To Disney World or not for a DL fan

countofmc

Mouseketeer
Joined
Aug 29, 2013
I visited DW several times as a kid in the late 80s/early 90s. My memories are (1) Epcot was amazing, probably my favorite of all; (2) the then MGM Studios was a letdown (I though Universal Florida was so much better), but I loved the Scifi Drive In Theater restaurant; (3) I literally have no solidly unique memories of MK because I can't discern if they are from MK or DL.

I kinda rediscovered Disney as an adult and have gone 2-3 times a year for the last 6 years to DLR. Helps I live in the SF Bay Area and can drive down. I've been kinda tossing around the idea of visiting DW again, but I have several trepidations:

(1) I hate flying and try to avoid it by all means possible.
(2) I hate planning and sticking to a schedule. DLR is still fairly wingable, but I read DW requires meticulous planning in terms of restaurants and fastpasses for rides and all that. Not sure if I'd enjoy such a regimented experience.
(3) Not a bucket list item - DW seems to be a bucket list type thing for lots of people, but I've already been. I think true bucket list parks are Tokyo and Hong Kong Disney. If I force myself to get onto a plane, I think I'd rather go to those parks and also visit cities I've never visited.
(4) Seems to be a family destination. So let me know if I'm wrong about this. My spouse and I don't have kids. But we never feel out of place at DLR cause there seems to be a lot of people our age without kids (maybe cause of the local influence?), and DCA especially seems to be more and more adult friendly. DW seems to be a huge family vacation type place, so I'm wondering if we'd feel more self conscious as 2 adults without children.
(5) Cost. But I don't think this is a huge thing because it's not in isolation. I'd replace a DL trip (which isn't THAT cheap) with a DW trip. So it's just costs above and beyond a DL vacation. But I'd still imagine plane tickets cost more than gas and there might just be more costs involved with going to DW.

I won't say letdown because I've never been letdown by going to a Disney park, I always leave happy with good memories. But I'd say maybe there could be a chance of DW not living up to expectations. I'm wondering if I'd go and just feel like "man I could have just gone to DL instead, it's not THAT much better".

In terms of WHY I even consider going, I guess it's mostly nostalgia from childhood... so anyways, considering what I've written, from the standpoint of fellow DLR fans, would DW still be someplace I have to go again at least once? Not worth it, just keep going to DLR for my fix, and eventually try to get to the overseas Disney parks?
 
Well I can tell you for sure that being childless in WDW will be perfectly normal and no, you won't feel self conscious. WDW is DEFINITELY more regimented, yes. DL's old school FP system, especially when coupled with MaxPass is PHENOMENAL. If you really hate planning you are going to hate having to book FPs (and only three...) 30-60 days in advance. Then, once you get there, you may or may not have good luck getting more FPs after you use your three up (because people have booked them one to two months in advance, BUT you can keep refreshing and trying and many have good luck obtaining more, especially for a party of just two).

As far as cost...WDW has over 20 hotels on site to choose from with varying prices. I still find the Harbor hotels cheaper than the cheapest WDW hotel though, and they are FAR closer to the parks than the value resorts at WDW. I fly from upstate NY to Anaheim and it's always in the $400-500 per person range. You will get way more for your money at DL since the two parks are right next to each other and you can easily park hop alllllll day long and not waste any time with getting to and from the two parks. At WDW you will spend a lot of time on boats, buses, or monorails going between parks and then going through security again. It can eat a LOT of time and can be exhausting, too. So with DL you can go all day long riding and riding and riding rides and since it's so much easier to get FPs there you'll get all the good rides, too. At WDW, depending on the time you go, you may only get three 'good' rides per day with the three you book in advance. Again though, with only two of you you do have good chances of getting fourth and fifth and sixth, etc., FPs after you use up the three you booked in advance.

It's a long flight, yes. Plan on six hours if you manage to get a good route, but that includes a (short) stopover somewhere.

WDW has Magical Express which is AWESOME and is the free airport transportation. They pick you up at Orlando Airport and take you to your Disney hotel. If you aren't staying at a Disney hotel you cannot use this service. They will also grab your luggage for you and deliver it to your hotel a few hours after you check in (you will likely be at the Parks when this happens). On departure day you can check your bags with the hotel and they get them to the airport for you if you like, and you can check in for your flight and get your tickets printed, too. Then Magical Express will take you back to the airport three hours before your flight. All free, all wonderful.

WDW is the only Park with Epcot so if you really love Epcot you should probably go. They also have Animal Kingdom now which isn't a huge draw for me, personally, but if you like safaris and zoo type animals you would like it, plus they have two great rides, Expedition Everest and Flight of Passage. They also have some nice shows. The Studios are still pretty bad IMO but they are adding Star Wars land which may make your visit super crowded if you go any time after next summer.

MK is lovely, no doubt. But DL actually has more rides than MK and when you add the second Park in you have just as many rides as the four parks at WDW but they are all in one convenient area. Some of DL's rides are superior to WDW in my opinion and DL is just so quaint and fun. But WDW is fun, too, it's just more work I think. More planning, more travel, more walking, more everything.

My background, if curious, is about six trips to WDW from 1997-2010, five trips to DL from 2012-2018, and finally, after eight years, a return to WDW in 2018. So I have many trips to both places under my belt, and a trip to both places this year alone. Feel free to ask any questions. I love both places but prefer DL due to the better rides, less planning, great FP and MaxPass system, LOVE being able to walk to and from the parks from a Harbor hotel, and feel I get a lot for my money there as we go, go, go all day long. Also I've always found the weather at DL to be better as it often rains at WDW. WDW is more of an inclusive resort where you can't possibly do or see it all and so you don't, and what you do see and do involves a ton of planning. But Magical Express is very nice. :-)
 
Thanks! Reading your post, I think I will definitely visit DW if I find myself temporarily or permanently in the SE region of the country for whatever reason. But I don't think I'm going to go out of my way to plan and take a trip to DW. One of my favorite aspects of DLR is park hopping, and I do it multiple times over the day. Seems like that's not as feasible at DW, and then having to fly (I can't emphasize how much I hate flying, haha), and the planning that goes into the trip seems like something that's really going to take away my enjoyment of how I want a vacation to be.
 


We're taking our second trip to WDW this Spring. Hate flying too, so we're pulling our trailer cross-country (from No Cal) and staying at Ft Wilderness, like last time. It was a blast from beginning to end. All told we were gone for over 6 weeks (only 1 at WDW, though).

I think WDW is as regimented or as free-form as you want it to be. I'd say that of all the 'planning' they suggest, we're doing about 50%. A couple of dining ressies and the FP+. The rest we'll wing. It worked for us last time very well. Sure, I suppose we'll miss out on some stuff, but there's always other stuff to make up for it!!!

It does help that we're retired so can go during relatively 'low' crowd times. I expect the mega-planning would be needed if you were going during traditionally crowded periods.
 
We're taking our second trip to WDW this Spring. Hate flying too, so we're pulling our trailer cross-country (from No Cal) and staying at Ft Wilderness, like last time. It was a blast from beginning to end. All told we were gone for over 6 weeks (only 1 at WDW, though).

I think WDW is as regimented or as free-form as you want it to be. I'd say that of all the 'planning' they suggest, we're doing about 50%. A couple of dining ressies and the FP+. The rest we'll wing. It worked for us last time very well. Sure, I suppose we'll miss out on some stuff, but there's always other stuff to make up for it!!!

It does help that we're retired so can go during relatively 'low' crowd times. I expect the mega-planning would be needed if you were going during traditionally crowded periods.

I think I'd be much more willing to go if I didn't have to fly. That's how much I hate flying, it's really the number one reason by far I don't want to go. And if by some miracle I do will myself onto a plane, I'd rather visit a place I've never been to before.
 
I think I'd be much more willing to go if I didn't have to fly. That's how much I hate flying, it's really the number one reason by far I don't want to go. And if by some miracle I do will myself onto a plane, I'd rather visit a place I've never been to before.

ROAD TRIP!!! It'll only take you 4 days (3 nights) to drive. :moped::car::joker:
 


Yes! Go! I went when I was 5 (1998) and 7 (2000), and really want to go again. I don't remember much except for the pool at our hotel, Winnie the Pooh Breakfast, and parts of Fantasyland lol. I'm hoping to go sometime next year...the planning is a little scary.
 
Some good thoughts here already and I will try not to be repetitive.

1. WDW is worth it for those who love Disney.

2. No way to avoid the flight unless you REALLY like driving (like all the way to Florida LOL).

3. I cannot imagine WDW being an issue for two adults with no kids any more than DLR would or would not be.

4. WDW is more regimented and does not lend itself to winging it like DLR. No doubt about it. But, but, but...it offers a lot more that DLR does not and really cannot. Some WDW vets unfortunately look at DLR and decide not to go "because it is so much smaller than WDW". Similarly, don't make the same mistake and avoid WDW "because it is so much more complicated/regimented". Yes you will have to work at WDW more than DLR. But I have found it is not as bad as I was expecting.

I travel lots of places around the world (four trips this year and I am worn out, LOL) and for someone who is choosing between Disney and some place else you have never been, then I vote for the place you have never been. If you are lucky enough to be able to choose both (like me :teeth:) then I think WDW is a blast.

:wizard:
 
If you hate to fly, not much we can do, but they flight is usually not overally expensive, they have a few non stops out of LAX, hotels are whatever you want to pay for, and the cheap on site hotels are still fun. Tickets are expensive but if you can stay a week they go to like $10 a day after 4 days. 4 parks, rides are similar but they have ones DL does not have, much better shows, Lion King and Beauty and the Beast are really good, water parks are fun, Disney Springs is fun, and no rental cars or parking to hassle with, just take the bus.

The key is to stay longer, too much to see in 2-3 days
 
For the flying part, do you think you can do a red eye so you can sleep? That way you aren't thinking about flying. Driving honestly doesn't sound fun..that's a LONG way
 
I went to WDW for a week last year with two of my good friends. We are all in our 30s and do not have kids. We had a blast! I definitely feel like WDW does a great job of being a destination for all ages. Some things are even more geared toward adults, like drinking around the world in World Showcase. I think you'll find the same vibe regarding not having kids as you do in DLR, though you're right that it's more of a vacation destination simply because you can't really do WDW in one day like you can DLR.

I'm one that finds quite a few of the DLR rides superior to their MK counterparts but MK is still great to visit. I LOVE Animal Kingdom. And while the planning CAN be a bit much, I can attest you don't have to do a lot of it if it's not your thing. Yes, we figured out which parks we would be going to ahead of time so we could book FPs, but we still had park hoppers, didn't go crazy with FP after our initial booking (if some were available, great!) and only had three ADRs in our whole week (and only one in the parks). So you can definitely get away with a lighter planning touch and still have a great time.
 
I travel lots of places around the world (four trips this year and I am worn out, LOL) and for someone who is choosing between Disney and some place else you have never been, then I vote for the place you have never been. If you are lucky enough to be able to choose both (like me :teeth:) then I think WDW is a blast.

:wizard:

Great to see you posting again HydroGuy! I've missed you and all your invaluable input!

OK - so I only quoted this part because I think this hits it on the head - vote for the new experience.

Last time I was at WDW (May 2017) I honestly did have a few thoughts as OP mentioned - gosh I could have just gone to DL, but guess what - you will!! I did go back to DL just about week ago and still consider it my favorite - above poster Princess Katelet pretty much sums up exactly what I love about DL!

But why the heck not?? It doesn't have to outshine DL to be worth the trip. There are so many new cool things to experience.
And going without kids is my preferred to be honest - I enjoy not worrying about my kids - now that we leave them at home - it is AWESOME.
 
I've also been thinking about going to WDW but the more I look into it, all of the planning it takes does not sound very fun. It kind of has me looking at going to Disneyland Shanghai. Surprisingly if you fly with one of China's national airlines, its not crazy expensive.
 
I haven't been to WDW since 2000, but I really enjoyed it. I chose to focus on the things that we don't have in Caliornia, like the Animal Kingdom, Epcot, etc. It's as much for families as Disneyland is. You'll have a lot of families, but also a lot of couples and even people who go alone. I've been spending time hanging out on the WDW side of the boards as I'm planning a trip in a couple of years. They may be able to better tell you what to expect and give their opinions.
 
1) I also really dislike planes and flying, but I love to travel so there's that. I don't have anything to make you feel better regarding flying, because I still feel dread each and every time I board a plane, even when going to Disney World.

2) You can wing it at WDW, but I agree, not to the extent that you can at DLR. However, as a childless couple, you won't really HAVE to do any crazy planning to experience most of what WDW offers. You're just trying to please yourselves, so when the fast pass window opens, pick what you think you'll want to do on certain days, and leave it alone. You don't need to mess with ADR's. Honestly, I like the planning ahead of time because it's as if I'm starting my vacation early. Choosing fast passes 2 months in advance just gets me that much more excited to go on my trip. I understand not everyone agrees. As for restaurants, you can wing that too, just as easily as at DLR. At DLR, it's rare to find a Blue Bayou or Carthay Circle reservation the day of. It's just as difficult to find day of reservations for popular restaurants at WDW. However, there are so many more options at WDW, you can end up eating at a place you like just as much as one of the popular places. When I first took my husband to Disney World, I made very flexible plans because he'd never been to WDW and I didn't know what he'd want to do or when he'd want to leave the parks. We got day of ADRs that we enjoyed very much, without issue.

3) I kind of agree with you here. I personally feel like if someone loves Disneyland, they should visit Disney World, and vice versa, but it's not something you NEED to do.

4) I could write a book about this point, but essentially, I do not believe that you will feel out of place around the families at WDW. My husband and I are also a childless couple. We much prefer being at WDW as a childless couple for the very fact that there are more families around. Because there are so many tourists and families with small kids, late nights at Disney World parks are relatively wide open, in my opinion. At Disneyland Resort, you see lots of families with small children in the parks until closing because they're used to going all the time and staying late, so the crowd demographics don't really change. The locals at DLR also don't do a lot of midday breaks so if it's a crowded day at DLR, it kind of stays that way. At WDW, a lot of families take breaks and park hop, but as park commandos, we always fit everything we want into the park days. Also, being a twosome has brought us great ride luck at Disney World. Again, since there are so many families and large groups, each and every time we go, we always get selected to get out of line early because the CMs need a pair to fill seats. This happens several times during every trip, particularly in Magic Kingdom. It's not a big deal, I know, but it certainly feels magical! :) At Disneyland, this has happened to us exactly 1 time, because there are just so many solo or small group travelers.

5) As for cost, I can't compare apples to apples for our trips because, even with taking out the flight, we never stay on site at DLR, and never go more than 2 or 3 days, so we save thousands of dollars there. At WDW, we always stay a week at a time.

I vote you should experience WDW if you can psych yourself up for the plane ride. I don't think you'll view a WDW trip as a "waste", even if you don't love it as much as DLR. We all have preferences. I was born and raised in Southern CA, and I much prefer WDW to DLR, yet I still enjoy going to DLR throughout the year.
 
As far as adult trips. on are 40th anniversary we were going to go to Hawaii, but the volcanoes and vog killed that , so we switched to 4 seasons Orlando. The hotel is way over the top, we hit the pools in the morning when they are about empty, fight for chairs- no way, went to the parks for a couple hours in the afternoon and spent the evenings at either Epcot or Disney Springs, we had a great time.
 
For the flying part, do you think you can do a red eye so you can sleep? That way you aren't thinking about flying. Driving honestly doesn't sound fun..that's a LONG way
From someone that tried to sleep on a 5 hour non stop flight last night...don’t do it. Unless you get some sleeping pills or a flight with a lay down bed. Lol I’m still miserable. There is no comfortable position. And I had one of the few empty seats next to me on the flight!!
 
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From someone that tried to sleep on a 5 hour non stop flight last night...don’t do it. Unless you get some sleeping pills or a flight with a lay down bed. Lol I’m still miserable. There is no comfortable position. And I had one if the few empty seats on the flight!!
LOL! oh man, nevermind then. I was really young when I did that red eye to WDW so I probably was able to sleep at any given moment. I can still sleep ok on flights if I have music in my ears.
 
LOL! oh man, nevermind then. I was really young when I did that red eye to WDW so I probably was able to sleep at any given moment. I can still sleep ok on flights if I have music in my ears.
It’s been at least 6 years since I did it. Never again! I don’t recall it being this bad before-but I didn’t love it either.
 

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