what is disneyland like, is it a let down?

[kirstyfly]

Hi guys

I have always wanted to go disneyland/usa since i was a little girl. this was before I grew older and found out that WDW is bigger than disneyland.

In November of 2003 my husband and i travelled to the usa to stay with new zealand friends of our living in new jersey. They knew i always wanted to go to disney and that i had been telling my husband as a joke that we aren't going to start a family till I have been to disneyland.

I had wanted to go to disneyland for our honeymoon but we couldn't afford it with the wedding as well. Anyways our friends said come and stay with us and we will all fly down to florida for a week and go to wdw. It was a blast of a time. The whole usa month long trip was great.

However and here is my question.. if i was to go to disneyland now after being to wdw would i be disappointed?? My biggest fear about going to wdw was what if i have build this place up to be something great and it turns out not to be. you know the feeling after wanting something and dreaming about something for so long.

We are planning another holiday in november to australia to the gold coast where they have a couple of theme parks but while online searching for the best deals i can't help but look at the LA deals going. Sure it is a lot of money but it would be a great time right? while we were in LA we would do all the tourist things and hope to get up to san fan ( i have always wanted to see the golden gate bridge since i was little to).

Gee i sound like such a groupie for the usa don't I?? but who else do you know who had a map of the USA on their bedroom wall as a teenager as well as dear i say it NKOTB posters.

is it a great place to go to?

 

[geffric]

We had always been to WDW and 2 years ago decided to make the pilgramage to DL to see where the magic began.. I got the 3 day hopper pass.. It was not enough!! We needed 5 days. Everything was so familiar but different.. There are things at DL that aren't at WDW... It is really special.. I would recommend that you go.. and go to San Diego Zoo and see the panda, Legoland in carlsbad, etc..San Fran, the wine country, the desert, the ocean..My kids loved it we are going back next summer to expericen the magic again..

 

[WDWLVR]

I have never been disappointed in Disneyland. To me it is a very special place because it was Walt's park. He walked those grounds.

Yes it is much smaller than WDW, but it also has some things that WDW doesn't.

*The Matterhorn
*The Original Tiki Room
*A Beautiful It's A Small World
*The Indiana Jones Ride

Also there is now California Adventure. Another fun park. A little bit like MGM, a little bit like Epcot. A lot of fun!

 

[Boston Tea Party]

DL is fantastic. Like it was said before, so similar and yet different. If you get there before opening, you can hear Walt's voice open the park. Don't forget to look for the candle burning for him. Have a great time!

 

[Grog]

DL is a great place. It's the original and in many ways is better than MK. The best thing to do is not to try to compare DLR to WDW, as DLR is much smaller. The best comparison is DL to MK.

Besides the rides that are original to DL, some of the rides shared with MK are a bit better, such as POTC and HM. Fantasyland and Toontown are nicer at DL as well.

 

[*Flower*]

I was born and grew up in CA, and although I love WDW, DL has a really special place in my heart.

It is smaller than the Magic Kingdom at WDW, but you need to know that although there were orange groves where Walt Disney bought and planned for his park for families, Anaheim was pretty built up. He wasn't able to make the park as big as he would have liked.

But he had his fingers in just about everything, and that's what you need to remember when you go. The Matterhorn is my first memory, and HM and POC are (IMHO) MUCH better than Magic Kingdom at WDW.

The Blue Bayou restaurant in New Orleans Square (where DH and I used to go when we were dating) is wonderful, and if it were still open, the diorama inside Sleeping Beauty's castle is special too.

The train that goes from Main Street Station is very different than the one at Magic Kingdom at WDW. I think that you'd enjoy it.

And you should see Fantasmic the way it is staged there. Remember that this show originated in DL, and (for me) it is the BEST!!

I used to have a secret hiding place in Injun Joe's Cave on Tom Saywer's Island, and nobody knew I was there when they walked by!!

Go with an open mind, and you won't be disappointed.

And, if you get there within the next 2 years or so, you can preview 'Soaring over California' which is in the California Adventure park. It will be opening at EPCOT sometime in 2006.

I hope that this helps.........

 

[dcentity2000]

It sure helps tazz and me, we're planning to visit Disneyland!

Thanks everyone



Rich::

 

[minniecarousel]

You won't be disappointed if you go looking for something different than WDW. Remember that Disneyland Resort is a lot smaller than WDW. The area surronding The Disneyland Resort is a city - with motels and restaurants. Disneyland & California Adventure are unique & Downtown Disney and the three hotels make up the "resort". It's the "original" (but no where near as big as WDW!)

 

[daannzzz]

If you do some investigation ahead of time you will not be disappointed. The main thing is to know that Disneyland is located in the middle of the suburbs.
http://www.beachcalifornia.com/dlmp.html

It is not anything like driving into WDW. But one you are in the park the suburbs melt away and you will feel that familiar great feeling but it will be different in a warm and fun manner. It is a great joy to go to a new Magic Kingdom and compare all the differences. I went to Disneyland many, many times before finally going to WDW at the age of 40 and I loved comparing them and wondering why the imagineers did this or that.
It is fun to see how the Peter Pan attraction can be so similar yet so different. It is great to see whats in the 6 additional minutes of the Pirates of the Carribean. Just know that when you look down Main St. you will say... "Where's the Castle"!!!

 

[Micca]

WDW is our "home" park, but DL is a great treat. Even though it's smaller than WDW, there is so much original and unique in the park you'll relish every moment. There are some fun attractions at DCA, thought it's neither Epcot nor MGM.