Disneyland vs. WDW

[Cjtigger]

We are annual pass holders for WDW and are avid fans. I think I have talked hubby into going to Disneyland. Can you give me the pros and cons to each?

Any advice on Disneyland is helpful. We will be newbies.

TIA.....

 

[mesaboy2]

https://www.disboards.com/threads/a-dlr-guide-for-wdw-vets.1162599/

 

[lolomarie]

Things that are better about DLR or that I absolutely love:
-Radiator Springs (the whole area, but especially the ride)
-Pirates of the Caribbean
-Space mountain
-Mr toads wild ride
-world of colour
-walking to your hotel (even if offsite)
-meeting marvel characters
-being in Walt's park

Now I love WDW, but DLR is so special and definitely worth a visit.

 

[Karin1984]

It is always worth to visit another Disney park, each has its own charm and (hidden) gems. Why restrict yourself to WDW alone?

The feeling of Walt and how it all began is real in DL. Especially if you do a tour like Walk in Walt's Footsteps. There are rides you do not have anywhere else, different shows, different parades.

Are there downsides? Yes, the park was built for the crowds of 1950s, and it can feel crowded quickly.
No where in the world are the CMs so over the top happy and ecstatic as in WDW. If that aspect is important to you, prepare yourself for a little less.

Pros, less planning, more relaxed and Maxpass.

 

[Gehrig1B]

No need to stay on property at DLR. There are nice hotels across the street and within walking distance. We always stay at a Disney Resort at WDW but never find the need at DLR. Usually can get the Hilton Anaheim for about $110/night.

We find the CMs at Disneyland more accommodating, especially the "mature" ones.

Love some of the classic rides like Matterhorn Bobsleds and Nemo Submarine Voyage.

Learn to use Max Pass and park hopping is easy.

Downtown Disney disappoints so don't think Disney Springs...

Walkways, paths, etc. are narrower giving a more intimate feel but also can feel more crowded.

 

[tasha99]

We love both parks. I find WDW to be more of a long term destination (a week+) with DL a few days, mixed with some family visits. I prefer the more relaxed planning at DL.

Though you can stay close by in a hotel on Harbor Blvd (and we have), I disagree that there's no need to stay onsite. I think staying at Grand Californian makes a huge difference in the feel of our visits.

 

[TeamSy]

We visit Disney World yearly. In a few weeks were headed back to Disneyland for the second time. We live on the east coast, so visiting Disney World is by far easier. But Disneyland is awesome. I'm not sure that I'd admit I like Disneyland better, but....
- I like being able to WALK to the parks... offsite/onsite. Doesn't matter.
- I like how chill it is. From dining reservations to fast passes, it's BY FAR easier all around.
- While yes, less parks, I feel like there's more IN each park, if that makes sense.
- Blu Bayou. Disney World has super unique dining options, but the atmosphere here stands out for us. So awesome.
- Classic Rides - Pinnochio, Alice In Wonderland, Mr. Toads, Snow White Scary Adventure, that storybook boat ride. So classic.
- Indiana Jones ride.
- Matterhorn. SO amazing!
- Pirates of the Caribbean is far better.
- It seems a bit more magical. I dunno... when you go to character meals at Disney World you know who's there. Here, it's sort of a like a surprise and you never know how many you'll meet.

 

[Frozen2014]

I've been to both once..
Disneyland....
- love that you can walk from one park to another and all rides in one spot
- MaxPass
- Carsland! esp RSR
- Indiana Jones
- Pirates
- World of Color
- characters walking in park

Disney World
- love staying onsite and being in the bubble, theming
- better shows outside of WOC, multiple fireworks (Illuminations at Epcot, Magic Kingdom + light show), Fantasmic and with seats!
- food is better, character meals...more options
- castle, BBB for little girls
- love how you can go for a week and still need more
- Splash Mountain (need to take my son's word for it)

Both are magical and both amazing....I don't even know which I like better.
Hoping to go to Disney again in the future and it will probably be WDW as it's closer to us

 

[chickapin parterre]

They have a palm tree in Adventureland, it weighs 15 tons and is 122 years old, a Canary Palm tree, the only thing left of the Orange grove when bulldozers started tearing out orange trees.

From that tree, you can see tarzan's treehouse. It weighs 17 tons and stands 70 feet tall. It is the only foundation left of the 1960 film Swiss Family Robinson in California. Evidently Californians are Phil Colins fans.

From that concrete tree you can see a treehouse on an Island that has a long title...Pirates liar on Tom Swayer Island.....can't find the treehouse on the explorers map....after all....what do pirates need a treehouse for and Tom and Huck were always on the run and had all the caves to hide and make mischief. But it is an important vantage point. From there you can see a tree not made of concrete or bulldozer shovel or steel....but rock.

In the hub of Frontierland is a petriefed tree, from Arizonia, that is the root and a fairly large trunk. So if you have neve been to Arizona, now would be the time to get a selfie with that huge hunk of real rock.

Make sure that in the background you have Rainbow Ridge, the last standing grove of trees from an attraction that was full of trees and 200 anitromic animals. A jungle boat cruise by train. The photo will also remind you to ignore your electornics as you are in line for BTMRR, above your head will be remenats of an old town....but hey that is okay....you are probaly very young and did not have Dallas Mckennon to tell you that everything was right in the world.

And not everything is right at Walt Disney World, whoops, I mean Disneyland. On the north side of BTMRR there use to be a resturant , shade and great place for families to relax under a tall stand of trees....but because they are building another world at Disneyland, those trees are no longer aviable.

Also not avaibale in July of 1955 were trees for Storybook land canal boat ride.....that is because it was called Canal Boats of the World and no one really knew what that was all about, took about a year for them to figue out the attraction and the planting of a bonsai tree by Walt Disney. Canal boats of the World was moved over to Small World and can be seen when exiting Small World while waiting to unload in the sun...I always thought it was laziness, no one cares, budget problems, etc on why those muddy berms where never planted....now I know why....it is a tribute to Canal Boats of the Muddy world.

Wow, that is just some of the trees of Disneyland. It takes a Little man to write of such history and grandeur...but a big man to say....there are no cons of visiting Disneyland.

 

[Drew Perri]

No need to stay on property at DLR. There are nice hotels across the street and within walking distance. We always stay at a Disney Resort at WDW but never find the need at DLR. Usually can get the Hilton Anaheim for about $110/night.

We find the CMs at Disneyland more accommodating, especially the "mature" ones.

Love some of the classic rides like Matterhorn Bobsleds and Nemo Submarine Voyage.

Learn to use Max Pass and park hopping is easy.

Downtown Disney disappoints so don't think Disney Springs...

Walkways, paths, etc. are narrower giving a more intimate feel but also can feel more crowded.

do you get special rates at the hilton anaheim?

 

[Gehrig1B]

do you get special rates at the hilton anaheim?

I use the Hilton Honors MVP code readily available to any member... just use a Google search.

 

[Little E]

We are WDW vets, who have been heavily considering purchasing DVC there. We always stay on property at WDW. However, DL has been on my bucket list, and we just got back from our quick trip. We were there from August 13-17, we stayed at the DLH, and we had an amazing time! I would highly recommend going. Our family had a terrific time enjoying both the similarities and differences between the two parks.

We loved riding the things that are the same in both parks and comparing the subtle and not-so-subtle things between the two sets of rides. We also loved checking out all the rides that DL has that WDW does not. It was AWESOME to be able to walk between the two parks and walk back to the hotel off and on throughout the day. Easy peasy! We didn't have to build in travel time for park hopping or going back to the hotel, which left more time to enjoy the parks. MaxPass is phenomenal...I really wish WDW would scrap FP+ and bring in MaxPass. We felt we were able to ride so many more things (so many more times) and wait in reasonable lines (in AUGUST!) with this. Totally worth the investment!

We felt all the feels that we feel at WDW walking down Main Street and being in the Disney bubble. While I don't have a California off property hotel experience to compare it to, if it's in your budget, I would recommend staying on property. The DLH was terrific! Beds were comfy, our view of the DTD and the fireworks was incredible, the room was large, and the bathroom was set up well for a family with two teenagers. It felt every bit like a deluxe property at WDW. We'd love to go back sometime and experience the Grand Californian someday, too.

It was really fun to see characters walking around the parks! It never got old...we saw Maleficent several times, Mary Poppins and Burt, and Red from Pirates of the Caribbean (I got to chat with her...she was so much fun!). That NEVER happens at WDW! We loved the summer weather too. We went to WDW last year in June, and it was so hot and humid and it rained a few times while we were there. Riding wet rides made hot ponchos a necessity. Not at DL! Yes, it was blazing hot, but we never used ponchos once. No rain, and we were dry from wet rides in a matter of minutes every time!

A few things we missed included the Disney meal plan. We have always used the regular meal plan at WDW, and with no meal plan option it was an adjustment to pay out of pocket for everything at DL. We realized we really like the all-inclusive feel that the meal plans give us at WDW. We also missed magic bands. Because we stayed on property, we were able to charge most things back to our room and then pay the balance off each day with gift cards. So, it wasn't a big deal, but it was something even our boys noticed and mentioned. Those magic bands make everything easier at WDW.

We noticed differences in CMs between the two parks. WDW CMs are more in your face (in being pleasant and greeting you everywhere you go, which I like and in being bossy by telling you to move forward and fill in gaps in queues, etc. which I don't always like) and more plentiful EVERYWHERE. CMs at DL are more laid back. We never had a bad experience with a CM at DL, but there just weren't as many around and they were just more "chill" and didn't seem to tell you what to do as much, which was nice. A down side at DL is that there were virtually no photographers to snap pictures (even on Main Street!) and when we had a question, we had to work a little to find a CM. Once we did, everyone was nice. So, CMs were not better, not worse, just different between the two parks. And, we have a lot of awkward family selfies from this trip.

We found the food to be virtually the same in both parks. We had some great meals and some meh meals at DL; that's also our experience at WDW every time we go. For TS experiences, we had a terrific meal at Steakhouse 55, we had a great experience at the Blue Bayou, but the food was "meh". We also ate at Naples Ristorante in DTD and it was good but not great. Some quick service meals were really good, and some were meh. YMMV.

So, the short answer is definitely GO to DL and if it's in your budget, stay on property! You'll have an amazing time! If we are in California in the future, we would definitely go back to DL. It was really special to be in Walt's park.

 

[baozi]

Less hot days, and definitely not humid.

 

[BWCSH]

1. DLR is going to feel tight to you...things are located much more closely together. The good: Your feet won't be bloody stumps at the end of week in the parks. The bad: If you're there on a high attendance day, the ropes come out, lines get looong, even to the point of making it hard to move from attraction to attraction.
2. DLR is much more impacted by the locals. Last time we went, the park closed early twice for local events. This wasn't publicized until you got to the park...so your plans need to be more flexible than they are at WDW.
3. The restaurant choices are more limited.
4. Some folks swear that Fantasmic is better...but, if you don't want to spend hours sitting on the grass or pay to have a seat, the seating is a PITA. Years and years ago a Cast Member suggested that we sit at the tables outside the Golden Horseshoe. That worked for us. Mind you, that was 2005. Last time we visited (2009), they never did get Fantasmic up and running. We also didn't get to see fireworks that trip. Check what their website says for the time you are visiting, but my experience is that you just can't count on the things that are always reliable at WDW.

All that said, for cost (last time we went we did a special HoJo's was offering, and with 4 days in the parks, hotel, airfare, and car rental, the cost was $1500) and family-friendliness, it has been our choice...my family members have been there 3 times, with another trip this fall...and we've only been to WDW 2x.

 

[Shanti]

We like them both, but WDW is our favorite. Here are our pros for each:

Pros of WDW:

• More parks, with diverse theming
• More & better dining options
• More, better & more reasonably priced resorts (not that WDW resort prices are really reasonable, but the DLR prices rarely offer substantial discounts, unlike WDW resorts)
• Has two great waterparks
• Has themed miniature golf, real golf, boating activities on the lakes, horseback riding, wagon rides, cycling & archery at Fort Wilderness
• Carriage rides at some resorts
• Flight of Passage
• Better service in my experience

Pros of DLR:

• Greater density of rides
• Classic Disney kitsch is everywhere
• Less rain
• Radiator Springs Racers

 

[NannyBeBe]

Disneyland is Disneyland and Walt Disney World is Walt Disney World. Why compare? If a person goes to one park, constantly comparing it to the other, then he cannot enjoy the park he is in.

 

[MagicalMicycles]

They have a palm tree in Adventureland, it weighs 15 tons and is 122 years old, a Canary Palm tree, the only thing left of the Orange grove when bulldozers started tearing out orange trees.

From that tree, you can see tarzan's treehouse. It weighs 17 tons and stands 70 feet tall. It is the only foundation left of the 1960 film Swiss Family Robinson in California. Evidently Californians are Phil Colins fans.

From that concrete tree you can see a treehouse on an Island that has a long title...Pirates liar on Tom Swayer Island.....can't find the treehouse on the explorers map....after all....what do pirates need a treehouse for and Tom and Huck were always on the run and had all the caves to hide and make mischief. But it is an important vantage point. From there you can see a tree not made of concrete or bulldozer shovel or steel....but rock.

In the hub of Frontierland is a petriefed tree, from Arizonia, that is the root and a fairly large trunk. So if you have neve been to Arizona, now would be the time to get a selfie with that huge hunk of real rock.

Make sure that in the background you have Rainbow Ridge, the last standing grove of trees from an attraction that was full of trees and 200 anitromic animals. A jungle boat cruise by train. The photo will also remind you to ignore your electornics as you are in line for BTMRR, above your head will be remenats of an old town....but hey that is okay....you are probaly very young and did not have Dallas Mckennon to tell you that everything was right in the world.

And not everything is right at Walt Disney World, whoops, I mean Disneyland. On the north side of BTMRR there use to be a resturant , shade and great place for families to relax under a tall stand of trees....but because they are building another world at Disneyland, those trees are no longer aviable.

Also not avaibale in July of 1955 were trees for Storybook land canal boat ride.....that is because it was called Canal Boats of the World and no one really knew what that was all about, took about a year for them to figue out the attraction and the planting of a bonsai tree by Walt Disney. Canal boats of the World was moved over to Small World and can be seen when exiting Small World while waiting to unload in the sun...I always thought it was laziness, no one cares, budget problems, etc on why those muddy berms where never planted....now I know why....it is a tribute to Canal Boats of the Muddy world.

Wow, that is just some of the trees of Disneyland. It takes a Little man to write of such history and grandeur...but a big man to say....there are no cons of visiting Disneyland.

I'm a Californian and I absolutely CAN NOT STAND Phil Collins.

 

[longboard55]

we are season APs at DL and go to WDW about once a year. One of the big differences is WDW gets an early crowd and DL gets a late crowd. Do the rope drop at DL and you can ride all the good rides before noon. After noon its a madhouse, good time to go the pool