Hello to you all fellow Disney geeks!
I have been reading so many trip reports from wdw vets First visit to dlr and dlr vets going to wdw and now it’s my turn!
I have to say for all the hype I read about how superior wdw is than dlr for the sheer size of the resort couldn’t be more far from the truth!
It’s a beautiful place, there’s not doubt about that... but as far as the parks go only Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom would be worth a revisit, in my opinion...
I am a soouthern California native so of course I have a soft spot for Disneyland and DCA, and even more so now having been to the WORLD!
In a nut shell: the best of Disneyland and DCA are s p r e a d out over four parks.... which made Hollywood studios feel empty... even with toy story land (I can’t imagine how it was before!!!) and I went thinking Epcot would be the highlight.... and was a little let down at how 80’s everything felt...
Im not trying to start any wars over what coast is better or this or that... but I’ll move on to the parks I did like: Animal Kingdom and of course Magic Kingdom.
Magic Kingdom was beautiful as it is a Disneyland replica just a little bigger. It didn’t seem so much bigger than Disneyland other than the hub and the walkways that extend to the lands. I enjoyed seeing the differences and I actually liked space mountain despite all the negative things I’ve heard about it compared to Disneyland’s. Pirates wasn’t nearly as good as the original but also wasn’t as horrible as some say... just much shorter. But I honestly felt that ALL the rides at WDW seemed short! Well maybe not so much at MK but the other parks for sure. And then there’s the castle... it was very nice but I also like the little one in Cali with the Matterhorn looming over it! So storybook-esque!
The happily ever after show was nice but not the best show I’ve seen.
Animal Kingdom’s crown jewel Pandora was amazing as was flight of passage! Didn’t wait the two hours for Navi but then again I wouldn’t never wait more than an hour for ANY ride...
Everest was great but super short and dinosaur was just pretty lame...
Loved the safari and just the feel of being in a jungle with all the greenery and water was just beautiful.
Now the two parks that were sparse and just wasn’t a fan of... why is DHS even there? Quantity vs. quality? Maybe Epcot should have taken the three rides at dhs and just kept three good parks... I know the world showcase seems to be many people’s highlight of the park and it was lovey no doubt... but... just didn’t seem like a Disney park to me...
And the food- awful! I sometimes go to Disneyland for lunch or dinner, what happened at WDW?!? The prices match Disneyland’s but the taste was bland at pretty much every place I ate (Prime time 50’s, crystal palace, I can’t think of any others at the moment) and the thought of having to board another bus boat or monorail to go eat at a hotel or Disney springs was just way too much time consuming.
I do believe you love the parks you first visit most.... so maybe that is all my situation is. But I get that the magic found at Cali parks is not only literally but physically (swamps... lol)watered down by the complex being so big. I did love all the water out there and how it’s all in it’s own forest.
I know there is more to wdw than the parks, I know there are more things do do, but not enough for me to want to go do those things.
I stayed at a value “resort” All star Movies in a refurbished room in the toy story area. I liked the hotel even though it’s really a motel with Disney characters slapped on the walls. The transportation was good but again the size of the place makes it feel like you’re a good 30+ minutes to get from place to place.
I’m not a rope drop person nor a stay till they close but felt that I saw plenty. Fast pass+ has its good and bad to it, but I prefer getting them as I go vs. planning 60 days prior....
It really is a lovely Disney experience... but for this so cal guy next time I go to Florida it will be for the beaches!
I have been reading so many trip reports from wdw vets First visit to dlr and dlr vets going to wdw and now it’s my turn!
I have to say for all the hype I read about how superior wdw is than dlr for the sheer size of the resort couldn’t be more far from the truth!
It’s a beautiful place, there’s not doubt about that... but as far as the parks go only Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom would be worth a revisit, in my opinion...
I am a soouthern California native so of course I have a soft spot for Disneyland and DCA, and even more so now having been to the WORLD!
In a nut shell: the best of Disneyland and DCA are s p r e a d out over four parks.... which made Hollywood studios feel empty... even with toy story land (I can’t imagine how it was before!!!) and I went thinking Epcot would be the highlight.... and was a little let down at how 80’s everything felt...
Im not trying to start any wars over what coast is better or this or that... but I’ll move on to the parks I did like: Animal Kingdom and of course Magic Kingdom.
Magic Kingdom was beautiful as it is a Disneyland replica just a little bigger. It didn’t seem so much bigger than Disneyland other than the hub and the walkways that extend to the lands. I enjoyed seeing the differences and I actually liked space mountain despite all the negative things I’ve heard about it compared to Disneyland’s. Pirates wasn’t nearly as good as the original but also wasn’t as horrible as some say... just much shorter. But I honestly felt that ALL the rides at WDW seemed short! Well maybe not so much at MK but the other parks for sure. And then there’s the castle... it was very nice but I also like the little one in Cali with the Matterhorn looming over it! So storybook-esque!
The happily ever after show was nice but not the best show I’ve seen.
Animal Kingdom’s crown jewel Pandora was amazing as was flight of passage! Didn’t wait the two hours for Navi but then again I wouldn’t never wait more than an hour for ANY ride...
Everest was great but super short and dinosaur was just pretty lame...
Loved the safari and just the feel of being in a jungle with all the greenery and water was just beautiful.
Now the two parks that were sparse and just wasn’t a fan of... why is DHS even there? Quantity vs. quality? Maybe Epcot should have taken the three rides at dhs and just kept three good parks... I know the world showcase seems to be many people’s highlight of the park and it was lovey no doubt... but... just didn’t seem like a Disney park to me...
And the food- awful! I sometimes go to Disneyland for lunch or dinner, what happened at WDW?!? The prices match Disneyland’s but the taste was bland at pretty much every place I ate (Prime time 50’s, crystal palace, I can’t think of any others at the moment) and the thought of having to board another bus boat or monorail to go eat at a hotel or Disney springs was just way too much time consuming.
I do believe you love the parks you first visit most.... so maybe that is all my situation is. But I get that the magic found at Cali parks is not only literally but physically (swamps... lol)watered down by the complex being so big. I did love all the water out there and how it’s all in it’s own forest.
I know there is more to wdw than the parks, I know there are more things do do, but not enough for me to want to go do those things.
I stayed at a value “resort” All star Movies in a refurbished room in the toy story area. I liked the hotel even though it’s really a motel with Disney characters slapped on the walls. The transportation was good but again the size of the place makes it feel like you’re a good 30+ minutes to get from place to place.
I’m not a rope drop person nor a stay till they close but felt that I saw plenty. Fast pass+ has its good and bad to it, but I prefer getting them as I go vs. planning 60 days prior....
It really is a lovely Disney experience... but for this so cal guy next time I go to Florida it will be for the beaches!