Why Is Disneyland California Mostly Ignored By UK & Irish??

[BadPinkTink]

This has been bugging me for a few years now, since I became a regular visitor to Disneyland California. UK and Irish people are mostly unaware of Disneyland California, even though it was the first Disney park. In the last few years any Irish people I have mentioned that I go to Disney all assume I mean Florida. Yes I know that Florida is amazing, I was there in 1992 with my family, but there is alot more to Disney, in fact ALOT more to America in general than International Drive and WDW. UK and Irish just seem to flow like sheep across the Atlantic on their two week package holiday. When I tell Irish people that I go to Disneyland California AND book everything myself AND have been to various cities in 5 different states, they look at me in amazement!!

 

[dolphingirl47]

My biggest love is definitely Disneyland. We go to Walt Disney World as well once in a while, but we used to go to Disneyland every other year from 2000 to 2006, then we took a bit of a break as we discovered our love for cruising, but we have been back every year since 2011 and I can't wait to go for the Halloween and 60th anniversary festivities in September. However, from the UK Disneyland is significantly further and unless you live near London, it means at least one change of plane. That may put a lot of people off.

Corinna

 

[tennisfan]

I would imagine as Corinna stated the distance and travel time is longer, many go to WDW for 2 weeks and spend most of that time in the parks whereas Disneyland there is only the 2 parks. Also there is hardly any advertising for Disneyland, only WDW and Disneyland Paris

 

[chartle]

Live in the US but I would say most of the US population east of the Rockies ignore DLR.

Most of DLR's offshore marketing I'm assuming is for Asia.

 

[finchy3]

We always go to DL, only been once to WDW.
It will always be Southern California over Florida for us.
Shush its a secret

 

[Ware Bears]

I know quite a few people in real life (not just Disney forum friends!) who've been to Disneyland so I don't think it's a case that people are unaware of it.

We chose to go to WDW first because it is less of a journey and once there everything is in easy driving distance and I should imagine that's a major factor with lots of other people ..... and in three trips to WDW we never once set foot on International Drive!

 

[BudgieMama]

We'd love to do DLR but with the distance and travel time, it is nowhere near as practical as visiting WDW.

Like others have mentioned, we don't get it advertised here either. I've never seen an advert for it.

 

[tasha99]

I love DLR, even prefer it. But if I were coming from Europe, I think I'd always choose wdw. It's closer and more resort-like. We spend 5 days at DLR, and the other days of any vacation there, we're doing other things (mostly visiting family). Someone wanting a longer vacation with no local family would have to make more travel plans.

 

[pumpkin7]

Probably because WDW is bigger, quicker to get to, has everything in one place, is easy to get to from a cheaper place to stay (Int Drive)... Disneyland I've heard is more for the locals, which is why they don't like to change stuff too much. However, it's my dream holiday destination. I'd love to go one day.

 

[saintrob]

We've been to WDW over 20 times but went to DLR for the first time last year and absolutely loved it. As others have said WDW offers the whole holiday experience whereas a holiday at DLR means that the rest of Southern California comes into the equation. I think a lot of people prefer the simplicity of a holiday to WDW. I can't wait to go back to DLR.

 

[Bonesdodisney]

We have only done WDW and love it but we are keen to take a trip to DL and see another part of America at the same time, just need to convince DH that he wants to drive out there so we can do more!!!

 

[dolphingirl47]

which is why they don't like to change stuff too much.

That is not true. Over the last few years, more has changed at Disneyland than it has at Walt Disney World. The add two whole new lands added (Buena Vista Street and Cars Land). Some of the rides have received some quite significant make overs. The Paradise Pier area was redone. They had the addition of Fantasy Faire. So things have changed. Later this months, they will get a new evening parade, fireworks and new version of World of Color.

Corinna

 

[Minniesgal]

We regularly do both mostly in the same trip. Dvc members at both. We prefer the resorts at WDw and the parks at DL.

Also DL for us tends to be a different trip as we do loads of other stuff. WDW we just do Orlando.

 

[Queen-Bee]

I can't speak for anyone else from the UK but I like to go for at least 2 weeks and I don't think there would be enough in Disneyland for that amount of time, and to do a split trip I can imagine would be quite expensive.

I would like to go one day though

 

[Squidgyness]

I can't speak for anyone else from the UK but I like to go for at least 2 weeks and I don't think there would be enough in Disneyland for that amount of time, and to do a split trip I can imagine would be quite expensive.

I would like to go one day though

This is true. What with my utter despair at the thought of fast passing rides in advance, I actually briefly thought about making Disneyland my dream trip. But there are just too many problems.

Distance - 2 planes, looooong flights
Transport - I don't drive, my parents wouldn't want to drive, and I wouldn't even if I could.
Filling 2 weeks - much easier to do in Florida.

It's for that reason that I chose universal Orlando as my dream destination to save towards, if they moved Disneyland to Florida, sure I'd give it a go!

 

[steve_rob]

I have to admit that I went to DL before I ever went to WDW and it will always hold that part of my heart as being my first Disney experience - whenever I imagine the layout of a Magic Kingdom in my mind, it's always the DL one that pops in there first, despite having been to WDW and DLP more often since then. Part of the reason why I went was that I was on my way to Australia to visit relatives and wanted a stop-over somewhere on the west coast of the States on the way, but also there was a little bit of trying to do something different from all my friends who'd been to Florida already.

Since then, I've been back three further times, including for our honeymoon, which was my wife's first trip to DL despite her having been to Orlando about 15 times already at that point - basically, it had been her family's summer holiday pretty much every year since the 80's when she was a little kid (the first time she went it was a few months before Epcot opened!). I convinced her that we could still do a Florida holiday, but just in a different location for a change - after all they've got a SeaWorld and a Universal out there as well!

 

[Dimplenose]

UK and Irish just seem to flow like sheep across the Atlantic on their two week package holiday.

They are such different holiday types. Despite (or perhaps because of) doing lots of research into LA based Disney and Universal holidays they really don't appeal to me. I can much more easily get what I want from a Disney holiday at WDW. We've visited WDW 5 times but not because we are sheep but because it offers the holiday we want to have the way we want to have it.

 

[wayneg]

Been to DLR twice, WDW 30 times, no real desire to go back to DLR, yes its the original and its great to visit for any Disney fan but Florida has the whole package for the average European holidaymaker. In 2 months time we are back to Florida again, down to Key West, Everglades, tour around, a week in Orlando then a week Disney cruise. I guess we could do 25 nights around DLR/Cali but we just prefer Florida, 25 nights isn't enough there.

 

[Minniesgal]

Been to DLR twice, WDW 30 times, no real desire to go back to DLR, yes its the original and its great to visit for any Disney fan but Florida has the whole package for the average European holidaymaker. In 2 months time we are back to Florida again, down to Key West, Everglades, tour around, a week in Orlando then a week Disney cruise. I guess we could do 25 nights around DLR/Cali but we just prefer Florida, 25 nights isn't enough there.

Funny how different people are we think the opposite. We would happily do 25 nights in DL in fact we have done. We add on San diego Zoo, Malibu Beach, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, The wine region North of San Francisco, the Big Sur, Las Vegas....

For us Orlando is a park trip whereas DL is a California trip with some Disney.

 

[wayneg]

Funny how different people are we think the opposite. We would happily do 25 nights in DL in fact we have done. We add on San diego Zoo, Malibu Beach, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, The wine region North of San Francisco, the Big Sur, Las Vegas....

For us Orlando is a park trip whereas DL is a California trip with some Disney.

You are right, everyone likes different things. This next trip to Orlando will be no Disney parks, just odd day in SW & one in BG's. Can easily do 25 nts there without parks. Over in Cali, the last trip, we did 4 nts in Vegas then 9nts around DLR/Cali, OK but didn't enjoy the roads as much and didn't find people as welcoming. More city/busy feel rather than relaxed Orlando style hols we prefer.
We will return again one day as we want to explore more without DLR and go further up the coast to San Fran but it will be another shorter(14 nts) trip.
Now for a great welcome feel we have just returned for 15 nights around New Orleans, Memphis, Nashville & Smoky Mountains area, they do know how to make you feel welcome, amazing holiday.