I went to Disneyland last week for the first time and . . .

[jedigrrrl]

I LOVED IT!!! I wish they'd take Disneyland/Cali Adventure and plop down on top of Magic Kingdom and MGM. Better rides, more details, more magic, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy better food! No buses, everything within walking distance, a better downtown disney, roller coasters with soundtracks and the best hotel ever: The Grand Californian.

I plan on writing a trip report when I get settled in now that I am back home.
We spent 10 days in California, 3 of them in Disneyland.

OH!!! and the Best Parade EVER:
The Main Street Electrical Parade!!!!!!!!!!!! I cried.

[Melanie]

Yay! Glad you had such a good time at the Happiest Place on Earth. Can't wait to read your full reports.

I wish they'd take Disneyland/Cali Adventure and plop down on top of Magic Kingdom and MGM.

I love it! That's a perfect idea.

[Clotho]

I LOVED IT!!! I wish they'd take Disneyland/Cali Adventure and plop down on top of Magic Kingdom and MGM. Better rides, more details, more magic, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy better food! in Disneyland.

????!!!!
Where have you been eating in WDW that you think DLR is better. Or better yet, where did you eat in DLR that you think is so great?!

I have been going to DLR all my life, and most of it is glorified faire food. Not great. But at WDW, the gourmet food options are fantastic! And even lower scale places, like Columbia Harbor House, have freshness, variety, and flavor aaaall over DLR's comparable options.

I agree that the Electrical Parade rocks, though, and most of the rides which share the same name are superior at DLR.

[NotaGeek]

IMHO the food at The Magic Kingdom alone pales in comparison the food offered at the Disneyland Park. The rest of the food venues at WDW leave DL in the dust, but for in-park food DLR wins hands down over MK.

[little disney lovers]

I have come from Australia twice to go to DL. May 2005 (4 days) and April 2006 (10 days). We love it soooo much we've missed our 2007 trip and saved more money to go to WDW in April 2008 for 3 weeks. I was under the impression that WDW was bigger and better in every way. What's this about the rides being 'superior' in DL? Don't really care about the food, but better rides and more magic! That's what we're going to WDW for!

[Carol]

I'm so glad you had a wonderful time on your first trip. That's exactly what happened to me in November. So much so - I am returning next month with my youngest son and we are already talking about a family vacation in the near future.

I too loved the closeness of everything and not having to use transportation to get to everything. At the end of the day - it was so much more relaxing. We vacationed for 8 days and they were all spent at Disneyland. We never saw one child meltdown.The atmosphere is much more low-key paced.

Main Street Electrical Parade was not running during the off season. I cannot wait to see it.

I was under the impression that WDW was bigger and better in every way.

Bigger - Yes - but certainly not better.

[ChipnDaleGal]

I am so glad that you had such a good time. It is so easy to fall in love with the whole set up at Disneyland. Exactly how I felt last year.

[disneydrmr]

I am so glad you posted this! I"m going to Disneyland for the first time in November and was wondering about the whole WDW vs. DLR thing...I already planned to go with an open mind... but I'm glad to see you were impressed! I'm so looking forward to going in November!

[jedigrrrl]

I'm so glad you had a wonderful time on your first trip. That's exactly what happened to me in November. So much so - I am returning next month with my youngest son and we are already talking about a family vacation in the near future.

I too loved the closeness of everything and not having to use transportation to get to everything. At the end of the day - it was so much more relaxing. We vacationed for 8 days and they were all spent at Disneyland. We never saw one child meltdown.The atmosphere is much more low-key paced.

Main Street Electrical Parade was not running during the off season. I cannot wait to see it.

Bigger - Yes - but certainly not better.

EXACTLY!!!!!!!!

[jedigrrrl]

????!!!!
Where have you been eating in WDW that you think DLR is better. Or better yet, where did you eat in DLR that you think is so great?!

I have been going to DLR all my life, and most of it is glorified faire food. Not great. But at WDW, the gourmet food options are fantastic! And even lower scale places, like Columbia Harbor House, have freshness, variety, and flavor aaaall over DLR's comparable options.

I agree that the Electrical Parade rocks, though, and most of the rides which share the same name are superior at DLR.

We have eaten in most places in WDW, including Victoria and Albert's, and have been very VERY disappointed with the decline of the food quality in the past 2-3 years since the popularity of the Dining Plan. All of our favorite TS places have changed or removed food we used to love, Tusker House is closed, and there are very few CS places with unique choices(other than Harbor House, and EPCOT, which they are canging slowly, but surely).

At Disneyland, we LOVED the mexican food(spicy!) at Rancho del Zocalo, the Skewers at Bengal BBQ, The Gumbo and Sweet Fritters in Royal Street Veranda, the ice cream shop was superior, we loved the corn dogs at Cali Adventure, and the bread bowls full of soup and salad at Pacific Wharf Cafe. AND DON'T GET ME STARTED ON THEIR FRUIT SELECTION!!! YUM!!!!!! And White Water Snacks in the Grand Californian had very large portions of freshly made food with the best guacamole and freshly fried tortilla chips and everything comes with fresh strawberries. AND their Downtown Disney has yummy stuff too, especially the pizza at Napolini. All this and we never even tried a TS place. We had no time. The next time we visit, and I hope it is very soon, we will hit up the TS places.

the end.

[Clotho]

Thanks for the very thorough rundown!

I guess when I think of WDW, I *do* think of the World Showcase restaurants, though I think of things like Coral Reef, California Grill, Narcoossee, Brown Derby, Spoodles, Wolfgang Pucks, ...so many choices that are delicious! In DLR, there are so few table service restaurants in the parks: Blue Bayou, Wine Country Trattoria, and Ariel's Grotto... Everything else is CS. Yes, there is Downtown Disney, but if we are including that, then DTD in WDW still has it all over DLR since it has about 3 times as many dining options to compare to.

The ONE TS location that I think is superior to EVERY WDW dining experience I have had is Napa Rose in the Grand Californian. Oh man...any time we can afford it we go, and we are always always always glad we did. It's spendy, but the food and service is above and beyond. I would not hesitate to say it is one of my favorite restaurants ANYWHERE. I recommend trying it when you return! But I don't think or it as a DLR restaurant since it is in the hotel...but that shouldn't really stop me, now, should it? If we include the resort restaurants at WDW!

On CS, I like Bengal BBQ, too, but too often have had skewers that were burned, sometimes burned on the outside and undercooked inside, even. And I had a food poisoning issue at Rancho Del Zocalo years ago (under another name?) so I have never gone back. So I usually do French Market and Turkey Legs personally, which I love, but isn't off the charts compared to my WDW experiences. So that is probably part of our difference in opinion. I am glad you had good experiences, though!!

And I don't think of Whitewater Snacks as "in the parks" since it is in the hotel. Along the lines of Napa Rose, I kinda don't include them when I think of comparing the "parks"; but you're right. YUM on the options there! Silly me for not including it.

The variety is just soooo much greater at WDW. You can burn out on the options at DLR very quickly, IMO.

Thanks again for your review.

As to the DLR/WDW superiority arguments. There are lots and lots of threads on it. Opinions vary widely! I think both have qualities that make them fabulous and unique, and no one is better than the other.

[Chescat]

Bad news on the Bengal BBQ. I heard they are closing it soon. Going to move the selection to some other place in the park. I think one of the problems with it, is it sticks out in a place that has major traffic jams. They may have been relooking the crowd flow in there.

I also found out something I didn't know yesterday. If its your birthday according to people in City Hall, you can go to Mission Tortilla factory and you get something special. Somebody around that area told me you get a thing of tortillas. Not sure how many or what they give you. You need to have that birthday button on that they give you at City Hall when its your birthday.

As far as the meals at the park, I think because people are always on the move in DLR, we normally don't feel like sitting down for a big meal. Most people visiting only spend a few days there. Where at WDW, people normally go for a week. The Disney hotels have wonderful places to eat since they are gearing toward visitors instead of us locals.

[tinkwest]

jedigrrrl,
Glad you had such a great time. Enjoyed your summation of the places you ate & looking forward to details of other parts of your trip.

(but of interest)

...If its your birthday according to people in City Hall, you can go to Mission Tortilla factory and you get something special. Somebody around that area told me you get a thing of tortillas. Not sure how many or what they give you. You need to have that birthday button on that they give you at City Hall when its your birthday....

Mission Tortilla Factory visitors get a free tortilla. MTF visitors celebrating a birthday get a dozen free tortillas.

[DizNee143]

sounds like you had a great time....cant wait to read the trip reports!!

[Lizzie]

Sounds like you had a great trip looking forward to your reports.

[ChipDale]

Yay! Glad to hear that you liked the Disneyland Resort so much! Can't wait to read your full trip reports!

[Tygger7]

Okay, I know I'm going to probably be in the minority, but we went to DL in 1995 and HATED it. I'd been to WDW dozens of times and I was so disappointed in DL...the castle, the park (both were tiny). The park was packed and the only good ride was the Indiana Jones ride. The Matterhorn was disappointing, and ALL of Future World was closed. I felt like it was a complete waste of money. Give me WDW ANY day....so much more to do, and the environment is so much more magical. DL is right in the middle of a city, and that ruined it for me. I expected Magic Kingdom and was totally disappointed. No plans to ever go back. Just my two cents. :\

[ChipDale]

Tygger7: yes, of course you are entitled to your opinion, but there's nothing like coming in and raining on someone's parade.

This is the Disneyland forum after all - why come in here at all if you hate the place?

[mdearmas]

HEY! HOPE YOU GUYS HAD FUN AT DL. I WANNA SEE PICTURES. LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU GUYS ARE COMING BACK UP SO WE CAN GO PIN TRADING. LOL

[jedigrrrl]

Okay, I know I'm going to probably be in the minority, but we went to DL in 1995 and HATED it. I'd been to WDW dozens of times and I was so disappointed in DL...the castle, the park (both were tiny). The park was packed and the only good ride was the Indiana Jones ride. The Matterhorn was disappointing, and ALL of Future World was closed. I felt like it was a complete waste of money. Give me WDW ANY day....so much more to do, and the environment is so much more magical. DL is right in the middle of a city, and that ruined it for me. I expected Magic Kingdom and was totally disappointed. No plans to ever go back. Just my two cents. :\

And thats the difference between you and I. I went into it expecting something completely different from WDW and was surprised that I enjoyed it soooooo much!! And the Matterhorn was CRAZY FUN!!!! I laughed the whole time, feeling like I was gonna fly off that mountain!! LOL!! OH! And you didn't get to experience the Caifornia Adventure, which I loved!