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This information is also available in eBook and print book on Amazon. If you enjoy the blog post, please feel free to go and leave a review on the book. I would really appreciate it. Before you dig into this post, there are a few things you need to know. First of all, I am not a travel agent of any sort. I don't write this to sway you, far from it. More like I've written it to help myself decide where Mom and I are going next year. Second, this post does contain affiliate links, meaning, if you decide to grab a personalized Touring Plan from the link I provide, or you book through Get Away Today using my link, I get a small bonus, but it costs you nothing extra. Same goes if you look through my Amazon store front for things, like the stuff I have on my "Top Ten Disney Packing List" post. Other than that, I am what I appear to be, a mom who loves Disney and is totally torn on which Disney I like better. Hopefully this post helps you figure it out, if you're in the same boat. (read more)
SHOULD YOU GO TO DISNEYLAND OR DISNEY WORLD?
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DISNEYLAND VS DISNEY WORLD
THE COST OF GETTING THERE
This section is out the window if you're driving. Skip it and move on to the next section.
I'm only basing this on people like me, the people who are VERY far away from either place and have no intention of driving.
If you are driving, you'll need to just factor in the cost of gas, and the cost of any overnight stays in hotels en route to your destination. Also double check your chosen hotel to make sure they don't have a daily parking fee or a fee to park near the parks (parking structures or parking lots). Many do, even at Disney World.
For those of you not driving, and instead flying in, you've got a few things to consider, the first of which is airfare.
DISNEY WORLD is located in Orlando (area) Florida, and serviced by one main airport. I tend to fly Southwest, but I know that a lot of people don't live near Southwest hubs, so what I'll do here is go to Google Flights and track flights to MCO from HOU, giving you an estimate.
For the sake of planning, I'm going to pick a date about six months out, May 10 - 16, 2020.
An average airfare, round trip, with one carry on bag per person, via Spirit, going nonstop, would be around $200 per person.
If you want to make a stop, you can get the same service for about $170 per person on Delta Airlines.
Both of those flights go out of Intercontinental Airport.
Be sure you put in "+1" in the bag section of the filter, so you know the price and don't have to pay unexpected baggage fees.
If you do live near a Southwest Hub, the same flights out of Houston Hobby would run you approximately $250 per person, round trip.
Now, let's talk Disneyland.
DISNEYLAND is located in Anaheim California and is fairly easily accessed by two main airports, LAX and SNA (Los Angeles and Santa Ana).
LAX invariably yields cheaper airfare from either IAH or HOU, coming in at around $250 for a nonstop out of IAH on American, United, or Spirit.
The same can be said for HOU to LAX via Southwest. There are a lot of flights in and out, many nonstop choices, and many can be had for around $100 each way, bringing your total to $200 per person, round trip.
Should you choose to fly into SNA, which puts you a great deal closer to Disneyland, you're looking at more like $400 per person, round trip, whether you go out of IAH or HOU.
Go ahead and make a hash mark on your paper for whichever resort you think works best for you as far as air fare.
If you're driving, leave it blank.
Next up, let's talk about getting from the airport to your hotel room.
CHECK OUT OUR TOP TEN MUST HAVE DISNEY PACKING LIST
I'm only basing this on people like me, the people who are VERY far away from either place and have no intention of driving.
If you are driving, you'll need to just factor in the cost of gas, and the cost of any overnight stays in hotels en route to your destination. Also double check your chosen hotel to make sure they don't have a daily parking fee or a fee to park near the parks (parking structures or parking lots). Many do, even at Disney World.
For those of you not driving, and instead flying in, you've got a few things to consider, the first of which is airfare.
DISNEY WORLD is located in Orlando (area) Florida, and serviced by one main airport. I tend to fly Southwest, but I know that a lot of people don't live near Southwest hubs, so what I'll do here is go to Google Flights and track flights to MCO from HOU, giving you an estimate.
For the sake of planning, I'm going to pick a date about six months out, May 10 - 16, 2020.
An average airfare, round trip, with one carry on bag per person, via Spirit, going nonstop, would be around $200 per person.
If you want to make a stop, you can get the same service for about $170 per person on Delta Airlines.
Both of those flights go out of Intercontinental Airport.
Be sure you put in "+1" in the bag section of the filter, so you know the price and don't have to pay unexpected baggage fees.
If you do live near a Southwest Hub, the same flights out of Houston Hobby would run you approximately $250 per person, round trip.
Now, let's talk Disneyland.
DISNEYLAND is located in Anaheim California and is fairly easily accessed by two main airports, LAX and SNA (Los Angeles and Santa Ana).
LAX invariably yields cheaper airfare from either IAH or HOU, coming in at around $250 for a nonstop out of IAH on American, United, or Spirit.
The same can be said for HOU to LAX via Southwest. There are a lot of flights in and out, many nonstop choices, and many can be had for around $100 each way, bringing your total to $200 per person, round trip.
Should you choose to fly into SNA, which puts you a great deal closer to Disneyland, you're looking at more like $400 per person, round trip, whether you go out of IAH or HOU.
Go ahead and make a hash mark on your paper for whichever resort you think works best for you as far as air fare.
If you're driving, leave it blank.
Next up, let's talk about getting from the airport to your hotel room.
CHECK OUT OUR TOP TEN MUST HAVE DISNEY PACKING LIST
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DISNEYLAND VS WALT DISNEY WORLD
WHAT WILL A RIDE SHARE COST?
These are fairly easy for me to compare straight out because I've got my Uber receipts for trips to and from each airport.
DISNEY WORLD RIDE SHARING AND OTHER TRANSPORTATION
Orlando Airport to Disney World via ride share will cost you around $40.00 each way. If you take a Taxi, plan on paying about double the cost. (Don't take a Taxi)
Disney World to Orlando Airport is about 30 minutes.
But, you don't have to pay anything at all if you're staying on site:
Disney World also offers Disney's Magical Express. It's a FREE bus service that will take you from the airport to your Disney hotel, and then back to the airport at the end of your trip.
I've only used it once, and decided it wasn't for me. Yes, it's free, but it comes at the cost of time.
Your plane lands, you head down to the bus area, board the bus, and then you wait for it to fill with other passengers who have (hopefully) landed around the same time you did.
Sometimes it's a very long wait.
Once your bus gets going, you have to wait as it drops people off at each resort hotel, meaning you could be on that bus for two hours before you ever step foot in your hotel, depending on where you are on the route.
For me, it's worth the extra $80 (round trip) to Uber back and forth instead, but the service is there if you want to take advantage of it.
Just make sure you book your DME (Disney Magical Express) trip in advance so they're expecting you. I'm pretty sure you can't just get off your flight and then board any old bus.
Another good thing about DME is that you can drop your bags off at the bus, get on, get dropped at your Disney hotel, and go have fun. Your bags will be delivered to your hotel room without you ever having to do a thing.
Make sure NOT to pack your Magic Bands in your luggage!
The same thing goes on your way back home. You can check into your flight, print your passes, drop the bags at the DME bus, and Disney will make sure they get on your flight, meeting you at your home airport baggage claim.
If you do use DME to get back to the airport, be prepared to leave your hotel approximately three hours before your flight home. Like I said, DME is free, but it costs you time.
If you aren’t sure how to book it, call your travel agent. If you aren’t using a travel agent, Google “how to book Disney Magical Express”, it’ll bring up a page on Disney’s site that will walk you through it. (Or that link will take you there.)
If you do use Uber or ride sharing, remember that you have to pay for the trip to your hotel, and back again once you've finished your vacation.
DISNEYLAND RIDE SHARING
Santa Ana to Disneyland will cost you around $20.00 each way.
LAX to Disneyland will cost you around $60.00 each way.
This means that some of the money you're saving by flying into LAX will be negated a bit by the extra $80 (not $120, because you're already going to be paying $40 if you come into SNA) you have to spend to get to Disneyland and back. This is for your whole group, though. So it'll be a lot if you're traveling alone, and not much if you're traveling with a family of four.
Time is also a factor, as is traffic, since the last thing you want to worry about on your last day is hitting a line of stopped cars and missing your flight.
Disneyland to SNA is about 20 minutes.
Disneyland to LAX is about an hour, but it could be more, depending on that traffic level.
Time to make your next hash mark. Just remember to do this at the end of each section.
Now, getting to and from the airport won't be the only time you use a ride share, depending on where you go, so let's talk about transportation once you're at your chosen park.
CHECK OUT OUR DISNEY WORLD ULTIMATE DAY OF THRILLS REVIEW
DISNEY WORLD RIDE SHARING AND OTHER TRANSPORTATION
Orlando Airport to Disney World via ride share will cost you around $40.00 each way. If you take a Taxi, plan on paying about double the cost. (Don't take a Taxi)
Disney World to Orlando Airport is about 30 minutes.
But, you don't have to pay anything at all if you're staying on site:
Disney World also offers Disney's Magical Express. It's a FREE bus service that will take you from the airport to your Disney hotel, and then back to the airport at the end of your trip.
I've only used it once, and decided it wasn't for me. Yes, it's free, but it comes at the cost of time.
Your plane lands, you head down to the bus area, board the bus, and then you wait for it to fill with other passengers who have (hopefully) landed around the same time you did.
Sometimes it's a very long wait.
Once your bus gets going, you have to wait as it drops people off at each resort hotel, meaning you could be on that bus for two hours before you ever step foot in your hotel, depending on where you are on the route.
For me, it's worth the extra $80 (round trip) to Uber back and forth instead, but the service is there if you want to take advantage of it.
Just make sure you book your DME (Disney Magical Express) trip in advance so they're expecting you. I'm pretty sure you can't just get off your flight and then board any old bus.
Another good thing about DME is that you can drop your bags off at the bus, get on, get dropped at your Disney hotel, and go have fun. Your bags will be delivered to your hotel room without you ever having to do a thing.
Make sure NOT to pack your Magic Bands in your luggage!
The same thing goes on your way back home. You can check into your flight, print your passes, drop the bags at the DME bus, and Disney will make sure they get on your flight, meeting you at your home airport baggage claim.
If you do use DME to get back to the airport, be prepared to leave your hotel approximately three hours before your flight home. Like I said, DME is free, but it costs you time.
If you aren’t sure how to book it, call your travel agent. If you aren’t using a travel agent, Google “how to book Disney Magical Express”, it’ll bring up a page on Disney’s site that will walk you through it. (Or that link will take you there.)
If you do use Uber or ride sharing, remember that you have to pay for the trip to your hotel, and back again once you've finished your vacation.
DISNEYLAND RIDE SHARING
Santa Ana to Disneyland will cost you around $20.00 each way.
LAX to Disneyland will cost you around $60.00 each way.
This means that some of the money you're saving by flying into LAX will be negated a bit by the extra $80 (not $120, because you're already going to be paying $40 if you come into SNA) you have to spend to get to Disneyland and back. This is for your whole group, though. So it'll be a lot if you're traveling alone, and not much if you're traveling with a family of four.
Time is also a factor, as is traffic, since the last thing you want to worry about on your last day is hitting a line of stopped cars and missing your flight.
Disneyland to SNA is about 20 minutes.
Disneyland to LAX is about an hour, but it could be more, depending on that traffic level.
Time to make your next hash mark. Just remember to do this at the end of each section.
Now, getting to and from the airport won't be the only time you use a ride share, depending on where you go, so let's talk about transportation once you're at your chosen park.
CHECK OUT OUR DISNEY WORLD ULTIMATE DAY OF THRILLS REVIEW
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DISNEY WORLD VS DISNEYLAND
GETTING AROUND AT THE PARKS
When we talk about getting around, it's more than just thinking about going from your hotel to the park itself.
Each destination has many hotels, some of which are very close to the parks, some of which are further away.
DISNEY WORLD
Disney World does have their own transportation, so you can always catch a bus (or even a Monorail, Friendship Boat, or Sky Liner, depending on your hotel), to wherever you're going, but if you're in a rush, or if you're with small children who just cannot bear to deal with life for one more second, you might end up taking an Uber or ride share, instead of waiting around.
The downfall of Disney World is the same reason it's such a magical place.
It's enormous!
The parks are not close together by any means, and while you can technically walk to three of the parks from various hotels (Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Magic Kingdom), even those walking distances can be quite the haul.
If you're staying in the Boardwalk area of Epcot, you can walk to Epcot or Hollywood Studios.
If you're staying at Contemporary, you can walk to Magic Kingdom, but if you're staying at any of the other twenty or so hotels on property, you're not walking to any of the parks, period.
You can catch a bus, but they can make you wait a bit (think 15-20 minutes in between each), and that can get pretty unbearable with exhausted children in tow.
I know, I've done it.
As I said, you also have the option of a Monorail, Sky Liner, or Friendship boat, depending on your hotel, but none of these are quicker that the other.
It can also get tricky if you've booked a tour and you have to be in a certain park at a certain time. I've mainly found this to be true when doing The Ultimate Day Of Thrills, since you have to be at Magic Kingdom early, right before, or slightly after park opening.
Busses (or any other transportation) that go out early can sometimes have very long lines, which means you might have to wait for another bus to come and get you. Disney does their best to make this happen quickly, but if you're stressing over an 8:15 a.m. meet up time, it might be worth it to spend a little extra on an Uber to take you where you're going.
Mom and I once got stuck en-route to a group tour. We were on a Monorail that stopped working, the tour guides were calling to ask where we were, and we couldn't do a thing about it. We made the tour, but that put me off monorails for trying to get anywhere on time without leaving massively early.
The good thing is that you can Uber from just about any Disney World Resort to any Disney World park for under $10.
One of my favorite tricks for getting to Magic Kingdom early is to Uber over to Contemporary and then take the walking path across the street. The walk is less than 10 minutes and lets you get through security in a super short line, meaning you don't have to mess with everyone coming in off the busses, monorail, and boats.
Just remember that you CANNOT Uber (or ride share) to Magic Kingdom. A ride share can only take you to the Ticket and Transportation Center, where you must then go through security (with a long line) and take a monorail to Magic Kingdom.
Ride sharing will get you straight to all of the other parks, but not Magic Kingdom.
DISNEYLAND
Disneyland doesn't have as much transportation, and there are no busses from any of the three Disneyland hotels.
There are shuttles that take you to your car in the different parking lots, and a monorail that will take you from Downtown Disney to Tomorrow Land in Disneyland park, but if you're trying to get to your hotel and it's further than you want to walk, expect to pay under $10 for an Uber to get you there.
Thankfully, Disneyland has a lot of hotels that are easily walkable, meaning you can get from the parks to your hotel door with a 15-20 minute walk, or even 5 minutes if you're right across the street.
Even given the long walking distance, it's still highly likely to be less time than you'd spend waiting for a Disney World bus and having them drive you to where you need to go.
Go ahead and make your next hash mark.
Now that we've touched on hotels, let's talk about what you'll pay at each resort for your chosen hotel.
CHECK OUT OUR DISNEY WORLD ULTIMATE NIGHTS OF ADVENTURE REVIEW
Each destination has many hotels, some of which are very close to the parks, some of which are further away.
DISNEY WORLD
Disney World does have their own transportation, so you can always catch a bus (or even a Monorail, Friendship Boat, or Sky Liner, depending on your hotel), to wherever you're going, but if you're in a rush, or if you're with small children who just cannot bear to deal with life for one more second, you might end up taking an Uber or ride share, instead of waiting around.
The downfall of Disney World is the same reason it's such a magical place.
It's enormous!
The parks are not close together by any means, and while you can technically walk to three of the parks from various hotels (Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Magic Kingdom), even those walking distances can be quite the haul.
If you're staying in the Boardwalk area of Epcot, you can walk to Epcot or Hollywood Studios.
If you're staying at Contemporary, you can walk to Magic Kingdom, but if you're staying at any of the other twenty or so hotels on property, you're not walking to any of the parks, period.
You can catch a bus, but they can make you wait a bit (think 15-20 minutes in between each), and that can get pretty unbearable with exhausted children in tow.
I know, I've done it.
As I said, you also have the option of a Monorail, Sky Liner, or Friendship boat, depending on your hotel, but none of these are quicker that the other.
It can also get tricky if you've booked a tour and you have to be in a certain park at a certain time. I've mainly found this to be true when doing The Ultimate Day Of Thrills, since you have to be at Magic Kingdom early, right before, or slightly after park opening.
Busses (or any other transportation) that go out early can sometimes have very long lines, which means you might have to wait for another bus to come and get you. Disney does their best to make this happen quickly, but if you're stressing over an 8:15 a.m. meet up time, it might be worth it to spend a little extra on an Uber to take you where you're going.
Mom and I once got stuck en-route to a group tour. We were on a Monorail that stopped working, the tour guides were calling to ask where we were, and we couldn't do a thing about it. We made the tour, but that put me off monorails for trying to get anywhere on time without leaving massively early.
The good thing is that you can Uber from just about any Disney World Resort to any Disney World park for under $10.
One of my favorite tricks for getting to Magic Kingdom early is to Uber over to Contemporary and then take the walking path across the street. The walk is less than 10 minutes and lets you get through security in a super short line, meaning you don't have to mess with everyone coming in off the busses, monorail, and boats.
Just remember that you CANNOT Uber (or ride share) to Magic Kingdom. A ride share can only take you to the Ticket and Transportation Center, where you must then go through security (with a long line) and take a monorail to Magic Kingdom.
Ride sharing will get you straight to all of the other parks, but not Magic Kingdom.
DISNEYLAND
Disneyland doesn't have as much transportation, and there are no busses from any of the three Disneyland hotels.
There are shuttles that take you to your car in the different parking lots, and a monorail that will take you from Downtown Disney to Tomorrow Land in Disneyland park, but if you're trying to get to your hotel and it's further than you want to walk, expect to pay under $10 for an Uber to get you there.
Thankfully, Disneyland has a lot of hotels that are easily walkable, meaning you can get from the parks to your hotel door with a 15-20 minute walk, or even 5 minutes if you're right across the street.
Even given the long walking distance, it's still highly likely to be less time than you'd spend waiting for a Disney World bus and having them drive you to where you need to go.
Go ahead and make your next hash mark.
Now that we've touched on hotels, let's talk about what you'll pay at each resort for your chosen hotel.
CHECK OUT OUR DISNEY WORLD ULTIMATE NIGHTS OF ADVENTURE REVIEW
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SHOULD I GO TO DISNEYLAND OR DISNEY WORLD?
HOTELS
DISNEY WORLD
Both Disney World and Disneyland offer a lot by way of hotels, but Disney World wins for having the most Disney owned hotels on property.
With more than 25 hotels on property, you're bound to find something that suits your needs, be it upscale and on the monorail, or simple, clean, and easy to Uber.
Disney World hotels can vary from quite close (though still with a 10-20 minute walk to a park), to very far away, a 20 minute bus ride back to your hotel after a long day.
The hotels also vary a lot in price, as you can imagine.
Staying at Grand Floridian on the monorail will cost you a cool $500 a night (or more), but staying at the newly refurbished All Star Movies will only set you back just over $100 a night. More than enough money saved to Uber back and forth many times, no matter where you want to go.
Disney World offers you options on lakes, options that let you see the fireworks, options that let you sleep in the middle of the Savannah, etc. But you also have the option to travel on a budget while still being able to use that all important Disney transportation.
Disney World also offers Extra Magic hours to guests staying onsite (giving you the option of coming in an hour earlier than offsite guests, or staying an hour later than offsite guests in one park each day), and offers the ability to start choosing Fast Passes at 60 days out from the first day of your trip.
DISNEYLAND
Disneyland has only three Disney owned hotels: Grand Californian, Paradise Pier, or Disneyland Hotel. All are on the more expensive side of things (in my opinion), starting around $300 a night and going (way) up from there.
Though these hotels are close to the parks, only one (Grand Californian) is close enough to let you walk there very quickly (5 minutes or so). The others vary between a 10 and 15 minute walk.
I've stayed at Paradise Pier, which is the furthest Disney owned hotel. It was still very easy to walk, clocking in at around 15 minutes, and you entered via the back entrance to Downtown Disney, making security a breeze.
Thankfully, Disneyland has "Good Neighbor" hotels. These are hotels that aren't on site, but are very close to the parks, with many offering shorter walking distances than Paradise Pier or Disneyland Hotel.
There are almost 50 Good Neighbor hotels, and the prices range from under $100 a night (I found some as cheap as $65 a night) for something you'd need to Uber to and from (a 20-25 minute walk), to $200 a night for a hotel that is quite literally across the street, a five minute walk from your hotel room to the Disneyland turnstiles.
Those are just the Good Neighbor hotels, which are hotels that will allow you to package your Disneyland tickets with your hotel stay, Disney World style. If you don't stay at a Good Neighbor hotel, you can still book your Disneyland tickets separately, no big deal.
Disneyland offers extra hours as well, but there are two types.
Magic Morning is for guests with at least a 3 day ticket. You are limited to one Magic Morning per 3 + day park ticket. Magic Morning lets you into the park an hour before any guests who do not have at least a 3 day park ticket.
This is not to be confused with Extra Magic Hours. If you are staying onsite, you'll get this perk.
You do not get it if you stay at a Good Neighbor hotel.
Extra Magic Hours lets you into California Adventure or Disneyland early, depending on the day.
Magic Morning (for offsite guests with a 3+ day ticket) will NEVER let you into California Adventure, only Disneyland.
For me the big decision breaks down to Disneyland having more walkable options, making getting to and from the hotel not such a big excursion, but Disney World having more on site hotels, meaning you're much more likely to be able to enjoy an extra magic hour and the Disney provided transportation.
SIDE NOTE - POOLS
Disney World has better theming in public hotel areas such as the pool, etc.
You don't really get any theming at a Disneyland Good Neighbor hotel.
Did you make your hash mark?
Now that we've talked about hotels, let's talk about another way to stay at both parks; renting DVC points from Disney Vacation Club owners.
CHECK OUT OUR REVIEW OF BEST WESTERN INN MINI SUITES IN ANAHEIM, THE CLOSEST HOTEL TO DISNEYLAND
Both Disney World and Disneyland offer a lot by way of hotels, but Disney World wins for having the most Disney owned hotels on property.
With more than 25 hotels on property, you're bound to find something that suits your needs, be it upscale and on the monorail, or simple, clean, and easy to Uber.
Disney World hotels can vary from quite close (though still with a 10-20 minute walk to a park), to very far away, a 20 minute bus ride back to your hotel after a long day.
The hotels also vary a lot in price, as you can imagine.
Staying at Grand Floridian on the monorail will cost you a cool $500 a night (or more), but staying at the newly refurbished All Star Movies will only set you back just over $100 a night. More than enough money saved to Uber back and forth many times, no matter where you want to go.
Disney World offers you options on lakes, options that let you see the fireworks, options that let you sleep in the middle of the Savannah, etc. But you also have the option to travel on a budget while still being able to use that all important Disney transportation.
Disney World also offers Extra Magic hours to guests staying onsite (giving you the option of coming in an hour earlier than offsite guests, or staying an hour later than offsite guests in one park each day), and offers the ability to start choosing Fast Passes at 60 days out from the first day of your trip.
DISNEYLAND
Disneyland has only three Disney owned hotels: Grand Californian, Paradise Pier, or Disneyland Hotel. All are on the more expensive side of things (in my opinion), starting around $300 a night and going (way) up from there.
Though these hotels are close to the parks, only one (Grand Californian) is close enough to let you walk there very quickly (5 minutes or so). The others vary between a 10 and 15 minute walk.
I've stayed at Paradise Pier, which is the furthest Disney owned hotel. It was still very easy to walk, clocking in at around 15 minutes, and you entered via the back entrance to Downtown Disney, making security a breeze.
Thankfully, Disneyland has "Good Neighbor" hotels. These are hotels that aren't on site, but are very close to the parks, with many offering shorter walking distances than Paradise Pier or Disneyland Hotel.
There are almost 50 Good Neighbor hotels, and the prices range from under $100 a night (I found some as cheap as $65 a night) for something you'd need to Uber to and from (a 20-25 minute walk), to $200 a night for a hotel that is quite literally across the street, a five minute walk from your hotel room to the Disneyland turnstiles.
Those are just the Good Neighbor hotels, which are hotels that will allow you to package your Disneyland tickets with your hotel stay, Disney World style. If you don't stay at a Good Neighbor hotel, you can still book your Disneyland tickets separately, no big deal.
Disneyland offers extra hours as well, but there are two types.
Magic Morning is for guests with at least a 3 day ticket. You are limited to one Magic Morning per 3 + day park ticket. Magic Morning lets you into the park an hour before any guests who do not have at least a 3 day park ticket.
This is not to be confused with Extra Magic Hours. If you are staying onsite, you'll get this perk.
You do not get it if you stay at a Good Neighbor hotel.
Extra Magic Hours lets you into California Adventure or Disneyland early, depending on the day.
Magic Morning (for offsite guests with a 3+ day ticket) will NEVER let you into California Adventure, only Disneyland.
For me the big decision breaks down to Disneyland having more walkable options, making getting to and from the hotel not such a big excursion, but Disney World having more on site hotels, meaning you're much more likely to be able to enjoy an extra magic hour and the Disney provided transportation.
SIDE NOTE - POOLS
Disney World has better theming in public hotel areas such as the pool, etc.
You don't really get any theming at a Disneyland Good Neighbor hotel.
Did you make your hash mark?
Now that we've talked about hotels, let's talk about another way to stay at both parks; renting DVC points from Disney Vacation Club owners.
CHECK OUT OUR REVIEW OF BEST WESTERN INN MINI SUITES IN ANAHEIM, THE CLOSEST HOTEL TO DISNEYLAND
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DISNEY WORLD VS DISNEYLAND
RENTING DVC POINTS
I've written a detailed post about this already, but the main idea is that Disney has its own time share club called the Disney Vacation Club.
Often times, people who are a part of the DVC are not able to use all of their points in a given year, so rather than letting those points expire, they sell them to a DVC broker, and you can purchase those points and apply them to your stay at Disney.
DISNEY WORLD
Disney World has nine DVC resorts, and you can rent points for a stay at any of those resorts. If there is a resort you really want to stay in, but don't want to spend the money, you can typically get the same room for about half the cost, if the DVC has availability.
I recommend supplying David's Vacation Club with several options so they have the best chance of booking you a room. You can see the costs of each room by going to their website.
DISNEYLAND
Disneyland has only one DVC resort, and it's very difficult to pick up. I recommend giving it a shot if you really want to stay at The Grand Californian, but be ready to change dates, rooms, etc.
For both locations, you can rent points through David's Vacation Club. I have used them in the past and had nothing but positive experiences.
CHECK OUT OUR POST ON RENTING DVC POINTS VS BOOKING DIRECTLY THROUGH DISNEY
Often times, people who are a part of the DVC are not able to use all of their points in a given year, so rather than letting those points expire, they sell them to a DVC broker, and you can purchase those points and apply them to your stay at Disney.
DISNEY WORLD
Disney World has nine DVC resorts, and you can rent points for a stay at any of those resorts. If there is a resort you really want to stay in, but don't want to spend the money, you can typically get the same room for about half the cost, if the DVC has availability.
I recommend supplying David's Vacation Club with several options so they have the best chance of booking you a room. You can see the costs of each room by going to their website.
DISNEYLAND
Disneyland has only one DVC resort, and it's very difficult to pick up. I recommend giving it a shot if you really want to stay at The Grand Californian, but be ready to change dates, rooms, etc.
For both locations, you can rent points through David's Vacation Club. I have used them in the past and had nothing but positive experiences.
CHECK OUT OUR POST ON RENTING DVC POINTS VS BOOKING DIRECTLY THROUGH DISNEY
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DISNEYLAND VS DISNEYWORLD
PARK TICKETS AND PARK HOPPERS
I'm going to try to break park tickets down without getting confusing, so bear with me.
In my example, I'm going to one of these parks from May 10 - 16, 2020.
I know I like to park hop, so Park Hoppers are a must.
I also know that I like to take pictures and utilize MaxPass (Disneyland) on my phone, so paying for MaxPass and paying for the Disney World Photo Pass are both things I'll do.
DISNEY WORLD
At Disney World, a 5 day Park Hopper with Photo Pass will run about $725 for one person. But, you only have to purchase Photo Pass once for your entire party.
So, if you're alone, PhotoPass is $200. If you're in a group of four, PhotoPass is basically $50 per person, each is a one time cost. As long as you have everyone in your group linked in your Disney App, they will all have access to the photos taken with PhotoPass photographers.
If having all of the photos isn't a thing for you, you can bump this cost down to $525 per person, eliminating the $200 PhotoPass cost entirely.
If you know you will only visit one park per day, you can bump it further down to $445 per person.
Since you can use Fast Pass on your phone (and at the kiosks) without paying extra (at Disney World), you aren't forced to purchase PhotoPass in order to use the Disney App to schedule those Fast Passes.
When we're talking Park Hoppers at Disney World, it's important to note that park hopping takes some doing.
The parks are far apart, the Fast Passes at two of the parks (Hollywood Studios and Epcot) have been so badly Nerfed (made less good) that neither is worth using three Park Hoppers (unless you love shows), and, since you have to use your first three Fast Passes of the day at the same park (at Disney World), you really need to be able to commit to one park, probably for the whole day.
NOTE - Each of your Disney World Fast Passes can be scheduled no closer than one hour apart.
Basically, Park Hopping at Disney World is good in theory, but in practice, it's not great.
I always get the Park Hoppers, but only end up using them 40% of the time, and that's only if everyone in my party is energized enough to hit Epcot at the end of the day, or if we have a tour planned that takes us to multiple parks, in which case you must have Park Hoppers to participate.
DISNEYLAND
At Disneyland, a 5 day Park Hopper with Disney MaxPass will cost you $470 per person. This lets you use the Disney App to schedule Fast Passes AND gives you access to all of your photos taken that day, be it on rides or with a Cast Member photographer.
The downside to this is that EVERYONE in your party must pay for MaxPass if you want to get Fast Passes for everyone by using the app on your phone, and it's a per day charge.
The price per day is $15 per person, so if you have two people in your party, you'd pay an extra $75 each over the course of a 5 day park hopper.
If you have a family of four, you're going to pay more for that family of four for the perk of having photographs and the ability to make Fast Passes on your phone at Disneyland than you would for your entire trip's worth of PhotoPass at Disney World. (You always get to make Fast Pass reservations on your phone at Disney World, no extra charge.)
If you take off both the Park Hoppers and Disney MaxPass, a 5 day ticket would run you $340 per person, but you wouldn't be able to make Fast Pass reservations using the app, which (in my opinion) is a deal breaker.
So for me, the tickets at both places are pretty comparable, but you can tell that Disneyland does tend to cater more to the locals, giving a discount on straight tickets with no extras thrown in.
Disneyland Park Hoppers, in my opinion, are a must. The parks are literally 30 seconds from one another, so going back and forth is not only doable, but fun, since you can make Fast Pass selections in either park, no matter which one you're currently in.
Make your hashmark now, but make it lightly because we're talking more about Fast Pass and Disney MaxPass next, and that alone might change how you feel.
CHECK OUT OUR DISNEY WORLD "KEYS TO THE KINGDOM" TOUR REVIEW
In my example, I'm going to one of these parks from May 10 - 16, 2020.
I know I like to park hop, so Park Hoppers are a must.
I also know that I like to take pictures and utilize MaxPass (Disneyland) on my phone, so paying for MaxPass and paying for the Disney World Photo Pass are both things I'll do.
DISNEY WORLD
At Disney World, a 5 day Park Hopper with Photo Pass will run about $725 for one person. But, you only have to purchase Photo Pass once for your entire party.
So, if you're alone, PhotoPass is $200. If you're in a group of four, PhotoPass is basically $50 per person, each is a one time cost. As long as you have everyone in your group linked in your Disney App, they will all have access to the photos taken with PhotoPass photographers.
If having all of the photos isn't a thing for you, you can bump this cost down to $525 per person, eliminating the $200 PhotoPass cost entirely.
If you know you will only visit one park per day, you can bump it further down to $445 per person.
Since you can use Fast Pass on your phone (and at the kiosks) without paying extra (at Disney World), you aren't forced to purchase PhotoPass in order to use the Disney App to schedule those Fast Passes.
When we're talking Park Hoppers at Disney World, it's important to note that park hopping takes some doing.
The parks are far apart, the Fast Passes at two of the parks (Hollywood Studios and Epcot) have been so badly Nerfed (made less good) that neither is worth using three Park Hoppers (unless you love shows), and, since you have to use your first three Fast Passes of the day at the same park (at Disney World), you really need to be able to commit to one park, probably for the whole day.
NOTE - Each of your Disney World Fast Passes can be scheduled no closer than one hour apart.
Basically, Park Hopping at Disney World is good in theory, but in practice, it's not great.
I always get the Park Hoppers, but only end up using them 40% of the time, and that's only if everyone in my party is energized enough to hit Epcot at the end of the day, or if we have a tour planned that takes us to multiple parks, in which case you must have Park Hoppers to participate.
DISNEYLAND
At Disneyland, a 5 day Park Hopper with Disney MaxPass will cost you $470 per person. This lets you use the Disney App to schedule Fast Passes AND gives you access to all of your photos taken that day, be it on rides or with a Cast Member photographer.
The downside to this is that EVERYONE in your party must pay for MaxPass if you want to get Fast Passes for everyone by using the app on your phone, and it's a per day charge.
The price per day is $15 per person, so if you have two people in your party, you'd pay an extra $75 each over the course of a 5 day park hopper.
If you have a family of four, you're going to pay more for that family of four for the perk of having photographs and the ability to make Fast Passes on your phone at Disneyland than you would for your entire trip's worth of PhotoPass at Disney World. (You always get to make Fast Pass reservations on your phone at Disney World, no extra charge.)
If you take off both the Park Hoppers and Disney MaxPass, a 5 day ticket would run you $340 per person, but you wouldn't be able to make Fast Pass reservations using the app, which (in my opinion) is a deal breaker.
So for me, the tickets at both places are pretty comparable, but you can tell that Disneyland does tend to cater more to the locals, giving a discount on straight tickets with no extras thrown in.
Disneyland Park Hoppers, in my opinion, are a must. The parks are literally 30 seconds from one another, so going back and forth is not only doable, but fun, since you can make Fast Pass selections in either park, no matter which one you're currently in.
Make your hashmark now, but make it lightly because we're talking more about Fast Pass and Disney MaxPass next, and that alone might change how you feel.
CHECK OUT OUR DISNEY WORLD "KEYS TO THE KINGDOM" TOUR REVIEW
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DISNEY WORLD VS DISNEYLAND
FAST PASS PLUS VS MAXPASS
This is where things start to get tricky for me as far as really having a tough time choosing which resort I want to visit.
Here are the two things you need to know:
DISNEY WORLD = Fast Pass Plus
DISNEYLAND = MaxPass
However, with BOTH of these, you schedule Fast Passes.
So, if you have the Disney World App on your phone, you have access to Fast Pass Plus, and you can schedule Fast Passes using the app.
If you have the Disneyland App on your phone, and you have paid your $15 for Disney MaxPass, you have the ability to schedule Fast Passes on your phone.
So no matter which resort you're at, the thing you schedule on your phone is called a Fast Pass. The thing you go to a kiosk and print a ticket for (if you don't have the app) is called a Fast Pass.
DISNEY WORLD
Disney World lets you schedule THREE Fast Passes in the SAME park, starting 60 days from the first day of your trip, if you are staying on site, and 30 days from the first day of your trip if you're staying offsite.
Meaning, if you book a VRBO, you will have to wait until you are 30 days out, but if you book any of the 20+ onsite hotels, or book through a DVC rental, you can start scheduling at 60 days out.
This means you'll need to set your alarm for 6 a.m. Eastern time (so I set my alarm for 5 a.m. in Texas) and have a plan for your Fast Passes.
I did this recently, getting up at the crack of dawn to make sure I nailed down a Pandora for my trip in January. Even with getting up so early, I wasn't able to get a good time on Pandora, so I had to keep watching for a few weeks until something better finally popped up.
You can schedule three Fast Passes in ONE park, and then (once you're in the park and have used all three of your Fast Passes) you can schedule one more at any park, use it, schedule another, etc. Your Fast Passes can be scheduled no closer than one hour apart, and you have an entire hour to use the Fast Pass from the time it starts.
You are locked into one park for the first three, though, which is a real bummer for a couple of reasons.
First off, some of the parks at Disney World have a tiered Fast Pass system.
Epcot lets you choose only ONE from Tier 1 (Test Track, Soarin, Frozen), and then two from the Tier 2 attractions. So you can schedule one good one, then use the other two on things that aren't (again, in my opinion) Fast Pass worthy, and hope that something good is still available once you've used all three.
It used to be only Epcot that had this issue, but now it has also been expanded to Hollywood Studios.
You can schedule only one Tier 1 (Slinky Dog Dash, Rockin Roller Coaster, Toy Story Mania, Tower of Terror, and Alien Swirling Saucers), and then two from the Tier 2 rides, which are basically just shows.
For me, neither Epcot nor Hollywood Studios are now worth spending my Fast Passes, which means those parks will be absolute last resorts for me, places I may or may not go at the end of the day.
Actually, I will always go to Epcot at the end of the day, but only because I love The World Showcase, not for the rides.
In January, when I go with a girlfriend, we are not planning any time at all in Hollywood Studios other than a couple of hours after a tour, because we just can't see the point of wasting three Fast Passes there.
We'd much rather use them over at Animal Kingdom or Magic Kingdom, so we scheduled Fast Passes in other parks, in the evening, on the day of our tour.
Animal Kingdom also works on a tiered system, but the only two rides in Tier 1 are Avatar Flight Of Passage, and Na'vi River Journey. (Get Avatar, Na'vi is not worth a Fast Pass). You can still use your other two Fast Passes on some really good rides in Animal Kingdom, like Dinosaur and Expedition Everest.
I would venture to say that half of the parks at Disney World are now "Fast Pass Free Zones" meaning that mostly you're going to be standing in the regular line for rides.
Yes, you do still have three Fast Passes, but at Epcot and Hollywood Studios you'll only be able to use one on a really good ride, and the rest will be throwaway, unless you have a burning desire to Fast Pass the Indiana Jones Stunt Show or Beauty and the Beast.
It's a lot less appealing, even with a fantastic Touring Plan on your side.
So, even with four parks, Disney World only really lets you get the best use of Fast Passes at two of them.
Here's a quick tip - If you are able, schedule your Fast Passes at 9, 10, and 11 a.m. Put your Tier 1 choice in there, and then use the other two passes on whatever you think you'll like most among the Tier 2 rides. If you're using a Touring Plan (which you should be) plug in all the things you want to do, hit Optimize, and your Touring Plan will tell you which rides you should Fast Pass and when you should schedule those Fast Passes.
The idea is that your three Fast Passes will be used by noon, giving you a fighting chance to get in a few more Tier 1 rides via Fast Pass in that same park.
If you decide to schedule a ride in another park after you have used your three Fast Passes, give yourself two hours leeway. Meaning, if you use your last Fast Pass at Hollywood Studios at noon, don't schedule a Mine Train Fast Pass at Magic Kingdom until at least 1 p.m., since you have an hour to use that Fast Pass after the 1 p.m. start time.
DISNEYLAND
Disneyland gets its time to shine with regards to MaxPass and Fast Pass, and it's probably the biggest reason I find myself moving over to the Anaheim side, even though you lose the Disney Bubble (which I promise I'll talk about).
At Disneyland, you cannot schedule Fast Passes in advance, period. You don't have the option to do anything until you scan your ticket and enter the park. This means you aren't competing for rides with people who scheduled things two months ago!
You can totally book a last-minute Disneyland vacation and have just as much fun as someone who booked it a year ago.
That's not the case with Disney World.
Disneyland has kiosks that let you get printed Fast Pass tickets, so you don't have to pay the $15 a day, but you do have to walk to those physical places.
If you pay the $15, you not only have app access to the whole process, but you also have access to every single photo you take in either park, all day long.
You schedule one Fast Pass at a time, and then another comes up for you to schedule at a certain time (check your app to know when you can book your next Fast Pass), so you can have more than one Fast Pass scheduled, and it can be at either Disneyland park or California Adventure. And, since walking between the parks is simple, using Fast Passes at both is no big deal.
TIP - When you see the time in your app that tells you when you can schedule your next Fast Pass, set an alarm on your phone so you don't forget.
Mom and I do Disneyland in the off season and have generally ridden every single ride in the park by 10:30 a.m. by using a Touring Plan. We then spend the rest of the day cherry picking what we want to ride, and we have easy access to the hotel so we can go back and take a nap in the middle of the day.
Also, once you scan your ticket, you can book your Fast Passes from anywhere using your phone (if you have paid for MaxPass). You don't have to be in the parks at all. You can be at your hotel, at a restaurant, seeing the Anaheim sights, whatever.
You can make your hash mark now, but for me, Disneyland wins this one...hands down.
Now that we've talked Fast Pass, let's talk about the rides.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU RUN A WHOLE HOUR LATE TO A DISNEY WORLD RESERVATION? HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED TO US.
Here are the two things you need to know:
DISNEY WORLD = Fast Pass Plus
DISNEYLAND = MaxPass
However, with BOTH of these, you schedule Fast Passes.
So, if you have the Disney World App on your phone, you have access to Fast Pass Plus, and you can schedule Fast Passes using the app.
If you have the Disneyland App on your phone, and you have paid your $15 for Disney MaxPass, you have the ability to schedule Fast Passes on your phone.
So no matter which resort you're at, the thing you schedule on your phone is called a Fast Pass. The thing you go to a kiosk and print a ticket for (if you don't have the app) is called a Fast Pass.
DISNEY WORLD
Disney World lets you schedule THREE Fast Passes in the SAME park, starting 60 days from the first day of your trip, if you are staying on site, and 30 days from the first day of your trip if you're staying offsite.
Meaning, if you book a VRBO, you will have to wait until you are 30 days out, but if you book any of the 20+ onsite hotels, or book through a DVC rental, you can start scheduling at 60 days out.
This means you'll need to set your alarm for 6 a.m. Eastern time (so I set my alarm for 5 a.m. in Texas) and have a plan for your Fast Passes.
I did this recently, getting up at the crack of dawn to make sure I nailed down a Pandora for my trip in January. Even with getting up so early, I wasn't able to get a good time on Pandora, so I had to keep watching for a few weeks until something better finally popped up.
You can schedule three Fast Passes in ONE park, and then (once you're in the park and have used all three of your Fast Passes) you can schedule one more at any park, use it, schedule another, etc. Your Fast Passes can be scheduled no closer than one hour apart, and you have an entire hour to use the Fast Pass from the time it starts.
You are locked into one park for the first three, though, which is a real bummer for a couple of reasons.
First off, some of the parks at Disney World have a tiered Fast Pass system.
Epcot lets you choose only ONE from Tier 1 (Test Track, Soarin, Frozen), and then two from the Tier 2 attractions. So you can schedule one good one, then use the other two on things that aren't (again, in my opinion) Fast Pass worthy, and hope that something good is still available once you've used all three.
It used to be only Epcot that had this issue, but now it has also been expanded to Hollywood Studios.
You can schedule only one Tier 1 (Slinky Dog Dash, Rockin Roller Coaster, Toy Story Mania, Tower of Terror, and Alien Swirling Saucers), and then two from the Tier 2 rides, which are basically just shows.
For me, neither Epcot nor Hollywood Studios are now worth spending my Fast Passes, which means those parks will be absolute last resorts for me, places I may or may not go at the end of the day.
Actually, I will always go to Epcot at the end of the day, but only because I love The World Showcase, not for the rides.
In January, when I go with a girlfriend, we are not planning any time at all in Hollywood Studios other than a couple of hours after a tour, because we just can't see the point of wasting three Fast Passes there.
We'd much rather use them over at Animal Kingdom or Magic Kingdom, so we scheduled Fast Passes in other parks, in the evening, on the day of our tour.
Animal Kingdom also works on a tiered system, but the only two rides in Tier 1 are Avatar Flight Of Passage, and Na'vi River Journey. (Get Avatar, Na'vi is not worth a Fast Pass). You can still use your other two Fast Passes on some really good rides in Animal Kingdom, like Dinosaur and Expedition Everest.
I would venture to say that half of the parks at Disney World are now "Fast Pass Free Zones" meaning that mostly you're going to be standing in the regular line for rides.
Yes, you do still have three Fast Passes, but at Epcot and Hollywood Studios you'll only be able to use one on a really good ride, and the rest will be throwaway, unless you have a burning desire to Fast Pass the Indiana Jones Stunt Show or Beauty and the Beast.
It's a lot less appealing, even with a fantastic Touring Plan on your side.
So, even with four parks, Disney World only really lets you get the best use of Fast Passes at two of them.
Here's a quick tip - If you are able, schedule your Fast Passes at 9, 10, and 11 a.m. Put your Tier 1 choice in there, and then use the other two passes on whatever you think you'll like most among the Tier 2 rides. If you're using a Touring Plan (which you should be) plug in all the things you want to do, hit Optimize, and your Touring Plan will tell you which rides you should Fast Pass and when you should schedule those Fast Passes.
The idea is that your three Fast Passes will be used by noon, giving you a fighting chance to get in a few more Tier 1 rides via Fast Pass in that same park.
If you decide to schedule a ride in another park after you have used your three Fast Passes, give yourself two hours leeway. Meaning, if you use your last Fast Pass at Hollywood Studios at noon, don't schedule a Mine Train Fast Pass at Magic Kingdom until at least 1 p.m., since you have an hour to use that Fast Pass after the 1 p.m. start time.
DISNEYLAND
Disneyland gets its time to shine with regards to MaxPass and Fast Pass, and it's probably the biggest reason I find myself moving over to the Anaheim side, even though you lose the Disney Bubble (which I promise I'll talk about).
At Disneyland, you cannot schedule Fast Passes in advance, period. You don't have the option to do anything until you scan your ticket and enter the park. This means you aren't competing for rides with people who scheduled things two months ago!
You can totally book a last-minute Disneyland vacation and have just as much fun as someone who booked it a year ago.
That's not the case with Disney World.
Disneyland has kiosks that let you get printed Fast Pass tickets, so you don't have to pay the $15 a day, but you do have to walk to those physical places.
If you pay the $15, you not only have app access to the whole process, but you also have access to every single photo you take in either park, all day long.
You schedule one Fast Pass at a time, and then another comes up for you to schedule at a certain time (check your app to know when you can book your next Fast Pass), so you can have more than one Fast Pass scheduled, and it can be at either Disneyland park or California Adventure. And, since walking between the parks is simple, using Fast Passes at both is no big deal.
TIP - When you see the time in your app that tells you when you can schedule your next Fast Pass, set an alarm on your phone so you don't forget.
Mom and I do Disneyland in the off season and have generally ridden every single ride in the park by 10:30 a.m. by using a Touring Plan. We then spend the rest of the day cherry picking what we want to ride, and we have easy access to the hotel so we can go back and take a nap in the middle of the day.
Also, once you scan your ticket, you can book your Fast Passes from anywhere using your phone (if you have paid for MaxPass). You don't have to be in the parks at all. You can be at your hotel, at a restaurant, seeing the Anaheim sights, whatever.
You can make your hash mark now, but for me, Disneyland wins this one...hands down.
Now that we've talked Fast Pass, let's talk about the rides.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU RUN A WHOLE HOUR LATE TO A DISNEY WORLD RESERVATION? HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED TO US.
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SHOULD I GO TO DISNEYLAND OR DISNEY WORLD?
DOESN'T DISNEY WORLD HAVE MORE RIDES?
One of the reasons I was so reluctant to visit Disneyland initially was because I had this idea in my head that Disney World surely must have more rides, after all, it's twice the number of parks.
Disney World does also have two water parks, so if that's your thing, Disneyland won't be able to deliver.
I am not a water park fan, so it's not a consideration in my planning, and I don't go into detail here.
As far as non water park rides, let's do a side by side comparison, starting with the rides you'll find in both Orlando and Anaheim.
DISNEY WORLD AND DISNEYLAND BOTH HAVE THESE RIDES:
SPACE MOUNTAIN
SPLASH MOUNTAIN
BIG THUNDER MOUNTAIN
TOY STORY MANIA
TOWER OF TERROR / GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
ASTRO ORBITER
DUMBO THE FLYING ELEPHANT
PETER PAN
MAIN STREET RAILROAD
PRINCE CHARMING REGAL CAROUSEL
BUZZ LIGHTYEAR
LITTLE MERMAID
SMALL WORLD
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
HAUNTED MANSION
JUNGLE CRUISE
DINOSAUR / INDIANA JONES
SOARIN
TEST TRACK / CARS
STAR TOURS
SMUGGLER'S RUN
RISE OF THE RESISTANCE (as of January 17, 2020 at Disneyland) - already open at Disney World
KALI RIVER RAPIDS / GRIZZLY RIVER RUN
PRIMEVAL WHIRL / GOOFY'S SKY SCHOOL
TOMORROWLAND SPEEDWAY
SPINNING TEA CUPS
ALIEN SWIRLING SAUCERS / MATER'S JUNKYARD JAMBOREE
MICKEY'S PHILHARMAGIC
Now, all of those rides are at both Disneyland and Disney World.
If I've listed two different ride names, I'm just showing you that they're called different things at different parks, but are essentially the same ride.
This has some caveats, though.
For example, I feel like Guardians of the Galaxy (formerly Tower of Terror) at Disneyland is a thousand percent better than Tower of Terror at Disney World's Hollywood Studios.
Small World is way better at Disneyland because the entire front looks like a weird clock/castle, and there are hidden Disney characters all throughout the ride.
I feel the same way about Indiana Jones, though it's the exact same track as Dinosaur at Animal Kingdom.
I also feel that way about Cars, finding it a lot more fun than Test Track, without all the downtime at night when it starts to rain in Florida.
Depending on your preferences, this might be different for you and your group of travelers.
There are some rides at Disney World that you will not get at Disneyland, and vice versa. Most notably, these are missing from Disneyland.
THESE RIDES ARE FOUND ONLY AT DISNEY WORLD
SPACESHIP EARTH
FROZEN
MISSION SPACE
FINDING NEMO
KILIMANJARO SAFARIS
NA'VI RIVER JOURNEY
AVATAR FLIGHT OF PASSAGE
SEVEN DWARFS MINE TRAIN
BARNSTORMER
PEOPLE MOVER
CAROUSEL OF PROGRESS
ALADDIN'S MAGIC CARPETS
ROCKIN ROLLER COASTER
SLINKY DOG DASH
LIVING WITH THE LAND
EXPEDITION EVEREST
There might be a few more that Disneyland is missing, but those will be shows and stuff like that. I'm trying to focus on the actual rides, since I'm not a big show-goer.
So, for all those missing at Disneyland, these are the rides you'll only find at Disneyland, NOT Disney World.
THESE RIDES ARE FOUND ONLY AT DISNEYLAND:
MATTERHORN BOBLEDS
FINDING NEMO SUBMARINE VOYAGE
SNOW WHITE'S SCARY ADVENTURES
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
MR. TOAD'S WILD RIDE
GADGET'S GO COASTER
PINOCCHIO'S DARING JOURNEY
ROGER RABBIT'S CAR TOON SPIN
STORYBOOK CANAL RIVER BOATS
CASEY JR. CIRCUS TRAIN
SILLY SYMPHONY SWINGS
LUIGI'S ROLLICKING ROADSTERS
GOLDEN ZEPHYR
JUMPIN JELLYFISH
MONSTERS INC. MIKE AND SULLY TO THE RESCUE
INSIDE OUT EMOTIONAL WHIRLWIND
THE INCREDICOASTER
PIXAR PAL AROUND (FERRIS WHEEL)
JESSE'S CRITTER CAROUSEL
While there are quite a few at each park that the other doesn't have, for me it breaks down into a few major considerations.
THESE ARE MY IMPORTANT RIDES/AREAS THAT ARE ONLY AT DISNEY WORLD:
AVATAR FLIGHT OF PASSAGE
SEVEN DWARFS MINE TRAIN
EXPEDITION EVEREST
EPCOT
SLINKY DOG DASH
Those are the only things I can think of that I miss when I'm at Disneyland, but the only one that really bothers me at all is the loss of Epcot.
There is no Epcot at Disneyland, no World Showcase, and if that's a big deal to you, you will not be able to even slightly replicate it at Disneyland.
As for the actual attractions that are missing, I find most of them offset by something Disneyland has that Disney World doesn't.
DISNEY WORLD AND DISNEYLAND COMPARABLE RIDES:
SEVEN DWARFS / MATTERHORN BOBSLEDS
EXPEDITION EVEREST OR SLINKY DOG DASH / INCREDICOASTER
The only one I can't reconcile is Avatar Flight Of Passage. There's really nothing like it in Disneyland, sadly.
The Incredicoaster is longer and more intense than Slinky Dog Dash and Expedition Everest, in my opinion. If I had two fast passes, I'd use them both on Incredicoaster over the other two rides.
As for the other rides missing, you'll find similar, if not better rides at Disneyland.
Goofy's Sky School is better than Primeval Whirl, and that's when Primeval Whirl is actually working (which doesn't appear to be very often).
Jumpin Jelly Fish, Silly Symphony Swings, Pixar Pal Around, and Golden Zephyr are all easy matches against any similar ride at Disney World, and they're all within two minutes of one another (or less).
Pixar Pal Around, if you take one of the swinging cars, is downright thrilling, scream worthy, and fear inducing, and it's longer than any roller coaster at Disney World.
I will say that Disney World (especially Magic Kingdom) has MORE Fast Pass available rides. There are just as many rides at Disneyland, but you can't use Fast Pass on as many of them. Example: you can Fast Pass Peter Pan at Disney World, but not at Disneyland.
This is mainly on the smaller rides (like Snow White, Alice in Wonderland, Mr. Toad, etc.), but it is something you need to know.
I'm going to sound like a Disneyland fan girl for the next section at least, but trust me when I say there are Disneyland negatives, and we will definitely get there.
Make your hash mark.
Let's talk weather!
CHECK OUT OUR REVIEW OF THE TIME WE HAD A PRIVATE VIP TOUR GUIDE AT DISNEY WORLD
Disney World does also have two water parks, so if that's your thing, Disneyland won't be able to deliver.
I am not a water park fan, so it's not a consideration in my planning, and I don't go into detail here.
As far as non water park rides, let's do a side by side comparison, starting with the rides you'll find in both Orlando and Anaheim.
DISNEY WORLD AND DISNEYLAND BOTH HAVE THESE RIDES:
SPACE MOUNTAIN
SPLASH MOUNTAIN
BIG THUNDER MOUNTAIN
TOY STORY MANIA
TOWER OF TERROR / GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
ASTRO ORBITER
DUMBO THE FLYING ELEPHANT
PETER PAN
MAIN STREET RAILROAD
PRINCE CHARMING REGAL CAROUSEL
BUZZ LIGHTYEAR
LITTLE MERMAID
SMALL WORLD
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
HAUNTED MANSION
JUNGLE CRUISE
DINOSAUR / INDIANA JONES
SOARIN
TEST TRACK / CARS
STAR TOURS
SMUGGLER'S RUN
RISE OF THE RESISTANCE (as of January 17, 2020 at Disneyland) - already open at Disney World
KALI RIVER RAPIDS / GRIZZLY RIVER RUN
PRIMEVAL WHIRL / GOOFY'S SKY SCHOOL
TOMORROWLAND SPEEDWAY
SPINNING TEA CUPS
ALIEN SWIRLING SAUCERS / MATER'S JUNKYARD JAMBOREE
MICKEY'S PHILHARMAGIC
Now, all of those rides are at both Disneyland and Disney World.
If I've listed two different ride names, I'm just showing you that they're called different things at different parks, but are essentially the same ride.
This has some caveats, though.
For example, I feel like Guardians of the Galaxy (formerly Tower of Terror) at Disneyland is a thousand percent better than Tower of Terror at Disney World's Hollywood Studios.
Small World is way better at Disneyland because the entire front looks like a weird clock/castle, and there are hidden Disney characters all throughout the ride.
I feel the same way about Indiana Jones, though it's the exact same track as Dinosaur at Animal Kingdom.
I also feel that way about Cars, finding it a lot more fun than Test Track, without all the downtime at night when it starts to rain in Florida.
Depending on your preferences, this might be different for you and your group of travelers.
There are some rides at Disney World that you will not get at Disneyland, and vice versa. Most notably, these are missing from Disneyland.
THESE RIDES ARE FOUND ONLY AT DISNEY WORLD
SPACESHIP EARTH
FROZEN
MISSION SPACE
FINDING NEMO
KILIMANJARO SAFARIS
NA'VI RIVER JOURNEY
AVATAR FLIGHT OF PASSAGE
SEVEN DWARFS MINE TRAIN
BARNSTORMER
PEOPLE MOVER
CAROUSEL OF PROGRESS
ALADDIN'S MAGIC CARPETS
ROCKIN ROLLER COASTER
SLINKY DOG DASH
LIVING WITH THE LAND
EXPEDITION EVEREST
There might be a few more that Disneyland is missing, but those will be shows and stuff like that. I'm trying to focus on the actual rides, since I'm not a big show-goer.
So, for all those missing at Disneyland, these are the rides you'll only find at Disneyland, NOT Disney World.
THESE RIDES ARE FOUND ONLY AT DISNEYLAND:
MATTERHORN BOBLEDS
FINDING NEMO SUBMARINE VOYAGE
SNOW WHITE'S SCARY ADVENTURES
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
MR. TOAD'S WILD RIDE
GADGET'S GO COASTER
PINOCCHIO'S DARING JOURNEY
ROGER RABBIT'S CAR TOON SPIN
STORYBOOK CANAL RIVER BOATS
CASEY JR. CIRCUS TRAIN
SILLY SYMPHONY SWINGS
LUIGI'S ROLLICKING ROADSTERS
GOLDEN ZEPHYR
JUMPIN JELLYFISH
MONSTERS INC. MIKE AND SULLY TO THE RESCUE
INSIDE OUT EMOTIONAL WHIRLWIND
THE INCREDICOASTER
PIXAR PAL AROUND (FERRIS WHEEL)
JESSE'S CRITTER CAROUSEL
While there are quite a few at each park that the other doesn't have, for me it breaks down into a few major considerations.
THESE ARE MY IMPORTANT RIDES/AREAS THAT ARE ONLY AT DISNEY WORLD:
AVATAR FLIGHT OF PASSAGE
SEVEN DWARFS MINE TRAIN
EXPEDITION EVEREST
EPCOT
SLINKY DOG DASH
Those are the only things I can think of that I miss when I'm at Disneyland, but the only one that really bothers me at all is the loss of Epcot.
There is no Epcot at Disneyland, no World Showcase, and if that's a big deal to you, you will not be able to even slightly replicate it at Disneyland.
As for the actual attractions that are missing, I find most of them offset by something Disneyland has that Disney World doesn't.
DISNEY WORLD AND DISNEYLAND COMPARABLE RIDES:
SEVEN DWARFS / MATTERHORN BOBSLEDS
EXPEDITION EVEREST OR SLINKY DOG DASH / INCREDICOASTER
The only one I can't reconcile is Avatar Flight Of Passage. There's really nothing like it in Disneyland, sadly.
The Incredicoaster is longer and more intense than Slinky Dog Dash and Expedition Everest, in my opinion. If I had two fast passes, I'd use them both on Incredicoaster over the other two rides.
As for the other rides missing, you'll find similar, if not better rides at Disneyland.
Goofy's Sky School is better than Primeval Whirl, and that's when Primeval Whirl is actually working (which doesn't appear to be very often).
Jumpin Jelly Fish, Silly Symphony Swings, Pixar Pal Around, and Golden Zephyr are all easy matches against any similar ride at Disney World, and they're all within two minutes of one another (or less).
Pixar Pal Around, if you take one of the swinging cars, is downright thrilling, scream worthy, and fear inducing, and it's longer than any roller coaster at Disney World.
I will say that Disney World (especially Magic Kingdom) has MORE Fast Pass available rides. There are just as many rides at Disneyland, but you can't use Fast Pass on as many of them. Example: you can Fast Pass Peter Pan at Disney World, but not at Disneyland.
This is mainly on the smaller rides (like Snow White, Alice in Wonderland, Mr. Toad, etc.), but it is something you need to know.
I'm going to sound like a Disneyland fan girl for the next section at least, but trust me when I say there are Disneyland negatives, and we will definitely get there.
Make your hash mark.
Let's talk weather!
CHECK OUT OUR REVIEW OF THE TIME WE HAD A PRIVATE VIP TOUR GUIDE AT DISNEY WORLD
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DISNEYLAND VS DISNEY WORLD
WEATHER
DISNEY WORLD
If you've been to Disney World, there's a very high chance you've been rained on.
Afternoon showers send park goers scampering toward the shelter of stores and restaurants. The die hards (like myself) whip out their ponchos and umbrellas, and everyone who had a fast pass for an outdoor ride gives a collective groan.
This is another part of Disney World I don't love.
Depending on when you go, you could experience sweltering, humid conditions that can send the ablest bodied person into a downward spiral of dehydration and heat stroke. You could also experience 30 degree weather that'll have you reaching for your thermal underwear and patting yourself on the back for actually paying attention to that weather report you read before you went to Florida.
I went with some girlfriends in June one year and one of them got so sick that we had to find some shade to sit down at Animal Kingdom. We had been drinking water, but the heat was brutal and staying hydrated was difficult.
This isn't an uncommon occurrence. A year later, another friend almost passed out as we were headed to the parking lot to find a bus. You really have to watch out for the heat!
I took my family one year in September and it started raining (again we were in Animal Kingdom) so badly that you couldn't see three feet in front of you. I wasn't a seasoned veteran then, so I didn't have an umbrella or poncho. It rained for four solid hours, and we ended up walking out of Animal Kingdom amid a river running down the pathways (up to our ankles) to the busses. We were soaking wet, dripping all over the bus, and freezing in the air conditioning.
It was absolutely the most miserable experience I've ever had at either park.
In the hurricane months, your flights can be delayed or cancelled altogether, leaving you to scramble for new flights, new hotels, and (sadly) new fast passes, since you won't be there to use the ones you got up so early in the morning to book.
Mom and I had a trip planned in September of 2017 when a hurricane (Harvey) hit our town. Our trip was just about a week away and we were worried we'd suffer enough damage that we'd have to cancel.
Thankfully, we were mostly fine.
Then, not long afterward, Irma hit Florida just a few days before we were supposed to leave.
The Orlando airport closed the day we were supposed to leave, so we changed our trip. This happened three more times, each time pushing our trip back a day.
Finally, we were able to fly in on Thursday, the first day the airport reopened, and four days after we'd originally planned.
Our hotel was no longer available, we scrambled to find a new hotel, paying double the price. We lost four days of Fast Passes, and only kept on with the trip because we did have a Fast Pass for Flight of Passage on the Thursday we were finally able to come in.
Basically, forcing you to schedule those Fast Passes 60 days out adds a lot of pressure, especially since you know you're not likely to get another one, especially within a few days of your trip.
Thankfully, there are no mosquitos at Disney World, the planners saw to that!
DISNEYLAND
Disneyland doesn't have these problems. She's the even tempered aunt in a family full of crazy.
The weather is nice pretty much year round, with some "rainy months" at the start of the year, topping out in February with a whopping average of 5 days of rain.
The temperatures range in the 70's (as an average) almost all year long, giving you warm days (in the 80's) with lovely sunshine, and nights that are perfect in the summer, but will likely require a hoodie or possibly even some long pants, in the winter.
Rides don't get rained out, it just doesn't happen.
You can still get heat stroke if you don't drink enough water, but it's hard to do. I did it on my very first trip, getting up early for a flight (4 a.m. or so) and not touching a drink of anything until I almost passed out at Rain Forest Cafe around 12 hours later.
It was rough, but it was also extreme. I'm normally very good about drinking water.
My bags are lighter at Disneyland, I don't even bother bringing a hoodie or umbrella in with me, two things I wouldn't go without if I were at Disney World.
Your flight doesn't get cancelled when you go to Disneyland, you don't have to switch hotels because yours can not accommodate you for your new, hurricane determined dates.
You don't ponder cancelling the whole thing because you won't be able to ride Pandora since you won't be there that day, after all.
The weather in Disneyland is your friend, it loves you. <3
Now, let's talk about your kids!
HERE'S HOW TO DOWNLOAD ALL OF YOUR DISNEY PHOTOPASS PHOTOS AT ONCE
If you've been to Disney World, there's a very high chance you've been rained on.
Afternoon showers send park goers scampering toward the shelter of stores and restaurants. The die hards (like myself) whip out their ponchos and umbrellas, and everyone who had a fast pass for an outdoor ride gives a collective groan.
This is another part of Disney World I don't love.
Depending on when you go, you could experience sweltering, humid conditions that can send the ablest bodied person into a downward spiral of dehydration and heat stroke. You could also experience 30 degree weather that'll have you reaching for your thermal underwear and patting yourself on the back for actually paying attention to that weather report you read before you went to Florida.
I went with some girlfriends in June one year and one of them got so sick that we had to find some shade to sit down at Animal Kingdom. We had been drinking water, but the heat was brutal and staying hydrated was difficult.
This isn't an uncommon occurrence. A year later, another friend almost passed out as we were headed to the parking lot to find a bus. You really have to watch out for the heat!
I took my family one year in September and it started raining (again we were in Animal Kingdom) so badly that you couldn't see three feet in front of you. I wasn't a seasoned veteran then, so I didn't have an umbrella or poncho. It rained for four solid hours, and we ended up walking out of Animal Kingdom amid a river running down the pathways (up to our ankles) to the busses. We were soaking wet, dripping all over the bus, and freezing in the air conditioning.
It was absolutely the most miserable experience I've ever had at either park.
In the hurricane months, your flights can be delayed or cancelled altogether, leaving you to scramble for new flights, new hotels, and (sadly) new fast passes, since you won't be there to use the ones you got up so early in the morning to book.
Mom and I had a trip planned in September of 2017 when a hurricane (Harvey) hit our town. Our trip was just about a week away and we were worried we'd suffer enough damage that we'd have to cancel.
Thankfully, we were mostly fine.
Then, not long afterward, Irma hit Florida just a few days before we were supposed to leave.
The Orlando airport closed the day we were supposed to leave, so we changed our trip. This happened three more times, each time pushing our trip back a day.
Finally, we were able to fly in on Thursday, the first day the airport reopened, and four days after we'd originally planned.
Our hotel was no longer available, we scrambled to find a new hotel, paying double the price. We lost four days of Fast Passes, and only kept on with the trip because we did have a Fast Pass for Flight of Passage on the Thursday we were finally able to come in.
Basically, forcing you to schedule those Fast Passes 60 days out adds a lot of pressure, especially since you know you're not likely to get another one, especially within a few days of your trip.
Thankfully, there are no mosquitos at Disney World, the planners saw to that!
DISNEYLAND
Disneyland doesn't have these problems. She's the even tempered aunt in a family full of crazy.
The weather is nice pretty much year round, with some "rainy months" at the start of the year, topping out in February with a whopping average of 5 days of rain.
The temperatures range in the 70's (as an average) almost all year long, giving you warm days (in the 80's) with lovely sunshine, and nights that are perfect in the summer, but will likely require a hoodie or possibly even some long pants, in the winter.
Rides don't get rained out, it just doesn't happen.
You can still get heat stroke if you don't drink enough water, but it's hard to do. I did it on my very first trip, getting up early for a flight (4 a.m. or so) and not touching a drink of anything until I almost passed out at Rain Forest Cafe around 12 hours later.
It was rough, but it was also extreme. I'm normally very good about drinking water.
My bags are lighter at Disneyland, I don't even bother bringing a hoodie or umbrella in with me, two things I wouldn't go without if I were at Disney World.
Your flight doesn't get cancelled when you go to Disneyland, you don't have to switch hotels because yours can not accommodate you for your new, hurricane determined dates.
You don't ponder cancelling the whole thing because you won't be able to ride Pandora since you won't be there that day, after all.
The weather in Disneyland is your friend, it loves you. <3
Now, let's talk about your kids!
HERE'S HOW TO DOWNLOAD ALL OF YOUR DISNEY PHOTOPASS PHOTOS AT ONCE
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DISNEY WORLD VS DISNEYLAND
KIDS, BREAKS, NAP TIME
If you have children and you want to be able to take them back to the hotel for a nap in the middle of the day, the difference between Disneyland and Disney World is a big one.
DISNEYLAND
While there are hotels at Disneyland that require you to take a Taxi/Uber, or hotel provided shuttle, there are also tons that are an easy 10-15 minute walk, or even closer.
Most of these "Good Neighbor" hotels are closer than the three Disneyland hotels, with the exception of Grand Californian. So, when your kids get tired (or when my mom and I get tired), it's easy enough to leave the park and be back at your hotel within 20 minutes.
The kids can nap, you can nap, and when you're ready to hit the parks again, it's easy enough to walk back.
This isn't the case at Disney World.
DISNEY WORLD
It's not that you'd have to walk further to your hotel at Disney World, it's that you cannot walk, period.
Unless you want to travel on foot down the highway with your kids and stroller in tow as cars and busses speed by, walking to your hotel isn't going to happen.
There are a few exceptions: Boardwalk area hotels will let you walk (15-20 minutes) to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Contemporary lets you walk to Magic Kingdom.
That's it.
So, when you plan to leave a Disney World park to go back to your hotel, you probably need to plan to start heading that way about an hour and a half to two hours before you actually want to get there.
Need a noon nap? Plan on leaving no later than 10:30 a.m.
You have to leave the park, walk to the bus pick up, wait for your bus, ride to your hotel, get dropped off, then walk to your room.
Of course there are a lot more transportation options at Disney World than at Disneyland, but even factoring in things like the Monorail, Sky Liner, Friendship Boats, etc. you're still a long way from a hotel room break.
Three exceptions to this would be hotels on the Monorail. These include Contemporary, Grand Floridian, and Polynesian, but you'll pay a pretty penny for that location.
There's a reason (I believe) that you see a boat load of children melting down in the Disney World parks. It's just too much of a pain to get them back to take a nap. So you have them nap in the stroller, which is fine, sort of, but by the time 5 p.m. rolls around, they've had all they can handle.
You can feel this happen at Disney World, the "witching hour". You pass stroller upon stroller housing inconsolable toddlers being pushed by parents who give frazzled a whole new meaning.
Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.
It happens sometimes at Disneyland, but about 90% less than at Disney World.
I believe this is simply because it's just way easier to go back to the hotel and take a nap. It's also easier to park hop, so you don't feel like you simply MUST see everything in one certain park on one certain day.
This is something to factor in at Disney World at night, as well. After the parks close and there's a mad rush to the bus area, you're going to wait for a bus.
Often times, you won't get on the first bus that arrives. You'll have to sit there as it fills to capacity, the doors close, and the driver waves, assuring you that another will be along shortly.
This is hard for a seasoned adult to deal with, let alone small kids who are already out of their heads with exhaustion.
I went with a girlfriend once and I think both of us were close to tears (kidding, sort of) when the bus pulled up and let people on, stopping just three people in front of us. We'd already been in line for 20 minutes, and now we sat down on the ground to wait another 20 minutes. It was a rough end to the day, but it's not uncommon at all.
SIDE NOTE AGAIN - POOLS
If you plan to spend a lot of time at your hotel, you'll be concerned with the pool.
Disney World has some fantastic pools. Every Disney World hotel I've stayed in had a wonderful pool, from the budget hotels to the luxury hotels, the pools were always great.
Disneyland hotel pools, with the exception of the Disneyland hotels, just aren't that great for the most part. Some hotels do offer slides and such, but most are just hotel pools, small, kind of dreary, nothing to write home about.
When we went last September, our hotel pool was actually closed for the entire length of our stay. It was 20' x 20' (tops) hole in the ground with a few lounge chairs off to the side.
If your kids just want to be in the water, it'll work, but it's nothing like Disney World.
Disneyland exceptions to this rule - Disneyland Hotel and Grand Californian have amazing pools, for sure, but they also have astronomical price tags. Paradise Pier is also pretty good, but not as good as Grand Californian or Disneyland Hotel.
If you want a great pool at a Good Neighbor hotel, you'll need to do some searching on Hotels.com or the like, but there are a few to be found that have splash pads, water slides, etc. We stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott Anaheim Themepark Entrance, and it had a fantastic water area for kids, while also only being a 10 ish minute walk to the park, but it didn't have much of a pool.
Now, I'm done fangirling over Disneyland, so let's talk about places where Disney World really shines.
Everyone say, "Cheese!" cause we're talking photo ops!
CHECK OUT OUR REVIEW OF TOY STORY EARLY MORNING MAGIC AT DISNEY WORLD
DISNEYLAND
While there are hotels at Disneyland that require you to take a Taxi/Uber, or hotel provided shuttle, there are also tons that are an easy 10-15 minute walk, or even closer.
Most of these "Good Neighbor" hotels are closer than the three Disneyland hotels, with the exception of Grand Californian. So, when your kids get tired (or when my mom and I get tired), it's easy enough to leave the park and be back at your hotel within 20 minutes.
The kids can nap, you can nap, and when you're ready to hit the parks again, it's easy enough to walk back.
This isn't the case at Disney World.
DISNEY WORLD
It's not that you'd have to walk further to your hotel at Disney World, it's that you cannot walk, period.
Unless you want to travel on foot down the highway with your kids and stroller in tow as cars and busses speed by, walking to your hotel isn't going to happen.
There are a few exceptions: Boardwalk area hotels will let you walk (15-20 minutes) to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Contemporary lets you walk to Magic Kingdom.
That's it.
So, when you plan to leave a Disney World park to go back to your hotel, you probably need to plan to start heading that way about an hour and a half to two hours before you actually want to get there.
Need a noon nap? Plan on leaving no later than 10:30 a.m.
You have to leave the park, walk to the bus pick up, wait for your bus, ride to your hotel, get dropped off, then walk to your room.
Of course there are a lot more transportation options at Disney World than at Disneyland, but even factoring in things like the Monorail, Sky Liner, Friendship Boats, etc. you're still a long way from a hotel room break.
Three exceptions to this would be hotels on the Monorail. These include Contemporary, Grand Floridian, and Polynesian, but you'll pay a pretty penny for that location.
There's a reason (I believe) that you see a boat load of children melting down in the Disney World parks. It's just too much of a pain to get them back to take a nap. So you have them nap in the stroller, which is fine, sort of, but by the time 5 p.m. rolls around, they've had all they can handle.
You can feel this happen at Disney World, the "witching hour". You pass stroller upon stroller housing inconsolable toddlers being pushed by parents who give frazzled a whole new meaning.
Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.
It happens sometimes at Disneyland, but about 90% less than at Disney World.
I believe this is simply because it's just way easier to go back to the hotel and take a nap. It's also easier to park hop, so you don't feel like you simply MUST see everything in one certain park on one certain day.
This is something to factor in at Disney World at night, as well. After the parks close and there's a mad rush to the bus area, you're going to wait for a bus.
Often times, you won't get on the first bus that arrives. You'll have to sit there as it fills to capacity, the doors close, and the driver waves, assuring you that another will be along shortly.
This is hard for a seasoned adult to deal with, let alone small kids who are already out of their heads with exhaustion.
I went with a girlfriend once and I think both of us were close to tears (kidding, sort of) when the bus pulled up and let people on, stopping just three people in front of us. We'd already been in line for 20 minutes, and now we sat down on the ground to wait another 20 minutes. It was a rough end to the day, but it's not uncommon at all.
SIDE NOTE AGAIN - POOLS
If you plan to spend a lot of time at your hotel, you'll be concerned with the pool.
Disney World has some fantastic pools. Every Disney World hotel I've stayed in had a wonderful pool, from the budget hotels to the luxury hotels, the pools were always great.
Disneyland hotel pools, with the exception of the Disneyland hotels, just aren't that great for the most part. Some hotels do offer slides and such, but most are just hotel pools, small, kind of dreary, nothing to write home about.
When we went last September, our hotel pool was actually closed for the entire length of our stay. It was 20' x 20' (tops) hole in the ground with a few lounge chairs off to the side.
If your kids just want to be in the water, it'll work, but it's nothing like Disney World.
Disneyland exceptions to this rule - Disneyland Hotel and Grand Californian have amazing pools, for sure, but they also have astronomical price tags. Paradise Pier is also pretty good, but not as good as Grand Californian or Disneyland Hotel.
If you want a great pool at a Good Neighbor hotel, you'll need to do some searching on Hotels.com or the like, but there are a few to be found that have splash pads, water slides, etc. We stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott Anaheim Themepark Entrance, and it had a fantastic water area for kids, while also only being a 10 ish minute walk to the park, but it didn't have much of a pool.
Now, I'm done fangirling over Disneyland, so let's talk about places where Disney World really shines.
Everyone say, "Cheese!" cause we're talking photo ops!
CHECK OUT OUR REVIEW OF TOY STORY EARLY MORNING MAGIC AT DISNEY WORLD
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DISNEY WORLD VS DISNEYLAND
MEET AND GREETS/PHOTO OPS/CHARACTER SIGHTINGS
I don't have any cold, hard facts to give you when I write this section. Rather, I have my own experiences over a few visits to each park.
DISNEY WORLD
Disney World has a better selection of PhotoPass photo ops.
You can find Cast Members with cameras all over the place. As soon as you walk in, they are positioned every 50 feet for one picture opportunity or another. The options are endless, and they're always there, around every bend, in front of every cool thing, hanging with a character, you name it.
If you like photo ops, you will get your monies worth at Disney World.
There are more meet and greets, more places to see characters, more alcoves, nooks, and crannies designed just for this purpose.
You can also get a ton of Fast Passes for character experiences at Disney World. I'm not sure this is even a thing at Disneyland.
DISNEYLAND
Disneyland doesn't do it the same.
Yes, there are still a lot of photo ops, but not even half as much as Disney World.
Yes, you can still find characters to take pictures with, but you won't see many Fast Pass options for such meet and greets, and chances are, you'll see a lot less photography opportunities in general.
There are a lot, for sure, but when Mom and I go to Disney World, we can easily fill a book with pictures. When we go to Disneyland, we'll have half that book, or less.
Also, you'll see characters on their own at Disneyland. This was absolutely SHOCKING to me the first time I went.
I watched "Redd" stroll by in New Orleans square, and openly gawped at my friend, "Where is her handler?"
"There went Dr. Facilier!" Same response from me.
"Oh look, it's the evil queen! She's waving to us! What do we do now?"
Do you go up and ask for a picture? Will she take one with you?
I have no idea, I didn't ask, because I'm not that person. I need order, lines, clear directions, a queue, a place to stand.
Disneyland characters flutter around like wild butterflies, and for me, it's confusing.
You have to remember, Disneyland is a place that a lot of locals have season passes for. It's not some fantastical place you only go on a big holiday, it's their place to have fun. Just like Astroworld used to be my place to have fun, before they tore it down.
It feels more like a theme park in a small town, and the characters walking around really show that off.
One tour guide at Disneyland told us that they reason they are able to let characters walk around without handlers is because the typical guest at Disneyland is less aggressive that one at Disney World.
It's true, people at Disney World can be EXTRA!
There's a reason Disneyland charges for its photography package by the day, and a reason it's bundled with MaxPass. People are much more likely to go to Disneyland just for a day or two, not like the week long (or longer) epic trip you'd see in Orlando. There's no need to be aggressive because chances are, you spend quite a bit of time there.
Disneyland is just more laid back.
But, you also see things at Disneyland that you won't ever see at Disney World.
Head to Disneyland during Halloween and get pictures with characters that are so obscure, you'll be surprised they exist, and elated that you now have a picture with the ballerina from Haunted Mansion.
You'll also see a gaggle of Fairies at Pixie Hollow, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, and even the whole Guardians gang!
My mom and I were walking toward Guardians one day when this group of people started walking around the crowd. I knew right off that it was Gamora and Star-Lord, but my mom had no idea who this hunky dude was when he came up to her, fist bumped her, and did the finger guns.
"That guy is really into it," she said, giving him a look that said, "Aren't you a bit old for the cos-play?"
I laughed, hard.
I still laugh when I think about it.
You also get to meet all the Cars in Cars Land, so if you've got a Cars fan, Disneyland might be the way to go.
A character could be wandering anywhere, so keep your eyes peeled, and if you see them, go up and say hi! They likely won't have a handler, and they won't be with a photographer, so keep your phone at the ready.
Now, we all know a big part of the Disney experience is the food, so let's talk about that next.
CHECK OUT OUR REVIEW OF THE "WALK IN WALT'S DISNEYLAND FOOTSTEPS" TOUR
DISNEY WORLD
Disney World has a better selection of PhotoPass photo ops.
You can find Cast Members with cameras all over the place. As soon as you walk in, they are positioned every 50 feet for one picture opportunity or another. The options are endless, and they're always there, around every bend, in front of every cool thing, hanging with a character, you name it.
If you like photo ops, you will get your monies worth at Disney World.
There are more meet and greets, more places to see characters, more alcoves, nooks, and crannies designed just for this purpose.
You can also get a ton of Fast Passes for character experiences at Disney World. I'm not sure this is even a thing at Disneyland.
DISNEYLAND
Disneyland doesn't do it the same.
Yes, there are still a lot of photo ops, but not even half as much as Disney World.
Yes, you can still find characters to take pictures with, but you won't see many Fast Pass options for such meet and greets, and chances are, you'll see a lot less photography opportunities in general.
There are a lot, for sure, but when Mom and I go to Disney World, we can easily fill a book with pictures. When we go to Disneyland, we'll have half that book, or less.
Also, you'll see characters on their own at Disneyland. This was absolutely SHOCKING to me the first time I went.
I watched "Redd" stroll by in New Orleans square, and openly gawped at my friend, "Where is her handler?"
"There went Dr. Facilier!" Same response from me.
"Oh look, it's the evil queen! She's waving to us! What do we do now?"
Do you go up and ask for a picture? Will she take one with you?
I have no idea, I didn't ask, because I'm not that person. I need order, lines, clear directions, a queue, a place to stand.
Disneyland characters flutter around like wild butterflies, and for me, it's confusing.
You have to remember, Disneyland is a place that a lot of locals have season passes for. It's not some fantastical place you only go on a big holiday, it's their place to have fun. Just like Astroworld used to be my place to have fun, before they tore it down.
It feels more like a theme park in a small town, and the characters walking around really show that off.
One tour guide at Disneyland told us that they reason they are able to let characters walk around without handlers is because the typical guest at Disneyland is less aggressive that one at Disney World.
It's true, people at Disney World can be EXTRA!
There's a reason Disneyland charges for its photography package by the day, and a reason it's bundled with MaxPass. People are much more likely to go to Disneyland just for a day or two, not like the week long (or longer) epic trip you'd see in Orlando. There's no need to be aggressive because chances are, you spend quite a bit of time there.
Disneyland is just more laid back.
But, you also see things at Disneyland that you won't ever see at Disney World.
Head to Disneyland during Halloween and get pictures with characters that are so obscure, you'll be surprised they exist, and elated that you now have a picture with the ballerina from Haunted Mansion.
You'll also see a gaggle of Fairies at Pixie Hollow, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, and even the whole Guardians gang!
My mom and I were walking toward Guardians one day when this group of people started walking around the crowd. I knew right off that it was Gamora and Star-Lord, but my mom had no idea who this hunky dude was when he came up to her, fist bumped her, and did the finger guns.
"That guy is really into it," she said, giving him a look that said, "Aren't you a bit old for the cos-play?"
I laughed, hard.
I still laugh when I think about it.
You also get to meet all the Cars in Cars Land, so if you've got a Cars fan, Disneyland might be the way to go.
A character could be wandering anywhere, so keep your eyes peeled, and if you see them, go up and say hi! They likely won't have a handler, and they won't be with a photographer, so keep your phone at the ready.
Now, we all know a big part of the Disney experience is the food, so let's talk about that next.
CHECK OUT OUR REVIEW OF THE "WALK IN WALT'S DISNEYLAND FOOTSTEPS" TOUR
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DISNEY WORLD VS DISNEYLAND
FOOD, FOOD, FOOD
DISNEY WORLD
For comparison, let's talk about Table Service restaurants at Disney World:
There are around 7 Table Service restaurants at Magic Kingdom.
There are around 23 Table Service restaurants at Epcot.
There are around 9 Table Service restaurants at Hollywood Studios.
There are around 8 Table Service restaurants at Animal Kingdom.
That's a total of around 50 Table Service restaurants across four parks at Disney World.
DISNEYLAND
Now, let's look at the Table Service restaurants at Disneyland:
Between California Adventure and Disneyland park, there are 11 Table Service restaurants. Some of those are a lounge and restaurant in the same building, which Disneyland counts as two separate entities.
An example of this would be Carthay Circle, and Carthay Circle lounge.
There are less than 1/4 the amount of Table Service restaurants than you'll find at Disney World.
Now, the majority of these restaurants are found at Disney World in Epcot, but even if you take that out of the equation, the Disney World parks have around 4 more Table Service restaurants each, per park.
It doesn't seem like much, but when you're looking for a new place to eat it's very easy for Disneyland to feel a bit like you've already seen it.
That said, I will never tire of Carthay Circle (Disneyland) OR Skipper Canteen (Disney World).
Quick Service is much the same, there are more at Disney World, and there are also more kiosks of yummy goodness.
Again, this is most notable at Epcot, which you don't have any equal to at Disneyland.
As far as food prices, they seem evenly matched between the two parks. I didn't feel like I paid more in California for either food or alcoholic beverages.
Now that I've touched on Alcohol, let's talk more about imbibing (in one way or another) at each park. Be warned, the next section is intended only for adults age 21 and older. If you're not old enough, don't read it.
SHOULD YOU GET THE DISNEY DINING PLAN? HERE ARE OUR EXPERIENCES.
For comparison, let's talk about Table Service restaurants at Disney World:
There are around 7 Table Service restaurants at Magic Kingdom.
There are around 23 Table Service restaurants at Epcot.
There are around 9 Table Service restaurants at Hollywood Studios.
There are around 8 Table Service restaurants at Animal Kingdom.
That's a total of around 50 Table Service restaurants across four parks at Disney World.
DISNEYLAND
Now, let's look at the Table Service restaurants at Disneyland:
Between California Adventure and Disneyland park, there are 11 Table Service restaurants. Some of those are a lounge and restaurant in the same building, which Disneyland counts as two separate entities.
An example of this would be Carthay Circle, and Carthay Circle lounge.
There are less than 1/4 the amount of Table Service restaurants than you'll find at Disney World.
Now, the majority of these restaurants are found at Disney World in Epcot, but even if you take that out of the equation, the Disney World parks have around 4 more Table Service restaurants each, per park.
It doesn't seem like much, but when you're looking for a new place to eat it's very easy for Disneyland to feel a bit like you've already seen it.
That said, I will never tire of Carthay Circle (Disneyland) OR Skipper Canteen (Disney World).
Quick Service is much the same, there are more at Disney World, and there are also more kiosks of yummy goodness.
Again, this is most notable at Epcot, which you don't have any equal to at Disneyland.
As far as food prices, they seem evenly matched between the two parks. I didn't feel like I paid more in California for either food or alcoholic beverages.
Now that I've touched on Alcohol, let's talk more about imbibing (in one way or another) at each park. Be warned, the next section is intended only for adults age 21 and older. If you're not old enough, don't read it.
SHOULD YOU GET THE DISNEY DINING PLAN? HERE ARE OUR EXPERIENCES.
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DISNEY WORLD VS DISNEYLAND
MUST BE 21 AND UP TO READ THIS SECTION
This is the part of my post I hemmed and hawed over.
Do I talk about marijuana? Do I leave it out? Are people going to think I'm a terrible person?
Well, I hope you don't, because I promise I'm a great person, but I am going to talk about it, because I'm an adult and it's legal in California.
My beliefs in life are pretty much along this path, "You do you, as long as you're not hurting anyone, breaking the law, or asking others to foot the bill."
Alcohol is a drug, Marijuana is a drug.
One is legal in both states, the other is not.
DISNEYLAND
If you're that person who'd rather eat some marijuana edibles than drink wine or beer, California is the only place to go. You can stop at a dispensary, have it delivered to your hotel, whatever you like.
Please note: Disneyland and Disney World do not allow you to bring alcohol or marijuana into the parks.
This brings me to my next point.
You can buy alcohol anywhere at Disneyland's California Adventure park, but only at Oga's Cantina in Disneyland park. This is different than Disney World, where you can get a beer or wine at any Table Service restaurant in Magic Kingdom.
You cannot leave California Adventure with alcohol. My husband was drinking a beer one day as we went to park hop over to Disneyland park, and the lady at the exit nicely told us that the cup (it was orange plastic, very noticeable) could not leave the park. He finished it, and we went on our way.
You can also buy alcohol at one of the many places to eat in Downtown Disney (which is attached to California Adventure and Disneyland park), but you cannot bring it into either park from Downtown Disney.
DISNEY WORLD
You can buy alcohol at all of the parks in Florida, even Magic Kingdom, but you can only buy it in Magic Kingdom at a Table Service restaurant, and you cannot leave the restaurant with it. You can also buy it at Oga's Cantina, but you cannot leave the cantina with it.
You cannot leave any of the Disney World parks with alcohol.
You can also get a Disney Dining Plan that allows you an alcoholic drink with your meal at Disney World.
There is no dining plan at Disneyland.
So, let's talk about that next.
CHECK OUT OUR REVIEW OF OGA'S CANTINA IN GALAXY'S EDGE
Do I talk about marijuana? Do I leave it out? Are people going to think I'm a terrible person?
Well, I hope you don't, because I promise I'm a great person, but I am going to talk about it, because I'm an adult and it's legal in California.
My beliefs in life are pretty much along this path, "You do you, as long as you're not hurting anyone, breaking the law, or asking others to foot the bill."
Alcohol is a drug, Marijuana is a drug.
One is legal in both states, the other is not.
DISNEYLAND
If you're that person who'd rather eat some marijuana edibles than drink wine or beer, California is the only place to go. You can stop at a dispensary, have it delivered to your hotel, whatever you like.
Please note: Disneyland and Disney World do not allow you to bring alcohol or marijuana into the parks.
This brings me to my next point.
You can buy alcohol anywhere at Disneyland's California Adventure park, but only at Oga's Cantina in Disneyland park. This is different than Disney World, where you can get a beer or wine at any Table Service restaurant in Magic Kingdom.
You cannot leave California Adventure with alcohol. My husband was drinking a beer one day as we went to park hop over to Disneyland park, and the lady at the exit nicely told us that the cup (it was orange plastic, very noticeable) could not leave the park. He finished it, and we went on our way.
You can also buy alcohol at one of the many places to eat in Downtown Disney (which is attached to California Adventure and Disneyland park), but you cannot bring it into either park from Downtown Disney.
DISNEY WORLD
You can buy alcohol at all of the parks in Florida, even Magic Kingdom, but you can only buy it in Magic Kingdom at a Table Service restaurant, and you cannot leave the restaurant with it. You can also buy it at Oga's Cantina, but you cannot leave the cantina with it.
You cannot leave any of the Disney World parks with alcohol.
You can also get a Disney Dining Plan that allows you an alcoholic drink with your meal at Disney World.
There is no dining plan at Disneyland.
So, let's talk about that next.
CHECK OUT OUR REVIEW OF OGA'S CANTINA IN GALAXY'S EDGE
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SHOULD YOU TO GO DISNEYLAND OR DISNEY WORLD?
THE DISNEY DINING PLAN
I've already written a lengthy blog post about the Disney Dining Plan, so I don't want to repeat myself. I'll give you the link to that post and you can check it out.
To give you the Cliff Notes version of things, Disneyland does not offer a dining plan.
Disney World not only offers one, it offers three different versions of the Disney Dining Plan.
I do not use the Dining Plan at all, and I recommend you instead sock a little money away each week in advance of your trip, or purchase Disney gift cards at the grocery store.
Consider those your dining plan, it'll be a lot more flexible with a lot less stress.
Now, let's talk about Downtown Disney and Disney Springs.
WE LOVE FOOD, SO UNIVERSAL YUMS IS OUR FAVORITE MONTHLY SNACK BOX - CHECK IT OUT
To give you the Cliff Notes version of things, Disneyland does not offer a dining plan.
Disney World not only offers one, it offers three different versions of the Disney Dining Plan.
I do not use the Dining Plan at all, and I recommend you instead sock a little money away each week in advance of your trip, or purchase Disney gift cards at the grocery store.
Consider those your dining plan, it'll be a lot more flexible with a lot less stress.
Now, let's talk about Downtown Disney and Disney Springs.
WE LOVE FOOD, SO UNIVERSAL YUMS IS OUR FAVORITE MONTHLY SNACK BOX - CHECK IT OUT
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DISNEYLAND VS DISNEY WORLD
DOWNTOWN DISNEY VS DISNEY SPRINGS
Something else to consider when you think of your ideal destination are the extensions of Disney at each park that are not actually parks themselves.
This would be Downtown Disney at Disneyland, and Disney Springs at Disney World.
There are pros and cons to each, but I'll give you a rundown on what I consider to be the biggest factors.
DISNEY WORLD
Disney Springs is nowhere near the Disney World parks. You must take a bus to get there.
However, once you are there, it's huge and there's a lot to do. You can ride a hot air balloon, take a trip in an amphibious car, shop at a hundred different stores, eat at some fantastic restaurants, and basically spend an entire day just browsing around.
Disney Springs really does need its own day, not even kidding.
If you happen to stay at a resort that has a boat that goes to Disney Springs, it's a great place to eat dinner and look around. When we stayed at French Quarter on a girl's trip, we had dinner out there and it was a lot of fun.
DISNEYLAND
Downtown Disney at Disneyland is Disney Spring's little sister.
There's still a lot to do, cool things like The Void (which is amazing and is also at Disney Springs), restaurants, bowling, ice cream, shopping, etc.
The big bonus for Downtown Disney is that it's as close to the Disneyland parks as they are to each other.
You can walk from California Adventure to Disneyland park or Downtown Disney in under five minutes. Taking a break out of the park for lunch is easy. Mom and I even took a break one day to go do The Void. We ate lunch, did some Wreck it Ralph, then went back to the parks for more fun.
This also makes Disneyland feel like it has more Table service restaurants, since walking to them is no further than walking to a restaurant in Magic Kingdom.
So while Disney Springs offers more by way of attractions, it's neither convenient, nor something you can do in a few hours or as you feel the urge (the exception being if you're staying at a resort that offers boat service to Disney Springs).
It does have busses of course, and there are even some boats that will take you there from various resorts, but as with any Disney World transportation, it's not going to be fast.
Let's talk about specific areas within each park.
CHECK OUT OUR REVIEW OF THE VOID IN DOWNTOWN DISNEY
This would be Downtown Disney at Disneyland, and Disney Springs at Disney World.
There are pros and cons to each, but I'll give you a rundown on what I consider to be the biggest factors.
DISNEY WORLD
Disney Springs is nowhere near the Disney World parks. You must take a bus to get there.
However, once you are there, it's huge and there's a lot to do. You can ride a hot air balloon, take a trip in an amphibious car, shop at a hundred different stores, eat at some fantastic restaurants, and basically spend an entire day just browsing around.
Disney Springs really does need its own day, not even kidding.
If you happen to stay at a resort that has a boat that goes to Disney Springs, it's a great place to eat dinner and look around. When we stayed at French Quarter on a girl's trip, we had dinner out there and it was a lot of fun.
DISNEYLAND
Downtown Disney at Disneyland is Disney Spring's little sister.
There's still a lot to do, cool things like The Void (which is amazing and is also at Disney Springs), restaurants, bowling, ice cream, shopping, etc.
The big bonus for Downtown Disney is that it's as close to the Disneyland parks as they are to each other.
You can walk from California Adventure to Disneyland park or Downtown Disney in under five minutes. Taking a break out of the park for lunch is easy. Mom and I even took a break one day to go do The Void. We ate lunch, did some Wreck it Ralph, then went back to the parks for more fun.
This also makes Disneyland feel like it has more Table service restaurants, since walking to them is no further than walking to a restaurant in Magic Kingdom.
So while Disney Springs offers more by way of attractions, it's neither convenient, nor something you can do in a few hours or as you feel the urge (the exception being if you're staying at a resort that offers boat service to Disney Springs).
It does have busses of course, and there are even some boats that will take you there from various resorts, but as with any Disney World transportation, it's not going to be fast.
Let's talk about specific areas within each park.
CHECK OUT OUR REVIEW OF THE VOID IN DOWNTOWN DISNEY
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DISNEYLAND VS DISNEY WORLD
THEMING IN EACH PARK
Disney World offers four parks: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios.
There is no comparable Epcot park at Disneyland. Yes it does have basically the same rides (Soarin and Test Track/Cars), but it doesn't have World Showcase, Spaceship Earth (the giant golf ball), and it has none of the futuristic feel that Epcot really shows off.
If you love Epcot, go to Disney World, I cannot stress that enough.
Disney World has Magic Kingdom, Disneyland has Disneyland park. Both are very similar. The one notable exception would be that Disneyland has Mickey's Toon Town.
Disney World doesn't have anything similar.
Disney World has Animal Kingdom, there's nothing like it at Disneyland, not even close.
Disney World has Hollywood Studios, which feels very similar to Disneyland's California Adventure, in many places.
Disneyland has California Adventure, and inside of California Adventure is Pixar Pier, which is absolutely unlike anything you'll find at Disney World. The closest you can "maybe" get is Disney Springs with their waterside location, but really Pixar Pier is a thing all its own.
Both have Galaxy's Edge.
Disneyland has Avenger's Campus opening up in 2020. Disney World will not have anything similar, that I know of. This will include a new Spider Man ride as well as shows, character encounters, etc.
Disney World has a lot of new rides opening in the next two years. Tron, Guardians of the Galaxy (the coaster), Ratoullie, and Mickey's Runaway Railway are all opening between now and 2021.
SIDE NOTE - Disneyland typically has better shows than Disney World by a small margin. It only makes sense, if you think about it. Where do aspiring actors go? California! Not Florida. The talent up on those stages makes it clear when you're in Disneyland.
Now let's talk about other theme parks in the area.
CHECK OUT OUR REVIEW OF SMUGGLER'S RUN
There is no comparable Epcot park at Disneyland. Yes it does have basically the same rides (Soarin and Test Track/Cars), but it doesn't have World Showcase, Spaceship Earth (the giant golf ball), and it has none of the futuristic feel that Epcot really shows off.
If you love Epcot, go to Disney World, I cannot stress that enough.
Disney World has Magic Kingdom, Disneyland has Disneyland park. Both are very similar. The one notable exception would be that Disneyland has Mickey's Toon Town.
Disney World doesn't have anything similar.
Disney World has Animal Kingdom, there's nothing like it at Disneyland, not even close.
Disney World has Hollywood Studios, which feels very similar to Disneyland's California Adventure, in many places.
Disneyland has California Adventure, and inside of California Adventure is Pixar Pier, which is absolutely unlike anything you'll find at Disney World. The closest you can "maybe" get is Disney Springs with their waterside location, but really Pixar Pier is a thing all its own.
Both have Galaxy's Edge.
Disneyland has Avenger's Campus opening up in 2020. Disney World will not have anything similar, that I know of. This will include a new Spider Man ride as well as shows, character encounters, etc.
Disney World has a lot of new rides opening in the next two years. Tron, Guardians of the Galaxy (the coaster), Ratoullie, and Mickey's Runaway Railway are all opening between now and 2021.
SIDE NOTE - Disneyland typically has better shows than Disney World by a small margin. It only makes sense, if you think about it. Where do aspiring actors go? California! Not Florida. The talent up on those stages makes it clear when you're in Disneyland.
Now let's talk about other theme parks in the area.
CHECK OUT OUR REVIEW OF SMUGGLER'S RUN
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DISNEYLAND VS DISNEY WORLD
THEME PARKS NEARBY
Though I love Disney dearly, a trip with my Mom isn't complete unless we break from the mouse for one day and go visit another theme park in the area.
DISNEY WORLD
For Disney World this means we head over to Universal Studios or Sea World.
If you aren't a big thrill ride fan, this may not be something that appeals to you, but for us, the Disney rides are on the milder side (especially at Disney World) and don't deliver the scream inducing terror that these other parks are ready to serve up on a silver platter.
We like Universal Studios when we're in Florida because it's fairly close to Disney World, about a 20 minute drive via Uber. There are two parks, and you need a park hopper if you want to visit both (or if you want to ride the Harry Potter train).
Universal does offer an all day "Fast Pass" option, which we really love.
Sea World is also nearby, and while it doesn't offer as many thrill rides, they are roller coasters and they are good ones. It's not a park we spend more than half a day at, ending up back at Epcot in the evening, but while we're there, we're screaming our heads off on one of the half dozen or so coasters designed to leave you breathless.
Sea World also has an all day "Fast Pass" option.
Another park to consider is Busch Gardens, though Mom and I have never been.
DISNEYLAND
When at Disneyland, we like to go to Knott's Berry Farm. It's only 10-15 minutes from Disneyland, an easy Uber ride away, and there's a chicken restaurant nearby that offers some tasty grub.
Knott's also offers the unlimited "Fast Pass" option, and there are a huge number of really good roller coasters at the park. It's easily an all day thing, and you could go for more than one day and still have a fantastic time.
If I had to decide between Universal, Sea World, and Knott's, it would be Knott's, hands down.
Disneyland is also fairly close to Universal Hollywood, but it's not like Universal in Florida. It's more like a backstage movie lot than an actual theme park with tons of rides.
Six Flags Magic Mountain is also nearby, but it's still an hour away (as is Universal) and I don't want to spend a minimum of two hours traveling on a day I'm meant to be riding rides and having fun.
However, if visiting another theme park is important to you while you're at either Disney location, this might give you some food for thought.
Since we talked about other parks in the area, let's now talk about other things to do at the Disney parks, things that aren't rides and shows.
Let's talk Disney Tours.
CHECK OUT OUR REVIEW OF THE ROY O DISNEY SUITE ONBOARD THE DISNEY FANTASY
DISNEY WORLD
For Disney World this means we head over to Universal Studios or Sea World.
If you aren't a big thrill ride fan, this may not be something that appeals to you, but for us, the Disney rides are on the milder side (especially at Disney World) and don't deliver the scream inducing terror that these other parks are ready to serve up on a silver platter.
We like Universal Studios when we're in Florida because it's fairly close to Disney World, about a 20 minute drive via Uber. There are two parks, and you need a park hopper if you want to visit both (or if you want to ride the Harry Potter train).
Universal does offer an all day "Fast Pass" option, which we really love.
Sea World is also nearby, and while it doesn't offer as many thrill rides, they are roller coasters and they are good ones. It's not a park we spend more than half a day at, ending up back at Epcot in the evening, but while we're there, we're screaming our heads off on one of the half dozen or so coasters designed to leave you breathless.
Sea World also has an all day "Fast Pass" option.
Another park to consider is Busch Gardens, though Mom and I have never been.
DISNEYLAND
When at Disneyland, we like to go to Knott's Berry Farm. It's only 10-15 minutes from Disneyland, an easy Uber ride away, and there's a chicken restaurant nearby that offers some tasty grub.
Knott's also offers the unlimited "Fast Pass" option, and there are a huge number of really good roller coasters at the park. It's easily an all day thing, and you could go for more than one day and still have a fantastic time.
If I had to decide between Universal, Sea World, and Knott's, it would be Knott's, hands down.
Disneyland is also fairly close to Universal Hollywood, but it's not like Universal in Florida. It's more like a backstage movie lot than an actual theme park with tons of rides.
Six Flags Magic Mountain is also nearby, but it's still an hour away (as is Universal) and I don't want to spend a minimum of two hours traveling on a day I'm meant to be riding rides and having fun.
However, if visiting another theme park is important to you while you're at either Disney location, this might give you some food for thought.
Since we talked about other parks in the area, let's now talk about other things to do at the Disney parks, things that aren't rides and shows.
Let's talk Disney Tours.
CHECK OUT OUR REVIEW OF THE ROY O DISNEY SUITE ONBOARD THE DISNEY FANTASY
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DISNEY WORLD VS DISNEYLAND
TAKING THE TOURS
DISNEY WORLD
I've taken several tours at Disney World, from VIP tours that give you a dedicated guide for the day, to group tours that take you to the most thrilling rides in three of the Disney World parks.
I've done the Ultimate Day of Thrills, The Ultimate Nights of Adventure, Toy Story Early Morning Magic, and both Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, and Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party.
These tours let you skip the lines, using your guide as a Fast Pass for a bunch of great rides, or let you stay late or arrive early, lessening the crowds a great deal.
Disney World offers these tours, but, with the exception of having a one on one VIP tour guide, Disneyland does not.
Disney World also offers some other wonderful tours, from Backstage Magic (where you get to see how the Princesses make the magic happen), to Keys to the Kingdom. Disney World is happy to share the geeky information for those of us who can't get enough.
DISNEYLAND
Disneyland is not the same. They offer one tour (aside from a VIP guide). It's called Walk in Walt's Disneyland Footsteps, and it is amazing, but it's also the only one of its kind at Disneyland.
So, if tours are your thing, Disney World will deliver, Disneyland will not.
Let's finish up this post with the one thing that really makes the decision tough.
It's the Disney Bubble.
CHECK OUT OUR REVIEW OF THE FAMILY PANORAMIC SUITE ON BOARD ROYAL CARIBBEAN'S ADVENTURE OF THE SEAS
I've taken several tours at Disney World, from VIP tours that give you a dedicated guide for the day, to group tours that take you to the most thrilling rides in three of the Disney World parks.
I've done the Ultimate Day of Thrills, The Ultimate Nights of Adventure, Toy Story Early Morning Magic, and both Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, and Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party.
These tours let you skip the lines, using your guide as a Fast Pass for a bunch of great rides, or let you stay late or arrive early, lessening the crowds a great deal.
Disney World offers these tours, but, with the exception of having a one on one VIP tour guide, Disneyland does not.
Disney World also offers some other wonderful tours, from Backstage Magic (where you get to see how the Princesses make the magic happen), to Keys to the Kingdom. Disney World is happy to share the geeky information for those of us who can't get enough.
DISNEYLAND
Disneyland is not the same. They offer one tour (aside from a VIP guide). It's called Walk in Walt's Disneyland Footsteps, and it is amazing, but it's also the only one of its kind at Disneyland.
So, if tours are your thing, Disney World will deliver, Disneyland will not.
Let's finish up this post with the one thing that really makes the decision tough.
It's the Disney Bubble.
CHECK OUT OUR REVIEW OF THE FAMILY PANORAMIC SUITE ON BOARD ROYAL CARIBBEAN'S ADVENTURE OF THE SEAS
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DISNEY WORLD VS DISNEYLAND
THE DISNEY BUBBLE
This is my major sticking point when deciding which Disney park we want to go to each year.
Last year, we went to Disneyland, and here I am, several months later, still undecided on what we'll do in 2020.
Here's the thing, when you're at Disney World, you're AT Disney World.
You arrive at the airport, take your Uber or DME, and the moment you drive under the Disney World sign, you never leave that bubble.
Everything is Disney for miles around. The hotels are all Disney, the employees call you "Princess", everyone there loves Disney as much as you do, and they all want you to have the most magical experience ever.
It's a Disney hive mind at its best!
DISNEYLAND
Disneyland is the same, to a point. It's the difference between going to an all inclusive resort or renting a VRBO in the same place.
Unless you're staying in the Grand Californian and never leaving to go to another park (like Knott's) you are going to leave the Disney Bubble, it's just going to happen.
Mom and I stayed at the Best Western Inn, right across the street from the Disneyland entrance, but still, when we left the park every night, it was painfully obvious.
There was the panhandler on the corner every moment of every day (that we were there), saying, "Can you please spare a dollar or two so my wife and I can get something to eat?" as he pointed to an old woman slumped against a low wall.
There was a man outside the entrance holding a mostly bald Cockatoo and a blue Macaw. He would walk up to you and put the birds on you, then take pictures for tips. It didn't matter if you wanted the birds on your shoulders (or in your hands) or not.
As a bird owner, I know how stressed a bird has to be to pluck itself bald, so this particular guy was really not my cup of tea.
There was a guy out at midnight with a very young child sleeping on his shoulder (held on his hip) as he asked for money.
There were a few enterprising folks selling water to people leaving the parks, but at least they were offering a service, and people were thirsty.
All of these guys were clustered on a corner just outside of the Disneyland entrance. It's a small area, you cannot get away from it.
Across the street, where the hotels are, there were homeless people asleep on the sidewalks at all hours. If they were in the middle of the sidewalk, you'd go around, but mostly they were off to one side.
Sometimes they'd wander around and yell at people, or at themselves.
I could go on, but there's no need, hopefully you get the point.
This gives Disneyland a less safe feeling, and it really detracts from the overall happiness you expect when you take a Disney vacation. You can't get immersed, that bubble is going to pop.
If Disneyland were enclosed in it's own area like Disney World, the decision would be much easier, and, while the vagrants and panhandling are thickest right at the exit, you're never entirely sure what you might encounter on your nightly walk back to your hotel.
One workaround to this might be to simply exit via Grand Californian and have an Uber pick you up from that point so you can get back to your hotel, if it's more than a few minutes walk.
Once you get into the archway at Disneyland, the Bubble feels the same, but you have to leave at night, unlike Disney World.
If you tend to stay offsite at Disney World, this might not even be an issue in your eyes.
WE WENT BLOKARTING IN BONAIRE, HERE'S OUR REVIEW
Last year, we went to Disneyland, and here I am, several months later, still undecided on what we'll do in 2020.
Here's the thing, when you're at Disney World, you're AT Disney World.
You arrive at the airport, take your Uber or DME, and the moment you drive under the Disney World sign, you never leave that bubble.
Everything is Disney for miles around. The hotels are all Disney, the employees call you "Princess", everyone there loves Disney as much as you do, and they all want you to have the most magical experience ever.
It's a Disney hive mind at its best!
DISNEYLAND
Disneyland is the same, to a point. It's the difference between going to an all inclusive resort or renting a VRBO in the same place.
Unless you're staying in the Grand Californian and never leaving to go to another park (like Knott's) you are going to leave the Disney Bubble, it's just going to happen.
Mom and I stayed at the Best Western Inn, right across the street from the Disneyland entrance, but still, when we left the park every night, it was painfully obvious.
There was the panhandler on the corner every moment of every day (that we were there), saying, "Can you please spare a dollar or two so my wife and I can get something to eat?" as he pointed to an old woman slumped against a low wall.
There was a man outside the entrance holding a mostly bald Cockatoo and a blue Macaw. He would walk up to you and put the birds on you, then take pictures for tips. It didn't matter if you wanted the birds on your shoulders (or in your hands) or not.
As a bird owner, I know how stressed a bird has to be to pluck itself bald, so this particular guy was really not my cup of tea.
There was a guy out at midnight with a very young child sleeping on his shoulder (held on his hip) as he asked for money.
There were a few enterprising folks selling water to people leaving the parks, but at least they were offering a service, and people were thirsty.
All of these guys were clustered on a corner just outside of the Disneyland entrance. It's a small area, you cannot get away from it.
Across the street, where the hotels are, there were homeless people asleep on the sidewalks at all hours. If they were in the middle of the sidewalk, you'd go around, but mostly they were off to one side.
Sometimes they'd wander around and yell at people, or at themselves.
I could go on, but there's no need, hopefully you get the point.
This gives Disneyland a less safe feeling, and it really detracts from the overall happiness you expect when you take a Disney vacation. You can't get immersed, that bubble is going to pop.
If Disneyland were enclosed in it's own area like Disney World, the decision would be much easier, and, while the vagrants and panhandling are thickest right at the exit, you're never entirely sure what you might encounter on your nightly walk back to your hotel.
One workaround to this might be to simply exit via Grand Californian and have an Uber pick you up from that point so you can get back to your hotel, if it's more than a few minutes walk.
Once you get into the archway at Disneyland, the Bubble feels the same, but you have to leave at night, unlike Disney World.
If you tend to stay offsite at Disney World, this might not even be an issue in your eyes.
WE WENT BLOKARTING IN BONAIRE, HERE'S OUR REVIEW
DISNEYLAND VS DISNEY WORLD
FINAL THOUGHTS
I hope this post has helped you make a decision. If it has, let me know below where you have decided to go.
As for us, I think we're leaning toward Disneyland again next year, saving Disney World for 2022 or so, after all of the new rides are up and running for the 50th anniversary.
If you love thrill rides and not having to plan your vacation to the tiniest detail, we recommend Disneyland.
If you love the planning, want the full blown Disney Bubble, cannot live without Epcot, and have a week or so to spend seeing the sights, we recommend Disney World.
Whatever you do, you're going to have a great time!
Ty
As for us, I think we're leaning toward Disneyland again next year, saving Disney World for 2022 or so, after all of the new rides are up and running for the 50th anniversary.
If you love thrill rides and not having to plan your vacation to the tiniest detail, we recommend Disneyland.
If you love the planning, want the full blown Disney Bubble, cannot live without Epcot, and have a week or so to spend seeing the sights, we recommend Disney World.
Whatever you do, you're going to have a great time!
Ty
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I'm a mom, wife, dog parent, bird parent, homeschooler, author, quilter, travel lover, and blogger. It's very nice to meet you!
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