Thinking about going to those "other" parks.....

[Sweetpea2011]

Well...we went to DW in 2010 and we LOVED it. We've been to DL twice with the kids, going back again this summer as we're West Coast people. But there is something so cool about DW, how BIG It is and how much there is to see and do. We really loved Animal Kingdom, at the end of our trip we all agreed that was our favourite park. Yes, it takes a lot of planning and yes it is massive, but that's what makes it so special IMO. We also went to DL Paris in 2013 for one day and I had that "quite but not quite" feeling but we enjoyed ourselves there massively as well. What's to fret about, you're at a Disney park!

Then again, we never fuss about ADRs or anything like that. We tend to pack in sandwiches and granola bars/snacks and then grab a bite wherever we feel like it. So for us, the planning is just what to see and do, not where to eat or what reservation times we get. I found at DW that when we packed in a lunch we made sure to eat dinner at a restaurant, and when we ate lunch at a restaurant we tried to make a simple supper in our hotel room when we got home and have snacks to tide us over. The food prices are so high, I just couldn't justify spending that much $$ on what is (frankly) average food.

We had 8 day passes at DW and enjoyed every single day!

 

[LALA8971]

You really need to stop comparing it to DLR and embrace a new experience that has different requirements for preparation.

That is exactly what my husband said! He said "do you compare our DL trips with our beach vacations in North Carolina?"....nope....
It's so funny that i'm normally such an over-planner but this seems daunting. Luckily we have 18 months to plan it and i'm starting to lean towards WDW. Gotta stop stressing and get into excited mode!

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR INSIGHT! Gotta love the DISboards!

 

[2boysmom1998]

I have made 3 trips to WDW and 5 trips to DL and DL is much, much easier to do! WDW is just to massive for me. I don't like it as much as DL. A couple years ago we went to WDW and DL within two months of one another and what a difference. We had a much better time at DL!!!!! It's more intimate and you don't have to plan as much!

 

[HydroGuy]

That is exactly what my husband said! He said "do you compare our DL trips with our beach vacations in North Carolina?"....nope....
It's so funny that i'm normally such an over-planner but this seems daunting. Luckily we have 18 months to plan it and i'm starting to lean towards WDW. Gotta stop stressing and get into excited mode!

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR INSIGHT! Gotta love the DISboards!

You married a smart man!

 

[cmpeter]

I feel like it will be weird being in the parks and seeing the city right next to you.

You can't see the city when you are in Disneyland. The one exception is if you stay off site and then you will see some city as you walk or shuttle to the parks. But, once on DL property, you are pretty well immersed in all things Disney.

 

[Tattylou]

We alternate between WDW and DL each year. Table service is definitely something that needs to be planned. One thing to keep in mind is that you may not do/see as many attractions in 5-6 days at WDW as you do in 3 at DL. Plan that getting anywhere will take longer than you're used to. Definitely no walking between parks! Also, you need to remember that there is no way you can see everything. When planning your FP+ pick your must do's and go with the idea that anything else is just gravy. Will you stay onsite at WDW? I am a huge fan of onsite there. I think the biggest thing is to not compare the two. Yes they are both Disney parks but I think they are totally different experiences. Try to think of it as a "bonus" trip to your regular DL trips. If you have questions if be glad to try and help.
Kari

I am a WDW vet, who went to DL for the first time last week. I have to say that initially I felt really odd about skipping DW to go to DL (kind of the opposite version of you!). Totally agree with jeeperwy, you won't get as much done in 5 days in DW as you would in 2 or 3 at DL. The world showcase at Epcot is worth the trip for sure and it is the one thing I really missed at DL. That being said, I really enjoyed DL more than I expected to and now I'm not sure which one I will go to next b/c they are both awesome in their own ways and I loved how much easier DL felt in terms of size, park hopping, planning etc., but I did miss the countries at Epcot and the majestic Cinderella castle. So, I would say it is worth going to experience it and you might be surprised and find that you love it.... just in different ways. Oh...and the water parks at DW are wicked fun too!!

 

[ldarcy]

This thread is a lot of fun. I'm an east coaster & have been to WDW countless times. (My mom's ashes are even at WDW!) I live in SoCal now & have always had a lot of friends from the area & they are fiercely loyal to DL. Mom & I used to just smile & plan another trip to WDW.

The main difference is that DL is a couple of theme parks & a shopping center frequented more by locals than tourists & WDW is a humongous resort frequented mostly by tourists. So, you have a space issue & a culture distinction. When we 1st went to DL, we eagerly looked in the direction of the castle & felt deflated. "THAT'S the castle?? It looks like a dollhouse!" The one in WDW is huge, the one in DL is just big. The size also affects what you can see. I was there for over 10 hours & saw not one costumed character, street performer or other surprise act. At 1st I was disappointed, but then thought: ok, so where would they put them?

DL is always body-to-body whereas at WDW you have much more elbow room, even in high season. Of course, DL has CA Adv (Soarin' is much better in DL than WDW) & WDW has Epcot, Animal Kingdom & Hollywood Studios. Fanstasmic is bigger & much more impressive & moving (IMHO) in WDW than DL.

Many more dining options at all price points in WDW, even in MK at WDW vs. DL. More gourmet dining options in WDW.

I recently went to DL for the 1st time in about 15 years & had to decide on the spot whether to get the annual pass or the SoCal resident special. I chose the SoCal 2-day pass & was really glad I did. I simply couldn't imagine going to DL so many times in a year to make the annual pass worthwhile. The annual pass at WDW was a no-brainer because there were so many options. You could go repeatedly & never see the same things twice, which is not so in DL.

But, as you can tell from this thread, a lot of it is what you are used to. That's how we define what makes us comfortable or brings us joy, I guess.

HAVE A WONDERFUL TIME!!

 

[HappiestHaunt]

I am sure that if you hit the WDW disboards as well, you would get loads of good information on visiting there.

 

[LizzyS]

I like this thread, because I'm in the initial planning stages for a WDW trip sometime in 2017, but I DO relate to the overwhelming aspect of WDW when you're used to DLR!

 

[LALA8971]

Thank you to everyone for the input! We decided last night to go ahead and do DL for fall 2016 and WDW in fall/winter 2017. I figure 2+ years gives me plenty time to plan!

 

[LizzyS]

Thank you to everyone for the input! We decided last night to go ahead and do DL for fall 2016 and WDW in fall/winter 2017. I figure 2+ years gives me plenty time to plan!

Haha, this is pretty close to what I ended up deciding on, too! I figured it'd give me plenty of time to do my research and save up more money for the trip!

 

[LALA8971]

Haha, this is pretty close to what I ended up deciding on, too! I figured it'd give me plenty of time to do my research and save up more money for the trip!

And plenty of time to change my mind!

 

[ldarcy]

And plenty of time to change my mind!

Yeaaaahhhh, I'm guessing that's NOT gonna happen!

 

[gerilyne]

So, we too are looking to plan a trip to WDW in about a year. It's cheaper and easier for my sister and her kids to fly to Florida than to fly to California so that's where we are headed. The last time I was there was the summer of 1991 and DH has never been. We are getting ready for our 4th trip to DL in the past 4 years.

I feel like I can plan a DL trip of any type quickly and efficiently. I know where to eat, I know where everything is, it seems so simple and the idea of having to start a WDW plan is a little more overwhelming. I am sure thankful for these boards, they helped me so much with DL and I just know they will be super helpful trying to navigate WDW.