Virgin to Disneyland (California)

[WDWResort]

Hey there fellow posters. I recently went to Disneyland and despite it being the original; i was really dissapointed. I don't know what it was.. but I felt let down. I'm so used to big castle here in Orlando and the resort being away from everything. I'm so used to making that left into the Walt Disney World Resort and feeling like if I'm entering a new world. With Disneyland, I walked out of my hotel (The Annapolis) crossed the street and walked into Downtown Disney. I looked up and saw buildings t just didn't feel right. We went to California adventure first which to me was a bore. ToT was cheap and slow and short. We then proceeded to Disneyland and I don't know why... I just didn't feel like if I was in Disney. The Matterhorn, the castle, space mountain, soarin'; all amazing rides and originals... but, I just wasn't feelin' it. Anyone else that ever went for a first time after being at Walt Disney World feel the same way?

 

[Disneyland1084]

I've been to Disneyland SOOOO many times and LOVE IT!!! I think you felt that way because you're so used to WDW. I grew up with Disneyland and that's what I'm used to. I've never been to WDW but will some day. I often wondered if I'll feel about it like you feel about Disneyland.

 

[blackjackdelta]

I've been to Disneyland SOOOO many times and LOVE IT!!! I think you felt that way because you're so used to WDW. I grew up with Disneyland and that's what I'm used to. I've never been to WDW but will some day. I often wondered if I'll feel about it like you feel about Disneyland.

I agree. Disneyland is a much different experience than WDW. I like the closeness of everything. I sometimes feel like Walt never left.

Jack

 

[Amy&Dan]

It happens. It can also happen in reverse order, many Disneyalnd regulars report feeling very let down by WDW. Its about your home park and what you are used to, what you have the most emotional stake in and what you feel comfortable in because you've enjoyed it so many times. If you are really into a size thing (for lack of a better term) Disneyland can be very disappointing. To me the castle isn't small, its charming. I also think it would look dumb if Sleeping Beauty's Castle was taller than the Matterhorn Mountain. I agree with Blackjackdelta, I always feel like Walt is just right there when I am at Disneyland, something that would be impossible to feel at WDW since he died before it was built. I love both parks equally and try never to fall into the trap of spending my time comparing one to the other, but rather just be glad I am at Disney, any Disney. Well in any case, at least you can say you went to the original and know not to come back and just stick with WDW.

 

[rosiep]

I was used to WDW too and made my first trip to DL this past December. I had prepared myself before hand, and reminded myself not to make comparisons, but to enjoy the experience as new. Still, being human, in the end there were comparisions, some in favor of DL, some not. Mostly, I missed the "resort" feel. There were many teenagers and twenty somethings at DL--well behaved and polite mind you-but they were there on a day trip, not for vacation and it colored the experience for me.
That said, DL had great rides and I liked DCA. I liked being able to walk from hotel to park to park.
As for my next Disney trip? Who knows....

 

[tiggermei]

Major WDW vet here and recently visited DLR for the second time. I love both. Several folks I know (who are also WDW fans and vets) asked which is better. I honestly couldn't say that I DEFINITELY like one better than the other. There are rides and experiences at DLR that are just better -- simply better -- than WDW. But, there's stuff about WDW that's better. I prefer the resort feel and the whole "experience" of Orlando better. The OP is right about one thing definitely -- the whole in the middle of LA thing that you feel in California is weird to me. That's my biggest "complaint" about DLR. But, I also had prepared for DLR and the fact that the castle is smaller and such, but it's a neat, wonderful experience -- and I hope to visit again someday.

Better at DLR without a doubt:
- Space Mountain
- Christmas editions of HM and IASM
- Block Parties are better than what they have at MGM

Better at WDW:
- resort experience -- it's a vacation not a trip to the local fair
- personally love Epcot and miss it desperately -- especially Mission: Space
- pin trading
- character greetings/meals/interaction
- Peter Pan is a fast pass ride!

Draw:
- Haven't done PotC since the change in WDW, but DLR was AMAZING!
- parades
- Fantasmic! -- depends on how you like to see it
- layout -- I spent a lot of LOST time at DLR because I'm so familiar with WDW, but I figured it out by the time we finished up

Anyone probably thinks "their" norm is the better one. Personally, I just think they're DIFFERENT. But both good.

 

[HydroGuy]

Because of its location and size, WDW is a vacation destination. Many WDW vets spend 5-10 days there and come to expect that is what a Disney trip is supposed to be. Day trippers are relatively scarce.

Because of its location and large local population base, DLR caters more to day trip visitors. Even those on multi-day trips stay only for a few days. Thus DLR is not as much of a vacation destination. Many DLR vets do not think of Disney trips in terms of vacation, but more as fun experiences. Thus at first glance WDW would be frustrating because there are so many choices, the parks are more difficult to access, and the weather is so unpredictable (what's a rain poncho for?).

To a WDW vet, the castle just has to be huge. To a DLR vet, how can you not have a Matterhorn (which is way important to a DLR vet than a castle)?

If we all step back and look at the big picture, there is nothing that requires a Disney trip to be a vacation. Or a big resort. Or accessible. Or great weather most all of the time. Just because we have experienced Disney parks in a certain way does not mean that is the way to experience them. When we make the mistake of thinking this way, we set ourselves up for disappointment. And we miss the good things about the park or resort we are visiting.

During my first visit to WDW this past June I consciously set aside my DLR expectations and rolled with the punches. We visited Epcot during a tropical storm - with rain ponchos. While it obviously does rain at DLR, I doubt it has ever had a tropical storm. Humidity? That is the reality in Florida in June. Deal with it. 30-45 minutes to get from our room to the gates of the park? I am used to it being 5-10 minutes, but that is part of the landscape at WDW. Fantasmic in a theater? Where are the big ships which conclude the show? Oh, those little things? That is how it works at WDW.

We had a great time, and fortunately my pre-trip research (with advice from people like Amy&Dan) helped me adjust my expectations. So I had everyone in my family mentally prepared for the differences. Some of the things about WDW we liked better than DLR. Some of the things we didn't. But we had fun, which is the whole point. WDW vets who are able to do this will increase the chances of a good experience at DLR.

 

[AZMickeyfans]

Both my husband and I worked at WDW so I always feel like WDW is going back to visit where I worked. Dont get me wrong I loved it. Disneyland just feels more magical than WDW. Walt was there and you feel his influence all around. I think I have a more emotional connection to DLR. Sure it's small but I like to think of it as intimate. Plus DLR has more rides packed into it than MK at WDW so for a day experience you cant beat DLR. I agree ToT is better at WDW though. DCA is fun too. I do love the castle at WDW but I have to agree that the castle would look ridiculous if it were bigger next to the Matterhorn. It is wonderfully charming. I personally feel that you are "a part of Disneyland" when you are there but at WDW you end up being one of the millions of tourists that visit. That probably doesn't make sense but it's just a feeling that I get. Like coming home to my favorite place.

 

[Lives4Disney]

Interesting thread. I am a WDW vet with over 50 trips. I am planning our first DL trip for the end of March.

I love all the nostalgia about the parks and I am a Walt FAN, so I hope I can appreciate his park and leave my WDW expectations at home. I HOPE! I am a mga WDW fan, too. I am sure there can't help but be comparisons. I have been watching all the retro Disney stuff I can get ahold of. Most recently the DVD "Your Host, Walt Disney" and just love it. I hope I will feel like I am stepping into history at DL and I love thought that Walt never left.

Lives4Disney

 

[spazzyjazzy]

I have never been to WDW and do not plan on it. I am very spoiled by Disneyland. I like the closeness. I don't have to take the monorail, my car, or a boat to get to another park. I can walk, run, or skip my happy self over to California Adventure in very little time. I like the closeness to my hotel that I am staying at especially with tired feet.
Yeah, Disneyland doesn't have some of the rides WDW has but, eventually we will. I haven't been on them so, I am not missing them a whole lot.
I agree with alot of stuff HydroGuy has to say regarding Disneyland.
It seems lately there have been alot of negative (not in a rude way) threads about Disneyland on this board. I think that may deter some people from visiting the park or making them go in not thinking very positively about there trip. When I walk in I am not truly worried about seeing the castle. I look at it and then I make my right to hurry and get my fastpass for Space Mountain.

 

[kelmac284]

I am from CA and I too feel nostalgic over DLR. I have to admit that back in the 80's and early 90's before they started sprucing the place up that anaheim was becoming a scary ugly place unless you were inside the park itself and when I went to DW the first time I was in awe at how beautiful and clean everything was and I liked how it was its own world. I agree that DW is more of a destination resort and I LOVE DW but I will ALWAYS think fondly of DL and in fact after my first trip to DW in 02 I just HAD to go to "my" park.

I had missed the old familar things about DL and wanted to see them again.

My family is contemplating a move to the east coast in the future and they said we will never have to go back to DL with DW right there but I think I would feel lost without going to DL.

We just recently bought AP's and most of my non-disney lover friends can't understand going several times in a year but there is ALWAYS something new to see and do and now we go for particular events.

I agree with those that say you become fond of your home park. DL was the first park I went to and didn't go to DW until I was an adult. While I love it and have been twice now with another trip planned for 08 I will ALWAYS have a soft spot for the original and I think they are just different places that hold fond memories for those of us who have grown up with it.

 

[wdwgirl03]

I had the opposite reaction. I had been to WDW many times before I first went to Disneyland in 2004, and was afraid I'd be bored and miss WDW. But it was so much fun! I actually just got back from my second trip. In the end though, I still prefer Disney World. <33

 

[WDWResort]

Im glad to have gotten such positive reactions, I expected to be banned from the boards hehe. Anyway.. I know what you all mean. I guess it's the "vacation" feeling that I get whenever Im at WDW. I wouldn't mind going back to DLR maybe it'd be different. Who knows. Im glad I got positive posts.

 

[JasonShannon76]

I have been to Disneyland and Disney World and I strongly disagree with your post.

Even though WDW is larger (overall acres)......the Disneyland Version of Magic Kingdom is bigger and better. The castle is smaller, but it has more rides in the CA Magic Kingdom versus FL Magic Kingdom. Walt wanted the castle to be small so it would be magical to little kids without feeling scary or overwhelming.

Other things are so identical (Main Street, etc....) that I can't say that one park "let me down". Walt had much more influence in the Original Disneyland Park.

California Adventure Park seems a little big like MGM to me (except I like CA Adventure better). They have a lot of the same rides, etc...

I like that Dowtown Disney and the Disney Resorts are all so close to the parks in California.

Also, I think that the Fantasmic show in Disneyland is much better than the WDW version (except WDW has a better seating arrangement for people to watch it). The show itself is better at DL, just not the seating!

Anyway, I think a lot of it has to do with where you grow up and what you consider "home".

Also, it helps if you know the ins and outs of the park!

 

[TravelingJen24]

Next time you might want to stay at one of the Dis resorts because they too add a large part of what it is to my family to go to Disneyland. We hang at the lost bar by the pool, or have breakfast at Goofy's kitchen. Our trip doesn't begin or end when we walk in the park. The Disney feeling begins when we pull up and get out of the car. I know they are expensive, but most of the resorts in DW are also, so I think that is a fair trade. Hope you give us a try again.

 

[Disney Magic]

We visited the DLR the first time this year, too. Although I loved it, my family felt a lot like you did. They didn't share my enthusiasm. We knew there were two parks, but we were just expecting it to be more of a resort, since it is called the Disneyland "Resort".

It didn't help matters that my family really doesn't care for some of the Magic Kingdom/DL Park rides (all of Fantasyland, jungle cruise, paddle wheeler, etc). They went on all of the rides with me, but for many of the rides they were poker faced and bored. My family was just looking for more resort ammenities, more diversity in attractions, and more ways to relax. That doesn't mean they had a bad time, that just means they prefer the WDW experience over the DL experience. BTW, we all enjoyed DCA.

It all boils down to what everyone else has mentioned...It just depends upon what's important to you and your family while on vacation. To my family it doesn't matter if one ride is better than another or if one park is better than another. What counts is the total vacatioin experience and what types of experiences give us the most pleasure and enjoyment. Disney offers two different experiences. Pick the one that best fits your family's needs.

It was quite obvious that a lot of guests who visit the DLR are either day guests or guests visiting for only a few days. It was kind of neat to see all the teen and young adults hang out there and come together to have a good "day/night out" together. It beats hanging out in malls or hanging out on the streets. I also noticed that when we dined, we noticed a lot of locals meeting each other for dinner. I can see why those living in Calif have become so attached to DLR. It's not a vacation destination to them, it's their personal playground and a place to meet friends and have fun. How cool is that.

I'm sure this happens to some extent at WDW, too, but it's just not as noticeable since guests at WDW are mainly tourists.

 

[WDWResort]

You have a point Disney Magic. I am definitley gonna try to go to DLR again. I remember a little old lady that worked at one of the shops in Downtown Disney telling me what you exactly said about the castle JasonShannon. I don't know why I felt the way I did. Maybe I was expecting it to be even bigger being the original Disney World. But towards the end of the day at the parks, when they did Wishes, I forced my sister to stay those extra 40 minutes for that show. I loved Soarin' and I loved Space Mountain (and when I say I went recently I mean Winter of '05!) haha. We had gone the weekend that the new Space Mountain opened. I loved PotC and The Haunted Mansion. I really wanna go again!! Maybe this weekend I can fly out there!!

 

[tiggermei]

One more HUGE advantage of DLR over WDW (and size/layout):

FAST PASSES!!!! You can hold fastpasses to Soarin' and Space Mountain at the same time. On Thanksgiving, I did just that. I went into DCA and got one, left, went to MK and got Space Mtn, left and went to dinner at Disneyland Hotel. When I finished dinner, it was time for one fast pass (and could have run into the other park to pick up another FP at that time, too). I love park hopping in California.

 

[WDWResort]

It happens. It can also happen in reverse order, many Disneyalnd regulars report feeling very let down by WDW. Its about your home park and what you are used to, what you have the most emotional stake in and what you feel comfortable in because you've enjoyed it so many times. If you are really into a size thing (for lack of a better term) Disneyland can be very disappointing. To me the castle isn't small, its charming. I also think it would look dumb if Sleeping Beauty's Castle was taller than the Matterhorn Mountain. I agree with Blackjackdelta, I always feel like Walt is just right there when I am at Disneyland, something that would be impossible to feel at WDW since he died before it was built. I love both parks equally and try never to fall into the trap of spending my time comparing one to the other, but rather just be glad I am at Disney, any Disney. Well in any case, at least you can say you went to the original and know not to come back and just stick with WDW.

Revisiting this a couple years later and I wish I can go back and slap silly 2006 me, lol.

 

[mummabear]

Interesting thread. I am a WDW vet with over 50 trips. I am planning our first DL trip for the end of March.

I love all the nostalgia about the parks and I am a Walt FAN, so I hope I can appreciate his park and leave my WDW expectations at home. I HOPE! I am a mga WDW fan, too. I am sure there can't help but be comparisons. I have been watching all the retro Disney stuff I can get ahold of. Most recently the DVD "Your Host, Walt Disney" and just love it. I hope I will feel like I am stepping into history at DL and I love thought that Walt never left.

Lives4Disney

Have you considered the Walk in Walts footsteps tour?