When you have visited Walt Disney World more times than you can count, but now you are about to become a first time Disneyland guest, you just know it’s going to be a magical experience! This is the park that Walt actually built and walked in. It is the park where he saw his dream fulfilled and there is something truly magical about that!
There are some big differences that you need to know about when you are a first time Disneyland guest. who has visited Walt Disney World. Let me give you my top ten things that I think you should know as first time Disneyland guest!
Don’t skip on the Park Hopper (Even if you didn’t use it at Walt Disney World!)
Park Hopper is a whole different thing at Disneyland. Let me explain! There are no buses, skyliners, or monorails to wait for when you want to move from one park to the other. You simply walk across the esplanade from Disneyland to California Adventure. Just to show you how close the two are, a friend and I timed it one evening. From the moment we walked through the exit of California Adventure until we walked across and through security at Disneyland, we left one park and fully entered the other in less than a minute and a half. When the parks are this close, you have to take advantage of being able to move between them!
Connecting to Friends and Family in the Disneyland App
Traveling with friends and family is the best way to visit the parks. On my recent Disneyland trip, I was there with a lot of friends! Connecting to your friends and family in the Disneyland app is not quite as intuitive as I would have liked it to be though. You will need to pull up your tickets in the app, and have your friends take a photo to link. Then you’ll have to do the same with theirs! This will allow you to purchase lightning lanes or schedule Genie+ attractions for one another. It’s not a matter of inviting them to connect though. You will need to physically connect their tickets and the quickest and easiest way to do this is through a photo of the tickets in the Disneyland app.
No 7:00 AM alarm needed!
Since I brought up Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, here’s another big difference. At Disneyland, you cannot schedule those Genie+ attractions until you have scanned into the park. You aren’t sitting in your hotel room at 7:00 AM grabbing your first Genie+ attraction! You actually need to be scanned into the park before you can start making those plans. No sleeping in though, if you are staying onsite, get up early and take advantage of those early morning entry times. That is an excellent way to stay ahead of the crowds!
Magicband+ has a little less magic
Next, let’s talk about Magic bands. I love my magic band at Walt Disney World. I love being able to charge back to my hotel room, scan it for Genie+ or ride photos, and unlock my room door at the resort. At Disneyland though, Magicbands are still pretty new. Right now, you can only use your magic band to link to your account and tickets and access the parks. You aren’t opening your room door with that magicband, at least not yet.
The Castle.
Sleeping Beauty’s castle is beautiful and leaves you with this feeling of nostalgia. It is such an elegant marker for this park that you can’t help but fall in love. However, if you have spent your life gazing down Main Street at Cinderella’s castle, you may be a bit surprised at the size of the Sleeping Beauty’s castle. To put it in perspective, Cinderella’s castle is more than 100 feet taller than Sleeping Beauty’s castle at Disneyland.
Do you want to know one more exceptionally interesting thing about Sleeping Beauty’s castle? You can walk through the castle for a special exhibit on the story of Sleeping Beauty herself! The narrow hallways and stairs are not ideal for all guests though. For those who may not navigate this attraction as easily, there is an accessible room that allows for a virtual tour.
Similar but Oh-So-Different Attractions
There are several attractions that are located at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland. While they go by the same name, you won’t want to skip these attractions because there are quite a few differences between the two parks! It’s a Small World, Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Tours, Dumbo, Soarin, Mad Tea Party and many more are among the popular ones you will find at both parks. Many of the rides look similar, but you’ll find that there are differences between the two attractions found on opposite coasts!
Did you know Disney characters are hidden through out It’s a Small World? See how many you can find the next time you visit this attraction at Disneyland! This is one of the special things that makes this attraction different in Disneyland from Walt Disney World.
What do fireworks, projections, lights, and fountains have in common? They make up the Nighttime shows at Disneyland!
Night shows are just a little different at Disneyland as well. The biggest difference is that fireworks do not take place every night and you have to pay close attention to the schedule of events to see when they are scheduled at Disneyland Park. However, weather plays a huge impact on fireworks shows as well. Due to high winds, fireworks can be cancelled even on those scheduled nights. Projection shows do still take place.
World of Color is the more popular night show at the Disneyland Resorts and Parks. It is held at the lagoon of California Adventure Park where thousands of lights and fountains create a show you will not want to miss, all choreographed to favorite music and movies. Check the park schedule for times for this show as it may even be offered twice on some evenings.
Loving all the Different Attractions
There are just as many attractions at Disneyland that cannot be found at Walt Disney World as there are that are similar. Carsland and Avengers Campus are two popular lands full of things that we can enjoy at Disneyland. Radiator Springs Racers quickly became my favorite Disneyland attraction. I’m certain you’ll love both of these amazing lands!
You’ll also find a lot of other attractions at Disneyland that you’ll want to make sure you check out including the Incredicoaster, Pixar Pal-a-Round and Mattherhorn Bobsleds! If those sound a bit more adventurous than you are gearing up for, maybe some of the more beloved attractions are more your speed. Attractions like Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Snow White’s Scary Adventure, Storybook Land Canals, Alice in Wonderland, and Pinocchio’s Daring Journey are all favorites at the parks.
Three Stunning On-Site Resorts
There are fewer Disneyland resorts than those at Walt Disney World. With only three beautiful resorts onsite at Disneyland, many guests do choose to stay offsite at a Good Neighbor hotel. Those offsite Good Neighbor hotels are less expensive, but still close to the parks. Some have their own perks to staying nearby but off property. The three Disney resorts, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, The Disneyland Hotel and the newly renovated Pixar Place Hotel, offer a lot of amazing reasons to stay onsite.
Aside from the proximity to the parks, the Disney properties offer special dining, character interaction, club level options, spas, lounges and so much more.
If you are staying at any of the three onsite resorts, you have an additional advantage of early park entry! One of the two parks will open 30 minutes early for resort guests each day. This allows you time to stay ahead of the crowd in the parks. You can also see a lot in 30 minutes without the crowds. In fact, Disney’s Grand Californian Resort & Spa has its very own entrance into California Adventure park. Only guests staying at this resort can take advantage of this entrance. This makes it a very unique choice and the perfect place to stay on those mornings that California Adventure has early park entry!
Why does Disneyland feel like a more relaxed trip?
Obviously, Walt Disney World has four theme parks and two water parks to Disneylands two theme parks. The size and sheer volume of attractions plays a big part in the differences between these two destinations. I have to wonder though, does it also play a part in how it feels as you explore the parks?
For me, Disneyland just felt more relaxed and even laid back when visiting the parks in comparison to visiting Walt Disney World. Maybe it’s the fact that it is the original park designed by Walt Disney and I just felt the need to take it all in. It could be simply because these parks are visited more by local guests and they don’t feel the need to do it all in each visit, and that feeling is contagious. Maybe there’s just a desire to see the park the way Walt did originally, as a place to enjoy time as a family together.
Whatever the cause, I just felt like there was less pressure to see and do it all. Allowing myself time to just take it all in and wander the park, try new snacks, catch glimpses of characters, and enjoying the history that this park offers is just an experience unlike others.
I had no doubt that I would fall in love with Disneyland just as I have every other Disney Destination I have experienced before I visited.
I enjoyed exploring the many differences of the two destinations, I found one thing for me remained the same. That feeling of wanting to share the incredible time and memories I was making with the ones I love. It was the same feeling whether I was in Disneyland or Walt Disney World.
What are the differences between the two destinations that strike you as making the destinations most unique? If you are ready to make dreaming of your next Disney vacation a reality, contact me today to begin planning your next memory making vacation!
