One of our members, Laura, did a nice job with the comparison ...
http://forums.wdwmagic.com/blog.php?b=541
That's a good analysis, with how it compares the different ride versions. Here's my own favorite comparison between the two properties:
http://www.mouseplanet.com/dtp/dlguide/1_Forward/whydl.htm
I think there's a lot more to it than just the ride comparisons though. There's a lot more abstract stuff that can nonetheless greatly impact the park experience.
For example, although I might be more interested in the subject more than the average park guest, one of the things that fascinates me most about Disneyland is its history. On my last visit to Disneyland, I explained to my family while we were eating in the Plaza Inn that this was supposedly Walt's favorite restaurant to eat at when he was in the park. Then it occurred to me... there's no other place in the world where you could say that. Disneyland's Main Street is the street Walt gleefully drove up and down before the park opened. The hugely impressive Mark Twain steamboat (which I named my screenname after) was the first new steamboat to be built in some half a century, and was occasionally captained by Walt Disney himself. The monorail there was the first ever in the United States. The Great Moments with Mr Lincoln show features the first ever human Animatronic, but it's been updated so frequently that you would never know it (his face is now considered the most high-tech ever designed by WDI). The Tiki Room there contains the first and oldest AAs EVER... and yet it's still better than the one in WDW. Disneyland, and only Disneyland, is truly the house that Walt built, and you can really feel that when in the park.
Then you've got stuff that's more relevant today, and more noticeable to the average visitor. You know how dead your feet feel after a full day in a WDW park? That's not an issue at Disneyland... the scale of the park is smaller and the attractions are closer together, and believe me you really appreciate it when the day is over. :lol: On our last trip we did half of a day at California Adventure... and then WALKED over to Disneyland when we were finished. That's a convenience you might not to be able to appreciate until you experience it. There's another issue about size - as many have noted, the DL resort is significantly smaller than WDW. When we walked from the Disneyland Hotel to a restaurant off-property, we were instantly confronted with the raging traffic of Harbor Blvd. Which, as you can imagine, is not a magical experience. But really, the crazy and very close juxtaposition of the Los Angeles sprawl to the intimate and lush environments of Disneyland really just makes you appreciate the Disney magic much more.
And then there's another issue which many guests don't think about, but in fact really matters, and that's maintenance. Disneyland, unlike WDW, takes its attractions down every few years or so for a refurb, which allows the Imagineers to enhance the ride experience a little bit each time. After 50 years of continuous refurbishments, the attractions can be really impressive... sometimes even moreso than WDW's new version of the same ride! For example, although Disneyland's Peter Pan may be older, it features fiber-optic star effects that really enhance the feeling of flying. Their Snow White just got cutting-edge "projection mapping" technology, allowing highly-realistic effects like rain and the Witch's transformation scene. And the sophistication of the Pirates AAs, even when they are 40 years old, are so well-kept that many could probably rival those of Spaceship Earth (the auctioneer in particular comes to mind).
Finally, there's just a feeling of character that Disneyland has, and sometimes feels WDW is lacking. My family and I talked about this, too - when we were sitting in a cafe in New Orleans Square, while I was sipping the legendary Mint Julep (which I think cost me just over a dollar), the Sailing Ship Columbia sailed by, which was quickly followed by a bunch of paddling guests in their canoes. Meanwhile, we were being entertained by a live Dixieland jazz band playing at the cafe, all as we were surrounded by the beautiful wrought-iron New Orleans architecture. I think it was that moment specifically where it occurred to us that Disneyland has quite a different character from the Magic Kingdom. There's other stuff too - like the fact that the Main Street has a Penny Arcade which has games that actually cost a penny. Not to mention the Magic Shop and the Fortuosity Shop, which sells one-of-a-kind items. Or the Tomorrowland Terrace stage, which caught me completely off guard, as what appeared to be a large planter rose out of the ground with an Elvis impersonator starting a song underneath. Or the Indiana Jones face character who jumped across the rooftops of Adventureland, before getting in a fistfight with some villain and knocking him off the roof. Or the magic of seeing a bright yellow submarine skim across the surface of a lagoon before descending into a waterfall, with the delightfully retro-futuristic monorails whirring overhead.
In other words, it's not just the ride-by-ride comparisons which differentiate Disneyland from WDW. There's tons of little charms and smaller magical experiences to be found at Disneyland, which can't seem to be found in quite as much abundance anywhere else. Also understand that I love both WDW and DL deeply, and probably could never choose between the two. I'm just highlighting what makes Disneyland unique, since people here might be less familiar. :wave:
I'm on another, more Disneyland-focused forum elsewhere on the internet, and when I'm there I often find myself endlessly defending WDW against many who seem to relentlessly bash it... so don't think I'm biased. :lol:
I just love Disney!!! We go to WDW every year so it must be the favourite. I adored DL and loved the Indiana Jones ride also the surroundings are beautiful in the park. I equally enjoy a trip to DLP which is quite similar to DL in size just a bit harder to understand if you don't speak french:veryconfu Offer me a vacation and I'll jump at the chance to visit any of them............. 6 days to WDW :wave:
