Are you a traitor (Disney World vs Disneyland)?

[mickEblu]

I have to agree, sadly. Crowds have become insane over the past few years and will only get worse after that dang Star Wars corner opens up.

Yup. Every year they get worse and as soon as you think you’ve figured it out (like traffic on the 101) you realize that there almost is never a time with out crowds/ traffic. It’s just insane, crowded or tolerable. At one point over the last few years Saturday’s were better because lower tier APs are blocked out. Yeah, not so much anymore. Summer is a little better if one is able to deal with the heat. I still have a few days that I pinpoint throughout the year that are comfortable and I guess I’ll just stick to those. There just aren’t enough of them to justify buying an AP anymore. If I lived closer I’d maybe still bite the bullet.

 

[UpAllNight]

I’d been on 3 trips to WDW from the UK, and tried California last year.

We have plans to go back to Florida, but in the immediate we’re going back to California. As a place, I find it so much more awesome than Florida. The weather...the amount going on, the great beaches which are closer to adisney than in Florida, the history of the film industry, the people seem so much more relaxed (no offence intended!)

For us a trip to Florida is 2 or 3 weeks of theme parks and water parks, whereas a trip to California is a week in the parks and a week or so of doing loads of different awesome stuff, so it’s a more balanced, less brutal kind of holiday for us

I love Disneyworld but Disneyland more than scratches the itch, and is better in many ways. Better to experience and enjoy both.

 

[SuddenStorm]

Yup. Every year they get worse and as soon as you think you’ve figured it out (like traffic on the 101) you realize that there almost is never a time with out crowds/ traffic. It’s just insane, crowded or tolerable. At one point over the last few years Saturday’s were better because lower tier APs are blocked out. Yeah, not so much anymore. Summer is a little better if one is able to deal with the heat. I still have a few days that I pinpoint throughout the year that are comfortable and I guess I’ll just stick to those. There just aren’t enough of them to justify buying an AP anymore. If I lived closer I’d maybe still bite the bullet.

I think the additional crowds GE is expected to bring may cause long term harm to the guest experience at Disneyland Park. I'm curious to see what the next decade holds as prices and crowds continue to rise. Will people have enough and stop going?

 

[mickEblu]

I think the additional crowds GE is expected to bring may cause long term harm to the guest experience at Disneyland Park. I'm curious to see what the next decade holds as prices and crowds continue to rise. Will people have enough and stop going?

I think it ll be pretty bad for a year and then taper off to normal terrible crowds like now. To be honest I’ve had enough. I was an AP for 4 years and didn’t renew this past November. Granted, my toddlers tantrums and traffic on the 5 have something to do with it but I think I would still bite the bullet if crowds were tolerable. I’m just not finding the value in an AP at the moment.

Now like many addicts, I didn’t go totally cold turkey. I bought the 3 day So Cal passes for my family and I in March as my son would not stop asking me about DL and my sister is having my nephews B-day at DL in May so it made sense. Between Star Wars Land opening up and my son hitting 40 inches in the next few months (meaning a whole set of new attractions become available to him - most importantly of all RSR)- he’s a HUGE Cars fan) I will probably just pay the extra $440 or so and just upgrade the 3 day passes to the So Cal Selects APs. These passes I can still see some value in, especially if I’m planning on going at least 2-3 more times.

So ya, they still got me. But it’s kind of a special year with my son hitting 40 inches and SWL opening. With that said, they still got me but down from Signature APs to Signature Selects/ 3 Day passes and many less visits / money spent on food and merch in a large part due to the crowds and the effect they have on the quality of my average visit.

 

[Disney Irish]

I think it ll be pretty bad for a year and then taper off to normal terrible crowds like now. To be honest I’ve had enough. I was an AP for 4 years and didn’t renew this past November. Granted, my toddlers tantrums and traffic on the 5 have something to do with it but I think I would still bite the bullet if crowds were tolerable. I’m just not finding the value in an AP at the moment.

Now like many addicts, I didn’t go totally cold turkey. I bought the 3 day So Cal passes for my family and I in March as my son would not stop asking me about DL and my sister is having my nephews B-day at DL in May so it made sense. Between Star Wars Land opening up and my son hitting 40 inches in the next few months (meaning a whole set of new attractions become available to him - most importantly of all RSR)- he’s a HUGE Cars fan) I will probably just pay the extra $440 or so and just upgrade the 3 day passes to the So Cal Selects APs. These passes I can still see some value in, especially if I’m planning on going at least 2-3 more times.

So ya, they still got me. But it’s kind of a special year with my son hitting 40 inches and SWL opening. With that said, they still got me but down from Signature APs to Signature Selects/ 3 Day passes and many less visits / money spent on food and merch in a large part due to the crowds and the effect they have on the quality of my average visit.

 

[Janir]

WDW does the full Disney Bubble much better than DLR. The WDW Disney Bubble there is pervasive enough that a trip to Universal Orlando can still like begin in the Disney Bubble if you're staying on Disney property. Leave to go to USO, come back to a Disney resort., feels very much like never leaving the Disney Bubble to me.

 

[Phroobar]

WDW does the full Disney Bubble much better than DLR. The WDW Disney Bubble there is pervasive enough that a trip to Universal Orlando can still like begin in the Disney Bubble if you're staying on Disney property. Leave to go to USO, come back to a Disney resort., feels very much like never leaving the Disney Bubble to me.

The WDW Disney bubble is better than DLR because there isn't anything to do outside of the bubble except avoiding alligators and rednecks that are trying to reenact scenes from Deliverance. Southern California has thousands of things to do within fifty miles of the park. It's sad that Disneyland tourists don't know what they are missing.

 

[Nextinline]

Ironically, DLR has become a better resort compared to WDW. Spending the morning at the parks, back to the hotel for lunch/pool/drinks, dinner at the hotel/Downtown Disney/one of the Parks, evening at the parks, nighttime show, and a night cap back at the hotel is a darn good day. At WDW that would include about 2 hours of bus travel. At DLR it is a relaxing stroll around the property.

 

[Figments Friend]

Yes, i am a total 'traitor' and proud of it!
DISNEYLAND PARK all THE WAY!!


Total convert, going on twelve years now.
WDW 'lost' me some time ago with their shift in focus.

Used to visit WDW every year or so over a 30+ year period, but once being lured out West after seeing from afar what was going on in 2005 for DLR's 50th i HAD to see for myself.
In 2007, i came 'home' and turned my back to my ol' stomping grounds in Florida.

I love Disneyland.
It is a indeed a very special place, and size means NOTHING.
People are constantly going on and on about the 'smaller' Disneyland and the 'bigger' WDW.
It's not the size that matters, it is what is contained within that space that matters.
Disneyland Park alone has more Attractions and shows then all FOUR Parks in Florida.
There is quite a bit of wasted space and empty ex-Attraction buildings in some of the WDW Parks these days.


Disneyland, in my own personal experiences, continues to consistently deliver a superior Guest experience once one enters the gates.
From the character availability and Interactions, to the plethora of live entertainment options, dining, and of course it's world famous and unique Attractions - Disneyland is 'IT'.
No booking things six months in advance, no FP+ nonsense, no tourists stampeding one over 'commando touring'.
Just walk in the gate, decide on a whim what i feel like doing, and just DO IT.
Love that.
The difference in quality was obvious to me, and i've been enchanted ever since that first visit.
I did'nt even mention how much better the weather is in California....but that should be obvious to those reading here.


So YES, i am indeed a 'traitor' and proud of it.
I still care about WDW and it's future ( exspecially Epcot, my 'third' home ) but when i am ready to have a great time in a Disney Theme Park, Disneyland is my first choice.



-

 

[mlayton144]

The OP should have predicted the responses as this is a Disneyland board. It’s very easily judged , Disneyland is great for a few days , WDW is far superior as a full vacation destination - far far far more and better dining , resort options , and other activities like swimming , golf, shopping , etc etc within the Disney bubble , don’t need a car or anything but your clothes and magic bands. Many folks don’t want to move from motel to motel and spend hours in traffic to visit Hollywood , Griffith obs, the tar pits , or US1. Especially with a family with kids , unpack once and go at your own pace and everything you would want is in one nice package . Vacation isn’t just about how many rides you can ride in one day, if It were people would be coming in droves from all corners of the country to visit Disneyland , the fact is that a far larger majority are locals (that alone says something). It’s no knock on DLR , it is what it is.

 

[Darkbeer1]

Many folks come to Anaheim, get a Hotel for a couple of weeks (The extended stay versions with a kitchen are popular), spend a few days at Disneyland, and then visit the surrounding areas without renting a car. Public transit can get you to many places easily, such as the Buena Park Entertainment Zone, or using the train systems, go to San Diego, Oceanside, San Clemente Pier, Hollywood, Pasadena, Santa Monica, Ventura, Santa Barbara and Santa Clarita (SFMM). This style of trip is common for Australians, New Zealanders and others.

These are the 5 best places to eat right now at the Anaheim Packing House

At the Anaheim Packing House, Georgia’s recently added brunch, Adya continues to host special dinners and events and The Blind Rabbit just nabbed the No. 4 spot in the nation on Yelp’s Top 10…

www.ocregister.com

Plenty of shopping, golf courses, sporting events, beaches, museums, kid friendly venues in and around Anaheim.

And you don't have to pay the Disney pricing on Hotels, dining and shopping, unless you are at the DLR.

www.visitanaheim.org

 

[mlayton144]

Many folks come to Anaheim, get a Hotel for a couple of weeks (The extended stay versions with a kitchen are popular), spend a few days at Disneyland, and then visit the surrounding areas without renting a car. Public transit can get you to many places easily, such as the Buena Park Entertainment Zone, or using the train systems, go to San Diego, Oceanside, San Clemente Pier, Hollywood, Pasadena, Santa Monica, Ventura, Santa Barbara and Santa Clarita (SFMM). This style of trip is common for Australians, New Zealanders and others.

These are the 5 best places to eat right now at the Anaheim Packing House

At the Anaheim Packing House, Georgia’s recently added brunch, Adya continues to host special dinners and events and The Blind Rabbit just nabbed the No. 4 spot in the nation on Yelp’s Top 10…

www.ocregister.com

Plenty of shopping, golf courses, sporting events, beaches, museums, kid friendly venues in and around Anaheim.

And you don't have to pay the Disney pricing on Hotels, dining and shopping, unless you are at the DLR.

www.visitanaheim.org

Agree that there is tons to do in Southern California, but what it really lacks is cohesion and easy planning that a WDW vacation has. That , and the themed resort experience with the Disney touch just doesn’t exist in or around DLR , with the safe, clean , reliable transportion under one umbrella.

 

[socalifornian]

Many folks come to Anaheim, get a Hotel for a couple of weeks (The extended stay versions with a kitchen are popular), spend a few days at Disneyland, and then visit the surrounding areas without renting a car. Public transit can get you to many places easily, such as the Buena Park Entertainment Zone, or using the train systems, go to San Diego, Oceanside, San Clemente Pier, Hollywood, Pasadena, Santa Monica, Ventura, Santa Barbara and Santa Clarita (SFMM). This style of trip is common for Australians, New Zealanders and others.

These are the 5 best places to eat right now at the Anaheim Packing House

At the Anaheim Packing House, Georgia’s recently added brunch, Adya continues to host special dinners and events and The Blind Rabbit just nabbed the No. 4 spot in the nation on Yelp’s Top 10…

www.ocregister.com

Plenty of shopping, golf courses, sporting events, beaches, museums, kid friendly venues in and around Anaheim.

And you don't have to pay the Disney pricing on Hotels, dining and shopping, unless you are at the DLR.

www.visitanaheim.org

I ran into an Aussie asking for directions into and out of SFMM one time and it caught me off guard that he meant public. That Santa Clarita commuter bus comes in handy

 

[Darkbeer1]

Georgia's at the Packing House is great. I just do not like how hard it is to find parking, as much as I loved the food the parking situation made me never want to return.

Well, the ART system goes to the Parking House.

www.rideart.org

There is free parking at City Hall, and a 2 block walk.

And there is F.R.A.N. if you don't want to walk...

https://www.anaheimpackingdistrict.com/single-post/FRAN

>Ctr City Anaheim just launched new micro-transportation, featuring adorable orange vehicles: FRAN - Free Rides Around the Neighborhood. Download the Ctr City Anaheim app for Android or Apple. Then request a ride, and climb aboard to connect from popular destinations, such as MAKE, Anaheim Packing House, Center Street Anaheim and the Downtown Anaheim Community Center. Visit ridefran.com to learn more about FRAN, both the transit and the historical woman who inspired it all. <<

 

[Darkbeer1]

Agree that there is tons to do in Southern California, but what it really lacks is cohesion and easy planning that a WDW vacation has. That , and the themed resort experience with the Disney touch just doesn’t exist in or around DLR , with the safe, clean , reliable transportion under one umbrella.

Glad that Anaheim is hosting the International Pow Wow this year, to prove that totally wrong.

Bringing the World to America®

IPW is the travel industry's premier international marketplace and the largest generator of travel to the U.S.

www.ipw.com

>U.S. Travel Association's IPW 2019 will be held Saturday, June 1, through Wednesday, June 5, at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. IPW will have more than 1,300 exhibitor booths held by U.S. suppliers of USA travel products and destinations and more than 6,200 attendees, including 1,300 international and domestic travel buyers and 500 journalists representing more than 70 countries.<<

 

[Californian Elitist]

The OP should have predicted the responses as this is a Disneyland board. It’s very easily judged , Disneyland is great for a few days , WDW is far superior as a full vacation destination - far far far more and better dining , resort options , and other activities like swimming , golf, shopping , etc etc within the Disney bubble , don’t need a car or anything but your clothes and magic bands. Many folks don’t want to move from motel to motel and spend hours in traffic to visit Hollywood , Griffith obs, the tar pits , or US1. Especially with a family with kids , unpack once and go at your own pace and everything you would want is in one nice package . Vacation isn’t just about how many rides you can ride in one day, if It were people would be coming in droves from all corners of the country to visit Disneyland , the fact is that a far larger majority are locals (that alone says something). It’s no knock on DLR , it is what it is.

We’ve got a few WDW vets who prefer the DLR in the responses, so I don’t think the location of the thread matters all that much.

A vacation at WDW and a Southern California vacation are two vastly different things that shouldn’t really be compared.

 

[PiratesMansion]

While the LA area has so much to offer, the traffic and parking and distance between everything makes it nearly impossible for someone to experience a lot when they vacation out here. Even as a local I only will put up with the headache of traffic for Disney and that's about it. Especially for an outsider the traffic and parking will be exhausting.

I think its nice to turn your brain off and stay at one hotel and go places without having to worry about driving.

While the LA area undoubtedly has a lot of traffic, and it would definitely be obnoxious to deal with as a local, I honestly feel like the terribleness of LA traffic is a bit overstated. Waze has always been very helpful in getting me from place to place without too many traffic delays. Parking has never been as difficult or as expensive as Chicago for me (maybe I've just gotten lucky?). By contrast, I find Atlanta to be a horrific city to drive through (pretty much unavoidable if driving to WDW from Chicago) and if you're going anywhere in Orlando you're probably dealing with I-4 at some point, which is a horrorshow of immobile traffic and incompetent drivers (last time I went through, I almost got hit by other people three times in one day-never happened to me in LA!).

I've never understood the 'nice to not worry about driving' mindset. Maybe if you find driving to be a burden or unenjoyable, which I get, but personally I'd much rather have the ability to leave a place whenever I want and go wherever I want than have to deal with a set schedule, times, and destinations. The last thing I want to do when I'm ready to leave is wait for (usually) a bus that (more often than not) just left while I stand in a (usually) unshaded or otherwise unpleasant waiting area, waiting for the vehicle to come and (hopefully) not be late. Or I could just take my car and eliminate all of these problems.

 

[Californian Elitist]

I would never fly all the way to Florida just to stay at WDW and WDW only for two weeks. I wouldn’t do it for one week. Sounds like a waste of time and a waste of good vacation time to me.

 

[Darkbeer1]

I fail to see how this one event fits the bill of being a self contained vacation resort. Las Vegas is another good example of being in a bubble and having many options without needing to drive.

The Pow Wow is the main Travel Wholesalers event, people that package full vacations (Travel, Hotels, Attractions).

We (the city of Anaheim) will be promoting the 1 and 2 week stays at an Anaheim Hotel and then doing a variety of things without the need for a rental car.

We also will promoting being a host city for the 2028 Olympics, and pushing staying in Anaheim, and then use public transit (Mainly the Metrolink Trains) to attend all the events outside of the Honda Center, Angel Stadium and the Anaheim Arena at the Convention Center.

I use public transit quite a bit, I qualify for free Metrolink (and all LA Metro) rides for myself and 1 other person. And I go to all theme parks (I did SFMM from Anaheim), LA Galaxy Games, the Santa Monica Pier, Hollywood, Pasadena, Riverside. This weekend we are using public transit to attend the Grand Prix of Long Beach.

As I stated earlier, many Austrailians, New Zealanders, and others who don't want to drive stay in Anaheim and do a lot more than Disneyland.

The LA Metro 460 runs every 30 minutes over 18 hours a day. You can go from Disneyland to Knott's/Buena Park in 20 minutes. Keep going to connect with the LA Metro lines Closest is the Green Line) but it takes you all the way to the 7th Street Metro Station.

Starline offers Guided Tour trips from Anaheim.

ARTIC has both Metrolink and AMTRAK trains servicing it.

The Google Maps App offer Public Transit planning, so easy to figure out where to go, which stop to get off at, etc.

The Anaheim Hotels tend to be cheaper per night, offer better rooms (such as extended stay locations with Kitchens and free breakfast).

If Las Vegas is a Bubble, so is Anaheim. Heck, the city runs both the Anaheim Resort Transit and the F.R.A.N.

Heck, the time on an ART buses can be less than a WDW bus!

 

[Darkbeer1]

I completely disagree that Anaheim is even close to the Las Vegas Strip in terms of offerings. This includes food and entertainment as well as nearness of everything. Having to take multiple busses and trains does not make something easy to navigate or self contained. Furthermore, many areas of Anaheim are very dangerous, especially at night. I can't see many families using these options in Anaheim and they would opt to drive instead.

While YOU might drive, many Anaheim Visitors have no desire to drive, don't rent a car and are used to public transit.

Plenty of things to see and do with ONE Single bus trip. Add a train/rail leg, and you expand even more. Beaches, Theme Parks, Major Tourist locations, Multiple Sports venues. Nobody is sending anyone to dangerous sections of any town in the area.