Disney World vs. Disney Land

Options
13

Replies

  • cheyniemama
    cheyniemama Posts: 63
    Options
    I live about 15 minutes away from Disneyland so I'm biased :) Which park is better depends on what your budget looks like and how much time you have to spend. With only 2 disney parks in CA, you won't feel the need to spread yourself as thinly as you would in FL. OH! and Disney's CA adventures had the World of Color show, which is absolutely amazing. The effects will simply blow you away.
    True! It was soooo cool!
  • ishallnotwant
    ishallnotwant Posts: 1,210 Member
    Options
    I love Disneyland! My family used to go once per year when I was growing up. We took our 5 kids last February and my husband and I spent this past weekend at Disneyland/California Adventure. If you get the park hopper passes it's not too bad. Ours were $114 each. We spent Friday evening at Downtown Disney and had a nice dinner together and Saturday and Sunday we park hopped. If you go to California Adventure, the World of Color show is AMAZING! Make sure to get a FastPass for it in the morning, before they are all given out-that way you can be in a good viewing area. Be warned though, if you go all the way in front, you WILL get wet. Also, the Aladdin stage show is really great-amazing effects and really funny as well. California Adventure has a lot of construction going on right now but they are unveiling all of the new stuff this summer. Don't miss Soarin' Over California, it's really beautiful!

    Things you don't want to miss at Disneyland:
    *Pirates of the Carribean is my favorite.
    *Of course, It's a Small World is classic.
    *Star Tours is really fun-it's a motion simulator but it's very realistic and exciting.
    *Splash Mountain is nice on a hot day but it breaks down a lot.
    *If your little guy (I don't know how old he is) likes faster rides, Matterhorn, Thunder Mountain Railroad, Indiana Jones Adventure, and Space Mountain are the faster ones. You can run round the park first thing in the morning and get FastPasses for all the good rides, and just when you are done rounding up the FastPasses it will probably be time to start boarding your first ride. To get a FastPass you just walk up to the FP machine at the ride you want to go on, slide your ticket in, and it spits the ticket back out and issues you a pass to go to the front of the line-you come back at the time on the pass and just basically walk on instead of waiting in a long line.
    Big Thunder Ranch has a bbq joint that is all you can eat. It's delicious. It serves ribs, chicken, sausage, camp beans, corn on the cob, cornbread, sweet tea, etc. They bring it to your table in little pails and when you need more they just keep refilling until you are done. It's a bargain compared to the little tiny hamburgers and corn dogs they charge 10 to 15 dollars for.
    If you want to sit down and eat, there is a restaurant called the Blue Bayou that is located right inside of the Pirates ride. It's really pretty, all "dark and "starlit" as if you were sitting out in a bayou area and you get to watch the boats go by as people start their ride on the POC. I would make reservations though because it does get pretty busy in the evenings. There are a few other sit down restaurants in the area as well, but most of them don't have table service. I think there are only 3 or 4 table service restaurants in the park-the rest you walk up and order and then sit down.

    Also, you can just pick something up to eat at Downtown Disney. My husband and I had brunch at the Jazz kitchen Express Saturday morning before we hit the parks. I had chicken and sausage gumbo, a fried chicken po boy with fries, and a coffee for probably the price of what one hamburger with fries would cost me in Disneyland.

    At Disney, the best time to get on the rides is during the parades and fireworks show. if you've seen the parade already, head for the rides because most people will be sitting on Main Street watching the parade and the ride lines are shorter. The firework show starts around 8:40, I think, and everyone just stops and watches it. We walked right onto the Matterhorn last year while everyone else was gaping at fireworks-there was no line at all.

    You don't have to stay at a Disney hotel, there are plenty of cheaper places within walking distance. We stayed at a small place that was right across the street and just walked to our room each evening after we were done at the parks. Also, if you stay further away, most hotels have shuttles to drop you off at the park and pick you up as well. There is transit all over Anaheim to get you to the parks-free shuttles and whatnot. if you have a hotel room you can just park on the hotel property, and avoid the 15 dollar per day parking fee. Also if you are coming from far away renting a car isn't even necessary because everything is within walking distance.

    Anyways, i'm sorry that was all so long lol! I live in Southern California, about a 20 to 30 minute drive from the parks. If you have any other questions, please feel free to message me.:flowerforyou:
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
    Options
    FYI everyone, Small World and Matterhorn are currently closed in Disneyland. Matterhorn is going to reopen in June, not sure when Small World is.
  • dawlschic007
    dawlschic007 Posts: 636 Member
    Options
    Ishallnotwant - Have you been to the new Pirates since they finished construction? Is it still good? I went back in October and it was closed until December or something like that. One guy said they were incorporating Toy Story into it somehow. Not sure if that is true or not.
  • dawlschic007
    dawlschic007 Posts: 636 Member
    Options
    I'm glad they are working on the Matterhorn. That ride needed some work!
  • daryls
    daryls Posts: 260
    Options
    For three days - I'd do Disneyland. It's smaller and easier to do (rides are closer together). Disney World is huge and covers a lot more land and takes more time. I've done Disney World 5 times and Disneyland 3 times.
  • ishallnotwant
    ishallnotwant Posts: 1,210 Member
    Options
    FYI everyone, Small World and Matterhorn are currently closed in Disneyland. Matterhorn is going to reopen in June, not sure when Small World is.

    Small World is open. We went on it both Saturday and Sunday. Matterhorn is closed though.
  • ishallnotwant
    ishallnotwant Posts: 1,210 Member
    Options
    Ishallnotwant - Have you been to the new Pirates since they finished construction? Is it still good? I went back in October and it was closed until December or something like that. One guy said they were incorporating Toy Story into it somehow. Not sure if that is true or not.

    Not true at all. I went last year and this year and didn't see any differences so I wonder if they were just doing maintenance. the only thing I think that has changed on it since I was a kid is the addition of Jack Sparrow and some of the other movie characters. .I definitely didn't see any Toy Story stuff, i hope they don't ever do that! lol! I think it would totally ruin the ride. :smile:
  • dawlschic007
    dawlschic007 Posts: 636 Member
    Options
    Ishallnotwant - Have you been to the new Pirates since they finished construction? Is it still good? I went back in October and it was closed until December or something like that. One guy said they were incorporating Toy Story into it somehow. Not sure if that is true or not.

    Not true at all. I went last year and this year and didn't see any differences so I wonder if they were just doing maintenance. the only thing I think that has changed on it since I was a kid is the addition of Jack Sparrow and some of the other movie characters. .I definitely didn't see any Toy Story stuff, i hope they don't ever do that! lol! I think it would totally ruin the ride. :smile:

    Oh good! It may have just been for Christmas then. Sort of how they remake The Haunted House over and change it into the Nightmare Before Christmas.
  • ishallnotwant
    ishallnotwant Posts: 1,210 Member
    Options
    Ishallnotwant - Have you been to the new Pirates since they finished construction? Is it still good? I went back in October and it was closed until December or something like that. One guy said they were incorporating Toy Story into it somehow. Not sure if that is true or not.

    Not true at all. I went last year and this year and didn't see any differences so I wonder if they were just doing maintenance. the only thing I think that has changed on it since I was a kid is the addition of Jack Sparrow and some of the other movie characters. .I definitely didn't see any Toy Story stuff, i hope they don't ever do that! lol! I think it would totally ruin the ride. :smile:

    Oh good! It may have just been for Christmas then. Sort of how they remake The Haunted House over and change it into the Nightmare Before Christmas.

    Yeah, it could just be seasonal. My husband and I went on Pirates 3 times! lol! We're silly pirate people. Our honeymoon cabin was decorated like a pirate ship, complete with sunken treasure by the hot tub. :laugh:
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
    Options
    Even for Christmas, Toy Story has never been a part of Pirates. They closed it for maintenance, but it is exactly the same as it ever was since the Captain Jack Sparrow overhaul.

    I go almost every weekend.
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
    Options
    FYI everyone, Small World and Matterhorn are currently closed in Disneyland. Matterhorn is going to reopen in June, not sure when Small World is.

    Small World is open. We went on it both Saturday and Sunday. Matterhorn is closed though.

    Sweet! I figured Small World was going to be open soon, I think it was just the change from Christmas to regular. I was there on Fat Tuesday and it was still closed then. Glad they finished that one!

    Matterhorn is getting all new bobsleds, and each person will have their own seat. This IMHO is a major improvement, should make the ride a lot more comfortable.
  • dawlschic007
    dawlschic007 Posts: 636 Member
    Options
    Even for Christmas, Toy Story has never been a part of Pirates. They closed it for maintenance, but it is exactly the same as it ever was since the Captain Jack Sparrow overhaul.

    I go almost every weekend.

    You are Lucky! :) I don't know what that guy was talking about then. Probably just making stuff up.
  • ishallnotwant
    ishallnotwant Posts: 1,210 Member
    Options
    Even for Christmas, Toy Story has never been a part of Pirates. They closed it for maintenance, but it is exactly the same as it ever was since the Captain Jack Sparrow overhaul.

    I go almost every weekend.

    Oh no, I wasn't saying Toy Story was part of it. I meant the maintenance was probably seasonal. I heard that Disney likes to fix their rides in winter when there are not as many people in attendance.
  • lumina0o0
    lumina0o0 Posts: 498 Member
    Options




    At Disney, the best time to get on the rides is during the parades and fireworks show. if you've seen the parade already, head for the rides because most people will be sitting on Main Street watching the parade and the ride lines are shorter. The firework show starts around 8:40, I think, and everyone just stops and watches it. We walked right onto the Matterhorn last year while everyone else was gaping at fireworks-there was no line at all.
    8:40 in off season 9:30 in July
  • msmimi
    msmimi Posts: 381 Member
    Options
    World hands down!:wink:
  • dawlschic007
    dawlschic007 Posts: 636 Member
    Options
    [/quote]

    Matterhorn is getting all new bobsleds, and each person will have their own seat. This IMHO is a major improvement, should make the ride a lot more comfortable.
    [/quote]

    YES! That is a MAJOR improvement. They stuffed me and my husband into one seat last time and I thought I was going to die the entire ride because he's 6'3 and takes up the majority of the space. LOL
  • ishallnotwant
    ishallnotwant Posts: 1,210 Member
    Options
    FYI everyone, Small World and Matterhorn are currently closed in Disneyland. Matterhorn is going to reopen in June, not sure when Small World is.

    Small World is open. We went on it both Saturday and Sunday. Matterhorn is closed though.

    Sweet! I figured Small World was going to be open soon, I think it was just the change from Christmas to regular. I was there on Fat Tuesday and it was still closed then. Glad they finished that one!

    Matterhorn is getting all new bobsleds, and each person will have their own seat. This IMHO is a major improvement, should make the ride a lot more comfortable.

    Wow! I hope my husband can still fit into it! lol He's 6 foot 9 and last time he was barely able to "fold himself" up enough to fit.

    Looks like Small World opened just in time for us to ride it! I would have been bummed it if was closed because we don't get to go that often. :)
  • ishallnotwant
    ishallnotwant Posts: 1,210 Member
    Options




    YES! That is a MAJOR improvement. They stuffed me and my husband into one seat last time and I thought I was going to die the entire ride because he's 6'3 and takes up the majority of the space. LOL

    :laugh: I was just posting something similar! lol!
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    Options
    I've only been to Disneyland and only for a day. My husband is from Santa Barbara, so we always go to Disneyland when we visit California. I personally would recommend doing a mini Southern California tour...you've got Legoland and Sea World down there too. Florida is pretty much icky hot in July.

Categories