Walt Disney World Resort is better than Disneyland Resort. Now this statement may seem controversial, however here are 10 points that make it true. Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California may be the original, however Disney World in Florida overshadows it in many ways. Read, 10 Reasons Why Disney World Is Better Than Disneyland, below.
1. Number Of Parks & Resort Size
Disneyland Resort has 2 theme parks: Disneyland Park & Disney California Adventure Park. Disney World has 4 theme parks and 2 water parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom + Typhoon Lagoon & Blizzard Beach. Disneyland Resort covers about 510 acres of land. Disney World covers more than 30,000 acres of land! Disneyland Resort is not even close in competing to size with Disney World.
2. Castle Size
Peering down Main St USA and seeing the Castle is a magical moment on a Disney vacation. However, those on Main St USA in Magic Kingdom have a drastically larger Castle to look at. Sleeping Beauty’s Castle in Disneyland Park stands at about 80 feet tall, versus Cinderella’s Castle at Magic Kingdom at about 180 feet tall. That is an incredible 100 foot height difference. Adding to the illusion of height in Magic Kingdom, is the upward slant towards the Castle.
3. Dine Inside Cinderella’s Castle
Disneyland offers a walk through of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, however Disney World has a restaurant inside Cinderella’s Castle. It is a magical moment to walk up the winding staircase to dine at Cinderella’s Royal Table. This is a Character dining experience with Disney Princesses, guests can dine for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
4. Pandora- World of Avatar
At Animal Kingdom find Pandora – World of Avatar which amazing waterfalls, floating mountains and more. Home to 2 attractions, Na’vi River Journey and the amazing thrill attraction – Avatar Flight of Passage. Also find a quick service restaurant, Satu’li Canteen serving healthier food options. Plus, adopt a banshee at Windtraders (located at the end of Avatar Flight of Passage attraction).
5. Toy Story Land
Shrink down to the size of a toy in Andy’s Backyard in Hollywood Studios. Guests can explore Toy Story Land and find larger than life props, toys, Character experiences and more. Find time to ride both of the attractions, Alien Swirling Saucers and a family friendly roller coaster – Slinky Dog Dash. Stop by Woody’s Lunch Box for a quick service meal or refreshment.
6. Epcot Festivals
If you are visiting Epcot, chances are there is a Festival happening. Epcot has 4 yearly Festivals: International Festival of the Arts, International Flower & Garden Festival, International Food & Wine Festival and the International Festival of the Holidays. These bring added food and entertainment. Learn more about each of these Festivals at Epcot.
7. World Showcase
Another amazing experience at Epcot (that you will not find at Disneyland Resort) is the World Showcase. Home to various countries, each with restaurants to try the food and merchandise to explore the culture. Take time to meet with the Characters found around the World Showcase and even ride an attraction in the Mexico & Norway Pavilion!
8. Tree Of Life
The Tree of Life is the incredibly detailed park icon of Animal Kingdom. The Tree of Life celebrates nature with numerous Animal carvings, over 300 animals are represented. This amazing man-made tree stands at 145 feet tall (equivalent to 14 stories), with a base width of 50 feet. It even hosts an attraction, It’s Tough To Be A Bug!, which is now closed at Disneyland Resort. In the evenings, catch the Tree of life Awakenings. Guests can even now get married in front of the Tree of Life!
9. Exclusive Attractions
Besides the lands mentioned above, Disney World is home to exclusive attractions not found at Disneyland Resort. This includes the People Mover at Magic Kingdom – a relaxing and fun ride with behind the scenes looks and views. Plus, the family-friendly roller coaster, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (Magic Kingdom) and the thrilling Test Track (Epcot). Guests at Disney World can also take a safari ride and see Animals such as Giraffes, Elephants and more at Animal Kingdom on Kilimanjaro Safaris. Visit Hollywood Studios for Tower of Terror, Disneyland Resort have reimagined theirs to Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout. Meet & Greets at Princess Fairytale Hall are only possible at Disney World, and more.
10. Happily Ever After
Happily Ever After is a nighttime fireworks spectacular that occurs evenings at Magic Kingdom, weather permitting. Get a seat with a view of Cinderella’s Castle to see the amazing projections. Watch Disney stories brought to life such as The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Moana and more! This is an unforgettable 18-minute show.
11. runDisney Events
Confirmed starting 2018 and perhaps years to come, all runDisney race weekends and marathons at Disneyland Resort (California) are cancelled. This is due to the level of construction for Disneyland Resort expansion However, guests can still enjoy runDisney events at Walt Disney World Resort, in addition to Disneyland Paris and the virtual race series.
12. Disney Bubble
Disneyland Resort is surrounded by a non-Disney city landscape. However, when going from a Disney Resort to a Disney park at Disney World, guests never leave Disney property. This immersion of constantly being within the magic is known as the Disney Bubble at Disney World. This is one reason many guests prefer to stay on-site, and Disney World makes it easy to do so with complimentary, and continuous, transportation to parks from your Disney Resort.
Learn more about the Walt Disney World Parks including attractions, secrets, tips and more. Plus my friends at Destinations in Florida can help you plan your perfect Walt Disney World vacation.
Just went to Disneyland for the first time ever after years of going to Disney World and Disneyland is definitely better. It’s more convenient to park hop, walk from your hotel to the parks or downtown Disney, etc. The rides Disneyland and Disney World both share, are better in California because they are longer, are more detailed, and are refurbished better. The stretching room in California is cooler because you’re actually descending so the room does get bigger. Disneyland has New Orleans Square, Indiana Jones, and the Matterhorn unlike Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. Lastly, Disney California Adventure is amazing! Avengers Campus, Radiator Springs, and Pixar pier featuring a fast outdoor rollercoaster (with a loop) and Ferris wheel. I do enjoy new attractions such as the Seven Dwarfs Mine train and Pandora in Florida but Disneyland has more pros.
Cars Land is way better than Toy Story Land. Better theming & more immersive.
Yes! Just went to Disneyland for the first time after years of going to Disney World and think that Disneyland is better. Toy story land is boring but Radiator Springs is much more fun and prettier.
Both resorts have good and bad points and could list a whole lot of reasons why Disneyland is better than WDW. I’d start with the silly fanboys/fangirls making really lame arguments as to why their home Park is better than another.
Each Disney park has it’s own personality. But here in Calif. we rarely have rain from mid march to Thanksgiving. When we went to Orlando many years ago to go to Disney World, it rained every day in the early afternoon. Ugh.