We are planning our first trip to DLR this summer and have been interested in the differences between the two parks. Found this article on "Our Laughing Place" that provides a nice comparison between the two.
The Lands and Attractions
• Mainstreet, USA - Turn of the Century quaint shops and restaurants dominate DL' s Mainstreet. Things to see include...
Disneyland Railroad (Board the Disneyland Railroad for a trip through the Grand Canyon and Travel through time to see dinosaurs.)
Horse Drawn Street Cars, Horseless Carriage and Omnibus, Presented by National Car Rental (Same as Mk)
The Walt Disney Story, Featuring " Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln" (Exclusive to DL. A wonderful animatronic presentation of President Lincoln. The queue offers " The Walt Disney Story" complete with a replica of his office, which includes the actual furniture and personal belongings of Walt.)
Fire Engine, Presented by National Car Rental
(The Mainstreet Firestation houses the Fire Engine. Above the Station? Walt' s real apartment. They keep a candle (light) in the window. The Apartment is still used on very rare occasions.)
Mainstreet Cinema (Exclusive to DL. A wonderful little place that continuously runs old time Mickey Mouse and friends cartoons.)
Penny Arcade in the Candy Palace (It used to be listed as an attraction because the games sat by themselves. Now they share the space with the Candy Palace. Wonderful old working penny arcade games. Worth a visit.)
• Adventureland - This land is considerably Smaller at DL than at MK. The attractions are...
The Enchanted Tiki Room(Different from MK' s version. This has not been re-themed like MK' s version has.)
The Jungle Cruise (I like WDW' s MK' s better with the tunnel..no tunnel at DL)
Tarzan' s Treehouse (Exclusive to DL, The old Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse is now Tarzan' s, I like them both)
Indiana Jones Adventure (Exclusive to DL, this ride is a must see from the detailed queue right down to the huge hissing cobra, one of my faves).
• New Orleans Square - Exclusive to DL. Walt' s own French Quarter. The Mardi Gras themed area (beads are thrown from balconies sporadically throughout the day) holds the following attractions...
The Disney Gallery (I don' t know if this is exclusive to DL, can someone help me out here? The Gallery has artwork and exhibits. Some things are for purchase. The building was originally meant to be part of an apartment for the Disney family so it is fun to see where personal fireplaces and courtyards were meant to be. Some of the courtyards and balconies are open for guests to sit and rest.)
Pirates of the Carribean (This is considerably different from MK. It is an 18 minute ride at DL. It is like watching a mini-show. It has two " drops" during the ride, which adds a little tummy tickle pizzaz. There is also a themed restaurant inside called " The Blue Bayou" from which you can watch the boats go by. One of my faves.)
Disneyland Railroad (This is a stop for the Disneyland Railroad. If you listen closely you can hear the telegraph tapping a message out...it is Walt' s opening day speech.)
Haunted Mansion (The mansions differ and I couldn' t pick a favorite here. I think MK may have the edge on this one, UNLESS DL' s infamous cast member, Maynard, is on duty, then the edge goes to DL.)
• Critter Country - Exclusive to DL. Critter Country is home to...
Splash Mountain (Single seating one in front of the other in the logs makes this a little different from MK. My personal overall impression is that I liked MK' s version better. Can' t quite put my finger on why, so it might have been the mood I was in. Other people don' t see much of a difference.)
Davy Crockett' s Explorer Canoes (Exclusive to DL. Yep you will get a real workout on this attraction. You and your boat of guests and two guides paddle your way around Tom Sawyer' s Island. *huff puff huff puff*)
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (I can' t give a personal opinion on this one yet. DL' s version just opened and I haven' t been able to give it a go yet. I probably will next week. So watch for that.)
Winnie the Pooh and Friends (A character meeting place. Be sure to bring your autograph books.)
• Frontierland - I believe this land is also smaller at DL. The attractions...
Frontier Shooting Exposition (A classic shooting gallery. Same as WDW)
Stars of Toy Story 2 (A character meeting place)
Mark Twain Riverboat (Same as the Liberty Belle Riverboat at WDW. I love the Liberty Belle because of personal reasons due to memories of a certain Gala Fete a couple years ago...*wink wink*)
Sailing Ship Columbia (Exclusive to DL. A ride on an old time sailing ship)
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (The ride is exactly the same but WDW' s version is a complete opposite...or DL' s is the opposite. Either way, they are a mirror image of each other. I like WDW' s MK' s a little better because of the hang out it does over the river. Just adds a little something extra.)
Rafts to Tom Sawyer' s Island (Transportation to the Island)
Fantasmic (A whole different set up at DL than WDW. A nice amphitheatre built exclusively for Fantasmic at WDW' s MGM park makes for easy and comfortable viewing. Not to mention, a great view of the show. It was very enjoyable. This gives these two shows a whole different feeling. I have to say I like DL' s version better. Instead of a Pocohantas segment, there is a Peter Pan segment of the show that takes place on the sailing ship Columbia. As the boat floats by, Captain Hook, Peter and Wendy are swashbuckling with several pirates swinging from the masts of the ship. Wendy walks the plank as Peter " flies" down the ropes...all live and very impressive on that full sized ship. Also, at the end of DL' s version, all the Disney characters are on the Mark Twain Riverboat and not a smaller boat made just for the show. It just gives a larger than life feeling to the show. WDW has the edge on comfortable viewing, where DL takes the edge on the actual show. Hard call because on some summer nights you have to stake out a fantasmic seat 2 hours before showtime at DL. You will have to make the call on what you prefer.)
• Fantasyland - Larger at DL and a bit more detailed in the theming. It resembles a medieval village that could be in any one of Disney' s classic tales. Attractions are...
King Arthur' s Carousel (Recently completely rebuilt from the ground up, the classic ride looks better than ever...and Jingles the horse still leads the way.)
Dumbo the Flying Elephant (Another Disney classic)
Snow White' s Scary Adventures (Same as MK' s...might be a little scary for the littler adventurers)
Pinocchio' s Daring Journey - (Exclusive to DL. A fun dark ride takes you through the wooden boy' s adventures.)
Casey Jr. Circus Train (Exclusive to DL. A fun train ride that is interspersed with Storybookland Boats. The Train is a circus train with cages and themed seating for the guests.)
Peter Pan' s Flight (Hard call on what version has the edge. I enjoyed them both. I think I need to ride MK' s version again to decide.)
Mr. Toad' s Wild Ride (Exclusive to DL. I never got to ride MK' s version. All I know is I lovee this attraction.)
Mad Tea Party (Same version as MK' s but at DL it has no roof, just huge party lanterns above it. MK' s has a complete party tent.)
Alice in Wonderland (Exclusive to DL. A longtime favorite of mine. You take a ride on the caterpillar in a combo dark ride/outdoor ride through Alice' s Wonderland adventures. I love how the ride descends down the " leaves" at the end.)
Storybook Land Canal Boats (Exclusive to DL. A Charming ride through a the fantasy world of Classic Disney Tales. Miniatures of Cinderella' s village and Aladdin' s Marketplace are just a couple of the stories represented. This is a must see!)
" it' s a small world" (I didn' t ride the MK version, so I can' t comment on the ride differences. The outside difference is very noticable. DL has it' s own area, complete facade and wonderful queue show every 15 minutes as the clock strikes a loud ring. This building is breathtaking to see at Christmas time. Recently refurbished.)
Matterhorn Bobsleds (Exclusive to DL. Disneyland' s first roller coaster. This is a fun ride, albeit a bit bumpy and jerky. You enter the inside of the Matterhorn, go to the top and are let go for a wild ride down through the mountain, with an occasional glimpse of The Abominable Snowman.)
Meet your Favorite Disney Princesses (Character Meeting Place)
• Mickey' s Toontown - Larger at DL than at MK, Mickey' s Toontown is home to...
Disneyland Railroad (Another stop for the famous train that encircles the park.)
Roger Rabbit' s Cartoon Spin (Exclusive to DL. A fun dark ride through Roger Rabbit' s cast of kooky characters. You can spin the car every which way. Fun themed queue. This ride has been recently updated with safety features.)
Jolly Trolley (Exclusive to DL. A fun wobbly trolley ride through Toontown.)
Goofy Pluto and Pals (Character meeting place}
Goofy' s Bounce House (Exclusive to DL. A fun bounce house where Goofy lives.)
Donald' s Boat (Where Donald spends some leisure time. Same as MK' s.)
Minnie' s House (Minnie' s charming abode)
Mickey' s House and Meet Mickey (The famous mouse resides here. He is ready to meet ya.)
Chip' n Dale Treehouse (Exclusive to DL. Where the famous Disney Critters call home.)
Gadget' s Go Coaster (Exclusive to DL. Although MK doesn' t have this coaster by name, MK' s version would be The Barnstormer at Goofy' s Wiseacre Farm. They are different coasters but both are mini coasters for the smaller Roller Coaster enthusiast.)
• Tomorrowland - DL' s weakest land at the moment. Too many recent attraction closings in this land make it a bit inactive, but there are a few things worth seeing. Such as...
Disneyland Monorail (You can board the monorail inside the park and get off at Downtown Disney. You may also just choose to do a roundtrip excursion. DL' s Monorail is not as roomy or elaborate as WDW' s.)
Autopia, Presented by Chevron (DL' s version of MK' s Indy Speedway. I like the DL version because of the theming througout the drive. Instead of a race theme it is a leisure " Sunday Drive" theme, with the illusion that the cars speak and have minds of their own.)
Disneyland Railroad (Another stop for weary travelers.)
Innoventions (DL' s version has just about the same things as WDW' s. It is located in the old carousel of progress building and they still utilize the rotating effect, which makes for an interesting stroll through the exhibits.)
Space Mountain, Presented by Federal Express (Different seating and a different feel set these two attractions apart from each other. I enjoy the comfortable seating at MK' s version. I love the music at DL' s version. It is a toss up. This Attraction is closed until 2005. Rumors say that it is being refitted with a whole new computer system and cars that DL Paris uses.)
Honey, I shrunk the audience, Presented by Kodak (Same as WDW' s version)
Starcade (Exclusive to DL. I do not care much for this " attraction" . It is a video arcade. Yep, a video arcade in the middle of Disneyland. Enough said.)
Star Tours, Presented by Energizer (The virtual reality ride is the same as WDW' s version.)
Astro Orbitor (DL' s version looks like something out of an H.G. Wells novel. Same ride as MK' s.)
Those are all of DL' s listed attractions. There are, of course, little things throughout the park that are fun to see. Snow White' s Wishing Well and Grotto, King Triton' s Garden and Tom Sawyer' s Island to name a few. I can' t forget to mention the parades, shows and " Believe: There' s Magic in the Stars" fireworks spectacular. You MUST see this presentation if you get a chance to visit.
I didn' t even get to shopping and I am hoping our resident Disney food expert, Beth, will do a run down on all of DL' s restaurants for us. What do ya say, Beth? Hee hee. I welcome corrections to any mistakes I have made and also I would love to have you post your opinions as well.
