Top 5 reasons that Disneyland is WAY better than Disneyworld

[Disco]

I don't agree with all 5 points in the article but I will say DL is overall my favorite park. I still prefer going to WDW overall though as there is so much more to do and it is larger and grander.
While I haven't been to Cars Land yet I have been to all the others mentioned. The two most detailed and engrossing lands to me are Asia and Africa in the AK. Nothing in DLR compares IMO but again I haven't seen Cars Land yet.
While rides are denser in DL it is always exaggerated that the attractions are almost equal between the two resorts. What constitutes an attraction seems to always be slanted to DLRs favor vs WDW. Also, DLR is enjoying a temporary boost due to its renovations schedule vs WDW. Not to mention WDW attractions are much grander. A single ride at WDW is almost the size of the entire original DL. Apples to oranges...
Also to keep saying that Walt had no involvement with the MK is a fallacy. The MK contains a culmination of fixes to errors Walt recognized in DL.
I don’t completely agree with the analysis of the hotels as well. While the GCA is conveniently connected to CA the other two DLR hotels are not. The Contemporary is just as a quick as a walk to the MK and offers direct monorail service (along with several other hotels). I do agree that the whole transportation center idea is an issue when staying outside these select locations in WDW. I think that is one new ideas that Disney failed with. I see what they were trying to do but transportation can be a little ridiculous in Florida.
However it is a wash IMO. I like the staying in the resort feeling of Florida, but I also like the direct access abilities in California as well.
Lastly, I would say that DLR probably has the overall amount of superior rides. However WDW has a few that are better than DLR. It helps give each resort its own feel and flavor making it desirable to visit both.

 

[meggiebeth]

I have not been to DLR. I have been to WDW and DLP, however. I am trying to make a decision on whether to go to WDW or DLR next year, we are in UK so it is a big decision for us. Going to DLR would mean we would also be exploring California and nearby. The Grand Canyon is a far off dream for me, lol.

 

[ztonyg]

I am going to WDW next month for the first time since 1996 (when I was 11). Having lived in AZ or CA since I was 15 (and having been to DL 5-6 times since 2001) I've absolutely fallen in love with DL. I don't have kids and I prefer the rides and DL is perfect for me. What I like about DL is that the whole resort (and all of the rides) are VERY easily accessible by foot. The last time I was at DL I went with my brother and he and I were arrived at the park at opening (8:00 a.m.) and took the Monorail - Space Mountain (rode it twice) - Matterhorn - Haunted Mansion - Pirates of the Caribbean - Big Thunder Mountain (by 10:00 a.m.). It's not possible in the slightest to do that at WDW.

Also, when I go to DL and I have a park hopper, I go back and forth between the parks at least 2-3 times because it's so incredibly easy (and everything is just so close). Also, I like the ability to go lunch at Downtown Disney and then go back to the parks afterwards. Heck, you could go to Denny's, Mimi's Cafe, Quizno's, or anything else on Harbor for lunch at DL if you wanted to (and not pay premium food prices).

As others have also mentioned, if you stay at a hotel within walking distance of DLR getting to and from the parks is also incredibly easy (and you don't have to pay for parking).

I'm actually worried that I'm not going to like the MK after thinking that the DL park is the greatest park in the universe (I do). I do prefer the WDW Splash Mountain though and am looking forward to that.

 

[ztonyg]

I have not been to DLR. I have been to WDW and DLP, however. I am trying to make a decision on whether to go to WDW or DLR next year, we are in UK so it is a big decision for us. Going to DLR would mean we would also be exploring California and nearby. The Grand Canyon is a far off dream for me, lol.

You should do DLR. There is no better single theme park on the planet than the Disneyland Park. You may not get the Disney "immersion" but you will never run out of things to do or see (and can do your favorites multiple times with ease).

 

[snowy76]

Loved both blogs... there really was truth in both!

To me, DLR and WDW are like your kids. You can love them equally, but for different reasons and characteristics. I did 12 nts at WDW last summer and 5 at DLR this year. I'm seriously considering doing both on our next big vacation in a couple of years - a week at each.

 

[gmi3804]

I guess we know where she stands on the subject!

 

[MyYearWithTheMouse]

One thing the article didn't mention that I disliked the most about WDW as a first-timer was the amount of advance planning it required, particularly ADR. I found it very dismaying that if I didn't book my reservations 6 months in advance, I wouldn't get to eat at a table service restaurant. AND if I did want table service every night or most nights, I had to plan my park visiting schedule around it. And I didn't get to see what the food looked like or even the menu in person before making my decisions--I had to rely on what others reported and online menus. I don't mind making a couple of reservations, like Blue Bayou and a character meal, for example, but having to hyper-plan every single day of my trip so far in advance without room for flexibility really turned me off.

 

[korg]

1st I HATE when people pit these parks against each other. It's like kids saying my dad can beat your dad up. LOL Yes DL was Walt's park but WDW was Walts last dream.
2nd as an east coaster I consider WDW my HOME Disney park, for me it's totally magical, totally Disney, and it gets under my skin to hear people put down MY Disney park. WDW is why I'm a Disney nut.

I've said this before in other threads. (and yes i have been to DL and am going back in a little over a month and am really excited about it)

To me, DL is a wonderful magical place to visit while I'm taking a California vacation. It's not my entire vacation, it's someplace wonderful to go a few days of my vacation. It's amazing and it IS WALTS park. There's a lot of history there and if it wasn't for DL no other Disney park would exist. It's THE original theme park!

But when I go to WDW it IS my entire vacation, it's not just something I do for a few days while I'm in Florida. When you go to WDW you breath, eat and sleep Disney magic 24/7 and that's something DL will never have over WDW. Disney world IS it's own seld contained magical world. When you vacation there you leave the real world behind for your whole vacation.

So DL has the history for sure, it's an amazing and magical place for sure and I personally can't wait for my end of September California vacation so I can spend a few days there.

WDW is a world unto itself, when you go there it isn't visiting a wonderful park for a day or two, it's leaving the real world behind 24 hours a day and LIVING your entire vacation surrounded in Disney magic 24/7.

5 Reasons DL is a better park? I guess it depends on what you're looking for in a vacation. For a day or two or even 3, very possible DL is better but for a complete vacation experience, I'm sorry but I feel WDW is in a league of it's own.

But then again, as I said I hate when we pit these parks against each other! So let me say I love them both for different reasons.

 

[longhorns2]

1st i hate when people pit these parks against each other. It's like kids saying my dad can beat your dad up. Lol yes dl was walt's park but wdw was walts last dream.
2nd as an east coaster i consider wdw my home disney park, for me it's totally magical, totally disney, and it gets under my skin to hear people put down my disney park. Wdw is why i'm a disney nut.

I've said this before in other threads. (and yes i have been to dl and am going back in a little over a month and am really excited about it)

to me, dl is a wonderful magical place to visit while i'm taking a california vacation. It's not my entire vacation, it's someplace wonderful to go a few days of my vacation. It's amazing and it is walts park. There's a lot of history there and if it wasn't for dl no other disney park would exist. It's the original theme park!

But when i go to wdw it is my entire vacation, it's not just something i do for a few days while i'm in florida. When you go to wdw you breath, eat and sleep disney magic 24/7 and that's something dl will never have over wdw. Disney world is it's own seld contained magical world. When you vacation there you leave the real world behind for your whole vacation.

So dl has the history for sure, it's an amazing and magical place for sure and i personally can't wait for my end of september california vacation so i can spend a few days there.

Wdw is a world unto itself, when you go there it isn't visiting a wonderful park for a day or two, it's leaving the real world behind 24 hours a day and living your entire vacation surrounded in disney magic 24/7.

5 reasons dl is a better park? I guess it depends on what you're looking for in a vacation. For a day or two or even 3, very possible dl is better but for a complete vacation experience, i'm sorry but i feel wdw is in a league of it's own.

But then again, as i said i hate when we pit these parks against each other! so let me say i love them both for different reasons.

amen

 

[korg]

One thing the article didn't mention that I disliked the most about WDW as a first-timer was the amount of advance planning it required, particularly ADR. I found it very dismaying that if I didn't book my reservations 6 months in advance, I wouldn't get to eat at a table service restaurant. AND if I did want table service every night or most nights, I had to plan my park visiting schedule around it. And I didn't get to see what the food looked like or even the menu in person before making my decisions--I had to rely on what others reported and online menus. I don't mind making a couple of reservations, like Blue Bayou and a character meal, for example, but having to hyper-plan every single day of my trip so far in advance without room for flexibility really turned me off.

You don't "really" need to plan everything that far in advance at WDW BUT being a first timer it was smart you did. With very few exceptions you can usually get a dinner booking the morning of the day you want to go, even during the busy season, as long as you call early and are flexible on the time you go. My wife and I are WDW Vets, we use to overplan everything when we go there but now we seldom plan anything except buying tickets and still have wonderful vacations. But I do admit, for a 1st timer WDW can be overwhelming. There's so much there and it's so huge (we're not talking just amount of attractions, we're talking EVERYTHING) that the 1st timer seldom knows where to start. BUT because it's so huge and there's so much to do the frequent visitor can always find something new and fun to do every visit. Regardless of amount of attractione WDW has VS DL (which is an on going friendly debate between DL and WDW fans) the fact is WDW is HUGE and you simply can't do and see it all in a week. That's simply impossible.

 

[furb & dez]

1st I HATE when people pit these parks against each other. It's like kids saying my dad can beat your dad up. LOL Yes DL was Walt's park but WDW was Walts last dream.

Let me put it this way:

An old, sentimental man dreams of making a water slide park, and every week letting any children in free on Saturday (the busiest day).

Old man dies.

The Board of Directors of the Old Man's company builds a theme park with roller coasters, drop rides, shops, restaurants, and a tiny little water park area with no slides. On Tuesdays (the least busy day), kids get a $1.00 discount.

This is what Walt's dream was turned into.

 

[korg]

Let me put it this way:



This is what Walt's dream was turned into.

Well regardless how you feel about the Disney corporation and what they did in Florida one thing you're not taking into account is the emotional attachment I and hundreds of thousands of WDW fans have towards the Florida resort. Our emotions have NOTHING to do with the way the Disney corporation does things. My love the WDW is all wrapped up in the joy I feel when we go there. If a vacation destination can bring the "child out" in my 55 YO heart I don't see how it could be looked at as a corporate sell out. Also one more thing to remember, this corporation that you think turned Walt's dream into something that's just for profit is the exact same corporation that runs DLR and keeps it alive ... and profitable.

 

[KCmike]

Well regardless how you feel about the Disney corporation and what they did in Florida one thing you're not taking into account is the emotional attachment I and hundreds of thousands of WDW fans have towards the Florida resort. Our emotions have NOTHING to do with the way the Disney corporation does things. My love the WDW is all wrapped up in the joy I feel when we go there. If a vacation destination can bring the "child out" in my 55 YO heart I don't see how it could be looked at as a corporate sell out. Also one more thing to remember, this corporation that you think turned Walt's dream into something that's just for profit is the exact same corporation that runs DLR and keeps it alive ... and profitable.

True that they are both under the Disney Corp. but they are ran by two different management teams. We first went to WDW back in 1990 and it stole my heart. We saw Mainstreet Electrical Parade for the first time and were simply awe struck by the resorts and the parks. We went back 7 times in the course of over a decade and had the best of times and memories. We went to Disneyland in 2007 and were awe struck again. This time by the little park that could. This time by the park that Walt built from the ground up. There is no mistaking the nostalgia and love put into the park. We thought WDW was the end all be all to vacationing. Now that we've been to DL I know better. We went back to WDW in 2012 at the request of my wife and it just wasn't the same for us. We LOVED the resorts and the dining but the parks just don't hold a candle to the 2 parks in California especially since the refurb of DCA. This is just for us and I don't speak for anyone else. This is just how I feel. I really hope they get the fantasyland expansion done right. They owe it to all of us Disney fans. Magic Kingdom is well overdue for some loving.

 

[barbaraann]

True that they are both under the Disney Corp. but they are ran by two different management teams. We first went to WDW back in 1990 and it stole my heart. We saw Mainstreet Electrical Parade for the first time and were simply awe struck by the resorts and the parks. We went back 7 times in the course of over a decade and had the best of times and memories. We went to Disneyland in 2007 and were awe struck again. This time by the little park that could. This time by the park that Walt built from the ground up. There is no mistaking the nostalgia and love put into the park. We thought WDW was the end all be all to vacationing. Now that we've been to DL I know better. We went back to WDW in 2012 at the request of my wife and it just wasn't the same for us. We LOVED the resorts and the dining but the parks just don't hold a candle to the 2 parks in California especially since the refurb of DCA. This is just for us and I don't speak for anyone else. This is just how I feel. I really hope they get the fantasyland expansion done right. They owe it to all of us Disney fans. Magic Kingdom is well overdue for some loving.

Except for exact dates, this could have been written by me, because it's exactly how I feel.

I haven't been to WDW since 2009. I am hoping to return sometime in 2013, 0r 2014 at the latest. I do want to see the new Fantasyland at least once since Fantasyland is my favorite land in the MK.

 

[korg]

True that they are both under the Disney Corp. but they are ran by two different management teams. We first went to WDW back in 1990 and it stole my heart. We saw Mainstreet Electrical Parade for the first time and were simply awe struck by the resorts and the parks. We went back 7 times in the course of over a decade and had the best of times and memories. We went to Disneyland in 2007 and were awe struck again. This time by the little park that could. This time by the park that Walt built from the ground up. There is no mistaking the nostalgia and love put into the park. We thought WDW was the end all be all to vacationing. Now that we've been to DL I know better. We went back to WDW in 2012 at the request of my wife and it just wasn't the same for us. We LOVED the resorts and the dining but the parks just don't hold a candle to the 2 parks in California especially since the refurb of DCA. This is just for us and I don't speak for anyone else. This is just how I feel. I really hope they get the fantasyland expansion done right. They owe it to all of us Disney fans. Magic Kingdom is well overdue for some loving.

Well my wife and I are going to DL at the end of the month and i'm very excited to be going. (2nd time for me, 1st for her.) that's really why I started visiting the DL side of this forum. And I hope to come out feeling like you do, I'm SURE I'll come out loving DL regardless which location I call my "home" Disney park.

You know I just had an amusing thought. WDW has a staggering amount of people from all over the world attending 365 days a year. (I know that's also true of DLR) If there was no WDW all we Disney nuts would be coming to DLR all the time. Imagine what the wait time would be then? They'd open the park at 9 AM and close it at 10 AM because it'd be full! I think DL fans should be thrilled that WDW exists and tell all their friends to go there toshorten that lines at DL! ;-)