Disneyland vs Disney World...the differences

While it is easy to point out the similarities of the Disneyland Resort and the Walt Disney World Resort, like attractions, shows, and icons, there are differences that make each park uniquely different and special in there own way.

Aside from the obvious difference in castle names and size, the sheer size of each destination is the largest difference of them all.  The Walt Disney Resort comes in at a whopping 27,258 acres, while the Disneyland Resort is a mere 510 acres.  But don't let the small size of Disneyland fool you, the California resort packs in a lot of bang for the buck.

The Disneyland Resort opened in 1955 in what was the suburbs of Anaheim, California.  It didn't take long for the city to build up around this family vacation destination, which ultimately became the factor that stunted its growth.

When Walt envisioned the Walt Disney Resort in Florida, he learned from this mistake and purchased, not only the space needed for his Florida Project, but additional land to ensure the city would not grow up around it and to ensure he had additional space for future growth.

Even though Disneyland park and Magic Kingdom park have different names, they are one in the same with a few unique twists.  While Disneyland park features eight different lands, the Magic Kingdom park only features six.  You can only find Mickey's Toontown, New Orleans Square, and Critter Country in Disneyland and Liberty Square in Magic Kingdom.

One noticeable difference I found while exploring Disneyland park was the size of the attractions and venues.  From the size of the Space Mountain facade to the forced perspective of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, it was obvious that Disney was trying to make the attractions appear a lot larger than they actually were.  While this is also true in Magic Kingdom park, Disney is able to build the Florida based attractions larger to begin with thereby eliminating the need for over-scaled forced perspective techniques thereby making the illusion appear larger and more realistic.

And while strolling down Main Street USA, I did notice having to duck down a few times to avoid my head hitting the low hanging awnings, but it is worth noting I am 6'4" tall.

Disney has been very creative in its land use in California.  Knowing their limitations, Disney has managed to pack in a lot of attractions and entertainment to not only compete, but in some cases, rival its Florida counterpart.  This strategic placing and re-imagineering of attractions has given Disneyland a cozy feeling.  And I for one, think that is part of the charm.  It is easy to get from one side of the park to the other without having to walk a marathon, but with the more compact size and roughly the same crowds as the Magic Kingdom, crowds are something you need to consider when booking your trip.  Like any other park, there are peak and non-peak times to go which not only help you avoid overcrowding, but also save money.

From the firework shows to the parades and other live action entertainment, Disneyland park has nothing to be ashamed of.  This park can compete with any other and can hold its own in direct comparisons such as this blog post.  The proof is in the pudding as this park has stood for 62 years and is still going strong and getting stronger.

It was a treat for me to be able to visit the Disneyland Resort; not just as a travel agent learning more about the destination I'm selling, but as an individual experiencing the nostalgia of THE first park Walt made and being able to walk in his footsteps.  I felt like a kid all over again walking into Disneyland park for the first time and I can't wait to go back with my kids in tow.

Disneyland Resort's other park, Disney's California Adventure park, is best described as a mix between Florida's Disney Hollywood Studios and a boardwalk fair.  This once parking lot oasis was made possible when Disney built a large scale parking structure to free up the land needed for the park.

Disney's California Adventure park is meant to showcase what's different and unique about California.  From west coast inspired restaurants to the hustle and bustle of a boardwalk fair, this park is truly unique, but also familiar at the same time.  With the mix of boardwalk fair and Florida's Hollywood Studios, Disney was able to mix in a little bit of Disney with Pixar and Marvel.

California Adventure has seven themed lands ranging from Buena Vista Street, Hollywood Land, A Bug's Land, Cars Land, Pacific Wharf, Paradise Pier, and Grizzly Peak.  With each land highlighting whats great about California and immersing guests in the movie experience, this is a must see destination for all.

Disney's newest land, themed after Star Wars, is set to open in 2019.  Yet again, Disneyland Resort had to be creative.  From the Disneyland Railroad route change to the elimination and relocation of several support buildings, Disney found a way to work in their existing footprint to bring this new land alive.  I for one can't wait to see it.

Besides the parks, the Disneyland Resort is home to three on-site Disney hotels: The Disneyland Hotel, Paradise Pier Hotel, and The Grand Californian Hotel.  And yes, they are all snuggled in the same 510 acre footprint along with the Downtown Disney District.  Much like its Florida Counterpart, Disney Springs, this vast shopping district, stretching from the entrance of the park all the way to the Disneyland Hotel, and over a busy city street,  has pretty much everything to satisfy any type of shopper and diner.

I did not have the pleasure of staying on-site on my latest visit, but I did walk through the hotels to get a since of what they were like and more fully understand their proximity to the parks and the Downtown Disney District.  The Disneyland hotel, the original on-site hotel for Disneyland Park brought back a lot of nostalgia for me.  At the same time you could tell Disney has updated it to be more modern almost like the feel of the Contemporary Resort in Florida.  The Paradise Pier Hotel seemed to be the most oddly positioned and furthermost away hotel of them all.  In order to get to or from the hotel, guests have to walk through the Downtown Disney District from the park entrances and exit at the Disneyland Hotel.  Then it was another long hike past the Disneyland Hotel to get there.  While it is a value resort and can save guests on their vacation, the location is somewhat undesirable.  The Grand Californian, being a "deluxe" hotel reminded me of the Grand Floridian Resort in Florida.  Not because of the name, but because of the style, grandeur, and the upscale experience.  It is definitely the hotel of choice; for the style, experience, and location.  The Grand Californian is located in between the Downtown Disney District and Disney's California Adventure park.  You can actually exit the hotel and be in California Adventure park.

Anyone who has visited the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida knows about MyDisney Experience and Disney Magic Bands.  These have come to be a staple item while on vacation.  From unlocking your hotel room, to gaining access to the parks, from booking FastPasses to paying for dinner, these bands are an all-in-one life saver for guests.  But surely Disneyland should have these, right?.  It's the same company with the same technology, right?.  Well, you would think so, but the Disneyland Resort, for reasons unknown to us, have not fully implemented the MyDisney Experience system.  While they do have an app very similar to Walt Disney World and while you can reserve dining reservations and check wait times, the app is lacking a lot of the basic necessities.  First, there is no magic band and they still use paper tickets to enter the parks.  They still use FastPass kiosks spread throughout the park, but have recently introduced a paid FastPass experience where, for a price of currently $10 per day, you can use the app to book fast passes.  Disney always has good reasons for what they do or don't do, but the I can't wrap my head around them not using this great service in California.

While the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida will always be my home resort, the Disneyland Resort will always be my legacy resort.  Being created by Walt himself, who actually had a hand in its construction, and having had Walt walk the streets, this place will always be special to those of us who live and breath Disney, ans it will continue to be a place to inspire others to follow their dream.