Is Disneyland or Disney world better? Differences between the parks.
- Disneyland and Disney World fans feel strongly about which destination is best.
- The biggest differences are obvious, but many others are more nuanced.
- Understanding those differences and accounting for personal preferences can help travelers pick the right resort for them.
If you want to start an argument among Disney fans, just ask which is better: Disneyland or Walt Disney World.
Faithful fans fiercely defend their favorites, but there is no wrong answer.
“It’s like picking a favorite child,” said Lisa Eylens, who loves both so much she became a planDisney panelist to share tips and tricks with fellow Disney guests.
There are ways, however, for travelers to figure out which destination is right for them.
“You need to consider your family and what is important to them, what attractions they might enjoy, what characters they might enjoy, how many days do you have,” Eylens said.
It also helps knowing what’s unique to each destination.
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What is the difference between Disneyland and Disney World?
“To me, the biggest difference was at Disneyland, there’s much more nostalgia. There’s much more ‘This is what Walt did,'” said Ashley Ryan, a fellow planDisney panelist who grew up going to Disney World. PlanDisney panelists are not Disney cast members but park experts who apply for the advisory role and are rewarded with a Disney trip in exchange for sharing insights with fellow guests.
Disneyland is the only park Walt Disney personally opened. There, guests can see the Griffith Park bench he sat on when he first dreamed up Disneyland, slurp up Walt’s Chili at Carnation Cafe, enjoy attractions he worked on like Matterhorn Bobsleds and Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, and as part of the guided Walt’s Main Street Story tour, even visit his former apartment above Town Square Fire Station.
“For a true Disney fan, If you haven’t ever been to Disneyland, you’ll really appreciate the history and the fact that that was Walt’s original dream,” said Eylens, who’s had annual passes for both Disneyland and Disney World for years. “It is a very different experience from Disney World.”
Among other differences, it’s easier to park hop at Disneyland because its two theme parks, Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, are just across a plaza from each other and footsteps away from the Downtown Disney District.
Disney World is much larger and its four parks – Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom – are further apart. The Florida resort is also home to two water parks, multiple golf and miniature golf courses, ESPN Wide World of Sports and Disney Springs.
“There’s definitely more of a variety there than you would get a Disneyland,” Eylens said. “And for me, when we go to Disney World, I really love to have some time at the resort too. It’s a great way to break up the days at the parks … and it just makes it feel like a vacation, where we still get that Disney magic staying on property.”
While both Disney World and Disneyland feature accommodations, attractions, dining venues, nighttime spectaculars and other experiences unique to their location, there are a number of attractions guests can ride at both resorts, but even some of those, like Pirates of the Caribbean, are executed differently.
“I really enjoy the subtle differences,” said Ryan. When she and her husband first rode Space Mountain at Disneyland, she said, “Immediately we’re like, ‘OK, even the setup is different.’ We got to sit next to each other, where in Disney World we sit front and back. And I felt that overall the Space Mountain at Disneyland was a bit of a smoother ride.”
Disneyland also overhauls “it’s a small world” and Haunted Mansion for the holidays.
“The holiday lighting that happens at night is just amazing,” Eylens said. “Riding ‘it’s a small world’ and listening to the holiday tunes that they set in and seeing all the holiday decorations, that’s one of my favorites.”
Other differences longtime fans may notice is Disneyland still has Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, which closed at Disney World decades ago. Disney World still has Tomorrowland PeopleMover and Carousel of Progress, which moved over from Disneyland in the 1970s.
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Is Disneyland cheaper than Disney World?
The cheapest tickets at Disneyland cost slightly less than their Disney World counterparts.
One-day, one-park tickets to Disneyland start at $104.
The starting price is $109 at Disney World.
Ticket prices fluctuate depending on time of year. The more days guests add on, the cheaper each day costs.
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