young kids...disneyland or world?

[moesy4]

Three kids six and under, budget trip, flights cost the same. Don't care about character or dining, just want a nice park experience with the least amount of stress and chaos...help?

 

[jevs]

Been to both and DL was easier with my kids as we were able to leave the parks and have a rest. Some days we only did half days (able to get a 10 day ticket at DL). Our budget doesn't allow for us to stay on the monorail at WDW.

We enjoyed WDW the same as DL, but we were exhausted.

 

[sprousehouse]

I may be biased as I grew up going to DL but I would say DL is easier with really little ones. My inlaws live just south of DL so we did a day trip there when my kids were 3 & 5 and it was great. We went in Sept. and walked on to almost everything. DL requires a lot less planning and the characters just wander so it is easier to see them if you want. They have the old FP system, so no need to preplan.

DL and CA Adventure are right next to each other - you only have to walk to get to the other park so it is easier to hop parks there too. Lots of places to stay nearby that are not Disney owned (so more addordable).

We just did 8 days at WDW and it was amazing but my kids are now 5 & 7 and they could hack multiple days in the parks whereas I think 2-3 days in a row would have been their limit when they were younger.

 

[tmh43]

I haven't been to DL with a kid, but I would have to vote DL. WDW is huge, and there's a pressure to do as much as possible. At DL you get the greatest hits, in a low key environment (lots of pass holders) and a better climate IMO. If cost would have been the same, we would have done DL instead of WDW.

 

[moesy4]

Thanks...we are planning our "big" trip in a few years and our kids are so little now (and having never been to Disney) I would think Disneyland would be a good fit for us. Less stress, more laid back, and we can do 4 days in the park coupled with another vacation. But I know a lot of diehard Disney fans and they all say Disneyland doesn't compare, so it's hard!

 

[losfp]

I vote for Disneyland for small kids too.

In Oct/Nov, I did 11 nights at Walt Disney World and 8 nights at Disneyland so my memories are fresh.

At Disneyland you can get a good rate at an offsite hotel that is literally walking distance to the parks.
Park hopping is actually a viable option
Getting back to your hotel for a mid-day nap is super easy
You don't have to do as much planning ahead, fastpasses are easy to get and most dining reservations are easy too.
Small kids in particular love Toontown and it's one of our favourite areas to explore.
We found the milder SoCal weather to be much easier to tackle than Florida humidity.
This is particular to us, but LA is much closer than Orlando, we have to fly from Australia. It's obviously opposite for Europeans.

That's not to say Disney World is bad.. Far from it, Disney World is great! The variety of restaurants and resorts is amazing, as are Animal Kingdom and Epcot. But it's a full vacation, there's lots of travelling and you really need to plan lots.

 

[jevs]

I thought Toontown was going to make way for Star Wars land, or has that been shelved?

 

[losfp]

I thought Toontown was going to make way for Star Wars land, or has that been shelved?

I think Toontown was rumoured but nothing ever came out of it. They are going to reroute the rivers of America and use some of that space plus Big Thunder Ranch for Star Wars Land.

 

[jevs]

Thanks for that! I thought when I heard that it would be a shame to get rid of it as it's a perfect spot for the young ones to run about in.

 

[SweetMissy]

I've never been to DL, but since it's just 1 park I'm thinking that would be the less stressful option. We love DW though and have no desire yet to try out DL. Have fun planning!

 

[2kidsForMe]

With young kids DL for sure.

 

[siskaren]

I've never been to DL, but since it's just 1 park I'm thinking that would be the less stressful option. We love DW though and have no desire yet to try out DL. Have fun planning!

Disneyland (or technically, Disneyland Resort) has two parks - you're forgetting about Disney California Adventure.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Three kids six and under, budget trip, flights cost the same. Don't care about character or dining, just want a nice park experience with the least amount of stress and chaos...help?

Disneyland, imo. There is just as much to do, but in a smaller footprint that is much more small child friendly than wdw. There is so much more at DL in fantasy land especially..I would definitely go to DL. (And did..we just got back with out 3 y/o last month)

 

[Angel Ariel]

Thanks...we are planning our "big" trip in a few years and our kids are so little now (and having never been to Disney) I would think Disneyland would be a good fit for us. Less stress, more laid back, and we can do 4 days in the park coupled with another vacation. But I know a lot of diehard Disney fans and they all say Disneyland doesn't compare, so it's hard!

I highly recommend reading Hydroguy's a DLR Guide for WDW vets on the DLR board here.

Disneyland and WDW are entirely different experiences. IMO, they are so different that they are neither better nor worse than the other, just different. I personally prefer disneyland, but because I prefer the more laid back experience generally speaking. I *love* wdw also, but I don't go there and expect to have a laid back experience..it just isn't that park's nature.

 

[kboo]

We took DD age 4 to DL for a day trip this summer, we are usually WDW fanatics. Very different experience, but we also found DL to be much more laid back. Having the two parks basically across the street from each other means it's easier to park hop (not that we did, since we just did a spur of the moment day trip). But everything was much more compact and closer together, so it was less walking and easier with a little kid.

 

[bethy]

Thanks...we are planning our "big" trip in a few years and our kids are so little now (and having never been to Disney) I would think Disneyland would be a good fit for us. Less stress, more laid back, and we can do 4 days in the park coupled with another vacation. But I know a lot of diehard Disney fans and they all say Disneyland doesn't compare, so it's hard!

I'm a diehard Disney fan, have been to both, plus Aulani and DCL. I'd say the opposite: that WDW doesn't compare to DL. I honestly wouldn't care if I never went to WDW again. However, I don't say this outloud very often because I want the crowds to go to WDW instead!

 

[scrapquitler]

Where are you starting from? The time change between the East Coast and the West Coast (or vice versa) would likely be a huge factor for me if I were considering a trip with small children. I think taking them three time zones away from what they are used to for a relatively short trip would be more disruptive and stressful than staying in my own time zone (or only one hour difference). Not to mention how tiring/stressful a cross country flight would be with 3 small kids. With all things being equal, I'd probably choose whichever one was closer.

 

[tzolkin]

Thanks...we are planning our "big" trip in a few years and our kids are so little now (and having never been to Disney) I would think Disneyland would be a good fit for us. Less stress, more laid back, and we can do 4 days in the park coupled with another vacation. But I know a lot of diehard Disney fans and they all say Disneyland doesn't compare, so it's hard!

If you're planning a big Disney trip in a few years, I would make that one for Disney World, so it would make sense to try Disneyland for this shorter trip.

We love staying on-site at Disney World (usually for two weeks) and a big part of the vacation is enjoying the resorts and the different locations (ex. walk to "France" from the resort for breakfast then take a boat to Hollywood Studios or ride the monorail from MK to the Polynesian for dinner and watch the electric water parade from the beach). You won't really have time for any of that if you are just doing a few days with young children and your focus is on the parks/rides.

 

[Mouseketeers4]

Another vote for Disneyland. We chose DL for our first Disney trip with kids for the reasons listed by previous posters. We loved it so much we went back again the next year.

 

[DSNY4ever]

Oh, that's a tough one since we love both. Are you wanting to spend all your time in the parks or do you like to relax at your hotel? You can get a bigger bang for your buck at the hotels in Disney World (and the pools are way cooler), we always stay off property in Disneyland, which is fine because we focus on the parks there and just let the kids nap in the strollers. The convenience of walking back to you hotel room at the end of a long day and not having to use the shuttles is pretty darn great, especially if you have toddlers sleeping in the stroller (it is so hard folding it up and holding them over your shoulder on the crazy crowded WDW shuttles). And like others mentioned, Disneyland is sooooooo much less planning work, which when you are planning around naps and the unpredictability of kids, that is nice! You don't have to panic about ADRs or fast pass, you just do what you want and enjoy yourself. If you hit it at the right time, crowds can be decent, but it may feel more crowded because the parks are more compact. Either way, you'll have fun...and eventually you'll do both!