Disneyland Fantasyland vs. WDW Fantasyland

[Cosmic Commando]

Side facade:

IMO, it's a little weird to even call that "side facade" part of Peter Pan. I know that's the queue there, but still. The picture doesn't show it very well, but you pretty much turn a corner right where the facade changes from castle to tile roof/brownish. At that point, the facade isn't representing Peter Pan; it is/was blending in with the Tangled area or the Alpine-themed Skyway and getting you to start thinking about being in Liberty Square. That building with the flowers all the way on the right is Columbia Harbour House and the infamous Liberty Square-Fantasyland transition.

 

[unkadug]

why is the poll closed?

 

[Little Green Men]

@TP2000 Glad to add thought provoking stuff. As for the other attractions, I guess you can say they handle low amounts of people, but there are many attractions around the parks that handle a small amount too. Idt it's fair to compare the extra stuff WDW has to the rest of So Cal because the stuff is all Disney owned and a part of the WDW resort, the So Cal stuff is not run by Disney at all (I guess you could count the Disney Studio in CA, I'm not really sure how close that is though.)

 

[Cosmic Commando]

@TP2000 Glad to add thought provoking stuff. As for the other attractions, I guess you can say they handle low amounts of people, but there are many attractions around the parks that handle a small amount too. Idt it's fair to compare the extra stuff WDW has to the rest of So Cal because the stuff is all Disney owned and a part of the WDW resort, the So Cal stuff is not run by Disney at all (I guess you could count the Disney Studio in CA, I'm not really sure how close that is though.)

Unless there is some contractual obligation binding you to stay on Disney-owned land 100% of the time, I think it's fair to compare all of Southern California to all of Central Florida.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

why is the poll closed?

I think most polls make you pick a time that the poll runs for.

 

[unkadug]

I think most polls make you pick a time that the poll runs for.

They do but...It's generally used only for time relevant issues.

How is the comparison of two parks going to change within a two day period of time.

In order to get a better cross section of the members wouldn't it have been more prudent to leave the poll open for...I don't know...two months - rather than two days?

 

[bethymouse]

I can't wait to experience DL, hopefully next year.

 

[Matt7187]

Didn't get to do the poll, but DL for sure! Matterhorn, anyone?

 

[Zman-ks]

Didn't get to do the poll, but DL for sure! Matterhorn, anyone?

Oh yeah!

 

[tare]

Disneyland for sure. Way more attractions in a smaller place. Dl just needs philharmagic!!!!

 

[dlrwdw98]

That about sums it up. Disneyland is noticeably classier and a notch or two more upscale than Magic Kingdom (or any WDW park in 2013, really).

But every time I visit WDW the feeling that creeps over me to describe the place is... "corporate". WDW parks seem too plasticky and corporate, as if every little nuance has been removed or scrubbed out over the decades by PowerPoint shows proving you no longer need X or Y to meet your goals, or that Z is outdated and not worth the money to maintain. You are then left with wide walkways leading to a handful of headline E Tickets or people-eating shows, many that have been left to decay and get dusty so long as they still gulp in big crowds, but the overall experience is lacking charm and uniqueness and texture.

WDW is big, but it's bland and soft and just... too corporate.

Oh my goodness! You just summed up how I felt in WDW! Couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[dlrwdw98]

IMO, New Fantasyland adds alot of depth to WDW's Fantasyland. The water aspects, and The Little Mermaid is far more advanced than any other FL dark ride, except maybe IASW. It's also twice as long as most classic dark rides like Peter Pan, and Mr Toad's Wild Ride. The facades at MK's old Fantasyland are also alot nicer than DL's old Fantasyland tents were. Peter Pan and IASW both had facades upgraded. The entrance for Peter Pan went from a gaudy magenta to a nice light blue with new new lights and a new sign. Peter Pan at WDW IMO is just as nice as DL's. Sure the curtains do take away from the ride a bit. The side of the facade isn't a tent look either, it's more comparable to Liberty Square's facade. Both Snow White and Toad were much nicer in WDW. The story was alot more clear in WDW's Snow White and the ending wasn't so abrupt. I'm sure the new Mine Train will have nice new effects and some of the story as well. Toad had two tracks, and more scenes. Winnie The Pooh now has effects that are more advanced than classic dark rides, and it's longer as a result of combining Toad's two tracks. The queue area is very well done also. I think the cover for the Carousel is better at WDW. It doesn't make a huge difference as both are nice. I think The Mad Tea Party is nicer at DL, but that has alot to do with the roof, which is unfortunately necessary in Florida. Dumbo is obviously better at WDW with two Dumbo's to lessen the wait, not to mention the air conditioned queue. New Fantasyland's aesthetics are beautiful, and definitely are comparable to DL's New Fantasyland facades. The two table service restaurants are very beautiful aesthetically, I haven't eaten at Cinderella Castle in a few years, but I did enjoy the food when I did and the view is very nice. I know most disagree but I think Be Our Guest has great food. It's not the best restaurant on property by any means, but it is very beautiful inside and has good food. Storybook Canals and Casey Jr. are both nice rides at DL, but they aren't a big loss IMO not having them at WDW. The boats sort of scared me to be honest when I went on them, they seemed rickety. IASW at DL has a great facade and outside area, but I think WDW did the best it could with the weather. I like the little facade they have inside with the clock and dolls. The ride's a bit shorter but that's not really a bad thing, considering it gets repetitive after a while. I like the flooded rooms at WDW as opposed to the canals at DL's iasw. Sorry this was so long, it's just my two cents.

I wanted desperately to love New Fantasyland...but I didn't. Sure, it's pretty, but it didn't add much to do in the land. Little Mermaid isn't advanced, or long, I have no idea where you got that from. You can't put Snow White, DL's old Fantasyland facades, and l Toad in the mix, because they are no longer there. DL's Fantasyland wins all the way.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

Everyone should know I prefer Disneyland's and that I rightfully consider it perhaps the single best themed land currently in any of the parks. I'm a dark ride fanatic and while WDW used to have some whoppers (double trouble Toad and Snow White's House of Horrors), that was back in the good old days. The cozy cuddly immaculately themed attraction-loaded DL version kicks the crap out of MK. Oh, did I mention the castle walkthrough and canal boats? Yeah, nothing like 'em at WDW and two of the best things you can do in any Disney park. And every time you walk through the castle and ride the carousel, clearly in heaven, just remember: so did Walt. There is no comparison.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

...

 

[Little Green Men]

I wanted desperately to love New Fantasyland...but I didn't. Sure, it's pretty, but it didn't add much to do in the land. Little Mermaid isn't advanced, or long, I have no idea where you got that from. You can't put Snow White, DL's old Fantasyland facades, and l Toad in the mix, because they are no longer there. DL's Fantasyland wins all the way.

That post was a while ago, but TLM has animatronics as opposed to static figures and is about 2 min longer than most FL rides.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

There's something just kinda 'blah' about TLM. It's lacking in imagination and unexciting. The classic FL dark rides all best it, even Mr. Toad, which is mostly made of plywood. There are some cool moments in TLM like Ursula's lair with the eyes in the wall which has FL dark ride vibe, and the cute projection effect when you go under the sea, but the figures either look weird and creepy like the off model vaguely anime-looking uncanny valley Ariels or cheap like just about everything else besides Ursula and Sebastian. And you linger in the brightly lit scenes with nothing really compelling to look at and it never feels like you're underwater. It's just kinda lame and disappointing, but a guilty pleasure because you can usually always walk onto it at DCA after getting drunk. At MK, there's an uber themed exterior and queue like something out of Tokyo DisneySea and you expect something far greater than what the ride delivers.

 

[ght]

I won't go into attraction comparisons but I wanted to talk about my impressions of the aesthetics and theming after visiting the MK last fall for the first time since New Fantasyland was finished. I loved the look and the theming of the new areas, I think it is some incredible work. Unfortunately, at least for me, it made the old part of Fantasyland stand out like a sore thumb. I get what they are going for, transitioning from the castle/city/town area to the forest/country to a circus (ok that last part doesn't really fit). I think in practice they needed to do more in the old area to make it fit better and make the transition work. It is a huge improvement from the early 2000s Fantasyland but it doesn't quite work completely for me. Now, DL's Fantasyland does have several areas with varying theme but there really isn't the attempt at story and realism as there is at MK so for me it doesn't hurt the area and even helps. It is more like a well made anthology film, where MK's is like someone spliced the last half of Empire Stikes Back to the first half of Star Trek the motion picture.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

Sounds like an awesome fan edit.

 

[Deleted member 107043]

@TP2000 My first visit to WDW was in summer 1975, and the Peoplemover, Space Mountain, and the Carousel of Progress had all just opened (I should scan and post some pics here one of these days). Even as a kid WDW came off to me as much more corporate and sterile than DL. Don't get me wrong, I love WDW for what it represents as Walt's final achievement, but the main features, primarily the MK, EPCOT, and DHS, lack the heart and soul of the original.

On a side note I'll add that TDL suffers even more so from this issue. Yeah, the operations are outstanding, but I found the MK there to be mostly stale, with a few exceptions.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

WDW is not as great as DL, but still great. I mean, Magic Kingdom isn't Disneyland, which perhaps ironically excels despite the ''improvements'' WED made when designing WDW, but it's still awesome. Slightly less warm and fuzzy. There is no comparison to the sheer amount of entertainment to be had at the original Magic Kingdom. Despite their size, the WDW parks feel sparse. Compare walking into FL through the castle at DL to WDW, where it's like there's nothing to do in there.