Disneyland has won my business for the future!!

Pacolovestacos

DIS Veteran
Joined
Apr 15, 2016
I want to start by saying this not meant to be a thread where I throw shade on WDW. I have a lot of fond memories there as my family would take annual trips since the early 90s. Incredible experiences, pictures, and I still will visit in the future. That being said, I just experienced DL and DCA for the first time and it's the clear winner for me. The downside is that it's a much longer flight from Chicago but I can live with that.

DL and DCA remind me of what WDW use to be like (i.e. unique food options, FP-, manageable crowds). I also love how each park has so many attractions within very close walking distance.

I was able to get a hotel on Harbor for $100 a night and am able to walk to and from the parks each day. Would cost WAY WAY MORE to do that at WDW and it would only be Magic or Epcot areas.

DL will be receiving most of my visits from now on.
 
Also from Chicago!

I like Disneyland also, but I need to be visiting other parts of California to go there. I would never make a trip to the West Coast just to visit Disneyland, but rather take a day or two out of trip.
Where as WDW - the entire point of us going to Florida is go to WDW, nothing else. :)

Walt Disney World is a destination.
Disneyland is a (great) side trip! (for us)
 
When did you go and where did you stay?

I've gone off season and high season weekends. Will never do the latter again. $100 would be amazing for a hotel in the summer and I'm wondering if it's a place I have not discovered yet.

But anyway...I agree with everything with the caveat that you must have not been in DL on a high crowd day. That park is a lot worse than anything at WDW with similar crowd score. Barely room to breathe let alone walk.:crazy2:
 
I stayed at Embassy Suites, about a 25 min walk from the gate. I'm still at DL right now. I checked in Sunday night and will leave tomorrow night late.
 


I've always said that Disneyland is the best single Disney park in the U.S. We really had fun there and I'd love to see the improved CA. California is also very nice. The trouble is that it's pricey for us and I've been told that the Universal there isn't as nice. Since Universal is a priority for us that also complicates things.
 
Cool! It's nice when people find ther vacation "home."

I stayed at the Hilton Anaheim for a business trip and extended two days to see the parks. To me, they were fine, certainly not spectacular and I'm happy to keep giving WDW (and Vegas!) most of my vacation dollars.
 
Embassy suites goes up to $150 on weekdays in July. Bummer. Knew it was too good to be true! Unless you did Priceline or some other site?

I stayed at Embassy Suites, about a 25 min walk from the gate. I'm still at DL right now. I checked in Sunday night and will leave tomorrow night late.

I do prefer the California parks more- I definitely think they're more charming. The Wdw draw for me is fort wilderness and things like the waterparks. And maybe illuminations- I think the DCA show is kind of lame.


But I'll take LA over Orlando any day, so there's that. Did the closures of the rivers of America bother you?
 


Didn't bother me at all as I didn't even know it existed, lol.

I got Hilton to match a better price on another website. Wasn't Priceline though.
 
I've always said that Disneyland is the best single Disney park in the U.S. We really had fun there and I'd love to see the improved CA. California is also very nice. The trouble is that it's pricey for us and I've been told that the Universal there isn't as nice. Since Universal is a priority for us that also complicates things.

I visited Universal Hollywood and it was alright. Nothing special, IMO.
 
Also from Chicago!

I like Disneyland also, but I need to be visiting other parts of California to go there. I would never make a trip to the West Coast just to visit Disneyland, but rather take a day or two out of trip.
Where as WDW - the entire point of us going to Florida is go to WDW, nothing else. :)

Walt Disney World is a destination.
Disneyland is a (great) side trip! (for us)

LOL, a good thing since there is way more to do in California and the neighboring region than Florida. Sorry, I have little use for Florida outside WDW. I have some family in Ft Myers, and drove there once with my wife (originally from AZ) and another time with my niece (from SoCal). Their comments? All of Florida looks the same.

With California and nearby Arizona and Nevada, you can make a one month out of it. I totally agree DLR will be side trip in this context, but heck, that can be quite a trip!

:wizard:
 
I want to start by saying this not meant to be a thread where I throw shade on WDW. I have a lot of fond memories there as my family would take annual trips since the early 90s. Incredible experiences, pictures, and I still will visit in the future. That being said, I just experienced DL and DCA for the first time and it's the clear winner for me. The downside is that it's a much longer flight from Chicago but I can live with that.

DL and DCA remind me of what WDW use to be like (i.e. unique food options, FP-, manageable crowds). I also love how each park has so many attractions within very close walking distance.

I was able to get a hotel on Harbor for $100 a night and am able to walk to and from the parks each day. Would cost WAY WAY MORE to do that at WDW and it would only be Magic or Epcot areas.

DL will be receiving most of my visits from now on.
Nice review. Glad you enjoyed and are still enjoying your visit!

:wizard:
 
LOL, a good thing since there is way more to do in California and the neighboring region than Florida. Sorry, I have little use for Florida outside WDW. I have some family in Ft Myers, and drove there once with my wife (originally from AZ) and another time with my niece (from SoCal). Their comments? All of Florida looks the same.

With California and nearby Arizona and Nevada, you can make a one month out of it. I totally agree DLR will be side trip in this context, but heck, that can be quite a trip!

:wizard:

Yes, I would love to drive up the coast, starting at the Baja Peninsula and ending in San Francisco. Stopping at Disneyland and DCL (wasn't open last time I went - not built). :)

But I would go to Miami and the Florida Keys for a trip in and of itself.
 
I want to start by saying this not meant to be a thread where I throw shade on WDW. I have a lot of fond memories there as my family would take annual trips since the early 90s. Incredible experiences, pictures, and I still will visit in the future. That being said, I just experienced DL and DCA for the first time and it's the clear winner for me. The downside is that it's a much longer flight from Chicago but I can live with that.

DL and DCA remind me of what WDW use to be like (i.e. unique food options, FP-, manageable crowds). I also love how each park has so many attractions within very close walking distance.

I was able to get a hotel on Harbor for $100 a night and am able to walk to and from the parks each day. Would cost WAY WAY MORE to do that at WDW and it would only be Magic or Epcot areas.

DL will be receiving most of my visits from now on.

Welcome to the west coast! We're on the east coast, so I totally here you about the longer flight. But, like you, we've found DLR to be our preferred location in recent years. It's worth the flight!
 
One or two days at DLR and you miss a lot of the details, enjoyment, and charm. Yes, there are bottlenecks but other areas aren't as crowded and the stand-by lines are usually not nearly as long!!!!!
 
One or two days at DLR and you miss a lot of the details, enjoyment, and charm. Yes, there are bottlenecks but other areas aren't as crowded and the stand-by lines are usually not nearly as long!!!!!

ITA. We stayed at DLR for a week this year - 5 full days in the parks. We didn't go anywhere other than Disney this year, and we didn't need to. We never felt it was too much or that we were repeating things too much or anything like that. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
 
I visited Universal Hollywood and it was alright. Nothing special, IMO.

That's what others say too. It sounds like it would be good to skip...

It's worth noting that USH is a working studio, not primarily a theme park, so it functions differently than the other Univeral theme parks around the world. The theme park definitely takes a back seat to the studio/business part of USH, and I know that can surprise people who only know the other Universal parks.
 
Excited to hear! It's been 19 years since we were there! Going in August, able to use cash and points at Doubletree bringing a 3 night stay under $300 for five of us. We head on to Yosemite, so hoping for a great vacation!!
 
Excited to hear! It's been 19 years since we were there! Going in August, able to use cash and points at Doubletree bringing a 3 night stay under $300 for five of us. We head on to Yosemite, so hoping for a great vacation!!

We did a big trip as well. Hiking in Arizona, Vegas. Will head to San Fran and Yosemite after.
 

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