World or Land….that is the question. Disney World pros often wonder about Disneyland and vice versa.

We have been to Disney World and Disneyland too many times to count now, and the questions I get most often about Disneyland are: Why do I go out there? What’s the difference between the two? Which is the best? Spoiler alert! There is no clear winner here. I love both for different reasons and this post is to help anyone looking between the two parks understand the differences.

Theme Parks:

At the Walt Disney World Resort (WDW) in Florida, there are four theme parks along with two water parks:

MagicKingdom
Hollywood Studios
Epcot
Animal Kingdom
Blizzard Beach
Typhoon Lagoon

At Disneyland (DL) in California you will find two theme parks:

Disneyland
California Adventure

*Disneyland will be the most similar to Magic Kingdom. California Adventure is the most similar to Hollywood Studios.

You can see all ready how Disneyland is shaping up to be a more low key vacation. With less ground to cover, I never feel rushed there. BUT don’t let the fact that there are less theme parks fool you. There is still so much to see!

on left: Cinderella Castle (WDW), on right: Sleeping Beauty Castle (DL)

Disneyland theme park will be the most similar to Magic Kingdom in Disney World. The castles will be one of the first differences you notice when you arrive. Disneyland is home to the beautiful Sleeping Beauty Castle. Inside the castle is a walk through attraction that is a MUST SEE!

Magic Kingdom in Disney World is where you will find the equally beautiful but larger Cinderella’s Castle. Cinderella’s Castle doesn’t have the walk through attraction, but does have beautiful stained glass mosaics as you walk through. Cinderella’s Castle also has a restaurant, Cinderella’s Royal Table.

What does Disneyland have that Disney World doesn’t?

Toon Town - One of my son’s favorite reasons for visiting Disneyland is an area called Toon Town. Toon Town used to exist in Magic Kingdom (WDW) as well, but was closed in 2011 as part of the New Fantasyland renovations. Toon Town is the magical place where you can meet and see the homes of Mickey and Minnie. You also see the homes of Goofy and Donald along with a gas station, jail, courthouse, etc. Beware! There are pranks to be found in Toon Town. :)
Rides - Disneyland still has some of the original dark rides such as Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride and Snow White’s Scary Adventure. They also have different versions of some of the same rides that are at WDW: Pirates of the Caribbean, It’s a Small World, Space Mountain + Splash Mountain.
Cars Land - California Adventure is where you can fully immerse yourself in Radiator Springs. If you or your children love Cars, Lightning McQueen, Mater and the gang, you will never want to leave Radiator Springs. You will find several rides in Cars Land that are all family friendly. Radiator Springs Racers is an attraction that I feel is only rivaled by Flight of Passage at Animal Kingdom (WDW). We ride it no less than 4 times each visit.
Avengers Campus - California Adventure is where you can meet many of the Avenger heroes and enjoy Marvel inspired foods. There are 2 Marvel rides: Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout and Web Slingers.(Side note: due to some legalities, if you want to meet Marvel characters in the Florida parks, they are at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure.)
Walt Disney’s personal apartment - Disneyland is Walt’s park. When you walk inside and look to your left at the Fire station you will notice a lamp in a window on the 2nd floor. That is where Walt and his family would stay sometimes. On our last visit we took the tour, “A Walk in Walt’s Footsteps.” It was truly the best tour and we were able to go inside of his apartment. That’s an experience I’ll never forget.

My mom, me and my son in Walt Disney’s apartment above the Fire House in Disneyland.

And what does Disney World have that Disneyland doesn’t?

Toy Story Land - This land is located in Hollywood Studios. It is an adorable and much needed kid friendly addition to that park. There is something so special about this place. Maybe because my son loved these movies and characters when he was younger so this whole land pulls at my heart.
Pandora - Located in Animal Kingdom and modeled after the movie, Avatar. There are two attractions in this land with one being Flight of Passage. Flight of Passage is hands down one of the best attractions I have ever been on. Not to mention Satu’li Canteen is the best quick service restaurant, in my opinion.
Animal Kingdom - Animal Kingdom is where you can see live animals, walk through jungle trails, and as mentioned above, explore Pandora.
Epcot - This park is where you can explore space, the seas and land. You can also experience the culture and food from Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, Japan, Norway, the U.K. and America.
Water Parks - Disney World has 2 water parks to choose from, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon.

What are the similarities?

Lighting Lane Multi Pass : Formally known as Genie+. Both Land and World have this option. (starting 7/24/24)
- Disneyland - Pricing will vary by day and park. Also includes unlimited PhotoPass downloads from your day. Selections are made the day of your visit after you are scanned into the parks.
- Disney World - Pricing will vary by day and park. Does NOT include PhotoPass downloads. Initial selections can be made before your vacation.
Complimentary Genie Service : Tell Disneyland Genie or Disney World Genie what you would like to experience while you are there and the free Genie service will give you personalized recommendations and suggested times to maximize your time in the park.
Lightning Lane Single Pass: This is a paid option to obtain a Lightning Lane for the higher demand attractions at Disneyland and Disney World. The cost of included attractions vary.
Park Reservations: Before you can visit a theme park at either DW or DL, you must have a valid park admission AND you must make a park reservation on the Disney Park Pass system. (Starting January 9, 2024, Disney World will no longer require park reservations for date-based tickets.)
Mobile Ordering: WDW and DL are both offering Mobile Ordering for many of the quick serve locations. If you haven’t tried Mobile Ordering yet, I highly suggest it. It will save you so much time waiting in line. You can place your food order right from the app and skip the line.
Dining Reservations: It is highly recommended that you make your dining reservations at 60 days prior to your vacation. Even then there are some hard to get reservations that may not be available. For Disney World Resort Guests, you can make reservations for your entire length of stay (up to 10 days) on the day your dining opens. All other Disney World guests can make them day by day. Disneyland is also a day by day reservation system regardless of being onsite or offsite.
Rides: Even though the versions of the ride may be different, they have many of the same attractions such as Big Thunder Mountain, Jungle Cruise, Soarin’, etc. Both coasts also have the new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge land.
Downtown Disney/Disney Springs - You will find Downtown Disney in California and Disney Springs in Florida. These are areas around the resorts that have shopping, dining, bowling, movies and more!

Planning:

When it comes to planning a Disney trip, it is constantly evolving after re-opening from Covid.

Planning a Disney World trip:

Starting October 1, 2021 if you stay at an onsite Disney World Resort, you will be able to enter any 4 of the Disney World theme parks 30 minutes before the posted time opening.
Also beginning in October, if you want more extra time in the parks, guests staying in Deluxe Resort Hotels or Villas will have access to Extended Evening Theme Park Hours. Specific dates and parks can be found here.

Planning a Disneyland trip:

It is easier to stay off site at Disneyland. The theme parks are within walking distance of most of the surrounding hotels. This also makes it easier to take breaks during the day if you would like to eat off property or take breaks in your hotel room during the day.
Guests staying onsite will have a 30 minute early entry into a designated theme park. Meaning that each day, either Disneyland OR California Adventure will open early for onsite guests.
The two parks at Disneyland are located right across from each other. This makes park hopping much easier here than at WDW.

No matter which side of the country you decide to visit, make sure you keep your eyes peeled! There is magic to be found everywhere.

Putting together a Disney vacation can be overwhelming. But is doesn’t have to be, when you are ready to plan your visit to Disneyland or Disney World, let my friends at About the Memories Travel help. Click here to start planning today!