Ever wonder what the difference is between Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland Resort in California? While they both have the same magical feel, these vacation destinations have a wide array of differences which make them each unique!
Walk in Walt’s footsteps
Disneyland Park is the only park that Walt Disney himself has visited. As a matter of fact, Walt Disney had an apartment on Main Street U.S.A. where he would often sleep and then roam the empty park in the early morning hours.
Park size
Walt Disney World includes four theme parks and two water parks: Magic Kingdom Park, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park and Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park. Disneyland Resort only has two theme parks: Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure. Walt Disney World Resort is 40 square miles (about the size of San Francisco) while Disneyland Resort sits on approximately 160 acres. But don’t let the small size fool you! Did you know that Disneyland Park in California is bigger than the world’s smallest country?
Hopping along
Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure have entrances right across from each other which makes park hopping a breeze! You could travel back and forth all day long if you really wanted. At Walt Disney World, transportation is essential for theme park hopping. Luckily, Disney offers free transportation via bus, monorail, ferry boat and the new Disney Skyliner, a gondola system that connects EPCOT’s International Gateway to Disney’s Hollywood Studios along with other Walt Disney World resorts.
Lay of the Land
Magic Kingdom Park in Florida and Disneyland Park in California both feature Main Street U.S.A., a charming turn-of-the-century nostalgic land with unique shops and entertainment. Main Street U.S.A. extends to a “hub” where guests can find entrances to the other themed lands such as Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, Adventureland and Frontierland. It is interesting to note that there are some lands which are exclusive to each park. Liberty Square can only be found at Walt Disney World while Critter Country, Mickey’s Toontown and New Orleans Square are all unique to Disneyland Park.
In general, both parks have a similar look and feel. Since the size of Disneyland Park is much smaller than Magic Kingdom Park, your travel time can be reduced when walking from one side of the park to the other. On the other hand, some walkways may feel slightly congested due to the narrow paths.
Castles in the sky
Both Magic Kingdom Park and Disneyland Park showcase a beautiful princess castle at the center of the park. While Magic Kingdom Park features Cinderella Castle towering at 189 feet tall, Disneyland Park is home to Sleeping Beauty’s Castle which is a modest 77 feet tall. You can eat inside Cinderella Castle if you are lucky enough to secure a table at Cinderella’s Royal Table. Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland Park has a walk through attraction retelling the story of the classic princess.
Be our guest
Walt Disney World has over 25 on-site resorts from which to choose. Disneyland Resort has only 3 resorts but all are within walking distance of the Disneyland Parks. One benefit of staying at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa is that it sits right next to Disney’s California Adventure. This means you can roll out of bed, exit the hotel and your exclusive park entrance is only steps away. While staying at a Disney resort is always recommended, there are also several Disney Good Neighbor hotels within walking distance of Disneyland Resort. All of the off-site hotels near Walt Disney World will require some form of transportation.
FastPass+ vs MaxPass
Both Disney parks utilize a FastPass system which allows guests to enter a shorter line during a specified timeframe. At Walt Disney World Resort, this system is called FastPass+ where guests can make reservations for select attractions, entertainment and more in advance. Sixty days prior to your park visit (or thirty days if you stay at an off-site hotel), you can select up to three initial FastPass+ reservations on each day of your park visit using My Disney Experience, an online reservation system. When it is time to redeem your FastPass selection, your personal MagicBand (colorful wrist band) or park ticket is scanned at the entrance of the FastPass line. After you have utilized your third FastPass selection of the day, you may make another reservation at an in-park kiosk or by using your mobile device.
At Disneyland Resort, the system is called FastPass (no “+” sign) where you can make reservations at select in-park kiosks using your park ticket. Additionally, you have the option of purchasing MaxPass for $20/person per day (price subject to change). MaxPass allows you to select a FastPass using the Disneyland Resort app on your mobile device after you have entered the park. If you choose not to purchase MaxPass and do not mind the extra walking, you may still obtain a FastPass at each attractions’ in-park kiosk. Disneyland Resort does not have Magic Bands so if you want to redeem your FastPass, you must scan your park ticket or the FastPass barcode on the Disneyland Resort app.
Line up everyone
One big difference between the two destinations that you will discover are the attraction queues. The majority of the lines at Disneyland Resort are outside so you will benefit from some extra vitamin D during those sunny California days. That being said, sunscreen is a must! Walt Disney World lines are mostly indoors which is a great relief when temperatures rise during the Florida summer.
Let’s ride!
You will find classic attractions at both parks such as Space Mountain, “it’s a small world,” Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean but each attraction has its’ own twist. For example, in Disneyland Park ”it’s a small world” features the classic international children singing and dancing along side popular Disney characters from their native lands. For example, you will see Mulan in China, Pinocchio in Italy, Peter Pan in England and Lilo & Stitch in South Pacific.
The Pirates of the Caribbean attraction is another example. In Walt Disney World, the ride is shorter and has only one drop where the one in Disneyland Park features two drops and is much longer.
Nice to meet you!
Character greetings are a fantastic way to meet your favorite Disney characters. Both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort feature designated locations where lines form to meet the famous Disney characters. At Disneyland Resort, did you know that it is very common to see characters walking around the park, signing autographs, posing for pictures and playing games with the guests?! That’s right! We have seen several Disney characters playing “duck, duck, goose” right in the middle of the park. One time, I spotted Mad Hatter organizing a game of “human croquet” along with Alice, Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Dum and the White Rabbit!
Retail therapy
Both resorts feature a downtown shopping, restaurant and entertainment area. Disneyland Resort has Downtown Disney and Walt Disney World features Disney Springs. At Disneyland Resort, you can take a short monorail ride from Tomorrowland to Downtown Disney to grab lunch or do some shopping before returning to the park. You can even walk to Downtown Disney from either Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure. Getting to Disney Springs at Walt Disney World typically requires transportation but it can be accessible by walking from Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa.
Food glorious food!
Luckily, you can indulge in plenty of famous Disney snacks at both Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort like churros, turkey legs, Mickey pretzels and Dole whips. Due to its’ size, Walt Disney World Resort offers considerably more restaurant options than Disneyland Resort. It is challenging to find the same restaurant on both coasts but you will always find a variety of cuisines which will satisfy everyone’s taste buds.
Conclusion
So which Disney Park is the best you ask? Well, that’s like asking which child you love the most! Here is our answer… both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort are special in their own magically way and each have their own set of unique personalities! Kingdom Destinations encourages you to visit both parks for the complete Disney experience.
Which destination is your favorite and why? Comment below.
For more information or to schedule a consultation about a trip to Walt Disney World or any other luxury family vacation, please contact Lissa Ryan at lissa@kingdomdestinations.com for a price quote.
Travel Advisor