Disneyland vs. Disney World

Aside from being on opposite ends of the country, there are numerable differences between Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Many first-time Disney-ers might imagine that the parks are more or less the same on both coasts, but the reality is that they offer a vastly different vacation experiences. I’ve never been to the Disneyland California park, but I’m going to provide you with some facts on each resort so that you can understand the differences and decide for yourself which one would best fit your trip.

It’s important to note, first of all, that Disneyland California is actually the original—Walt founded the park in Anaheim in 1955. As such, it contains the first versions of attractions synonymous with the Disney name: It’s a Small World After All, Space Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, etc.. Still, after Disneyland was built, Walt turned his attention to a much larger endeavor called “The Florida Project,” which would ultimately become the massive resort that is Walt Disney World in Orlando today.

This leads us to our first difference: size. Disneyland has two main parks, Disneyland and Disneyland California Adventure, with the former functioning as a Magic Kingdom type park (featuring Main Street USA, Fronteirland, etc.). Getting from park to park can be done on foot, though there is a functioning railroad and monorail system. Disney World, on the other hand, has four parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios), as well as two water parks and twenty five hotels. The resort as a whole is enormous, and as such getting from park to park can sometimes be challenging. Disney World offers the traditional monorail system as well as buses and water taxis.

While we prefer the all-inclusiveness of Walt Disney World, getting from place to place can be a challenge, and can result in a lot of wasted time. If you’re going for an extended period, Disney World will probably give you more bang for your buck—but if you’re interested in smaller day or weekend trips, Disneyland might be your better bet.

The next major difference between the parks is the attractions. This doesn’t necessarily apply to just rides—as mentioned before, many of the staples exist in both parks. The real discrepancies here fall more in line with the experiences that are offered at each park. For example, two of Disneyland’s major draws, Indiana Jones and Radiator Springs (Cars Land), are unparalleled or simply don’t exist at all in Disney World. Conversely, World Showcase in Epcot is an enormous dining/attraction experience that won’t be found in Disneyland. Many draws of Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios can’t be found there, either.

Also falling under the general umbrella of attractions are nighttime shows. Disney World offers Wishes and IllumiNations (both of which are discussed in great detail on this blog) while Disneyland features Dreams Come True and World of Color. The former is a similar castle show to Wishes, and the latter is a water show that surrounds Disneyland’s famous ferris wheel. Preference here is based on personal taste, so you might consider researching some of the shows on YouTube before deciding.

The final major difference that this post will cover is theme. This can probably be best represented in the parks’ major landmarks. Walt Disney World is best recognized by the grandiose Cinderella’s Castle (and, to a lesser extent, Epcot’s giant golf ball and Animal Kingdom’s Tree of Life). Disneyland, on the other hand, is represented by Sleeping Beauty’s Castle (which, let’s be honest, has nothing on Cinderella) and the ferris wheel. While Disneyland focuses more on original Disney storylines and attractions, Disney World branches out to include themes like connecting cultures (Epcot) and understanding life around us (Animal Kingdom).

In the end, which park you choose really just depends on your preference (as well as travel convenience and vacation specifics). I’m (clearly) partial to Disney World, but many people that write about this topic will tell you that you’ll likely be more favorable to whichever park you experience first. But either way, you can’t really go wrong.

Image courtesy of theculturebite.com.