This is how I will probably approach DL. Cross country is just a bigger trip. WDW I can do for a long weekend and 2-3 days in the park. I try and go a couple of times a year so that I don’t have to do as long of a trip. I’ll readily admit one of my favorite things about traveling is planning and researching, so that aspect tends to be a plus for me with WDW.
And my favorite park is Epcot so that’ll always give the edge.
I’m heading to DLP next May, and hope to do the parks in Asia in the coming years. Really, any Disney park is a great thing!
Uh … inferior? Heck, no! Smaller, yes, but it packs quite a punch. I think it was @gingerSnaps543222 who listed out rides and attractions in Florida vs. California. DLR has I think more rides and almost as many attractions as all four parks in Florida. Plus, your little guy would love Cars Land.
I think the nostalgia factor is huge. I always feel a little disappointed in MK because it’s not nearly as awesome as DL. I don’t care that the castle is smaller, I love that DL castle best!
Disneyland castle > wdw castle. Prove me wrong. Lol. But best castle I’ve seen Shanghai. It’s huge, had a snow white walk thru, princess meet and greet and a huge character meal.
Hahah I cannot get on board with this assessment. Walking down Main St at MK and seeing the castle as soon as you enter is so magical. I gotta get wayyyy down the street at DL to see it. It is a pretty color and I like the drawbridge and that there’s a walkthrough though.
I haven’t seen the others in person, but the only one I’m tentatively willing to concede may be better than Cinderella Castle at MK is Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Paris.
Not to derail the debate for supremacy which can never have consensus, but it’s 1pm, so gonna do some park hopping!
Also, I’ve walked by Carthay Circle at least 20 times today hoping for an Oswald sighting but no luck. Maybe he’s an afternoon/evening slot today. I’ll be back over here for dinner tonight and will try again.
I love it too! However, I don’t love trying to figure out what I want to eat 6 months out! That is a bit extreme me. Prior to Covid, I planned to go back for after hours event only trip. I think that type of WDW trip would be a game changer for me.
I was super impressed by the size of the castle at MK. But it’s so paved and open and sterile feeling to me compared to DL’s smaller hub and all the greenery. Now those trees also get in the way of the fireworks and projections, so I get why they have that wide empty hub at MK, I just like the cozy feeling of DL. Because … nostalgia and it’s what I grew up with.
A lot of us that love DLR so much also live much closer. I can get in the car and drive to California. It might take me two days, but I can (and do) do it. I’m doing it on Friday! I wouldn’t dream of driving to Florida. And the flight is the same as Hawaii! So geography definitely plays into it as well. Living in the west all of my life, it has always been difficult for me to fully realize how dense the eastern third or so of the US is population wise compared to the west. Way more people live in proximity to FL than to Southern CA.
Okay I think I might have done that 6 times in a row? Twice I was able to jump right from the unload to the loading area because there was no one in line.
I know the tricks to get Galactic Hero at WDW but don’t quite have it down here yet.
Thanks for doing this! I’m catching up as yesterday I made the call to drop the Anthem of the Seas cruise over Feb Break (Presidents’ Week) and go to Disneyland. Looking at staying at the Fairfield Inn & Suites across the street and that plus 4 day hoppers plus airfare as it stands now look to be roughly what the cruise would have cost - less if I add in things like the beverage package and excursions!
I’ve only been to DL once - back in 2012 for the DL Half and a lot of it was wall city - Carsland was still under construction, Tower was still Tower, etc. So I’m really excited to go back!!!
I suspect Mission Breakout will be my most-ridden. Lol. I am a Guardians girl all the way!