It's impossible not to compare the two, even though we know that's not fair, because there is a major size difference and 16 years between the opening of Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom. Below are some of the differences we noticed. Go here for the Ride Rundown.
1. The one fear we had was that there was not going to be enough to do to keep us busy for five days, but that was never a problem. We were endlessly entertained.
2. The queues in California are primarily outdoors, while in Florida they are primarily inside the buildings where the attractions are located. This even goes for rides like Space Mountain. Some of the newer rides such as Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin have more elaborate themed queue similar to those in Disney World. The reasons are obvious: the park is small; many of the attractions were built in the 1950s, before today's massive crowded; and the average rainfall is 11 inches in Aneheim versus 48 in Orlando (plus: no hurricanes in California).
3. There are fewer FastPass rides in California. Even some rides that consistently have 45- to 60-minute lines don't offer FastPass. This did become a bit annoying since getting a FastPass is almost always the easy way to get on a ride.
4. After seeing Cinderella's Castle all these years towering 189 feet above Main Street USA, Sleeping Beauty Castle looks more like the summer cottage at a mere 77 feet high. This is not a knock against the castle, but looking down Main Street and not seeing the dominant spires does make it seem a bit empty.
5. There is more attention to detail at Disneyland than in the Magic Kingdom. Yes, there are a lot of bells and whistles at MK and great-behind-the-scenes stuff, but there does not seem to be an inch of "dead" space in Disneyland. This also may be because the park is smaller, but there are gems throughout the park: the sounds of a piano student getting a music lesson in the cul de sac near the Main Street Cone Shop; dancing musical fountains near Pixie Hollow; or Snow White Grotto.
6. Hand stamps. You may have thought that was a quaint practice that went out of style with Disney, but you still need to get your hand stamped for re-entry in California.
7. Disneyland always seemed mobbed. This could be our imagination, but it seemed like there were people everywhere, and even when it was supposed to be a light week, it didn't feel that way.
8. There is no better-located hotel in all the Disney Universe than Disney's Grand Californian, situated just a short jaunt to Disneyland and actually inside the California Adventure park and Downtown Disney.
9. The shopping at Disney World is much better. Maybe that's just because it is much bigger, but the variety of stores and merchandise were disappointing in Disneyland.
10. Disney World has more fine dining, while Disneyland is a great noshing park (love those corn dogs).
11. California Adventure gives more of a Universal Studios vibe than anything else. If you haven't been to Universal's original Florida park, it's designed around a lagoon and is a little lacking in E-ticket rides, although Disney is clearly changing that with the addition of Cars land.
12. Disneyland is your neighborhood park rather than your vacation destination. The kids come out on Friday nights for dates, adults will take a day off to celebrate a birthday, parents take the toddlers for the day -- it is exactly as Walt intended.
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