I have two daughters, 8 and 6 and they've been wanting to go to Disney for a while now and they're at the prefect age so I don't think we can put it off much longer. My wife doesn't want to go to FL and is advocating for Disney Land instead. We could see some family in CA while we're out there too so I get it. Is DL experience on par with DW for the little girls? Princesses and all that magic and crap? Thanks.
Disney World vs. Disney Land
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Last: 2 yr ago by SA68AG
I've been to WDW dozens of times, both as a kid and as an adult. I've been to DL once (as an adult).
First question: How long are you planning this trip to be?
If you want to visit somewhere for a week, I recommend WDW. The Magic Kingdom blows DL out of the water, and the other parks are great, too. I especially love Animal Kingdom.
I would spend no more than three days at DL. The park is fun, but it's not an immersive experience/all-encompassing resort like WDW is. And, aside from CarsLand, I was underwhelmed by California Adventure.
Basically, Magic Kingdom at WDW was Walt Disney's attempt at a do-over, to correct all of the mistakes he made at DL. The castle at Magic Kingdom at WDW is the most obvious manifestation of that. It blows the DL castle away.
Magic Kingdom also now has rides featuring Snow White, Belle, and Ariel that DL does not have. So, if princesses is what you're looking for, Magic Kingdom at WDW is where you want to go.
I could go on and on as to why WDW is the better choice over DL, but I think the reasons above are probably the best answer to your questions.
First question: How long are you planning this trip to be?
If you want to visit somewhere for a week, I recommend WDW. The Magic Kingdom blows DL out of the water, and the other parks are great, too. I especially love Animal Kingdom.
I would spend no more than three days at DL. The park is fun, but it's not an immersive experience/all-encompassing resort like WDW is. And, aside from CarsLand, I was underwhelmed by California Adventure.
Basically, Magic Kingdom at WDW was Walt Disney's attempt at a do-over, to correct all of the mistakes he made at DL. The castle at Magic Kingdom at WDW is the most obvious manifestation of that. It blows the DL castle away.
Magic Kingdom also now has rides featuring Snow White, Belle, and Ariel that DL does not have. So, if princesses is what you're looking for, Magic Kingdom at WDW is where you want to go.
I could go on and on as to why WDW is the better choice over DL, but I think the reasons above are probably the best answer to your questions.
If you at all value the rest of the trip other than the Disney stuff, I would pick Disneyland. Southern California weather blows away Orlando. We did a week at Disney World and after about three/four days it felt like we were in this weird compound or twilight zone. It's also a hassle to go from park to park. It's a two minute walk from the entrance of one park to the other at Disneyland.
World definitely wins on character meals and that sort of thing. If you want to be smothered in Disney, go to Orlando. If you want to just "spend your days" at Disney, do Anaheim. I think 3 days is a good amount there. One for each park then the third day to hop back and forth hitting your favorites.
World definitely wins on character meals and that sort of thing. If you want to be smothered in Disney, go to Orlando. If you want to just "spend your days" at Disney, do Anaheim. I think 3 days is a good amount there. One for each park then the third day to hop back and forth hitting your favorites.
I see us as more of a 2 or 3 day Disney experience attached to a bigger trip type of people rather than an immersive Disney experience. I don't doubt that DW has way more to offer though.
Honestly, DW is on another level than DL.
For a first/only time, it should be DW.
For a first/only time, it should be DW.
If it makes your wife happy, the 6 and 8 year old will have a ball and Disney Land, sounds like the decision is made.
As well covered on this thread, it is not the same as WDW's totally immersive experience (assuming you would stay on site), and doesn't have the wide diversity of parks with Animal Kingdom, Epcot and Hollywood Studios, but it is still a lot of fun and they wouldn't know what they are missing. Just make sure your wife knows that, and if she still prefers California, then why risk peace in the family?
As well covered on this thread, it is not the same as WDW's totally immersive experience (assuming you would stay on site), and doesn't have the wide diversity of parks with Animal Kingdom, Epcot and Hollywood Studios, but it is still a lot of fun and they wouldn't know what they are missing. Just make sure your wife knows that, and if she still prefers California, then why risk peace in the family?
This.kwammer said:
For a first/only time, it should be DW.
Land is not on par at all with world. Not at all.
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AG
Save your money and have your daughters take turns punching you in the nuts for an hour instead. More fun than disney.
Going to Disneyland is a great spot for those who are not sure if they will enjoy the Disney experience.
-The two parks (Disneyland and California Adventure) are basically right next to each other, so you do not have to deal with the size of WDW.
-The crowds are also often much smaller at Disneyland.
-There are plenty of good neighbor hotels if you do not want to stay at one of the three Disney offerings.
If you are wanting more than an exclusive Disney vacation, Disneyland is the way to go.
Contact me and I will be happy to assist in your planning. My services are free.
-The two parks (Disneyland and California Adventure) are basically right next to each other, so you do not have to deal with the size of WDW.
-The crowds are also often much smaller at Disneyland.
-There are plenty of good neighbor hotels if you do not want to stay at one of the three Disney offerings.
If you are wanting more than an exclusive Disney vacation, Disneyland is the way to go.
Contact me and I will be happy to assist in your planning. My services are free.
Additional considerations:
Time of year you intend to go. Compare the average expected weather. SoCal will usually win that but not always.
Not political. But you might consider the likelihood of covid related restrictions in CA compared to FL. But maybe that doesn't matter to you.
Time of year you intend to go. Compare the average expected weather. SoCal will usually win that but not always.
Not political. But you might consider the likelihood of covid related restrictions in CA compared to FL. But maybe that doesn't matter to you.
Yea that's definitely a good point! I don't want to be stuck wearing a stupid mask the whole time.
Thanks,
Thanks,
Thanks!
Just forget about Land. Not really science, but the latest results from my research is WDW has roughy 480% more pixie dust.
ReloadAg said:
Yea that's definitely a good point! I don't want to be stuck wearing a stupid mask the whole time.
Thanks,
Below are the current requirements regarding masks at Disneyland.
https://disneyland.disney.go.com/experience-updates/
Quote:
All Guests (ages 2 and up) must wear face coverings when indoors, including on many attractions and in enclosed transportation vehicles, regardless of vaccination status. Face coverings are optional in outdoor common areas for all Guests.
Disneyland is equal to Magic Kingdom
California Adventure is a pretty solid park
Animal Kingdom is the big one you'd miss, that's a great park
Epcot is not great for kids so really not missing much
You also have all the other SoCal options with Disneyland.
With kids 6 and 8 either will be fun. DW is more of a week long event. DL is more a 2-3 day thing with other things to do in the area.
California Adventure is a pretty solid park
Animal Kingdom is the big one you'd miss, that's a great park
Epcot is not great for kids so really not missing much
You also have all the other SoCal options with Disneyland.
With kids 6 and 8 either will be fun. DW is more of a week long event. DL is more a 2-3 day thing with other things to do in the area.
If I had daughters who were 6 and 8 years old and were all into Disney princesses and stuff, I'd pull them out of school for a week and go to WDW during the slow season - late September or early October. Still warm enough to swim, not so hot that you just hate being outside. Lines are ridiculously short. Food reservations are easy and abundant. Disney has lots of promotions at those times making it a little cheaper and/or getting you stuff you wouldn't normally get otherwise. Dining plan discounts, room upgrades, additional park days, Etc. If it's an "all about the kids" vacation, then WDW at your daughters' ages is about as good as it gets.
My kids are 18 and 16 now, so pulling them out of school to do fun stuff for a week isn't really an option anymore. But kids in grades K-6 or so can miss a week of school no problem.
My kids are 18 and 16 now, so pulling them out of school to do fun stuff for a week isn't really an option anymore. But kids in grades K-6 or so can miss a week of school no problem.
Totally agree. When my girls were those ages, we did the exact same thing. 2 weeks after Thanksgiving was our annual time to go. WD is wonderful when it is fully decorated for Christmas.Goose said:
If I had daughters who were 6 and 8 years old and were all into Disney princesses and stuff, I'd pull them out of school for a week and go to WDW during the slow season - late September or early October. Still warm enough to swim, not so hot that you just hate being outside. Lines are ridiculously short. Food reservations are easy and abundant. Disney has lots of promotions at those times making it a little cheaper and/or getting you stuff you wouldn't normally get otherwise. Dining plan discounts, room upgrades, additional park days, Etc. If it's an "all about the kids" vacation, then WDW at your daughters' ages is about as good as it gets.
My kids are 18 and 16 now, so pulling them out of school to do fun stuff for a week isn't really an option anymore. But kids in grades K-6 or so can miss a week of school no problem.
I was at Disneyland just two years ago, and we stayed at a nearby hotel that was supposedly within walking distance ... but it was still quite a hike. Plus we had to dodge the crazy homeless people that were accosting everyone walking by.
You can Uber but there is so much traffic making that loop between the offsite hotels and the drop-off spot that it took much longer than you'd think.
Having said all that, Disneyland is perfect for a two-day trip. Disney World really requires a longer stay to get the full impact. But all in all, Disney World is a much better experience.
You can Uber but there is so much traffic making that loop between the offsite hotels and the drop-off spot that it took much longer than you'd think.
Having said all that, Disneyland is perfect for a two-day trip. Disney World really requires a longer stay to get the full impact. But all in all, Disney World is a much better experience.
We just went to DL in August. Spur of the moment trip. Walking back to our hotel across the street in fantastic weather, we realized that we love DL so much more than WDW. It's not close for us. Kids are 8 and 6 and will ride anything their heights allow for. Complete daredevils.
1.)The weather. Incredible so cal weather. No chance of oppressive humidity or sudden downpour.
2.) DL has every thing we want with the exception of mine train and the pandora rides.
3.) Avengers Campus is what Galaxy's edge SHOULD be. Avengers Campus is not set in any time period, and as such, they have all the characters making appearances regardless of their alive/dead status in the current movies.
4.) Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout. Re-purposed Tower of Terror. We hit it 3 times. It's so much better than the Tower of Terror even though it's the same ride. Rocket Racoon leading the ride. Guardians soundtrack the whole time. All characters voiced by the actual actors.
5.) Incredi-coaster. Legit AF roller coaster. Love it. Is there anything like this in WDW?
6.) Epcot just isn't something we value at the moment. Too much construction. Dated rides.
7.) John Wayne/Orange County airport. 15 minutes to the park. F LAX. F MCO.
8.) You can do DL over a long weekend. WDW is a 5 day commitment at minimum. It's exhausting.
9.) Haunted Mansion gets re-done as Nightmare Before Christmas during the holidays. We are here for that.
In closing...DL is a distillation of WDW, and it's everything we want and none of the other fluff.
1.)The weather. Incredible so cal weather. No chance of oppressive humidity or sudden downpour.
2.) DL has every thing we want with the exception of mine train and the pandora rides.
3.) Avengers Campus is what Galaxy's edge SHOULD be. Avengers Campus is not set in any time period, and as such, they have all the characters making appearances regardless of their alive/dead status in the current movies.
4.) Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout. Re-purposed Tower of Terror. We hit it 3 times. It's so much better than the Tower of Terror even though it's the same ride. Rocket Racoon leading the ride. Guardians soundtrack the whole time. All characters voiced by the actual actors.
5.) Incredi-coaster. Legit AF roller coaster. Love it. Is there anything like this in WDW?
6.) Epcot just isn't something we value at the moment. Too much construction. Dated rides.
7.) John Wayne/Orange County airport. 15 minutes to the park. F LAX. F MCO.
8.) You can do DL over a long weekend. WDW is a 5 day commitment at minimum. It's exhausting.
9.) Haunted Mansion gets re-done as Nightmare Before Christmas during the holidays. We are here for that.
In closing...DL is a distillation of WDW, and it's everything we want and none of the other fluff.
Nailed it.
Looking forward to checking out Avengers Campus soon.
Looking forward to checking out Avengers Campus soon.
This was our plan three years ago. It was hot, humid, and crowded the entire time. We went mid September, so maybe that was a little early. But if that's the slow season, I'd hate to see the peak. Still, it was a fun time.Goose said:
If I had daughters who were 6 and 8 years old and were all into Disney princesses and stuff, I'd pull them out of school for a week and go to WDW during the slow season - late September or early October. Still warm enough to swim, not so hot that you just hate being outside. Lines are ridiculously short. Food reservations are easy and abundant. Disney has lots of promotions at those times making it a little cheaper and/or getting you stuff you wouldn't normally get otherwise. Dining plan discounts, room upgrades, additional park days, Etc. If it's an "all about the kids" vacation, then WDW at your daughters' ages is about as good as it gets.
My kids are 18 and 16 now, so pulling them out of school to do fun stuff for a week isn't really an option anymore. But kids in grades K-6 or so can miss a week of school no problem.
That Nightmare Before Christmas overlay they do on Haunted Mansion for fall/Halloween is pretty awesome.
That was one of the reasons we took our trip to DL when we did. The Halloween decorations in CarsLand are great, too.
That was one of the reasons we took our trip to DL when we did. The Halloween decorations in CarsLand are great, too.
I've been to both and been to too many conferences in Orlando to count.
The SoCal weather blows Orlando away even on its best day.
If you have a car you should not stay by DL, you stay in Huntington, Newport, or Laguna Beach.
beachfront71 said:
I've been to both and been to too many conferences in Orlando to count.
The SoCal weather blows Orlando away even on its best day.
If you have a car you should not stay by DL, you stay in Huntington, Newport, or Laguna Beach.
LA driving? F that! I live about 1:15 from Disney when no traffic and we stay up there when we go.
We are Disney nuts. Scratch that, my wife is a Disney nut.
I go to Disney twice a year. My wife 4 or 5 times per year. 90% of our trips are to Orlando, the rest is DisneyLand or international. (We've been to Paris and Tokyo) We don't have any kids.
DW in Orlando is so much better I can't even put it into words adequately, but I'll make a list of some reasons :
Now, all that being said, it sounds like you guys might just want Disney to be part of the trip, and not the whole trip, which may lend DisneyLand to work better for you guys. I think you'd miss out on some of the magic, but I'm guessing 6 and 8 year old girls may not understand the difference between the two experiences anyway since they're not going to do both. AND your wife wants to go to California.
TLDR : DisneyWorld is better, but DisneyLand sounds like it might be better for you guys in your situation.
I go to Disney twice a year. My wife 4 or 5 times per year. 90% of our trips are to Orlando, the rest is DisneyLand or international. (We've been to Paris and Tokyo) We don't have any kids.
DW in Orlando is so much better I can't even put it into words adequately, but I'll make a list of some reasons :
- The cast members are infinitely better, there is more "Disney Magic"
- It's much bigger (in terms of space). I actually feel claustrophobic at DisneyLand due to how cramped everything is.
- Magic Kingdom > DisneyLand
- Hollywood Studios >>> California Adventure. (We haven't been to the new Marvel land, but have tickets for December)
- Disney Springs >>>>> Downtown Disney in CA
- Animal Kingdom and Epcot don't have comparisons in California. Epcot is our favorite park, but understand how it may not be a destination for those with kids. Animal Kingdom has Pandora/Avatar that you can't get anywhere else
- Resorts in Orlando are destinations by themselves. Some have restaurants better than anything in DisneyLand.
- Transportation - busses run from all resorts to all parks. At DisneyLand it was a long walk from our hotel with homeless people to pass by.
- DW is cleaner, better kept up and feels newer.
- Totally immersive. Disney has control of the whole area. At DisneyLand they sometimes run into issues with the city of Anaheim - for example, they had to cancel one of our half marathons because Anaheim revoked their permit or something like that.
- Universal Studios is not far away if you want to spend a day there. (We had a big Harry Potter fan join us on one trip)
Now, all that being said, it sounds like you guys might just want Disney to be part of the trip, and not the whole trip, which may lend DisneyLand to work better for you guys. I think you'd miss out on some of the magic, but I'm guessing 6 and 8 year old girls may not understand the difference between the two experiences anyway since they're not going to do both. AND your wife wants to go to California.
TLDR : DisneyWorld is better, but DisneyLand sounds like it might be better for you guys in your situation.
WTF lol.CoachRTM said:
We are Disney nuts. Scratch that, my wife is a Disney nut.
I go to Disney twice a year. My wife 4 or 5 times per year. 90% of our trips are to Orlando, the rest is DisneyLand or international. (We've been to Paris and Tokyo) We don't have any kids.
some guys have wives that blow their money on purses and pedis.. your wife blows your money on DL hah.
I could think of a lot worse vices. My wife and I went to Disneyland by ourselves before we had kids and had a great time.
62strat said:WTF lol.CoachRTM said:
We are Disney nuts. Scratch that, my wife is a Disney nut.
I go to Disney twice a year. My wife 4 or 5 times per year. 90% of our trips are to Orlando, the rest is DisneyLand or international. (We've been to Paris and Tokyo) We don't have any kids.
some guys have wives that blow their money on purses and pedis.. your wife blows your money on DL hah.
She makes a lot more money than I do, and we have the disposable income for it, so I let her win this battle
ORAggieFan said:beachfront71 said:
I've been to both and been to too many conferences in Orlando to count.
The SoCal weather blows Orlando away even on its best day.
If you have a car you should not stay by DL, you stay in Huntington, Newport, or Laguna Beach.
LA driving? F that! I live about 1:15 from Disney when no traffic and we stay up there when we go.
There is no LA driving in my post.
We did WDW when my son was 5 in June and DL when he was 7 in Jan 2020. We much preferred DL as it was not overwhelming, you could easily bounce between parks during the day, the ride scheduling system/fast pass was much better than WDW, we stayed by DL and walked, and of course the SoCal weather. We felt like we hit everything we wanted to see in 2 days at DL, I would not do more than 3.
All that said, I could see how DL might be a little more geared to boys than girls, but it wasn't something I paid a ton of attention to, and have no insight on Princess stuff other than you would see them around. There also seems to be this thought that with WDW you have to go to all of the parks. We skipped Animal Kingdom when we went and don't think we missed it. I also think Epcot is more appreciated by adults than the kids. So don't go to a park just because you think you have to because you're there. And you could not pay me to go back to WDW in the summer again.
If you do WDW, our friends that live on the east coast and go a lot, say the week immediately preceding the Thanksgiving week is the week to go, it's dead, weather is good, and it's decorated for Xmas. You just have to pull kids out of school, which for WDW is probably worth it. DL you can do a long weekend.
All that said, I could see how DL might be a little more geared to boys than girls, but it wasn't something I paid a ton of attention to, and have no insight on Princess stuff other than you would see them around. There also seems to be this thought that with WDW you have to go to all of the parks. We skipped Animal Kingdom when we went and don't think we missed it. I also think Epcot is more appreciated by adults than the kids. So don't go to a park just because you think you have to because you're there. And you could not pay me to go back to WDW in the summer again.
If you do WDW, our friends that live on the east coast and go a lot, say the week immediately preceding the Thanksgiving week is the week to go, it's dead, weather is good, and it's decorated for Xmas. You just have to pull kids out of school, which for WDW is probably worth it. DL you can do a long weekend.
WDW 50th anniversary extra stuff begins on Oct. 1. Ratatouille ride at EPCOT opens Oct.1st(likely means soft open is already underway) adding to the Frozen ride for that age group at EPCOT. No hard date for the Guardians of the Galaxy roller coaster at EPCOT's opening other than during the WDW 50th anniversary year celebrations. A bunch of the Food & Wine kiosks at EPCOT are already open with the remainders opening on Oct 1.
At the close of Veterans Day in the parks they start changing over to Xmas decor. Takes 2-3 days.East Dallas Ag said:
If you do WDW, our friends that live on the east coast and go a lot, say the week immediately preceding the Thanksgiving week is the week to go, it's dead, weather is good, and it's decorated for Xmas. You just have to pull kids out of school, which for WDW is probably worth it. DL you can do a long weekend.
Right now, the weeks between school starting and Columbus weekend is excellent and the Halloween decor is up. Also, add in the 10-14 days in December between the end of Pop Warner Football and the Xmas break.
"Disney Magic" isn't in my top 20 reasons to visit a Disney park. Guess that means I'm a Disney 2%'er.
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