Disneyland in California is the original Disney theme park and well worth a visit for any Disney parks fan. If you’re a Disney World “veteran” who is thinking about heading west for your next Disney vacation, there are some things you will want to know. While there are certainly many similarities between the two, there are still lots of differences between planning for Walt Disney World and planning for Disneyland.
First of all, park hopping at Disneyland takes about two minutes, as compared to the bus, boat, or monorail ride needed to navigate between parks at Walt Disney World. The entrance to Disneyland and the entrance to Disney California Adventure are right across a plaza from each other, and walking between the two takes about as long as crossing the street. With the Park Hopper added to your ticket, this makes it extremely easy to hop between the two parks.
At Disneyland, you can walk to the park from most hotels. Disney has three beautiful resort hotels within walking distance from the parks and Downtown Disney – one even has its own entrance to Disney California Adventure. Unlike at Walt Disney World, the area surrounding Disneyland contains many non-Disney hotels, though guests can still book vacation packages at these locations because many of them are Disneyland Good Neighbor Hotels. Some of these hotels are even directly across the street from the entrances to the two theme parks.
FastPass is still paper at Disneyland. If you’ve visited Walt Disney World recently, you’ve likely booked your FastPasses in advance and online, but Disneyland still uses the paper FastPass system where guests can only acquire FastPasses in the park during their visit. The exception to this is Disneyland’s new MaxPass system, that allows guests – for an additional cost – to book their FastPasses via the Disneyland app. Unlike the Walt Disney World FastPass+ system where you can make FastPasses up to 60 days in advance if a resort guest, Disneyland’s MaxPass only allows Guests to reserve their FastPasses the day of, while in the park.
Disneyland also has a much shorter dining reservation window. Whereas Walt Disney World visitors are getting their dining selections ready six months in advance, Disneyland’s dining reservations open only 60 days in advance, and reservations are often easily available shortly before travel dates.
If you’re a frequent Walt Disney World visitor trying out Disneyland for the first time, there are quite a few attractions you’ll want to try that you can’t find at Walt Disney World. Radiator Springs Racers in Disney California Adventure’s Cars Land is one of our favorites. At Disneyland, be sure to try the Matterhorn and Indiana Jones Adventure. One of our nostalgic favorites is the Storybook Land Canal Boats in Fantasyland. Disneyland has several rides that are also in Walt Disney World, but the rides themselves are different. If you’ve heard that Pirates of the Caribbean is better at Disneyland, that’s because it’s true. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and the Haunted Mansion are also worth checking out for their differences from their Walt Disney World counterparts.
While most characters at Walt Disney World have established meeting spots (Mickey Mouse in Town Square Theater, Minnie and Daisy at Pete’s Silly Sideshow, and so on), many characters roam freely at Disneyland. You can often come across Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto in Town Square at Disneyland, or you may find other characters such as the Mad Hatter and Alice roaming around Fantasyland.
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I’m Elizabeth, and I’m a planner, a vacation enthusiast, and quite the nerd. Even better, I’m dedicated to helping you plan an unforgettable vacation without all the stress. I like to say that I specialize in nerd travel – to me, being a nerd has always meant being unashamedly passionate about the stories I love. This is why I love planning for my favorite destinations – these are places that can take you right into the world of your imagination and make it real. If you’re just a grown-up kid like me, you’ll love these destinations, too. Whether you’re imagining fairytale castles or adventures with wizards and dragons, I can help you make it happen! I’m putting all that I’ve learned about vacation planning and my nerdy love of fantasy to work for you, so that you can write your amazing vacation story. Visit my blog NerdTravelPro.com to learn more about how you can get help planning your next adventure, and come visit me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for even more vacation fun and tips. Contact me at elizabeth@theaffordablemouse.com to start planning.
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