Disneyland VS. Disneyworld

[Captainkidd76]

Biggest thing, or one of, is the rides at Disneyland are better. The similar rides are better. Splash is better at WDW. Space is a toss up depending on the type of ride you prefer. Pirates, IASW, Railroad, Thunder, Autopia, Radiator Springs are all far superior at Disneyland. Disneyland is just so much easier to do. Not just because of the size but because of the Maxpass, larger number of rides, more immersive lands to explore.

 

[PiratesMansion]

I think the biggest thing to understand is that in many ways the resorts operate completely differently from each other, despite being owned and run by the same company.

You cannot go expecting Disneyland to operate as if it is WDW West. That will set you up for vacation failure.

I'd also advocate for taking a slower-paced trip, three days absolute minimum. In this way, you'll get used to the differences and they they won't seem so jarring vs a shorter trip.

In addition, I would recommend looking to see if there is anything else in Southern California that might interest you. Chances are that you'll find an excellent example of whatever else interests you somewhere in Southern California. Unlike Florida, most people don't just go to DLR and leave; you certainly can do that and have a wonderful vacation, but do some exploring; you'll surely be able to find something else that interests you too.

 

[Brett Wyman]

Disneyland is my home park and preference.

In the end, the biggest differences for me are these:

-Disneyland Resort
Not really a resort.
It’s two parks in a metro area, with the focus being on local Annual Passholders.
Majority of multi-day guests will be taking advantage of hotels outside of Disney Property.
A very walkable experience due to both gates being across a promenade from each other. MaxPass is designed to be used day of trip.

-WDW
Specifically a resort feel and experience, with the focus more on guests from outside of the Orlando area.
Isolated from the surrounding cities, which is what many have referred to as “The Bubble”.
Not walkable due to the spread out nature.
FP+ is designed to be scheduled months in advance.

Those differences, more than anything else in my observation is what’s noticed the most by WDW regulars.

Once in the parks, the differences are mostly about layout and missing or different attractions
The Disney Magic felt the same to me.

Ironically those exact same things are why I prefer WDW to DL

 

[HydroGuy]

So we have been to WDW 5 times since 2014 and just came back from 10 nights. I am thinking of going to Disneyland in 2020 for a 5 night stay. Can someone who has been to both places tell me the biggest differences besides size and were you let down by Disneyland (I have heard mixed stories from others who have done both and said Disneyland was run down and dirty?)
Also what time of year would you go? I am thinking of October?
thank you

No DLR is not run down or dirty. Even outside of DLR on city property is not run down or dirty.

As DLR is more of a "local's resort" they tend to have even higher standards for cleanliness than WDW IMO. The locals notice the paint, lightbulbs, everything.

Others have written some great observations here. It is true that WDW is more about vacationing and the resort experience. DLR is more about keeping things dynamic because so many locals go. That has pros and cons.

I love that DLR does not take much planning, if any. The weather is better for most of the year, and the major shows are better IMO.

WDW takes way more planning, which a DLR vet finds absurd. But WDW offers a wealth of experiences that DLR does not. WDW has better table service dining options, though DLR is catching up. DLR offers better quick service dining options. Don't discount the quick service dining too quickly as places like Flo's V8 Cafe are just really cool places even if quick service.

DLR has magic. Disney magic, and lots of it. It is not the same as WDW, but why would anyone want it to be?

 

[Mike_M]

Ironically those exact same things are why I prefer WDW to DL

Yeah, that’s why I don’t look at it as ‘one is better than the other’ anymore.

It’s more about which experience is better for that Person/Family.

Disneyland is perfect for my family. A short flight, inexpensive, walkable hotels and fewer days needed to see everything mean we can afford to go more often.

Win Win

 

[brockash]

So we have been to WDW 5 times since 2014 and just came back from 10 nights. I am thinking of going to Disneyland in 2020 for a 5 night stay. Can someone who has been to both places tell me the biggest differences besides size and were you let down by Disneyland (I have heard mixed stories from others who have done both and said Disneyland was run down and dirty?)
Also what time of year would you go? I am thinking of October?
thank you

We just returned from land last night. - Don't book in October it's a very busy time of year. We go to WDW every year and land every few years. While we enjoy both, I will be honest in that for us land doesn't hold a candle to WDW. The best way I can sum it up is that every time our WDW comes to an end we just want to stay longer as opposed to every time a land trip ends we just want to go to WDW. It's just s very different feel. Still fun, but not "magical" or fun, easy etc. There are MANY more locals at land and to us the cms just seem to be doing a job, nothing more. I can't tell you how many times this past weekend the cms were carrying on with their own personal conversations etc. - nothing wrong with that, but feels more like a regular amusement park in that respect.

It is generally nice that everything is very compact/close together which equals less walking, and we have fun and enjoy some of the rides WDW doesn't have, but it's not the same.

 

[Aurora0427]

So we have been to WDW 5 times since 2014 and just came back from 10 nights. I am thinking of going to Disneyland in 2020 for a 5 night stay. Can someone who has been to both places tell me the biggest differences besides size and were you let down by Disneyland (I have heard mixed stories from others who have done both and said Disneyland was run down and dirty?)
Also what time of year would you go? I am thinking of October?
thank you

For the love of God, don’t go in October. The crowds have been pretty bad these past two weeks due to out of state fall breaks!

Disneyland is NOT rundown and dirty. Whoever told you that must be crazy.

You’ve had tons of advice, so I’ll just say stay on property at either the Grand Californian or the Disneyland Hotel. We usually stay off property, as we are now locals and staying on property 1-2 times a month is not in the budget, but for a 5 night vacation, DEFINITELY stay at the GCH or the DLH. We just returned from our first stay at the Disneyland Hotel and it was MAGICAL and we totally felt like we didn’t leave the Disney bubble! We are WDW vets with over ten trips under our belts staying at the Grand Floridian, Polynesian, Beach and Yacht Club, and staying on property at Disneyland is definitely comparable!

 

[Captainkidd76]

We just returned from land last night. - Don't book in October it's a very busy time of year. We go to WDW every year and land every few years. While we enjoy both, I will be honest in that for us land doesn't hold a candle to WDW. The best way I can sum it up is that every time our WDW comes to an end we just want to stay longer as opposed to every time a land trip ends we just want to go to WDW. It's just s very different feel. Still fun, but not "magical" or fun, easy etc. There are MANY more locals at land and to us the cms just seem to be doing a job, nothing more. I can't tell you how many times this past weekend the cms were carrying on with their own personal conversations etc. - nothing wrong with that, but feels more like a regular amusement park in that respect.

It is generally nice that everything is very compact/close together which equals less walking, and we have fun and enjoy some of the rides WDW doesn't have, but it's not the same.

I would agree about some of the CM's but not all. Are you saying DL isn't as easy as WDW? That I don't see at all.

The "magic" I think is more evident at Disneyland. WDW has become a construction zone. There's always some huge project going on that detracts from the "show". Disneyland being smaller has an advantage here. You don't have to be subjected to dump trucks, construction cones, construction noise throughout the day. You can't escape that anymore when leaving a WDW park. At Disneyland, at least on site, you never have to see or deal with that stuff. Sure, there is work done in the park, but they seem able to do it without causing any issues.

 

[Jvace]

Just returned from our first Disneyland trip (been to Disneyworld many times)
We were there October 10-14th. We were looking forward to this “more relaxed experience” you always read about.....made only 3 dinner reservations ahead of time and that’s pretty much it as far as planning inside the park went.

When we got home, I immediately canceled our WDW trip planned for December 4-13. Our DL experience TOTALLY burned me out and it was hands down our worst Disney trip!!!

I have NEVER seen so many people and such long lines like I did in Disneyland! OMG it was awful! The “regulars” I talked to and the cast members I overheard, were all saying they had “never seen anything like this before”. So DO NOT go during those days in October ....

The “awesome” maxpass was worthless for us the first 4 days. We are not rope drop people (it’s a more “relaxed” park so we should be okay right?) so when both parks run out of all fast passes by 4 pm and the passes for the best rides are gone even earlier.....you end up waited an hour or more for everything (the headliners way more)

Our 1st day was so bad that we did get up early to rope drop our 2nd day, hoping for better results....but the ART bus didn’t show up at our stop (this was our 1st day of using the ART and lots of issues with getting a bus that day for some reason. The rest of our time, the ART was fine) so after 40min of waiting, we ended up walking to another stop to catch the bus. Bottom line, didn’t make rope drop....but didn’t really do much better with the maxpass getting there earlier.

I tried really, really hard to keep an open mind knowing that we were unfortunately there at an extremely crowded time.....so looking past that, here are my honest thoughts:

Disneyland is not rundown, I thought it was clean! The bathrooms weren’t great, but not really surprised considering the hordes of people there.

We stayed offsite and it was fine. No you aren’t in the “bubble” like WDW, but it didn’t affect our trip.

Maxpass didn’t work out for us until our last day.....but because of that last day, I could see that it would be pretty amazing at a less busy time. We probably got more done our last day than the 4 days prior combined!

The “quaintness/everything close” doesn’t work when it’s crowded!! There were lines EVERYWHERE and we had a hard time figuring out what line went to what (looking at you pirates)....like is this the line for the ride? The churro cart? The line for check in to that restaurant? It was CRAZY! A lot of the lines for the rides at DL aren’t enclosed like WDW, so they wind around outside where everyone is walking.

There are several rides that are better than their equivalent at WDW....Pirates, radiator springs (the whole land is amazing), haunted mansion, I “think” thunder mountain... we were only able to ride this once and it was dark, but it seemed longer and more themed from what I could tell, and It’s a small world.

I loved world of color! Didn’t think fantasmic was better at DL. Closer to the action? Yes....but sitting on the ground was rough...my legs were falling asleep! Too old for that hahaha! Maybe that is clouding my judgement Space mountain seemed the same to me except the seating.

The weather is hands down better at DL!! Absolutely gorgeous!

I was looking forward to soaking up the “magic” that you read about....to just wander around, taking in all the little details.... Didn’t happen, too crowded, can’t wander because you will get run over, can’t take in details because of the massive amount of people EVERYWHERE!

I did love the longer hours at DL! Not sure if this is DL normal hours year round, but we always get the shorter hours when we travel to WDW. It worked great for us late arrival people!

I understand what people mean when they say the cast members aren’t as “into the magic”/friendly/helpful etc.....we had several that weren’t rude but not friendly if that makes sense. You could tell it was just a job for them. But every waiter we had was excellent! Zero complaints on our service in the restaurants we went to!

Disney Springs > Downtown Disney

I know that the crowds affected my experience at DL! But my final opinion is....I plan trips for WDW, I would not plan a trip for DL. DL would be more of an “add on” if I am in the area. I’m glad I got to experience it, but I prefer WDW.

 

[Captainkidd76]

Why was it so crowded last week?

For us, we like some of the less crowded attractions like Pinnochio, Snow White, Mr. Toad. We Maxpass Space, Thunder, Splash, Matterhorn. Granted, it was only one time. We're going next year during April vacation so we know it will be crowded, but with Maxpass and staying at the Grand Californian, that should help a ton with DCA. As for Disneyland, just do the best we can with Maxpass and get there early, head back to the hotel in the afternoon, then head back to the park at night. The nice thing about Disneyland is when it gets crowded, there are so many hidden (or not so hidden) treasures. Main Street at Disneyland is an attraction, as is the railroad, unlike at the Magic Kingdom.

 

[Aurora0427]

Why was it so crowded last week?

For us, we like some of the less crowded attractions like Pinnochio, Snow White, Mr. Toad. We Maxpass Space, Thunder, Splash, Matterhorn. Granted, it was only one time. We're going next year during April vacation so we know it will be crowded, but with Maxpass and staying at the Grand Californian, that should help a ton with DCA. As for Disneyland, just do the best we can with Maxpass and get there early, head back to the hotel in the afternoon, then head back to the park at night. The nice thing about Disneyland is when it gets crowded, there are so many hidden (or not so hidden) treasures. Main Street at Disneyland is an attraction, as is the railroad, unlike at the Magic Kingdom.

Every school in Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and possibly some in Northern Carolina were on fall break. We were there 10/14-10/15 and it was madness. Summer was awesome! Lots of people have been predicting bad October crowds because of Halloween and light summer. Fall has also become an extremely busy time at WDW.

 

[ErinAlb]

I'm in WDW for the first time right now (well, first time since 1993) and went to DLR for the first time about a year ago.

I think DLR is without question the better value and the more reliable experience, as far as the theme parks go. WDW has too many people and not enough park to handle them. You're forced to plan meticulously, but any mishap can domino those plans really easily. I have lots of friends who are DLR regulars, and multiple times this week I have thought, "Wow, WDW people do not seem to realize they are putting up with difficulties that DLR people would never tolerate."

BUT

There are some individual experiences at WDW that are just ... singular. The Happily Ever After fireworks show; Flight of Passage, Expedition Everest, and Tower of Terror; the overall beauty and immersive quality of Animal Kingdom — DLR has NOTHING like that.

That said, Cars Land in DCA — I've never even seen Cars, but I want to live in Cars Land. I daydream about it all the time. The original DL attractions have a powerful nostalgic quality, even if you've never been there before. The weather in SoCal is a big plus. And there is a sense of being showered with magic at DLR. When we arrived there, Minnie greeted us on Main Street and gave us hugs and kisses. Then a brass band joined my kid on the carousel. We just wandered onto ride after ride, including biggies like BTMR and Splash Mountain. Nothing like that has happened at WDW; there are just too many people and the planning requirements are too regimented.

 

[Delilah1310]

Why was it so crowded last week?

In addition to the Utah and Arizona fall breaks, we were also told from locals in line that there were massive power outages in northern California that closed schools and wildfires near the LA area that also closed schools. So many people, with the bonus day of school closing, headed to Disneyland ... a common occurrence, we were told.

Plus Monday, 10/14 was Indigenous Peoples Day (Columbus Day), which is a federal holiday and many other employers also have this as a day off.

 

[Aurora0427]

In addition to the Utah and Arizona fall breaks, we were also told from locals in line that there were massive power outages in northern California that closed schools and wildfires near the LA area that also closed schools. So many people, with the bonus day of school closing, headed to Disneyland ... a common occurrence, we were told.

Plus Monday, 10/14 was Indigenous Peoples Day (Columbus Day), which is a federal holiday and many other employers also have this as a day off.

Definitely. We were there Monday and I noticed tons of adults without kids. It’s not a school holiday here, so I think a lot of locals without kids who had the day off came, maybe people with kids sent their kids to school and had an adult day at Disneyland, and then the out of towners. We saw groups of friends in their twenties who I bet had the day off. Crazy day!

 

[BrianL]

For the OP, a quick rundown of similar attractions to WDW at DLR:

Disneyland:
The Enchanted Tiki Room: longer show at DL, people seem more into it
Jungle Cruise: no temple tunnel at DL, shorter ride but other than that the same
Indiana Jones: Silimar ride to DINOSAUR at AK, better theming
Tarzan's Treehouse: pretty similar to Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse but with more Tarzan stuff
Pirates of the Caribbean: DL has two drops and more show scenes - much better than WDW version
Haunted Mansion: different exterior, ride is actually slightly shorter, has the Hatbox Ghost who is awesome but still give the edge to WDW one, but not by a lot
Splash Mountain: single-file seating at DL, shorter, water tends to overtop the boats guaranteeing you will get soaked to your shoes!
Winnie the Pooh: pretty similar, different ride vehicles that look like beehives
Big Thunder Mountain: DL has outdoor loading and new special effects in the final scene, smoother since refurb but otherwise very similar
Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run: identical as far as I know
Peter Pan's Flight: DL version is a little shorter and stops to load so it loads even slower if you can believe that, WDW is slightly more refined
Dumbo: only one spinner, basically the same
Mad T Party: no canopy at DL but otherwise the same
It's a Small World: much nicer exterior, loads outside, large gaps between water track and show scenes, some Disney characters sprinkled in
Autopia: much longer than Tomorrowland Speedway and nicer scenery
Space Mountain: a very different ride here, smaller footprint, seating is side-by-side, smoother, cool lift-hill effects - WDW Space is very similar to The Matterhorn - they use the same ride system
Buzz Lightyear Astro-Blasters: guns can be held in your hand at DL making for easier aiming
Star Tours: identical except for having only four simulators instead of six so the line can move slower
Astro Orbiter: situated on the ground at DL so the views aren't as good

California Adventure:
Soarin: identical but only two theaters, may still be running the old California version so if you like that better could be good
Grizzly River Run: longer than the comparable Kali River at AK - you will get soaked on either!
Little Mermaid: different exterior but ride is exactly the same
Toy Story Mania!: the ride is exactly the same, only two tracks instead of the expanded three at HS, queue is outdoors but covered
Radiator Springs Ravers: comparable to Test Track as it is the same ride system, much longer, more themed elements, side-by-side race but not as fast - beautiful scenery!
Mater's Junkyard Jamboree: standard whip ride that is very similar to Alien Swirling Saucers at Toy Story Land
Guardians of the Galaxy: converted form Tower of Terror, DL tower was always different in that there is no forward movement of the car, all scenes on video, random song choice, very nice pre-show
Disney Jr. Dance Party: I believe this is basically the same as the HS one

I think that covers it. I hope it's helpful.

 

[PiratesMansion]

Just returned from our first Disneyland trip (been to Disneyworld many times)
We were there October 10-14th. We were looking forward to this “more relaxed experience” you always read about.....made only 3 dinner reservations ahead of time and that’s pretty much it as far as planning inside the park went.

When we got home, I immediately canceled our WDW trip planned for December 4-13. Our DL experience TOTALLY burned me out and it was hands down our worst Disney trip!!!

I have NEVER seen so many people and such long lines like I did in Disneyland! OMG it was awful! The “regulars” I talked to and the cast members I overheard, were all saying they had “never seen anything like this before”. So DO NOT go during those days in October ....

The “awesome” maxpass was worthless for us the first 4 days. We are not rope drop people (it’s a more “relaxed” park so we should be okay right?) so when both parks run out of all fast passes by 4 pm and the passes for the best rides are gone even earlier.....you end up waited an hour or more for everything (the headliners way more)

Our 1st day was so bad that we did get up early to rope drop our 2nd day, hoping for better results....but the ART bus didn’t show up at our stop (this was our 1st day of using the ART and lots of issues with getting a bus that day for some reason. The rest of our time, the ART was fine) so after 40min of waiting, we ended up walking to another stop to catch the bus. Bottom line, didn’t make rope drop....but didn’t really do much better with the maxpass getting there earlier.

I tried really, really hard to keep an open mind knowing that we were unfortunately there at an extremely crowded time.....so looking past that, here are my honest thoughts:

Disneyland is not rundown, I thought it was clean! The bathrooms weren’t great, but not really surprised considering the hordes of people there.

We stayed offsite and it was fine. No you aren’t in the “bubble” like WDW, but it didn’t affect our trip.

Maxpass didn’t work out for us until our last day.....but because of that last day, I could see that it would be pretty amazing at a less busy time. We probably got more done our last day than the 4 days prior combined!

The “quaintness/everything close” doesn’t work when it’s crowded!! There were lines EVERYWHERE and we had a hard time figuring out what line went to what (looking at you pirates)....like is this the line for the ride? The churro cart? The line for check in to that restaurant? It was CRAZY! A lot of the lines for the rides at DL aren’t enclosed like WDW, so they wind around outside where everyone is walking.

There are several rides that are better than their equivalent at WDW....Pirates, radiator springs (the whole land is amazing), haunted mansion, I “think” thunder mountain... we were only able to ride this once and it was dark, but it seemed longer and more themed from what I could tell, and It’s a small world.

I loved world of color! Didn’t think fantasmic was better at DL. Closer to the action? Yes....but sitting on the ground was rough...my legs were falling asleep! Too old for that hahaha! Maybe that is clouding my judgement Space mountain seemed the same to me except the seating.

The weather is hands down better at DL!! Absolutely gorgeous!

I was looking forward to soaking up the “magic” that you read about....to just wander around, taking in all the little details.... Didn’t happen, too crowded, can’t wander because you will get run over, can’t take in details because of the massive amount of people EVERYWHERE!

I did love the longer hours at DL! Not sure if this is DL normal hours year round, but we always get the shorter hours when we travel to WDW. It worked great for us late arrival people!

I understand what people mean when they say the cast members aren’t as “into the magic”/friendly/helpful etc.....we had several that weren’t rude but not friendly if that makes sense. You could tell it was just a job for them. But every waiter we had was excellent! Zero complaints on our service in the restaurants we went to!

Disney Springs > Downtown Disney

I know that the crowds affected my experience at DL! But my final opinion is....I plan trips for WDW, I would not plan a trip for DL. DL would be more of an “add on” if I am in the area. I’m glad I got to experience it, but I prefer WDW.

Disneyland Park specifically almost always feels super crowded due to the smaller walkways, but definitely the fact that it is October and the timing of breaks did not work in your favor. If you ever decide you might want to visit again, I really like July...the passes are blocked out and there's no seasonal draw to bring all the locals in, and the summer weather is MUCH better.

But if you are not an early riser, I can understand that WDW, with FP+, may work better for you. You also had an unfortunate incident with ART that worked against you. If you're able to the DL parks for rope drop (and staying at a hotel across the street and walking really helps there), especially when they open at 8, you can usually get SO much done in those first few hours, not to mention it sets you up for much more success with FP/MP. It's not like WDW where rope drop is pretty packed so you might as well sleep in. The locals can't make opening because of traffic, and so you almost have the park to yourself in summer at those times.

I find the DLR cast members to be less outgoing but part of that is based on who is visiting. I don't find Californians in general to be super bubbly/outgoing; not rude, but not people to approach you the same way as Floridians do. Also, most people at DLR at any given time have visited the parks before and probably don't require the same level of interactions with CMs simply because they know the drill and there are many fewer complicating variables on any given day at the park (i.e. less emphasis on FP+, reservation windows, upcharges). So I find that DLR CMs tend to hang back a bit more than their WDW counterparts, but they have never been less than helpful or polite when I have approached them.

Just my two cents. I'm happy that you really enjoyed parts of your trip and hope that at some point you are able to return to DLR.

 

[Aurora0427]

Excellent u

Disneyland Park specifically almost always feels super crowded due to the smaller walkways, but definitely the fact that it is October and the timing of breaks did not work in your favor. If you ever decide you might want to visit again, I really like July...the passes are blocked out and there's no seasonal draw to bring all the locals in, and the summer weather is MUCH better.

But if you are not an early riser, I can understand that WDW, with FP+, may work better for you. You also had an unfortunate incident with ART that worked against you. If you're able to the DL parks for rope drop (and staying at a hotel across the street and walking really helps there), especially when they open at 8, you can usually get SO much done in those first few hours, not to mention it sets you up for much more success with FP/MP. It's not like WDW where rope drop is pretty packed so you might as well sleep in. The locals can't make opening because of traffic, and so you almost have the park to yourself in summer at those times.

I find the DLR cast members to be less outgoing but part of that is based on who is visiting. I don't find Californians in general to be super bubbly/outgoing; not rude, but not people to approach you the same way as Floridians do. Also, most people at DLR at any given time have visited the parks before and probably don't require the same level of interactions with CMs simply because they know the drill and there are many fewer complicating variables on any given day at the park (i.e. less emphasis on FP+, reservation windows, upcharges). So I find that DLR CMs tend to hang back a bit more than their WDW counterparts, but they have never been less than helpful or polite when I have approached them.

Just my two cents. I'm happy that you really enjoyed parts of your trip and hope that at some point you are able to return to DLR.

Excellent post and I agree

Rope drop in the summer is your best friend, we get SO MUCH DONE. Also agree with staying at one of the hotels on Harbor directly across from the parks of Grand Californian is out of the budget. We like the park Vue inn. October 10-14 was just really bad timing due to fall breaks and out of state visitors. We were there 10/14 and my husband said “never again on Columbus Day or these weeks in october!”

 

[brockash]

I would agree about some of the CM's but not all. Are you saying DL isn't as easy as WDW? That I don't see at all.

The "magic" I think is more evident at Disneyland. WDW has become a construction zone. There's always some huge project going on that detracts from the "show". Disneyland being smaller has an advantage here. You don't have to be subjected to dump trucks, construction cones, construction noise throughout the day. You can't escape that anymore when leaving a WDW park. At Disneyland, at least on site, you never have to see or deal with that stuff. Sure, there is work done in the park, but they seem able to do it without causing any issues.

Easy as in I feel taken care of there; from the point of landing, not having to get my own luggage, taking the magical express to CMs that are attentive and seem to "care." For example on Mon. night, my 5 year old got sick right before we loaded Space Mountain (I'm thinking it must have been something she ate earlier in the day,) but it was right in front of the CM loading us as we were already in the spot to load. She threw up all over herself and the floor. I asked him how to get to the bathroom and he just looked and said up that hallway (I think it was the hall either single riders or those with disabilities come down, because there was a line of ppl.) As I'm walking up the very long hallway I passed 2 other cms, the first said nothing - it was very obvious she was sick as she threw up the entire way up the hall, at the 2nd CM I asked again for the restroom to which she just looked, pointed and said that way. Once in the restroom there was a custodian in there and it was busy, but nothing was said etc. At WDW I feel like I would have had cms chasing me down asking if they could help, offering to get a new shirt etc., which was very far from my experience at land ever. Like I said to me, land cms just seem like regular employees doing a job. I will also say that while maxpass is ok, I don't like how you can't change a fastpass without going out and cancelling one and then going back in hoping the times you wanted are still there and I don't like that it cost $15/person/day. At WDW using their fastpass system you can look for new rides/times and immediately modify your current selection for what you first find/click on. I much prefer that and to me is much easier than having to go out cancel and then go back in hoping to again find what you want.

I will say as far as the planning portion; it's definitely not needed at land, but being we do WDW every year, we're used to and understand how the planning there works so it doesn't seem to be an issue for us, but I can see how it'd feel overwhelming to a first timer.

 

[BrianL]

Also, most people at DLR at any given time have visited the parks before and probably don't require the same level of interactions with CMs simply because they know the drill and there are many fewer complicating variables on any given day at the park (i.e. less emphasis on FP+, reservation windows, upcharges). So I find that DLR CMs tend to hang back a bit more than their WDW counterparts, but they have never been less than helpful or polite when I have approached them.

This is something I have noticed but it can lead to a trap where the CMs sort of assume you know what you are supposed to do. I have encountered some pretty rude parade crowd control CMs yelling directions or being a bit chuffed at a question. We're not all expert "Disneyland People" and sometimes that is not recognized. Part of it definitely is that most CMs at DL are local, whereas WDW CM's come from all over the world. I find Southern Californians to be very friendly generally, but they might be too laid back, ha ha! That said, most CMs at DL are still really great!

 

[Pamela M]

Definitely. We were there Monday and I noticed tons of adults without kids. It’s not a school holiday here, so I think a lot of locals without kids who had the day off came, maybe people with kids sent their kids to school and had an adult day at Disneyland, and then the out of towners. We saw groups of friends in their twenties who I bet had the day off. Crazy day!

Over the last few years Mondays have gotten busier and busier. I went for 5 days in May 2018 and was there Friday - Tuesday. Monday was the busiest of all the days I was there.

I'm heading to WDW in December and hoping I find the magic that I've found at Disneyland. I'm looking forward to staying onsite even if it's only a value resort. I can never justify the cost to stay onsite at DL.