Disneyworld vs Disneyland for young kids

[mikala]

Disneyworld vs Disneyland

This feels like a really basic question but I could really use some help thinking it through. We're considering our first Disney trip either Oct/Nov 2014 or Jan/Feb/March 2015. Dates are flexible and we aren't tied to school vacations yet. The kids will be 2 and 5. I've never been to either location and could use your advice on which you'd suggest for kids of these ages. I know that Disneyworld is bigger and has more of everything but it also seems like that could equal more walking for little legs and could be overwhelming for planning. My kids don't have any expectations going in aren't tied to a specific ride or character. I anticipate we'll go again in a few years when the boys are >5 and 8.

Which would you recommend for first timers?

How do the attractions for toddlers and preschoolers compare?

What about crowds and line wait times? I've looked at crowd calendars for both but wonder if they're comparable. For these ages I'd prioritize quick lines over a lot.

How do the overall costs for the two compare? We have some miles saved so airfares are similar for both.

Is there anything else I should consider?

Thanks!!!

[sariana]

How many days are you planning to spend there?

[SnuggleBuggles]

I have only been to each 2-4 times so I'm not a huge expert. But, my first visits were all to DW so when I went to DL, I was underwhelmed at first. Everything is just more immersive in DW and the castle at Magic Kingdom is just so big and awesome.

However, I have come to appreciate that DL is more laid back though. It might not feel as grand but your kids won't have that comparison in their head. In some ways, maybe it makes sense to build up so they aren't all snobby like I was the first time I went to DL. :)

The whole DL resort are will be a lot easier to get around. If you stay onsite, you can walk (though I think Paradise Pier is really a hike). Off site, tons of choices and many with shuttles.

I feel like DW is more of a vacation destination and DL is more of a nice 1-2 day trip to make. I know others on here disagree though and make DL a 3-4 day experience and they have a great time based on trip reports. My dh would start banging his head against a wall after 2 days (heck, one is really his limit) so I tour differently than others. :). So much to do in CA (and FL) that it's going to boil down to what you think you want out of the trip. Do you just want to see the parks and have a quick experience? If do DL- highlights are limited to 2 parks vs 4. Do you want the whole Disney experience? Maybe do DW. personally? I'd probably do DL this trip and DW next time.

Lines? Comparable, I think. Walking? Less in CA.

[mikala]

How many days are you planning to spend there?
The number of days is flexible and I'd love input on that too. I was thinking 4 days in the park but could go either way.

[sariana]

I don't have any idea how costs compare, so I can't advise on that point. But all other things being equal (similar travel experience/cost, no family to visit in either location, etc), I would do Disneyland at that age. I haven't been to DW in a couple of decades, but even back in the 90s it was pretty big and sprawling. DL is more "intimate" and also has the magic of being the original park (IMO--and it has attractions Walt himself designed and oversaw). If you have 3 or 4 days, you can take your time and not feel so rushed. If your 2 year old still naps, one parent can take him back to the hotel (as PP said, everything is pretty close; even many off-site choices are within walking distance) in the afternoon.

DL did just raise its prices, partly for crowd-control purposes. So I would not expect shorter lines or less congestion than DW. But with 3-4 days you will have time to hit everything you want.

You should be aware that many districts in CA have a week-long "winter break" in February. And I think Easter is in March next year. I probably would avoid those two months. October or early November might be best. I have heard that Sundays in November and even early December are less crowded, but I have no personal experience with that. October usually is perfect weather-wise. February and March can be iffy, especially if the forecasters are right that we're getting an El Niño year.

Sorry, I can't comment on specific attractions because I haven't been to DW in so long. I think there is plenty to do at DL Resort, and I easily could spend several days there. Four would be pushing it with such young kids, but I haven't been to California Adventure since Carsland opened. I would guess that could be half a day on its own.

Have fun with your planning!

[TwinFoxes]

What are the travel times for you to each resort?

I think DL is an easier trip with kids that age. The original Disneyland park (equivalent to MK in WDW) is just full of little kid and toddler attractions. And DCA has the cool "It's a Bug's Life" area that is perfect for that age. It's easier to see characters in the wild, so to speak, at DL vs WDW. They're just roaming around DL, and at WDW you have to go to certain places, often wait in long lines, just to meet them. at DL, you walk into the park, and there's Mickey standing on Main St. USA. DL's castle is smaller, but the it's a small world facade blows WDW's out of the water! Same with Pirates of the Caribbean.

I like WDW too, of course. Animal Kingdom is great, and some of the specials like Hoop de doo Review and Mickey's Backyard BBQ are great for little kids.

As for tired little legs, take a stroller. PLEASE. You will be bummed if you don't. We went to DL last year, our girls were newly 5 and hadn't ridden in stroller in ages, we ended up having to rent them. They just get too tired in the heat, and honestly, it's much easier and faster to navigate the parks if you are in control of the dawdling 5 year olds. :)

[123LuckyMom]

I've been to DW a whole lot of times and to Disneyland only once, about 20 years ago. I bet you can guess which I like better! After DW, DL just seems kind of dinky, but your children will love either, because they have no basis for comparison! Once you go to DW, though, you may no longer be content with DL, so I might try DL first. At the same time, you may go to DL and then wonder what all the Disney hype was about and never get to DW, which would be a shame.

For DW with small children where you would take a break in the middle of each day, I'd say six days would be ideal. You'll still leave wanting more, but you won't miss much, and you'll get to ride your favorites more than once. If you do only four days in the parks, you will probably have to miss quite a bit. There are four parks, and IMO, Magic Kingdom and EPCOT both need two days each. If you could do 5 days, even, you could at least spend two in MK. Growing up, our trips were always 5 days with park hoppers.

We did 6 days on our last trip with a 4.5 year old and an 11 month old, and I wished we'd had just one more day. It was perfect, though, because I think it's good to leave a vacation like that still wanting a bit more. We stayed in the Polynesian, and our room was subsidized by my mother. Otherwise, we might not have splurged for quite so expensive a room. It was fabulous, though, because we were steps away from the TTC, and it was super easy to get anywhere and come back for naps, even with a honking double stroller. I think the room and tickets to the parks (we had park hoppers) ran about $5000, and that's without food and airfare. I think food was about $1500. We ate lunch and dinner and special treat snacks in the parks, breakfast and mundane snacks from groceries in our room.

For our next trip, DH and I are budgeting $5-6,000, and that will be inclusive of all expenses. We're still hoping for a six day trip and staying in the park, but maybe not in a deluxe. I'm positive DL is going to be less expensive than DW. DW is an expensive vacation, but in my book, it's sooooo worth it! I'm pretty sure if you stayed off site, you could cut the price tag significantly.

[sariana]

I have been to Disneyland, WDW, and Tokyo Disneyland, and I far prefer Disneyland in Anaheim! I think it depends a lot on what you experience first, but for me neither the MK (WDW) nor Tokyo DL had the same "je ne sais quoi" of the original park. Even without California Adventure, I would choose DL over WDW most of the time.

Now WDW has changed a lot since I last was there, but so has Disneyland. I don't think DL will be a disappointment to someone who never has been to WDW. But I can see how someone who experienced WDW first would find DL to be lacking.

But DL always will hold a special place in my heart. And we share a birthday. ;)

[acmom]

No DL experience, so I can't compare them, but I have done DW 3x with 2 kids under 5 and we had a great trip each time! Our trips have been in Jan, Feb and Nov so crowds have been managable all 3 times. I didn't find it too overwhelming bc we just took at our own pace and went back to the hotel for down time/pool time some each day. So I think DW is very doable with those ages at the possible times you are talking about. I'm sure DL is lots of fun too though!

[AnnieW625]

What are the travel times for you to each resort?

I think DL is an easier trip with kids that age. The original Disneyland park (equivalent to MK in WDW) is just full of little kid and toddler attractions. And DCA has the cool "It's a Bug's Life" area that is perfect for that age. It's easier to see characters in the wild, so to speak, at DL vs WDW. They're just roaming around DL, and at WDW you have to go to certain places, often wait in long lines, just to meet them. at DL, you walk into the park, and there's Mickey standing on Main St. USA. DL's castle is smaller, but the it's a small world facade blows WDW's out of the water! Same with Pirates of the Caribbean.

I like WDW too, of course. Animal Kingdom is great, and some of the specials like Hoop de doo Review and Mickey's Backyard BBQ are great for little kids.

As for tired little legs, take a stroller. PLEASE. You will be bummed if you don't. We went to DL last year, our girls were newly 5 and hadn't ridden in stroller in ages, we ended up having to rent them. They just get too tired in the heat, and honestly, it's much easier and faster to navigate the parks if you are in control of the dawdling 5 year olds. :)

I pretty much agreed with all of this, but I just want to say that my 4 yr. old (who was just shy of 4) had a lot of fun at Disney California Adventure as did the rest of us (DD1 was just shy of 8) and I think a lot of that was due to the fact that on the day we were there it wasn't as crowded as the day we had gone to Disneyland a month later. When I ask her what her favorite rides at Disneyland are she says Jumping Jellyfish, and Ariel. She doesn't mention anything about the main park, although she does like the Tea Cups, and Small World.

We used to have Disney passes when they were affordable and we would go for about 5 hours each time we went so we got used to doing things at a slower pace and not having to be there from 10 am to midnight to see everything so if you take time spent at the pool or the room as downtime and don't try and do everything in one day you should have a great time.

I have never been to Disneyworld, but would love to go in 2015 too, but we haven't started planning a trip yet.

[lalasmama]

Disneyworld vs Disneyland

This feels like a really basic question but I could really use some help thinking it through. We're considering our first Disney trip either Oct/Nov 2014 or Jan/Feb/March 2015. Dates are flexible and we aren't tied to school vacations yet. The kids will be 2 and 5. I've never been to either location and could use your advice on which you'd suggest for kids of these ages. I know that Disneyworld is bigger and has more of everything but it also seems like that could equal more walking for little legs and could be overwhelming for planning. My kids don't have any expectations going in aren't tied to a specific ride or character. I anticipate we'll go again in a few years when the boys are >5 and 8.

Which would you recommend for first timers?


In the interest of full disclosure, DL is my home park, and where my heart is. And I'm writing a book about visiting Disneyland ;) That being said, I think DL is easier for first-timers for many reasons: it has a smaller footprint; there's only 2 parks; you can easily hop between parks; minimal need for pre-planning; minimal need for meal/experience/FastPass reservations; easy to go back to the hotel for naps/quiet time; no need for transportation to/from hotel/parks.



How do the attractions for toddlers and preschoolers compare?


I haven't been to WDW, so I can't comment on the rides there. DL and DCA have multiple great areas for toddlers and preschoolers. Immediately coming to mind would be Bug's Land in DCA, where everything is "bug"-sized, and ideal for the 2-6 year old age range. Rides are smaller, lower, slower in this area. Fantasy land in DL has many dark rides which may (or may not) work for your children--some kids find some of the dark rides scary, but there's also a carousel, Dumbo, Its a Small World, and others. There's *plenty* of rides for little ones!



What about crowds and line wait times? I've looked at crowd calendars for both but wonder if they're comparable. For these ages I'd prioritize quick lines over a lot.

I don't depend on crowd calendars very much for DL. My main reason for this is that they are based on years' past, and with the opening of Cars Land in 2012, there's only 20-some months of information--meaning they are basing those numbers on the last 2 years' months (say, Aug 2012, and Aug 2013, or Nov 2012 and Nov 2013 for Aug 2014 or Nov 14 numbers). WDW numbers are more likely to give you a good idea of what to expect there. In general, for DL, you can expect busier days around holidays and any school breaks. DL is a "locals' park"--the locals are close, and show up anytime kids aren't in school. So, for winter 2014/15, I'd expect heavier crowds on Thanksgiving weekend, Candlelight Processional (the first weekend of Dec, historically), all of Christmas break through Three Kings Day, and then Spring Break in March. Going in winter time means shorter park hours, less outside entertainment, and more ride closures. For our family, these trade-offs are completely acceptable for lower motel rates :) And, when the park closes earlier, I don't feel like I'm missing something by going back to the motel to sleep.



How do the overall costs for the two compare? We have some miles saved so airfares are similar for both.


Ignoring airline prices since you have that aspect covered, here's some general prices for the Disneyland area:
Hotel on-site: $250-500+
Hotel off-site: $75-500+ (we stay off-site, which is just as close, if not closer, to the main gates, for about $200/night across the street from the pedestrian entrance)
Food, adult prices: Food carts: $10, Counter Service: $15, Table Service: $20+, Snacks: $5 (Kids prices are overall lower)
Parking: $16 at the parks (we just walk!)



Is there anything else I should consider?


I think often people have an idea of DL or WDW being their "favorite" even before they go. If there's one that's really tugging on your heart, go for it!

[TwinFoxes]

I've been to DW a whole lot of times and to Disneyland only once, about 20 years ago.

In all fairness, DCA didn't even exist 20 years ago. :)

[123LuckyMom]

In all fairness, DCA didn't even exist 20 years ago. :)

You are right! I am totally ignorant when it comes to Disneyland. One of these days I'd really like to go! DS would love Cars land! There's nothing like that at DW.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I do hate that admission costs the same when the park is open 9-8 as 8-12. I think there should be a sliding scale. Winter at DL is a bit lame depending on dates bc of the early closing but it tends to be less crowded so a trade off.

[Tenasparkl]

Parking: $16 at the parks (we just walk!)

It just went up to $17

[Reader]

We live in CA, have been to DL a few times and DW once. I personally like DL better. My kids are older now (older 2 are 10 & 8) and liked DW better because there are more rides for taller kids. If you are just going for the Disney experience, and DL is just as close, I'd probably choose DL over DW. Crowds would also be my big consideration. We were at DL in early December a few years ago, and it spoiled me for crowds. Almost no lines, we rode everything over and over. Carsland is great for little Cars lovers at DCA.

[twowhat?]

I haven't been to WDW in 15 years but we've been to DL twice with the kids and I love it - it's SO manageable with very little planning. I wouldn't hesitate to choose DL as a first trip and just go and enjoy without stressing about an agenda! 4 days would be great for a leisurely vacation. We did a 4-day hopper the first time and it was really nice because we could take our time and not feel rushed, felt good about taking long afternoon breaks, etc.

[azzeps]

We just did 3 days in Disneyland and it was wonderful. My feeling on WDW is to wait until the kids have a bit more stamina, because it was nonstop, go, go, go, and I don't think we could have handled much more than the three days that we did.

We stayed on site, but realized that offsite would have been just as walkable, and would have made less of a dent in the budget, although the Disneyland Hotel was really neat. And we enjoyed breakfast at Goofy's Kitchen on our last day, which was easy because it's right there in the hotel. Have fun planning!

[lcarlson90]

I live about an hour from DL and have been many times. We took our boys (9 and 5) to WDW last month for 10 days. Our boys were totally amazed by WDW because it's huge and there is just so much to see and do but DL for them is an annual thing. I actually thought that WDW was less crowded in June that DL has been on our last couple of trips. I think there are more food options at the WDW parks so the food lines seem less crowded then DL. If I had never been to either place I think I would choose DL because it's a much smaller park and the weather is better in CA. I think WDW would be better when your kids are older. Hollywood Studios and Epcot don't appeal as much to the little ones so you are better off saving WDW for a future trip.

[MSWR0319]

We've never been to DL, but took DS1 to WDW when he was 2.5. He LOVED it. He still talks about each interaction he had with the characters to this day and he's 5.5. There is so much to do at the parks for little kids. We're going again this winter and it will be DS2's first trip. He'll be a few months shy of 3. I'm really looking forward to it, as we'll get to experience other areas that we didn't last time because DS1 will be older. I think it's a great destination for those of all ages!

[BayGirl2]

We've done both within the last few years and our kids are similar ages. Actually we did DL twice and WDW once, and I'm taking DS to DL again in Sept. (We are in CA and I have an Annual Pass right now so that helps.)

If you don't have a preference I would do Disneyland now and make the most of it. We like to go for a week and spend 4 days in the park and one off day at the pool/resort/downtown Disney. I know that's longer than some but for us its a vacation and we can see everything we want in 4 days without feeling rushed. You can easily add on a day and do something else like the beach or Legoland.

I love WDW but it really did take a lot of planning and I don't know if it was worth that effort for my kids at that age. They had fun but it was a lot for them. We went because I was speaking at a conference so I had a great hotel deal and my expenses covered. We'll probably do WDW again when they are older, but we'll stick to DL for now because its just easier. Doing DL first and really enjoying it, then doing WDW in a few years and really being in awe of all there is there seems like the perfect combination to me. Oh plus, Carsland which for young boys who like the movie (and adults) is just amazing.

ETA: We've gone during the lowest crowd times which have been the week after Labor Day and early Feb. Also the week after Thanksgiving is supposed to be lower and you get the Holiday decorations, although the weather will not be as good. The tradeoff of going in low season is ride closures, which may or may not bother you. The hours will be shorter but again, we go for 4 days and do rope drop to closing so we get plenty in. Room rates are lower too.

[mikala]

Thank you for all of the thoughtful replies!! I'm reading through all of them and taking notes to discuss with DH and refer to in our olanning. It sounds like either option could be a lot of fun for these ages.