In a head-to-head battle, how do Disneyland and Walt Disney World stack up against each other?
When someone learns that I grew up close to Disneyland but just moved close to Walt Disney World, they always ask, “do you like Disneyland or Disney World better?” With that question always comes the assumption that I’ll wholeheartedly answer “Disney World.”
Actually, it’s more complicated than that.
Both Disneyland and Disney World certainly hold their own when it comes to theming, attractions, and entertainment. That’s why I always recommend that my clients visit both theme parks before making a decision on which is “better.” But if I really had to compare the two Disney resorts, here’s what I would say.
Read on for a head-to-head comparison between Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
Location Differences Between Disneyland and Walt Disney World
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Disneyland Resort is located in Anaheim, California while Walt Disney World is located in Orlando, Florida.
Disneyland is the theme park that Walt himself thought up, designed alongside his Imagineers, and had a physical hand in building. Many of the marks that Walt left are still in Disneyland today, including details that were there when the theme park first opened in 1955.
The area surrounding Anaheim gives you plenty to do. The nearest beach is only 30 minutes away. About 90 minutes away is Los Angeles, home to Universal Studios Hollywood. And about 2 hours away is San Diego, home to popular attractions such as Sea World, the San Diego Zoo, and LEGOLAND.
And as far as weather is concerned, you’ll find more moderate temperatures and less humidity in California.
On the other hand, Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida was heavily influenced by Walt Disney’s vision of a “plussed up” Disneyland. Its current location places it within 90 minutes drive of popular theme parks like Universal Orlando (home to Universal’s Epic Universe), LEGOLAND Florida, and SeaWorld.
However, the beaches are further from Disney World, with an average of a 75 mile drive depending on which beach you choose to visit. In the end, if you’re choosing to visit a Disney park and Universal park in the same trip, you’ll surely save more travel time in Orlando.
And in terms of weather, Orlando tends to be warmer and wetter than Anaheim.
Size Differences Between Disneyland and Walt Disney World
The truth is Walt Disney World Resort is significantly larger than Disneyland Resort.
There are a few advantages of Disneyland being smaller though. Guests can park hop with the 300-foot wide Esplanade that separates Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure. All three Disneyland Resort hotels are within a 15-minute walk to the theme parks. And even when you’re walking down Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland Park, when comparing to Magic Kingdom at Disney World, gives more of a “small town” vibe.
This makes Disneyland Resort feel much more homey, and dare I say, cozy.
Of course, Walt Disney World’s size simply gives you more to do when you visit.
Thanks to Disney Imagineers, you have more than enough room to explore four theme parks, stay at over twenty-five resort hotels, and shop at Disney Springs – all without leaving the Disney property.
In fact, Disney World is so large that Disney created several different forms of transportation to get around the property!
Special Offerings Differences Between Disneyland and Walt Disney World
Disneyland offers more unique special festivals and celebrations – just take a look at the calendar of events at Disneyland Resort.
Looking at the seasonal event calendar alone, Disneyland has 8 major events, including Lunar New Year celebration, Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival, Star Wars Season of the Force, Pixar Fest, Halloween, and The Holidays Begin Here. On top of that, Disneyland Resort features 4 Disneyland After Dark events. No matter what time of year you visit Disneyland Resort, you’re almost guaranteed a special event!
This calendar of events and celebrations more than makes up for the year-round festivals at EPCOT.
On the other hand, Disney World has extra unique lands in its different theme parks.
Nothing at Disneyland compares to the following lands Disney World has to offer:
World Showcase
Located in EPCOT, World Showcase is one of the only places where you can visit eleven different countries in one day. Each country allows you to immerse yourself in their culture and cuisine. You can sample authentic food and drink and shop for merchandise themed to each country, including items that came straight from that country. You can also experience music inspired by many of the different countries!
Pandora – The World of Avatar
Located in Disney’s Animal Kingdom and based on the popular movie by James Cameron, Pandora – The World of Avatar lets you visit the moon of Pandora. With one thrill ride, an equally popular slow adventure ride, exotic foods, specialty shops, and glowing flora, Pandora – The World of Avatar is easily one of the most immersive themed lands Disney has ever made.
Toy Story Land
Located in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Toy Story Land features everyone’s favorite Pixar toys: Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, and more. Take a step into Andy’s backyard as a toy-sized human. While Toy Story Mania! is identical to Toy Story Midway mania! in Disneyland, Slinky Dog Dash and Alien Swirling Saucers is unique to Disney World.
Attractions Between Disneyland and Walt Disney World
Attractions are an important comparison to guests when it comes to Disneyland versus Walt Disney World. Here is the list of attractions at Disneyland and Walt Disney World that are unique to their respective resorts:
Attractions at Disneyland
- Alice in Wonderland
- Autopia
- Casey Jr. Circus Train
- Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes
- Disneyland Railroad
- Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
- Gadget’s Go Coaster
- Golden Zephyr
- Goofy’s Sky School
- Grizzly River Run
- Guardians of the Galaxy- Mission: BREAKOUT!
- Incredicoaster
- Indiana Jones Adventure
- Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind
- Jessie’s Critter Carousel
- Jumpin’ Jellyfish
- Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters
- Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree
- Matterhorn Bobsleds
- Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!
- Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
- Pinocchio’s Daring Journey
- Pixar Pal-A-Round
- Radiator Springs Racers
- Red Car Trolley
- Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin
- Sailing Ship Columbia
- Silly Symphony Swings
- Snow White’s Enchanted Wish
- Storyland Land Canal Boats
Attractions at Walt Disney World
- Alien Swirling Saucers
- Avatar Flight of Passage
- The Barnstormer
- DINOSAUR
- Expedition Everest
- Frozen Ever After
- Kali River Rapids
- Kilimanjaro Safaris
- The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
- Mission: SPACE
- Na’vi River Journey
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
- Rock ‘n’ Roll Coaster starring Aerosmith
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Spaceship Earth
- Test Track
- Peoplemover
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
- Wildlife Express Train
When you add it up, Disneyland comes out on top for the highest number of unique attractions: thirty versus twenty-one.
Snacks and Quick Service Food at Disneyland Are Extra Special
When it comes to snacks and quick-service, Disneyland is tough to beat.
Disneyland Resort also has some iconic-yet-unique snacks, including the bacon mac and cheese cone at Cozy Cone Motel Snacks, the garlic cheddar bagel twist from Maurice’s Treats, the skewers at Bengal Barbecue, and the breakfast chimichanga at Ship to Shore Marketplace.
Disneyland’s quick-service restaurants are also hard to beat. The fried chicken at The Plaza Inn is cooked to perfection. The fried pickles at Carnation Cafe are a fan-favorite. And finally, just about any Disney guest will tell you that Disneyland does its churros and beignets better than Walt Disney World does.
On the other hand, Disney World gives you an abundance of table service restaurant options.
With more than 440 restaurants at Walt Disney World Resort, you can find just about any restaurant to cater to any of your cravings. Trust me, even with how often I visit Disney World, there are still restaurants I haven’t eaten at yet.
Here are a few great table service restaurants you can enjoy at around the Walt Disney World Resort:
- Topolino’s Terrace – Flavors of the Riviera (Disney’s Riviera Resort)
- Victoria and Albert’s (Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa)
- Le Cellier (EPCOT)
- The Hollywood Brown Derby (Disney’s Hollywood Studios)
- Tiffins (Disney’s Animal Kingdom)
- Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen (Magic Kingdom)
Disney world offers more table service restaurants than you can handle in ten trips – and many of them I can’t recommend enough.
Entertainment Differences Between Disneyland and Walt Disney World
The way Disneyland does their character meet and greets, nighttime spectaculars, parades, and stage shows is very different from the way Disney World does theirs.
At Disneyland, characters either have designated meeting locations or they freely wander around the theme parks. This can make character interactions much more organic. On the other hand, the vast majority of characters at Disney World have designated meeting locations.
When it comes to parades, both Disneyland and Disney World typically offer the same amount per day. However, when to comes to nighttime spectaculars, you’ll find some similar shows (such as Fantasmic! at both theme parks) as well as unique shows (World of Color One at Disney California Adventure versus Luminous: The Symphony of Us at EPCOT).
Finally, when it comes to stage shows, Disney World simply offers more options than Disneyland. The major reason behind this is that Disney World has more theme parks, making it easier to offer more stage shows than Disneyland.
These entertainment differences make both Disneyland and Walt Disney World unique.
Differences in Shopping Districts at Disneyland and Walt Disney World
The difference in size between the shopping districts at Disneyland at Disney World is significant.
While Downtown Disney District at Disneyland holds its own with its modest amount of shops and restaurants, Disney Springs at Disney World boasts around two hundred shops, dining locations, and entertainment venues. Make no mistake though, with the updates happening at Downtown Disney District, you’ll find more reason to spend more time there.
Disney Springs gives you an abundance of restaurant options, lounge options, shopping areas, and more while Downtown Disney District is more modest.
Differences in the Holidays at Disneyland and Walt Disney World
Other than attractions, there are some major differences between Disneyland and Disney World when it comes to the holidays.
During the Halloween and Christmas seasons, Haunted Mansion transforms into Haunted Mansion Holiday with its A Nightmare Before Christmas overlay. Additionally, the entirety of Cars Land at Disney California Adventure gets completely decorated during the Halloween and Christmas seasons. On the other hand, Jungle Cruise transforms into Jingle Cruise for the Christmas season.
Both Disneyland and Disney World also offer ticketed events for the Halloween and Christmas seasons. However, for the majority of the Christmas season at Disney World, you can only view the Christmas-themed parade and fireworks if you attend the ticketed Christmas party. At Disneyland, you can view the Christmas-themed parade and fireworks without paying to attend the ticketed Christmas party.
These differences can affect how you plan your Disneyland and Disney World vacations.
Considering all of these differences between Disneyland and Walt Disney World, which Disney resort will you visit first?
If you need help deciding, make sure to reach out to one of our knowledgeable travel advisors!