WDW v DL

[mndisfam]

Happy Holidays all. I have a question for those who can compare DisneyWorld with Disneyland. My DH & I grew up in LA, and went to DL many many (100?) times. We last went back to DL the week b4 California Adventure opened. Since then, we have bought into DVC and become WDW die hards (we live in MN so its a short quick trip - kind of!)

To us, there is no comparison. WDW is huge and has so much more to offer (except, I guess for the Matterhorn.) I just got off the phone with my dear brother in San Diego who keeps telling me that DL has really changed, has gotten much bigger with Cal. Adventure, etc.. I think they want to go to DL with us when we visit. I keep saying no - we went to WDW in October, and are going back in February. I can't imagine making a nightmarish car trip to go to the scaled down version of WDW. Plus, we would only go for a day - we always go for a week or so and stay at our DVC condos.

So - here's the question - are my impressions still correct? Does DL still have pretty much the same stuff that WDW has, only much less? Wouldn't a day trip there (less than a month after a week long trip to WDW) be pretty much the same thing?

ANd don't get me wrong - I am not bashing DL. From my memory, while DL is still a wonderful place, its not WDW. More a of day trip place than a vacation destination.

 

[BertChimneySweep]

I think it depends on how hellacious a car trip you are talking about. Like you, I'm a Californian and have loved DL for years and visited many times. Meanwhile, We'll be returning to WDW for the 4th time this April. Everything you say about WDW is true and I agree wholehearedly.

However, Ive been to DL/CA twice since CA was opened and it is different from anything in WDW. They have work to do and need to keep perfecting it, but CA has some great rides and theming. Specifically, Grizzley River Rapids and Soaring, which match up with anything they've done. Tower of Terror is now there, as is a great coaster, California Screamin'. The restaurants are very good, etc. The Downtown Disney section is nowhere near like WDW's, but adds a nice dimension and succeeds very well at creating an integrated feeling to the 2 parks. The whole thing is a bit like a mini WDW.

So, if its a drive from San Diego, it's worth it. We don't mind driving down from SF. If you mean you're driving from MN, forget it!

Check out the various websites on the new resort, and you'll get the idea.

P.S. Don't forget, DL has Indiana Jones!

 

[safetymom]

I think there are things at DL that WDW doesn't have and should. I love Calif. Adventure. It's nice that there are the two versions of Walt's vision and enjoy them both.

 

[iceskatejen]

To me DL is home, and I'll always prefer it to WDW's MK. I truly think all of the rides that are in both (DL has more rides than MK btw) are equal or better in DL than at MK, with the possible exception of BTM. POTC is way better at DL, Space Mountain is better at DL (Mk's is the Matterhorn in the dark IMO). The repainted Castle is so pretty. DCA is fun. I've always liked it. The Aladdin show there is the best show in any Disney park (in the US anyway). And DL's Fantasmic beats the heck out of the one at WDW.

 

[marypops!]

i haven't been to DL only WDW so i dunno which is better but how people describe DL to WDW some things sound better in DL and some in WDW so i dunno

 

[BertChimneySweep]

I truly think all of the rides that are in both (DL has more rides than MK btw) are equal or better in DL than at MK, with the possible exception of BTM. POTC is way better at DL, Space Mountain is better at DL (Mk's is the Matterhorn in the dark IMO). And DL's Fantasmic beats the heck out of the one at WDW.

I absolutely agree about Fantasmic! I would add that IMO WDW's Splash Mtn is superior to DL's. Also a ditto about Alladdin - Wonderful production!

Bottom line, MNDISFAM: GO!!

 

[Albertan mom]

We went to DLand last May, and are going to WDWorld in October. I have heard that DL is better though, so we are thinking of maybe going there in December. That way it is different, because of all the Christmas decor, but still the greatness of DLand.
I would love to hear from people who have been to both, what is better? (our kids are 7 & 10)
Thanks!
I am new to this forum, and am really enjoying it!

 

[Brian]

I have been to both, and I like both. Really can't compare, since WDW is just so much bigger. DL has some really nice things, california adventer is really nice at night. I have been to WDW at least 15 more times than DL, I like them both, but if I had to choose, ti would be WDW.

 

[Olallamom]

We just got back from our 1st trip to WDW, we have visited DL too many times to count. With that said, I think that it's really hard to compare the two. DL is nice because you can walk to both parks and Downtown disney, which makes hopping around easy. WDW is huge, the hotels are theme parks in themselves. It's hard to wrap you mind around it all. We loved WDW and would like to go back soon but that doesn't mean that I won't visit DL again.

 

[dbanzai]

WDW offers a lot more. It is a closer, easier and cheaper trip for me as far as actual travel expenses go. However (I say all this as a budget-traveller-wannabe) DL and the Good Neighbors hotels are extremely cheap and a great bang for your buck... Not to mention being able to walk to the park in five minutes from a bunch of them... Oh, and GC opening right into CA.

I like that in Anaheim you can do both parks each day, and just walk between the two of them. When I was there as a solo traveller and able to use Fastpass, I barely ever had to stand on a line. It's easier to see and do everything in CA.

Still, you can stay on property in FL and still not have enough time to do everything you want. That's very cool. I can imagine getting tired of things in Anaheim (as I don't like to have to drive on trips if at all possible), but not so at WDW.

 

[mikey13v]

I find that even though DL and MK have many of the same rides, and are both set up in a similar way, they have very distinct differences. Pirates are quite different, Space Mt is drastically different, Mickeys toontown vs Toontown Fair, Haunted Mansion Holidays(DL), Tiki room vs Under New Management, Philharmagic vs Indiana Jones, Cinderella vs Sleeping beauty castle, DL fantasmic vs MGM, Autotopia vs Tomorrowland Speedway, ect... It just feels different.
I prefer WDW to DL resort, but when it comes to MK vs DL, I have to say I could spend 3 days in a row at DL, walking between the park and hotel. While the MK is 1 day at a time, maybe 2 or 3 days on the WDW visit, but not in a row.
There is so much more to do at WDW that I could spend 3 weeks there and have a great time for our entire stay, but out of the 6 Disney theme parks, DL is still the happiest place on earth.
Also, on the financial side, coming from Washinton State, it is actually cheaper at WDW. Airfare, hotel, and car is lower at WDW. The only problem is we usually stay much longer than our stays at DL (10 days vs 5 days).
Finally, one other difference is the hours. DL is open 'til midnight durring most of the peak season. This makes it real easy to take long breaks from the park durring the day and still spend most of your day at the park, if that's what you like.
There is absolutely no bashing here, I love all the Disney parks, I just think that it's still worth seeing DL and CA even if your at WDW all the time; it's fun to find the differences.

 

[Albertan mom]

Prices Lower at WDW??
We found that when we priced it out, WDW would cost twice as much as DL. Airfare is about 2x as much. Then hotels were more, as were the passes?

 

[dbanzai]

Prices Lower at WDW??
We found that when we priced it out, WDW would cost twice as much as DL. Airfare is about 2x as much. Then hotels were more, as were the passes?

Agreed.

Well, anyone who has said anything about transportation has mentioned that it was considered on an individual basis, so I don't see the point in arguing that. If I lived on the West Coast, it would definitely be cheaper for me to go there, although I'm curious how it's cheaper to get from WA to FL instead of CA.

As for hotels, the Good Neighbors hotels are very cheap in some instances. The Disney hotels are pricy, yes, but even the Pier seems on par with the WDW moderates (even though it would seemingly be their value hotel). This weekend when I booked my trip to WDW for November, I was comparing the prices for both WDW and DL, not sure where I wanted to celebrate. For 6 nights at both, and the only difference in what I was asking for being that I wanted two days less of Parkhopping (on the other hand, we didnd't get park hopping at all for WDW, just MYW), there was a substantial difference in price. For either the Fairfield Inn or the Carosel, the price was in the $900, while the price we are paying in WDW is upwards of $1400 at POR (which we may switch to POFQ). I've stayed at Fairfield before in Anahiem, and I would compare it to a moderate at WDW, because of the rooms and the whirlpool (it's definitely not your average Fairfield), and even still, the price for the AS's/value would have been $1200

I can't honestly compare park tickets seperately because I always go for the resort/ticket packages. Considering the ease of park hopping at DL though, if it's a little more expensive, it may be more logical because it is so much more physically possible to park hop.

 

[kelmac284]

I am from Northern CA and so we got to DL at least once a year. Last year we went 4 times and are about to go back for the 50th in a few weeks.

I think they are 2 totally different things. I love the DW has SO much to see and do and we are going for 2 weeks when we go this Oct. I am anxious to see it again, we have only been once 3 years ago, but DL to me is where I grew up and holds fond memories.

I think that the area where DW is is nicer and cleaner. LA has some bad elements but they HAVE cleaned it up a bit and made it moer of a resort.

I also agree that there are things at DL that you just can't get at DW. Pirates, matterhorn, Indy to name a few.

I love them both and will continue to go to both for years to come although we tend to go to DL much more because it is so close.

I say go for it. I don't think you would be dissapointed!

 

[WaltDizzygirl]

So - here's the question - are my impressions still correct? Does DL still have pretty much the same stuff that WDW has, only much less? Wouldn't a day trip there (less than a month after a week long trip to WDW) be pretty much the same thing?

As a former So. Cal girl, I would say that your impressions are correct. I've been to DL numerous times, WDW once, and DL Paris twice. IMO WDW has the other two beaten hands down, even with the addition of the new park and DTD at DL.

I'm planning a new trip to WDW and am SO excited. With DL and DL Paris the MK park is pretty much the whole deal. WDW offers so much more!

 

[FanOfStitch]

I just got back from a trip to DL a couple of weeks ago for the 50th. I agree with much of what previous posters had to say. There are alot of the same rides at DL and WDW, but both with distinct differences. I found that there are alot more FantasyLand rides at DL (or at least alot of different ones).

When I am at WDW, I very rarely park hop or go back to the room for a rest. At DL, I found this to be very easy to do. We stayed at the GC which made it even more easy!

The fireworks brought tears to my eyes. Although I love Wishes, the 50th fireworks that DL had were the best I have ever seen!!

California Adventure was great. The roller coaster as well as Maliboomer is fantastic. (I'm a thrill ride junkie ). It was nice to be able to walk over to CA when DL got a little to crowded for us.

Although I own DVC and will always consider WDW my "home", I am very glad that we went to DL and will probably go back. I think for any Disney fan, you should go to the "original" at least once in your lifetime and what better time then the 50th!!

 

[mikey13v]

I posted earlier and said that it's actually cheaper for us to go to WDW from Washington state, than it is to DL.
For some reason SEA to MCO is almost always a real low fare, between 200 and 280. At the same time SEA to LAX, SNA, LGB, ONT is usually about 20 to 50 more.
Car rentals are similar between LAX and MCO, but at the other LA airports cars are about 25% higher.
Off site hotels in Anahiem run around 80 per night for a good deal. Off site near WDW can get down to 50. Same thing goes for the disney hotels. Of coarse if you are looking at the deluxe resorts at WDW, it's difficult to compare to DL.
The one thing that costs more for us is the admission.
When we add up the costs for a 6 night trip between the two we find that supprisingly enough we will spend less at WDW. Keep in mind that this is the extreme budget method of calculating.
With all of that said; we are now DVC owners and comparing costs is impossible to do. We will continue to go to both WDW and DL all the time and live it up, who needs to pay the mortgage anyhow, LOL.

 

[Kitty-chan]

I love them both, they're just different.

At DL, I loved staying right across the street, and walking between the two parks during the day. We could do a lot more because we didn't have to spend much time in transit. I also agree with what has been said about the rides -- a lot of the DL versions are better than the WDW.

I wasn't impressed by DCA. But ya know, there was pin-trading and characters to meet, so what's not to like? The Alladin show is excellent too.

At WDW, I like how completely enveloped in the magic I can get. The last two trips we've stayed within the World and felt like we were completely away from regular life. I don't get that feeling at DL -- Disney doesn't control as large a piece of land in Anaheim, so they can't control as many aspects of your total experience. Plus of course WDW has more parks, more rides, more to do.

I'm going to DLP in September, and WDW in December, but I still might sneak in half a day at DL this month when I'm in LA on a business trip. Clearly I'm a freak!

 

[AnaheimGirl]

As another former Southern Californian, I'd say your impressions are correct, well, except that DL is a "scaled down" version of WDW. I'd say it's the opposite, since DL was the original park, WDW is a scaled-up version of DL, lol.

Anyway, that doesn't mean I'll never go to DL again, I just think of it as more of a day trip kind of place, although, now with CA, we stay at least 2 or 3 days when we go.

DL has a lot more than MK, as some of the attractions they put in other parks at WDW are in DL, like Star Tours and Honey I Shrunk the Audience. DL also has some rides/attractions that WDW doesn't, like the canoes (I used to LOVE those as a kid!), Pinocchio's Adventures, Alice in Wonderland, Mr Toad's Wild Ride and of course, the Matterhorn.

CA is a blast! It's small, but California Screamin' is an awesome coaster, and Mullholland Madness is a fun family coaster (not too big for young kids, but funner than a kiddie coaster for adults). The Sun Wheel is pretty cool, too, as are other rides, although the "feel" of the place is less "Disney" than either MK.

Anyway, if you're in San Diego, it's not too bad of a drive (approx 1-1.5 hours each way, unless traffic has gotten drastically worse since we were last there), although personally, I'd stay one night in a hotel and spend 2 days in the parks.

'Course, there's a lot of fun things to do in San Diego, and nearby, too, so I'm sure you'll have a great trip, whether you decide to go to DL or not.

Have fun!

 

[Therapeutic Smile]

Things you can do at DLR and not at WDW:

1) the REAL Pirates (that MK version is laaaame)
2) Indiana Jones Adventure
3) Matterhorn
4) Roger Rabbit's Car-Toon Spin
5) Buzz Lightyear's Astro-Blasters (not the same as BL's Space Ranger Spin... this ride is from TDL)
6) California Screamin' at DCA
7) Mulholland Madness at DCA
8) Grizzly River Run at DCA
9) Alice in Wonderland
10) Mr. Toad's Wild Ride
11) the Mark Twain

plus plenty of other rides are different, even if at both parks... like Splash and Space Mountain, Haunted Mansion, ToT, Winnie the Pooh...

Just my 2 cents. And DL is no "scaled-down" WDW... that IS "DL-bashing," imho.