Not as excited for WDW as I always am for DLR

[IBLarsen]

We have been to DLR for the past 3 years in a row. We are planning our next trip to WDW for our 2 childrens 6yr and 8yr birthdays in April (which are the same week). We have never been to WDW, so thought this would be a special birthday trip. Now that I'm starting the planning process, I'm not as excited to go to WDW as I always am to go to DLR! Part of me really wants to go experience WDW, but I think my biggest hesitation is (and it sounds silly), that going to different parks each day means we won't be walking down Main St and seeing the castle each morning to start our day. Even on our CA days we always start at DL side, and hop back and forth.
I'm just not sure if it will 'feel' like Disney to me not having the main street/castle everyday. At DLR walking down Main St each morning just sets in that magical feeling for me. It's my favorite part of DL.

Anybody else feel this way? And will WDW be so magical in itself (at the parks outside of Magic Kingdom), that I won't feel like I'm missing out on the special Main St magic of DL?

 

[DSNY4ever]

You are insane

DLR is fun and wonderful and the little trips tide me over until we can get back to WDW!! You will have an incredible time. You are immersed in the magic 24/7! (are you staying onsite?). Epcot is amazing. You will see so many new magical things that Disney has to offer you will be overwhelmed with magic.

Make sure you go visit some of the deluxe hotels. And enjoy all the restaurants they are amazing.

Get excited... this will be an incredible trip!

 

[LavenderPeach]

Don't think of it as a different version of DLR, just think of it as a whole different vacation and a whole new place to explore. Like if you were going to vacation in hawaii would you be sad that you didn't see the castle every morning? I hope not because there are different things to see there. I'm sure you'll have a great time. I love DLR but WDW has some really fun things that DLR doesn't have (water parks, epcot, tons of fun restaurants, etc) so have fun exploring something new!

 

[IBLarsen]

Awww, Thanks DSNY, that's what I'm hoping to hear! I told you I sound silly! Not sure why I have this crazy idea in my head...so it's good to hear from people who have been to both! I know WDW is supposed to be bigger/better, I just worry about not having the "charm" of DLR....

 

[princessbee]

I love DLR and WDW both... but for entirely different reasons! To me, DLR feels like home--after having been there every single year for the first eighteen years of my life, it's hard not to feel that way. Sometimes I feel like I know it like the back of my hand, and at least we DEFINITELY do not need a map when we get there. But in contrast, WDW feels like a total adventure--I've been twice, but it's still full of so many things I have yet to discover. Even the Magic Kingdom, though it resembles DL in many ways, is full of new and wonderful things to see.

 

[JH87]

I've never gone to WDW but have been to DLR ever so many times ever since I was like 4 years old. And I know what you mean, me and my cousin were talking about a WDW trip but I am afraid that it woun't 'feel' the same, but i think you have to know that going in to it it's gonna be a different experience. But i do understand, walking down main st with the rush of people in the morning, seeing the partners statue with the castle in the background....there really is nothing like it.
But you guys will have fun, and just think, after this WDW trip you can start planning your next DLR trip!

 

[HydroGuy]

WDW is as full of Disney Magic as is DLR. If Main Street is that important then plan to spend at least two days at MK. I would suggest you plan to do some special things at WDW you just can't at DLR.

Here are some ideas:

1. Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue or Polynesian Luau

2. Roasting marshmallows and watching a Disney movie under the stars at Fort Wilderness

3. Go to the water parks

4. Go to Disney Quest

5. Look at some of the kid activities within WDW but outside the parks - they have things like treasure hunts, etc.

6. Take a boat to MK, Epcot or DHS.

7. Not sure how much you do Disney dining at DLR but plan to do it at WDW. Everyone has their favorties and we have only hit a fraction of what is there. But here are some on our must do list: Beaches & Cream, Sci-Fi Dine-In and Whispering Canyon. Also eat at one of the Epcot World Showcase restaurants

 

[HydroGuy]

I've never gone to WDW but have been to DLR ever so many times ever since I was like 4 years old. And I know what you mean, me and my cousin were talking about a WDW trip but I am afraid that it woun't 'feel' the same, but i think you have to know that going in to it it's gonna be a different experience. But i do understand, walking down main st with the rush of people in the morning, seeing the partners statue with the castle in the background....there really is nothing like it.
But you guys will have fun, and just think, after this WDW trip you can start planning your next DLR trip!

If by "feel" the same you mean feel Disney Magic in the air, then there is nothing to fear. Both WDW and DLR are chock full of Disney magic. But if you mean feel the same that WDW will feel like DLR well, no, it won't. That is the idea. WDW is not DLR East, and DLR is not WDW West. They each have their own unique stengths while still exuding Disney magic.

 

[skiingfast]

We have been to DLR for the past 3 years in a row. We are planning our next trip to WDW for our 2 childrens 6yr and 8yr birthdays in April (which are the same week). We have never been to WDW, so thought this would be a special birthday trip. Now that I'm starting the planning process, I'm not as excited to go to WDW as I always am to go to DLR! Part of me really wants to go experience WDW, but I think my biggest hesitation is (and it sounds silly), that going to different parks each day means we won't be walking down Main St and seeing the castle each morning to start our day. Even on our CA days we always start at DL side, and hop back and forth.
I'm just not sure if it will 'feel' like Disney to me not having the main street/castle everyday. At DLR walking down Main St each morning just sets in that magical feeling for me. It's my favorite part of DL.

Anybody else feel this way? And will WDW be so magical in itself (at the parks outside of Magic Kingdom), that I won't feel like I'm missing out on the special Main St magic of DL?

I find WDW to be a lot different for one reason. It more submersive. If you stay onsite and get a dining plan it is one of the most relaxing trips ever.

BTW 80% of DISers stay onsite there. Also 66% park hop. EMH (extra magic hours) are a big deal there and park hopping makes it much more worthwhile. While people on this sides of the board talk about going to the pool in the middle of the day or going to a hotel for a nap, it's mostly talk and in WDW it's the truth. It part of what makes WDW a place for getting the most out of you trip and relaxing at the same time.

Taking a trip away from DLR to WDW is a vacation. Everything there is much simpler and you can be more relaxed while you are there.

 

[kkmcan]

I have found it hard to excited for a place I've never been to. I guess it has to do with not knowing what to expect. I felt the same way planning our first trip and even our second trip to WDW. But when we got there we had so much fun discovering new parks we had never been to!

You'll love it! Although I do have to say I didn't "love" the Magic Kingdom. It was kind of disappointing after so many trips to DL. But we loved all 3 of the other parks.

 

[SplashMo]

You want to get the Unoffical Guide to WDW and also use there best days website. This will get you at the right parks on the best days. They have a phone app as well for wait times...

I love both DL and WDW. Animal Kingdom is perfect for kids. Get a stroller for sure though at Animal Kingdom. Our Kids love the countries in Epcot which was a suprize for us.

Both places are wonderful. We often stay at the all-star which is inexpensive. You are going to have a blast.

 

[Nala83]

If you are nervous about making comparisons and being disappointed, I'd suggest starting somewhere different than the Magic Kingdom. Choose one of the other wonderful parks- walk by the giant ball at Epcot, or around the tree of life at Animal Kingdom (amazing!). The parks are so different from one another. All have Disney magic, but it's all new to explore!

I found it hard to avoid making comparisons and I definitely missed "my" park when in the MK. Starting somewhere else would help you soak up some of the WDW magic right from the start.

You'll have a great time! I did- DLR is my home park and I love it dearly, but I'm headed back for a second trip to WDW in a few months!

 

[jenksdj]

Doesn't everyone say that planning is half the fun of the trip? So get planning and you will begin to get excited. There is a lot more to plan for in a WDW vacation than a DLR vacation so get started early! I agree with the PP about getting the Unofficial guide. Start showing the kids lots of pictures of the different parks and water parks online. They will begin to get excited too, then you won't be able to help yourself!

Both DLR and WDW are vacations for us (no less than a week), so no matter where we go, we stay onsite and get totally immersed in Disney. We like DLR because we can walk everywhere and we DO go back to the hotel every afternoon for a swim because time permits. At WDW we did go back to the hotel for swims on some days, but it chewed up a lot of touring time because even the onsite hotels aren't close enough to walk everywhere. That said, we chose a hotel close to the park that we thought we would use the most (Beach Club - 5 min. WALK to Epcot). When we went to other parks like AK and MK we considered it a day trip and a bit of an adventure. We took the bus everywhere we couldn't walk.

In our opinion DLR is cosy and homey, and WDW is a big adventure.

If your kids are swimming nuts like ours are, Beach/Yacht Club has the most amazing pool, and the water parks are a must. I'm getting excited for you, just thinking about it!

We, here on the DIS will be your cheering squad when you need to get pumped up.

 

[jetskigrl]

Don't worry at all.....you will love WDW!! I have been going to DLR my entire life (and have been a passholder for almost 10 years now). But my kids wanted to see "the world" so we just did a 10-night stay there last August. It was an amazing vacation!! Yes, it was different, but also comfortably similar. The Disney Magic is definitely there at all 4 parks. MK will be the most familar but the other parks are wonderful also. Once you get there and see the monorail crusing by and the big signs over the roadway (such as "Magic Kingdom,") all your doubts will disappear

 

[pixarmom]

Don't think of it as a different version of DLR, just think of it as a whole different vacation and a whole new place to explore. Like if you were going to vacation in hawaii would you be sad that you didn't see the castle every morning? I hope not because there are different things to see there. I'm sure you'll have a great time. I love DLR but WDW has some really fun things that DLR doesn't have (water parks, epcot, tons of fun restaurants, etc) so have fun exploring something new!

I'm a WDW vet, but I visited DL many times as a child, and then again with my husband and three boys last summer.

I gave my boys the same advice about DL that LavenderPeach gives about WDW. DL and WDW really are different, unique and special places - not just a bigger or smaller version of the other. Our boys love WDW, and I think our oldest (a pre-teen) is up to 11 WDW trips now. Once they looked at DL and WDW this way, DL far exceeded their expectations. (It didn't hurt that a CM asked us to open the park on their first morning at DL, and their first walk down Main Street was entirely alone with just our family and nothing in front of us but the castle!)

So I agree that if you know they are different parks with their own wonderful and unique qualities, you'll have a great time!

P.S. Make sure to make your ADRs (priority seatings in DL language) early - it's a huge difference between the 180-day rule at WDW (up to 190 for confirmed WDW resort guests) and the 60-day rule at DL!

 

[Grim_Grinning_Girl]

I don't think you'll feel homesick at all. I'm a DL vet, visit several times a year. I've only been to the WDW resort about 6 or 7 times and mostly in the 90's. Had a WDW trip in 2006 and my most recent visit was a 2 week stay last month.

The parks down there are so different, it's a totally different experience, the only time you will miss or think of Disneyland is while you are at the Magic Kingdom and on the rides that we have in common. But the experience is still very different. Even if it's something DL and WDW have in common do ride it because they are not copies, especially the Tiki Room, very different than DL's.

Since this your first time, whatever you do - "Don't buy Park Hoppers!" Very pointless especially if you are new to WDW. It's not like it is at DL, the parks are nearby but still very far from one another, you "WILL" waste a lot of time traveling from park to park. But it's pointless to park hop because you could easily spend a full day at any of the parks.

Get to Animal Kingdom early, by opening if possible. They usually close at 5 pm and there is a lot to do and see - Do see the Nemo Musical.

I don't know where you are staying, but renting a car really would be the best thing to do. There will be more people relying on hotel shuttles and Disney transportation than you think, and it will be absolutely awful waiting and using those after park closing. Best way to go is to stay offsite and close by, and rent a car. It seems like the Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway is the Harbor Blvd. of the area - very close to the Disney hub zone, like 8-10 minutes away, lots of hotels, stores, places to eat, hospital, etc.

 

[Judy from Boise]

WDW is not quaint or homey or cozy which are all things we love about DLR. It is grand and majestic and inspiring which are things we love about WDW. It will be a different experience, especially with younger children who might not enjoy "grandure" as much as much as familiar.....so prepare them as best you can.

 

[Diszona]

I would definitely take a different approach at WDW. One suggestion is to add little things to the MK to make the experience different. For starters I would definitely take the ferryboats across the Seven Seas Lagoon to the MK at least once. It may take a little longer than taking a bus or the monorail but it gives you a really great view of the park as you approach and it is something unique to the MK. Also if you have little ones and you are worried they might not like the differences on the rides that are the same at both parks you might want to take them to a unique MK attraction early (Like the Laughing Floor or especially PhilHarmagic). I know it goes against the normal touring plan philosophy but it might help to start them on something cool and unique rather than something that is just different.
As far as seeing the castle every morning I kind of know where you are coming from. We did have a trip one time where we stayed at the Contemporary and started most mornings going to Fantasy land for a couple of hours then heading over to one of the other parks. We picked days where the other parks were either less crowded or were open late. It wasn't perfect and is best done during the slow season. I don't know if I would recommend this approach as it isn't really efficient but it can be done if you plan well. Also you pretty much need to stay at one of the on monorail hotels near the MK, with the Contemporary being the best for this since it is only about a 10 minute walk to the front gate.

 

[jimreuter]

It's all good. I've been to WDW a number of times, and I love it. I've been to DLR hundreds of times (a CM for the last year) and it is "home". I just can't wait to put a smile on someone's face (I was like that before I was a CM - I just love being there).

 

[SplashMo]

For WDW for a long trip you might not need the park hopper. However the shorter the trip the more you might use it....

One thing is to go to AK in the morming and then jump over to DS in the afternoon. I also like to go to AK twice so we often repeat the AK to DS hop or sub in the Epcot World Portion or MK for the evening. Or hit AK till noon on the day we leave...

I have been to all parks in the same day. However my favorite day started in AK - Hopped to DS for the parade and dinner at 50's Prime Time Cafe (My fav there) but most like scifi diner instead. Then Tower of Terror and Rocking Coaster and Fantasmic. Then to MK because they were open till 3AM. All with no breaks

You will have a blast for sure....