Disneyland vs Disneyworld differences?

I just got back from my first trip to DL after going to WDW only and I have to say I thought that it would be a one and done thing too but I have absolutely fallen in love with DL. It has a different feel than WDW and park hopping is much much easier, we were able to get reservations for Goofy's Kitchen, one of the character dining experiences, on the same day which probably wouldn't happen at WDW unless it was the slow season.

One difference that hasn't been mentioned that I found to be a bit of a thing for me was the lines. In WDW the lines are mostly inside which makes sense because of the weather but at DL the lines are outside and can make the already small walkways even more crowded and, as a first time visitor, it was kind of confusing sometimes to figure out where the line for the ride begins. For Small World Holiday, which is awesome by the way, there was a cast member with a sign for the beginning of the line. Once I got used to the park it was easy to find the lines but the other downside is boredom. For me at WDW the lines are part of the experience because of the interesting scenes that entertain you along the way like for the Little Mermaid ride you are wandering through a cave past some of Ariel's trinkets and for POTC you wander past treasure etc. With the lines being inside at WDW it keeps the walkways free and its much clearer where the line is. I still really liked DL though and will definitely go back especially since I live on this coast.

Easily hopping back and forth is great. Cars Land is amazing. And the churros!!! I ate way too many of those and they are overpriced but still. Its nice that DL is so ride dense when compared to WDW parks and I could have easily spent more days (we spent about 3.5 days in the parks) at DL alone. Outside of Cars Land and Soarin' DCA is more of a 1 maybe 1.5 day park honestly.

There's other things I miss about WDW but anyone who loves Disney really should visit DLR.


Adding on to this. As a WDW vet I too was surprised by many of the outdoor queues. For me I was disappointed in the outdoor lines because while everyone says the weather is beautiful in Cali it's still very hot and I was hoping for more indoor queues to beat the heat. Other than the outdoor lines and lack of wifi Disneyland is a great place and there are so many positives. WDW veterans are sure to love it :)
 
My point is, the biggest difference that you're going to feel between the two coasts probably is the complete lack of the capability to do advance planning online or plan and change things on the fly on the ground in an app at DLR. That, and I might add the complete lack of public Wi-Fi in the parks at DLR. Compared to WDW's universal coverage, that's pretty maddening, too.

Another way to look at this is to say that at Disneyland there is no need to decide where you want to eat 6 months in advance, no need to figure out what rides you want to go on 2 months in advance and no need to be constrained by tiers for fast passes. Hopping is not an issue in DL and you never need to worry about transportation between the parks! There, glass half full way of looking at the differences! :D

But the lack of wifi is a drag, especially for people like us who are not from the States.
 
I know this may sound crazy but I found myself missing Fastpass+ which I was surprised because I had used the paper Fastpasses at WDW years ago and found it really great but the electronic ones are easier to some extent. I love obsessively planning so maybe that's part of it but I was able to switch my fastpasses (via the MDE app) 8 million times when my DD decided she didn't want to stay in the same park that I had planned to be in. The other thing I missed was being able to somewhat pick the time of the fastpass. Since on Fastpass+ you can request a later time, it is easier to plan around meal times and breaks other than just hanging around and hoping that enough people will get FPs to move the time later. In regards to FP I also wished that there were more FP in DLR especially in Fantasyland and in particular Peter Pan Flight. 30 mins after park open there was a 45 minute wait for it! I've ridden it in WDW and it's nice but not 45 minute nice and I don't really understand why it's so popular but given it's popularity it would be nice to have passes for that ride and a few others.

That being said, the spontaneity that's possible at DLR which isn't at WDW as much because of the need to plan in advance and the sheer size of it as well, is a nice thing about DLR and I enjoyed being able to get last minute reservations to Goofy's Kitchen. I would say that it is more fun and has better food than Chef Mickey's at WDW.
 
In regards to FP I also wished that there were more FP in DLR especially in Fantasyland and in particular Peter Pan Flight.

There is rumor that FP is coming to PP if/when they go to the same-day FP+.

But remember, there is a trade-off, adding FP to a ride increases Standby times by an average of 50% (the line tracking sites have proven this with there before and after data on all the rides added to FP+ at WDW). There is no additional capacity added to handle a second line. I have wondered if DLR shouldn't disable FP on days they know they will be near capacity for reduce Standby waiting times, in theory it could have 45+ minutes off some of the most popular rides.
 
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At the risk of getting criticized by Californians.. i prefer WDW.. IMO, there is more magic in Florida... again, JMO. It doesn't hurt that i can drive to WDW and can't (easily) drive to DL... perhaps if i lived out west my opinion would differ.. There is just MORE to do and see in WDW
 
I know this may sound crazy but I found myself missing Fastpass+ which I was surprised because I had used the paper Fastpasses at WDW years ago and found it really great but the electronic ones are easier to some extent. I love obsessively planning so maybe that's part of it but I was able to switch my fastpasses (via the MDE app) 8 million times when my DD decided she didn't want to stay in the same park that I had planned to be in. The other thing I missed was being able to somewhat pick the time of the fastpass. Since on Fastpass+ you can request a later time, it is easier to plan around meal times and breaks other than just hanging around and hoping that enough people will get FPs to move the time later. In regards to FP I also wished that there were more FP in DLR especially in Fantasyland and in particular Peter Pan Flight. 30 mins after park open there was a 45 minute wait for it! I've ridden it in WDW and it's nice but not 45 minute nice and I don't really understand why it's so popular but given it's popularity it would be nice to have passes for that ride and a few others.

That being said, the spontaneity that's possible at DLR which isn't at WDW as much because of the need to plan in advance and the sheer size of it as well, is a nice thing about DLR and I enjoyed being able to get last minute reservations to Goofy's Kitchen. I would say that it is more fun and has better food than Chef Mickey's at WDW.

I've only tried FastPass++ but loved it. I'm a planner so pre-booking 3 FastPasses before you even get on your plane is great. And agree with TLM2015 in that you get to choose your times. I'm reading the Unoffical Guide about FastpPasses now at Disneyland and it seems like a pain. It talks about a runner...to grab the FastPass for the family while the others wait in line (or ride the attraction if the runner isn't back yet). Says the runner can go almost every hour to get the next one (since window opens at start of hour). What fun is that? But I do get why locals prefer the paper version since for locals since they would often just decide that day to go so planning months in advance doesn't make sense. Will see what I think once we actually experience it (and of course, better than nothing).
 
There is certainly more to do overall and see and stay and eat at WDW. We have only been to WDW once and we had a blast. We stayed at Saratoga for three nights, great amenities and lake views, rooms ok. We stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge with a savanna view for five nights and were blown away, amazing resort. The restaurants at the hotels were amazing, food in the parks were good to great. We would go again to try the Grand Floridian and or the Polynesian, so many amazing choices. WDW obviously has more of a resort type feel, more of a bubble (a huge one), and a lot more activities away from the parks. We would go for the resort stay with the bonus of visiting the parks. We loved the magic bands and FP+, did not like trying to get additional FP after the 3 were used.

DL is our home park, we can get there in an hour by plane or 6.5 by car. It is so intimate, can get quite packed, but just feels right. Moving back and forth between the two parks or DTD is so much easier than WDW. You can get FPs in both parks minutes apart. We can go for two days and do 50 attractions or 5 days and do 50 attractions, we are lucky enough to have gone enough that we just go with the flow of the crowds and do what we can do and not stress. I am a FP runner when the whole family goes and it is not bad, rarely would I cross the whole park to get a FP more than once. Just do a little planning.

We have done the on-site hotels once each, three times for GCH. They are nice, but not worth the extra cost for us-ony special occasions.

I was a little stressed with WDW and planning all the FP options and dining options. A little homework went a long way. I spent quite a bit of time following the WDW side of these boards and buying a guide and the time spent studying made our whole trip so much smoother and we only missed one thing on our to do list of about 20 must do's. Do a little homework on the park you have never been to and you will be fine.

We love DL and really liked our lone visit to WDW and will probably go back in a few years. We think they are fairly different overall experiences but both worth doing at least once if you can swing it.
 


We could go to DL sveral times a year. Despite good pre-planning, and no issues at all, by the time we leave WDW we are done for a few years. We spend 95% of the time in the parks, and only have a few sit-down meals and DLR works best for that.
 
There is rumor that FP is coming to PP if/when they go to the same-day FP+.

But remember, there is a trade-off, adding FP to a ride increases Standby times by an average of 50% (the line tracking sites have proven this with there before and after data on all the rides added to FP+ at WDW). There is no additional capacity added to handle a second line. I have wondered if DLR shouldn't disable FP on days they know they will be near capacity for reduce Standby waiting times, in theory it could have 45+ minutes off some of the most popular rides.

I had no idea about this statistic. In general I try not to wait longer than 20 mins for a ride and usually I'm able to do that with FP both paper and electronic and just deciding to find other things to do when the park gets super busy.

At the risk of getting criticized by Californians.. i prefer WDW.. IMO, there is more magic in Florida... again, JMO. It doesn't hurt that i can drive to WDW and can't (easily) drive to DL... perhaps if i lived out west my opinion would differ.. There is just MORE to do and see in WDW

I absolutely love DLR but I can see your point. I think that everyone should go to DL just to check it out but if I lived driving distance or closer to WDW I do not think that I would go back to DLR over WDW. I live on the west coast and with Southwest flights being cheap, DL is a good way to get my Disney fix for a long weekend. As much as I love DLR, it feels more like a staycation than a true vacation. Although with all the rides I could easily spend a week there just going to the parks it doesn't feel like the same complete getaway that WDW seems to be. It's kind of like the difference between going to the local beach a few hours away just to get away and swim and going to a resort in the Caribbean or Mexico. Both places you will be hanging out by the beach but there's a difference in feel and the other activities that you'll find at a resort versus a small beach town. With WDW there's more than the parks with DLR unless you're in the parks or leaving to do non Disney things, there's not much else and the hotels in the area are mostly motels so there's nothing extra to do if you go back to your hotel. Although I stay at motel level accommodations at WDW, the value resorts still have space for the kids to run around, themed pools, and some resort activities mainly around the pool. That being said, I still love DL it's just a different vacation.
 
Back to the original question: Worth staying on-site. No.

Mid June, weekday, Disneyland hotel for 4.... $500 a night.

Compare that to places right across the street, or less than a mile walk, that run $150 or less a night.

And what do you get for the $350 a night? 1 hour early entry to parks, IF you are up at 5-6am to be in the parks by 7am.

Honestly, i have NO CLUE how they get anyone to stay on property hotels at those prices, other than peoples' total ignorance of the other options available.
 
Back to the original question: Worth staying on-site. No.

Mid June, weekday, Disneyland hotel for 4.... $500 a night.

Compare that to places right across the street, or less than a mile walk, that run $150 or less a night.

And what do you get for the $350 a night? 1 hour early entry to parks, IF you are up at 5-6am to be in the parks by 7am.

Honestly, i have NO CLUE how they get anyone to stay on property hotels at those prices, other than peoples' total ignorance of the other options available.

One word...the name Disney is on the hotels lol
 
One word...the name Disney is on the hotels lol

I call it the Disney tax... I understand staying on property in Florida, but here in Anaheim, you can a better room with better service, and guarantees the type of room, instead of the "request" policy at the Disney Hotels, where the answer is if there are no more King Bed Rooms, sorry, it was just a request,and we won't try to even say we are sorry....
 
Back to the original question: Worth staying on-site. No.

Mid June, weekday, Disneyland hotel for 4.... $500 a night.

Compare that to places right across the street, or less than a mile walk, that run $150 or less a night.

And what do you get for the $350 a night? 1 hour early entry to parks, IF you are up at 5-6am to be in the parks by 7am.

Honestly, i have NO CLUE how they get anyone to stay on property hotels at those prices, other than peoples' total ignorance of the other options available.

People have to have their "Bubble"

I find a a some factors —
  • Some feel they will be more pampered at the Disney hotels and justify it as a luxury (we have done this, booked tow nights at the DH a few times, and we were locals)
  • Many have only been to WDW. And are used to WDW's expanse and don't really understand the area around DL and booking from a distance
  • Many are completely intimidated by Southern California in general, they want to get into DL and back out and not have to deal with an area they feel quite foreign to them (L.A. and O.C. are very different from the rest of the country)
 
We do WDW once a year, and just got back from DL. It had been a couple years. We stayed at the Howard Johnson, and it was great. Much cheaper and easier to get to and from. I agree with what is posted above. It was very easy to get a lot accomplished because everything is so close together. I LOVED the Haunted Mansion and Small World decked out for the holidays. DCA also has the Monsters Inc. ride my kids like, in addition to Cars Land and Indiana Jones. And agree, liked the random characters that would just come out and roam around. As much as the preplanning at WDW is nice, I liked that we could work the traditional paper fast passes. We were there 3 times and rode all the headliners 3-4 times, often multiple times in one day and all on fast passes.

I can't say that I like one over the other - I truly feel they are different experiences.
 
I call it the Disney tax... I understand staying on property in Florida, but here in Anaheim, you can a better room with better service, and guarantees the type of room, instead of the "request" policy at the Disney Hotels, where the answer is if there are no more King Bed Rooms, sorry, it was just a request,and we won't try to even say we are sorry....

Yeah totally understandable. I mean the prices are just insane. In my 3 trips to WDW, we only stayed on property once. Granted, when we go to DL for the first time, we are going to stay at the Disneyland Hotel because we're celebrating some things, but if I ever returned, I would definitely stay offsite. For my first trip, I want the full Disneyland experience.
 
At the risk of getting criticized by Californians.. i prefer WDW.. IMO, there is more magic in Florida...

I got the exact opposite impression. Not as much "magic" at WDW. We just visited WDW Magic Kingdom and Epcot for the first time ever on 12/3. I did NOT like it at all. It felt like a cheap imitation to me.

1. The very first thing I noticed was the sound system on Main street did not have the same wow factor, and it seemed like in the rides it wasn't as good as well.
2. The facades were definitely lacking: Haunted Mansion and Small World.
3. Cast members did not seem as into the whole experience. Example: on the Haunted Mansion ride, here at DL, they wear coats with tails and act the part, telling everyone to take up all the "dead" space in the room--stuff like that. By comparison, they said at the one at WDW: "everyone move on in to the center of the room." They just weren't really acting the part the same way.
4. Lack of dining options. There's something to eat every few feet at DL. We couldn't find anything at MK @ WDW.
5. The grounds did not appear as well kept as at DL. Every island at DL has flowers meticulously planted. All gates at surfaces are freshly painted and shiny. At WDW, we found most areas were just grass and unkempt shrubs, and the gate rails, such as along the walkway behind the [autopia?] (is it called that at WDW? Can't remember)
6. Finally, getting from park to park was a long long time-consuming trek. You can cover so much more ground in a shorter time at DL.

Ultimately, all it did was really drive home how much Disneyland really has it all for us. We are going this weekend and again on Christmas Eve because we did not get the fix we expected there in Florida.

JMHO,
 
JMHO,
good review. We haven't been to DL in near a decade and only once.. perhaps we should give it another shot.. My (oldest) Daughter just got home and they enjoyed it a lot.. spent 10 days there...
 
At the risk of getting criticized by Californians.. i prefer WDW.. IMO, there is more magic in Florida... again, JMO. It doesn't hurt that i can drive to WDW and can't (easily) drive to DL... perhaps if i lived out west my opinion would differ.. There is just MORE to do and see in WDW

You won't get any blowback from this Californian. If money wasn't an issue, I'd still be going to WDW every year and a half or so. With Disney only a few gas fill-ups away, getting there for under $100 is a big plus and the biggest reason we've turned into DL goers. We definitely love going to DLR, the different things that don't exist in Florida, the ability to go more frequently, and the short walks to everything. But I love the magic and the bubble you feel at WDW. I've got friends in Orlando right now and I can feel the urge to go through their facebook pics.

To the OP, I've stayed at the PPH and the DLH and I didn't feel the bubble at either. I would imagine staying at the Grand Cali would be more like WDW because it's themed. But it's just too costly. If I paid the prices to stay there, I could just go to WDW and stay at a fantastic Moderate with equal theming. After 3 stays at the Hojo across the street, I have found that I got the same vacation feeling there as I did at the Disney owned properties...and at half the cost. I know it doesn't make sense to someone who stays at Disney properties at WDW...I was in your state of mind 3 years ago. But trust me....there are other options.
 
I got the exact opposite impression. Not as much "magic" at WDW. We just visited WDW Magic Kingdom and Epcot for the first time ever on 12/3. I did NOT like it at all. It felt like a cheap imitation to me.

I completely agree with this, with the disclaimer that I've gone to DLR since the 70s and first went to WDW last year.....

DLR is the park Walt built. Even through the growth and reboots over the years, you can still see his original vision of the park. It's the same paths I've walked since I was 13, and many of the same paths WD walked.

Cast members, by my experience, are TOTALLY into the magic compared to their Orlando colleagues. It's hard to put into words, and I know that much of it is my own perspective and expectations. And for dining options, you also can WALK out of the park and dine at your choice of DL hotel, DTD, or the many eateries along Harbor. Off-site dining for us at WDW entailed driving several miles each time.

Something mistyinca didn't mention: If we are in the exit crunch at DLR, we have the option of simply walking a little over a mile to our resort (it's shorter to many other inns), where at MK, we had no alternative but to wait in queue for the monorail or ferry, then creep our way out of the parking lot to get to the resort.

All that said, I didn't dislike WDW, it has some advantages of its own (including Country Bears Jamboree, which I made a point to see out of nostalgia, and DW and DD just shook their heads at me during the show for being so excited to see it again), but in honesty, visiting WDW made me appreciate DLR all the more for what it is. I wish they would build a couple more imitations of DLR around the country, to take some pressure off the crowds in anaheim.
 
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