Why Every Disney Fan Should Visit Disneyland
Disneyland and Disney California Adventure are excellent theme parks, but many fans never visit, opting instead for annual pilgrimages to Walt Disney World. In this post, we’ll make the case for Florida loyalists to make the trip to California, and give our pitch as to some of Disneyland Resort’s selling points.
Before we get started, we do want to be clear that this post is about the strengths of Disneyland, and the title should not be read as an imperative. There’s a lot of “you’re not a true Disney fan unless…” on the internet, much of which seems to be oneupmanship so certain people can claim superiority over others. You’re a true Disney fan if you claim you’re a true Disney fan, full stop. There’s no checklist of requirements for being a true or serious fan, and we realize that many people either cannot visit Disneyland or aren’t interested for their own personal reasons. We aren’t here to judge.
What we are here to do is make a sales pitch for Disneyland, particularly to those who think it’s inferior to Walt Disney World, and thus not worth their time. In my experience, a lot of frequent Walt Disney World guests never visit Disneyland, basically, because it’s smaller than Walt Disney World, not as isolated from the real world, and because it can cost more to visit Disneyland. There are other reasons as well, but these are the ones most frequently cited.
Then there’s the concocted rivalry between the coasts, and sense of defensiveness Walt Disney World fans have towards their home resort. I was once one of those defensive Walt Disney World fans, and had that same “sports team” mentality for Walt Disney World.
Growing up with annual visits to Florida and viewing Walt Disney World as my home resort (and I’d still describe it as such even though we’re now farther away now), I didn’t have much desire to visit Disneyland for a long time. It wasn’t until we were out in California for a wedding several years ago that felt compelled to make a visit, and we immediately fell in love.
After being Disneyland locals and Annual Passholders for a few years now, I feel I can say with some authority that those Walt Disney World fans just don’t get it. I mean no disrespect with that; I think each coast has its own strengths and weaknesses, but to judge Disneyland on its weaknesses alone is a grave error.
Yes, Disneyland does have two parks to Walt Disney World’s four. No, Disneyland doesn’t have any water parks. Yes, Disneyland only has three resort-hotels, and all are fairly pricey. Yeah, the real world does encroach-upon Disneyland. These seem to be some pretty serious blows to Disneyland being a viable tourist destination, but trust me, it is a great place to vacation.
First, the big reason: Disneyland is the original Magic Kingdom. It’s the only park Walt Disney personally walked, and its history and historic detail is amazing. Anyone who fancies themselves a Disney history buff should try to visit Disneyland if they can. Walt Disney’s original magic kingdom is like a museum in some ways, and between the park’s preserved history and its intimate size, there’s a charm to Disneyland that’s unlike anything in Florida.
Honestly, the sooner the better on that one. In recent years, we’ve noticed some of the quaint charms of Walt Disney’s park have started to fade, replaced by a resort destination becoming increasingly reminiscent of Walt Disney World in terms of vibe. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and Disneyland becoming a resort destination will have a lot of positives for the park. It’s just a different tone, and one that feels like its moving away from its historic legacy.
When Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens, it’s unlike that quaintness will be felt again for several years (if ever). Not only does this Star Wars land have a different scope and scale than the rest of the park (that some, including me, would argue is out of place in Disneyland), but it’s going to draw hordes of new guests. Even the places that retain their charm and sense of history won’t feel like it in 2019 and beyond because they’ll be packed with people.
In any case, Walt Disney’s legacy at Disneyland should be enough of a reason to plan a visit to Disneyland. In case it’s not, we come to the second reason to visit: Disneyland (the park) has a staggering attraction line-up, with almost every version of attractions that are offered in both Walt Disney World and Disneyland being somewhat better to substantially better at Disneyland.
Pirates of the Caribbean is longer, and the added duration makes it arguably the best Disney attraction in the world. It’s a small world has a beautiful outdoor facade and includes subtle and well done (that’s right!) Disney characters. Indiana Jones Adventure puts the Animal Kingdom attraction with the same bloodlines to shame. The Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage puts the enjoyable Epcot attraction to shame. The list goes on and on.
Despite there only being two parks to Walt Disney World’s four, Disneyland is packed with attractions, being the most ride-dense park in the United States. While many regard Walt Disney World Resort as two full day parks and two half day parks, by contrast, Disneyland Resort is one two day park and one full day park. Seriously, the attraction line-up is really that solid at Disneyland Resort.
Over at Disney California Adventure, there’s the flagship Cars Land, which is reason-enough for anyone with Cars-obsessed kids to pack the bags for the West Coast. There’s also lesser-publicized but enjoyable attractions unique to that park, like Grizzly River Run, Frozen: Live at the Hyperion, and Red Car Trolleys.
There’s also Pixar Pier (if you’re starting to plan now, it’ll likely be open by the time you visit), Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout, and ‘a bug’s land.’ Then there’s the superlative way every evening ends, with World of Color, arguably the most awe-inspiring nighttime spectacular in the United States.
Third, planning. Or rather, lack thereof. Has Walt Disney World planning become overwhelming, frustrating, or downright tedious for you? Well, you’re in luck, because Disneyland Resort does not require much beyond having a rough itinerary and showing up.
There is no FastPass+ (there is MaxPass, but it’s same-day only). Advance Dining Reservations aren’t really a thing, and most of the time restaurants have availability a few days ahead of time or even the same day (we almost never make reservations). You don’t have to fret about transportation, upcharges, and other logistics because it’s mostly as simple as getting up, walking from your off-site hotel room to the parks, and going about your day.
For better or for worse, this more laid-back style of Disneyland is due to the large local audience, almost none of whom plan their post-work arrivals to the parks. The “good” of this is the lack of planning, as well as the superior seasonal offerings and upkeep of the parks.
The bad of this is the crushing effect Annual Passholders can have on operations. I don’t know if you’ve heard of it, but nearby Los Angeles is a somewhat large town, and that coupled with its outlying county and Orange County means the pool of potential local guests on any given day at Disneyland Resort is significantly larger than it is at Walt Disney World.
This is why going when most APs are blocked out is a savvy strategy, as is going early in the morning, or at times when local kids are in schools. (There’s another upside in this: unlike Walt Disney World, Disneyland still does have an off-season, and there’s a more pronounced difference between slow days at Disneyland than at Walt Disney World.)
Finally, hotels. This is another mixed bag. With its smaller footprint, there one real flaw to Disneyland: it is encroached upon by the real world far too much. However, if you can get past this, you can actually use it to your advantage. Even when we had to fly out to California to visit, we rarely stayed on-site at Disneyland because the off-site hotels are all so close, and because there aren’t the same perks to staying on-site at Disneyland.
While we love Disney’s Grand Californian, which has an entrance into DCA, its price can eclipse $500 per night. Disneyland Hotel is usually less expensive and we are also big fans of it, although it’s not as close as the Grand Californian. Paradise Pier Hotel is barely a Disney hotel, so it’s out of the question.
You can find hotels along Harbor Boulevard that are a 5-10 minute walk to Disneyland–closer than 2 of Disneyland’s 3 official hotels–and most are in the $100-150/night range. (The only hotel within walking distance of Magic Kingdom is Disney’s Contemporary Resort, and it’s exponentially more expensive.) While these prices have increased since Cars Land opened and are sure to climb further once Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge debuts, Walt Disney World hotel prices have also been steadily climbing.
This savings in price on the hotel (and rental car, which you won’t need) alone make up for any increase in the price of airfare. From our experience, airfare is about 25% more expensive to Anaheim than it is to Orlando, but obviously your mileage may vary on that depending upon your starting location. Food is slightly more expensive in Disneyland (and significantly “more better”), but park tickets are cheaper. Overall, our trips to Disneyland are usually around the same price as a trip to Walt Disney World of a comparable length.
In all honesty, though, comparing Disneyland and Walt Disney World isn’t that easy. It’s like comparing two of your children. Yeah, in the back of your mind, you secretly prefer one over the other (kidding, parents), but it’s a tough comparison because you love them both. It’s probably a comparison you shouldn’t even make since both resorts are so different. You simply need to experience both.
Because of all these additional attractions and offerings, it’s easy to turn a trip to Disneyland’s two parks into a vacation. If you’re able to spend two or three days at the Magic Kingdom and Epcot, you will easily be able to spend three or four days at Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure. Back when we used to vacation at Disneyland, we could easily spend five days in the parks and not do it all.
For us, Disneyland Resort was the perfect long-weekend destination, whereas it’s very difficult to do Walt Disney World in a long weekend. We found that if we only had 4 days to do a trip, Disneyland was the much better choice for efficiently spending that time and having a satisfying visit.
This is because you will have less wasted time at Disneyland. Want to park hop? Instead of spending 45 minutes waiting on a bus or monorail, you spend less than 5 minutes walking across the Esplanade to the other park. Dinner reservations at the resort’s nicest restaurant? Instead of catching two buses to Jiko or taking an Uber, you walk five minutes to Napa Rose in Disney’s Grand California Resort & Spa. You only ever need one form of transportation on a Disneyland vacation: your feet.
If you have more vacation time than that, and are worried that Disneyland Resort won’t be enough, we have good news: there is a lot to do in Southern California besides Disneyland. We can quibble over whether Walt Disney World or Disneyland is the superior resort choice, but I think it’s very difficult to make a compelling argument that Florida beats California as a vacation destination.
While we like Orlando well-enough, it’s not a place most people would visit were it not for the theme parks. California is a different story. From Los Angeles to the beach cities to National Parks to yes, even other theme parks, California is a much more compelling vacation destination than Florida. Even the sunshine is better in California: it comes without humidity, and almost never in liquid form.
The comparisons don’t end there, and if you’re reading about them in more depth, check out our “Walt Disney World v. Disneyland” post debating the pros and cons of each. If you’ve never been to either Walt Disney World or Disneyland Resort, it’s a good place to start as we attempt to weigh the strengths and weaknesses of each in a (hopefully) unbiased manner. It should give you a good idea of which will be better for your family’s vacation.
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
If you’ve visited both, do you enjoy Disneyland for its own unique selling points, or do you remain a Walt Disney World loyalist? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment of the strengths of Disneyland? Other reasons WDW fans should visit California? Any questions? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts or questions below in the comments!
Perfection Tom!
As someone who’s been visiting the Disneyland Resort for 46 years, but loves Walt Disney World more than any place on the Planet, I agree with every single word.
Thank You.
Excellent post — living in the Chicago area, most people don’t even seem to consider Disneyland when planning a Disney vacation (I’m always trying to convince them to give it a shot!). Having been to both DRL and WDW as a teenager in the early ’90s and then more recently as a parent of little kids, I much preferred the DLR experience for most of the same reasons you noted. (For example, a few years ago at Disneyland our very little ones got super tired around 9pm — but after walking them back to our hotel across Harbor Blvd. and getting them settled down and asleep in their beds, I realized I could go back into the park and have some fun hitting few of the height-restricted rides I’d missed earlier. So with my wife’s blessing I jogged back over to the park and within 15 minutes of leaving the room I was near the front of the queue for Indiana Jones, followed by a ride on Big Thunder Mountain. Then, feeling hungry, I popped over to McDonalds to bring a couple orders of piping hot fries back to the room. That whole “solo dad” adventure probably took 60 minutes at most. Nothing like that could have happened at WDW!).
However, getting to California and back is definitely tougher — both more time-consuming and financially challenging — so DLR is harder sell for the typical Midwesterner because those extra special elements of being at DLR are more nuanced and harder to articulate.
I hear you living in Minnesota. Luckily I scored some $99 roundtrip tickets for my visit in May.
All good points. I grew up in southern California and I have fond memories of Disneyland with my family. I’ve only been once as an adult (because I live in North Carolina) but I was still smitten. There’s a certain nostalgia to it…maybe it’s the personal Walt Disney touch. That said, I would say that our trips to Disney World with our kids (two in the past three years) were some of the best times of my life. The escapism of it was the biggest draw for me. To be completely immersed in all things Disney. It was like the real world didn’t exist and my family was in a little magical cocoon. Because my husband travels so much for work (military), being able to have the isolated time as a family at WDW was priceless. Yes, there are lots of other people but the ability to truly leave the real world behind for a week and focus on family time is usually so needed for us. We are toying with the idea of doing Disneyland this year so that we can visit my family in southern Cali as well but I’m just not sure. While I DO agree that the attractions of Disneyland are superior to WDW (and that’s coming from someone who predates Cars Land and California Adventure), I’m not sure I want to give up that sense of being in a different world. Despite the busy trips, I found it very relaxing.
I live in Orlando and am a big fan and annual passholder of the Disney Parks there. However, I felt the need to make a “pilgrimage” to the “mother park.” I’ve been there 3 times since the late 1990’s. The first time was with my parents during the off season and we got on almost everything with no lines. The next two times, I went by myself. It was far from off season, and I had to wait in some 60 minute lines, but that’s okay.
I have long wanted to go to Anaheim, but I have disagree that the price difference is not significant. The price difference can be HUGE, especially for a family of 5 like mine. First, you have to multiply the increased airfare by 5. Second, off-site hotels typically require you to book two hotel rooms or a suite for a family of 5, whereas most Disney World hotels allow 5 in a single standard room. Third, the lack of magical express means transportation options are (a) airport shuttles that charge per person, (b) expensive minivan taxi or Uber XL since we can’t fit in a regular cab, or (c) car rental so that we can experience the “joy” of LA traffic which, while more affordable, is a pretty miserable way to spend a vacation especially when you factor in the time to pick up and drop off the rental car eating into precious vacation hours. Fourth, there is no dining plan, which typically allows us to save a LOT of money on character meals. Fifth, you have to add Maxpass per ticket (another $50 per day) to get app functionality that is free at Disney world (and little kid feet cannot run around the park to pick up paper fastpasses easily).
My first Disney park visit was Disneyland in 1981, while at a conference in Anaheim. I spent one evening with a few friends in the park, and it was mind-blowing. Since then my family and I have been to WDW about eight times, often because it was more convenient. However, my wife and I were back shortly after California Adventure opened (the conference was in LA that time), and again in 2016 (you guessed, it, the conference had returned to Anaheim). Everything Tom says about Disneyland Resort is true, mostly (Tower of Terror was one attraction that was better at WDW, which is why I as not bothered by the rebranding at CA). It is a different experience, and one that WDW “fans” should seriously consider partaking in. It is indeed a delight to just walk where you want to go, and careful scheduling can yield smaller crowed. However, there is no Riverside, no Safari, no Sunny Eclipse, etc. And that’s the point: These places are similar, but different. You need to see both.
While we frequent the WDW parks in Florida annually, we have taken a few vacations out west to visit Disneyland and California Adventure. My family and I recently returned from such a trip within the last three weeks. I agree with much of what you write in your blog. There is however, a different feel to Disneyland. The rides are great and the food is great. Disneyland does however have a different vibe. Almost like a neighborhood theme park more than a destination place like WDW. I have a tendency to talk and visit with people while waiting in the line for an attraction. Almost 100% of the people I conversed with at Disneyland were locals from California or neighboring states.
The only negative I can speak of from our visits to Disneyland have been the employees. The employees at Disneyland have a different approach to their jobs than at WDW. We just have the impression that the Disneyland employees are simply going through the motions and getting through the work day whereas the WDW workers seem to execute their work day with more enthusiasm and effort.
Great article Tom! I’m a lifelong WDW Go-er, and I spent many years wanting to visit DLR. I finally did in late 2016 for the first time and I loved every second of it. Disneyland is incredible, and DCA also blew my mind, it’s like a fully realized hybrid of the old Hollywood studios mixed with a bit of Epcot. I got to ride the final day of Tower of Terror (before the Guardians changeover) and as a special treat everyone got to ride it in complete pitch black and it was just amazing! I can’t wait to go back to DLR.
As a Disney fan who also grew up in WDW since 1989 (I am from the UK but this is our home park), one of my big dreams in life was to visit Disneyland. There was a pull to walk in Walt’s footsteps.
In 2014 that dream became a reality. I’m not ashamed to admit I cried the moment I walked under the train station, glanced to the left and saw Walt’s apartment.
To walk through that castle knowing that the great man walked there was my everything.
The difference in CM’s is also noticeable. I am in NO way criticizing CM’s in WDW – they do a good job in a very tough environment.
But to give an example, when I was on my own on my second visit in 2016, I got talking to a CM and got a hug from them before I went on my way.
I am a firm believer that if you have the means (especially coming from the UK, I am going back in Oct for 8 nights and its very expensive), then you absolutely should visit this absolute joy of a destination.
There’s something very special in the air there.
I am a So Cal native and have been to Disneyland hundreds of times. My kids and I just returned from a week long trip to WDW. We did a day at each park, and two at Magic Kingdom. I agree 110% with Tom’s sentiments here. BOTH Parks have so much to offer. While WDW may offer MORE, Disneyland and California Adventure offer charm, history and ease.
Growing up in the shadow off the Matterhorn, I find my past fee Disney adventures have been at WDW. So why there? Because I feel more immersed in the “Disney” Experience with the Magical Express to my resort ( Port Orleans French Quarter) to my favorite park, Animal Kingdom. Disneyland is a better Magic Kingdom by far … It is like WDW is a great big buffet and everything is great but Disneyland is like an entree at a fine restaurant executed to perfection.
Great Post Tom!
I too grew up on WDW to include the College Program though my first visit to any park was DL but I was 1! For 6 years my wife and I lived in Phoenix and made first visit to DL in 2008. Wow!!!! We have now been back 3 times even though we now live in WI! Just this year we are visiting DL Twice & WDW just once! We owned DVC at SSR and BLT bust are in escrow to sell SSR and buy Grand Cal. I just paid $195 a point! I don’t care we love the proximity of DL the Legacy FP system! As camandos the math is simple WDW 21 ETix/Must Do’s vs DL 18 ETix/Must Do’s in 2 less parks! Average is 5 rides vs 9 rides not to mention the shows World of Color is bestter than cool but tired Eluminations and Fanasmic is much more intimate in Rivers vs a generic ampatheatre! Now you throw on top the history of Walt close the book!!! It’s a rap!!! WDW still has pluses too but at the moment DL OG it’s like Jordan Vs Lebron still wanna be like Mike!
Funny you posted this. I am going this week! Any tips?
I can’t wait to visit Disneyland one day!! This article gave me more reasons to feel it was feesable to check it out even on a short trip….
On a side note …. I’m not saying which is better between Cali vs FL, bc I think they’re so truly different (culturally, geographically, really everything) …but I have to ask, have you had any time to explore outside Orlando? I’m not as familiar with your travel blog, so I’m not really sure what you’ve seen of Florida besides Disney? As a Floridian I’m just kinda worried you haven’t seen real Florida & are missing out. There’s a lot of weird & truly beautiful places here & I hope you discover some of them. Cheers, & thanks for all of your amazing tips. Hoping to go to Japan one day too!
I don’t think Tom was knocking Florida as a non-Disney vacation destination but as a Midwesterner who’s vacationed in (and enjoyed) both areas, it’s hard to argue against California being vastly superior in the depth and variety of vacation experiences. You could quite easily go deep sea fishing and downhill skiing in the same day in southern California, or spend the morning strolling along Hollywood Boulevard and finish the day with a sunset hike in Yosemite National Park or a bike ride across the Golden Gate Bridge. Florida has some advantages (like generally warmer and more swimmable ocean beaches, as well as unique places like the Kennedy Space Center and various clear springs) but on the whole California is pretty much a vacation wonderland.
Hi, being from Australia I have now been able to compare both parks. In my opinion Disneyland is better there is a magic there that appears to not be at WDW. My wife, who is not a Disney head like me, even said it felt different to DLR.
For me after my visit to WDW this year I will not return unless there is specific reason. I just prefer DLR for the true magic. I just didn’t fell WDW delivered on its promise in such a huge area.
I’m most disappointed with how short Pirates is at Disney World. Seems like space isn’t put to good use and there’s plenty more examples of how space is wasted for no good reason. Small World is an example of how they didn’t put enough dolls and decorations in a ride that needs more. Disneyland’s Small World is still the best with layers of detail. Star Wars Land looks smaller at Disney Hollywood Studios. They blew a chance to make it better than Disneyland’s version with an extra third entrance from Critter Country. Even Toy Story Land at DHS will have a mere 3 rides compared with California Adventure that had 4 rides at Bugs Land (soon to be gone). Disneyland Resort has more flat rides than Disney World in 4 parks. This makes absolutely no sense. Anyways, I grew up going to Disneyland. Disney World was always my dream. Both places will be better than ever but it took a very long time.
I live on the east coast so people are always surprised when I say I’m going to Disneyland, and their first question is always “So which do you like better?” and they don’t realize what a long answer they’re in for. I think you hit the main differences on the head! We did a big WDW trip 2 years ago and had a ton of fun, but by the end of the week I was physically and mentally exhausted. I just got back from a Disneyland trip and it was so relaxing by comparison – it just felt so much more like a “vacation” than a WDW trip. The quaint charm and laid-back nature of Disneyland are my favorite things about it.
Having gone to both I prefer WDW. More to see & do. I really like AK, HS & Epcot. Although, If you mainly go for MK you’re probably just as happy at Disneyland.
I Also find there are more accomodation options in the WDW area and for us there are better flight options to Orlando.
It was fun to go for a tour of LA /Hollywood /Rodeo Drive etc and visit Universal Hollywood while we were visiting Disneyland but none of that was really close by – a bit of a trek to get to from the Disneyland area. The Anaheim arena is near Disneyland and we went to an NHL game and saw the Ducks play our home team while we were there, that was fun. Cost quite a bit for a shuttle both ways for the LA airport, long ride to Anaheim area. Traffic was crazy and I wouldn’t have felt comfortable renting a car and driving. I’m glad we went once at least but probably won’t go again.
I visited Disneyland for the first time in 1990 during their 35th anniversary celebration and immediately fell in love with it. I too had only visited WDW as I was from Indy and CA was just too far for regular family vacations. I enjoy the different feel and more intimate atmosphere at Disneyland where WDW is a more ‘grand’ and possibly overwhelming experience at times. I love both resorts, each has it’s benefits. Though I haven’t been to WDW in quite a while, I would say WDW has a significant dining quality edge over it’s Anaheim counterpart, however I’ve heard the quality has downgraded in recent years at many of the locations. I could ramble hours on the subject.
Totally agree with all your thoughts…we too were strictly WDW visitors since 2001 (yearly) with a couple of prior trips, and we went to Disneyland finally in 2015 for my son’s high school graduation present and also fell in love! So much so that we have decided to alternate our yearly trips . This past May/June 2017 we did Disneyland again, …we were there for the Mission Breakout fan grand opening event and had a blast. Can’t wait to go back.