Disneyland vs. Disneyworld

[DrFink]

For those who have been to both Disneyland and Disneyworld, which one always wins in your opinion? Do you always choose one over the other if given a choice?

For those who have only been to one, why haven't you visited the other?


Personally, I have only ever been to Disneyland/California Adventure. My brother has been to Disneyworld 2 or 3 times and now refuses to ever visit Disneyland again. My main reasoning is the fact that I have tons of family in the Anaheim area and it has always been easy to go to Disneyland. Not to mention I absolutely love the place. For me, Disneyworld just seemed more expensive and farther away. If I am ever in Florida again I might consider making the trip to Orlando and go but it would depend on funding. Florida is always more expensive than California when it comes to airfare and various other things.

[DisneyIPresume]

Can you all please hold off while I fix a bucket of popcorn?

Thanks!

[mickdaddy]

The poll is going to set up a few issues due to the choices. I voted love both because I do but there are a few things that need to be pointed out here. First no park will ever be able to compete with Disneyland in charm and immersion and the fact that it has more rides then any other park on both coasts. The Magic Kingdom as a whole cannot touch DL However when we begin to compare like attractions side by side we really widen the viewpoint. In my opinion only I feel like the Magic Kingdom has the edge on DL in a few attractions like Thunder mountain, splash mountain and Jungle cruise, (use to put Snow white here too). I put a tie in the attractions like Haunted Mansion ( I love DL's version so much but I really like the style of the building at MK it really adds the creepy factor with the sound effects and the mansion sitting more on the hill above you and a few of the differences in the ride itself are fun, but I still give the edge to DL for ride) Pirates hands down sucks in MK that is just a shameful ride compared to DL. Now when we look at the whole experience I love 2 of the 3 secondary parks in Florida with EPCOT and Animal Kingdom I just love these parks and it is not an experience that you can get in California. I like Hollywood studios but it needs a redue on par with DCA. So that Brings us to DCA with all of the changes that has been made this has really jumped up as a park to me. Matter of fact I put it as the second best park in the U.S. Disney park system. So that puts DLR with my top 2 parks but I still have to call it a draw for me. So that ends my long rambling post over my vote of loving both

[ssaamm]

I prefer Disneyland, mainly because its the original and has more heart than Disney World in my opinion. Also the money grabbing aspects are more subtle/hidden at Disneyland. Disney World seems to scream 'SPEND, SPEND, SPEND YOUR MONEY', while Disneyland seems to whisper it, however, it is getting louder at Disneyland unfortunately.

---------- Post added 09-12-2012 at 05:23 PM ----------

Saying that if someone offered me a trip to Disney World tomorrow, I'd snap their hands off

[Disneylandfan85]

I love both parks and I have been to both (that's why I voted both), but if I was forced to choose, I pick Disneyland, not only because it's better, but also because I had been there the most often.

[bayouguy]

Disneyland. I'd like to visit Walt Disney World again though. The WDW hotels are the attractions to visit too.

[JerrodDRagon]

Disneyland because of how everything is right there....no need to take a boat...or bus or monorail to get to a another park or DTD

Plus I like our versions of Pirates, Splash and many of the Fantasyland rides much more at Disneyland and we have the Matterhorn

[Coheteboy]

Gone to both. Will always pick Disneyland.

No park in Walt Disney World holds a candle to the original Disneyland and aside from Epcot or Magic Kingdom, no park has as much to do as California Adventure now.

Walt Disney World SHOULD be the most amazing Disney parks experience in the world. It just chooses not to.

[Mickey777]

To me, that pixie dust/magic or whatever you want to call it is equal on both coasts. Emotionally both resorts get the job done IMO. In terms of attractions, food, and those details that are important to you when visiting the parks, it all comes down to personal preference. This is a debate for the ages and will probably never go away which is okay I guess. Personally, I sway more towards the WDW side. Like I said, there are a few things there that IMO slightly put it past DL to me. I thoroughly enjoy myself at both places though. And that's what it's all about.

[disneyfann121]

Oh goody, the umpteen millionth "Disneyland vs. Disney World" thread. For the sake of my sanity, count me out of this one. Bye

[calsig31]

While my family is now making annual trips to Disney World, I always consider Disneyland better. One thing I always look forward to when coming home from Disney World is a trip to Disneyland. I just have to see a "Magic Kingdom" style park as was meant to be.

Disneyland has more attactions than any Disney World park, and of the cloned attractions, I consider Disneyland's to be superior (I have yet to ride Disney World's Tower so I will reserve judgement on that one).

All that said, I do love Disney World, but it is so nice to come home and go to Disneyland when the trip is over.

[Trav1Disney]

Yep another one of these. They are both awesome in different ways. Besides its hard to compare a world to a land one is way bigger than the other

[Barbaraann]

I have always felt that this is not a question of the mind, that needs to be justified with reasons that make sense to the masses. It is a matter of the heart, that only needs to make sense to ourself.

[animark]

I've never been to Walt Disney World so my opinion on it won't be as valid, but I'd like to take a crack at comparing the two based on my visits to Disneyland and videos of Walt Disney World on Television and the internet.

Walt Disney World

the description is in the name, its a world. Fully immersed in the Disney universe. never giving a hint of reality until your vacation is over and have already left the property. Its the number one vacation spot and possibly the number one choice to go for a vacation. quite possibly the best Disney experience one would have, aside from Tokyo Disney Sea (I'd love to go there too)

Disneyland

although started as a revolutionary amusement park with added thematic elements, over the years it has grown to be much more. between 1955 and 1966 Disneyland had the privilege of Walt Disney at the controls giving his own unique elements to his park. Sure its small, doesn't have much room, and riding the monorail breaks you away from the fantasy as you see Anaheim Drivers speed down Harbor Blvd. A pebble compared to the massive boulder that is Walt Disney World. But Disneyland has one thing that Walt Disney World doesn't. it had the history with Walt Disney. it has the same feeling when someone who is very patriotic visits Independence Hall. They have a feeling of respect for the place because of its history and what it stands for. others who just want to go see Independence hall may not have the same feelings as one who is patriotic. They may just see it as an old courthouse and nothing more.

Both resorts have that warm fuzzy Disney vibe to them. Its just Disneyland has that one element that sets it apart from its larger sibling.

This is just a silly philosophy I just came up with but looking at the concept of Disneyland, for instance, Frontierland represent the rich history of western America...at least that's what its supposed to do, however it doesn't, its a Hollywood studio perspective of the frontier. more of like a hyper reality of the real thing (ghost trains and cursed pirates on tom sawyers island). Going to a real western ghost town, you get more of that rich history of the frontier than what you would ever get at Frontierland in Disneyland.

I guess what I'm getting at is. Frontierland is to the real thing as Walt Disney World is to Disneyland.

The first is a more controlled and over imaginative depiction of the latter its the perfect dream of what you imagine it would be like . but it doesn't hold the history or the feeling of what its trying to copy.

So if you were to compare Vacation Destinations, Walt Disney World has Disneyland beat. however if we had to save one place to preserve the history of Walt Disney and the revolution of theme parks Disneyland would be our first choice.

[MactheMan]

Disney World because it's bigger, has more rides, and there is more to do.