Magic Kingdom vs. Disneyland, which has more of a "magical" aura?

[Walt Disney1955]

Okay I know this has been done to death, and then some. But since I am planning a trip to California in September I would love to see hear the comparisons. WDW may be overall better than DL and I am aware of that but this is just the two flagship parks. Nothing more.

Let's not get into a big debate here, I just want to isolate it to one question. I am fully aware of the rides that exist at DL just by looking on the map. But as we all know the one thing that separates a Disney park is IMPACT on a person. How does it make you feel?

From my experiences at MK I LOVE the fact that it takes a while before you get to the park. The anticipation is endless. First the parking in the character lots. Then the tram. The the ferry/monorail. Then the entrance. By the time you get there you are so amped up and literally feel like you are in another world.

Here's my questions:

Since DL is close to the action in the city of Anaheim do you get the same vibe there?
Do you feel in another world and forget that Anaheim is so close?
Does it matter if a monorail/ferry takes you to the entrance or is it just because I am used to it?
Will I forget about being so close to the city and just soak up in the magic just like at MK?
Do you even see the outside city when you are in there?

 

[the_princess]

I have never noticed the outside world when I was there. I forget about everything else and just get lost, Disneyland or WDW. I love the magic kingdom and the rides have their own special feel to them. Remember, Disneyland came first, so I always enjoy the feeling of this is where it all started.

 

[Walt Disney1955]

Thank you princess. I have always been told that "you will miss things at DL that you would see at WDW, and vice versa. Is this a correct assessment? If so I guess it's a wash

 

[disneysroyal411]

Matterhorn rocks. That's all I remember well. It was the only ride I would ride when I started riding rides and got over my fear of them. That was when I was like eight or nine. I just know it's Disney, Disney is magical, therefore you will/should have fun!

 

[sponono88]

Since DL is close to the action in the city of Anaheim do you get the same vibe there?

Yes.

Do you feel in another world and forget that Anaheim is so close?

Yes.

Does it matter if a monorail/ferry takes you to the entrance or is it just because I am used to it?

I don't think it matters.

Will I forget about being so close to the city and just soak up in the magic just like at MK?

Yes.

Do you even see the outside city when you are in there?

No. Maybe from the Monorail, but for the most part the outside world is hidden if you're inside the park.

 

[the_princess]

From what I remember when you are on the monerail you do get a glance at the city. But otherwise its easy to forget. Take it as a new experience, dont expect things to be just like the MK at WDW. The rides have the same name and are VERY close but the drops and dips all have a purpose, to go under each other and thus save room. Something I remember reading was that the haunted mansion room that stretchs is really an elevator.
I think when you start missing things is when you just assume it's going to be the same as you have done x amount of times. Just don't fall into that and you'll be fine. I know that is the issue for us, I'll always say "I thought this happened..." and my mom or dad is quick to remind me its not here its at the other MK... Been to them both too many times Im starting to confuse myself apparently...

 

[magicmaya]

well...I like disneyland. It's very original

Matterhorn's awesome
Space mountain feels life you're actually in space with all the effects and the smooth track.
The castle's amazing...original.
Fantasyland rocks. It has a bunch of AiW stuff...which I like.
I was basically raised there as a kid. It's basically my home. I live 6 mins away. :lol:

 

[disneysroyal411]

well...I like disneyland. It's very original

Matterhorn's awesome
Space mountain feels life you're actually in space with all the effects and the smooth track.
The castle's amazing...original.
Fantasyland rocks. It has a bunch of AiW stuff...which I like.
I was basically raised there as a kid. It's basically my home. I live 6 mins away. :lol:

Matterhorn FTW!!!!:sohappy: Favorite ride EVER! Rode it when I was like 9 and it instantly became my favorite. I'll be back in 2012 Labor Day weekend!

 

[magicmaya]

Matterhorn FTW!!!!:sohappy: Favorite ride EVER! Rode it when I was like 9 and it instantly became my favorite. I'll be back in 2012 Labor Day weekend!

I first rode it when I was 5! I felt like I was about to fall out! Best feeling ever(when you're 5)!

 

[Wilt Dasney]

In my very biased opinion, DL pummels MK in just about every imaginable category.

Inside the DL berm, you feel as isolated from Anaheim as you actually are from Orlando in MK. There's no bleed-over effect I noticed, except as some have noted, on the monorail.

As for the need for a monorail/ferry to the entrance: I feel very strongly that DL doesn't suffer one iota from lacking those features. I've written this before, but to me, the feeling of isolation is every bit as thorough when you turn off Harbor Boulevard and walk toward the two DL parks as it is when you step off the monorail in front of MK — a fact that makes DL even more impressive than WDW. In my mind it is, anyway.

 

[Krack]

You can mark me down in the "DL is better" category.

Indiana Jones & the Temple of the Forbidden Eye
The Matterhorn
Nemo Submarines
Original Tiki Room
Mr. Toad's Wild Ride
Blue Bayou Restaurant

Not to mention ...
Better Pirates
Better Space Mountain
Better Main Street USA
Better Fantasyland ambiance
Better Tea Cups
Better Railroad (Primeval World)
No Magic Carpets screwing up Adventureland
Better upkeep, cleanliness and maintenance (imho, the key to "magical aura")

Plus you still get some attractions that are found in other WDW parks ...
Fantasmic
Star Tours
Captain EO

The only things I wind up missing at DL are ...
The Country Bears (that's the big one)
The Peoplemover
The Carousel of Progress
The Hall of Presidents

To answer your other questions, I've found as just as easy to escape the real world in DL as I do in MK; the outside world is only visible once you have exited the park. And if you park in the parking deck, it still takes 10 minutes by tram to get to the DL entrance gates, which pretty much serves the same purposes of the monorail/ferry (if not as well). I am interested to hear your thoughts when you return from your trip in September.

 

[the-reason14]

I will admit that coming to the entrance to Disneyland fresh off a tram is much different than coming to the entrance to the magic kingdom fresh off a monorail. But once inside the park, the theming takes care of itself. I still will say that, to me, the mk is more magical. Maybe its because its my original Disney park, maybe its because of cindy castle being superior, complete with a moat. I don't know, theres just this pure magic feeling i get while at mk that was a bit diffrent than it was at DL. Also, mk doesn't feel cluttered like it does at times in Disneyland, but then again sometimes at mk it feels like somethings lacking after having visited DL.


Bottom line is, both parks are amazing in their own way, and you are truly lucky if you get a chance to go to both.

 

[TP2000]

Don't know if you live close to WDW or not, but I live close to Disneyland and when I get back from a WDW visit the first thing I like to do is visit Disneyland and compare/contrast. A visit to Magic Kingdom just before your Disneyland trip might be fun, and worth it.

One thing that always sticks out to me at Disneyland is the maintenance of effects and animatronics on the rides; it's noticeably superior at Disneyland when I return from a WDW visit.

The other thing is the audio systems at Disneyland attractions; in general the audio is crisper and clearer and far more advanced than the Magic Kingdom versions, from pretty much everything from Pirates of the Caribbean to Peter Pan's Flight. I have a musician friend who pointed this out to me once, as I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but she was able to explain the audio terms that we were enjoying on the Disneyland versions of the same Magic Kingdom attractions that are muddy and muffled sounding.

You can compare/contrast the physical setup endlessly. But then there are smaller details like animatronic movement and audio quality that are the details that make up the entire experience.

It's a different world at Disneyland.

 

[bamillerpa]

I've only been to DL once but dozens of times to DW. While I personally like DW best, the moment that forever sticks in my mind is seeing the entrance to DL for the first time. To me the fact that in the middle of this big city this magical place seems to pop up from almost nowhere. To me that's real magic. Once inside I never once thought about being in the middle of a city, I was totally immersed in Disney. You'll have a great time there, and like another poster stated, just don't expect it to be a replica of DW. It's an entire different park with it's own magic

 

[captainkidd]

What always amazes me about the comparisons is the difference in opinion, even on boards. On this board, DL is the favorite. On that other board run by the loonies, MK is the favorite. When I read about the 2, it almost always seems people like DL better, but when I talk to people, they almost always say MK is far superior. Very odd.

 

[Hoop Raeb]

Just for the history and the fact Walt actually walked and hung out there, Disneyland is far more "magical" than WDW. I live 30 minutes from WDW and it's my home park but if I had my choice, DL is better.

Well, except for HM.

 

[po1998]

I've been to DLR 3 times and WDW 6 times.

DL park blows away MK(google park differences). On top of that being able to stay at one of the hotels on Harbor and walk to the parks in under 10 minutes is AWESOME. Finally being able to go from DL to DCA by crossing the esplanade makes park hopping worthwhile.

 

[Lee]

Here's my questions:

Since DL is close to the action in the city of Anaheim do you get the same vibe there? Yes. I do.
Do you feel in another world and forget that Anaheim is so close? Yep.
Does it matter if a monorail/ferry takes you to the entrance or is it just because I am used to it? It helps, I guess. But as soon as you are under the train tracks....DL is as removed from the world as MK.
Will I forget about being so close to the city and just soak up in the magic just like at MK? While you are inside the berm, yes.
Do you even see the outside city when you are in there? Not in DL. From the Wheel and Screamin' in DCA, yes.

See above.

 

[fosse76]

I have been to the WDW Resort 10 times in the past 4 years. I went to Disneyland for the first time in 23 years last month. A few weeks later I visited WDW again, and compared to Disneyland, WDW felt run down. I prefer Disneyland. Disneyworld is too big for its own good. It was nice to not have to waste time waiting for busses, since everything is within walking distance. Most of the attractions are superior to their FL counterparts (I did start missing the Magic Kingdom's Haunted Mansion and Splash Mountain, though). The whole park just felt magical, whereas WDW seems stale.

My biggest complaint was CM apathy. Despite a 20-minute wait for Space Mountain, the ride vehicles almost always went out half-empty. And despite claims of stellar maintenance, I could set my watch by Space Mountain's, Indiana Jones' and the Matterhorn's breakdowns. And don't get me started on Toy Sotry Mania, which was closed for 4 of the five days I was there because they couldn't get it to work.

 

[the-reason14]

Another thing about DL is that even though its so tiny compared to MK, it has way more stuff to do. It was exciting for me because Id been wanting to go since I was about 12 or 13, so I pretty much knew about the superior rides, and extra rides to expect. But I remember several times thinking, "Oh ya, I want to do that." I mean, I still prefer the MK because it's home, but DL is so quaint and it does a better job at making you feel at home. It really feels as though its your land like Walt wanted and more intimate too. Park hopping is nice too, being able to walk back and forth almost feels like your in one big park instead of going back and forth between two. And I also love that you get your bag check once, and you dont have to worry about that if you plan on park hopping.

WDW is obviously better, but there's always this feeling, atleast for me, that you have to move as quickly and much as possible to see as much as possible. It's always crowded. But DL felt way more laid back and calm, which helped with the intimate feeling.