Walt Disney World vs. Disneyland
Walt Disney World versus Disneyland is a fierce fan debate, with each side swearing their home parks are superior. For those wondering whether to take a vacation to the California or Florida parks, the actual answer which is better is: it depends. This digs deeper, weighing weather, rides & entertainment, crowds, costs, convenience, and more to determine what’s best for you. (Updated June 25, 2023.)
This is a highly divisive subject and these comparisons commonly are thinly veiled attempts to assert one resort’s superiority over the other. To be frank, it often devolves into pettiness and trolling, which isn’t exactly helpful if you’re trying to decide whether to choose Florida or California for your vacation. Rather than inciting controversy, we’ll attempt to analyze the actual differences between a trip to Walt Disney World and a trip to Disneyland Resort.
First timers probably don’t understand why this is such a controversial topic among Disney fans (or care). Despite both resorts being owned by the same company (this isn’t exactly Coke versus Pepsi), many fans of Walt Disney World dislike Disneyland and refuse to see its charm or appeal. The same also works in reverse, with Disneyland diehards having no interest in the Florida Project’s “blessing of size.” The best way to describe it would be like a second-hand sibling rivalry, or if the Buffalo Bills and Sabres were rivals (same city and owner). Those comparisons may not make sense, which about sums up this whole pointless clash of the coasts between Disney theme park fans.
Our hope is to offer as objective of a comparison as possible, and think we’re uniquely situated to do that. We are both lifelong Walt Disney World fans who consider that our “home” resort, we’ve lived near the parks (under 30 minutes, depending upon traffic) on both coasts, and also done dozens of trips to each as tourists. We love both for different reasons–each have strengths and weaknesses.
With that said, this article is in response to questions from casual guests, so it’s geared towards those guests and diehard Disney fans like us. If you’re a veteran of one coast or another, we highly recommend you visit the other coast–an article explaining why probably isn’t necessary.
As for casual guests, a note on sometimes confusing vernacular. Walt Disney World Resort includes four theme parks: Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. Disneyland Resort includes two theme parks: Disney California Adventure and Disneyland Park. Most fans drop the “resort” when discussing Walt Disney World or Disneyland, which can be confusing since the latter is both the complex and a specific park.
With that in mind, let’s try to compare these apples and oranges to help those who haven’t visited both determine whether they’re more of an apple or an orange person when it comes to the U.S. Disney theme park complexes…
Vacation Type
The nature of your vacation is probably the most important aspect of determining whether Disneyland or Walt Disney World is right for you. If your style is quick, weekend getaways, then the smaller footprint and walkable nature of the Disneyland Resort accommodates these trips better. By contrast, an international guest wanting to take a 21 day vacation focused solely on Disney probably is going to have a better time at Walt Disney World.
When pitching his Florida Project, Walt Disney discussed the “blessing of size” it would offer. It’s fair to say the size of Walt Disney World is both a blessing and a curse. In the “blessing” column, you have the sheer scope and scale of Walt Disney World. There are 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, 25 Disney-owned hotels, and other assorted entertainment and shopping at Walt Disney World.
Walt Disney World truly feels like a place where you can take an all-inclusive vacation. You can only spend so much time in the theme parks, but you could easily spend a full week doing other things at Walt Disney World. It’s much more of a destination resort. If you want to take a long Disney vacation, this is a definite advantage for Walt Disney World. (Heck, we lived near Walt Disney World for several years, were in the parks almost every day, and still haven’t done it all!)
In the “curse” column, because of its size and spread out nature, getting from place to place at Walt Disney World can be very time consuming, regardless of whether you rent a car or rely upon Walt Disney World transportation (although it’s typically worse if you rely on them).
Park Hopping requires no less than a 30 minute commute and getting to a restaurant in a resort hotel requires the same–and these are just minimums. While relying on Disney transportation, we’ve wasted well over an hour trying to get to dinner. If you’re taking a shorter trip or Disney is only one element of your vacation, all of this wasted time can be seriously off-putting.
Park Hopping at Disneyland Resort takes 5 minutes or less, and can be accomplished on foot. Commuting time is minimal at Disneyland Resort, but there is much less to do. Most people are not going to be able to spend a full week at the California parks. Disneyland Resort is much better geared towards short trips, or trips that incorporate more than just Disney theme parks. You can do virtually all there is to do at Disneyland in about 5 days, tops.
Resorts & Hotels
Disneyland Resort has three on-site hotels, all three of which are within walking distance of both parks and two of which are fantastic–among the top 10 (if not top 5) Disney hotels in the United States. If money were no object and I could choose any resort at Walt Disney World or Disneyland, I’d pick Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel.
With that said, Walt Disney World has approximately two-dozen resort hotels and almost all of these are compelling options in one way or another. There’s a ton more variety, themed environments, unique transportation, pools, dining, and more. Many of the Moderate and Deluxe Resorts at Walt Disney World are destinations unto themselves, and the various resort areas have their own unique draws.
Even the Grand Californian has a comparable counterpart–Wilderness Lodge–which is one of many superlative hotel options at Walt Disney World. That’s to say nothing of Animal Kingdom Lodge, Grand Floridian, Polynesian, Beach Club, BoardWalk, Yacht Club, Port Orleans, Caribbean Beach, and many others.
In short, there’s way more for resort enthusiasts in Florida. It’s a similar story with both hotels and dining–the top is strong on both coasts, but Walt Disney World wins by virtue of volume. It probably won’t matter to those doing a 5-day or weeklong trip, but the differences certainly emerge over the course of longer vacations or repeat visits.
(Frankly, it feels like we’re not doing this section justice. The variety of resorts and themes is the single-biggest selling point of Walt Disney World for us as regular, repeat visitors. See our Rankings of ALL Walt Disney World Hotels from Worst to Best. Even the “worst” on that list really we options we love–there’s a reason for the air quotes. However, we recognize that this post is aimed at first-timers or infrequent visitors, and we recognize the reality that resort variety does not matter nearly as much to you as it does us.)
Where Disneyland “wins” is for those who are planning to stay off-site. Off-site hotels at Disneyland Resort are much more conveniently located to the parks than off-site Walt Disney World hotels–or even most Value and Moderate Resorts that are on-site. The photo above was taken from a third party hotel across the street from Disneyland. Many of these offer rooms with Matterhorn, monorail, or fireworks views.
There are about a dozen hotels on Harbor Boulevard that are as long of a walk to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure as the Contemporary is to Magic Kingdom. It’s impossible to compare these “real world” hotels to on-site options at Walt Disney World. Suffice to say, each have their pros & cons–and a lot of WDW diehards are going to find the “Disney Bubble” punctured this year, regardless.
The pricing of hotels at Disneyland vs. Walt Disney World is another point in Disneyland’s favor. There are several options from the top of our Disneyland Area Hotel Reviews & Rankings that are priced under $150 per night. Even the new JW Marriott and Westin Anaheim luxury hotels are cheaper than Moderate Resorts at Walt Disney World. Those are real world nice, not just Disney nice.
The bottom line is that Walt Disney World has a larger number of excellent on-site Disney-owned options, but Disneyland has cheaper walking distance hotels. In addition to that, good real world restaurants can be reached in under 15 minutes by foot from Disneyland. Same goes for CVS and Walgreen’s for groceries and other things. Many Disneyland-area hotels also have very good free breakfast buffets, so that’s one meal you won’t need to buy.
Dining
Given the above differences, a direct dining comparison is difficult to accomplish. Walt Disney World simply has more restaurants by virtue of its size. This is especially true of nice dining options in the Disney-owned resort hotels. If you want to do a lot of fine dining and plan on visiting the resort hotels, Walt Disney World is the clear winner here. Of course, this requires time.
As mentioned, getting to some of these Walt Disney World hotels can be difficult, and if you believe that you realistically won’t make it to these hotels, the gap narrows. Walt Disney World still has more nice, in-park table service restaurants. Plus, many of the best out-of-park restaurants are easy to access via monorail or walking from EPCOT’s International Gateway.
Walt Disney World has also seen a surge in quality third party dining in the last few years thanks to the rejuvenation of its ‘downtown’ district, Disney Springs. The slate of table service options at Disney Springs is really stellar, and far superior to Downtown Disney in Anaheim. Really, no matter how you slice it, if nice table service dining is a focus of your vacation, Walt Disney World has the edge.
If you’re planning on eating at most only a few nice meals regardless of where you go, the dining difference becomes minimal. You will be hard pressed to pick three restaurants at Walt Disney World better than the top three restaurants at Disneyland Resort: Carthay Circle Restaurant, Napa Rose, and Award Wieners. (See our List of the Best 23 Restaurants at Disneyland for other recommendations.)
Disneyland has made massive strides to improve the quality of its counter service dining in recent years, but with those improvements there has been some backsliding, and also massive price increases–to the point that many of the best counter service options are now priced akin to table service restaurants.
Still, counter service dining is slightly superior at Disneyland Resort, which has many standout options that rival table service restaurants. Reasonable minds may vary on this, and arguments can be made in support of Disneyland or Walt Disney World having the superior options in this regard. Regardless of which you prefer, the quality difference is now minimal.
The bottom line is that you now can find great counter service options in both Disneyland and Walt Disney World–there’s so much “beyond burgers” and the normal theme park fare at both.
Attractions
In the Disney vernacular, attractions encompasses rides, stage shows, and more. Basically, anything listed on a park map that isn’t a restaurant or gift shop. Since Walt Disney World has double the theme parks of Disneyland, it would stand to reason that it also has significantly more attractions. This is not the case.
Depending upon what you count, there are approximately 88 attractions in Walt Disney World and approximately 67 in Disneyland. Again, that number varies depending upon what you include, but regardless of what’s included, the difference in the number of major attractions in Walt Disney World and Disneyland is about 20.
Which has the better attractions is a matter of taste (more on this later), but the attraction density the Disneyland Resort parks is higher. There are numerous inferences that can be drawn from this. The fact is that the average guest can only hit so many attractions per day, and that number is typically less than the number of attractions in Disneyland.
This means that it’s a question of whether you’d rather spend multiple days completing a single park or multiple days completing multiple parks. For example, it might take you two days to do Disneyland, whereas you could “complete” Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom (combined) in a single day. This has led to some fans to describe either or both of these as “half day parks.”
Animal Kingdom is incredibly unique thanks to its zoological theme and Pandora – World of Avatar. However, it’s still painfully lacking in attractions and has no nighttime spectacular. Sure, many of us Disney fans love the park, but there’s a reason it typically clears out after 3 pm–most average guests run out of things to do.
Regardless of the raw attraction numbers and the distribution of those attractions, we think it’s fair to say that the average guest will spend at least one day more satisfactorily completing the Walt Disney World theme parks than it would take to satisfactorily complete the Disneyland Resort theme parks.
For us, that means 4 days in the theme parks at Walt Disney World and 3 days at the theme parks in Disneyland Resort. The total number of days you spend in the theme parks will likely vary, but we think this +1 day difference assumption will more or less hold true.
In terms of attraction quality, this is also highly subjective and intensely debated. In terms of the big picture, the attractions that are typically considered iconic Disney attractions exist on both coasts. Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Toy Story Mania, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, ‘it’s a small world’, Jungle Cruise, Mad Tea Party, Big Thunder Mountain, Enchanted Tiki Room, and others exist at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World.
In fact, the list of overlapping “big name” attractions in Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort is so long that most first-time guests might not even notice a significant difference in attractions at Walt Disney World versus Disneyland Resort. Then there are newer lands, like Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, that were built simultaneously at DLR and WDW and are almost identical.
There are plenty of differences, though. Two super-headliners at Disneyland Resort that are considered to have no equals at Walt Disney World are Indiana Jones Adventure and Radiator Springs Racers. Less significantly, there’s also Guardians of the Galaxy Mission Breakout and Web Slingers Spider-Man Adventure.
Many popular attractions existing in both locations are considered superior at Disneyland Resort. The most prominent examples of this are Pirates of the Caribbean (which is noticeably longer at Disneyland), Space Mountain, and ‘it’s a small world’. Disneyland also has more rides in its Fantasyland, including Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Storybook Land Canal Boats, Snow White’s Enchanted Wish, Casey Jr., Pinocchio’s Daring Journey, and Alice in Wonderland.
Disney California Adventure has Cars Land (where Radiator Springs Racers is located), which has proven a huge draw, especially for parents with kids who are fans of the film Cars. It’s really like walking into that movie. It also has the Avengers Campus Marvel land, but we aren’t inclined to call that a huge draw like Cars Land.
Walt Disney World has its own advantages, and a number of experiences that don’t exist at Disneyland. Virtually all of Disney’s Animal Kindom is unique to Walt Disney World, and anyone who loves animals will likely enjoy the many zoological attractions in this park that include Kilimanjaro Safaris, Maharajah Jungle Trek, Flights of Wonder, and Rafiki’s Planet Watch.
There are also other unique attractions here, such as Expedition Everest, Dinosaur (which uses the same ride system as Indiana Jones Adventure, but is decidedly different), Finding Nemo: The Musical (Big Blue & Beyond), and Festival of the Lion King. EPCOT also has many attractions that can’t be found at Disneyland Resort, and its World Showcase nations are a big draw for adults interested in eating or drinking their way around the world.
Walt Disney World has also gained tremendous ground on this front in the last decade. While all of the “best” attractions used to be found on both coasts, or just at Disneyland, there are now a ton of rides that are exclusive to Walt Disney World (at least in the United States). This includes two blockbuster thrill rides in Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT and TRON Lightcycle Run at Magic Kingdom.
It also includes a variety of family friendly attractions, such as Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Frozen Ever After, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and Slinky Dog Dash. Then there’s Pandora – World of Avatar, which includes an exhilarating ride in Avatar Flight of Passage and a relaxed one in Na’vi River Journey.
In terms of nighttime spectaculars, both Disneyland and Magic Kingdom have exceptional fireworks shows that are very similar to one another. Happily Ever After at Magic Kingdom perfected the concept of a modern montage show with a throughline and compelling motifs. Wondrous Journeys at Disneyland pulled from that playbook to produce its own show that is similarly spectacular. It’s almost impossible to choose a winner between the two–both are 10/10 nighttime spectaculars.
When it comes to other nighttime spectaculars, both Disneyland and Hollywood Studios have versions of Fantasmic that are superlative. Disneyland used to win in a landslide, but the ‘heroes’ segment with Aladdin, Frozen, and Moana added to the version at DHS makes it of comparable quality.
Over at DCA, there’s also World of Color, a jaw-dropping display of colorful fountains centered around a montage of Disney films. EPCOT is the other park at Walt Disney World with a nighttime spectacular, and it’ll have something that promises to be big and bold starting in late 2023 for the kickoff of the Disney100 festivities there.
As a general rule, the maintenance of attractions is better at Disneyland Resort. This is not a hard and fast rule, and if you’re a first time visitor to either, chances are you won’t even notice a difference. This is a variable that really only affects astute eyes.
The differences in attractions between Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort can be pretty substantial to serious fans, but which has the better slate is going to vary from person to person depending upon that person’s unique interests. I find the lack of a Peoplemover and relaxing Audio-Animatronics shows like Country Bear Jamboree, American Adventure, and Carousel of Progress to be Disneyland’s biggest faults. However, I recognize that these are things that appeal to me more than the average guest, so I don’t think they bear mentioning when highlighting the biggest differences.
We could spend thousands of words covering all of the many differences in attractions between Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World, but even such a thorough list would offer little assistance in determining which is better for you on the basis of attractions because you might have some quirky individual preference that’s missed completely by the list. All things considered, we think most guests will fairly equal enjoy the attractions at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort.
Ambiance
The most commonly cited difference in ambiance is by way of the castles in each of the “Castle Parks” (Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom). Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom is best described as large and grandiose. Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland is best described as small and charming. The debate on which is “better” could rage forever, and we think it depends upon which you experience first.
These castles are also indicative of the overall ambiance of Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort. In general, Walt Disney World is large and grandiose. Everything is more spread out, the parks occupy larger spaces, and everything is flat out big. Disneyland Resort occupies less space and in general things just seem smaller.
Which you prefer is going to be a matter of personal preference. Some people think Walt Disney World is sterile, and Disneyland is intimate. Some people think Walt Disney World is spacious, and Disneyland is claustrophobic.
Beyond that, as touched upon above, Walt Disney World is isolated from the real world. If you stay in an on-site, Disney-owned hotel there, you’ll be in the “Disney Bubble” for the duration of your trip. Some people love this (us included). Contrast the sea of trees beyond the berm at Magic Kingdom in the photo above with the third party hotels, freeways, apartments, and Angel Stadium behind Cars Land at DCA in the photo below.
It’s possible to escape the real world at Disneyland Resort, but this illusion breaks down from time to time as the parks are bordered by Anaheim and the greater Los Angeles metro area just outside of the parks. Some people love this, as access to the real world (and its cheaper food and amenities) is important to them. By contrast, the “Disney Bubble” buffer makes escapism easier in Florida, but the trade-off is that it makes commuting around the massive resort more time consuming.
There’s another angle of this that’s worth addressing if you’re staying off-site at Disneyland, which is safety. Many Americans visit the Disney theme parks because they offer a veil of fantasy and escapism. The parks are predictable, clean, and safe in ways that differ from most other vacation destinations.
Disneyland is part of a real city, and Anaheim has the same issues of any city its size (10th largest in California and 55th largest in the United States). If you’re staying in an off-site hotel and walking to the parks, you will likely see homelessness, street vendors, and possibly protestors. Depending upon where you stay, you also might have to cross interstate on/off ramps.
If you’re from a small or suburban town, you may find the city streets jarring and experience a bit of culture shock in Anaheim. None of this is necessarily unsafe (despite being part of the metro area, Anaheim is nothing like Los Angeles) and we’ve never had any actual issues, but you might find it uncomfortable or unsettling. (On a semi-related note, if any of this is a concern, consider flying into SNA rather than LAX. Not because LAX is unsafe, but because it’s totally chaotic and nothing like your home airport.)
Back inside the parks, there are numerous other specific differences in atmosphere. Places like the World Showcase in EPCOT, the gritty and realistic countries in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, New Orleans Square in Disneyland, and Cars Land or Avengers Campus in Disney California Adventure–among just about every other land in each of the parks–all of their own distinct ambiance that can be a specific draw to specific people.
Disneyland Resort also has more live entertainment (which could be counted in the “attractions” section above, but I consider these random entertainers more about ambiance than anything else), but there is live entertainment in all of parks being compared.
Both Walt Disney World and Disneyland, for lack of a better term, have that aura of “Disney magic” to them, and you don’t get a lesser experience in terms of this by going to either. Fans of one or the other might argue otherwise, contending on opposite sides that Walt Disney World is more magical because it was what Walt Disney envisioned to “fix” the errors of Disneyland.
Meanwhile, Southern Californians argue that Disneyland is more magical because it’s the only theme park that has Walt Disney’s personal touch on it (Disneyland is the only finished park Walt Disney ever set foot in). This is fanboy fodder–a regular guest is going to have an equally enjoyable experience in either location.
Cast Members
There is no noticeable difference in Cast Members. Many people claim there is, but they base these claims on anecdotal negative experiences in one location or the other–it’s almost as if they have an axe to grind as a result of a single negative encounter.
We have resided in each Orange County (Florida and California), been bicoastal Annual Passholders for over a decade, and spent (literally) over a year inside the parks at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort. We are confident in saying that most Cast Members are great everywhere. There are a few bad apples on both coasts, too.
With that said, there are some slight differences in the demeanor of Cast Members. Walt Disney World has a colossal College Program and International Programs, which ensure a steady supply of fresh-faced young people who are energetic and also a bit inexperienced. These individuals are usually cheery and positive to a greater degree than the average ‘seasoned’ Cast Member on either coast. By contrast, most Cast Members at Disneyland are Californians, who tend to be more laid back and passive.
So if your impression is that many Cast Members at Walt Disney World are more enthusiastic and energetic, whereas more at Disneyland are casual and calm…that’s more or less accurate. But it’s also not representative of all Cast Members, and none of those traits are necessarily positive or negative–just different.
Suffice to say, if you visit Walt Disney World once, and then visit Disneyland Resort once, you may feel that the Cast Members at one are “better” than those at the other. Increase your sample size to 10 trips to each and you likely won’t feel the same. Cast Members are pretty much the same at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland: excellent, with a few outliers.
Crowds
Crowds in Disneyland and crowds in Walt Disney World are often–but not always–relatively comparable, just composed of different demographics and with slightly different day-to-day trends. Disneyland has more local Magic Key Annual Passholders whereas Walt Disney World has more tourists. Annual Passholders at Disneyland typically only pose a “problem” for tourists when it comes to the nighttime spectaculars.
Since these guests can visit whenever they want, they have no sense of urgency. Many of them don’t mind dropping in after work with an iPad or book and grabbing a spot for Fantasmic or the fireworks a few hours in advance. However, Walt Disney World’s guest demographic includes the dreaded tour groups.
Whether these be cheerleaders, youth groups, etc., they are large, under-supervised, and often unruly groups. (Get that many kids together with little supervision and their background is irrelevant–they will misbehave.) We have never had any serious issue with these groups, however, there are plenty of horror stories. Chances are that they won’t pose a problem for you, but if you get in a long line right behind one of these groups, even the most patient person may lose their cool by the end of the line.
In practice, these differences in demographics are a relative non-factor. The busy seasons at Disneyland are the busy seasons at Walt Disney World, and the slow seasons are also the same at each, with minor variances. We consider differences in crowds at one versus insignificant.
Weather
Florida is the Sunshine State and California has a “Sunshine Tax.” Despite the descriptors, the two have decidedly different weather. The commonality, of course, is the sun. Unfortunately, with the sun in Florida comes humidity, tropical storms, season changes, and regular afternoon rain showers.
Average annual rainfall is about 15 inches in Anaheim (as compared to 50 in Orlando) with far fewer rainy days, less humidity, and fewer storms. It gets hot in Southern California, but it’s normally a dry heat.
In general, the weather is fairly consistent and pleasant year-round in Anaheim. This is one area where ‘it does not depend.’ For most of the year, weather is decidedly better at Disneyland Resort.
Cost
As far as in-park costs go, Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World are comparably priced. Ticket prices are about the same, as are food prices and souvenirs. Disneyland Resort does not have multiple hotel tiers, so if you stay at one of the three Disneyland Resort hotels, expect to pay a lot per night of your stay–potentially more than you’d spend on a Deluxe Resort at Walt Disney World.
Again, the big potential difference comes in staying off-site at Disneyland, where you can get a third party hotel within walking distance at a reasonable cost. In fact, we typically pay less for our off-site hotel at Disneyland Resort than we do for our on-site Walt Disney World hotel, and those off-site hotels are, on average, closer to the parks at Disneyland Resort than the hotels at which we stay in Walt Disney World! It’s touched upon above, but it’s important to know that not all Walt Disney World hotels are conveniently located.
At Walt Disney World, you pay a significant premium for convenient locations that make the trip easier. Beyond hotels, there are several scenarios where you’re buying your way out of inconvenience. Aside from Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, that’s not really a thing at Disneyland (and even that can end up costing you less at Disneyland because you really only “need” it for one day, as opposed to 2-3 days at Walt Disney World). The bottom line is that it is usually much cheaper to do a convenient trip to Disneyland–even taking into account the more expensive flights.
Oh, and don’t assume that just because you live closer to one resort complex, that airfare to that one will be cheaper. As a general rule, that seems to be true, but there are exceptions. We often find that airfare can be less expensive to Disneyland than to Walt Disney World. It helps that there are four airports near Disneyland Resort–make sure to check flights into each of them. Other costs are going to vary widely depending upon where you live and what else you plan to do.
Ease of Visiting
This might already be obvious from commentary about, but Disneyland is far easier to visit than Walt Disney World. We’ve often remarked that Walt Disney World is the most overly complicated and unnecessarily convoluted vacation destination we’ve ever visited. If you can “conquer” Walt Disney World, you can travel anywhere–no language barrier, public transit, or other obstacles compare with the morass of rules and procedures at Walt Disney World. Navigating the Tokyo Metro or making Paris museum reservations has nothing on the monster that is Walt Disney World.
What’s mentioned here just scratches the surface. There’s also the 60+10 ADR rule, Early Entry and Extended Evening Hours eligibility, Genie+ and Lightning Lane rules, and so much more. Disneyland has some of this, but it’s usually much more low stakes or intuitive than at Walt Disney World. (There’s a reason we have exponentially more planning posts for Walt Disney World!)
Disneyland is less stressful, more laid-back, and allows for greater spontaneity. The comparative ease of planning a trip to Disneyland is really worth stressing…er, reiterating. In general, the more free-flowing nature of the California parks makes it easier to slow down and enjoy atmospheric entertainment and simply appreciate being there.
The overwhelming majority of the time we visit Disneyland, we don’t make any plans (beyond park reservations) until we arrive. No clue where we’re going to eat, which rides we’re going to do, or how our days will unfold. If you love to plan, there’s still room for that, but it’s less essential, with far more room for spontaneity.
Beyond Disney
Which is better if you want to do other things beyond the berm of the Disney theme park complexes? Again, that depends. (Really helpful article, right?!) Central Florida has become known as the theme park capital of the world, and this is not just because of Walt Disney World. There’s also Universal Orlando, SeaWorld Orlando, Legoland Florida, Busch Gardens Tampa, and many more.
Southern California has its own mix of theme parks, including Knott’s Berry Farm, Universal Studios Hollywood (where Super Nintendo World is now open–it won’t debut at Epic Universe in Orlando until 2025), Legoland California, and Six Flags Magic Mountain.
We are big fans of the SoCal theme park roster and think that Knott’s and USH don’t get enough credit. (The Warner Bros. Studio Tour is also a quasi-theme park experience near Universal Studios Hollywood that’s fantastic.) Nevertheless, if you’re looking to make a grand circle tour of theme parks, Orlando should be the winner. It’s pretty undeniable that the Central Florida parks are better than their California counterparts.
If you want to do things outside of theme parks, it’s tough to beat California. You can surf and ski in the same day, visiting craggy cliffs, beautiful beaches, majestic mountains, and (dry?) deserts in between.
There’s the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, diverse culture (and food!) of Los Angeles, and sleepy shoreline of Laguna Beach. Plus, Santa Barbara, San Diego, Newport, Pasadena, and more all within driving distance. California also has 9 National Parks and more biodiversity than any other state.
Most importantly, you can do many of these things on a budget. California has a wealth of low cost tourist attractions. Spend one day at the Getty and Getty Villa, two of the top free museums in the US, before heading to the picturesque El Matador Beach in Malibu. Drive out to Palm Springs to do a self-guided walking tour of America’s best architecture, followed by an afternoon in Joshua Tree National Park, which is also perfect stargazing and seeing the Milky Way.
If all of that isn’t enough to tip the scales in California’s favor, the nearest In-N-Out Burger is 980 miles away from Walt Disney World. There are two within 10 minutes of Disneyland. 😉
If you’re planning a Southern California vacation beyond Disneyland and want other ideas, you’re in luck. We have tons of advice on our non-Disney blog, TravelCaffeine.com. There, we also have a ton of resources dedicated to visiting the state, including a series of blog posts about California points of interest and planning guides.
For its part, Florida has theme parks, manatees, the Everglades, outlet malls, and the Kennedy Space Center. This is not meant to be dismissive of Florida–some of those and other things are quite fun. But if you’re looking at taking a more well-rounded trip that isn’t about upping your coaster count, California should be the winner.
A lot of people have a strong bias against California based on traffic congestion and other preconceived notions, and a California vacation may not be for these people. We skew in the other direction, finding California to be the most beautiful and enjoyable place in the United States–and the entire world. For tourist purposes, Florida is only world-class when it comes to theme parks.
Ultimately, that should cover the biggest differences and provide a nice basis to help potential guests figure out whether Disneyland Resort or Walt Disney World is right for them. As mentioned numerous times throughout this article, this is mostly high level differences, and doesn’t attempt to focus on the myriad of specific differences between the resorts.
Before you scream, “YOU IDIOT, HOW DID YOU FORGET TRICERATOP SPIN? THAT IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT ATTRACTION TO ME!” in the comments, remember that this article would have to be 10 times as long as it is to focus on every little difference, and then it probably would be a bit overwhelming to a first time guest. However, if you do have some specific differences that you think are important, I encourage you to share them in the comments.
That’s what the comments are there for, and anyone contemplating a trip would probably be well-served by getting a different take on the comparison, anyway. I just ask that you be respectful and reasoned in your thoughts. This isn’t a place for turf wars or conjecture.
And really, at the end of the day, most people are going to have a good time regardless of whether they go to Disneyland Resort or Walt Disney World, so long as they properly prepare for the trip. On that note, if you’re planning your first visit to Disneyland Resort or Walt Disney World, make sure to read our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide and Disneyland Trip Planning Guide. A well-planned trip will make all the difference in the world in terms of enjoyment, and for how expensive Disney is, it’s certainly worth taking a few hours to do a little planning to insure your trip “investment” pans out!
Your Thoughts?
Have you visited both Disneyland and Walt Disney World? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Which do you consider the superior destination for your vacation style? Do you think each have their strengths and weaknesses? Is one or the other definitively better? Any questions? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
I also think WDW is better for foreign tourists because I’ve seen that some of the Disneyland attractions are related to US history and culture. So a non native visitor may not be able to understand and therefore appreciate them.
First off, definitely visit both. Your appreciation of the Disney Parks will certainly grow if you do. But here’s my two cents:
I think that non-riders should choose WDW. In addition to having so much that can be done without stepping into a park, I find WDW to be less ride-focused, especially in Epcot and Animal Kingdom, where more of the emphasis is on discovery and exploration. It’s also the place to go if you put more importance on the resort experience, if you enjoy spending lots of time relaxing in a hotel or eating lots of table service meals. However, if you are going to the parks specifically to go on rides and see shows (the reason most people are probably going in the first place), than Disneyland Resort is the clear winner, IMO having overall a better collection of both. For me, that means that Disneyland is my resort of choice.
I do think there is a difference in cast members, but it doesn’t have anything to do with quality. I’ve found the Disneyland cast members to be much more reserved than those at WDW. They are less likely to approach you or engage you in conversation first than their WDW counterparts, who are more openly outgoing. In addition, DL cast members in my experience do not “get into character” the way other cast members do around the world. In Florida and elsewhere, for example, cast members play up the creepiness of Tower of Terror or Haunted Mansion, but in California they still smile and give off a “welcome to Disneyland!” vibe instead of playing into the theme. So its definitely a different vibe, but one is not necessarily better than the other.
For those who have been to one Disney complex and are considering visiting the other: expect and embrace differences. If you try to treat one the way you treat the other, you will be disappointed. I feel as though people expect differences for the international resorts, but expect the U.S. parks to be fairly similar to each other. Having been to all but Shanghai, I feel that in many ways Disneyland and WDW are the most starkly different Disney properties. So DL fans going east for the first time, be careful: WDW is fundamentally unlike any other Disney Resort in the world, for better or worse. For WDW fans going west for the first time, be careful: WDW is fundamentally unlike any other Disney Resort in the world, for better or worse. This should not be used to mean “one is quality, the other is not,” because both resorts excel in different ways. Both are wonderful, but adjust your expectations accordingly.
Long time reader and finally felt strong enough about an article to add my 2 cents. I grew up in the Midwest as well and fell in love with WDW even into my adult years, then I moved west and was able to visit “walt’s park” was a dream come true…but I’ve never been impressed, for me it’s the guests, in my opinion locals ruin Disneyland. I’m used to being able get a lot done in the afternoon! At Disneyland you’ll be lucky to get to 3 rides after 4! I guess it’s just an adjustment I do not like…and food is important to me and few things at Disneyland impress me (Napa rose is rather amazing though)…just my 2 cents 🙂
Great read! I appreciate its level of diplomacy. My wife and I have been Disney freaks for years. We have two kids under 10 and they have been to both parks (5 WDW, 3DLR). They have a very particular opinion that California is their preference. My wife and are in full agreement. You have to experience both. You’re right on in your analysis that A first time visitor to either park will have the time of their life. I also agree that if you want to step into another world and loose yourself in a week to ten day experience, WDW is where you go. If your looking to experience rides and Disney attractions, DLR wins in just about every category on that front. And yes, Fantasyland and all it has to offer in DLR is a hands down winner. In general the rides in DLR are longer with a finer attention to detail. DLR is and will always be Walt’s park and home to his ghost. It sounds silly to say, but to us hardcore fans, it does feel as thoug he is right there with you when you are in that original park…
Don’t be encouraging anyone to come to Disneyland, Tom! I say, let those who love mega-huge extravaganzas stay at Disney World, keeps the crowds down at Disneyland. 🙂
Tom, you say that the weather at Disneyland is better most of the year. I think most people from non-sunny climates will find Florida weather and sun delightful at least seven months of the year. At most the really sticky hot uncomfortable months are certainly June July August September and perhaps May. The summer months are also the torrential rain months. I agree the long, hot, super summers of Florida seem endless but the rest of the year is a very pleasant temperature most the time. And January is the only consistently chilly month. ( To give you an example of January cold, the state agricultural department forecasts the dates of killing frosts to run from the last week in December to the first week in January, with half the years having no killing frost. )
Great article! Thank you for such detail on both. I did have a question, I have two Littles (3 and 1). We were starting to plan a Disney Vacation for the next couple of years. I’ve only been to disney world and your right, it’s HUGE, so big that I’m not sure I want to even attempt to take my girls that young. Would you recommend disneyland for younger kids since it’s smaller?? Thanks!
I’m currently at Disney World for the first time. I grew up in SoCal and with Disneyland. I just got back to my (off property and far FAR AWAY) hotel from the Magic Kingdom and I’m extremely disappointed with the whole thing. We loved the Animal Kingdom and Hollywood studios and are doing Epcot tomorrow, but I really feel like I got swindled by the Magic Kingdom park compared to Land. For Fantasyland and the kid friendly parks of California Adventure, I’m going to say that yes, Disneyland would probably be a better bet for really young ones. We went to Land 3 years ago when mine were 4.5, almost 3, and 1.5. My now 7.5 year old just told us “that park sucked compared to Disneyland” and he is a lot taller and able to ride more now. We still had a much better time there than the Magic Kingdom park. Not sure if you already went on your vacation or not, but figured I’d answer anyway. I ran across this article googling to see if I was crazy for thinking there were at least 5 more rides at the Land Fantasyland than here at World. 😀
I really was not impressed with the MK Fantasyland. Actually, I really didn’t care for it. While the Disneyland Fantasyland can feel cramped, I love the look of it and the beautiful attractions it offers.
We live less than 20 minutes away from Walt Disney World and are long time annual passholders. We visit the parks 2-3 times a month, not including the water parks. I visited Disneyland as a kid several times and even back then I much preferred it over WDW. This March I took my kids to CA and we went to only California Adventure, mostly for Cars Land. It was amazing, nothing in the world like what we have here. The “Disney” theme was as prevalent, but it still felt like Disney to us. We skipped Disneyland for sake of time and regretted it. We are going back in October to visit California Adventure again and this time to Disneyland. Having experienced all of the parks, I personally think Disneyland is better. The weather is better than here in FL, the parks are smaller and more manageable and there is a LOT to be said about Disneyland, where it all started. There really is something magically about knowing this was Walt Disney’s park!!
Thank you for this informative article! I live in California. We just got back from my third and my daughter’s second Disneyland trip. We were both enchanted by it, and I have been wondering if it was worth it to fly to Florida just to experience Disney World. I like that you explain that preference depends on vacation preference. I love Disneyland, but it feels claustrophobic to me. It took us 3 days in Disneyland and 2 days in California adventure to get all the signatures we really wanted, and to feel like we hit all of the attractions we wanted to hit at least once – and there were a few we went on multiple times, because of line lengths or the need to make it to dinner reservations. Great article! Definitely helped me out.
Thank you for a most excellent review. It’s funny, I was just surfing to find out the difference/ locations between the two resorts and stumbled upon this. I have no kids, and don’t really plan on visiting either, but the review was so good and informative I read it with my am coffee, and now have a full understanding of these two parks!
Well sum realized between Walt Disney World, & Disneyland. Walt Disney would have been proud to to have owned both of these places.
Jackie Jacobs
No alligators at Disneyland. Sorry, that was insensitive, just sayin.
March 14, 2016 – My girls (5 and 13) were on spring break last week. On a whim (Tuesday), I decided to take them to Disneyland (we’re from AZ). Found a nice hotel/suite w/ buffet breakfast for $129/night about a half hour from the park and left the next day for CA. We got to Disneyland when it opened on a beautiful Thursday morning and enjoyed 34…yes, 34…attractions!!! We were able to go on all of the ‘big’ rides twice and almost all of the little ones once, as well as see all three park parades/shows and meet all but one of the princesses (and lots of other characters) at the Park. Besides Peter Pan, the longest line we had was only 20 minutes. We left when the park closed, happy and tired. After a good night’s rest and another buffet breakfast, we drove home. Disneyland is perfect if you can swing it for a short trip like that!
Wow what a great blog and what wonderfully helpful comments! As an Aussie there is a huge cost difference between them and this made it easier for me to make peace with choosing Disneyland. My biggest worry now is that Tokyo Disney Resort being my first park may have set my expectations high!!
I will note some of the biggest differences that were important to me and my two children (8 and 14).
Time: We had a much longer vacation at Disneyworld but found it took so long to get from place to place that it cut down on doing what we wanted to do. For example: We wanted to have lunch at one place then catch our fast passes at one park then hop over to another for a show and then have an inkling to ride some late night rides somewhere else. No problem at Dland, but very exhausting at Dworld. We had a car which was helpful because the few times we did take the monorail, ferry, or (god forbid) the bus, it took so long and was jam-packed.
Rides: Disneyland advantage:
Some of our favorite rides are slightly different, maybe we are biased because we are used to Disneyland.
-Our favorite ride, Twilight Zone tower of Terror, has a completely different component of a starry room and weird objects but we found the “scary part” to be less scary at Disneyworld. More so at Disneyland because it seems the drop is longer.
-Space Mountain is wayyyy better at Disneyland with the side by side seats and it seems faster.
-Pirates of the Caribbean is longer at Disneyland and you cannot beat having the restaurant in there which is so fun. Splash Mountain seems scarier at Disneyland.
-No Matterhorn at Disneyworld, but the Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom is awesome so that’s equivalent IMO.
-Indiana Jones. ’nuff said.
– Mr. Toad’s wild ride is a classic! and all the other silly rides.
-Soarin over California “fits” better at CA Adventure than in Epcot.
-The crazy ferris wheel at CA adventure is great.
Rides: Disneyworld advantage:
-Peoplemover is a classic, yet kids can get bored-its not at Disneyland
-Carousel of Progress is a funny lil awesome show of animatronics that we loved that sadly Disneyland no longer has.
-Everest and all the animal rides at animal kingdom are great.
-Rock n Rollercoaster! Such an awesome Aerosmith-tastic ride (kid’s favorite!) that is only at Disenyworld 🙁
-All of Epcot’s rides not at Disneyland are pretty neat-Epcot’s car designer was cool, but a little overrated.
Ambience- I find the flow of Disneyland to be so much better. Everything fits and flows whereas sometimes at d-world there seems to be some out of place attractions or an afterthought.
One thing- Disneyland’s New Orleans Square is a billion times better than Liberty Square at Disneyworld! There is something about the charm of New Orleans that just fits so much better and it always makes me think of Pirates and Haunted Mansion and the boats and the island across. (We did stay at the New Orleans themed hotel at D-world which was neat too, but didn’t quite fill the void).
Another thing- Epcot is amazing! It’s probably the best for adults. Too bad Dland can never have that.
Overall, this author nailed it as if you want to spend a ton of time in a bubble then go to Disneyworld, also I would say it is better for adults as well.
If you want to ride a ton of rides and get it done fast then go to Disneyland, which I think also works better for kids.
I am impressed with what all these opinions are but one thing I must say is that I go on vacation to get out of the city and reality and enjoy the wide open spaces of WDW and relaxing bus rides, water rides, monorail rides where I do not have to drive. I know my Disney I do the planning, I go for weekends. I go for weeks. I just was so stressed at DL. No majic bands, no fastpass, no app. Felt like 1982 Epcot. I was impressed with the amount of rides in a small area but WOW did I miss Epcot and WOW did I miss jiko and flying fish. ESPN, water parks, Quest. I enjoyed DL because I love Disney. I just wanted more than rides and less city. But that is me everyone is right with their opinions. Now I have a special needs child and so lucky for me either one is great. In this case the child changed nothing except that I have to keep up with two instead if one! Really WDW is not just magic kingdom and I would never go in the value season and I would always stay on sight unless your party can’t fit. Most of all 4 days will do in CA in FL you need 6 DAYS WITH a break in the middle.
Points for Disney Land for being easily accessed. Like they mentioned in this article the smaller size makes navigating and getting your fast passes so much easier.
Magic Kingdom has that impressive Castle though and frankly riding in on the fairy is super magical and sets the tone.
I really enjoyed this article. Nice to know that WDW does not dress up Haunted Mansion for Christmas. We just came back from DL and I was quite impressed with the transformation of a favorite ride. I’m a California Girl and my husband is a Floridian, so I had to hear about how the view of the castle was once blocked by a small tree over and over again : ) I remember being shocked that you could go inside the Castle at WDW the first time we went a few years ago. Now I realize how different in size they are.
It’s been 25 years since I had been to Disneyland and I am so happy with the changes/additions!! I love that the second DL park has lots of princesses. Although I had fun at Animal Kingdom in WDW and enjoyed the shows, I just wished we had spent another day at Magic Kingdom because there are no princesses. Frankly, I like the princesses.
I am wondering wether the Characters quality varies by season. I have only been to WDW in the summer(never again my curly haired friends) when maybe there are a swarm of college kids vying for a summer job equaling a better selection and more selective hiring process. I felt that the princesses at Ariel’s Grotto in Adventure Land were not that into it. This is REALLY picky, but I felt their face shapes did not match up with the princesses they were playing as well as at WDW. Meanwhile Ariel at Cinderella’s Castle in WDW talked mermaid in a sing song voice was outgoing and cheerful. I wanted to be her. The ladies at Ariel’s Grotto in California Adventure breakfast had forced smiles and only posed for a quick picture. I’m sure it’s hit or miss, but the employees in general at WDW seemed more singsongy and happy. And all that charisma in Florida heat/humidity is crazy impressive!
Luckily we caught the Aladdin show because there will be too much Frozen now at DL (California Adventure: Sing Along, World of Color, Musical and Disney Land: Royal Theater). I’ve finally got the FASTPASS nailed and we had a great time regardless of the crazy Christmas Vacay crowds this past weekend. Now that WDW has changed their FASTPASS system I am not looking forward to learning it all over again.
I want to add something about the weather in California v Florida. I think what weather is “better” depends on what you’re used to at home. I’m from an area that has four distinct seasons. I’ve done rain, snow, dry, cold, hot, cool, warm – you name it, it happens it least once here. As odd as it seems to some people, Orlando’s humidity is WDW’s saving grace because it’s not fruitless humidity. You get ten/fifteen-minute bursts of heavy rain all the time. For people who aren’t used to that, hiding under awnings and ponchos may be miserable, but for those of us who ARE used to it, it’s a welcome cool-down. I can’t imagine walking around a sunny, hot theme park all day if it’s going to be a DRY heat. I need relief once and while.
As someone else said in these comments already, I’d rather have 90 degrees and dry than 70 degrees and humid…with periods of rain.
We were at Fort Wilderness at WDW – I told my husband it had to be at least 90. When we got back to our camper and turned on the radio, they said it was 80 degrees. That’s what the humidity does! Give me dry heat any day. That’s the reason I only go tot WDW between November and February!
I’m a WDW frequent guest considering DL, so this was a good, unbiased comparison. You definitely succeeded there! I’ve found even more details in the comments. The less ‘star-struck’ reaction to costumed characters is intriguing. I like the characters, but I’ve mostly given up the experience as I grew older. Staff is always accommodating to all ages, but I feel the need to rush and not take up the toddler behind me’s time because it’s a “joke, pose, go” experience.
Ultimately though, I’ve decided against going to DL anytime soon because as you’ve pointed out it’s what fits your needs. There’s just not as much draw to make the trip to DL for me. For a long getaway, it’s an attraction in the SoCal trip, which isn’t a trip I’m looking to take right now. I want a Disney trip. I think that’s what causes the local vs tourist difference actually. I mean to be a tourist you have to travel there. You absolutely need it to be worth the distance on it’s own.
For instance, I live in the Northeast so I have to fly to Disney either way. Cost may not differ much, but distance definitely does. From my home airport, it’s a little over 2 hours to Orlando and about 6 hours to get to Anaheim. Not to mention that time gets me to LAX, which is still about an hour-and-a-half drive from Disneyland. Plus the 3 hour time zone difference. BUT if I lived on the West Coast and that was reversed, I think I’d be more likely to take the flight to WDW, which is huge and gives me the ability to spend a week or more.
Anyway, that’s my two-cents!!
Danielle, let me give you my two cents since you sound a lot like me and my family. I have always gone to WDW, as in about 15 times. I live in NJ (sounds like you do too) and I have heard all the east coast/west coast stuff re: WDW and DL.
This summer we went to DL for the first time. Never say never, but I am pretty close to saying I will never go back to WDW. DL was simply far ahead of anything in WDW.
We stayed at Grand Californian (DGC) the first week of July 2015 — so worth it — the convenience is simply the best. Comes with a price but if you are truly a WDW person, it’s no different than staying on a monorail hotel. But here is the HUGE difference. If I left my room at 7:30am I was in line at Space Mountain at 7:40am. I am not kidding. The smallness of everything is incredible. I used to think a monorail was super convenient. And it is. But words can’t really describe the convenience. Even bouncing between rides was a breeze. The rides are closer together — less walking. And I am a fit person who runs 5 miles a day. It’s just awesome. Here are some other plusses that put it beyond WDW.
– Park hopping is truly a reality here. The two parks are 1,000 feet away from one another.
– Crowd management is so much better in DL. They just do a better job at it. Can’t put my finger on it, but they do.
– Downtown Disney is in between the two parks. Just walk out of DGC and right into a restaurant. Done.
– We don’t watch the shows like Fantasmic in WDW. Too much waiting to sit on a bleacher, etc. So we went on a whim and watched the World of Color. First off the show was soooo much better. Secondly, no getting there 90 minutes before-hand. And lastly, when it was over, I had a 6 minute walk back to my lobby to have a drink in my room with my wife and kids. Yes you read that correctly. 6 minutes. Not 6 minutes to the park gate to wait for a monorail, to wait for a bus, etc. 6 minutes to the peace and quiet of my hotel to sit on the balcony and have a drink.
– The rides themselves are that much better in DL. Indiana Jones is an actual ride. Pirates is longer and better. Tower of Terror, Radiator Springs…..awesome. There are really only two things that I like better in WDW…..Muppets and Everest. And I heard Muppets is closing in WDW (it’s already gone in DL) and if it’s just Everest so be it. Radiator Springs makes that up.
– The weather. Again I live in NJ so I am used to the humidity. But walking around the parks is a JOY in California compared to Florida. When we were there it was 90 everyday and it felt like it was 70.
– The cast members. Everyone is Disney — but in the parks, the CM’s were sooooo much more personable than in WDW. Probably because everyone who comes to visit DL is a local — meaning they come there because they really want to. In WDW, it’s full of people with their “lifetime trips”. Don’t get me wrong, I get it. But the quaintness and honesty of the CMs blows WDW away.
– Flying into Orange County airport was easier than Orlando……and I think Orlando is a pretty easy airport. Forget LAX. United flies right into Orange County from Newark non-stop and is 20 minutes from DL.
– Everyone says it’s right in the middle of a city……I didn’t get that feel at all. It feels like you are in a suburb town in NJ with a theme park. Down the street is CVS where we stocked up with snacks, drinks, on the way in. So much easier than doing that in Florida. Florida is safe and all, but going on the Bee Line Expressway and US 192 is actually a bit more of a pain than going two blocks around the corner for CVS.
– The side entrance to DCA from DGC is not really great first thing in the morning as others have pointed out. Walk to the main gate in 5 minutes and you will walk right in. But once you are there, later in the day….it’s awesome. We fastpassed the rapids ride which is right outside the DGC entrance. We walked up to the room, changed into bathing suits and flip flops…..went downstairs, rode the ride…….then went right to the DGC pool. You can’t do that MGM. If you are soaked on the Rapids there, you are soaked and walking around the park for an hour with squishy sneakers and looking like a drowned rat. In DL…..possibilities are endless because you can see your room from the ride.
– The restaurants are so much better.
– If you want to do a day trip — you can. But you don’t need to. Nor will you want to.
I can keep going but you get the picture. I consider myself a bit of a Disney snob and a bit of an expert. The comparison is not even close. You can easily spend a week in DL just like you do in WDW, never leave the property, and it will truly feel like a REAL vacation if you truly are a Disney nut. No rushing, no busses, no monorails, better food, more time to spend relaxing and doing what you want to do. DL wins every one of these with a wide margin.
For people who tell you it’s close, it’s apples to oranges, etc., they are just being polite. Don’t listen to them. DL is the clear winner. You will not be disappointed.
I disagree and if you were truly fit the DW park wouldn’t be bad at all.. You west coast liar DW RULES!
DW is getting a Star Wars park CASE CLOSED!!