WDW vs DL

[Nemo14]

I posted this on the DL section too, but I thought I'd better try here too.

My DH will turn 50 this spring, and I thought "what better way to celebrate it than with another famous 50-year-old?" DH is a major Disney fan, and we've been to the world twice this year already. I was thinking of planning a trip to DL to celebrate, but I don't want him to be disappointed.

I guess what I want to know is will DL be a letdown after us spending so much time in WDW? How are the hotels, food, parks, etc. Should I just plan another trip to the world where I know he'll be happy, or go ahead with my instincts and do DL instead? Any advise would be greatly appreciated!

 

[CThaddeus]

I can't imagine anyone would ever be disappointed in Disneyland. Although it's not as big as Disney World, there's still plenty to do...and a number of attractions you can't find at Disney World (Matterhorn, Disneyland: The First Fifty Years, the original Tiki Room, Haunted Mansion Holiday (if you're going before January 1), a better Fantasmic!, It's a Small World Holiday (again if you're going before January 1), Alice in Wonderland, Roger Rabbit's Cartoon Spin, Aladdin's Oasis (more of a kid's show, but not at Disney World), Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye (worth the trip alone), and a much better version of Pirates of the Caribbean. At California Adventure, you've got Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular, Monsters, Inc. (if you come after the beginning of the year), the Animation Building, A Bug's Land (more for kids again), Paradise Pier (if you're into carnival style rides), Golden Dreams (a good movie, regardless of what some may say), and Grizzly River Rapids (if you like getting wet). I'd allow about three days (two for Disneyland). And if you stay at a hotel "on property," I'd recommend either the Disneyland Hotel or Paradise Pier. The Grand Californian is okay, but it doesn't have the Disney feel of the other two.
Besides, it is the original. Everyone should visit it at least once in their life. I go every week, if that tells you anything!

 

[Douglas Bray]

I go down to Disneyland a t least once a year and always have a blast. I live in Vancouver Canada so Disneyland is a lot closer, and easier to go to than Disneyworld. There is a lot more to see in Disneyland than in the Magic Kingdom. However California Adventure can easly be seen in one day. The restaurants in the parks are almost all counter service. The Blue Bayou which is right in the beginning of the Pirates of the Carribean ride is worth going to. There is a restaurant at the Napa Valley Winery in the California Adventure park that is also very good. The three Disney Hotels are nice but a little overpriced for what they are. Disneyland has dozens of hotels within walking distance of the parks so you can look around on expedia to see if you see one that you like. I am going to Disneyworld for the first time in two days so when I get back I will be able to give a better idea of the differeces in the two. You will find Disneyland to be very different in feel to the parks in Florida in part due to the fact there are only two parks instead of four, no water parks, and that the real world seems to close to the parks as the whole area right around the parks is developed.

 

[KerTggr]

Disneyland has really changed in the past 5-10 years. If it's been a while since you've been there, go! CA is lots of fun as is the new DD area. If you get a chance too, stay @ The Grand Californian. It's very cool, has some great restaurants and has it's own entrance to CA.

 

[PigletIsMyCat]

I haven't been to DisneyLand in quite a long time, but I remember it being VERY different than WDW, especially the Matterhorn Bobsleds (favorite ride!), PoTC, and I think they had their Space Mountain updated (?). I suggest going there, and if you have an extra day and a car, drive up to the San Diego Zoo. It's way better than any other zoo I have ever been to.

 

[mhead]

If he is a big Disney fan he will enjoy it. He will most likely still be a little disappointed, but will enjoy it. That is how my wife and I felt this Summer, we went to DL for the first time (we are WDW AP holders and wanted to go to DL for the 50th). We really enjoyed it and liked seeing the nostalgia etc. But it mostly just wet our appetite to get back to WDW. As far as food there are very few table service restaurants and the whole place seemed, well less magical than WDW. As I said we enjoyed it, we are glad we went, we don't have any plans to go back.

 

[DisneyPhD]

We have never been to DL, but are WDW experts. We are consideirng going to DL for the 1st time this May (we go to WDW in Jan, since our AP are good until Feb.)

The thing I worry about with the kids is the 5 hour flight (WDW is just a little over 2) and the time change.

DH has family there, so we will visist them too, but are wondering where to stay and what else to do while there. I guess I have heard before you would be disapointed in DL since it is small comparied to WDW. However it does seem to have grown a lot in the past 5 years.

 

[brich]

Try Disneyland Paris..... :sohappy:

 

[lscott933]

we went to disneyland last year for the first last year. i really like how close everything was. everything is right there. all the hotel are within walking distance to the parks. if you stay off the property you can stay right across the street. it is about the same distance from the comp. hotel to the magic kingdom at wdw. we chose choose a room at the california hotel that looks right over the park and you have a entrance to the park there too. we also went on tours set up by disney to see the area too during the day. it was really a nice change from wdw. you can see both parks in about a day. it is really neat to see fantamic there two.

 

[DisneyPhD]

If the 5 hour flight and time change to CAL scares me. I don't think we are up for Paris yet. :lookaroun

I was thinking that we would stay at an DL resort, because we like the quailty, but we might change for half the week someplace else.

Besides the beach what else is must see in the area?

 

[CThaddeus]

Some will say Universal...maybe for half a day. Some will say Knott's Berry Farm. I wouldn't (roller coaster after roller coaster and not really worth even the discount tickets you can get). Some will say Magic Mountain. Again, unless all you really want are coasters, I'd say forget that, too. However, the San Diego Zoo mentioned earlier is definitely worth a visit (a new panda was just born), as is Sea World (not for the rides, but for the animals). Personally, I'd just stick to Disneyland and California Adventure. I feel the "magic" every time I go, even if it's just for an hour or two. I'm confused by those who don't feel it. It has an intimacy WDW just doesn't have, and after all, this was Walt's baby. How can you not go?

 

[Iakona]

My son and I did DL as part of a trip to my uncle's wedding. I wouldn't say it was disappointing. Instead it was different in a lot of ways. I would NOT plan a trip to CA from 5-6 hours away just for DL and DCA. We will go again when we head to Oregon to visit my wife's family, but no trips just for DL.

 

[Nemo14]

My son and I did DL as part of a trip to my uncle's wedding. I wouldn't say it was disappointing. Instead it was different in a lot of ways. I would NOT plan a trip to CA from 5-6 hours away just for DL and DCA. We will go again when we head to Oregon to visit my wife's family, but no trips just for DL.

I was thinking in terms of flying to LA, renting a car, doing DL and CA, then taking a week or so to travel through the mountains, then back to LA. It all depends on how my work schedule is going by then.

 

[HunnyPot]

I've never actually stayed on property at DL, but we really enjoyed it when we went. I don't think you will be disappointed with it. I mean, it's the original right? There are only 2 parks there, but they are fun. Plus, it might be nice to go if you've never been before. Hope you have fun whatever you decide, and what a great present!

 

[RoninHood]

Seems like disney is negeclting the magic kingdom in fl and spending most of its time and money on updating disneyland with new rides and updating old ones.

 

[LilDucky]

Seems like disney is negeclting the magic kingdom in fl and spending most of its time and money on updating disneyland with new rides and updating old ones.

Well, I wouldnt say they were neglecting the park. They are pumping money into the other WDW parks as well.... Everest isn't cheap!

Its Disneyland's 50th! It deserves it! :sohappy:

Nemo, I hope you have an awesome time wherever you decide to go! :wave:

 

[FourFourSeven]

A few comments:

1) Disney as part of a "Southern California" vacation is a great idea. Several years back (before California Adventure), my wife and I spent two nights at Disneyland, another night in the Hollywood area, and three nights in San Diego, and had a great time. I'm not sure I'd go JUST for Disneyland, though with the expansion, three days sounds about right for a big Disney fan.

2) I prefer Disneyland's Magic Kingdom to WDW's Magic Kingdom, but prefer Disneyworld as a whole to Disneyland. For example, first time on Disneyland's POTC after going on WDW's version was a treat!

3) On the time change - it won't be an issue for most kids going west (never has been for mine). You will wake up earlier, but that's usually a good thing on Disney trips - you'll be wide awake and at the park at opening. I love heading west - I can feel like I'm sleeping in, and wake up at 6am. (Of course, heading back home is always an issue)

 

[DisneyPhD]

A few comments:

1) Disney as part of a "Southern California" vacation is a great idea. Several years back (before California Adventure), my wife and I spent two nights at Disneyland, another night in the Hollywood area, and three nights in San Diego, and had a great time. I'm not sure I'd go JUST for Disneyland, though with the expansion, three days sounds about right for a big Disney fan.

2) I prefer Disneyland's Magic Kingdom to WDW's Magic Kingdom, but prefer Disneyworld as a whole to Disneyland. For example, first time on Disneyland's POTC after going on WDW's version was a treat!

3) On the time change - it won't be an issue for most kids going west (never has been for mine). You will wake up earlier, but that's usually a good thing on Disney trips - you'll be wide awake and at the park at opening. I love heading west - I can feel like I'm sleeping in, and wake up at 6am. (Of course, heading back home is always an issue)

That is what we were thinking about 3 days at DL and then the rest of the week to CAL. What do you pupose to do in the Hollywood area and San Diego? (besides the zoo and ocean.) DH cousin and aunt are in LA, but not sure if we could stay with them (small space and cousin is a smoker, :lookaroun ) But we would be visisting with them and using them as tour guides. Maybe we would rent a car for the out of LA part, and just bum off them while there. I don't want to drive in that traffic (and I am from Detroit!)

edited to add stuff i forget!

I was hoping that was the case with the time change. I heard the park doesn't open until 9:30 and I was like "what are we going to do until then?"

The trip won't be only for DL, but I must admit it is what I am most excited about. (we have been to WDW a dozen times so far, never DL, I think I need to compare it some.) I hope it has the magic there, I think that is why we are hoping to stay on prop while we are there.

 

[mhead]

In all fairness we did go to Cali just for DL, but in all honesty it is just not as well run as WDW. Like I said earlier - it was great for Disney nuts like us - but we kept saying how it was sad that so many people on the west coast would only know DL and think it was the best when if they could just make one trip to WDW they would just be in awe!

Again - we enjoyed and we are glad we went - and would certainly tell other Disney fans to go - but just be prepared for the shock factor of how small it is and the consequent lack of some things.

 

[GenerationX]

We ended up spending 6 days at the Grand Californian. We made a day trip into Hollywood and drove around Beverly Hills for a while. We thought about going to T.V. studios, but a guidebook said the minimum age to attend tapings was 16. The bustling corner of Hollywood & Highland was not nearly as glitzy and glamorous as I had expected. There were a lot of people dressed in costumes outside the Chinese Theater, but the costumes were awful. Very poor quality. We had to get directions to find the Hollywood Entertainment Museum (it's okay, but it's housed in a basement). The highlight of the day was this exchange:

Me: Excuse me, Spiderman, you wouldn't happen to know where the Hollywood Entertainment Museum is?
Spiderman: Yeah sure, just go a block and a half that way, and you'll see some steps down to it.
Me: Thanks, Spidey.

The drive from the GC to Hollywood was excruciating.

However, the drive from the GC to the beach (we went to Laguna Beach) was fine ... maybe 30-40 minutes.

The drive from the GC to Legoland (just north of San Diego) was not too bad either. About 80 minutes. Legoland is okay. We didn't love it, but it was amusing for a couple of hours. The boys (5, 7, 9) all liked it.

We didn't go to Magic Mountain, because we live near Six Flags Great America. We didn't go to Knott's Berry Farm, because we ended up enjoying the Disneyland MK and DCA so much. If I had to do it over again, I'd go four nights at the GC, then two or three nights in San Diego. I would have liked to have gotten to the San Diego Zoo and Sea World. I could've done without the trip to Hollywood.