What’s the Difference between Disneyland and Walt Disney World?

By:  Amy Krause, a Marvelous Mouse Travels agent

You might think if you have been to one of the Disney parks on either coast that you don’t need to visit the other, but that is most definitely not the case. Let’s look at some of the differences between Disneyland, located in Anaheim, CA and Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL.

The Parks

Disneyland Resort is made up of two parks, Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park. These two parks are close to each other, with an esplanade in between making it very easy to park hop from one to the other in just a matter of minutes.

The Walt Disney World property in Florida is twice the size of the island of Manhattan and is made up of six parks total, two of which are water parks: 

1. Magic Kingdom
2. EPCOT
3. Disney’s Hollywood Studies
4. Disney’s Animal Kingdom
5. Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon
6. Disney’s Blizzard Beach

Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach are water parks that require a ticket upgrade. None of these parks are within walking distance of each other, making park hopping time consuming and less convenient. 

Hotels

There are three on property resorts at Disneyland: Disneyland Hotel, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa, and Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel. The shopping/dining district, Downtown Disney, connects the Disney property hotels with the esplanade and entrance to the parks. 

Walt Disney World Resort has more than 25 on property hotels, offering a range of options for every budget. Disney Springs, the shopping/dining district, is larger than Downtown Disney in California, however, it requires transportation from all the parks.

Staying at a Disney hotel at both Disneyland and Disney World has its perks. Early theme park entry, resort package delivery and digital room keys are among some of these benefits. At Walt Disney World, staying on site also includes FREE transportation from your Disney resort to all the theme parks and Disney Springs. This makes it convenient to get around the large property.

Park Comparisons

Now, let’s break down the different parks and what you can expect to experience in each one! 

First up, let’s compare Magic Kingdom and Disneyland Park since they are the most similar of all the parks. Although they are similar and homes to the most iconic Disney landmarks – the castles, there are some notable differences that will make you want to visit each one.

1. Magic Kingdom is more expansive… it is approximately 142 acres, whereas Disneyland is approximately 85 acres, so there will be more walking at Magic Kingdom.
2. Disneyland features New Orleans Square, Critter Country, Toon Town and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge which are all missing from Magic Kingdom; however, Magic Kingdom has Liberty Square which you cannot find at Disneyland.
   
3. The queues are predominately inside at Walt Disney World whereas Disneyland has more outdoor queues. A few examples of this are It’s a Small World and Peter Pan. This makes sense because the weather is very different on each coast. Indoor queues offer reprieve from the Florida heat and humidity and the mid-day rain you will likely encounter.
4. Fantasyland at Disneyland is just plain better. It has more rides and offers a cozy feel whereas it’s a bit more spread out at Disney World.
5. The castle… we’ve all heard it, Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom is larger than Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland. While this may be true, both are beautiful and offer the perfect photo backdrop.

Each of the other parks found at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World really cannot be compared to each other because they are so unique. Here is a brief look at each park.

1. Disney’s Hollywood Studios (Disney World) is where you will find Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Toy Story Land and the newest attraction, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. 
2. Animal Kingdom (Disney World) has some unique and fun experiences. This park includes the following themed areas: Pandora – The World of Avatar, Africa, Asia, Dinoland U.S.A., Discovery Island and Oasis. Animal Kingdom is also home to the Tree of Life, which is the center focal point of the park. This park has some amazing sights to see once the sun has set between Pandora and the Tree of Life. If you want to experience the entire park, a full day is recommended, but if you must split the day, definitely visit Animal Kingdom at night. Some fun attractions at this park include Expedition Everest (a must for roller coaster enthusiasts… it is NOT similar to the Matterhorn at Disneyland), Avatar Flight of Passage, Dinosaur (similar set up to Indiana Jones at Disneyland), and Kilimanjaro Safaris. 

   

   

   
   

    

    

3. EPCOT (Disney World) is home to many festivals throughout the year. At this park you can stroll around the world and experience food and cultures from many countries. The three most popular rides are the newest – Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and Frozen Ever After. This park has the most Princess meet and greet spots of all the parks at Disney World, so if you have your own little princess, this park is not to be missed.

    

4. California Adventure (Disneyland) is the newest theme park of all the Disney parks in the United States. It made its debut in 2001 and went through a pretty big reimagining in 2012. This park is where you’ll find unique lands and attractions such as Cars Land, Avengers Campus, and Pixar Pier. This park also hosts the nighttime spectacular World of Color – inspired by Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color tv series.

Although the Disney Magic is plentiful at the resorts on each coast, there are definitely unique experiences and memories waiting for you at both Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort.

If you are ready to plan your next Disney vacation, reach out to your Marvelous Mouse Travels vacation planner today.