Is Disneyland, Magic Kingdom Classic?

[Club Cooloholic]

I have never been to Disneyland, and sort of regret not doing it last year when I was there for work, but my wife was not with me, and I would like to go with her.


From the list of attractions, and what reviewers say, it looks like Disneyland has some of my ol' favs like Mr. Toads Wild Ride, and even the submarines(though it's now a Finding Nemo story instead of Capt. Nemo). And the Enchanted Tiki show, sans Iago the bird.

For anyone that has been there and Disneyworld...does the park have a nostaligic feel over MK?

 

[Erika]

It's really hard to let go of WDW but once we were able to clear it from our heads, my husband and I really enjoyed Disneyland and there were quite a few things we preferred over MK. There is a feeling of nostalgia there, no doubt.

I don't remember too much about 20,000 Leagues, but I loved Nemo.

I hope you guys get there soon and love it as much as we did

 

[nastee24]

I think Disneyland is superior to MK in many respects. Although smaller I like the layout better. In general the attractions at Disneyland are better as well (Space Mountain, POC etc...).

However, overall, Disneyland and DCA are not in the same class as WDW.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

Yeah, I figured it is whole other experience. At DW your immersed in the whole resort. At DL your only steps away from the real world. That said, I think when I have a little one, Disneyland might be perfect, since there are lots of cheaper hotels very close(walking distance) to the park, and it would look like you can see a lot more attractions without walking as much, something I am sure little ones appreciate.

 

[Erika]

Yeah, I figured it is whole other experience. At DW your immersed in the whole resort. At DL your only steps away from the real world. That said, I think when I have a little one, Disneyland might be perfect, since there are lots of cheaper hotels very close(walking distance) to the park, and it would look like you can see a lot more attractions without walking as much, something I am sure little ones appreciate.

We took our 2 year old, and felt the same way. It was the perfect size for her.

 

[krueg66]

I've always felt that Disneyland is better than the MK, but WDW is infinitely better than the Disneyland Resort...

Disneyland (the Park) hasn't been turned into a giant store yet, which is nice. Space Mountain is better, Mr. Toad lives on, Matterhorn is cool, Small World is better, etc...

California Adventure is junk, complete junk. Think an entire park like the the Dino Land game are at Animal Kingdom. Awful. Tower of Terrpr isn't as long as at DHS. The roller coaster is just that, a roller coaster...nothing special.

With that being said, I still love Disneyland! It's great for a 3 day trip. Downtown Disney is basically right next to/between the parks. I like it!

 

[agent86]

California Adventure is junk, complete junk. Think an entire park like the the Dino Land game are at Animal Kingdom. Awful. Tower of Terrpr isn't as long as at DHS. The roller coaster is just that, a roller coaster...nothing special.

:sohappy::sohappy::sohappy: Agree 100% wholeheartedly with this post!! California Adventure could just as easily been called "Six Flags' California Adventure" or "Busch Gardens' California Adventure". It is so far removed from what a Disney park is supposed to be, that it really stands out like a sore thumb among Disney's other parks. It was built at a time when they had people like Cynthia Harriss and Paul Pressler running the parks, and clearly the mindset was that if they slap the Disney name on it, people would come in droves. The ratio of shops/restaurants to actual attractions is an absolute joke, and hardly anything in the park is unique to this park. Almost everything is knock-off of something that exists at Walt Disney World (and in most cases, it's a cheapened, scaled back knock-off). Tower of Terror is a joke at this park. Nothing like the one in Florida.

 

[nemofinder22]

DL thrives off nostalgia and it shows. and DCA is not that bad, theres some really nice themed areas and a billion dollar upgrade on its way, but watch out though since lots is under construction right now as in, the midway games, Sun/Fun Wheel, World of Color (drained lagoon, Amphitheater under construction) the GCH, DCV addition, Lucky Fortune Cookery. You can also thank DCA for Soarin and BPB.

 

[agent86]

DL thrives off nostalgia and it shows. and DCA is not that bad, theres some really nice themed areas and a billion dollar upgrade on its way, but watch out though since lots is under construction right now as in, the midway games, Sun/Fun Wheel, World of Color (drained lagoon, Amphitheater under construction) the GCH, DCV addition, Lucky Fortune Cookery. You can also thank DCA for Soarin and BPB.

I prefer to rate DCA based on how it currently is, and not on how it will (or might) be some day. I would never tell somebody they should visit DCA, based on attractions that it is going to have, years after the person would have visited. That makes no sense. In it's current state, DCA is a pretty sad park. Definitely closer to a Busch Gardens type of park than a Disney park. Having said that, the billion dollar upgrade may take it up a couple of sorely needed notches, but even that won't put DCA in the same caliber of other Disney parks. It's a mini-Disney park at best.

I know it will probably hit me as soon as I click the "submit" button on this post, but I can't figure what "BPB" is.

 

[nemofinder22]

BPB is Block Party Bash

I see where your coming from don't put DCA so down fast though Disney Studios Paris is pretty lacking. DCA though I have to say though dosn't have a feeling that you get when walking through a Disney park, like when walking through DHS it feels and breaths Hollywood. DCA dosnt really breath much feeling. Does that make since???

But back to the original topic, the greatest thing to think when walking through DL is that Walt walked the very same Main Street, well I guess it only applies if your a huge Disney fan. lol

 

[Erika]

But back to the original topic, the greatest thing to think when walking through DL is that Walt walked the very same Main Street, well I guess it only applies if your a huge Disney fan. lol

That does add something that no other park can.

 

[Disneybird]

We just got back from our 1st trip to DL, and I have to say I would love to go back. I've been to WDW more than 30 times and always wanted to go to DL.
Space Mountain was great but I kept waiting for that drop that the one in WDW has (you know the one that sort of takes your stomach). The Haunted Mansion was decorated for the Nightmare Before Christmas which I have never seen. So I wasn't sure I would like it, but WOW! And IASW decorated for Christmas was amazing. There were so many small details at Disneyland. And I loved seeing the rides I have read about for many years that they don't have in Florida.

 

[agent86]

BPB is Block Party Bash

I see where your coming from don't put DCA so down fast though Disney Studios Paris is pretty lacking. DCA though I have to say though dosn't have a feeling that you get when walking through a Disney park, like when walking through DHS it feels and breaths Hollywood. DCA dosnt really breath much feeling. Does that make since???

But back to the original topic, the greatest thing to think when walking through DL is that Walt walked the very same Main Street, well I guess it only applies if your a huge Disney fan. lol

Yeah I've heard that Disney Studios Paris leaves a little to be desired. Never been there so I can't speak for it personally. But I know exactly what you mean about how DCA doesn't really have any kind of "feel" to it. It's basically just a theme park, like Knott's Berry Farm or any other. Nothing special or unique about it. It has some fun rides, but it definitely doesn't have a Disney feel to it at all.

And you're right, it is cool to walk around Disneyland and be able to say that Walt walked in those same places. I always love glancing at the window over the firehouse and knowing that Walt spent the night there many many times.

 

[Underdog]

The west coast version of PoTC is FAR superior to the one in WDW.

I do like the escapism that the size of WDW provides versus DL, yet the DL MK has a more classic fell than WDW's IMO.

I've always felt that Disneyland is better than the MK, but WDW is infinitely better than the Disneyland Resort...

Disneyland (the Park) hasn't been turned into a giant store yet, which is nice. Space Mountain is better, Mr. Toad lives on, Matterhorn is cool, Small World is better, etc...

California Adventure is junk, complete junk. Think an entire park like the the Dino Land game are at Animal Kingdom. Awful. Tower of Terrpr isn't as long as at DHS. The roller coaster is just that, a roller coaster...nothing special.

With that being said, I still love Disneyland! It's great for a 3 day trip. Downtown Disney is basically right next to/between the parks. I like it!

 

[KingdomHeart]

I've always felt that Disneyland is better than the MK, but WDW is infinitely better than the Disneyland Resort...

Disneyland (the Park) hasn't been turned into a giant store yet, which is nice. Space Mountain is better, Mr. Toad lives on, Matterhorn is cool, Small World is better, etc...

California Adventure is junk, complete junk. Think an entire park like the the Dino Land game are at Animal Kingdom. Awful. Tower of Terrpr isn't as long as at DHS. The roller coaster is just that, a roller coaster...nothing special.

With that being said, I still love Disneyland! It's great for a 3 day trip. Downtown Disney is basically right next to/between the parks. I like it!

You basically took the words right out of my mouth, except I don't believe Disneyland is better than MK. I found Disneyland charming, magical, and quaint (without the negative connatation). DL has a lot of things people really preferred, but for me, some of DL seemed, not classic, but rather, just out-dated. That said, I over-all LOVED IT. And the more I think about it, the more I love it. But, for me, in a lot of ways, the expansive majesty of MK, with its lay-out and and everything just works for me. I prefer MK's Frontier/Adventureland set-up as opposed to the Frontier/Adventureland/Criter Country. I will admit, everytime I go to see MK's Fantasyland for the rest of time, I will be like "Uhm. No." (DL had the better Small World, Alice (WHICH IS THE COOLEST RIDE), and Mr. Toad. I find of the dark rides they have in common, MK tends to win out. So, yeah, DL and MK are neck and neck.

But then comes CA. Ohhh, CA. I feel like CA is pieces of Epcot, Studios, and Animal Kingdom sort of rolled together as "LOOK ITS ALL SORT OF CALIFORNIA CAUSE YAY MOVIES!"

That said, and I believe I'm rambling now, DL is probably more classic than MK, though maybe not as amazing, but on the whole WDWR beats DLR.

-Nicholas

 

[marsrunner]

I had never been to Disneyland until this past weekend. I am a lifelong WDW fan. I've been many many times over the years. I used to live down there so we would go multiple times a year for day trips. I also was at WDW for a week two weeks ago, so I can compare the two places with fresh eyes.

As has been said, I believe that the Disneyland Resort is inferior to the Walt Disney World Resort. I did not go to California Adventure, as the list of attractions did not excite me. The only one that was a possible draw was the Tower of Terror, but since it is so inferior to the FL one I skipped, although the one in FL was my favorite ride anywhere.

I was stunned by how much I enjoyed the Disneyland Park. It was leaps and bounds better than any single park in FL, and really put the Magic Kingdom to shame. Yes, it is smaller, but there feels like more to do, and though I don't have a list of attractions in front of me to count, there was much more to keep me personally occupied.

I would say that all the rides that are shared between the two parks are better at Disneyland (though Haunted Mansion was closed so I can't comment on that), with the exception of Peter Pan's Flight. The one in CA doesn't have the moving lights in the London flyover scene, feels shorter, and doesn't have as many scenes. Splash Mountain was better in CA, though I prefer the logs in FL. The ones in CA were painful to my back.

Space Mountain in CA was amazing. Its now my favorite ride anywhere. It was just so much fun. Better than the one in FL is (of course) and better than I remember the one in FL being when growing up. The only area this might be debatable doesn't matter except historically, as I think the queue themeing was better when the one in FL was new, but now its just run down so its a wash.

Pirates was SO much better in CA. Longer and better themed overall.

As I said in another post, there seems to be more of an appreciation of the history of the place, especially in Fantasyland. Tomorrowland is better, but still has some things that don't fit.

I'm a convert now. Disneyland Park is what I want the Magic Kingdom to be, and what I feel it used to be like. Disneyland isn't perfect (the food still sucks) but it is better now.