AboutMaryJo Mellado Willey Expertise I live fairly close to the Disneyland Resort, and have an annual pass, so I visit the Disneyland Resort quite often.
Experience I have visited the Disneyland Resort several times each year for several years, and have stayed in each of the hotels. I have a pretty good understanding of the parks, hotels, and Downtown Disney.
Question I was just wondering if you had ever been to DisneyWorld in Fla. and how it compares to
Disneyland..We (my husband and my now 6 year old
twins ) have been to DW 3 times, and would like to experience DisneyLand. Do you think my kids would enjoy DL and Cal.Adventure?
Thanks for any info.
Also we usually travel in Feb..before school vacation week, how is the weather out there then?
We are from MA. so we are usually buried in snow by then.
Thanks.
Answer Hi there Karen,
Disneyland is a lot like the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, except that it's a little more compact, and it has a lot more attractions. When I went to WDW, I was surprised to see attractions that we went on at DL at different parks in WDW.
Here's a little synopsis:
Rides not at WDW, or that are different:
Main Street: Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln
Adventureland: Tiki Room (has the original show), the Jungle Cruise (this is set up differently – kind of backwards, and doesn't have a temple), Tarzan's Treehouse (used to be Swiss Family Robinson – worth a visit), Indiana Jones (the ride is almost identical to Countdown to Extinction/Dinosaur @ Animal Kingdom; however, due to theming difference, this ride is far superior)<br>
New Orleans Square: Pirates of the Caribbean – For one thing, this is set in a New Orleans setting instead of Adventureland, like @ WDW. The queue is better at WDW, but this ride is themed so much better at DL, Haunted Mansion – this is also different at DL, although personally, I can't say I like one better than the other – they are just “different.”
Trivia about Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion: Walt Disney wanted a place that would be set apart from the rest of the world, and with the limited options in the Anaheim area, he had a berm built around the park, and set the railroad on it, so the train goes around the park, stopping at various lands (Main Street, New Orleans Square, Toontown, and Tomorrowland). In the earlier years @ Disneyland, you could not see any of the city outside the walls, except for a couple of spots in the park. Well, when they built Pirates and Haunted Mansion, they needed to put the ride someplace, so they dug a tunnel under the berm, and put the rides outside of the park. So, when you go on Pirates of the Caribbean, and go down the two small drops, you are really going under the train berm and into the ride. In the Haunted Mansion, the stretching room, is really an elevator that takes you down and you go through the hallway (tunnel) to the actual attraction. You'll notice that both attractions take you back up to street level at the end.
Critter Country: This land is unique to Disneyland (they don't have it at WDW). Splash Mountain – this attraction is pretty different than the one @ WDW, and the seats are different in the log. I don't know if one is “better” than the other – they are just different. Davy Crockett Canoes – they don't have canoes @ WDW. These are fun to do – everyone has to paddle, but watch out – the person in front of you just might accidentally splash you as you go around Tom Sawyer's Island.
Frontierland: Tom Sawyers Island – I think this is different, although I am not sure. Thunder Mountain is basically the same, but the track runs in the opposite direction (from what I've been told).
Fantasyland
Almost all of the attractions are different here. The ones I am not sure about are Snow White's Scary Adventures and Pinocchio. Peter Pan – different and charming. Mr. Toad's Wild Ride – no longer have it at WDW. Carousel – it's been under refurbishment, but if it's going, look for Jingles, the lead horse. You can tell who Jingles is by the bells hanging ‘round the neck. It's a Small World – this ride is very different than the one at WDW, and it's the original. Try to time it so that you're in front of the attraction at a quarter of hour ( :00, :15, :30, :45) for a little show. These are unique to Disneyland: Alice in Wonderland – a dark ride like Peter Pan, with a nice ending as your caterpillar rides down the leaves when you leave; Matterhorn – first steel coaster built – it's just a tad rocky. You sit two to a seat in tandem style, and four to a bobsled. There are two sides – the Fantasyland side is a little smoother, and the Tomorrowland side is faster. This is one of my favorites to ride at night; Storybook Land Canal Boats – you ride in a boat outside and go through Monstro the whale's mouth to tour miniature villages of Disney characters (very charming attraction) ; Casey Jr Circus Train - (as you go up the hill, try & see if you can hear him say “I think I can”) wields its way around the same area that the Storybook Land Canal Boats go on – this is a fun ride, and I think Sarah will really like it. Here's something only a few know…During the Believe fireworks show, Tinkerbell flies from the Matterhorn mountain past the castle. When you are on Casey Jr, you can follow the cable with your eyes, and see the treehouse where she actually lands.
Toontown
This whole land is nicely set up. It gets crowded during the day, and closes in preparation for the fireworks, so time it right when you visit. Early morning or late at night are best. Roger Rabbit's Cartoon Spin – this is a dark ride like Mr. Toad, except you get to spin your car round and round.
Tomorrowland
Space Mountain: I like the one @ DL much better – you sit side by side in the cars, and if you're lucky, you'll get a car that has the music – makes the ride very exciting. Autopia: This whole ride was redone in 2000, and the track is fun to drive – you even get to go “off-roading” – I definitely recommend this one, too. Even the adults should enjoy it. (Star Tours is exactly like the one at MGM Studios, and so is Honey I Shrank the Audience)
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I would compare California Adventure to an early MGM studio. It's a new park, and they still have to add some attractions to make it a "full" park. However, my own kids love it there, and it is a great park to visit.
Unlike WDW, Disneyland, California Adventure, and Downtown Disney are all right there next to each other, within easy walking distance. It's so simple just to go from one to the other.
As for February -- it all depends. February falls in our "rainy seaason" - however, it doesn't really rain all that much in CA - also, we typically have what we call "Santa Ana" conditions, where the wind blows from the desert to the ocean, and we can have temperatures up in the high 80's (really beautiful). On the other hand, it could be raining. Cold to us is low 60's... brrrr, we get out the heavy coats for 50-60 degree weather lol. Our nights are cold at that time, though - somewhere in the low 50's.
Please let me know if you have any other questions....
