Major difference between DL and WDW?

[mom2binsd]

Obviously one is larger, I've only been to WDW as a kid.

What do you miss out on by going to DL and not WDW?

[DebbieJ]

WDW is four theme parks and 2 water park, Downtown Disney plus a few other things (ESPN Zone, Disney Quest) and LOTS of resorts/hotels on property.

DL is 2 theme parks, 2 (?) hotels, and downtown Disney.

I have been to both and as a family vacation we much preferred WDW.

[Momof3Labs]

Deb, are you going to give us a post-trip report? How was it (other than HOT)??

[SnuggleBuggles]

I haven't been to WDW in years. We did Downtown Disney and Typhoon Lagoon there but it felt different than doing one of the other parks.

I really liked DL b/c it was just more relaxed. I felt like I could just wing it there whereas WDW planning makes my head hurt. :) There are almost too many choices at WDW, all with pros and cons. I liked the simplicity of DL.

DL's castle is much, much smaller. You can't even see it from the road that goes right in front of the park. That surprised me most of all.

I felt like at WDW the cast members maybe tried a bit harder- things seemed a bit more engaging at WDW than DL and a bit cleaner. But, really, DL was still a great experience.

I like how everything is just right there at DL. You can walk between the 2 parks and Downtown Disney. Like I said, it's just simpler for me. You get the Disney experience without as much of the work. Not as many cool choices, I'm sure, but still good.

Oh, and you can eat inside at the Pirates' of the Caribbean ride at DL, which looks neat. I planned to try it this spring but the trip got canceled.

Beth

[DebbieJ]

Deb, are you going to give us a post-trip report? How was it (other than HOT)??

Yes, still organizing photos and gathering my thoughts.

VERY HOT. Dripping with sweat at 7 a.m. But we survived.

[Fairy]

DL is just the Magic Kingdom portion of Disney World, then there' another park on "the other side" that's "California, Western, Rustic" look and feel. You get almost all the same stuff at DL that you get at the Magic Kingdom, and I forget what's at California Adventure! Bad memory there. But WDW is IMMENSE comparatively. You get three add'l parks, all the satellite parks, like the water parks and gaming place, plus Downtown Disney and all the on-property stuff. Personally, I loved the both -- I mean loved. I love LA, so I can't tell ya to forget DL, but ... WDW is my favorite spot on earth these days. You can do DL in a couple days. You need a week to do WDW.

[JTsMom]

There are also some differences in rides- DL has a Little Mermaid ride, for example. There are a lot more character meals at WDW, there are things like the Richard Petty Experience, golf courses, spas, etc. at WDW. WDW is like it's own world, whereas DL is in the middle of the "real world".

There are interesting threads on disboards about this topic if you want to read more.

[rlu]

I've been both, although DL many more times due to location.

the Magic Kingdom is larger than DL, I don't think it has more attractions, you just have to walk further to get to them

DL is the original FWIW

DL is a place to go, WDW is a place you stay - what I mean is that WDW is a closed system between the transportation, the various parks, various hotels, you can never leave WDW your entire vacation. While there are hotels at DL, as a child we never stayed at them and having stayed at the DL hotel a few years ago, unless you are disabled, I don't see a reason to stay on the property when there are so many hotels within walking distance.

There's magic at both - you bring the magic with you.

California Adventure is the park with DL, that is where Soaring and Twilight Zone rides are. It also has a good little kid area based on Bugs Life (DS was 18 months when we last went).

I wonder if DL/CA is less expensive entrance price wise.

[alien_host]

Disneyland is pretty much the Magic Kingdom as other people have mentioned. It does have some unique rides that do not exist at WDW.

The Matterhorn, Captain EO and Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin come to mind.

Space Mountain has a lower (40 I think) height requirement at DL vs 44 at WDW....DD was able to ride SM at DL and not at WDW this year.

I think overall the feel of Disneyland Park is that it is similar to the MK but on a smaller scale so there is less walking around.

The nice thing is that you can walk between DL Park, CA Adventure and Downtown Disney...no buses to deal with. You can even walk from other non-disney hotels or parking lots.

I felt that CA Adventure is a combo of Epcot, DHS and maybe Animal Kingdom attractions.

We only went to DL for one day...I would totally go back for a longer stay.