If you’ve visited Walt Disney World but never visited Disneyland, you’re in for a big surprise – in the best way.
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?” Their question usually comes with the assumption that I’ll answer “Disney World.”
Actually, it’s more complicated than that.
But if I had to give a short answer? “You just need to visit Disneyland. It’s such a different, but equally magical experience.”
Here’s 10 reasons why Disney World fans should visit Disneyland.
Disneyland is the Original Disney Park
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Without Walt Disney’s vision coming to life in Disneyland, no other Disney theme park would exist today.
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.
In fact, all of the ride technologies seen in Disneyland’s early attractions eventually paved the way to some of the more sophisticated rides we see at Disney World, Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disneyland, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Shanghai Disneyland.
While Walt and many Imagineers said themselves that Disneyland is not a museum, there are still a plethora of details and characteristics that point back to Disneyland’s roots.
Much like the sequel to a good movie, it’s very difficult to beat the original.
Disneyland is More Homey
Many guests know that Disney World is much bigger than Disneyland Resort, but when you look at the numbers, the difference is staggering.
Compared to Disney World’s 27,000 acres, Disneyland Resort sits roughly at 500 acres. In other words, while Disney World is twice the size of Manhattan, Disneyland is about half the size of Central Park. That puts Disney World at more than fifty times the size of Disneyland!
Here’s the thing: Disneyland’s smaller size gives it a few advantages over Disney World.
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. 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.
Park Hopping is Much Easier at Disneyland
Remember that 300-foot wide Esplanade we mentioned earlier?
That 2-minute walk is all that separates Disneyland Park from Disney California Adventure. This allows you to take full advantage of time with a park-hopper ticket without having to take Disney transportation (like the Disney World bus, Disney Skyliner, or Disney Monorail) to get to your next destination.
With more time that you can spend at the parks, you have more chances to hit all the attractions, dining experiences, and entertainment you want!
There’s a Variety of Hotels Minutes Away from Disneyland Resort
Sure, unlike the 30+ Disney-owned hotels at Disney World, Disney only owns three at Disneyland.
However, there are over 50 Good Neighbor hotels just down the street. By being down the street, staying at any of these hotels places you just a walk away from the Disney magic!
If there’s one feature about Disneyland I miss after moving close to Disney World, it’s the convenience of walking to the theme parks from your hotel.
The Weather is More Mild and Predictable at Disneyland Resort
Yes, the weather at Disney World follows a pattern throughout the year, but the weather in Anaheim is much more predictable.
Summer thunderstorms and hurricanes are notorious at Disney World, but not at Disneyland. More than that, the weather at Disney World tends to change from warm and muggy to cool and windy on a dime, whereas Disneyland follows a more predictable pattern. In other words, you don’t have to pack two different types of outfits and a poncho to anticipate weather changes like you might at Disney World.
This makes planning for the weather at Disneyland Resort is much easier.
Disneyland Resort Constantly Gets Updated
Since 2021, Disney introduced:
- Pixar Place Hotel,
- the reimagined Downtown Disney West Side,
- Tiana’s Palace,
- San Fransokyo Square,
- the reimagined Mickey’s Toontown,
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure,
- and Avengers Campus.
The shear amount of updates like this are unheard of at Disney World! These new lands, restaurants, and attractions give a a refreshing experience that makes you want to come back again and again.
However, these aren’t the only attractions that keep Disneyland Resort fresh for guests.
Disneyland’s Calendar is Full of 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.
The Rides at Disneyland Resort Give off a Different Type of Magical Aura
Disneyland Park has a handful of rides that are very similar to rides at Disney World, but are very different in experience.
Radiator Springs Racers is identical to Test Track, but has a completely different experience based off of Pixar’s Cars. Indiana Jones Adventure is identical to Dinosaur, but has a completely different experience based off the Indiana Jones franchise. Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission Breakout! is identical to The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, but – well, you get the idea.
Depending on who you talk to, many would argue that many of the Disneyland Resort equivalent rides are better than their Disney World counterparts.
Disneyland Resort also has some iconic rides unique to Disneyland itself. Space Mountain is much smoother and features an incredible soundtrack by Michael Giacchino, the man behind many Pixar movies. Incredicoaster is themed after the famous Pixar movie Incredibles and is one of my favorite Disney rides – period.
Disneyland Resort’s rides are truly a unique experience that you must do!
You Can Find More Roaming Characters at Disneyland Resort
Unfortunately, the amount of roaming characters at Disney World has declined since 2020.
Over at Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure, there are countless roaming characters that you can encounter while walking to their your attraction. Between Peter Pan and Wendy, Mary Poppins and Bert, the Citizens of Hollywood, countless Avengers characters, Belle, and more, you never know who you’ll bump into when walking around.
On the other hand, the roaming characters at Disney World are much more limited in number. The likely reason for Disneyland’s seemingly unlimited amount of roaming characters is its smaller size and lack of designated indoor meet-and-greet areas. With this in mind, Disneyland has to be creative with their character meet-and-greets.
Disneyland Resort gives guests guests a very different character greeting experience.
Snacks and Quick Service Food at Disneyland Are Extra Special
Yes, Disney World’s table service and signature dining restaurants are at a whole different level, but when it comes to snacks and quick-service, Disneyland has my heart.
I can’t tell you how many times I would come back to Disneyland specifically for their cream cheese pretzel, which is softer and more chewy than Disney World’s version. 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 everyone raves about any food option from the new Tiana’s Palace.
Speaking of which, while you can’t get beignets in any of the Disney World theme parks, you can get them along with a mint julep at the Mint Julep Bar in New Orleans Square!
Finally, let’s be honest: Disneyland’s churros are infinitely better than Disney World’s churros.
Need help planning your next Disney World vacation? Make sure to reach out to one of our knowledgeable travel advisors!