DLP vs. MK

[The Empress Lilly]

Personally, I find the MK so much prettier than DLP it isn't even funny.

MK: The world's greatest castle
DL: Sugarcake castle. It always reminds me of Cinderella's birthday cake castle during the 25th celebration. (But the dragon in the dungeon can't be beat!)

MK: The world's prettiest Fantasyland
DLP: Cartoon style Fantasyland. Sorry, it doesn't work for me. This is what a Disney park would look like if designed by a five year old Disney princess girl.

MK: The world's awesomest Tomorrowland
DLP: Jules Verneland for a tomorrowland. I'm sorry, but Walt (and Roy!) Disney are my visionaries, not Jules Verne.
Also at WDW I can see actual authentic 1970 futurism, not the 1990 version of 1890 futurism.

MK: Liberty Square! Liberty Square!
DLP: No Liberty Square. No New Orleans Square either. Just Frontier, Adventure, Fantasy and Discoveryland. LS provides some much needed real life authenticity to what otherwise might be a park too heavy on the fantastic, exotic and imaginary.


Which castle park do you prefer? Which is the prettiest, most fun, your favourite?

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

I'd have to give it to Paris.

Main Street USA- Kind of a draw. Paris wins the road. Magic Kingdom has pretty generic looking pavement. Paris uses some kind of cobblestones. Very classy on Paris' part. Their Emporium's roof inside is very lovely. Magic Kingdom's Crystal Palace however is very pretty. There's a different style at both.
Paris-
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Fantasyland- Paris wins, hands down. Both castles are great, MK has the grand feeling but Paris has a very unique design and that awesome dragon. Small World has a proper facade and begins outside as it should. Mad Tea Party has a gorgeous glass roof along with a nice moat (and a really cool hedge maze). Peter Pan has an appropriate facade as opposed to the bland and inappropriate "renaissance fair tent" look MK is stuck with (for now, that might change). The same thing goes for Snow White as well of course. Paris also has that lovely combo of Storybook Canals and the Casey Jr train (Canals of which is themed gorgeously despite being rather simple for a ride). That's not to mention the more subtle buildings Paris has like the Old Mill, as well as the lovely landscaping. Magic Kingdom is most certainly getting better, especially with Fantasyland Expansion (and hopefully when that's done, work will be done to the older attractions looks). Pooh's new queue looks quite nice, Village Haus is nice as always, and the new Dumbo is looking gorgeous with the LED lit fountains. But Paris still holds the gold for now. I don't know how you could possibly think MK has the prettiest Fantasyland. It's only thematically superior to Tokyo Disneyland's (which apparently also still has the circus tent facades, and a very ugly Dumbo which clashes terribly against Haunted Mansion).
Paris-
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Discoveryland/Tomorrowland- Touch choice. Paris definitely has the architectural advantage and looks better than MK during daylight, but MK's really shines at night IMO (except for Space Mountain). Both lands are brilliant at night, but i think MK wins a bit here. If not for the Peoplemover letting you take in how awesome the place looks, Paris would win outright. Paris is more consistently pretty at any time of the day. It just looks classier and more charming. Though this is only a beauty choice for the record. I think Magic Kingdom's Tomorrowland wins on a fun factor due to the Peoplemover (one of my fav rides). I think if Paris had a Peoplemover, it might win visually overall because you'd have a striking view of the land. Riding the Peoplemover at night is awesome, one of my favorite Disney experiences (hope they never close it). But pretty pictures only, it's kind of a draw, my bias for the Peoplemover removed might give Paris the advantage here. I just love that view and presentation though.
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Frontierland- Another arguable draw. Magic Kingdom feels more lively, but i really love Paris' Thunder Mountain on its little island with the riverboat passing around as well as Phantom Manor off on a distant hill. I love Magic Kingdom's Splash Mountain however, and the little town by the shore of the river.
Paris-
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Adventureland- Ugh, another hard one. Lets get this out of the way- the Pirates of the Caribbean area at Paris wins hands down over the Pirates area at MK. The combination of the stone fort facade for the ride, along with the skull island, small beach, and pirate ship outside are just brilliant. Not to mention the ride itself is by far the best version of Pirates to date (and most gorgeous as well). Now i don't dislike MK's Pirates area (or even the ride itself for the most part), it's got a nice classy Spanish style (certainly above Disneyland's facade-wise). I just like Paris' better and feel it works better. But otherwise, i kind of like MK's other parts like the tropical jungle feel. Jungle Cruise, Tiki Room, and the placement of the treehouse are great. I'm not a big fan of either Aladdin area in either Paris OR MK, but it just works better in Paris and doesn't compromise the area's consistency. Much better thought out. Indiana Jones in Paris doesn't look right though, it sort of looks like it's covered in scaffolding...
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Magic Kingdom obviously has Liberty Square where Paris does not, so it wins there. Both Haunted Mansion and Phantom Manor are beautiful and unique in their own ways. Impossible for me to really pick one.

 

[marni1971]

I'm sorry, but even with all the work in Orlando, Paris wins hands down with Fantasyland.

 

[AswaySuller]

You can't compare the two... DLP is like the ginger step son of MK.... IMO

 

[real mad hatter]

No Match. WDW wins for fun.

To try and compare Disneyland Paris with WDW is like trying to compare Niagara Falls to my bathroom shower.There is no way I would even consider going to Paris after Florida,friends went last year and spent a small fortune,due to the crap euro rate and said it was the biggest mistake of their lives.

 

[AEfx]

Double post.

 

[AEfx]

LOL wrong park

 

[AswaySuller]

To try and compare Disneyland Paris with WDW is like trying to compare Niagara Falls to my bathroom shower.There is no way I would even consider going to Paris after Florida,friends went last year and spent a small fortune,due to the crap euro rate and said it was the biggest mistake of their lives.

I tend to agree, I'm a Disney nut and I thought DLP was kinda ok.... It's better than Alton towers I guess!

 

[SyracuseOrange]

If we are talking about which is "prettier" as the OP stated, I'd give it to Paris. But Orlando is a better overall park.

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

I can understand saying it's unfair to compare the entire WDW (including the four parks and all the other stuff) to Paris. But in terms of just comparing the main Disneyland Paris MK-style park to Magic Kingdom, i can easily see preferring DLP. I visited in the 90's before you had any serious complaints about what WDW had become and was blown entirely away by Paris. This having been after visiting MK many many times before for years, and MK being the nostalgic park for me.

Paris is certainly among the most beautiful theme parks Disney has created, arguably the most beautiful. Especially Fantasyland. Of course i also saw it when it was quite new, i've heard the maintenance has taken a downward spiral from certain people (though MK has as well).

 

[Crush Dude!]

My 5 trip to both parks will be coming up this year and they are 2 very different parks that i love for different reasons!

But Fantasyland (at the moment) is much better in Paris no doubt!

 

[Crush Dude!]

Personally, I find the MK so much prettier than DLP it isn't even funny.

MK: The world's greatest castle
DL: Sugarcake castle. It always reminds me of Cinderella's birthday cake castle during the 25th celebration. (But the dragon in the dungeon can't be beat!)

MK: The world's prettiest Fantasyland
DLP: Cartoon style Fantasyland. Sorry, it doesn't work for me. This is what a Disney park would look like if designed by a five year old Disney princess girl.

MK: The world's awesomest Tomorrowland
DLP: Jules Verneland for a tomorrowland. I'm sorry, but Walt (and Roy!) Disney are my visionaries, not Jules Verne.
Also at WDW I can see actual authentic 1970 futurism, not the 1990 version of 1890 futurism.

MK: Liberty Square! Liberty Square!
DLP: No Liberty Square. No New Orleans Square either. Just Frontier, Adventure, Fantasy and Discoveryland. LS provides some much needed real life authenticity to what otherwise might be a park too heavy on the fantastic, exotic and imaginary.


Which castle park do you prefer? Which is the prettiest, most fun, your favourite?

Comparing this:

To the cake castle is blasphemy!!!!

 

[TheDisneyMagic]

I think Disneyland Paris' Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant Castle in incredible beautiful, it is not as grand in size compared to Cinderella Castle but the attention to detail both on the Castle and surround area is top-notch.

I love both Castles but in completely different ways.

I also prefer the layout of Fantasyland at Disneyland Paris, everything feels much better spaced out and less cramped with each attraction facia being well themed. I am not too big a fan of the generic medieval theme of The Magic Kingdom's.

On the other hand, Discoveryland Vs Tomorrowland - I love using a new theme here and Verne is a great fit. I don't like the location of Star Tours and Captain EO being placed behind Space Mountain out of the way though and I am not sure why but I don't like the fact that I can walk all the way round the Mountain. I do prefer Magic Kingdom's Astro Orbiter being high above Rocket Tower Plaza, really adds the great kinetics.

Overall many aspects of Disneyland Paris are like they have taken what they had in the previously built parks, added extra beautification and upgraded the technology. That is what you get when you have Theme Parks build in the fifties through to the seventies versus one build in the late eighties and early nineties though.

It is a shame that attractions such as the People Mover or the Jungle Cruise were never built in Paris though.

 

[TheDisneyMagic]

On a side note, I have just seen a picture of the area where the Nautilus is and the water has been drained. Good to see them doing some work here.

Picture courtesy of InsideDLParis.

 

[Crush Dude!]

In fact of all of DLP has been having work done over the last year and it is looking amazing for its 20th anniversary!!

Couple this with the debut of Disney Dreams and the future us bright :sohappy:

 

[TheDisneyMagic]

I know, seeing much of the park transform over the last year has been incredible amazing what a freshen up can do. Disney Dreams has got me so excited, the show looks incredible from the footage of tests and concept art.

 

[Crush Dude!]

I know, seeing much of the park transform over the last year has been incredible amazing what a freshen up can do. Disney Dreams has got me so excited, the show looks incredible from the footage of tests and concept art.

MK's Loss = DLP's Gain :sohappy:

 

[Bolna]

For me there is no question that DLP is so many times prettier than the MK.

I actually truly prefer the more "cartoony" (I would call it "fantasy-like") look of the castle and Fantasyland.

For me the MK castle looks like a cheap copy of what is standing here in Germany in real life. I even prefer the DL castle to the MK castle. I don't go to Disney to see a fiberglass copy of reality - I want it to be fantasy. And both the DL and the DLP castle look like illustrations from a storybook.

And the same goes for Fantasyland. Actually, most of the MK's Fantasyland are those cheap tent like facades. I allways thought they did look rather tacky and lacked depth. I truly hope that the new Fantasyland at MK will add a lot of atmosphere (even though I could live without the Circusland).

But besides Fantasyland, there is so much detail everywhere you look. My favourite land is Adventureland with its Arabian and African touches.

I would love an additional land - but instead of Liberty Square I would rather have liked ot see New Orleans Square which is my favourite land at DL. I truly missed it at DLP when I first visited the park. However, over time I have forgiven them for putting a version of the Haunted Mansion into Frontierland...

The one thing I came to be so sad about at DLP, however, was the state of disrepair the park had fallen into. It started already in the 90s. But it appears like they put so much effort in making the park look great again for the 20th anniversary. I am so excited about my upcoming trip and hope for it to once again shine as it did on my first visit in 95!! :sohappy:

 

[SyracuseOrange]

I know, seeing much of the park transform over the last year has been incredible amazing what a freshen up can do. Disney Dreams has got me so excited, the show looks incredible from the footage of tests and concept art.

Agreed. I booked a train from London as soon as they announced an official start date for the show. It looks great.

 

[TheDisneyMagic]

MK's Loss = DLP's Gain :sohappy:

That is true, although to be fair, The Magic Kingdom has been carrying out a lot of work (especially along Main Street USA) on restoration work.