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Disneyland or Disney world???


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In YOUR opinion which is the best to go to first? We have not been to either, so we are not partial. All I want for sure is my kids to love it, to remember everything about it. To have endless smiles.:D

 

Also any tips when visiting either of them?

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Disneyworld. Absolutely. If you're going for one day, Disneyland would be fine. But if you're planning a whole vacation, Disneyworld absolutely.

 

And my advice would be to buy "The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World". It's the best, most useful reference by far.

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Just a quickie--

I went to DisneyWorld three times--once as a high schooler, and twice with my hubby and young boys. It's huge, it's fun, and in the summer, it's godawful hot. Do not go in the summer.

 

I went to DisneyLand this past summer with Dh as part of our California anniversary trip--it's small (can fit in one section of DisneyWorld), well-laid out, and perfect for kids. It's not as hot in the summer (or maybe just not as humid), but just as busy, if not busier.

 

I prefer DisneyWorld, but we had fun enough at DL.

 

Ah--seeing Ab's post above--yes, I agree--and noticing the ages of your kids, I'd say DW.

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Disneyworld. Absolutely. If you're going for one day, Disneyland would be fine. But if you're planning a whole vacation, Disneyworld absolutely.

 

And my advice would be to buy "The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World". It's the best, most useful reference by far.

:iagree: I've only ever been to Disneyworld, but my brother lives near Disneyland and he's told me it is much smaller. Disneyworld has several different parks so there is tons more to see and do there. Be sure to make reservations to eat lunch at Cinderella's castle - that was my kids' favorite memory. All the princesses walk around while you eat and introduce themselves to you personally - it was especially memorable for dd11 who was five years old at the time.

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I absolutely would vote for DisneyWorld. It's just more of the "experience". If you are there for multiple days you can go to all the different parks. I just think it's a bit more "magical". Of course I grew up in Florida so I may be biased.

 

However, I would exclude July and August if at all possible. It is just so hot and so crowded.

 

Have fun!

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We have to plan around his days off, he words 7 on 7 off. So, it would be like 4-5 days there. Or is that too many?

 

Definitely not too many days -- you can *easily* fill 4-5 days with the four parks at Disneyworld. And yes, it's lots of fun for teens as well as little kids. :)

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We have to plan around his days off, he words 7 on 7 off. So, it would be like 4-5 days there. Or is that too many?

 

You'll have plenty to keep you busy - you may not be able to see it all in that space of time - but you will be able to do a lot. We were there for 7 days and could have stayed longer. Hope your family enjoys it as much as ours did. It's an amazing experience.

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Disney World hands down. It is on the outskirts, for the most part, of Orlando/Kissimmee. Lots of places to stay and lots of things to see, besides only Disney.

 

Disneyland on the other hand is smack in the middle of LA. Smog, traffic and gangs. I used to live 3 hours away fro LA and I only went there under duress. I will only go to LA again if I am flying into LAX to visit family.

 

Yes Florida is hotter than LA BUT it is a give and take. It also depends on when you go. We lived in FL and went to DW before we moved out of the state. We went in May int he middle of the week. Not as crowded and the weather wasn't unbearable. We loved it!

 

When we go again it will be to DW and not DL.

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We just went to Disneyworld. We purchased park hopper passes, they allow you to visit multiple parks in one day.

 

Day 1: Magic Kingdom

Day 2: Epcot

Day 3: Seaworld

Day 4: Animal Kingdom/back to Magic Kingdom for a couple of rides that we had missed

Day 5: Hollywood Studios/back to Epcot for dinner :D

Day 6: Downtown Disney

 

There is *plenty* to keep you busy for 4 or 5 days!

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Just want to add that we went in September (2nd week I think) and had the place to ourselves. It was hot, but not unbearable. A man came up to me at one of the restaurants and asked if we had difficulty getting our kids out of school to be there in September, lol. He had come during the summer and found the crowds to be a problem, so he brought his family back after school started. All I could think was how nice it must be to have that much disposable income.:tongue_smilie: He thought it was great that we homeschooled - just another perk of not being tied to the ps (or private school, for that matter) schedule.

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We just went to Disneyworld. We purchased park hopper passes, they allow you to visit multiple parks in one day.

 

Day 1: Magic Kingdom

Day 2: Epcot

Day 3: Seaworld

Day 4: Animal Kingdom/back to Magic Kingdom for a couple of rides that we had missed

Day 5: Hollywood Studios/back to Epcot for dinner :D

Day 6: Downtown Disney

 

There is *plenty* to keep you busy for 4 or 5 days!

 

BTW: Seaworld is not a Disney park; it's a Busch park.

 

I'd vote Disney World also. The classic rides are at both DL & the Magic Kingdom, but there's the advantage of the other 3 parks in FL.

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BTW: Seaworld is not a Disney park; it's a Busch park.

 

 

Ah yes, important point. :D

 

What is the best place to stay?

 

There are quite a few time share places that offer rooms during the off season. We rented a suite with a living room, a full kitchen, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a washer and dryer. I know a lot of people love staying on the property, but we had 8 people with us. Making breakfast in our room every morning is a HUGE benefit for us, and the Disney rooms with kitchens were way too expensive for us. There were 4 x as much as a similar room off property.

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Disneyland on the other hand is smack in the middle of LA. Smog, traffic and gangs.

:lol::lol::lol: OMG - Disneyland is not in the middle of L.A., it is in Anaheim, a world away from "smog, traffic, and gangs".

 

 

OP - we love DL, we have annual passes and go about a dozen times/year but I think if you're going to do the "big" Disney vacation, DW would be great.:)

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BTW: Seaworld is not a Disney park; it's a Busch park.

 

 

 

I forgot about those. My sister's husband is close with people at Budwieser and they get free passes to all kinds of those places. Need to look into that also.

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...I know a lot of people love staying on the property....

 

I do love, love, love staying on property. Better yet, I love staying on the monorail. :)

 

But "best" depends so much on your individual needs and preferences. Does "best" mean most economical? Quietest? Most convenient? Most luxurious?

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You know I am not worried about price right now. I just want to make sure this is a wonderful trip for the whole family.

 

So, on property which ones?

 

Polynesian. :) It's on the monorail to MK (so no waiting on buses -- you just walk through the main building and step on the train and are at the park in *minutes*), and within easy walking distance (about a city block) to the monorail that goes straight to Epcot. It's one of the nicest hotels on Disney property (Grand Floridian, just a few minutes walk down the lagoon, is more elegant and probably my favorite -- but you have to take two monorails to get to Epcot), and just a lovely, lovely, lovely place for a family vacation.

 

Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge are both really beautiful and more secluded if you want a bit more quiet and down-time away from the parks -- but you'll spend a lot longer getting everywhere since you'll have to take buses (or, in the case of WL, sometimes a boat).

 

Those are all considered "deluxe" resorts. The moderate resorts all require lots of bus time, but most are quite nice. If it were a matter of a "value" resort on property or a nicer place off-property, I'd probably go with staying off property. The values are sort of Days Inn level. Which is fine. But you can get a lot more for the money staying elsewhere. (But the deluxe resorts are, to my mind, worth the money for the all-encompassing experience.)

 

Getting the Dining Plan can also really add to a trip. So very easy, convenient, and lovely...

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Whichever one you live closer to. Really. You can't go wrong with either one.

 

You'll need at least three days at Disneyland alone, plus extra days if you want to also go to Universal Studios or Knott's Berry Farm or any other near-by attractions. You'll need at least 5 days at Disneyworld so you can the Magic Kingdom (Disneyland's twin) plus Epcot Center and so on.

 

Mr. Ellie and I have been to Disneyland over 30 times. We still spend at least three days there. :D

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Just want to add that we went in September (2nd week I think) and had the place to ourselves. It was hot, but not unbearable. A man came up to me at one of the restaurants and asked if we had difficulty getting our kids out of school to be there in September, lol. He had come during the summer and found the crowds to be a problem, so he brought his family back after school started. All I could think was how nice it must be to have that much disposable income.:tongue_smilie: He thought it was great that we homeschooled - just another perk of not being tied to the ps (or private school, for that matter) schedule.

 

I have a friend that pulled her 4 kids out of school and took them to DW and Universal Studios for a week in December. The school gave them such a hassle, but she didn't care. Her thoughts? "They're my kids. I can do what I want." :D

 

Honestly, though, vacationing any time we want is one huge perk of homeschooling.

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Disneyland on the other hand is smack in the middle of LA. Smog, traffic and gangs. I used to live 3 hours away fro LA and I only went there under duress. I will only go to LA again if I am flying into LAX to visit family.

Seriously? SERIOUSLY? I can't believe you even said that. Seriously?

 

Under no circumstances should any of the above "advice" be considered. Not one bit of it affects the magic of Disneyland the tiniest little bit. Don't hesitate for a nanosecond based on those comments. I'll be going back to Disneyland the nanosecond it works out for me to do so. Millions of people each year enjoy Disneyland, most of them having been there before, and they've been enjoying it for over 50 years.

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If money was no object I think I'd stay at the Grand Floridian. ;) Although the Beach club would be VERY nice too.

 

We have a lower budget and enjoy staying at Port Orleans Riverside for on property.

 

Recently we've stayed off property at Windsor Hills which has both condos and houses with pools. It's right outside of Disney property so takes no time at all to get there.

 

We now have a time share so we trade it in and stay at Marriott Harbour Lake which is just down the street from Sea World. We LOVE it!

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Disneyland on the other hand is smack in the middle of LA. Smog, traffic and gangs. I used to live 3 hours away fro LA and I only went there under duress. I will only go to LA again if I am flying into LAX to visit family.

 

Disneyland is NOT in the middle of LA. It is not in Los Angeles at all.

 

It is not even in Los Angeles County. Disneyland is in Anaheim, in Orange County.

 

Not the loveliest spot in the southland, I'll grant you that. But it is not Los Angeles.

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If we could, we'd stay at the Grand Floridian. It's gorgeous!!!! But, we need two rooms and they're EXPENSIVE!!!!

 

If you decide to go a little cheaper than a top tier resort, and want to try a moderate resort - try Port Orleans Riverside. We've stayed there three times and loved it! It's a quaint, quiet resort in the middle of the woods. The pools are fantastic. The busses are very efficient and get you to the parks fast. I don't think we ever waited more than 5 or 10 mintues on our last trip.

 

We've also stayed at Windsor Hills off-property (we run the Disney races every year in January and we like the space of a condo and we like to cook our own food before the race. Then we move on property after the races.). It is beautiful and CHEAP!!! We paid $468 for a 3 bedroom, 1400 sq ft condo for a week.

 

What time of year are you thinking?? ANd, I'd try to go for more than 4 or 5 days. It's really tiring all that walking!! It's nice to have a day off in the middle.

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If money was no object I think I'd stay at the Grand Floridian. ;) Although the Beach club would be VERY nice too.

 

We have a lower budget and enjoy staying at Port Orleans Riverside for on property.

 

Recently we've stayed off property at Windsor Hills which has both condos and houses with pools. It's right outside of Disney property so takes no time at all to get there.

 

We now have a time share so we trade it in and stay at Marriott Harbour Lake which is just down the street from Sea World. We LOVE it!

 

LOL! It's like we've taken the same trips!!!

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you would need a min. of 4 days at Disneyworld, the longer you could stay, the better. Another perk with staying on disney property si that you would not need a rental car and also the Disney Express bus picks you up at the airport for free and takes you to whatever Disney hotel you are staying at, they also pick up all your luggage at baggage claim and get it to your hotel room.

 

Go to the disneyworld website, click on places to stay and there are tons of pictures of each hotel on Disney property (there are a lot) and also prices. Call a Disney rep. with any questiions, they are the nicest people I have ever tallked to on the phone. For our last trip, I called with tons of questions and I always felt so happy after talking to them.

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:iagree: I've only ever been to Disneyworld, but my brother lives near Disneyland and he's told me it is much smaller. Disneyworld has several different parks so there is tons more to see and do there. Be sure to make reservations to eat lunch at Cinderella's castle - that was my kids' favorite memory. All the princesses walk around while you eat and introduce themselves to you personally - it was especially memorable for dd11 who was five years old at the time.

It is my understanding that the Magic Kingdom and Disneyland are pretty much the same. It's Epcot Center and the other surrounding parks that make up all of Disney World that makes the difference. Yes?

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We have been to both. Last year we went to CA--we did one day at DL (main park only), one day at an Angels game and puttering around Anaheim (amazingly we never encountered a bit of smog or gang activity and only normal amounts of traffic--truly a miracle ;) ), one day in San Diego and crossed over to Tijuana for awhile, one day at Legoland. It was a lot of fun and the variety was good for the ages of our children.

 

We went to DW a few years ago, before youngest DS was born. I took my teenage brother and sister, as well as my children. Despite the wide age difference, we all had a great time. We only did one park (Magic Kingdom, plenty to do and see) and stayed in one of the budget resorts on property (not impressed but we got a fairly decent resident rate). We went during the summer, and it was hot but we are used to it so not that much of an issue.

 

If money was no object, I would go back and go to the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Animal Kingdom, and I would stay at one of the nicer hotels on property.

 

We have also been to SeaWorld many times and love it!

 

As others have suggested, go offseason if at all possible. We went to CA last year in April. It was great! The weather was very nice (maybe even a bit on the chilly side for us). Also, try to schedule the parks on off days if you can. We went to DL on a Friday, and it wasn't busy until later in the afternoon. We went to Legoland on a foggy Monday, and it was so empty. Many rides had no lines, so we could stay on for multiple times.

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It is my understanding that the Magic Kingdom and Disneyland are pretty much the same. It's Epcot Center and the other surrounding parks that make up all of Disney World that makes the difference. Yes?

 

No, Magic Kingdom at WDW is bigger and the two parks actually have different attractions. Each of them has a few attractions that the other does not have. Even where attractions have the same name/theme, they are not always exactly the same.

 

Attraction lists for:

 

Disneyland CA

 

WDW Florida

 

As an aside, I LOVE Tomorrowland at Disneyland Paris, it is really awesome.

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Disney World. I LOVE Disneyland! I really do and if we still lived in CA we would go just as often as we did when we were there, but as far as more to see and do, Disney World just has it.

 

Now that we live closer to WDW we enjoy going there and I would miss it if we moved back to CA.

 

Dawn

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No, Magic Kingdom at WDW is bigger and the two parks actually have different attractions. Each of them has a few attractions that the other does not have. Even where attractions have the same name/theme, they are not always exactly the same.

 

Attraction lists for:

 

Disneyland CA

 

WDW Florida

 

As an aside, I LOVE Tomorrowland at Disneyland Paris, it is really awesome.

But if you wanted to compare Disneyland and Disney World, wouldn't you compare Disneyland with the Magic Kingdom? I understand that there are differences in the specific attractions, but aren't they variations on a theme? KWIM?

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Nah.....shouldn't even be part of the equation! Disneyland is not in LA, it is South, in Orange County. You can fly into John Wayne and never even see LA if you don't want to!

 

And then you can take a day and go to Legoland! A SoCal City Pass would be great too!

 

http://www.citypass.com/southern-california

 

Still, if you want only Disney, I would shoot for WDW in FL.

 

Dawn

 

 

You know I did not even think about the whole LA thing and gangs and such. Yeah, i would rather avoid CA. I am not a big fan of it anyways never have been.
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Guest Cindie2dds

DisneyWorld, hands down. The best time of year that we've gone to beat the crowds was the week after Thanksgiving (the Christmas decorations are up then) and the week after Labor Day. The week after Labor Day, there were hardly any lines and they had fall decorations out so you could see all the Mickey pumpkins, Not So Scary Halloween, etc. It did get a little warm in the afternoon, but nothing, nothing, like Florida in July or August.

 

Have fun!

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Disneyworld. Absolutely. If you're going for one day, Disneyland would be fine. But if you're planning a whole vacation, Disneyworld absolutely.

 

And my advice would be to buy "The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World". It's the best, most useful reference by far.

 

:iagree: To everything. Animal Kindom is by far my favorite park! Don't skip it!

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But if you wanted to compare Disneyland and Disney World, wouldn't you compare Disneyland with the Magic Kingdom? I understand that there are differences in the specific attractions, but aren't they variations on a theme? KWIM?

 

If you compare Magic Kingdom to Magic Kingdom, then you would find more differences than if you compared the CA parks to the FL parks.

 

For example:

DL CA has Star Tours. The Star Tours ride in FL is in Hollywood Studios (with a lot of scenery, it's actually much cooler).

 

DL CA has a bobsled ride, there is nothing like that at MK FL.

 

There is no submarine ride at MK Florida. At DL Paris there is a Nautilus-themed submarine that is a replica of the one from the movie. It is incredible for 20K Leagues Under the Sea fans, but it doesn't move.

 

There is Indiana Jones ride at WDW FL, but they do have an Indiana Jones stunt show at Hollywood Studios. There is an Indiana Jones ride at DL Paris, but it's quite a bit different than the CA one.

 

There is no storybook boat ride in WDW FL (they do have it at DL Paris).

 

Similarly, there are several rides and shows at MK FL that you do not find at DL CA.

 

Each MK really has a different flavor to me. They are not at all the same, they are similar.

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I just noticed that you're in Wyoming.

 

Go to Disneyland. It's magic. You can spend four days there and have a wonderful, enjoyable, memorable time. You can stay at one of several Disney resort hotels (my favorite is the Disneyland Hotel, but there's a long story behind that), or at a hotel right across the street from the main gate and walk in, saving yourself some money.

 

Millions of people have enjoyed and loved Disneyland. It's the original Magic. It will always be magic.

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I wanted to add that a lot would depend on budget. Many are listing parks in addition to DW in Orlando that would add a substantial amount. If you're really looking at DW vs DL, I would choose DL. If you can visit many parks on your vacation than DW would be better.

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I love DL. We were there less than a year ago. The Alice in Wonderland attraction is gorgeous, especially at night, and Pirates of the Caribbean is wonderful. A little different, a little more 'oomph!" DL is smaller, but that feels nice to me. I think 2 days at DL is enough, but it's S CA, so it's something to combine with a trip to LA (Tar Pits, or a visit to The Grove, a Universal Studies tour, maybe Grauman's Chinese theater.) If you go a little further south, you could go to San Diego & Sea World, La Jolla Shores Cove and/or dinner at a Mexican place over looking the ocean in Pacific Beach. It is a different sort of trip, but one I love! I lived in S CA for a few years, so I have a special fondness.

 

WDW is something else entirely. It's FL, but it could be anywhere, really. There's no ocean, although the huge manmade lake is impressive, for sure. Walt built a big city in the middle of central FL...super-fun in it's own way, but not California.

 

I agree about staying at a monorail hotel in WDW. That is easy peasy. We've also stayed at the Contemporary (the pool at the Poly is way better, plus it's on the lake) and you can walk to Magic Kingdom in under 5 minutes. That was cool and wonderful when the children were young, and we had the double stroller.

Edited by LibraryLover
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Disneyland on the other hand is smack in the middle of LA. Smog, traffic and gangs.

 

:lol:

 

Seriously? I go to Disneyland all the time. I have never run into traffic, gangs, or smog, and the last time I checked it was not in LA.

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