1st Visit - Overall impressions...

[Mickey_777]

Everyone has different tastes....mine are totally more of TP2000's mindset. I always hated how forced the "Have a Magical day" spiel is at WDW. When i worked there they really truly did shove that into our heads to say to guests. Lucky for me I was in entertainment and hardly had to go around with a fake smile saying it. :lol:

Every CM, regardless of what thier bosses tell them to say (because it's their job) is faking it. Being a CM is still a job and I bet 90% of them, around 8pm, just want to clock out and leave.

How could you look at DCA any less than DHS? I think Hollywood Studios feels like a crappier version of California Adventure...even though DCA is in the middle of a massive overhaul. The one thing I really like about DCA is how a good majority of the big WDW attractions have been placed into this park, to make it a worthy second gate to the best theme park on the planet. I'd take DCA over DHS or DAK any day.

DHS, at the very least, has a cohesive layout and theming from land to land (except the dumb hat). DCA has some gems and will hopefully all make sense as a unit once all of this first phase of construction is finished. As of right now IMO, DHS is still a better park and not a sum of attractions from WDW here and there.

In terms of which resort feels more magical...everybody is gonna have a different experience. Personally Disneyland, the original Magic Kingdom, is as "magical" as it gets. Once I went thru the tunnel and into Main Street, I forgot I was in Anaheim. DCA is another story. Like I said above, I'm just glad it's getting this major and desperately needed overhaul.

The extra perks for staying on property at WDW are nice though not perfect (ie the hot/crowded buses) but I can see how if that is your Disney norm/expectations how a trip to DLR can be let down. WDW is literally a Disney "world" with all that it entails. We usually stay off property in Orlando(mostly cause we only pay $49 a night at the Sheraton thru my brothers discount ) so that probably helped us not feel that different when we went to DL. We're going back to DLR soon even though we prefer and could have gone to WDW. Why? Because Disneyland Parks is pretty awesome.

 

[worldfanatic]

Interesting post, and I completely understand it.
Having visiting Disneyland for all my life, and Walt Disney World on a regular basis for the past 20 years, I can definitely agree there is a difference in the Magic. I love them both!! But they're different.

At WDW, we always stay at a Disney resort and in California we didn't.

the little things that make WDW so special just weren't there in Anaheim - the Magical Express, the bus rides from the resort to the parks

Not staying at a Disney Resort certainly has an affect, although not as much as at WDW (where I wouldn't be caught dead off property).

I agree that the transportation at WDW (all types) is a big part of its Magic for me.

At WDW, the constant "Have a Magical Day!" phrases seem to be to be so blandly corporate, so forced and phony, so marketing driven and hollow, that it leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth. :hurl:

I also find it fascinating that stuff like riding the Disney bus back to Port Orleans is actually a positive trait of WDW for you.

Staying at Disneyland off-property isn't really the easiest comparison to staying on property at WDW.

I agree the "Have a Magical Day" schtick is way overplayed at WDW.
I cringe every time I hear it. It's just so phony!!

But I don't agree with renting a car at WDW versus using the transportation.
I love the transportation, including the buses and bus stops.
The thought of renting a car and driving around Disney World turns my stomach.
I try not to drive on vacation. And Disney's made it easy for me to avoid at WDW. Never gonna happen.

Fortunately, at Disneyland, unless you've done no research and made a truly horrible hotel decision, your feet (and an occasional monorail) are all you'll need.

I always hated how forced the "Have a Magical day" spiel is at WDW.

How could you look at DCA any less than DHS? I think Hollywood Studios feels like a crappier version of California Adventure...even though DCA is in the middle of a massive overhaul.

Again, agree on the "Magical day" abomination.

Also, agree that California Adventure is FAR superior to Hollywood Studios.
And that's before they finish the rehab.
DHS is currently a half day park at best.
DCA is on the verge of becoming a "GEM" in the Disney stable.

Disneyland is full of locals who visit often. They don't really need a one of a kind, magical experience every time they visit.

there's a lot less "dumb tourists". There's no fighting for parade spots or fireworks spots. In fact, you can walk up 30 seconds before the fireworks start and have enough space around you to do a cartwheel. People are a lot less pushy and a lot more patient. Everyone's been on all the rides and seen all the shows a million times, so there's no reason to knock people over to get the 'best spot'. Makes for a much more relaxing day.

See both sides of this argument.
I love the more relaxed "been there, done that" feeling around DLR, but also appreciate the excitement generated by the "dumb tourists" at WDW.:ROFLOL:

I think DL Park is the absolute best park in the world, but I don't get the feeling of being somewhere else that you really get at WDW.

I really feel like DL is better run, better managed, and better maintained then WDW.

I know exactly what you're saying.
DLR is the better run resort by far.
But the scale of WDW really takes you away and makes you feel like you're in a special off-the-map place.

I think because the parks at DL are so small and condensed, I missed the open space feel and leisurely strolling of WDW.

Yep, while I love the Disneyland Resort, the open spaces, multitude of resorts, and places to go at Walt Disney World make it my favorite.
You can't compete with all that real estate.
Walt knew what he was doing when he headed to Florida.

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

I think the measuring of "magic" (which I absolutely despise but have to deal with constantly in every Disney parks forum) has less to do with the resort at all and more to do with your own experiences and nostalgia.

It usually comes down to whichever Disney you visit first. 5 trips in 8 years and then head to Disneyland, you're going to have a lot to compare. If staying at a moderate resort, taking the bus, and having lots of travel time is part of the "magic" for you, obviously you're not going to find that at DLR.

 

[Nicole220]

Every CM, regardless of what thier bosses tell them to say (because it's their job) is faking it. Being a CM is still a job and I bet 90% of them, around 8pm, just want to clock out and leave.

Not everyone is faking it. There are some of us that really do love our job and love interacting with the guests. I've been told quite a few times that Disneyland has the best and friendliest employees.

I will say this- I've never said "have a magical day" nor have I had anyone tell me to say it. I think it's a little too cheesy.

 

[Mickey_777]

Not everyone is faking it. There are some of us that really do love our job and love interacting with the guests. I've been told quite a few times that Disneyland has the best and friendliest employees.

I will say this- I've never said "have a magical day" nor have I had anyone tell me to say it. I think it's a little too cheesy.

Have you ever been told by your supervisor, to use specific language? I'm pretty sure WDW cast members are told to use the word "magical" and that's the point. They're just being good employees. It's awesome that you enjoy being a CM but I have no doubt that you work with some major jerks that slip into "Happy Cast Member Mode" ONLY during thier shift.

 

[steve2wdw]

There's no fighting for parade spots or fireworks spots. In fact, you can walk up 30 seconds before the fireworks start and have enough space around you to do a cartwheel. People are a lot less pushy and a lot more patient. Everyone's been on all the rides and seen all the shows a million times, so there's no reason to knock people over to get the 'best spot'. Makes for a much more relaxing day.

Maybe it depends on when you visit during the year, but I've found the exact opposite each of the 5 times (20 days total) that I've visited DL in the last 10 years. While watching the parades, the fireworks and especially Fantasmic, I've felt like I was in a nightclub, with guests everywhere pushing and shoving for better spots. But far worse was the loud conversations going on all around me....I assumed that most had seen these shows, like you said, a million times. That was the only complaint I had about DL. Everything else, physically, with the resort was great. While I love WDW's spaciousness, I also love the charm of the DL Resort. Like a Thomas' English Muffin, I like it's nooks and crannies! Somedays at WDW, I wish, that like DL, everything was within walking distance, then other days I love decompressing from a day in the parks on a boat ride back to my resort. Even a bus ride (that's not packed to the gills) can be enjoyable when getting to talk to other guests from around the globe. Each resort offers it's own escape from the magic in it's own way. If you're a WDW veteran, you just have to look the other way when that pesky old Anaheim comes into view. (That is the blessing of Florida.) Once the Cadillac Range of Radiator Springs is finished, it will make it a little easier to keep the real world out of DCA. The berm at DL already does a pretty good job of that!

And about the "Magical Day" thing....I don't mind that. Its calling every little girl princess, that's starting to wear a little thin on me (although I realize the young ones light up when they're referred to as a princess).