If you are like us, deciding which Disney park to spend your vacation is a common hardship. We have some pros and cons of picking one or the other, but neither is a bad choice, it just depends on your personal choices. We will NOT be talking about the Disneylands across the ocean, just the ones on American soil.
DISNEYLAND
If you are a fan of having everything within walking distance, that is probably the #1 difference between the two locations. Everything at the Disneyland park is within walking distance or a quick monorail ride,especially if you stay on resort. Disneyland and California adventure are neighbors and share a walkway. Downtown Disney is also right next to the two parks. This was one of the best things we enjoyed when we visited. We stayed on resort and didn't feel rushed. We were able to leave our hotel, go through security and check into the park within 15 minutes.
The food at Disneyland is far superior to Magic Kingdom. There are more options and better quality. There were plenty of options for all sorts of meals.
One other major difference between Disneyland and Disneyworld, is that you can easily do Disneyland in a day or two. We didn't feel rushed, and we're able to do most of the things we wanted in 4 days. Going to Disney World, you will need to spend at least a week at the parks and you still won't fit everything.
Keep in mind, Disneyland and California adventure will have some attractions that aren't offered at Disney World and the ride waits are a lot shorter. But there are less rides and attractions. You can still get Genie+ at Disneyland, but you do not need a magicband+. You can use your phone app. We had both and they worked the same.
Disneyland also has the larger It's A Small World ride.
DISNEY WORLD
The opposite of Disneyland, Disney World is HUGE!!! It is larger than the city of Manhattan. There is a lot to do. There are 4 parks, and over 20 resorts, plus water parks and Disney Springs. There is absolutely no way to see and do everything in one trip. Magic Kingdom is the park most like Disneyland, just a different castle and some rides and themes are different. But besides Magic Kingdom, there is EPCOT, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. You will be walking a lot at all of these.
The resorts are sorted into different categories, Value, moderate and Deluxe. Each category depends on pricing. The deluxe will be your most expensive, and usually these are closer to the parks, and the value are the cheapest options, and a little farther from the parks. It does take a while to get to each park, so if you park hop, plan on at least 30 minutes for transportation to each park.
If you love food,Epcot is the place to go. It has the best food and it also hosts the festivals all year long, where more good food and drink are offered. When we go, this park is our favorite. But there isn't a lot for kids. There are busses at each park to transport you, and there is a monorail between Magic Kingdom and Epcot as well as a boat between Epcot and Hollywood studios. You can also drive. Disney World has its own highway. So there are a lot of options but usually plan on leaving early. There are a lot of people.
If you love rides, Magic Kingdom has the most, plus lots of princesses. Most little kids love this park, but Hollywood studios is home to your star wars and toy story. Animal Kingdom has lots of animals and has some shows, Pandora and thrill rides.
Always prepare for some rain, Florida weather is unpredictable but you will get drenched if it rains.
Both parks have meet and greets for the characters. You may see more characters roaming in Disneyland, but there are more character dining options in Disney World. And both parks have live entertainment that is broadway-esque. There are also 3 castles at Magic Kingdom, 2 with restaurants one with a ride, where as 1 at Disneyland, but you can walk through this one. . If you like the original lands where Walt visited, Disneyland would suit you. If you like more options and don't mind spending a week or more to stay choose Disney World. Either way, you will find something you love. I love both for different reasons, but no matter where I go, I feel my little girl heart living dreams that I never got to and love seeing the Magic of Disney light up my kids' eyes.
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