Disneyland vs Disney World- Which is Better?

Disneyland vs Disney World, which is better? If you are looking for a magical vacation filled with Disney, then you may be considering taking a trip to either Disney World or Disneyland. While both of them are Disney theme parks, there is no clear right or wrong park to visit for Disney magic. The best park for your family will depend on several factors like location, cost and the size of the parks. Read on to learn the differences between Disneyland and Disney World.

Park Size: Disney World

Disney World is made up of four different theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios. In addition to these parks, there are also some water parks and other outside shopping areas too. Disneyland is made up of California Adventure and the main park. Due to the size, this means that there are going to be a lot fewer attractions in Disneyland. If you are short on time, then you may want to consider visiting Disneyland as you can visit all the attractions in just a few days. You can get a Disney Magic Band to link to your tickets here.

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I was amazed at the sheer size of Disney World. I had only been to Disneyland up until last year since we live on the west coast but I was in absolute awe of the fact that there are four different parks and each of them is as big as Disneyland. When you take into account that there are also the Universal Studio parks in Orlando as well as Sea World and Busch Gardens, I feel like you could go to a different theme park or attraction every day of the year and see something new.

Weather: Disneyland

While there are many attractions to enjoy at Disney World, it is stifling hot during pretty much any month of the year. You can also expect an average of 113 rainy days throughout the year. Disneyland is located in California, which tends to be less hot, and you’ll see a lot less rainy days. If you are worried about the weather, then you may want to consider going to Disneyland instead.

Last year our family went to Disney World during hurricane season. Even though Hurricane Michael hit the panhandle which was hundreds of miles away, we still got hit with some bad weather.

When lightening strikes all the rides have to stop for safety reasons. It can start dumping down the hardest rain you have ever seen in your life out of nowhere. Of course 20 minutes later the sun will be shining again and everything starts going again like the rain never even happened.

Disneyland vs Disney World Cost

Disneyland. If you are merely looking at which one is cheaper, Disneyland is going to win. However, when it comes to the value, Disney World is going to be the one that takes the cake. While Disney World is technically a little more expensive, you are going to be able to ride more rides, see more shows, and meet more characters than you will at Disneyland.

Disneyland vs Disney World Rides

When it comes to rides and attractions, you will find many of the same rides at Disney World that you’ll find in Disneyland. For example, you will find Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Haunted Mansion, and even Toy Story Mania in both parks. However, some rides you won’t find in Disney World such as Snow White’s Scary Adventures. Disneyland has over thirty attractions that are exclusive to Disneyland, while Disney World only has a little over twenty-five. So in terms of rides, you may want to hit the ones at Disneyland since you won’t find many of them at Disney World.

Time in the Parks: Disneyland

If you are looking for a park that you can do in one or two days, then you may want to consider going to Disneyland. Disney World parks are so big that you can barely fit in one park per day! This will usually mean that you have to get up at park opening and stay until close to get your value there.

Is Disneyland as crowded as Disney World?

Crowds in Disneyland and crowds in Walt Disney World or more or less the same, just composed of different demographics and with slightly different day-to-day trends. Disneyland has more local Annual Pass holders whereas Walt Disney World has more tourists. Check out a full guide to Disneyland here.

Location: Tie

If you live on the west coast, then a flight to Orlando is going to cost you not only days of travel, but also money. This means that driving is also out of the question to get to Disney World. If you live on the east coast, you will find yourself in the same dilemma for Disneyland. When it comes to travel cost, you will usually save money by sticking to the theme park that is closest to where you live.

I hope this guide has helped you determine which park is going to be a better value for you. While each one holds an exceptional magical experience that can only be found in each park, either one will still make a great vacation. Get the full guide to Disney World for kids here.

Do you prefer Disneyland or Disney World? Let me know which is your favorite in the comments!