Disneyland v. Disney World: 2020 Edition
Walt Disney World v. Disneyland is hardly a new or unique topic. However, now that both coasts have Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Rise of the Resistance is the most popular attraction in both California and Florida, there are two new angles to this: which is better for Star Wars stuff, and does Disneyland Resort suffer from the same common complaints as WDW?
This article was actually inspired by a light-hearted jab I made at the end of our Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance Disneyland Strategy Guide, which offered the tongue in cheek, half-joking sentiment that California is better. Since so many readers indicated they’d like to know more, I thought it would be worth elaborating with a full post.
Plus, even though our main Walt Disney World v. Disneyland post has been updated several times, it was originally written while we still lived in the Midwest. Having since lived in both California and Florida, vacationed on both coasts, and experienced both versions of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, I think we’re uniquely situated to offer a new 2020 edition of this comparison with as little bias as possible…
For starters, we enjoy vacationing at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland. Each have their own strengths, and will appeal to different types of visitors, lengths of stays, and varying types of trips. The fan rivalry between the two is a bit silly given that they’re owned by the same company, and our general attitude to that is why not both?
With that said, we think it’s worth emphasizing the specific strengths of Disneyland. For one, this blog’s audience definitely has a Walt Disney World bias. In general, WDW-centric fans often overlook the resort in California with “only” two parks and the “toy castle.” While we think this is a huge mistake, it’s also one we made ourselves until seeing the error of our ways years ago.
To that end, rather than having this post be a rehash of the common comparison with pros & cons of each, we’re going to focus on five advantages Disneyland offers. In so doing, we’ll emphasize Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and also address how Disneyland is the ‘antidote’ to common reader complaints about Walt Disney World…
5. Later Opening Time
Opening later may not seem like a selling point. Yet, for many readers it will be. When it comes to Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Walt Disney World, the most common complaint we’re seeing is that Disney’s Hollywood Studios opens too early for families. Park hours being extended to opening times of 7 am (or 6 am during peak seasons) has been the norm thus far.
In order to arrive at Disney’s Hollywood Studios before 6:30 am, which is currently what’s necessary to be inside the park in time for official opening time, most families need to leave their on-site resort room before 6 am. Even earlier if they have to gamble on Walt Disney World bus transportation. The norm right now seems to be around 5:30 am, which means waking up before 5 am.
There’s reason to believe these last-minute extensions will be Walt Disney World’s go-to plan for the foreseeable future. At some point, the ‘average’ opening will probably be moved back to 8 am, but that’s still a wake up call before 6 am, and that doesn’t exactly scream “vacation” for a lot of people.
By contrast, Disneyland typically opens later and stays open later. Guests staying in Anaheim off-site hotels can leave their hotel after 8 am and still walk over to Disneyland well before the normal 9 am weekday opening time. In fact, one day I got dressed at ~8:05 am, walked over from the Best Western Plus Anaheim Inn, entered Disneyland at ~8:25 am, left to get Starbucks in DCA, and was back in my room for the boarding pass dash by 9 am.
If you live east of Nevada, you’ll also have the time change and your body’s natural clock in your favor. For the first several days we were in California, I was waking up naturally by 5 am. Most mornings, I had ample time to get work done for a couple hours, get ready, and then make the leisurely stroll over to Disneyland in plenty of time before park opening.
Beyond the time difference, we found the whole process to be smoother and less stressful at Disneyland (at least on weekdays–as we wrote in our recent trip report, there’s a huge chasm between weekdays and weekends due to the local audience). Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance still hasn’t hit its stride in California like it has in Florida, but even so, the morning boarding pass dash is less stressful and headache-inducing at Disneyland.
4. More Laid Back and Spontaneous
The above illustrates the more laid back approach with Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, which is fairly reflective of Disneyland as a whole. Given that another common reader complaint here is how there’s too much stress and planning involved with visiting Walt Disney World, the spontaneity Disneyland affords is worth stressing…er, reiterating.
At Disneyland, you’ll interact with free-roaming characters, ride attractions on a whim without reservations made over a month ago, and dine at your leisure. The more free-flowing nature of the California parks makes it easier to slow down and enjoy atmospheric entertainment (there’s a ton of it) and simply appreciate being there.
Over 95% of the time we go to Disneyland, we don’t make any plans whatsoever until we arrive. No clue where we’re going to eat, which rides we’re going to do, or even which park we’ll visit. (That last one is deceptive because the answer is always “both.”)
While it can be a good idea to make dining reservations for some Disneyland restaurants at least a few days in advance, there’s none of that 180 day nonsense. Planning which attractions you’ll do 2 months in advance? Also not a thing. Disneyland uses legacy paper FastPass and digital MaxPass, both of which are day-of only. If you love to plan, there’s still room for that, but it’s still a far less stressful process with far more room for spontaneity.
3. Convenience at Disneyland is Cheaper
One of the most common impediments we hear with regard to visiting Disneyland is that airfare from [insert location in the Midwest] is more expensive to Los Angeles or Orange County than it is to Orlando. We’ll concede that this is mostly true. (By waiting and watching for deals, we seldom pay over $225 RT, which is not too far off from airfare pricing from the Midwest to MCO.)
However, it’s pretty easy to make up that cost difference in other areas of the trip budget, particularly hotels and food. There are about a dozen hotels on Harbor Boulevard are as long of a walk to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure as the Contemporary is to Magic Kingdom. Good real world restaurants can be reached in under 15 minutes by foot. So can CVS and Walgreen’s for groceries and other things. Many hotels have very good free breakfast buffets.
At Walt Disney World, you pay a significant premium for convenient locations that make the trip easier. Beyond hotel locations, there are also countless scenarios where you’re buying your way out of inconvenience (Minnie Vans, fireworks dessert parties, hard ticket events). Aside from MaxPass, this ease and convenience is mostly part of the normal cost at Disneyland. In short, it is significantly cheaper to do a convenient trip to Disneyland–even taking into account the more expensive flights.
2. Disneyland > Disney’s Hollywood Studios
This seems like a very odd and unfair comparison to make, but these are the two parks where Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is located. Everyone has their favorite castle park, and a few people might even rank Magic Kingdom ahead of Disneyland. However, I don’t think there’s a rational person on earth who has been to both who would rank DHS above Disneyland.
This is significant because, while you’re waiting around for your Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance boarding group to be called, you have to find other things to do. If it’s your first-ever time visiting DHS, this is no problem. If you’ve been once or twice, you might struggle filling a day–let alone a second day if you want to rope drop Rise of the Resistance again. Sure, you could walk over to Epcot, but that can be inconvenient and that park is a construction zone right now.
By contrast, Disneyland has two full days of worthwhile (and repeatable!) attractions, and Disney California Adventure is a literal stone’s throw away. You could do a 4-day trip to Disneyland Resort and attempt to get a Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance boarding pass every single day without feeling that it impedes the rest of your trip. The same is simply not true of rope dropping DHS for that many days during a Walt Disney World trip. It would absolutely negatively impact the rest of your vacation.
Oh, and as for the whole 4 parks v. 2 thing? The argument could be made that Disneyland Resort’s 2-park attraction lineup is superior to, or at least on par with, Walt Disney World’s. It’s not an argument that I’d personally make, but I do think the gap is far more narrow than most WDW diehards would realize. Walt Disney World certainly does not have double the number of compelling attractions.
1. California > Florida
Orlando has Southern California beat in terms of the Space Coast, manatees, and other theme parks, but not much beyond that. Don’t get us wrong, it’s still a great place to visit…but pretty much every top thing to do is not cheap. Which brings us to our final reader complaint about Walt Disney World: its cost compared to various real world vacation destinations.
This is a big reason why a shorter, more efficient trip to Disneyland might be appealing. In 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, sleepy shoreline of Laguna Beach, plus several U.S. National Parks, Santa Barbara, San Diego, Newport, Pasadena, and more all within driving distance.
Most importantly, you can do many of these things on a dime. 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 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, it’s worth pointing out that 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 give away a free eBook: 101 Things to Do in Southern California on our non-Disney blog, TravelCaffeine. 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 our Ultimate Guide to Los Angeles.
Overall, you can have a great time at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland. While we think the latter offers several of the aforementioned strategic advantages, there’s nothing to say you can’t choose to have a more laid-back and spontaneous trip at Walt Disney World. You can also arrive at DHS later on a weekday and roll the dice with a backup boarding group for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.
Our aim here is not to proclaim Disneyland as the definitively superior experience and California as the better vacation destination. That’s simply not going to be the case for everyone. Rather, our goal is to convince those of you who may be averse to the idea of visiting Disneyland due to your preconceptions–or who have simply become alienated by Walt Disney World for the reasons identified above–to give the California parks a look. You’ll have a blast.
If you’re preparing for a Disneyland trip, check out our other planning posts, including how to save money on Disneyland tickets, our Disney packing tips, tips for booking a hotel (off-site or on-site), where to dine, and a number of other things, check out our comprehensive Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide!
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 went to Disneyland for the first time a few years back and was SHOCKED at how much I enjoyed it. I had always assumed bigger=better but there is a charm to Disneyland that I don’t quite feel from Magic Kingdom. I also *loved* the more laid back vibe and the fact you don’t have to preplan your trip to within an inch of its life to experience all the headliners efficiently. As an East Coaster I would never go all the way to California just for Disneyland but it was an amazing 3 day addition to my longer trip out there. I agree that it is a better experience for all the reasons listed (except In N Out Burger, which in addition to being just alright has always struck me as a *terrible* name for a restaurant).
One word why DL is better than WDW: Humidity.
I think if you grow up in a humid climate, you get used to it. I haven’t. I’m more uncomfortable in humid 70 degree weather than dry 90-100 degree weather.
Now Tokyo is also humid, but the sheer awesomeness of TDL means I’m willing to put up with it. Not so with WDW because, despite having more parks and attractions, the quality of the rides and shows are lower than DL and (especially) TDL.
Very interesting article as always! I love both resorts for different reasons, just like you do. I get the impression that you are a bit of a “Disneyland Defender”. You grew up with WDW, this website’s main audience is more WDW-centric, so maybe you feel the need to defend DLR and what makes it so great. Maybe this article is a tad slanted in that general direction? There’s nothing wrong with that at all. If you grew up with DLR and your website’s main audience was more DLR-centric, I’m sure the article would slant towards showcasing all that makes WDW so fantastic.
Within my family, I am the constant “Disney World Defender”. My family is all about Disneyland, my mom especially, to the point where she is content with never going to WDW again. I grew up with both but we went to Disneyland much more frequently. I love Disneyland Resort. Disneyland is the best individual American park, but it’s not the end-all. WDW’s ambiance, (outside the theme parks), is truly a paradise of sorts that DLR’s concrete esplanade simply doesn’t have.
Disney Park fans will always love comparing and contrasting….we are all very passionate about our parks!
You are truly the best Disney Park blogger out there and you really have a way with words that so many “writers” on other Disney websites just don’t have. Continue what you are doing Tom!
I’m surprised to be in the minority here. We were annual passholders at DL for 3 years and have been WDW passholders for the past 5. After dozens of trips to WDW and a few recent trips to DL, it’s not even close for us, even though it means flying from Oregon to Orlando. WDW has more parks, including the most scenic (Animal Kingdom, of course), more rides, 2 water parks, Pandora, World Showcase, the Boardwalk, Figment, golf, mini golf, a hot air balloon, a Cirque du Solei, freaking cars that drive into the water, ferries, gondolas, a loooong monorail line. There are obviously more Disney themed hotels, some of which are very reasonably priced. DL has the whole strip of Harbor Blvd hotels, but unless you want to pay Disney World Resort prices, you’re staying at a 60’s motel. With a breakfast of powdered eggs, instant oatmeal, Costco danishes, and under-ripe red apples. I just booked All Star Movies for $112 for the night we arrive before our Copper Creek stay in late April. The only hotel/motels at DL for less for the same night are Motel 6, Super 8, or Travelodge. Not thanks. But for us, the main reason we prefer WDW is the food. There are many, many better food options at WDW. Other than Napa Rose, there aren’t any restaurants we’re excited about at DL, especially in the parks. WDW has an ever-increasing selection of fun-themed restaurants and lounges with great food and drink.
Sure the buses suck, but for not too much money Lyft will get you to the many entertainment and dining options WDW offers. Many more than the Land.
I agree, but you left out one thing – DCA is awesome-sauce. Cars Land has a level of theming not found anywhere else outside of Galaxy’s Edge, IMO. Walking into Cars Land at night is absolutely magical – you feel like Lightning McQueen arriving in Radiator Springs!
Oh, I left out many things!
This post would’ve been at least 6x the length if I focused on the pros & cons of each–I was simply trying to approach this with at least a slightly fresh perspective based on recent reader grievances about Walt Disney World–and the better coast for Star Wars stuff!
I’ve been to both under various circumstances/life stages. In hindsight, I’d prefer DL if traveling with littler kids. It is much more low key, easier for preschoolers to walk, and typically lower weekday crowds make a stroller easier to use. I also think the nature of characters there, especially the roaming, is much more fun for littles. It’s a magical surprise to be tapped on the shoulder by a princess or spun in a circle by the Hatter. ToonTown’s later opening is also a relief with littles. We like park hoppers regardless, but they are super easy and practically a must at DL. Your day can flex with crowds and your group’s interests.
WDW is also great, but I prefer it for older kids or without. My kids are past it now, and I can’t say how relieved I am to, literally, lighten the load. I would never ever want to go there again carting around a little, a stroller, all of the supplies (diapers, change of clothes, snacks, etc) that go along with. It’s likely to be hotter, rainier, and more crowded.
I truly enjoy both parks, and I really think people should consider both for the stage of life in which their trip occurs. A once-in-a-lifetime trip is different, but if you plan on even a few trips over the years, you should really consider which will be easiest and thus the most pleasant experience for the group and ages your traveling with.
I’ve been to Disneyland 38 trips and Disney World 29 trips. There are a lot of factors about where I should go every year. If it’s Disneyland I usually go 3 days and if it’s Disney World it’s usually 6. Traffic is bad in California but Florida isn’t too bad if I want to pay for tolls. DW it’s better to plan the whole vacation while DL is just what ever happens unless you want to eat at Blue Bayou. This year I’m going back to both and I’m going to find out for myself which is my favorite theme park!! #TeamDisney
We have been to DL 5 times and never again. It is too small for travelling all that way. We always experience much happier more in character workers and much cleaner grounds at WDW than DL. Hopefully it has changed for the better but I’m getting so tired of people saying if you enjoy going to WDW give DL a try. When looking at spending a LOT of money – I will go with what we enjoy/love vs trying something else. Have been close to 20 times. We are very happy with WDW. We now go every 2 years (grand babies make it brand new again!) for around 10 days. This coming May and then the whole family and a few friends in 2022 doing 2 days at Universal the rest WDW.
For me, the biggest draw to Disney World that Disneyland can’t offer is the way my kids (aged 8, 6, 4, and 2) can get swept away in the magic of the Disney bubble. The week or two between landing in FL and leaving FL is all Disney. This doesn’t mean that much to me (in fact, it can be inconvenient when you do need to leave the bubble), but for young kids I think it really adds something special. Even the busses (which I don’t enjoy) are novel for the kids since we are from a rural area. It’s all Disney all the time.
We didn’t find this to be true in Disneyland. We often left the bubble, which my kids weren’t too keen about. I thought it was great because I could eat great food for much cheaper than in the park and stay at a hotel within walking distance for less than $1 million per night. As my kids get older, I think we’ll make more trips to the land and fewer trips to the world. It’s all about the audience you’re trying to please.
For my family, one advantage of Disney world is that we can drive there. We live in the New York area, so it’s a long drive, but obviously not nearly as far as California. Another advantage of Disney world is world showcase, which I think is my favorite part of Disney world, and Disneyland has nothing comparable.
Other than that, I think Disneyland pretty much is better in every other way. One thing I think you did not particularly stress is the weather. We went to Disneyland in the summer of 2016, and it was hot, but nothing like the horrifying swamp heat that is Orlando in summer. So weather is a big advantage in California. I also loved staying in a motel across the street for about $160 a night. As you said, such proximity in Disney world would cost a fortune.
So I generally agree with you. I just wish I lived a little bit closer.
Can you go on both of the New Star Wars Rides in Hollywood Land at Walt Disney World in 1day as we will have only 1 day to go to Walt Disney World as the next day we leave on a Carnival Cruise. What is the best park to go to at Walt Disney World? I have to travel the park using a Power Wheelchair? Which Park has Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Tours, Haunted Mansion and rides like Disneyland? Can you please answer me by my email!
Yes, you can go on both of the new Star Wars rides in the same day. One of the rides, Rise of the Resistance, requires significant effort and know-how to ride. This has been covered extensively in other posts here on the site. The other ride, Millenium Falcon Smuggler’s Run, is a “normal” ride with a standby line and (as of mid-February) fastpass+ reservations.
We just finished an excellent Disneyland trip and your observations are spot on. We love both places and both are good depending on the type of trip you want to take. It does sound like Disneyland is the best option for RoR (which we were able to ride this trip).
I would add: lines just tend not to be as long as Disneyland and it’s easy to get fastpasses to every single headliner in a day (and in less busy seasons multiple fastpasses to really great attractions). In our visits to WDW we have found that once we have used our allotted pre-reserved fastpasses there really aren’t any good passes left and lines are prohibitively long–even in less busy seasons.
We do love WDW for longer vacations (and we love Animal Kingdom especially). Also, during the low season at Disneyland you get low crowds but also cut back entertainment compared to Disneyworld.
We have been here during low season but we’re very pleased with how well project stardust–and the opening of Galaxy’s Edge–has cut down on congestion that used to be a negative aspect of Disneyland. Lots of old bottlenecks seem to have been alleviated.
I’d add to this that the weather and crowds are much more pleasant in California; far more people have been to the parks before, so there’s MUCH less of the once-in-a-lifetime, “do or die” mentality that is super pervasive in Florida.
And Disneyland still being open full bore from 8 AM to 12 AM during busy periods and weekends is wonderful in itself when it seems like WDW’s hours, or at least hours available to everyone, are shrinking.
I’m probably fortunate to be Chicago-based, but over the past few years flights to LA have consistently been cheaper than to Orlando, especially if you use LAX (not the best airport in the world, but nothing you can’t handle if you’re used to busy, major airports. Certainly nothing that would phase anyone used to O’Hare).
Finally, if you’re going to a Disney park to go on rides, it’s worth noting that wait times for Disneyland attractions are often about HALF those of their Walt Disney World counterparts (Star Tours being one of the only exceptions).
If you haven’t gone west, do it! Disneyland and California are wonderful places!
I’m excited to being going to Disneyland for the first time later this year. I think it will be interesting to see the differences to WDW and experience some of where it all started. However, I don’t plan on it ending there. I’m also looking forward to someday heading to Tokyo Disney. While I’m sure for these trips there will be comparisons I hope that I appreciate the experiences of those places and not hold it against the others. Just as people have strengths and weakness–it is those things that make them special and different.
Couldn’t agree with you more! Our family has been to WDW more than I can count so this year we decided to go to Disneyland. Being from the Midwest, flights were cheaper west than south this year. I cannot wait to go back to CA. As a ride fan, Disneyland was far superior. You can tell the difference based by the audience each is catering to. With a teen, character meet and greets as well as the number of shows at WDW are not what we are looking for. If you haven’t been to Disneyland, you are definitely missing out!
We’ve been to World Disney World once, and twice in Disneyland. Went to CA over Christmas break and spent 5 days in the parks, prepared for the crowds. I will not try to compare both resorts because we haven’t been able to go to all 4 parks in WDW, but I will tell you why our family picks Disneyland. Flying from Minnesota airfare to CA is actually cheaper than to FL. At least at time when kids are out of school. Having only 2 parks is a plus for me. Less stressful planning which park to go to. Coming back from vacation with feeling we did everything we wanted vs being in WDW not long enough to even visit all the parks thus coming back with feeling “I wish we did this or that”. Stayed at the hotel 15 minutes away from the parks, nice walk in the morning, in the evening everybody will complain about distance, does not matter how close our hotel was:)
If I compare the amount of time we spend in lines in WDW, and how few things we actually were able to do compared to Disneyland on the day that Disneyland park was at its capacity on one of the days we were there is still amazing. Having 2 hours time difference from Midwest is unbeatable advantage. Had plenty of time to get up at 6am (which was 8am home time). Get breakfast without crowds at the hotel, and still be at the park quite early and take advantage of 5 minutes wait times or not at all for rides like “It’s a small world” “Finding Nemo” even “Pirates of the Caribbean”, which gave me almost a heart attack because I was not familiar with how many drops there is and how wet we are gonna get on one chilly morning, and most of all my camera getting wet. (Thank goodness not a lot).
Last crowd levels, still can navigate them pretty well. 30 minutes before parade you are still able to find a decent spot. In WDW I remeber climbing on the planters to be able to see anything. Oh and when you need a break, little mermaid ride was not busy at all that they let us stay and go through it 3 times. I almost wrote as long comment as you your post, but we had so much fun in there just a month ago, and I wish we could go back already
Excellent and true comparison between WDW and DLR!
Bottom line for me – even though I live about an hour from WDW, I am flying to DLR
soon for a week for all the reasons you stated. I’ve been to both WDW and DLR many times – no comparison, DLR much more enjoyable!
The DL resort only has two parks, true. But if you’re willing to leave the Disney bubble, Knott’s Berry Farm is closer to Disneyland than the Magic Kingdom is to any of the other WDW parks, and the cost of a one-day ticket to Knott’s is comparable to adding a day to your Disney pass. You do lose some of the convenience of “park-hopping”, but how much do you really do that in WDW (and how much time does it take) anyway?
Disney is the clear winner on theming, but if you’re indifferent to dark rides and love coasters and thrill rides, Knott’s probably has a slight edge on the rides evaluated purely as rides.
Just got back from WDW and have been to Disneyland.
I totally agree with your article Disneyland. Ore laid back less stressful. Disneyland has the magic and magic kingdom lacks that.
we always had a day at knott’s one my trips to california when i was growing up. next trip with my kids i want to go back there. it’s true that disneyland resort only has the 2 parks, but proximity is huge, close to so many other things if one wishes to make a week out of their trip.
Knotts is my favorite non-Disney park. I love Timber Mountain Log Ride and Calico Mine Ride as they remind me of Disneyland/WDW type attractions.
We do Disneyland in the spring for Food & Wine and then Walt Disney World in the fall for Food & Wine. I feel WDW is more of a weeklong + vacation destination whereas DLR is able to be done in smaller doses. The one thing that DLR does so much better is that once you are in their bubble you don’t have to go back thru security. That was my favorite change they did when they put Downtown Disney in the secure area. Also you can’t beat Disneyland’s FantasyIand. For WDW I feel it’s the size that is it’s biggest draw. I can leave a park and hop on a monorail, a boat, a gondola, or just walk but their are just so many places to explore outside of the theme parks. Also, magical express truly is magical, giving you that feeling only WDW has as you pass under the welcome sign and completely escape the real world. I will always prefer WDW simply because it has Epcot which is my favorite park and they both have Splash Mountain which is my favorite ride, but I cannot imagine a world where I don’t get to go to both.
“For WDW I feel it’s the size that is it’s biggest draw. I can leave a park and hop on a monorail, a boat, a gondola, or just walk but their are just so many places to explore outside of the theme parks.”
For me, this is a double-edged sword. The range of transportation is nice, and can add to the leisurely nature of a trip if you’re primarily taking non-bus transportation and aren’t in a hurry.
On a tangential note, this is why the Skyliner is such a big deal for me. It combines a relatively novel form of transportation with constant arrivals and departures–meaning a steadily moving line (if there’s one at all) most of the time. It’s both fun and efficient, which is rare in WDW transportation. I prefer the Skyliner to literally all other forms of transportation at WDW, and that would remain true even with updated monorails.
If you’re relying on buses, it can be absolutely miserable with delays, crowds, and inefficiency. Staying at a hotel only serviced by buses is when, from my perspective, the “blessing of size” transforms into the “burden of size.” To each their own, though! 🙂
I agree with all of your points and generally prefer Disneyland even though we live closer to WDW and go a few times a year (Disneyland by contrast is an every 4-5 year trip).
When planning a trip for this summer, we strongly considered Disneyland for the proximity of hotels, strong lineup of Fantasyland Dark Rides (that we want our kids to ride while they’re still the right age), and because of California, but we ultimately decided to go back to WDW again instead. For the next few years anyways, WDW wins simply for all the new attractions and dining- Ratatouille, Runaway Railway, Space 220, the San Eagle BBQ place, the Toy Story restaurant, Riviera. Yes, both coasts have Star Wars, but WDW has strong attractions on the horizon this summer and for the foreseeable future and DL doesn’t.
Not excited about Spider-Midway Mania? 😉
It’s truly a curious decision to follow up one of the most ambitious expansions of all time in a park that didn’t need it with a relatively modest one in a park that desperately needs something more. Even if the Spider-Man ride is decent, there’s zero chance it compares favorably to Rise of the Resistance.
Unlike Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge where the “phase 2” opened a few months later and quieted most complaints, the phase two of Avengers Campus doesn’t even have a firm opening date and is probably at least 3 years down the road. That’s pretty wild in my view. I just hope it doesn’t lead to another half-baked, interim quick “fix” like Pixar Pier.
I have been to both, and am about to go back to WDW. We are going for several reasons, our kids are older and really into Harry Potter and really like how close Universal Studios is to WDW. They will also have the opportunity to simply go on rides that don’t exist in Disneyland. So we will focus on those rides along with the favorites and that should hopefully fill our time and make it less stressful and more enjoyable. I only made one dining reservation to meet up with family and the rest is going to be somewhat spontaneous, which I like, because it’s less stressful. I’m really looking forward to Animal Kingdom now that they have Pandora tree and several Avatar rides. This part is looking more spectacular than just the one ride offered in DL. I do however, agree, it seems more “homey” in DL and that is probably because it’s more compact and has lots of locals. I agree, it’s trying to compare apples to oranges. They are just different, but both are still great!! Also, I am not looking forward to the time difference going to FL, so DL is a slight plus for us when we go back next year. Enjoy both!
I completely agree with everything you mentioned. We have been to Disneyland many times but are going to Disney World for the second time this summer. So many new things – Pandora, Galaxy’s Edge, Toy Story Land, Skyliner (Yes, I am excited about this), Mickey and Minnie ride as well as Remy ride coming – to see and do since we were last there. Also, we are doing Universal for the first time too 🙂