And what tips do you have for planning? We're still working out the details, but right now it looks like Jan 11-17, 2022 at Beach Club Villas (DVC).

 

[HairyChest]

I always said I’d never go to wdw since dlr is the original and I’d go twice a week. Then I went. Since then I go at least twice a year, became a dvc member, and always planning trips. It’s AMAZING.
The thing that really makes it is staying in the Disney bubble at a Disney resort. If our first trip was offsite, I probably wouldnt have gone back much if any. It really makes it into a destination vacation and never pales down until you come back home.
The fireworks and shows will blow you away. Touring all the different resorts and theming will be a highlight. For instance if you like New Orleans square, you Will love port Orleans resort. It’s a whole New Orleans square multplied by 50 with a river and boat ride etc.
Beach club is very nice however there is special Magic staying close to the magic kingdom resorts like the Polynesian to me. Either way don’t second guess yourself. It will be completely worth it.

 

[mouschievous]

Thank you!! We chose Beach Club because it was the most economical of the close-to-a-park options. I would have loved to stay at the Poly but it just isn't in the budget.

I am really, really hoping some of the shows are up and running when we go.

 

[mlggator22]

I grew up with WDW, living 2 hours away. I have lived in SoCal now nearly 20 years about an hour away from DLR. So I have spent a ton of time at both. Since moving to California, I have made 5 trips back to WDW and will do more.
I prefer DLR. I prefer the freedom not to have to plan out every single second of my day and the stress I feel if I have to change something. At WDW, everything has to be planned in advance - way way way in advance. All your meals, which effects which parks you attend on which days. You have to schedule all your fastpasses ahead of time too. So I really prefer the flexibility of DLR.
I also prefer the DLR because all of the rides are found in 2 parks instead of 4. Basically, most of the rides you find in WDW are also in DLR except for a few. Because those same number of rides are spread out over 4 parks with much greater overall attendance (4 parks vs 2 parks) I feel like lines are longer and fastpasses are harder to come by.
That said, I absolutely agree with the previous poster that staying on site gives you that all inclusive resort feel that you don't really get at DLR. The experience of staying in their hotels and visiting other hotels is really fun. Plan a few meals at some of the other hotels as an excuse to head over. Also, there are just some experiences at WDW that you just can't get at DLR, like Epcot and Animal Kingdom. We don't have Pandora and that is a really cool land to visit with a great ride.
It is definitely worth it to take a trip a WDW.

 

[Epicnemesis]

If you’ve been to DLR and never been to WDW then you really should go. It’s a modern world wonder.

What it lacks in the intimacy and charm of DLR it more than makes up for with everything else.

Also I’m more likely to believe that WDW will be closer to normal by next year than DLR is.

 

[HairyChest]

Thank you!! We chose Beach Club because it was the most economical of the close-to-a-park options. I would have loved to stay at the Poly but it just isn't in the budget.

I am really, really hoping some of the shows are up and running when we go.

Got it. They are definitely all gorgeous resorts. Also take a look at renting DVC you can save money that way.

 

[mouschievous]

Got it. They are definitely all gorgeous resorts. Also take a look at renting DVC you can save money that way.

That's exactly what we're doing!

We have done DLR. For my parents it's been more than 20 years, but they've also never been to WDW, and we figure this is probably the one chance. I really am looking forward to Animal Kingdom and Epcot, and all my dad cared about is that they have the Star Wars rides

 

[TikiTikiFan]

Also I’m more likely to believe that WDW will be closer to normal by next year than DLR is.

Definitely. It's likely later this year they'll debut the new Epcot nighttime shows while at that same point I imagine DL will still be fighting off state restrictions. Since WDW has the freedom to make their own decisions, that just guarantees (IMO) you'll see normalcy return first to WDW.

I absolutely loved WDW when we went in November. That Disney bubble experience is definitely worth the hype. While I will always love Disneyland first, I think WDW has won a place in my family's hearts and I might start alternating between the two for our trips. Animal Kingdom and Epcot are just so unique- there's nothing comparable at DLR to those theme parks and worth the trip to experience them alone!

I personally think every Disneyland fan should visit WDW at least once. And vice versa! They both have their own unique Disney magic.

 

[disneycat321]

We're CA residents and DLR people, but we love and adore WDW. We've visited 3 times (2010, 2013, 2019) and will go many more times in the future. They are very different as others have said, and DLR will always be our first love and home park. However, WDW is just magical. That Disney bubble is amazing. There is SO much to do, and I love that you can easily fill a week or more and still have more things you could do! (Our trips have been 7-10 nights.) We love the food, the resorts, the shows, and the variety. You've been a fantastic choice with Beach Club. Poly is a dream for us too, but don't worry - BC is not a compromise and you will not be disappointed. We stayed at Yacht Club on our July 2019 trip and we just loved it. The location is fantastic, and the Boardwalk area is really an attraction in itself. Plus, Stormalong Bay! I know you're going in January, but it could still be warm enough sometime.

Our WDW trips are always far more expensive because we stay longer, fly vs. drive, and we don't stay on property at DLR. If the cost is the same, I'd choose WDW hands down.

You will love AK and Epcot. They are so unique and not like anything in CA. Also, we love Toy Story Land!!

As far as planning, I don't even know anymore. Nothing is like it was because there's no FP+ or 180 day out dining reservations anymore. It used to be crazy and take a lot of advance planning...now it seems to be a bit more low key. But who knows if they'll have a FP option by then or not. I would definitely recommend making dining reservations, because WDW has so many great TS options.

I definitely think you're making the right choice, and you will not regret it!

 

[crystal1313]

We went to WDW in December 2020 for the very first time. We loved it! Yes, it is different. We did not get the same feeling as we get at DL, but I think that is because we have so many memories at DL. We still felt the magic and loved being on Disney property. We felt like we hardly scrathed the surface with 5 park days! We have another trip planned in June for 7 park days. We are super excited! Actually just asked our kids tonight if they wanted to postpone WDW until next year since DL is reopening and they both said No! LOL. They are super excited about WDW again. Even my youngest who does NOT liekt o fly, is willing to fly to WDW instead of drive to DL. Our favorite was AK and we cannot wait to get back there and explore some more!

We watched a ton of youtube videos to help plan. Adults in Disney (food, attractions, parks in general, hotels) and Here with the Ears (tons of hotel videos) helped a lot. I studied the MDE app to get a feel of the layout of the parks and how cloe and far things are from each other. When they say WDW is large, boy, they are NOT kidding! LOL. We stayed on property and it took 12 minutes to get to MK on a bus! I also joined a facebook group for our resort hotel and it was SO helpful! And of course the Dis was amazingly helpful! Since a lof the stressful things aren't happening right now, like booking fastpasses in advance, etc, I didn't find it too overwhelming once I started researching. Dining reservations were the most stressful thing once you make your park reservations. Also, I freaked out most over the logistics and the buses worked for us just fine! We only used ride share 3 times.

Check out this thread, it's super helpful!:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/moving-a-dlr-trip-to-walt-disney-world-let’s-talk.3815077/
Feel free to ask questions! I am not an expert by any means, but will try to help as much as possible!

 

[KPeterso]

I love both WDW and DL and for very different reasons. I think Disney fans should try both at one time or another. I am local to DL and do (or did until the closure) go a lot. It is a nice little getaway for a day visit. I do a couple staycations there each year too, but it is still not a true vacation for me. WDW for is a full vacation in the bubble. I love AK more than I can explain --- it is my absolute favorite park down there and I am always counting down to going to see "my" animals. Any of the DVC resorts are nice to stay in. I particularly love Animal Kingdom Villas or Boardwalk Villas. I see you mention Beach Club Villas. Stayed there last month and enjoyed them as well. It is so nice being able to walk to 2 parks (or walk to one and Skyliner to another). I originally in 2002 thought that WDW was a once in a lifetime trip (and this was when I still lived in IL and had not been out to DL for a number of years), but knew about 3-4 days in that I would be going back to WDW. Family said 5 years, I lasted 2 and have been yearly since. And started twice a year in 2013. Yeah, I need the vacation aspect!

 

[mouschievous]

I'm getting more excited. Some of the family members who were supposed to go to Disneyland in 2020 with us are planning to come to WDW, so it should be a good time.

 

[taaren]

I'm also a long-time DL semi-local (Northern California) who has come to appreciate WDW's charms. My signature has the trip report link from our first trip in 2012, and a lot of things still hold true from that (pandemic aside).

Broad brushstrokes - my party loves Epcot and Hollywood Studios and tends to focus on those and barely touch Magic Kingdom after that first trip, MK felt too much like DL except we had to walk twice as far for fewer attractions. Transportation when you're used to hopping via walking is weird, we ended up liking staying as close to our two favorite parks and using the boats as much as possible, then taking Uber/Lyft/Minnie Vans/etc to AK and back. The weather is a lot less predictable and more severe, so pick your travelling season much more carefully than you would for DL. Winter is great for temperatures being tolerable/closer to what SoCal gets, but the rainstorms are rougher to be walking in than the ones I've enjoyed at DL.

The sit down dining experiences at WDW still aren't a highlight for us, I know they are for a lot of other West Coasters, but we really want/love the special foodie type items they have at DL, so we tried a lot of the ones that sounded appealing, but ultimately on later trips made almost no ADR's. YMMV.

Epcot's F&W, and will probably aim for that again for future trips, it was much more the food experience we were looking for when we want Disney food.

The opportunities for "Extra" experiences are phenomenal and one of my favorite features of a WDW vacation as compared to DL. Watching the fireworks from a private boat is now on our must-do list (they'll bring those back eventually).

 

[kimmar067]

It's been my experience that, generally speaking for the most part, those who have experienced DL first, prefer it over WDW and for folks who are avid WDW goers before venturing into DL, prefer WDW...I guess it's what each individual is used to I surmise...

 

[kimmar067]

....MK felt too much like DL except we had to walk twice as far for fewer attractions.....

....it still boggles the mind how they have compacted so many attractions into such sparing real estate....

 

[FeistyDisneyMom]

For folks who are used to DLR, it can often be better to get single-park tickets instead of hoppers at WDW. The transportation time between parks can really throw you for a loop if you aren't used to it, and planning for hopping can be tedious and stressful. I'd recommend skipping the hopper especially if the ticket price was an issue. That said, it all boils down to planning. If you don't plan, going to WDW is a lot like going to a state fair: you will be in lines for everything. With some planning, you can get so much done! MK can bring some mixed feelings, but Epcot, AK, and HS are all quite lovely and can easily take a day to explore. My husband enjoys our DLR trips we've had but is looking forward to WDW much more because he loves Epcot the most of any Disney park.

Make sure to get your dining planned out and reserved as far in advance as you possibly can, and that'll help you plan your schedule accordingly

 

[StarlitNight05]

For folks who are used to DLR, it can often be better to get single-park tickets instead of hoppers at WDW. The transportation time between parks can really throw you for a loop if you aren't used to it, and planning for hopping can be tedious and stressful. I'd recommend skipping the hopper especially if the ticket price was an issue. That said, it all boils down to planning. If you don't plan, going to WDW is a lot like going to a state fair: you will be in lines for everything. With some planning, you can get so much done! MK can bring some mixed feelings, but Epcot, AK, and HS are all quite lovely and can easily take a day to explore. My husband enjoys our DLR trips we've had but is looking forward to WDW much more because he loves Epcot the most of any Disney park.

Make sure to get your dining planned out and reserved as far in advance as you possibly can, and that'll help you plan your schedule accordingly

My only caveat to your first point is if your are in an Epcot area resort and can walk over there to close out the night after your initial park. That's what we are planning for our 2022 trip at least