Disneyland vs. Disneyworld

[prune1977]

No idea if this the right place to post this but here goes. We've been to DisneyWorld the last 3 years, stayed on site,had dining plan, park tix etc. Well we're debating on going to Disneyland in Sept. Few things holding me back, don't really want to drive. No clue how the meals work there etc. Anyhow which do you all recommend and how long would it take to do both parks at DL 3? Our kids are 8, 6, and 3. Thanks for any help

 

[blackjackdelta]

Most folks here do not use the dining plan, not even close to WDW. How far do you live from Anaheim? 4 days would be nice, 5 even better unless you do not wish to see all at both parks. More info would be helpful.

Jack

 

[LuckyRabbit]

I went to Disneyland this past October after doing WDW back in May. If by not driving you mean not driving during the trip, I think Disneyland is the perfect choice as the two parks, the three resort hotels, and Downtown Disney are all next to each other. I did not bother to rent a car for Disneyland, and never missed it. If you can afford it you could stay at one of the thee Disney hotels, but they are all equivalent to deluxe resorts by WDW standards. I stayed at the Tropicana Inn across from the pedestrian entrance, so just a few minutes to the "gate". Many local hotels say they are all across the street from Disneyland, but most of those are not across from the entrance. Also, it doesn't really mean anything when a hotel says they are a Disney Good Neighbor hotel. Only the Disney Resort Hotels get the equlivant to WDW's "extra magic hours" (one hour early to one of the two parks on alternating days), however you can stay off property and get a single early entry to Disneyland by buying a three or more day pass.

For a map showing the layout of the resort and location of the non-disney hotels google: printfreemaps disneyland

I recommend at least the 4 day ticket. I got a 4 day ticket, and I was there during a fairly slow period, meaning that Wednesday and Thursday were hardly any lines in the AM, increasingly more crowded in the evenings, then Friday and Saturday were significantly more crowded. It was good to have the two light days in front, then it was less frustrating when the lines got heavier as the days went on.

There isn't a dining package/plan at Disneyland like WDW. I guess you can pre-purchase meals, but it isn't about credits. Conversely, it is super easy to get tables at the last minute. I did not eat off property, but it would be easier to do since there are places right outside the gate.

With the two parks so close, the overall smaller scale of Disneyland and never having to catch a bus for parkhopping, the whole vacation was more relaxing at Disneyland vs. WDW. World of Color was an amazing show, and Carsland was stunning. Getting a fast pass is a lot of work, so I did that once with my 9 year old, but the other two times we took the single rider line with only a 15 - 20 minute wait (great option if you are comfortable with a brief split up). Have a blast!!!

 

[prune1977]

Most folks here do not use the dining plan, not even close to WDW. How far do you live from Anaheim? 4 days would be nice, 5 even better unless you do not wish to see all at both parks. More info would be helpful.

Jack

We would be flying in from MO probably doing a 7 night stay in the Cali. area. Didn't know how long it would take to do the stuff there with 3 little ones and also didn't know how character meals worked there at all. I meant not driving period from airport to resort, etc. LOL. We might like to see other parks while there like SeaWorld or knots berry, not sure.

 

[mmmears]

We would be flying in from MO probably doing a 7 night stay in the Cali. area. Didn't know how long it would take to do the stuff there with 3 little ones and also didn't know how character meals worked there at all. I meant not driving period from airport to resort, etc. LOL. We might like to see other parks while there like SeaWorld or knots berry, not sure.

You can book transportation from the airports to DLR. Once there you will not need a car at all (at all the on-property hotels and many of the off-property ones as well). You will need to either get a car or book a tour if you want to get to Sea World, KBF, or any other LA attractions.

DL is so much smaller than WDW that you can walk from the 3 Disney hotels to DTD, DCA or DL with no problems (and like I said from other hotels as well). The 2 parks are right across from each other (in WDW terms, when you leave DL, DCA park is as close or closer than the buses and the monorail are when you leave the MK).

Dining is much less stressful at DL -- no need to book it 6 mos in advance. There are several character meals to choose from, as well as other options. And since DTD is right there, it's easy to grab a bite there, too (as opposed to at WDW where it takes us a long time just to get to DTD).

We love both DL and WDW -- but there is definitely less walking to do at DL. Hope this helps!

 

[prune1977]

You can book transportation from the airports to DLR. Once there you will not need a car at all (at all the on-property hotels and many of the off-property ones as well). You will need to either get a car or book a tour if you want to get to Sea World, KBF, or any other LA attractions.

DL is so much smaller than WDW that you can walk from the 3 Disney hotels to DTD, DCA or DL with no problems (and like I said from other hotels as well). The 2 parks are right across from each other (in WDW terms, when you leave DL, DCA park is as close or closer than the buses and the monorail are when you leave the MK).

Dining is much less stressful at DL -- no need to book it 6 mos in advance. There are several character meals to choose from, as well as other options. And since DTD is right there, it's easy to grab a bite there, too (as opposed to at WDW where it takes us a long time just to get to DTD).

We love both DL and WDW -- but there is definitely less walking to do at DL. Hope this helps!

Thanks that does help some, so is there a meal plan deal? I see a few but don't quite understand them or are they even worth buying. We save a ton of $$ by doing dining plan at DW.
Thanks

 

[CaptainEIEIO]

We would be flying in from MO probably doing a 7 night stay in the Cali. area. Didn't know how long it would take to do the stuff there with 3 little ones and also didn't know how character meals worked there at all. I meant not driving period from airport to resort, etc. LOL. We might like to see other parks while there like SeaWorld or knots berry, not sure.

Sounds like you need to check into the Southern California Citypass if your interested in doing more parks. It gets you one day at Sea World, one day at Universal Studios, and 3 days with park hopper to Disneyland/California adventure. You can even add on the San Diego Zoo for an extra charge. Its a great money saver that we have used 3 times now. What we do is we get our hotel in the Disneyland area and get a rental car and go from our base hotel to whereever the planed spot for the day is and we always make Disneyland last.

Heres the link;

http://www.citypass.com/southern-california

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

You might want to look at this regularly updated thread: A DLR Guide for WDW Vets

 

[JackTwo]

Thanks that does help some, so is there a meal plan deal? I see a few but don't quite understand them or are they even worth buying. We save a ton of $$ by doing dining plan at DW.
Thanks

You don't really need a dining plan at Disneyland. Unlike WDW, you aren't really "trapped" on Disney property as far as eating options are concerned. You can easily leave Disneyland or California Adventure for lunch (or dinner) and grab a meal on-site (at Downtown Disney or one of the Disney hotels) or off-site (numerous restaurants on the streets just outside the Disneyland Resort).

 

[JLBoyer]

Both are great!

 

[lucysmom]

There was no dining plan like at WDW when we went in December. They do have something they call a plan, but it is akin to buying Disney Dollars to pay for your meals and not getting any change back. Just plan on paying out of pocket for food.

 

[mmmears]

Thanks that does help some, so is there a meal plan deal? I see a few but don't quite understand them or are they even worth buying. We save a ton of $$ by doing dining plan at DW.
Thanks

I don't get the DDP at WDW because my DD and I tend to share items and it's not a good plan for us, but from what I can tell from these boards, even DDP people do NOT think it's a good deal at all at DL.

You can find all the menus on wdwinfo and allears -- that may help you figure out pricing and places that look good to you. There is less choice in the parks than at WDW, but since you can walk to the hotels or to DTD there really is a lot of choice in the end.

 

[Baliezer]

We would be flying in from MO probably doing a 7 night stay in the Cali. area. Didn't know how long it would take to do the stuff there with 3 little ones and also didn't know how character meals worked there at all. I meant not driving period from airport to resort, etc. LOL. We might like to see other parks while there like SeaWorld or knots berry, not sure.

With children ages 8,6 and 3, I would skip Knotts Berry Farm. Most of the rides there are now thrill rides which would be too scary for children that age. Sea World or the San Diego Zoo would be perfect.

 

[HydroGuy]

No idea if this the right place to post this but here goes. We've been to DisneyWorld the last 3 years, stayed on site,had dining plan, park tix etc. Well we're debating on going to Disneyland in Sept. Few things holding me back, don't really want to drive. No clue how the meals work there etc. Anyhow which do you all recommend and how long would it take to do both parks at DL 3? Our kids are 8, 6, and 3. Thanks for any help

This might help on dining issues:

"What WDW Vets Need to Know About Dining at DLR" http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2914467

Also, September has drawbacks at DLR. Make sure you understand them. See

"What You Should Know About Off-Season at DLR" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=18462889