What are the differences?

[DfromATX]

my wife and I go to Disney world almost every year. In the spring we were invited to a wedding in San Diego for my niece. We went to the wedding and them drove up to Disneyland for 5 days.This was our first time there.The first thing that surprised me was that Disneyland has no parking close by. There are Disney parking lots away from the part and you take shuttle buses. There are now some Disney run hotels that are within walking distance or monorail travel to park but for the most part there are off site hotels that are were the majority of guest stay. We stayed at Candy Cane Inn which is one of the closer hotels. The back side of Cars land abuts the hotel property. It was still a walk to the front entrance. There are many of the same rides but with little differences. There were many rides still their that had been closed at Disney World. I felt that Test Track was = to Radiator Springs Racers. Dinosour was = to Indiana Jones Adventure. There are more rides at the Magic Kingdom at Disneyland because they include rides that are split off to other parks at Disney World. One of the biggest surprises was how many rides they have in a smaller space. This meant that the ride lines wound around and around. Without the Fastpass + we waited much longer in the lines. California Adventure reminded me off Hollywood studios. It was built latter and it had more open space. It took 2 days at Magic Kingdom and 2 days at California Adventure. The night time water show World Of Color in front of Mickeys Fun Wheel was 10 times better than Fantasmic.

I recently chatted with a cast member because I've been doing some research. She told me that Disney Adventure was built in what used to be Disneyland's parking lot!

 

[disneygeek90]

I recently chatted with a cast member because I've been doing some research. She told me that Disney Adventure was built in what used to be Disneyland's parking lot!

Yep, it was. They really suffer from a lack of space there. No wonder Walt had his eyes on the swampy orange groves filled with a limited population.

I'll be there for 2 days next weekend! I was there 3 days this past March and visited in 2013. As an Orlando resident and WDW weekly visitor, I really love comparing and exploring DL. Cars Land blows Test Track so far out of the water I have virtually no interest in Test Track anymore.

 

[Texas84]

I recently chatted with a cast member because I've been doing some research. She told me that Disney Adventure was built in what used to be Disneyland's parking lot!

Yep, enter on Harbor and park right next to the gate. I remember it when I was a kid.

 

[Disneysea05]

my wife and I go to Disney world almost every year. In the spring we were invited to a wedding in San Diego for my niece. We went to the wedding and them drove up to Disneyland for 5 days.This was our first time there.The first thing that surprised me was that Disneyland has no parking close by. There are Disney parking lots away from the part and you take shuttle buses.

You just happened to park in the satellite Toy Story Parking Lot. The "on site" Mickey And Friends parking structure is to the west of Disneyland Park and is serviced by the same parking lot trams you would find at WDW.

 

[Disneysea05]

Yep, enter on Harbor and park right next to the gate. I remember it when I was a kid.
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It was SO convenient!

 

[DfromATX]

Yep, enter on Harbor and park right next to the gate. I remember it when I was a kid.
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It was funny because the cast member asked me when I was there last, so when I told her "1984" she said it has changed a LOT since then. I don't remember anything about it. Who knows, maybe I've actually been on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, but just don't remember!

 

[TiggerDad]

We don't ever park hop in FL because of the time wasted in transit, but we do hop in CA because the parks are right next to each other. It's so easy to go back and forth depending on crowds or what you want to do. Radiator Springs is far better than Test Track. No one has mentioned California Screamin' which is my daughter's favorite. We did 3 days, which allowed us to do everything we wanted to do. The other big difference is you don't have to make restaurant reservations months in advance. Oh, and it hardly ever rains in LA. I much prefer DL, but it's a lot longer trip for us from the East Coast so we don't go as often as WDW.

 

[larryz]

You definitely want to visit Mon-Thurs if you can. It's a locals park, and they show up in droves on the weekends.

 

[Walt Disney1955]

So when i looked up attractions at Disneyland, they have a lot of the same rides as wdw, even only being two parks. So now i'm thinking, why spend 4 days in four parks when you can spend two days in two parks and do almost the same things, and then some. What am I missing lol

True enough. But buy a three day hopper pass in Disneyland. You want to spend more than two days between Disneyland and California Adventure. Lots of attractions. The thing with Disneyland is that they utilize their space better. I think they have to as they do not have as much to work with but it works out well. In a way it is cozier than WDW. You can walk to everything. Downtown Disney is beside the hotels and it goes right to the entrances of both parks. Disneyland has the better rides over Magic Kingdom. I always tell people who have been to only WDW that as much as they think Magic Kingdom is the ultimate place to be they will like Disneyland even better.

They have a better Pirates ride, twice as long. Matterhorn and Indiana Jones are there. Carsland is there and is very immersive. Fantasyland is still very old-school and I love it. Probably the best land in the entire resort is Fantasyland still. Tons of stuff still open that was there opening day. Sleeping Beauty Castle is a walkthrough. Everything is just a little more quaint. The one knock is that Splash Mountain is much better in WDW. I noticed that right away. It seems rushed in Disneyland and is shorter. But yeah, no Disney fan should ever deny the chance to visit the original.

Plus Southern California will give you more than enough time to do other things. Spend a week there and you'll have plenty to do, and then some.

 

[EOD K9]

Yep, enter on Harbor and park right next to the gate. I remember it when I was a kid.
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Based on that picture, the entrance to California Adventure would be right behind you.