Disneyworld v Disneyland

[butch61]

Hi
i am thinking of going to Disneyland California in the distant future
what do you guys think the main diferences between WDL and WDW
all the pluses and minuses! im from the U.K. is it going to be worth the long journey? me and my wife are big fans of Disney we are going on our third trip in June to WDW we have got a 12 year old daughter who has Downs Syndrome and is Autistic, having her makes the Disney experience extra special to us.:mickey:

[Soccergirl426]

Originally Posted by butch61

Hi
i am thinking of going to Disneyland California in the distant future
what do you guys think the main diferences between WDL and WDW
all the pluses and minuses! im from the U.K. is it going to be worth the long journey? me and my wife are big fans of Disney we are going on our third trip in June to WDW we have got a 12 year old daughter who has Downs Syndrome and is Autistic, having her makes the Disney experience extra special to us.:mickey:

First of all, to the boards, butch61!
Well here's the big plus for Disneyland-its the original, and it still has a lot of those original rides!
And for Disney's California Adventure, about all of its rides (except Soarin' and MuppetsVision 3-D, and a few more) are unique to that park, but it focuses more to California if you are looking for the "real" Disney vacation.
Minuses-WDW has more to do and more choices, more parks, etc. And WDW also is not surronded by hotels and stores and resturants, as DL and DCA is.
If you don't know if you want to go to California or Florida, just plan on how many days you have, what you REALLY want to see, etc.
If you plan on being in town for more than 4 days, either park is fine-but remember, the whole DL area takes about 3 days tops to do everything.
The best thing to do is ask family and friends their opinions, look through these boards (Go to "Theme Parks" or "Disneyland" forums for more of both parks) and just PLAN.
and Disney will also try to make your daughter's experince great, too.

Have fun!

[butch61]

hey thanks soccergal thats given me something to think about!

[Conceited Ape]

Welcome aboard, mate.

Soccergirl pretty much said it all. You really can't compare the two. Disneyland just doesn't hold a candle to WDW (personal opinion of course, but no one can deny which of the two has more to see and do).

[butch61]

Thanks Ape its nice to be onboard with such great people

what an amazing site this is

[Shere_Khan]

I would choose WDW anyday.
But it seems you have already been to WDW, if you are making the trip, you should try something you've never done before. Go to DL!

[disneydame2004]

to DWT, butch61!

Walt Disney World certainly has the advantage of size - 4 parks, 2 water parks, and all the extras on property. But with that you also have a lot of time spent each trip traveling from point A to point B. Disneyland resort is compact - stay at the Disneyland hotel, walk the equivalent of a few blocks through Downtown Disney, and you're at the esplanade with the entrance to the Magic Kingdom on your left and California Adventure to your right. That floored me when I was there!

Disneyland CA has the longer version of Pirates, The original Haunted Mansion, still has Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, and Fantasmic! is a different and cool show on the Rivers of America. It may be smaller, but it packs in more per inch. There's also the "Walking in Walt's Footsteps" idea - knowing you're in the park he built and spent time in.

California Adventure has some gems hiding in a park that's still in the rough. I think Disney knows this and has plans to continue to improve this park in the coming years.

[disneygurl213]

Originally Posted by Shere_Khan

I would choose WDW anyday.
But it seems you have already been to WDW, if you are making the trip, you should try something you've never done before. Go to DL!

I would choose WDW too! I love it there!!!!! But yea, if u have already been to wdw a couple times go to DL & try something new! I have never been 2 DL personally, but I'm sure you'll love whatever u do ... its DISNEY for crying out loud! lol


p.s. to Disney World Trivia!!!

[butch61]

Hey thanks guys looks like it could be DISNEYLAND CALIFORNIA wherever we go yeah youre right its still DISNEY

[GaRain]

Welcome to the boards. Hard to compare these resorts as they both have their bens! Check our RU's comparison to let you know what to check out when you visit Disneyland!

[disneyfreak_02]

Personnally I like WDW better than DL. It is still disney and I love disney but WDW is my favorite. DL is smaller and there isnt as much to do there. When I went california screamin was not open cause it was when they had that accident there. I must have went at a bad time because some of the guest there were rude (they would walk right into us!!). Another problem with it is it gets so crowded that it is hard to find somewhere to sit and eat. BUT There were some good things like The Tower of Terror is different then the one at disney world and it is awsome. Aladdin Show IS AWSOME!! MUST SEE!! The guy that played the genie was so funny!! The Alice in wonderland ride is cute and you get to see the old Mr Toads wild ride again!!
I would go there if you havent been there before because there are some rides and shows that you must ride and see!! So have fun!!

[Maestr034]

Disneyland is great! I actully went to Disneyland like 15 times before ever stepping foot in Orlando. (have family in LA) Once i went to Disneyworld, Disneyland lost alot of the luster. I love the idea that Walt was actully there to create that park and has been in that park. I also love that it has alot of the old rides in there original state. The main problem with Disneyland is that it can be done fully in one or two days. So if you are planning on a week long vacation if will be tough to stretch into that. I mean southern california has a bunch of other stuff to do also but if you are looking for a disney exclusive vacation I would stick to Disneyworld. If you are taking a short vacation and want a change of sceneary then disneyland is perfect. If it is any longer than that then you might be a little disapointed.

[butch61]

Thanks guys
Think it could be quite an experience knowing Walt was fully involved in this project being the first and original Disney park and i have heard i think it was from the mouse tunes podcast that Walt and his family had an apartment which they stayed in above the fire station and i think that they put the light on every night in the apartment WOW!!! :mickey:

[MousekeTodd]

I've been to DL twice, and may to WDW 8-9 times.

Since my last trip to DL (4-5 yrs ago, maybe), I've read Walt's biography, and watched various DVDs (Walt Disney Treasures, etc.) that have deepened my appreciation of DL -- especially in the historical aspects.

Extra things to see are (some of which were already mentioned), are the Alice in Wonderland ride, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, a storybook land ride (Is it still open?), the Matterhorn (based on Walt's movie "Third Man on the Mountain"). From inside Fantasyland, you can look towards the castle -- 2nd floor, maybe -- and see the Queen (Snow White's stepmother) pull open the drapes and peer down before jerking them closed again! Look at this in the evening!!

I want very much to go back.

[the7thAve]

Originally Posted by MousekeTodd

From inside Fantasyland, you can look towards the castle -- 2nd floor, maybe -- and see the Queen (Snow White's stepmother) pull open the drapes and peer down before jerking them closed again! Look at this in the evening!!!

really? that sounds super creepy and awesome! that makes me want to go to DL really bad!