Disneyland vs. Magic Kingdom poll(only those who have been to both)

[JAtheFourth]

Just got back from DL, and am going to MK in January... MK has much better crowd control and guest flow, along with the better castle. I got hit in the ankles far too many times by strollers and scooters at DL this trip, it was insane (it was also the week before Thanksgiving, so eh, I should expect it). I would contend that if you went land by land, they match up pretty well, but the daytime parade, two nighttime fireworks shows, two nighttime parades, along with Fantasmic is a strong win for DL. I feel that MK gets back points for better dining in the park, I'd put BOG up against Blue Bayou for ambiance, and sadly even the meals that I've had there. As a person who's been to Disney parks multiple times, the fact that California gets the overlays of Haunted Mansion and Hyperspace Mountain make it a win in favor of DL in my opinion, because it's something new that I havn't seen before....

 

[thomas998]

Just got back from DL, and am going to MK in January... MK has much better crowd control and guest flow, along with the better castle. I got hit in the ankles far too many times by strollers and scooters at DL this trip, it was insane (it was also the week before Thanksgiving, so eh, I should expect it). I would contend that if you went land by land, they match up pretty well, but the daytime parade, two nighttime fireworks shows, two nighttime parades, along with Fantasmic is a strong win for DL. I feel that MK gets back points for better dining in the park, I'd put BOG up against Blue Bayou for ambiance, and sadly even the meals that I've had there. As a person who's been to Disney parks multiple times, the fact that California gets the overlays of Haunted Mansion and Hyperspace Mountain make it a win in favor of DL in my opinion, because it's something new that I havn't seen before....

Have you eaten at BOG though? We've experienced it for both breakfast and dinner and was not impressed by the food at all... Breakfast at the Plaza Inn seemed like a gormet feast compared to the tough and cold garbage BOG serves.

I do admit that the ambience of BOG is good... but I don't go to a restaurant to look at the ceiling I go for the food first, ambience is just icing.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Have you eaten at BOG though? We've experienced it for both breakfast and dinner and was not impressed by the food at all... Breakfast at the Plaza Inn seemed like a gormet feast compared to the tough and cold garbage BOG serves.

I do admit that the ambience of BOG is good... but I don't go to a restaurant to look at the ceiling I go for the food first, ambience is just icing.

Both times dinners were excellent. Wouldn't go for breakfast or lunch, not impressed with those menus.

 

[POLY LOVER]

maybe people like DL over MK becuase DL is the orgininal and still has the feel of Walt being there? I've been to both and remember how disapointed I was when I first saw the DL castle, it was small and not very impressive. Even my kids mentioned it. I think WDW is just a much larger operation and just amazes me. You can easliy spend a week at WDW but maybe 3 days at DL. Also there are more things to see and do outside the immediate Park areas in Florida. I love both very small edge to the feel of DL because of Walts past presence there.

 

[thomas998]

Both times dinners were excellent. Wouldn't go for breakfast or lunch, not impressed with those menus.

What items did you have for dinner? We had the chicken breast, which was as tough as shoe leather... and the shrimp and scallops which were all but missing any scallops and came served what appeared to be a poorly microwaved pastry that had the rubbery teacture you get when you over microwave bread. The worst thing I've ever had a Blue Bayou is way better than either of those two items at BOG.

 

[danyoung56]

I had one dinner there - it was a steak, and it was perfectly done!

 

[Greenlawler]

Travel to both annually, DL every August, MK every Jan and Oct

I am a bit of a critical thinker to say the least and I tend to over-explain. I guess this is a post for people who like long in depth analysis. The Parades and Fireworks are hard to compare since they switch those out from time to time so I came up with this long winded comparison based on these factors. Not for some.....


Rides and Attractions: This one is not that close, aside from the fact that there are more rides at DL, the HM, POC, Small World, Pan, and Space are all superior. I also like that Mr Toad is still alive and kicking at DL. I do wish Country Bears was still in DL but that's not a huge deal. MK does have the better Pooh ride, a much better castle (even though I love the walk through story within SB's Castle) and I prefer Splash in Florida but...Advantage: DL
Food: I have done just about every table service there is to do in both parks. Blue Bayou is my favorite, but for me and my crew, the DL fare throughout the park feels very similar. Our "feeling" maybe factually incorrect, but I can factually say I spend more time searching for something interesting at DL than I do MK. Advantage: MK
Customer Service (including CM's): Obviously we have had positive and negative run in's at both parks over the years. We have met CM's in both parks who have been awesome, and CM's at both parks that seem like they are just trying to get through the day. It's really hard to judge this however we have a son with special needs and end up in Guest Services often as well as the free medical clinics on site. Our experience in both of those venues is that MK has a better handle on things and the difference in the medical clinics is night and day. Also for whatever reason we have had more magical out of the blue experiences at MK. Slight Advantage: MK
Layout: Not a huge deal, but MK just feels too easy compared to the nooks and crannies of DL. This is obviously a matter of opinion. Some folks like the circular feel or MK I prefer the notion that perhaps I might stumble discover something new at DL. Plus there are so many interesting things things to see at DL. There is a sense of more detail at DL. So clearly...Advantage: DL
Crowds: This is another one that's mainly preference I get that but this is an opinion piece. Also it obviously depends on when you go, but for us the MK just feels so much more organized and professional, especially when dealing with characters. Funny enough that's why we prefer DL in that case. Something about the more laid back approach appeals more to my crew. However the crowds at DL have that different local personality more of an "ownership" feel or this "everybody is an insider" vibe. Hard to explain but I prefer the personality of the crowds at MK. But the bottom line is Advantage: None, Push

Overall with all things considered it's pretty even but rides and attractions are so much more important to us than the other factors. Also I add in the nostalgia factor and it tips the scale to Winner: DL

 

[JAtheFourth]

Have you eaten at BOG though? We've experienced it for both breakfast and dinner and was not impressed by the food at all... Breakfast at the Plaza Inn seemed like a gormet feast compared to the tough and cold garbage BOG serves.

I have eaten there, Breakfast and Lunch, and have a Dinner scheduled on my upcoming trip. I have to say that I really enjoyed the food there, but they may have just had food that was perfect for me. I had to go back to the menu page at Disneyland to remember what I had at BB and I was not impressed for the price. My BOG lunch was perfect, both the size of the meal and the flavor and temperature at which it was served. And they have the grey stuff

 

[JohnD]

Poll doesn't have relevance to me as I haven't yet been to DL, so would like to go. I'm sure I would like/dislike things about both.

 

[coolmark18]

I've been lucky enough to visit every Disney Park in the world (Cali, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Paris and Florida) and there really is a special magic about Disneyland you cant find anywhere.

 

[fractal]

Disneyland better for a 2-3 day trip. Better upkeep, nostalgia, entertainment, more rides per square mile.

MK better for a 6+ day trip. More "grandeur" (bigger castle, buildings, EPCOT, etc. ), More dining, Disney "Bubble" feeling you can't get anywhere else in the World.

Both Great.

 

[the-reason14]

I've been lucky enough to visit every Disney Park in the world (Cali, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Paris and Florida) and there really is a special magic about Disneyland you cant find anywhere.

Would love to do this one day. But I hope I can do them more than once. I didn't get the "disney" feel from Disneyland until my second visit. I imagine it will be the same at the other parks.

 

[Edward M]

Disneyland really does steal this one for me. I love MK, but DL just has so much everywhere. There's so much more personality and story to it. It is easier to do with shorter waits, easier FP system, and DCA being so close. That's not even mentioning their stellar lineup (Indy!). MK has the nostalgia factor for me, but I really do think DL is the superior park. However, I take Walt Disney World Resort over Disneyland Resort. It's just more of a vacation destination and has a bigger impact after your visit. It also has Epcot so.

 

[JT3000]

As a FL native, my takeaways from DL after my only visit so far:

Pros:
More attractions, including Indy
Less walking
A much better Pirates
Better landscaping, especially in Fantasyland
Better nighttime entertainment

Cons:
Too small and cramped
Less immersive (even inside the park itself)
Inferior versions of most other shared major attractions
Tomorrowland is ugly as sin
You have to backtrack from Critter Country

But at the end of the day, I think the defining point for me, which is obviously a subjective observation, is the fact that DL felt too much like a bizarro version of MK to me (despite being the older park.) I'm more comfortable, more "at home" at MK, which is why I'd rather go there, even though it could definitely take a few pointers from DL.

Well, the indoor queues are necessary at WDW due to the horribly hot and humid Florida climate. DL is built in a place with typically perfect weather.

SoCal weather is perfect if you enjoy hot as hell days and cold as hell nights. At least Florida is consistent (and the sky is visible.)

 

[SpaceMountain75]

As a FL native, my takeaways from DL after my only visit so far:

Pros:
More attractions, including Indy
Less walking
A much better Pirates
Better landscaping, especially in Fantasyland
Better nighttime entertainment

Cons:
Too small and cramped
Less immersive (even inside the park itself)
Inferior versions of most other shared major attractions
Tomorrowland is ugly as sin
You have to backtrack from Critter Country

But at the end of the day, I think the defining point for me, which is obviously a subjective observation, is the fact that DL felt too much like a bizarro version of MK to me (despite being the older park.) I'm more comfortable, more "at home" at MK, which is why I'd rather go there, even though it could definitely take a few pointers from DL.



SoCal weather is perfect if you enjoy hot as hell days and cold as hell nights. At least Florida is consistent (and the sky is visible.)

I laughed out loud at that description of DL's Tomorrowland!

 

[NeverEnufDisney]

Love both, but if you pin me down Disneyland is better than the Magic Kingdom. The immersive detail is so much better and because of its smaller footprint it enhances the intimacy. Magic Kingdom is so spread out that even though they can do great detail on individual attractions it doesn't flow as well.

 

[BringMeTheHoriz]

The small, intimate setting that is Disneyland beats the spread out/sparse feeling at MK. Like another poster said there's a feeling of more to discover and stumble upon. There also seems to be a far better attention to detail and cleanliness at DL than in Florida.

I prefer Space and Splash at MK to Disneyland, but I think MK's Space and Haunted Mansion could benefit greatly from the overlays Disneyland had on both Space and HM during Halloween time when I went. Disneyland's BTMRR beats MK's, because the effects are actually complete and operational. But in reality there just seems like there's more to ride in DL than there is in the MK, and all those rides are very close, compact, and fit well together.

From a land perspective, I much prefer MK's Main Street/castle/Fantasyland to DL's. Tomorrowland MK wins again, but outside of that DL has really awesome lands: the French Quarter, Adventureland, Frontierland. But I'm all about Main Street and the Castle at DW.

Crowds are crowds and I won't berate either park for theirs. Cast members you can't really judge on that either, because there's good and bad.

The tipping point is the nighttime entertainment. MK features a parade that has the look and feel of a Frankenstein....stitched together with duct tape, blown lights, and stale music. DL has the vastly different Paint the Night parade featuring a refreshingly upbeat soundtrack, LED lights, and floats updated for Disney movies from the past 30 years. This year for their Diamond Celebration, their fireworks show completely shames MK's. Use of pyrotechnics (quantity and pacing) beats MK, projections on the buildings of Main Street during the display beats MK, and in my opinion the music beats MK. And of course, to top it all off there's Fantasmic in the same park as well.

For what I am looking for when I go to Disney, Disneyland delivers and is overall the better park.

 

[Schneewittchen]

Only been to DL once about 13 years ago, and it was magical. But MK was my first Disney trip as a little girl and it's the one we always go back to since it's closer to home. I have the most fond memories at MK so it has to be my favorite.

 

[Mouse Trap]

As a FL native, my takeaways from DL after my only visit so far:

Cons:
Too small and cramped
Less immersive (even inside the park itself)
Inferior versions of most other shared major attractions
Tomorrowland is ugly as sin
You have to backtrack from Critter Country

I can't think of one major attraction other than Splash WDW does better than DL.

DL takes the cake easily on Pirates and Space Mountain. I'd say Thunder is pretty even, but advantage DL for the mine explosion scene (depends if you're into thrills or something with a little more modern touch).

I guess we could dig deeper and say Haunted Mansion goes to WDW, and Jungle Cruise another toss up.

DL = 3
WDW = 2

 

[JT3000]

I can't think of one major attraction other than Splash WDW does better than DL.

DL takes the cake easily on Pirates and Space Mountain. I'd say Thunder is pretty even, but advantage DL for the mine explosion scene (depends if you're into thrills or something with a little more modern touch).

I guess we could dig deeper and say Haunted Mansion goes to WDW, and Jungle Cruise another toss up.

DL = 3
WDW = 2

Jungle Cruise and Mansion are definitely better at WDW. DL's JC has a piranha effect that MK doesn't (for whatever reason) but it's missing the whole temple sequence. DL's Mansion is missing nearly a quarter of the ride. The difference isn't quite as big as Pirates, but if you're used to the WDW version, it's very jarring. I also much prefer MK's exterior.

Thunder Mountain is more of a toss-up, but while WDW's is missing certain effects (again, I don't understand why), I found DL's version to deliver a noticeably tamer ride. Advantage WDW.

Space Mountain is a unique case. They're two completely different rides that just happen to share the same name and theme. You can still have a preference, but it's not like comparing two clones at all. While I wish MK's were less bumpy and had more modern effects, I couldn't get over DL's lack of drops and seeming inability to turn in more than one direction. This thing is like the Zoolander of roller coasters.