Disney Land VS. Disney World. NTTGPR

Bee1112

I need a little input here. We are planning a vacation for next December and are having a hard time choosing world or land. I have been to both when I was little but I don't really remember it and no one else who is going has gone before. We are going with friends who have a son as well. Which is better in your opinion? Pros and cons? It will be 4 adults in our mid twenties, a 3 year old and a 9 year old. I need help!!

lazyreader

I vote California... less humid. always.

I only want to go to DWorld because I'd bail and visit HP land.

ramaholic

Something about doing to Disney World just evokes a completely raw, unadulterated joy in me.  My vote is there.  I don't have a pro/con list.  Just nostalgia.

mammamiasopapilla

World would be better for the three year old, but for the adults and nine year old I would say Land. Obviously Disneyland still caters to younger kids as well. Just my opinion though!

MrsC0617

Land. All the time. It was the first and the best. World is a bit too overwhelming. Plus the weather is much nicer in CA.

Jags8

@Joy2611‌ sorry you had a crap experience at HP World! We went on a Monday in mid-January and the waits were minimal.

I've never been to Land, only World 2x. It's always magical and amazing.

Bee1112

Joy2611 said:

lazyreader said:

I only want to go to DWorld because I'd bail and visit HP land.

The day we went to Universal for Harry Potter World was the **worst**.  Timed entrances into HP World, so packed you could barely breathe, and at least two hour waits for everything. 

Universal is also two parks and Harry Potter World is (ironically) in Islands of Adventure.  So, you only need a ticket to one park.  That new Diagon Alley they built is in the OTHER park so now you need to pay for both parks.  Universal is racket.

EDIT: Not that Disney isn't, but everything about Disney felt seamless, prepared, and welcoming to crowds.  Everything about Universal felt chaotic, ill-prepared and unwelcoming.  Except the food - Universal food was kinda amazing.



I would LOVE to do all the HP things. That is a major point to World.

SwivelChair5

bdbxoxo said:

World would be better for the three year old, but for the adults and nine year old I would say Land. Obviously Disneyland still caters to younger kids as well. Just my opinion though!

Exactly this.  But I don't think you can make a wrong choice here.

FemShep

Yeah, neither during the week between Christmas and NYE.  It'll be nightmarishly crowded.

If you're going to choose between the two, and you want to spend more than two days there, Disney World hands down.

Disneyland is just two parks, and you can do a park in a day; there's really nothing else there.

Disney World is 4 large parts (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios) that take anywhere from 3/4-2 days each plus two water parks plus a ton of resorts with additional activities (Board Walk, etc) plus Downtown Disney.  You could spend two weeks there and not do anything.  

I also think Disney World just feels more magical because it's in its own little community.  Disneyland is smack in the middle of Anaheim, and doesn't feel as special.

Bee1112

We are thinking early December to beat some of the holiday crazy! I think I am leaning more towards world than land at this point.

FemShep

Bee1112 said:

We are thinking early December to beat some of the holiday crazy! I think I am leaning more towards world than land at this point.

Then *definitely* Disney World.  They go totally nuts with the decorations.  Every onsite hotel has its own themed holiday decorations.  All of the parks have their own themed decorations.  And it won't be at all crowded then, and the weather will be *amazing*.  I'm jealous.

Bee1112

FemShep said:

Bee1112 said:

We are thinking early December to beat some of the holiday crazy! I think I am leaning more towards world than land at this point.

Then *definitely* Disney World.  They go totally nuts with the decorations.  Every onsite hotel has its own themed holiday decorations.  All of the parks have their own themed decorations.  And it won't be at all crowded then, and the weather will be *amazing*.  I'm jealous.

I'm a holiday freak so all the decorations would totally be my thing!

GypsySoul1112

I haven't been to Disneyland since 6th grade so I'm sure lots has changed since then. I LOVE Disneyworld because they have multiple parks to suit all age groups. There is just more variety, I think, than Cali. I definitely agree that Cali is less humid, plus you can probably go on other non-Disney related outings. I know central Florida is all about Disney, though that's not always a bad thing

Loops925

We live 20 mins away from DL so we go at least twice a month. I've been to DW, and hated it, the weather is horrible and it is way too crowded.

You can do DL & Disney's California Adventure in two-three days. If you have boys, they will love Cars Land which is inside Disney's California Adventure. My boys (5 & 3) love it there. The beginning of December is a nice time to go, the holiday décor is beautiful and so are the parades, and they also have a skating rink in Downtown Disney which is a nice place to relax after being at DL or DCA. There are many other things to do nearby... There's Knott's Berry Farm, which is an amusement park (15 mins away), Medieval Times is really cool and also 15 mins away. You can also do Universal Studios which is about an hour away from Disneyland. There's plenty to do in Southern Cali! And the greatest thing is that the weather is perfect around that time.  

 

So my vote is Disneyland & California Adventure

Bee1112

LongLiveTheEvilQueen said:

Honestly this totally depends on your budget. I found Disneyland to be slightly more affordable than Disneyworld due to the size of the property. DL is smaller and the Good Neighbor hotels are very affordable and within walking distance to the main gate. This saves you money on daily parking and with small children gives you the option of going back to your hotel for nap time or lunch. With DW you would need to purchase hotel rooms on the resort for this perk which is very, very expensive or suffer the park shuttle.

Second thing to take into account is tickets. Right now tickets are almost $100 per day. The perk of DL is it's technically 2 parks which is California Adventure and DL which you can both get with a Park Hopper pass. (I highly suggest the 2 day Park Hopper Pass) DW has a lot of parks and you have to pay a ticket to each individual park to get in.

Another thing to consider about DL vs DW is how much time you will be spend walking around the park with your 3 yr old and 9 yr old. DW is huge. You will spend a lot of time walking to each ride or event and honestly I couldn't imagine doing that with kids. Not to say it's not kid friendly, it is. I just call it more.... 10+ compared to DL where it's more younger children.

Experience: I lived for 4 years in Florida and went to DW practically every other weekend and I have been to DL as a child.

You make excellent points! These are all major points for DLand.

kayway85

I'm from Orlando so I have to vote for DW, but I will tell you, in December it is fucking MADNESS at Magic Kingdom. I went on New Years a few years a go and the crowds were so bad they had employees they had to call from their corporate offices that were wearing suits on walkie talkies just trying to control the crowds and manage the lines. I have heard that the first week in December is the best if you are going to go in winter, but I told myself i would never go there in NOV/DEC again.

Also, the Christmas parade/decor at DW is on point. It's beautiful. I have friends who go every year, I'm just not that brave.

Bee1112

Thank you everyone for your input! This is going to be a tough decision! I was leaning towards World but now I'm thinking Land! I will have to share all of this with my friend so we can make an informed decision!

ETA: actually I'm not sure which way I'm leaning now! Dang it! At least I have a better idea of what to expect at each place now!

Bee1112

cjchio said:

I missed it, are you going over the holidays?

The decorations are the shit at World. Magic Kingdom is gorgeous and they have a separate ticket event that's a christmas party, which we are going to next Friday.

Epcot has the candlelight processional and Hollywood Studios has the Osborne Lights and snow.

We are thinking early December. Maybe middle ish.

FemShep

One other thing, OP-where are you traveling from, and how long do you want to spend? If you're west coast, and want a 3 day vacation, Land is your best bet. If you're east coast and/or want a 4+ day vacation, World all the way. Especially with a 3yo, that would influence my decision. (I do have to say, though, having been to both resorts in the past 2 years and World at the holidays, I think World is a better opinion.). Good luck and have fun!

Bee1112

FemShep said:

One other thing, OP-where are you traveling from, and how long do you want to spend? If you're west coast, and want a 3 day vacation, Land is your best bet. If you're east coast and/or want a 4+ day vacation, World all the way. Especially with a 3yo, that would influence my decision. (I do have to say, though, having been to both resorts in the past 2 years and World at the holidays, I think World is a better opinion.). Good luck and have fun!

We live in St. Louis. So a pretty equal distance to them both. We are thinking a week.

bosco213

Late to this convo but I am a Disney fanatic!! I agree with PP who say to not go the week after Christmas, it will be a nightmare.

Pros to world - I like that everyhing is in the "bubble". If you go during early December you can get free dining (ie: all of your food free!). Tons to do, could be a pro or con depending on how long you want to go. If we go less than a week were exhausted and running around trying to see everything.

Land - much smaller and smack in the middle of a city so less magical, but it's so charming and we loved it! You can do the parks in 3 days. We also spent a day in LA.

Another big point to consider is the MyMagic+ rollout at WDW. There is quite a bit of advance planning required in booking all your attractions to make sure you get the "good" rides. You pretty much have to plan where you're going to be everyday which I like, but is a con for some. You can pretty much wing it at Disneyland.

frig05

I would vote World. I have been to Land numerous times growing up and then went to World for our honeymoon. It was awesome! DH and I are going the first week of December this year. DH dad (he lives in Florida and goes to DW all the time) said this should help us avoid some crowds. I have never gone to either park with kids (just when I was one). I can see what PP said about there being a lot of walking and it may be hard with children at DW. I just think there is more to do at DW, love the shows, and just love the parks more in general than Land.

thewickedfairy

Loops925 said:

We live 20 mins away from DL so we go at least twice a month. I've been to DW, and hated it, the weather is horrible and it is way too crowded.

You can do DL & Disney's California Adventure in two-three days. If you have boys, they will love Cars Land which is inside Disney's California Adventure. My boys (5 & 3) love it there. The beginning of December is a nice time to go, the holiday décor is beautiful and so are the parades, and they also have a skating rink in Downtown Disney which is a nice place to relax after being at DL or DCA. There are many other things to do nearby... There's Knott's Berry Farm, which is an amusement park (15 mins away), Medieval Times is really cool and also 15 mins away. You can also do Universal Studios which is about an hour away from Disneyland. There's plenty to do in Southern Cali! And the greatest thing is that the weather is perfect around that time.  

 

So my vote is Disneyland & California Adventure

We live about 3 hours away and are on our 4th year of annual passes. We go about every other month for 2 to 3 days on average. Early December at DL is perfect. Everyone goes back to work/school after Thanksgiving so it's not as busy as Christmas. For those saying that you don't feel the magic as much because it's in the city, I have to disagree. DL is perfect, however California Adventure is a little more open and can lose a little of its magic, more specifically if you ride Mickey's Fun Wheel. DL is the original and has so many hidden gems and wonderful history about it. The history gives it very special magic. You can see from Main Street where Walt's apartment was and it's such a special feeling. We absolutely love everything there is to love about DL. We'll be there for the week of Thanksgiving because it's so empty during that time and it's wonderful! The holiday decorations will go up in about a week or so and Haunted Mansion has already been taken over by Jack Skellington and his crew. It'll stay that way through about the end of the first week of January. No humidity is a plus, and the weather is great! If you decide on DL I can provide suggestions for hotels if you would like. Good luck with whatever you decide.