I’m a Disney lover and am always happy to find so many Disney lovers all over the world! I used to keep my “Disney talk” to my family only, but I now realize how many families love Disney as much or more than we do!
Having Disney Lovers to compare Disney plans, notes & past experiences with has been great! I love it! It’s the best way to learn. And it makes planning our next vacation even better.
When starting the Disney planning process, the first question is:
Disneyland or Walt Disney World??
Both are awesome! You won’t go wrong choosing one over the other.
Bottom Line, It Depends On:
- Where You Live
- How Much Time You Have
- Your Budget
The closer option is easier on the family travel exhaustion and family budget. If you live on the East Coast or West Coast, your option is clear. If you have a choice, here are some things to think about:
- Disneyland is typically cheaper and easier to see in a shorter amount of time
- Disneyland is 300 acres while Disney World is 30,000 acres! (47 square miles!)
- Disney World is good “All-inclusive” where Disneyland is not
- Disneyland is boxed in, so some outside hotels are closer to the entrance than Disney World hotels
Pros For Walt Disney World:
- It’s huge! There is sooooo much to see, it’s a big value
- All inclusive: if you don’t want to leave “campus” you don’t need to. Everything you need is right there. This also saves on a rental car and makes it easier to focus on Disney instead of other options. Even if you have a kitchen, there are stores on the “Disney Campus” where you can buy basics to make meals.
- More to see: Disney World is much bigger than Disneyland and you could take days to enjoy all it has to offer
- Many options to stay: the “on property” hotels & places to stay in Disney World make much more sense than the “off-property” hotels, unlike Disneyland, where the hotels by the main-gate are closer than The Disneyland Hotel to the Main Gate. Fort Wilderness Cabins, for example, in Walt Disney World give a great “suite” type cabin with a full kitchen and 2 sleeping areas while being very close to Magic Kingdom. (our favorite!)
- There are more specials for Disney World for longer stays, so if you go for a week or more, you can save!
- Disney World is remote, so the entire campus is very serene and quiet, especially when the parks are closed
Cons For Walt Disney World:
- It’s huge! So big, it would take more than a week to properly see everything for the first time
- To drive from one park to another can take 30-40 minutes
- Most hotels are far away, taking at least a bus ride or boat ride to any given park
- Disney World’s mere size is overwhelming and can be daunting to first time visitors
Pros for Disneyland:
- It’s cheaper
- It’s compact. There are 2 parks and Downtown Disney, which means MUCH less walking than Disney World
- You can get the entire 2 parks covered in 2-4 days
- The compact nature of Disneyland makes for a perfect 3-4 day weekend vacation
- They offer a VIP tour that really rocks 714-300-7710 (Disney World is too big for this same tour)
- Anaheim is not as muggy as Orlando.
- There are many hotels RIGHT there….our favorite is Park Vue Inn which is closer to the main gate than the Disneyland Hotel (btw)
- You are not too far from the beach…we always include a few beach days during our stay (beach is further from Orlando)
- Downtown Disney is more “hip” in LA, with live music playing and the locals come to the bars for fun
- It’s the original and there are some historic coolness you can find
Cons For Disneyland:
- It’s compact & small, so there are missing parks that you would get if you go to Disney World
- Disneyland is in the middle of a busy city and does not have the “remote” feel and quiet nights that Disney World has
- These parks are land locked, which is tricky for expansion, parking and renovations
- Though the hotel rooms are positioned for noise reduction, the night-life of Downtown Disney and the later park hours can bleed noise into the hotel rooms
We tend to choose Disneyland over Walt Disney World because of how close it is to us, our familiarity with Disneyland and the area around it. We know exactly where to go in the parks, where to eat, where to park without thinking. The beaches are one of our favorite parts of our “Disneyland trips”, which aren’t necessarily a pro if you don’t like beaches.
What did I miss? Which would you choose?
