bryanfze55
Well-Known Member
My family and I have been visiting both WDW and Disneyland for about five years now. We love both, and I have often defended WDW, notably the Magic Kingdom, against detractors who say it’s inferior to Disneyland, Universal, etc. I believe WDW offers certain experiences you just can’t get anywhere else.
However, planning for WDW trips is beginning to take its toll. My family isn’t fond of heat, so we typically try to go to Disney Parks in fall or winter. This year we were planning to go to WDW the week of Dec. 7-14. I just cancelled and decided to go to Disneyland instead. We have a nearly one year old daughter, and being able to walk from your hotel/motel to the park entrance in 5-7 minutes just sounded heavenly compared to the transportation logistics at WDW.
Another key factor in our decision is the presence of the Christmas party at WDW. It was occurring at MK four of the seven days we had intended to go. My family doesn’t have much interest in the Christmas party. We did it once - it was still extremely busy, and I just didn’t see the value for my money. So that left us doing MK the three days the party was not occurring - and in our recent experience, crowds at MK are unbearable on the non-party days since most people don’t want to pay for the event. Meanwhile, at Disneyland, guests get to enjoy all the holiday celebrations plus some fantastic holiday overlays without paying for a hard ticket event.
Also, with Rise of the Resistance opening at WDW on 12/5, I had my suspicions that DHS would be a logistical nightmare. I do enjoy DHS, but the fact is my 5-year-old daughter can only do a few rides in that park. I’m not a huge defender of California Adventure; however, there’s over a dozen rides in that park she can do. Some of them are tacky carnival rides, but if crowds are bad, at least there is a backup plan. At DHS, if crowds are bad, all the lines will be super long since the park is so under built. A few of the shows are great, but they’re the same thing every time. None of them have really been updated in a very long time. This may be fine for the once in a lifetime guest, but for WDW regulars - it loses appeal. I say this as a huge Muppets fan. Meanwhile, at Disneyland, they’re doing a special holiday version of World of Color. Go figure.
I still love WDW. I’m definitely going to miss some things by cancelling my trip - Kilimanjaro Safaris, Pandora, Expedition Everest, Spaceship Earth, World Showcase, ToT... but the fact is, I think the guest experience is dwindling at WDW in comparison to its west coast counterpart. And for my family, the logistics of planning a WDW trip with an infant was just too much. We will definitely go back someday, but for now we may be a Disneyland family.
For whatever reason, it seems that Disney has really tried to market WDW as THE place they want you to go. They don’t do that with Disneyland. None of the families I know (I live in the Midwest) have gone to Disneyland. It doesn’t even cross their mind. However, at worst, the quality is about the same at both resorts. WDW has a “bubble.” But Disneyland tends to keep its parks fresher and more updated due to it being a locals’ park. It would just be nice to see WDW be a little more like Disneyland... less planning. Maybe that’s not possible given their guest count, but it seems that’s a self-inflicted wound by marketing WDW as the go-to place for American families, rather than Disneyland, all the while neglecting to properly build-up the four WDW parks and keep them fresh.
No real point to this post other than to vent and see if anybody else is having similar frustrations with the way WDW is headed... I guess you could say I’m also encouraging people to give a look to Disneyland if the thought has never crossed their mind. It’s all the euphoria without all the stress.
However, planning for WDW trips is beginning to take its toll. My family isn’t fond of heat, so we typically try to go to Disney Parks in fall or winter. This year we were planning to go to WDW the week of Dec. 7-14. I just cancelled and decided to go to Disneyland instead. We have a nearly one year old daughter, and being able to walk from your hotel/motel to the park entrance in 5-7 minutes just sounded heavenly compared to the transportation logistics at WDW.
Another key factor in our decision is the presence of the Christmas party at WDW. It was occurring at MK four of the seven days we had intended to go. My family doesn’t have much interest in the Christmas party. We did it once - it was still extremely busy, and I just didn’t see the value for my money. So that left us doing MK the three days the party was not occurring - and in our recent experience, crowds at MK are unbearable on the non-party days since most people don’t want to pay for the event. Meanwhile, at Disneyland, guests get to enjoy all the holiday celebrations plus some fantastic holiday overlays without paying for a hard ticket event.
Also, with Rise of the Resistance opening at WDW on 12/5, I had my suspicions that DHS would be a logistical nightmare. I do enjoy DHS, but the fact is my 5-year-old daughter can only do a few rides in that park. I’m not a huge defender of California Adventure; however, there’s over a dozen rides in that park she can do. Some of them are tacky carnival rides, but if crowds are bad, at least there is a backup plan. At DHS, if crowds are bad, all the lines will be super long since the park is so under built. A few of the shows are great, but they’re the same thing every time. None of them have really been updated in a very long time. This may be fine for the once in a lifetime guest, but for WDW regulars - it loses appeal. I say this as a huge Muppets fan. Meanwhile, at Disneyland, they’re doing a special holiday version of World of Color. Go figure.
I still love WDW. I’m definitely going to miss some things by cancelling my trip - Kilimanjaro Safaris, Pandora, Expedition Everest, Spaceship Earth, World Showcase, ToT... but the fact is, I think the guest experience is dwindling at WDW in comparison to its west coast counterpart. And for my family, the logistics of planning a WDW trip with an infant was just too much. We will definitely go back someday, but for now we may be a Disneyland family.
For whatever reason, it seems that Disney has really tried to market WDW as THE place they want you to go. They don’t do that with Disneyland. None of the families I know (I live in the Midwest) have gone to Disneyland. It doesn’t even cross their mind. However, at worst, the quality is about the same at both resorts. WDW has a “bubble.” But Disneyland tends to keep its parks fresher and more updated due to it being a locals’ park. It would just be nice to see WDW be a little more like Disneyland... less planning. Maybe that’s not possible given their guest count, but it seems that’s a self-inflicted wound by marketing WDW as the go-to place for American families, rather than Disneyland, all the while neglecting to properly build-up the four WDW parks and keep them fresh.
No real point to this post other than to vent and see if anybody else is having similar frustrations with the way WDW is headed... I guess you could say I’m also encouraging people to give a look to Disneyland if the thought has never crossed their mind. It’s all the euphoria without all the stress.
