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Why visit Walt Disney World when we have the Original Park in our backyard? A Disneyland native answers the eternal question.
I approached my first trip to Walt Disney World with a fairly open mind, but I must admit having a natural bias towards Disneyland. Having grown up visiting Disneyland since I was a baby, and now having an annual pass for several years, I felt pretty smug that no other resort could compare to our little gem in Anaheim. Yes, Walt Disney World was bigger, but how on earth could it be better?
In one short week I learned that WDW does indeed have a clear advantage over Disneyland in many areas, but that Disneyland still holds its own in some key aspects.
Advantage: Walt Disney World
1. Variety of hotel choices
Especially from a Disneyland native's perspective, WDW has a staggering number of hotel choicesall on property. At the Disneyland Resort, the Paradise Pier, Disneyland and Grand Californian hotels are higher priced than most of the off-property hotels. Guests on a tighter budget usually have to book off-property and walk or take a shuttle to the resort. This is not required at WDW; most guests will find a hotel to suit their needs and budgets without having to book a place off property. We stayed at Port Orleans Riverside, a moderate resort. It is situated on a beautifully landscaped property in a southern plantation motif with easy transportation to the parks and Downtown Disney.
A night at Port Orleans Riverside is generally less expensive than a night at
the Disneyland Hotel, and much more picturesque. Photo by Lisa Perkis.
It was hard to imagine how any other hotel could be as pleasant, but a tour of the deluxe properties proved that each is lovely in their theming. A special bonus to the Grand Floridian, Polynesian and Contemporary hotels is the monorail system that makes a round trip on the way to the Magic Kingdom.
For that special splurge: The Grand Floridian. Photo by Lisa Perkis.
After having to make several transportation transfers to make it back to Port Orleans late one evening, we decided that perhaps the deluxe hotels did at least have an advantage in that aspect. Though we read and heard criticisms of the value resorts, they still have the advantage of being on property and subject to Disney magic 24/7.
2. Beautiful scenery
For those of us used to our theme parks being plunked down in the middle of a sprawling city, WDW is a bit shocking. Miles and miles of trees and grass from the airport to the parks, and miles of trees and grass in between the parks. As it was my first visit to Florida, I marveled at the marshes and forests that went on forever. I enjoyed how the resorts integrated the trees and water and natural foliage.
Yes, there were deserts of parking lots at each park, but unlike Anaheim, the concrete seemed dwarfed by the natural beauty surrounding it. Let's face it: Anaheim, for all its recent street improvements, is a bit of a mess. Riding the monorail and looking out over the gas stations and cheap souvenir shops on Harbor does dampen the other world magic that Disneyland prides itself in.
3. Four Parks
This is an obvious point, but worth noting. A guest to the Disneyland Resort can pretty much experience everything the resort has to offer in four days. Trying to see all parks completely in four days at WDW would be a lesson in futility.
I read trip reports, guidebooks and listened to friend's anecdotes and warnings, but nothing prepared me for the incredible size of the place. It's one of the biggest mental adjustments a Disneyland native makes.
All the WDW natives I talked to would comment with a smile, It's big, isn't it? and all I could do was nod in a dazed, confused way. Pretty overwhelming to a Disneyland annual passholder who knows every single nook and cranny of her home resort.
While confusing at times (why is there a magic carpet ride across from the Jungle Cruise? Where is the Matterhorn?) discovering new attractions and revisiting old friends from Disneyland's past made each day very exciting.
A bittersweet attraction for a Disneyland native is the Swiss Family Treehouse.
MousePlanet file photo by Brian Bennett.
4. Transportation
For a Disneyland native, the new trams to transport guests from the Mickey and Friends parking structure to the main entrance were big news. Let me tell youit's peanuts when compared to the vast world of transportation at WDW. Here's the first shocker to a Disneyland native: the monorail is actually used as a form of transportationnot just as a nice way to view it's a small world or the submarine lagoon, or to escape from the summer heat.
I could not get over the expanse of monorail track or the sheer volume of trains. Monorail Puce? Monorail Violet? Yes, and more. And they run with amazing regularity. But the monorail is only the beginning. A guest staying on property without a car will learn to be very familiar with the bus system while visiting the resort. I even dreamed of the shuttle buses at night, they were so prevalent to my visit. Generally it's a fantastic system of transporting large numbers of guests.
Buses, buses everywhere. MousePlanet file photo by Sue Holland.
Ferry boats are also used from the transportation center to the Magic Kingdom as well as from several resorts to Downtown Disney.
Instead of a Mickey and Friends Tram, a ferry ride provides one form of transportation
to the Magic Kingdom. Photo by Lisa Perkis.
5. Animal Kingdom Safari
Hands down, this is the best attraction at WDW. There is nothing at Disneyland (or at any world-renown zoo, for that matter) to compare to the Kilimanjaro Safari at Animal Kingdom. It combines the thrill of being inches away from wild animals with a storyline that does a pretty good job of educating guests about conservation and animal behavior.
No, the jeeps aren't on tracks. MousePlanet file photo by Karl Buiter.
I must admit I was annoyed at first with the artificial story that weaves through the safari about the poachers who take an elephant baby. I was incredulous that they dared to have an animatronic elephant at the end of the tourit was like a slap in the face after being so moved by the beauty of the live animals we encountered. Why not just tell us about the animals? Why be so fake about it? I complained. However, after riding the safari several times, I relaxed and accepted the park's motto, Nahtazu (not a zoo).
The animals on the Kilimanjaro Safari are 99 percent authentic, including this
zebra. Photo by Lisa Perkis.
Animal Kingdom has no intention of being a traditional zoo, and once I relaxed and went with the show, I enjoyed the experience very much. This park alone should be motivation for a Disneyland native to visit Floridaand feeding the ducks at Rivers of America from Tom Sawyer's Island doesn't count.
I'm only halfway through my top 10 list of areas I feel WDW is better than my beloved home park. Next time I'll finish the list and give a preview of the ways Disneyland keeps an advantage over the big resort over on the other side.
 
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