 By: Corey W. Thomas |
| This week, Corey tries to compare Disneyland to Walt Disney World. But might that be like comparing apples to oranges? Through a multi-level approach, Corey hopes to get to the bottom of the “which is better” debate.
To compare Disneyland and Walt Disney World, one has to first recognize that the two are vastly different entities. The Disneyland Resort consists of two theme parks, three Disney hotels (only one of which was actually designed by Disney from the ground up) and a shopping/dining/entertainment district. All of this is contained in a nice rectangular space taking up several city blocks in Anaheim. On the other hand, Walt Disney World is a sprawling destination resort complex, spread out over nearly 30,000 acres of land in central Florida, containing four unique theme parks, three water parks, 99 holes of golf, nearly 30,000 hotel rooms in Disney owned and operated hotels, a sprawling shopping, dining, and nighttime entertainment complex, and so much more! To better understand the stark difference between these two Disney destinations, take a look at the photos below (provided by the United States Geological Survey):
 This is a satellite image of the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. You can clearly how the park is surrounded by trees and water. The other parks at Walt Disney World are not even visible in this image, as they are several miles away from the Magic Kingdom.
 This is a satellite image of Disneyland Park in California, taken from about the same distance in the air (this was taken before the resort expansion that includes Disney’s California Adventure, Downtown Disney, and Disney’s Grand Californian Resort). It is clear to see in this picture that Disneyland is located in an urban environment surrounded by developments with nowhere else to grow. The massive resort expansion in 2001 was built in the large open space just below Disneyland Park, in what used to be the parking lot. So, with Disneyland being so landlocked, and Walt Disney World being so spread out, how would one compare the two resorts? To begin this task, I will first try to level the playing field a bit by only comparing items that the two resorts share. Here is a listing of attractions that are currently in operation at both resorts:
Disneyland/Walt Disney World Railroad Now, I will take these items, and organize them into which ones I feel are done better at which resort. Done Better at Disneyland: Disneyland Railroad – The only reason the Disneyland Railroad beats out the Walt Disney World Railroad is because of the Grand Canyon and Primeval World Dioramas that the trains pass through between Tomorrowland and Main Street USA. These dioramas were originally part of the Ford Magic Skyway pavilion at the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair. It really does add another element of excitement to the ride. The Haunted Mansion – Besides this being the original, it contains the original “elevator” stretching rooms (in Florida, the ceiling goes up… in California, the floor goes down!), and has an extra hallway that you walk down prior to boarding your “DoomBuggies.” Also, there is some additional dialogue through the “Corridor of Doors.” The actual ride portion is nearly identical to the Florida counterpart, with the exception that it is missing a scene – the library scene in the WDW mansion. Pirates of the Caribbean – This attraction is MUCH longer at Disneyland than it is in the Magic Kingdom. The Magic Kingdom seems to have received the abridged version of the attraction, as Disneyland’s has a much longer prelude, and has extra scenes at the end that were left out of WDW’s version of the ride. Fantasmic! – While the WDW version is slightly longer, I found that I enjoyed Disneyland’s Fantasmic more. Disneyland’s version of the show has a spectacular scene with Peter Pan and Captain Hook fighting on a pirate ship (the Columbia sailing ship) that just was not matched with the action of the Pocahontas action scene in the WDW version. Plus, it is fun to see how all the lighting and equipment is hidden during the day while guests play on Tom Sawyer Island where the show takes place. It’s a Small World – While this attraction is currently closed in Florida for a lengthy rehab, I’m using my past experiences for this judgement. First, the WDW version lacks the impressive façade that graces the show building in California. Plus, the Disneyland version contains the original musical soundtracks from the world’s fair, totally remastered, while the Florida version still plays a somewhat generic soundtrack. Perhaps this will change after the rehab? Autopia – The only remaining Tomorrowland attraction from Disneyland’s opening day, Autopia is a much more fun ride than the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway at WDW. The Autopia cars each have their own personality, and you get to travel through different terrains on the journey – including an off-road section! The Magic of Disney Animation – It is almost not fair to compare these attractions. The version at Disney’s California Adventure contains many interactive elements that let you provide the voices for an animated film, find out which Disney character you are most like, and even create your own animated cartoons using old-fashioned techniques. Plus, with the recent closure of the Florida animation studios, I’m wondering just what will be seen on that tour anymore… Done Better at Walt Disney World: Enchanted Tiki Room – Yes, I know Disneyland’s was the original, but come on… I really do have a hard time staying awake through the show anymore! It’s old and tired. I really do enjoy how Walt Disney World was able to take a tired show and pump new life into it. I make a point to stop in there on every visit. It used to be on my list of things I could skip. Here’s hoping a revival will come soon to the tired original! Splash Mountain – The rides are nearly identical with the exception of the order of some of the scenes. Disneyland’s version does have one small extra scene just before ascending the final lift, but it really does not add much to the experience, and I hardly even notice that it’s missing at WDW. The real reason I enjoy WDW’s version better is the actual logs themselves. Not only is the seating arrangement more comfortable, but the logs also have a higher ride capacity, making the wait for this popular attraction go faster. Plus, for some strange reason, the drop in Florida seemed longer to me… Just my imagination? Who knows! Toss Up! For the rest of the shared items… It really is a toss up. While versions of all of these attractions differ from coast to coast, they are still basically the same experience, and it really is hard to say one is better than the other. The only exceptions could be the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. This is simply because both of these attractions have opened AFTER I visited Disneyland. It really would not be fair for me to make a comparison of these attractions. So, if you look strictly at attractions that both resorts share, it is clear to see who the winner is here… Disneyland – 7 to 2. Now, tune in next week, when I attack this comparison from another angle – the resort experiences as a whole. We’ll see who comes out on top then! Until next week, I’ll see ya real soon! |
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