Disneyland in Sept vs Disney World in May

[TerriNZ]

Hi there experts

I’d love some input and thoughts in finalising our choice of which Disney park we take our kids (7 and 10) to.

We are coming from NZ so this is probably a one and only Disney trip.

Wanting to a) maximise weather b) minimise crowds and c) combine with a trip to Mexico I have researched and researched and come up with these two options:

Disney World and Cancun/Tulum - early may 2023
Or
Disneyland and Puerto Vallarta - September 2023

Both trips would be great with different pros and cons so I’m finding it hard to decide.

So I thought I’d put the exact timing into this question and throw it out to the experts in case there was anything specific to consider that could help make this decision easier.

Appreciate your time to read this and even more appreciate any thoughts.

Thanks so much!

 

[disneygirl2022]

Hi there,
I'm not disney expert, but thought I'd put my thoughts here:

Through you do have avoid certain days in both disney world and disneyland, such as may the fourth and memorial day, both september and may seem like great times to visit either parks for low crowds.

As for weather, disneyland in may seems to quite pleasant, but florida in september get quite humid, and that may be a dealbreaker for you.

For the Mexico part of the trip, I'm not sure about weather, but I think if you want a more beachy/quirky holiday you should go to Puerto Vallarta, but if you want to have a bit more of a tourist experience, go to Cacun or Tulum. I think for both parts of the vacation, you have to do some research and think about the things you want or could be doing on each holiday, and that's all it really depends on. But, since this is may be a once in a lifetime trip for you guys, I'd suggest doing Disney World, as even though there's a lot more to do, and it can get overwhelming, but that's exactly the point: there's a lot more to do, so if you plan well, you could potentially be able to experience and make more memories then you would be able to do at Disneyland, only downside is that the humidity in early September may make it harder to walk such long distances st disney world. So again it really just depends on you, what you want to do and how much walking you can tolerate.

 

[Dreams&wishes]

Hi there experts

I’d love some input and thoughts in finalising our choice of which Disney park we take our kids (7 and 10) to.

We are coming from NZ so this is probably a one and only Disney trip.

Wanting to a) maximise weather b) minimise crowds and c) combine with a trip to Mexico I have researched and researched and come up with these two options:

Disney World and Cancun/Tulum - early may 2023
Or
Disneyland and Puerto Vallarta - September 2023

Both trips would be great with different pros and cons so I’m finding it hard to decide.

So I thought I’d put the exact timing into this question and throw it out to the experts in case there was anything specific to consider that could help make this decision easier.

Appreciate your time to read this and even more appreciate any thoughts.

Thanks so much!

How long will your trip be? That to me really dictates where to go. I prefer WDW to Disneyland, but if I only have a week I will do Disneyland. If you decide to stay onsite at WDW your resort is a proper resort holiday the Disneyland hotels don't quite have that vibe

 

[WALTSAGOD]

Buy “The Unofficial Guide to Disney World”, is a HUGE book that will answer All of your DW questions.

 

[TerriNZ]

How long will your trip be? That to me really dictates where to go. I prefer WDW to Disneyland, but if I only have a week I will do Disneyland. If you decide to stay onsite at WDW your resort is a proper resort holiday the Disneyland hotels don't quite have that vibe

We have a little over three weeks. We lose a lot of travel days but will have over a week to dedicate to a Disney holiday (or Disneyland + LA/San Diego) and still get 10 days in Mexico

What do you think is the ideal amount of time in WDW? I was thinking 7 nights and 6 park days but we could stretch it out.

 

[TerriNZ]

Hi there,
I'm not disney expert, but thought I'd put my thoughts here:

Through you do have avoid certain days in both disney world and disneyland, such as may the fourth and memorial day, both september and may seem like great times to visit either parks for low crowds.

As for weather, disneyland in may seems to quite pleasant, but florida in september get quite humid, and that may be a dealbreaker for you.

For the Mexico part of the trip, I'm not sure about weather, but I think if you want a more beachy/quirky holiday you should go to Puerto Vallarta, but if you want to have a bit more of a tourist experience, go to Cacun or Tulum. I think for both parts of the vacation, you have to do some research and think about the things you want or could be doing on each holiday, and that's all it really depends on. But, since this is may be a once in a lifetime trip for you guys, I'd suggest doing Disney World, as even though there's a lot more to do, and it can get overwhelming, but that's exactly the point: there's a lot more to do, so if you plan well, you could potentially be able to experience and make more memories then you would be able to do at Disneyland, only downside is that the humidity in early September may make it harder to walk such long distances st disney world. So again it really just depends on you, what you want to do and how much walking you can tolerate.

Yes we ruled out sept in Disney world cos of the humidity and hurricane season so would do early may - hopefully not too hot and drier

Mexico - we are slightly preferring Caribbean side of Mexico but could make either work for our family. It comes down to which Disney holiday we pick ie. Tulum would be ok weather for us in may but if we are going to DL in sept then PV would have the better weather and be closer to fly to

This is the most complicated holiday I’ve ever had to plan and I’m putting a lot of pressure on myself as it’s so far / expensive and our one chance to get the kids to do Disney. At least before they are teens anyway

Thanks for all your thoughts

 

[disneygirl2022]

Yes we ruled out sept in Disney world cos of the humidity and hurricane season so would do early may - hopefully not too hot and drier

Mexico - we are slightly preferring Caribbean side of Mexico but could make either work for our family. It comes down to which Disney holiday we pick ie. Tulum would be ok weather for us in may but if we are going to DL in sept then PV would have the better weather and be closer to fly to

This is the most complicated holiday I’ve ever had to plan and I’m putting a lot of pressure on myself as it’s so far / expensive and our one chance to get the kids to do Disney. At least before they are teens anyway

Thanks for all your thoughts

Yes, Disney can be quite expensive on it's own, let alone going to Mexico as well. I mean, it is possible to do it cheaply, like limiting on souvenirs, eating cheaper food, finding deals etc. If you haven't already booked flights, i suggest checking out omio- you can find some deals there. Unless you really want to get a few extra hours in the parks, go to a hotel off site, much cheaper. Personally, for our Disney world trip, we booked Floridays hotel- two bedroom with one bathroom and kitchen for 4 people, which may be worth it if you're staying longer, plus we'll be able to cook some meals and bring those into the parks, etc breakfast. Also, if you're going to the parks for 4 or more days, skip park hopper. If you are feeling overwhelmed, then maybe do Disneyland as it is smaller, plus it's the original one, so you'll still get a lot of the classic rides you can find at disney world

 

[CynBeth]

I would do WDW you have 4 amazing parks and a wide variety of hotels to choose from with various themes.

 

[scrappinginontario]

We’re sitting in an airport right now on our way home from our first DL Trip. We had a great time and loved it!!!

That being said, having visited both places, if this is a once in a lifetime trip I would recommend WDW in FL for sure!! So much to see and do and 4 very different parks to visit.

You will have a great vacay at either but WDW definitely gets my vote.

 

[disneygirl2022]

I would do WDW you have 4 amazing parks and a wide variety of hotels to choose from with various themes.

I agree on this, if you're looking for cheaper options when it comes hotels or even restaurants then maybe Disney World is the way to go. Although you won't get the benefit of Extra Magic Hours, you could book an airbnb, which for short stays, can really be worth the money. And yes, you really will be able to experience and see more, all for parks seem to be really beautiful with lots of rides and experiences for thrill-seekers or families.

 

[Dreams&wishes]

We have a little over three weeks. We lose a lot of travel days but will have over a week to dedicate to a Disney holiday (or Disneyland + LA/San Diego) and still get 10 days in Mexico

What do you think is the ideal amount of time in WDW? I was thinking 7 nights and 6 park days but we could stretch it out.

We live in Australia so I understand how it is to live so far away from everything!!!

Last time we went to Disney World we stayed 21 days with a UK ticket and we didn't think it was enough!
We stayed at the Polynesian which was a great resort to give us that "holiday tropical" feel. I also have 4 children of similar age and I didn't want to run crazy in the park, I wanted to have time to relax enjoy the pool do our resort kids activities, visit the water parks etc
DW is a complete holiday in itself it's not just a theme park like Disneyland it's a destination!

If I were you I would give more days to DW the maximum you can, and maybe add a Disney Cruise that goes to Mexico so you get to do both
If you go on the UK Disney holiday website they have DW and Disney Cruise packages.

 

[disneygirl2022]

We live in Australia so I understand how it is to live so far away from everything!!!

Last time we went to Disney World we stayed 21 days with a UK ticket and we didn't think it was enough!
We stayed at the Polynesian which was a great resort to give us that "holiday tropical" feel. I also have 4 children of similar age and I didn't want to run crazy in the park, I wanted to have time to relax enjoy the pool do our resort kids activities, visit the water parks etc
DW is a complete holiday in itself it's not just a theme park like Disneyland it's a destination!

If I were you I would give more days to DW the maximum you can, and maybe add a Disney Cruise that goes to Mexico so you get to do both
If you go on the UK Disney holiday website they have DW and Disney Cruise packages.

Same, we're from Australia, so it's really hard to go to America frequently! I reckon a disney cruise to Mexico would be really good- our Disney World trip is part of a bigger one that we're doing, involving a cruise to Hawaii, a few days in Miami, and 2 days at Universal. We're going to Disney world for 4 days, one at each park, but honestly I think maybe having 2 days in Magic kingdom would've been better, so 5 days at Disney world would be a good minimum, and if the poster is going for 6-7 park days, they'd have a lot of room to not rush around and do everything more casually.

 

[RoseGold]

If you're used to the touristy resorts in, say, Bali, Mexico beach resorts will be disappointing. Those destinations in particular will be full of Canadian tourists and mediocre tacos. Florida has beaches as good. If you're a foodie, I always recommend a city/foodie Mexico experience because of the extremely high quality (and cheap!) fine dining in Mexico City. Mexico City is whole new world with $4 Ubers and staggeringly gorgeous Airbnbs everywhere, it's amazing. But, it's surprisingly difficult to fly from MCO to MEX (easy from LAX or MIA). I have it booked on a discount airline myself, which I wouldn't fly, if there were any other option. If your goal is good Mexican food, you can absolutely do that in Florida or in LA.

If your goal is to minimize crowds, WDW is the obvious choice. DL is in landlocked, incredibly expensive CA. WDW is staggeringly massive. Just the Kilimanjaro safari ride at AK is the size of the MK in WDW. Maybe smaller is good if you have limited time?

WDW in May can be brutally hot. Orlando is humid and very hot, and the conditions can be a factor. There is no "dry" in Orlando. Mexico City would actually be lovely then, because of the elevation.

 

[kc51570]

I would say WDW for the four vs. two parks. I visited Puerto Vallarta many years ago and was not impressed. Just not what I was expecting from a tropical vacation-missing the beautiful waters that you would find on the Caribbean side where Cancun is located.

 

[isabellea]

I preferred Disneyland to WDW so my choice would be California. There are so many great places to visit in CA in addition to the parks that I would rent a car and drive around (beaches, national parks like Joshua Tree NP or SEKI, San Diego and the desert).