Top 5 things that are better at Disneyland than at Walt Disney World

[MAGICFOR2]

You can drive to an In-N-Out from DL so DL>WDW

This.

Also, have you explored Orange County? The inland areas are ok but the beach cities are amazing.

This too.

I do understand that, but for me, being able to stay in a hotel that is only a 5-10 min walk to the turnstiles - for appx $100/night, as opposed to 3-4x that - mitigates that issue. I am still just as immersed when i am in the parks themselves, which is what is important to me. but we have never been huge hotel people.

And also this! I like to be able to have so many choices in restaurants in walking distance around the parks. The new Garden Walk area is really nice, and I love Mimi's Café on the other side!

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

POTC is so much more awesome at DLR.

I actually kind of like WDW's better I find the drop is anti climatic in Disneyland where as when you go down the drop in WDW you end up right in the battle seen whereas in DLR youu go through the caves for a bit after the drops before you go into the battle scene.

 

[Suvadoo]

I actually kind of like WDW's better I find the drop is anti climatic in Disneyland where as when you go down the drop in WDW you end up right in the battle seen whereas in DLR youu go through the caves for a bit after the drops before you go into the battle scene.

But the caves at DLR have vignettes. Like the pirate skeleton lying in bed looking at a piece of jewelry through a magnifying glass. He's surrounded by all of his booty and there's a parrot skeleton on a perch beside the bed. I love the details. I want that parrot!

 

[wisblue]

You say this, but don't seem to apply your own words to yourself.

Please give me an example of this.

I have always recognized that different people have different situations and preferences and that that will affect their reactions to FP+. What I object to is people making broad statements to the effect that FP+ is inherently evil just because they don't like it. For example, saying that they hope Disney comes to its senses and doesn't implement FP+ at Disneyland.

I also react when people try to support their opinions with false or grossly exaggerated statements like " because Disneyland doesn't have FP+ you don't have to do any planning to go there" or "with FP+ you can only do 3-4 rides in a day without a long wait" or "FP+ forces you to plan every minute of every day and keep your face in your phone all day".

Disney management makes decisions based on how it affects its guests as a whole and cannot possibly satisfy everybody. It's one thing to say, "I don't like FP+" and something else to say "I don't like FP+ and the suits at Disney were stupid to put it in place". If Disney management thinks FP+ would make sense for Disneyland, they will put it in place there eventually. But, it is very possible, if not likely, that they will decide that the significantly different demographic of guests there (a much higher percentage of local and day guests) would make that undesirable.

 

[JennaDeeDooDah]

I love Pirates at DLR. I love floating by the Blue Bayou and seeing the fireflies. I also think the ride is longer and has more vignettes, but I could be wrong. I like the HM exterior better at DLR, but I think it's because it was the first HM, for me. I know MK fans think the castle at DLR is a joke, but when I was a kid the thing I could always see from outside the parks was the Matterhorn. This mountain symbolized DLR to me and every time I saw it I would get excited.

I just felt like Pirates at DL had a lot of downtime. It seemed that there were a lot of times we were just floating in the water with no real scenes to look at. I agree it was longer, but I felt like so much of what made it longer was just randomly floating along. I did enjoy the ride, though. I really can't comment on Haunted Mansion since I have only gone in October when the overlay was there. I'm not a fan of Nightmare Before Christmas so I was bummed we decided to go when I couldn't see the original ride. I did like that the queue went through the grounds more than the one at WDW does. And I just love the old plantation style houses of that time period, so I loved what it looked like, but I also really like the outside of the HM at WDW. So, yeah, I really can't tell you which one is better.


Fantasmic is better at WDW. It just is. It has more space for the action which really helps, plus there is actual seating in the theater. There isn't a bad seat in that theater, either, which isn't the case at Disneyland. It is very possible to not be able to see what is going on if you don't get a good spot early enough.


Hotels are better themed at WDW. Now, I know that there are only three at Disneyland, and they do have fun themes. I especially love the pool at Disneyland Hotel. However, they aren't as detailed as Wilderness Lodge, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Port Orleans (both Riverside and French Quarter), Caribbean Beach, or Art of Animation.

I will say that the thing I think Disneyland has going for it the most over WDW, aside from FP+ (and I do feel that is a huge advantage) is that they have two parks with lots and lots and lots to do. Don't get me wrong, I love the parks at WDW, but let's be honest with ourselves - the reason there is tiering at DHS and Epcot is because there isn't as many rides with any kind of demand. At Disneyland and DCA, there are so many rides that they wouldn't need to tier, just like at Magic Kingdom. Radiator Springs Racers does have an insane like at DCA, but Soarin' and TSMM are nothing like the waits at WDW. I fully believe it is because there are just many more attractions in the space. Instead, WDW has significantly fewer rides per park (save Magic Kingdom, of course). Which leads me to my next point: Disney execs saw a problem at DCA and rather than roll out something like FP+ to try and hide the fact that the problem was lack of attractions, they added new attractions and improved the ones already there. That's a big bonus for DL in my eyes.

 

[wisblue]

To get back on topic, I will repeat what I have said on other threads.

I love both WDW and Disneyland but, in my opinion, they are significantly different vacation experiences. Comparing based on which has more rides and which rides are better at which resort misses what I think is the bigger point.

There are a couple of active threads about other activities at WDW like the water parks, mini golf, boat rentals, horseback riding at FW, visiting the themed resorts, etc, etc. that make WDW a much more diverse resort experience. Plus, things like the World Showcase at Epcot and the Animal Kingdom present what for me is a welcome change of pace to the chase to go on rides.

I don't see us ever scheduling a trip to California just to spend a few days at DLR. But, we frequently go to Florida to stay at WDW, and sometimes we never leave the resort grounds except to return to the airport.

The issues of weather, cleaner bathrooms, and rude CMs are not issues for us. I hate the Florida weather from about May until October, so we don't choose to visit then (except for some trips we took because of things relating to our daughter working there). WDW has become our go to place to escape the dreary Midwestern winters; DLR really can't fill that role on a regular basis, in part because it is more expensive to fly there for us. The number of dirty bathrooms and rude CMs I have encountered at WDW in our many visits isn't worth mentioning, so it certainly wouldn't stand out if DLR is any better.

As for the issue of "Walt walked here", when I visit WDW I can't help but think about how "the Florida Project" fulfilled Walt's dream of having a resort with enough space to include all of the things he wanted to do that he couldn't do in the confined spaces of Disneyland.

 

[Suvadoo]

I just felt like Pirates at DL had a lot of downtime. It seemed that there were a lot of times we were just floating in the water with no real scenes to look at. I agree it was longer, but I felt like so much of what made it longer was just randomly floating along. I did enjoy the ride, though. I really can't comment on Haunted Mansion since I have only gone in October when the overlay was there. I'm not a fan of Nightmare Before Christmas so I was bummed we decided to go when I couldn't see the original ride. I did like that the queue went through the grounds more than the one at WDW does. And I just love the old plantation style houses of that time period, so I loved what it looked like, but I also really like the outside of the HM at WDW. So, yeah, I really can't tell you which one is better.


Fantasmic is better at WDW. It just is. It has more space for the action which really helps, plus there is actual seating in the theater. There isn't a bad seat in that theater, either, which isn't the case at Disneyland. It is very possible to not be able to see what is going on if you don't get a good spot early enough.


Hotels are better themed at WDW. Now, I know that there are only three at Disneyland, and they do have fun themes. I especially love the pool at Disneyland Hotel. However, they aren't as detailed as Wilderness Lodge, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Port Orleans (both Riverside and French Quarter), Caribbean Beach, or Art of Animation.

I will say that the thing I think Disneyland has going for it the most over WDW, aside from FP+ (and I do feel that is a huge advantage) is that they have two parks with lots and lots and lots to do. Don't get me wrong, I love the parks at WDW, but let's be honest with ourselves - the reason there is tiering at DHS and Epcot is because there isn't as many rides with any kind of demand. At Disneyland and DCA, there are so many rides that they wouldn't need to tier, just like at Magic Kingdom. Radiator Springs Racers does have an insane like at DCA, but Soarin' and TSMM are nothing like the waits at WDW. I fully believe it is because there are just many more attractions in the space. Instead, WDW has significantly fewer rides per park (save Magic Kingdom, of course). Which leads me to my next point: Disney execs saw a problem at DCA and rather than roll out something like FP+ to try and hide the fact that the problem was lack of attractions, they added new attractions and improved the ones already there. That's a big bonus for DL in my eyes.

I agree hotels are definitely better at WDW, the whole resort is gigantic and the grounds surrounding every WDW resort are fabulous.
I agree about the rides. When I mentally go through my list of favorite attractions, they are in 2 parks in DLR versus 4 in WDW. The only thing I really miss at DLR is the People Mover, but I know it will never return.
I also agree about the DCA facelift. The park is fantastic now with Carsland. Both DHS and Epcot need a lot of help and FP+ wasn't the solution. In fact, I think FP+ just highlighted the inadequacies of both parks.

 

[andeesings]

This is the first post I've ever seen that said Space at WDW is better than at DLR! lol.

Which I TOTALLY DO NOT GET!!! Roflmao. There is NO way space is better at DLR, the ride is WAY more exciting in WDW.

 

[Suvadoo]

To get back on topic, I will repeat what I have said on other threads.

I love both WDW and Disneyland but, in my opinion, they are significantly different vacation experiences. Comparing based on which has more rides and which rides are better at which resort misses what I think is the bigger point.

There are a couple of active threads about other activities at WDW like the water parks, mini golf, boat rentals, horseback riding at FW, visiting the themed resorts, etc, etc. that make WDW a much more diverse resort experience. Plus, things like the World Showcase at Epcot and the Animal Kingdom present what for me is a welcome change of pace to the chase to go on rides.

I don't see us ever scheduling a trip to California just to spend a few days at DLR. But, we frequently go to Florida to stay at WDW, and sometimes we never leave the resort grounds except to return to the airport.

The issues of weather, cleaner bathrooms, and rude CMs are not issues for us. I hate the Florida weather from about May until October, so we don't choose to visit then (except for some trips we took because of things relating to our daughter working there). The number of dirty bathrooms and rude CMs I have encountered at WDW in our many visits isn't worth mentioning, so it certainly wouldn't stand out if DLR is any better.

As for the issue of "Walt walked here", when I visit WDW I can't help but think about how "the Florida Project" fulfilled Walt's dream of having a resort with enough space to include all of the things he wanted to do that he couldn't do in the confined spaces of Disneyland.[/QUOTE]
The Florida project was not a fulfillment of Walt Disney's vision. Walt Disney wanted to build the Experimental Prototype City of Tomorrow, not another theme park. The Florida Project was based on that dream. Sam Gennawey's book: Walt and the Promise of Progress City is a history of the Florida Project and the only theme park planned for the area was the Magic Kingdom.

 

[BigCheese]

As a longtime DLR veteran planning our family's first trip to WDW, there are a lot of points raised in this thread that are interesting. The two words that I can best describe the differences between the two parks, for me right now, is Planning and Options.

I love to plan. And the gigantic nature of the WDW resort necessitates careful planning for us (both due to my unfamiliarity with WDW as well as the sheer size of the resort). Planning which park to go to on which day, planning dining reservations, planning FP+ for each day, planning shuttle times to/from our hotel, etc. Planning has allowed me to get familiar with the resort, attractions, and each park and what they have to offer. To me this is not a bad thing. On the flip side, DLR requires very litte planning (which isn't a bad thing either). I can't remember the last time we needed ADRs as we can go to almost any restaurant day of and get seating. Legacy FP obviously doesn't require 60 day advanced planning (but until I experience FP+ first hand I'll reserve commenting on this process). Proximity of everything within the DLR makes park hopping easy, quick, and allows for spur of the moment decisions on what to do and when to do it. Also, many have already commented on this but due to the ride concentration at DLR within DL and DCA, there aren't many rides that require pinpoint planning (save for RSR in DCA, or PP at DL). I'm a little nervous about ride wait times at WDW, especially on secondary rides as this is not a problem for us when we go to DLR.

As for options, WDW has this in spades. From hotel options (and range of pricing for resort hotels) to dining options and even Character options, WDW is just bigger and offers more. We like to stay onsite, and that's our preference so it's our choice to pay the rates of DLR hotels, but all three are equivalent to WDW Deluxe hotels in terms of pricing. I like the hotel options at WDW and the pricing tiers. As far as dining, there are so many restaurants we would like to try, it's somewhat overwhelming. It will be nice to try different things at WDW. That's not to say we're tired of the food at DLR, but I'm looking forward to the dining at WDW. As for Character options, WDW seems to have a lot more character meet and greets than DLR. We are character fans, and I like the wide range of different characters to meet and I like the organized meet and greets. There's like seven different Donalds at WDW!

Is one resort better than the other? No. They're different. For us, since we live out west, WDW is more of a vacation destination for us. A rare treat. DLR is also a treat, but it feels more like our home. Everyone loves their home, but everyone loves a vacation as well.

 

[Suvadoo]

As a longtime DLR veteran planning our family's first trip to WDW, there are a lot of points raised in this thread that are interesting. The two words that I can best describe the differences between the two parks, for me right now, is Planning and Options.

I love to plan. And the gigantic nature of the WDW resort necessitates careful planning for us (both due to my unfamiliarity with WDW as well as the sheer size of the resort). Planning which park to go to on which day, planning dining reservations, planning FP+ for each day, planning shuttle times to/from our hotel, etc. Planning has allowed me to get familiar with the resort, attractions, and each park and what they have to offer. To me this is not a bad thing. On the flip side, DLR requires very litte planning (which isn't a bad thing either). I can't remember the last time we needed ADRs as we can go to almost any restaurant day of and get seating. Legacy FP obviously doesn't require 60 day advanced planning (but until I experience FP+ first hand I'll reserve commenting on this process). Proximity of everything within the DLR makes park hopping easy, quick, and allows for spur of the moment decisions on what to do and when to do it. Also, many have already commented on this but due to the ride concentration at DLR within DL and DCA, there aren't many rides that require pinpoint planning (save for RSR in DCA, or PP at DL). I'm a little nervous about ride wait times at WDW, especially on secondary rides as this is not a problem for us when we go to DLR.

As for options, WDW has this in spades. From hotel options (and range of pricing for resort hotels) to dining options and even Character options, WDW is just bigger and offers more. We like to stay onsite, and that's our preference so it's our choice to pay the rates of DLR hotels, but all three are equivalent to WDW Deluxe hotels in terms of pricing. I like the hotel options at WDW and the pricing tiers. As far as dining, there are so many restaurants we would like to try, it's somewhat overwhelming. It will be nice to try different things at WDW. That's not to say we're tired of the food at DLR, but I'm looking forward to the dining at WDW. As for Character options, WDW seems to have a lot more character meet and greets than DLR. We are character fans, and I like the wide range of different characters to meet and I like the organized meet and greets. There's like seven different Donalds at WDW!

Is one resort better than the other? No. They're different. For us, since we live out west, WDW is more of a vacation destination for us. A rare treat. DLR is also a treat, but it feels more like our home. Everyone loves their home, but everyone loves a vacation as well.

Great post. I know you'll love WDW. I'm anxious to hear your impressions when you get back.

 

[MillauFr]

Which I TOTALLY DO NOT GET!!! Roflmao. There is NO way space is better at DLR, the ride is WAY more exciting in WDW.

??? No way the space at Disneyland is far superior. The one at Disneyworld had a boring queue and the vehicles looked like they should have rehabbed 30 years ago. The ride was a mess.

 

[MillauFr]

I like at Disneyland I can stay offsite and be at the front gate in 10 minutes. We stayed at the Poly at Disneyworld and it took us longer to get to Magic Kingdom. I couldn't believe all of the posts where people recommend 45minutes + to get from a hotel to the park for dining reservations. No way you need more than 15-20 at Disneyland.

 

[Suvadoo]

I like at Disneyland I can stay offsite and be at the front gate in 10 minutes. We stayed at the Poly at Disneyworld and it took us longer to get to Magic Kingdom. I couldn't believe all of the posts where people recommend 45minutes + to get from a hotel to the park for dining reservations. No way you need more than 15-20 at Disneyland.

I also think you need to allow 2 hours for park hopping a WDW. It may be less, but based on my experience with buses, 2 hours is a fair guestimate.

 

[PetePanMan]

weather and local beaches

space mountain

Pirates

two parks right beside each other

Blue Bayou (in park dining with great atmosphere)

 

[PetePanMan]

weather and local beaches

space mountain

Pirates

two parks right beside each other

Blue Bayou (in park dining with great atmosphere)

oops - also prefer Fantasmic and WOC (incredible water / laser show) shows at DLR

 

[wisblue]

The Florida project was not a fulfillment of Walt Disney's vision. Walt Disney wanted to build the Experimental Prototype City of Tomorrow, not another theme park. The Florida Project was based on that dream. Sam Gennawey's book: Walt and the Promise of Progress City is a history of the Florida Project and the only theme park planned for the area was the Magic Kingdom.

Even Walt Disney recognized that the specifics for Disney World would change over time, as he explains in this famous video clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-R_ugeGwa00

But, the important thing is that they had the land to work with (the "blessing of size") to accomplish a lot of things that they couldn't do at Disneyland, and I see Walt's long term visions in the current Disney World. For example, he wanted live animals to be part of the original Jungle Cruise, but that was impractical. But, I see the safari and other animal exhibits at the Animal Kingdom as a fulfillment of that part of Walt's vision.

 

[wisblue]

I also think you need to allow 2 hours for park hopping a WDW. It may be less, but based on my experience with buses, 2 hours is a fair guestimate.

With all due respect to your opinion and experiences, I think 2 hours to get between parks is dramatically overstated.

There is obviously no question that it is a lot easier to go between DL and DCA than between any 2 WDW parks. DL and DCA are more like one huge park with multiple lands.

But, in our experience, it should almost never take more than an hour to get between 2 parks, and can take significantly less time, unless there is some major breakdown in transportation. And I am including time for walking from a park exit to the transportation (boat, monorail or bus), waiting for the next vehicle to arrive, the ride itself to the second park, walking to the entrance of the second park, and going through security before entering.

Now, if I had a dinner reservation at the second park, I wouldn't wait until the last minute to get to that park and would build in a big cushion for possible transportation problems. But, if I was just going, for example, to MK after spending the morning at DAK, I would expect to get there in less than an hour.

Last week we went from MK to Epcot on the monorail one day, and from DAK to MK on a bus another day, and in both cases the whole process took significantly less than an hour.

 

[Kristina4109]

what I like about WDW is that you don't feel like you are in Orlando- you feel like you are in "Disney World"

DLR is in the middle of the city and that makes it harder for me to "escape"

I get this. I remember my WDW trip in 1999; it was the first time I'd been back to WDW since I discovered DL in 1995. I remember leaving the MK on a boat and heading towards WL. I compared it in my head to leaving DL Park and winding up on the 5. As we glided on the water towards WL, and saw the lights twinkling on the GF, the tiki torches glowing at the Poly, and the monorail gliding into the Contemporary, and the beautiful Cinderella Castle in the distance, I thought to myself, "THIS is what Walt wanted." And then the fireworks started. Seriously a fabulous moment.

I repeat: I love Disneyland and Walt Disney World equally and I will never say one is better than the other. But each one has certain positives, and to say WDW is better than DL just because it's bigger is silly.

 

[wdwcoltsfan]

We have been to both and love both--for different reasons.

At DLR we prefer-
POTC
Indiana Jones
Small World- love the incorporation of Disney characters and that it goes outside.
Fantasyland-more rides to choose from
Mr. Toad

At WDW we prefer-
TOT
HM
Splash
Space-my kids and DH did not like the DLR version
Buzz
Cinderella Castle- I know Sleeping Beauty Castle is not considered the focal point of DLR, but it is just so stinkin small.

The proximity of DLR can't be beat, but at the same time, you can't escape that you are in the middle of a city. WDW is like a city of it's own.

I like that at WDW the lands transition to one another, where at DLR, the lands are kind of on top of one another. I particularly remember this with HM butting right up next to Critter Country. There is no separation.

Okay, the churro thing became a joke with my family. The kids started counting how many churro stands there were and how few places there were to get a Mickey bar.

I enjoy both. For a week Disney vacation, I'm going to WDW. For 2-3 days away, I'm going to DLR and then moving on to the beach. Right now, our trips center around WDW.