Why are parks so different?

[Lostdutchman]

So we have our trip booked for December and then the wife thought it WDW as she has never been and me over 20 yrs ago. Well for a few hundred more it’s not bad but I feel 3 days isn’t enough. While researching I see they do magic bands, able to reserve fast passes (up to 3) 30 days in advance of your trip. How come DL has none of that?

 

[ParkHopper1]

Different demographics for one.

WDW is 70% unique one time visitors and 30% AP holders
DL is opposite. 70% AP holders and 30% unique visitors.

...and while it is one big company, CA and FL are really run like separate organizations. They tried to consolidate park management a few years ago and it was a complete disaster as the parks are indeed so different in so many aspects.

 

[agamble]

I disagree that 70% of visitors to Disneyland are AP holders. HOWEVER, I would agree that 70% comprise AP holders and locals including other CA residents. If you are local, or live within CA, you may choose to visit DL for just a day or two. And you may even decide somewhat last minute. This is very different than WDW where people plan for months. A friend of mine was planning a trip for DL. Funds didn't work out. They rescheduled. No big deal. They live in CA. But that would be much harder to do at WDW.

Many people think the magic bands would be a nice addition to DL, but Disney officially said they were not coming to CA. I think that is all about money. There is just no reason to book FP 30-60 days in advance in DL as they do at WDW. Locals, especially AP holders, show up on a whim. They can't be planning their FP a month out. Besides, Max Pass is a better system. It allows people to choose on the day they are there and is much more flexible.

Also, I agree that 3 days is not enough for WDW. 3 days is doable at DL, but you couldn't even go to every park at WDW in 3 days unless you chose to do half days at two of the parks. That seems like a waste to me.

 

[gottalovepluto]

So we have our trip booked for December and then the wife thought it WDW as she has never been and me over 20 yrs ago. Well for a few hundred more it’s not bad but I feel 3 days isn’t enough. While researching I see they do magic bands, able to reserve fast passes (up to 3) 30 days in advance of your trip. How come DL has none of that?

1) Disneyland was opened in 1955 and was a complete gamble. What Walt built was crazy in his time.
2) Southern CA. Have you been to SoCal? Even Disney couldn’t afford to buy enough land here to expand into WDW by the time the WDW idea started being executed.
3) Magic Bands. Were an absolute nightmare when Disney World developed them, seriously. They invested millions into the tech and it darn near blew up in their faces before they got it working. A panic attack those execs would not care to repeat. (Personally I think they’re near a point where MBs would work at DL but idk if they would pay off for Disney with so few onsite visitors.)
4) FP. Thank God you can’t reserve them ahead of time. You would never get anything good. The thousands of passholders who would learn very fast how to game that system- oy! As mentioned above, DL caters to a very different demographic: locals. Locals who Disney has learned are... let’s call them creative...

If those things about WDW appeal to you skip DLR and go to the World. You already seem rather put out with what Disneyland is missing and to spend the entire trip thinking, “uh! We could be dining in epcot! Checking out Toy Story Land, seeing a castle big enough to hold a restaurant, seeing lions and animals when we’re over the rides, dinning in dozens of different restaurants in Disney Springs (which has to be like 20 times bigger than Disneyland’s Downtown Disney)...” would make it suck. I’m just being honest! Spend the dough and go to WDW, if you don’t see yourself returning anytime soon you’ll want to feel you did it the best way possible. #YOLO and all

(Btw, if you want to get anything out of those pre-reserved FPs stay onsite because all the good stuff is booked 60 days out with onsite booking privledges. And be awake and booking the second your window opens. Heck even booking the second my onsite window opened for a week long trip last year I couldn’t get a 7 Dwarfs Mine Train FP or Flight of Passage FP! Also be up the second your 180 day window opens for Advanced Dining Reservations if you want in-demand dining at WDW. ...both of those are reasons some of us love DL. EVERYONE can have a FP to a couple headliners each day. ADRs can be booked 6 weeks out and you’ll get anything your want as long as it’s not Xmas or Thanksgiving.)

 

[sweethannah]

So we have our trip booked for December and then the wife thought it WDW as she has never been and me over 20 yrs ago. Well for a few hundred more it’s not bad but I feel 3 days isn’t enough. While researching I see they do magic bands, able to reserve fast passes (up to 3) 30 days in advance of your trip. How come DL has none of that?

Disneyland doesn't require you to be so rigid in your planning. You don't need to pre-book your fastpasses at all, you can get reservation for meals 60 days out ( not 6 months ). It's a smaller park(s) and it's very easy to park hop.

 

[mamapenguin]

So we have our trip booked for December and then the wife thought it WDW as she has never been and me over 20 yrs ago. Well for a few hundred more it’s not bad but I feel 3 days isn’t enough. While researching I see they do magic bands, able to reserve fast passes (up to 3) 30 days in advance of your trip. How come DL has none of that?

So many more foreign visitors to WDW, fast pass plus is a marketing tool. Max pass is so much more efficient for getting the most out of your day. I like magic bands, but dislike fast pass plus. I have 7 days worth of fast pass plus passes for my upcoming trip, but I already know that there is no way in 7 days that I will accomplish nearly as much as I did with Max Pass in 4 days (July 8-11). So much so that I'm going to Universal too, because at least there I have after 4 express access.

 

[slpeters]

I think it's funny different people's perspectives. I loved WDW and am already planning a couple more trips, but as far as the whole FP thing, unless you are staying onsite for a week or more, the booking fastpasses ahead of time will only work against you--especially since many of the good fastpasses are only available at 60+4 days out. With a week onsite and a good three months planning we were able to do pretty much everything with minimal waits and I will gladly do it again, of course next time I'll plan for 6 months to make sure we can get the dining reservations we want. In the meantime we are very much looking forward to MaxPass. I think it will work out very well for five days at DLR and I'm sort of looking forward to not having every moment planned out months before I even see the parks.

 

[Karin1984]

WDW is the only Disney park in the world with this planning system. And I think the main reason is, that it helps Disney to predict better where the crowds are going to be. And even when everything can be cancelled at the last moment, I think only a small amount of the guests does this. When you have a plan, you stick to it, most people think.

If you know where the crowds are you could do something to make sure crowds and rides are managed better. Disneyland is smaller, so more people on a day trip or maybe a two/three day trip, if you then encounter crowds you can say 'tough luck, we just picked the wrong day', if you have constant unruly crowds over a 6-10 day trip, you might think the parks are not managed well, which could results in more complaints.

And because there are more guests, you could reduce the complaints by giving the guests to have some responsibility to their days. If you then complain, 'I couldn't get a fast pass for / a dining reservation for', as a CM you then can argue, 'you could have reserved this ahead of time'. Not very nice, but it gives the impression 'you are in control of your own day here'.

 

[HydroGuy]

3) Magic Bands. Were an absolute nightmare when Disney World developed them, seriously. They invested millions into the tech and it darn near blew up in their faces before they got it working. A panic attack those execs would not care to repeat. (Personally I think they’re near a point where MBs would work at DL but idk if they would pay off for Disney with so few onsite visitors.)

MB is valuable for both onsite and offsite guests at WDW. So having it at DLR with a majority of non-resort guests would not be a problem per se. The cost is another issue I guess. But WDW has already developed them. So the cost should not be that bad.

Another super cool thing that MB offers is that, because it knows where you are (I know, kind of creepy to many people, but the same people who leave their Location option On for the cell phone all the time LOL) is that when you go on a ride with photos (e.g., Space Mtn or GOTG) it KNOWS which vehicle you are in and which photo is yours and just sends the photos to your Disney account automatically. No need to take note of your ride photo at the end of the ride like at DLR.

(Btw, if you want to get anything out of those pre-reserved FPs stay onsite because all the good stuff is booked 60 days out with onsite booking privledges. And be awake and booking the second your window opens. Heck even booking the second my onsite window opened for a week long trip last year I couldn’t get a 7 Dwarfs Mine Train FP or Flight of Passage FP! Also be up the second your 180 day window opens for Advanced Dining Reservations if you want in-demand dining at WDW. ...both of those are reasons some of us love DL. EVERYONE can have a FP to a couple headliners each day. ADRs can be booked 6 weeks out and you’ll get anything your want as long as it’s not Xmas or Thanksgiving.)

That has not been my experience with three WDW trips using FP+. First, I still think it is absurd how you need to book FP's in advance at WDW. But with the system as it is, one does not have to stay onsite and book FP 60 days in advance - except for the current new and popular rides. Usually there are just 2 (or 3 at most) of those. The 30 day booking point gets you most everything else in my experience.

 

[agamble]

That has not been my experience with three WDW trips using FP+. First, I still think it is absurd how you need to book FP's in advance at WDW. But with the system as it is, one does not have to stay onsite and book FP 60 days in advance - except for the current new and popular rides. Usually there are just 2 (or 3 at most) of those. The 30 day booking point gets you most everything else in my experience.

When we finally take the plunge to take the kids to FL I'll be reaching out to you Hydro. I feel like the sentiment is you can't get good FP if you wait until the 30 day mark. It is good to know that it is really only certain rides. We have a time share and when we do head that way I want to use my points I've already paid for instead of paying for a WDW resort. I've stayed there. Used the busses. I think I might prefer to save the money and get a rental car. LOL! Plus we're a family of 5, so no value resorts for us. I noticed that if you do a split stay you can only book the days you are onsite for 60 days out too. DL is just less complex.

 

[HydroGuy]

When we finally take the plunge to take the kids to FL I'll be reaching out to you Hydro. I feel like the sentiment is you can't get good FP if you wait until the 30 day mark. It is good to know that it is really only certain rides. We have a time share and when we do head that way I want to use my points I've already paid for instead of paying for a WDW resort. I've stayed there. Used the busses. I think I might prefer to save the money and get a rental car. LOL! Plus we're a family of 5, so no value resorts for us. I noticed that if you do a split stay you can only book the days you are onsite for 60 days out too. DL is just less complex.

FWIW, they do have family suites at the value resorts. Not that expensive.

 

[l4dyj8]

DL is very much a locals’ mindset. Whether or not you have an AP. The planning that is needed for WDW stresses me out! Ha

One year, we had FPs for all things Frozen at CA. I felt like we had to keep watching the clock. I was glad when it was all done and we can just go with the flow.

 

[Huff]

I wish they would go back to the old FP system at DLR. Where the two parks were not connected and you could return any time after the FP's time and get another. It was easy to spend the day going on shorter line rides, seeing shows and grabbing FP's to use in the evening. We'd take turns being runner to hop to the other park to grab FP's there. Easily got far more than just 3 FP's in a day. The new system put a stop to much of that. The Max Pass certainly does help but at a cost. It means those with more money wait in less lines and create longer waits for everyone else.

 

[midnight star]

Reading about how much planning is required for WDW is the reason I haven't ventured out there as an adult...it all sounds so stressful lol I'm thankful my parents did all that when I was a kid (granted, I'm sure magic bands and fastpass +, and other complex things weren't around yet).

 

[Malcon10t]

I wish they would go back to the old FP system at DLR. Where the two parks were not connected and you could return any time after the FP's time and get another. It was easy to spend the day going on shorter line rides, seeing shows and grabbing FP's to use in the evening. We'd take turns being runner to hop to the other park to grab FP's there. Easily got far more than just 3 FP's in a day. The new system put a stop to much of that. The Max Pass certainly does help but at a cost. It means those with more money wait in less lines and create longer waits for everyone else.

While the old system was good if you were the one collecting FPs all day, it sure was rough if you were in a standby line after 8pm. I think the times should be honored, and not have all the FPs show up in the last 4 hours of the day. As far as the 2 parks being disconnected, I could see how that was better. But the new way is fair to all. And MaxPass only allows you to select FP from your phone. If you do not want MP, you can still go to the FP machines and pull them that way. It doesn't have to cost if you don't want to pay it. We still get 8-10 FP a day.

 

[Sarahelizabeth]

I’m so interested in reading all these posts about the differences between CA and Florida. I grew up in CA so my parents took us once a year to Disneyland. We never stayed at a hotel or did multiple days as it was a huge splurge for us to go for one day for our family of five.

As an adult now still living in Southern California we don’t have APs because the times we can go are blacked out (for what we could afford as far as APs go) so it makes more sense for our family to pay for the times a year we can go than try to take off work,etc if we had the lower level passes.

I imagine a lot of people living in CA are like us which is why the last minute planning aspect works for Disneyland. I have never been to Florida so it is interesting for me to hear about all the planning that goes into it! My family decides about a month before if we are going or not. I would love to book a trip out to Florida and i imagine i would feel more confident having a lot of it figured out for the money it would cost to go.

 

[HydroGuy]

On the issue of required planning at DLR vs WDW, yes WDW takes more planning. But do not let that stop you!

Folks get so zoned in on their comfort zone. DLR? Yes, last minute, seat-of-the-pants can and usually work great. MP and legacy FP which you can get the same day is nice. Lots of dining options. Etc.

WDW takes more planning. But, there are lots of really good resources for that. Way more than DLR. I mean, for DLR planning, many of us just use this forum here. That is all you need. And just about all there is except for some other online forums.

The WDW forum here on DIS is by far the best on the internet. There are guidebooks (if you like those) and numerous specialty websites to help.

Plus WDW, as a resort, just offers more things to do than DLR. The space they have is awesome. Heck, almost all of DLR (parks/DTD/hotels) could just about fit inside the Epcot or Animal Kingdom parks.

Yes, you need learn some new things about MDE online and app, Magic Bands (which are pretty cool BTW) and FP+ (different than DLR, but it works). Lots of really good DIS threads on how to do FP+.

There is a ton of magic out at WDW in ways you would never think about at DLR because DLR really is not set up to provide it.

 

[wareagle57]

I personally think they should institute the magic bands without the advance FP planning. FP booking is only a very small part of the My Disney Experience technology at WDW. While I have mixed feelings about booking FP at 60 days (mostly negative, but there ARE some advantages. I overall prefer DL's system much more), MAGIC BANDS are awesome. I hate wearing watches and thought I would hate magic bands but they are actually so light you barely notice them. It makes scanning in for FP or opening your hotel room, or paying for things so much easier than having to pull your park ticket out of your pocket every time. I agree DL and WDW are very different, but I see no reason DL couldn't benefit from Magic Bands, even if they were only a paid add-on.

 

[Winnowill]

I would love for DL to have MagicBands. I can do without everything else associated with WDW advance planning, but I did love the MagicBands.

 

[Malcon10t]

I too liked the Magic Bands when I visited WDW. (Hated all the planning.) That said, our phones are also a Magic Band, but you do have to pull them out of the pocket. We use them for entry, FP, paying (Apple Pay), and when off property, we stay where they have digital keys and use our phones for that. Would be nice if my Apple Watch could do a lot of it.