A little about me: 40 year old, married man with 4 kids ages 15, 13, 7, and 5. First trip to Walt Disney World was when I was 7 or 8. I remember my dad telling me about the flying trains (monorails) that would take us to the park. Went back to back years and loved it. But for various reasons, did not go back until I graduated high school. Made the first trip with my new family about 8 years ago. It was a short trip and wasn’t the best experience as we did no planning beforehand. Fast forward to 2 years ago and we finally took a well-planned, week-long trip. And it was amazing. And we’ve been back 3 times since then. I had never been to Disneyland and had always wanted to go to the park that started it all. And we were finally able to make that happen last week. For any of you others that are wondering whether or not to make the trip, wonder no more. Do it. It was awesome. And for anyone that may not have much knowledge of the park on the West Coast, I thought I’d give a brief synopsis of my thoughts upon returning.
Disneyland:
Same attractions:
Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters – Pretty similar but give the edge to DL given that you can take the guns out of holster
Haunted Mansion – Toss up but nostalgia pushes WDW over the edge. There were some differences but not enough IMO to really push one over the other unless you’re a big fan of the Hatbox Ghost or southern plantation homes
It’s a small world – Again, not much different other than some Disney IP in DL and it’s longer. But the façade clearly pushes DL into the winner’s circle. It’s beautiful.
Jungle Cruise – Rode it at night. It’s a push. Can’t think of anything that would push one over the other.
Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh – WDW wins solely due to the “bouncing” when you reach Tigger.
Pirates of the Caribbean – DL is the clear winner here. More drops. Restaurant view. Beginning scene in the Louisiana bayou. It almost makes me turn my nose down at WDW’s Pirates.
Space Mountain – Even without any overlay, DL is clearly superior. Much smoother. My 7 year old said it was his favorite ride and I’ve been hesitant to let him ride the WDW version because it’s so rough.
Splash Mountain – WDW is the clear winner here. I got much wetter on the DL version (not necessarily a good thing), but the ride seemed much shorter with nowhere near the storyline as the WDW version.
Star Tours – Toss up. Not much more to say.
Castle – Probably not fair to compare. DL’s version is quaint, but WDW’s version is the centerpiece, as it should be.
Similar attractions:
Indiana Jones Adventure – I know I will be in the minority here, but I much prefer Dinosaur at WDW. I never really got into the story with Indy like I did with Dinosaur. It seemed like it relied too much on loud noises and sudden swerves. Just wasn’t a big fan.
Original attractions:
Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride – Not as good as I remembered. Blasphemy, I know. I remembered it being a much better ride, but that was probably because I was 8 years old at the time.
Snow White’s Scary Adventure – Good but not great. I would blame it on dark ride fatigue but it was the very first attraction we rode.
Storybook Land Canal Boats – Sorry Pete, but this attraction disappointed me like no other. Maybe it was the 30 min wait. Or maybe it was the hot sun beating down. I had really been looking forward to this attraction, but that was most likely a one-time thing.
Pinocchio’s Daring Journey – See Snow White but as the 2nd attraction of the day.
Matterhorn Bobsleds – This is the attraction you get 9 months after a drunken encounter between Expedition Everest and WDW’s version of Space Mountain. Rough, rough, rough, but the yetis were cool.
Did not ride:
Alice in Wonderland – Ran out of time. It is the one ride I regret not being able to ride.
Astro Orbiter – Did not ride, but love the WDW version and it looks to be much better given that it is at the top of a tower vs on the ground.
Autopia – Not thrilled with the WDW version so didn’t even worry about trying this one.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – Down for refurb
Disneyland Railroad – Another victim of time. Really wanted to try it though.
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage – I didn’t ride it but the rest of the family did. They didn’t have much to say other than how long of a ride it was.
Peter Pan’s Flight – Yet another victim of time. But also a victim of not wanting to wait in that standby line.
And others.
Disney’s California Adventure:
Same attractions:
The Little Mermaid – Ride itself seemed similar but the WDW queue blows DL out of the water, no pun intended.
Soarin’ Around the World – See The Little Mermaid
Toy Story Midway Mania – It’s a push.
Similar attractions:
Grizzly River Run – This attraction is so much better than Kali River Rapids. Wetter, longer, and with more thrills.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout – I was the only one in my group to feel this way, but I still prefer Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. I’m a TZ fan so the theming is top notch. It’s my favorite attraction at WDW. However, GotG was a great attraction and the actual lifts/drops seemed better than the ToT version.
Incredicoaster – May not be fair to compare this to Rock ‘n Roller Coaster, but they both go upside down so I’m gonna be a rebel and do it. Incredicoaster is…well, incredible. Probably my favorite attraction at DL/DCA. And my older kids felt the same way. We rode it multiple times.
Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree – I haven’t been to WDW since Toy Story Land opened but this was a very fun ride. Can’t wait to try out the alien version at HS.
Radiator Springs Racers – The crown jewel of the West Coast resort. And worth every bit of praise. I should be putting this into the original attractions category because it’s not even fair comparing it to Test Track.
Original attractions:
Heimlich’s Chew Chew Train – By far the biggest waste of time during our whole trip. It was at least a 30 minute wait for a terrible, awful, boring attraction. If it’s a walk on and you have small children, it may be worth a try. But otherwise you’d be better off staring directly into the sun for 30 minutes.
Flik’s Flyers – Not much to say. It was a time waster waiting on a FP ride.
Jumpin Jellyfish – See Flik’s Flyers
Pixar Pal-A-Round – Rode both the swinging and non-swinging version. And to be honest, the swinging version was probably the most intense ride there. Recommend them both.
Lagniappe:
Food – Didn’t eat much at DL/DCA. Had a hand dipped corn dog which was really good. Loved being able to get a Dole Whip float at the pool at the DL hotel. Dinner buffet at Goofy’s Kitchen was really good with some unique offerings on top of basic American comfort food. Had breakfast at Storyteller’s Café and we drank our weight in the cereal milk. So good. Would also recommend breakfast at Flo’s V8 Café. I had the chicken tamale breakfast and it was delicious. Overall no bad meals/food, but with there are just so many more options at WDW, and we missed our late night pasta at the cafeteria at AoA.
Shows – We. Did. Not. Watch. A. Single. Show. Yes, that includes the night time shows. Again, time, time, time. Plus, it gives us a reason to go back ;-)
Travel – Being within walking distance of the parks from the hotel was nice. But by day 3, it was also exhausting. And the monorail was broken down more than it was running so that didn’t help matters any.
Pooh-size friendly – I’ve had no issues with any attractions at WDW, though I haven’t tried 7 Dwarfs Mine Train. DL/DCA is no exception. Other than Matterhorn being a very tight squeeze, none of the other attractions were much of an issue.
Fast Pass – I’m a planner. I love planning my FP+ 3 months in advance. However, I have been converted. Disneyland’s version is much better, in my opinion. The only caveat to this is to be in the park early as you cannot make reservations until your ticket has been scanned. If you’re a late starter, you won’t like this version. But we were able to ride every FP attraction using a FP, which is impossible at WDW.
Overall:
While Radiator Springs Racers, Incredicoaster, GotG, and PotC make a good argument to choose DL over WDW, given the choice I’d choose WDW time and time again. More parks, more attractions, more food choices, and cheaper hotels blended in with a little (or maybe a lot) of nostalgia and WDW is the clear winner. Will I try go to back and visit DL again? Of course. And the rest of my family agrees. But fro now, Walt Disney World Resort remains our favorite vacation destination.
Disneyland:
Same attractions:
Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters – Pretty similar but give the edge to DL given that you can take the guns out of holster
Haunted Mansion – Toss up but nostalgia pushes WDW over the edge. There were some differences but not enough IMO to really push one over the other unless you’re a big fan of the Hatbox Ghost or southern plantation homes
It’s a small world – Again, not much different other than some Disney IP in DL and it’s longer. But the façade clearly pushes DL into the winner’s circle. It’s beautiful.
Jungle Cruise – Rode it at night. It’s a push. Can’t think of anything that would push one over the other.
Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh – WDW wins solely due to the “bouncing” when you reach Tigger.
Pirates of the Caribbean – DL is the clear winner here. More drops. Restaurant view. Beginning scene in the Louisiana bayou. It almost makes me turn my nose down at WDW’s Pirates.
Space Mountain – Even without any overlay, DL is clearly superior. Much smoother. My 7 year old said it was his favorite ride and I’ve been hesitant to let him ride the WDW version because it’s so rough.
Splash Mountain – WDW is the clear winner here. I got much wetter on the DL version (not necessarily a good thing), but the ride seemed much shorter with nowhere near the storyline as the WDW version.
Star Tours – Toss up. Not much more to say.
Castle – Probably not fair to compare. DL’s version is quaint, but WDW’s version is the centerpiece, as it should be.
Similar attractions:
Indiana Jones Adventure – I know I will be in the minority here, but I much prefer Dinosaur at WDW. I never really got into the story with Indy like I did with Dinosaur. It seemed like it relied too much on loud noises and sudden swerves. Just wasn’t a big fan.
Original attractions:
Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride – Not as good as I remembered. Blasphemy, I know. I remembered it being a much better ride, but that was probably because I was 8 years old at the time.
Snow White’s Scary Adventure – Good but not great. I would blame it on dark ride fatigue but it was the very first attraction we rode.
Storybook Land Canal Boats – Sorry Pete, but this attraction disappointed me like no other. Maybe it was the 30 min wait. Or maybe it was the hot sun beating down. I had really been looking forward to this attraction, but that was most likely a one-time thing.
Pinocchio’s Daring Journey – See Snow White but as the 2nd attraction of the day.
Matterhorn Bobsleds – This is the attraction you get 9 months after a drunken encounter between Expedition Everest and WDW’s version of Space Mountain. Rough, rough, rough, but the yetis were cool.
Did not ride:
Alice in Wonderland – Ran out of time. It is the one ride I regret not being able to ride.
Astro Orbiter – Did not ride, but love the WDW version and it looks to be much better given that it is at the top of a tower vs on the ground.
Autopia – Not thrilled with the WDW version so didn’t even worry about trying this one.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – Down for refurb
Disneyland Railroad – Another victim of time. Really wanted to try it though.
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage – I didn’t ride it but the rest of the family did. They didn’t have much to say other than how long of a ride it was.
Peter Pan’s Flight – Yet another victim of time. But also a victim of not wanting to wait in that standby line.
And others.
Disney’s California Adventure:
Same attractions:
The Little Mermaid – Ride itself seemed similar but the WDW queue blows DL out of the water, no pun intended.
Soarin’ Around the World – See The Little Mermaid
Toy Story Midway Mania – It’s a push.
Similar attractions:
Grizzly River Run – This attraction is so much better than Kali River Rapids. Wetter, longer, and with more thrills.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout – I was the only one in my group to feel this way, but I still prefer Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. I’m a TZ fan so the theming is top notch. It’s my favorite attraction at WDW. However, GotG was a great attraction and the actual lifts/drops seemed better than the ToT version.
Incredicoaster – May not be fair to compare this to Rock ‘n Roller Coaster, but they both go upside down so I’m gonna be a rebel and do it. Incredicoaster is…well, incredible. Probably my favorite attraction at DL/DCA. And my older kids felt the same way. We rode it multiple times.
Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree – I haven’t been to WDW since Toy Story Land opened but this was a very fun ride. Can’t wait to try out the alien version at HS.
Radiator Springs Racers – The crown jewel of the West Coast resort. And worth every bit of praise. I should be putting this into the original attractions category because it’s not even fair comparing it to Test Track.
Original attractions:
Heimlich’s Chew Chew Train – By far the biggest waste of time during our whole trip. It was at least a 30 minute wait for a terrible, awful, boring attraction. If it’s a walk on and you have small children, it may be worth a try. But otherwise you’d be better off staring directly into the sun for 30 minutes.
Flik’s Flyers – Not much to say. It was a time waster waiting on a FP ride.
Jumpin Jellyfish – See Flik’s Flyers
Pixar Pal-A-Round – Rode both the swinging and non-swinging version. And to be honest, the swinging version was probably the most intense ride there. Recommend them both.
Lagniappe:
Food – Didn’t eat much at DL/DCA. Had a hand dipped corn dog which was really good. Loved being able to get a Dole Whip float at the pool at the DL hotel. Dinner buffet at Goofy’s Kitchen was really good with some unique offerings on top of basic American comfort food. Had breakfast at Storyteller’s Café and we drank our weight in the cereal milk. So good. Would also recommend breakfast at Flo’s V8 Café. I had the chicken tamale breakfast and it was delicious. Overall no bad meals/food, but with there are just so many more options at WDW, and we missed our late night pasta at the cafeteria at AoA.
Shows – We. Did. Not. Watch. A. Single. Show. Yes, that includes the night time shows. Again, time, time, time. Plus, it gives us a reason to go back ;-)
Travel – Being within walking distance of the parks from the hotel was nice. But by day 3, it was also exhausting. And the monorail was broken down more than it was running so that didn’t help matters any.
Pooh-size friendly – I’ve had no issues with any attractions at WDW, though I haven’t tried 7 Dwarfs Mine Train. DL/DCA is no exception. Other than Matterhorn being a very tight squeeze, none of the other attractions were much of an issue.
Fast Pass – I’m a planner. I love planning my FP+ 3 months in advance. However, I have been converted. Disneyland’s version is much better, in my opinion. The only caveat to this is to be in the park early as you cannot make reservations until your ticket has been scanned. If you’re a late starter, you won’t like this version. But we were able to ride every FP attraction using a FP, which is impossible at WDW.
Overall:
While Radiator Springs Racers, Incredicoaster, GotG, and PotC make a good argument to choose DL over WDW, given the choice I’d choose WDW time and time again. More parks, more attractions, more food choices, and cheaper hotels blended in with a little (or maybe a lot) of nostalgia and WDW is the clear winner. Will I try go to back and visit DL again? Of course. And the rest of my family agrees. But fro now, Walt Disney World Resort remains our favorite vacation destination.
