Walt Disney World and Disneyland(s) Discussion

[dunedain]

It looks way better now and seeing that YouTube video I am glad I never previously have visited the California theme parks and went to the WDW instead. Now it looks like it is worth the money.

 

[Blackthornone]

California Adventure opening newsreel

https://youtu.be/xY_maiLj07k

is California Adventure really that awful?
and something i dont get, why would they build a California Themed park, on California???
where they high?

I thought it was superfluous to have a California themed park in California too. I went in 2001 and it was mostly boring, with a couple neat things. Soaring Over California I really liked. It really seemed like you were gliding. The other thing was the parade at night. Other than that, not much different than the rest of California, that, living in California, I had seen already. It was a major yawnfest.

 

[Coheteboy]

It looks way better now and seeing that YouTube video I am glad I never previously have visited the California theme parks and went to the WDW instead. Now it looks like it is worth the money.

Disneyland has always been worth the money even without California Adventure.

One thing most people don't realize is that while Disneyland is only one park, it has as many attractions as Magic Kingdom and Disney Hollywood Studios combined. Just smaller area.

Now with Disney California Adventure being a more complete park, you have a resort that has as many attractions as three parks in Florida.


Park hopping is as easy as walking across the street. No need to get on a bus to go to Downtown Disney either. It's right next to both parks.


With Disneyland's history and amount of attractions, it's a good 3-4 day resort now for sure. And less expensive than WDW.

 

[dunedain]

I was thinking about going to Florida at the end of this year or early next year but I might skip that for another year till the new Fantasyland is complete and all. So California might be the better option for me at the moment.

 

[Coheteboy]

I was thinking about going to Florida at the end of this year or early next year but I might skip that for another year till the new Fantasyland is complete and all. So California might be the better option for me at the moment.

I think November is when the new Fantasyland is complete in WDW.



Went to DCA again Saturday night with a friend.. here's a few photos from that evening.

 

[cokebabies]

I was thinking about going to Florida at the end of this year or early next year but I might skip that for another year till the new Fantasyland is complete and all. So California might be the better option for me at the moment.

I lost track of the math, whether you meant "another year" as 13 or 14, but Fantasyland technically won't be "complete" until 2014, when the mine coaster is finished.

 

[cokebabies]

Disney balloons, especially the balloon-in-a-balloons make for such great pictures. Even when someone like me, who has a bad camera and limited skills, takes a balloon picture it always looks awesome.

But that's a great shot - the reflected lights look awesome.

 

[jungle jom]

Wow, these fantastic pictures keep coming!

I just love it! The colors are just so vibrant...

 

[Irvy]

I love the pics in this thread Just booked for DLP in november for a couple days although I would have liked to have seen it at halloween.

 

[Coheteboy]

I lost track of the math, whether you meant "another year" as 13 or 14, but Fantasyland technically won't be "complete" until 2014, when the mine coaster is finished.

Ah thanks for that clarification! I guess phase 1 opens in November.

 

[RyanSD]

Wife and I just made reservations for DL and CA next month. We have to renew our passes and its her birthday, we go every year.

This will be my first time going since they opened Cars land, so I'm really looking forward to that.

Also, are they still doing the custom carbonite display/figures for Star Tours?

 

[Coheteboy]

Wife and I just made reservations for DL and CA next month. We have to renew our passes and its her birthday, we go every year.

This will be my first time going since they opened Cars land, so I'm really looking forward to that.

Also, are they still doing the custom carbonite display/figures for Star Tours?

Custom Carbonite was only in Florida during Star Wars Weekends. It will also be a part of Star Wars Celebration in Orlando as well. No word on if it will come to Disneyland.

I think they oughtta. Los Angeles probably has one of the biggest population of Star Wars fans and geeks around.

 

[Coheteboy]

For those who do have to decide between Disneyland and Walt Disney World when booking your travel, Kevin Yee (an Orlando resident) wrote a review of Cars Land and DCA.
https://micechat.com/9563-disneyland-cars-land/


I found these words the most interesting because it's what I've been trying to say for awhile:

I might even place DCA in second place in the American Disney parks line up. It doesn’t exceed Tokyo DisneySea or Tokyo Disneyland (could anything?), so the global rankings belong in a different discussion. But nationally within the USA, yeah, I’d put DCA second.

Mind you nothing is going to displace Disneyland at the top of the list, and none of the Florida parks exceeds DCA presently. I can imagine this will be cause for consternation among some readers (and probably some disagreement too), but I think my opinion is pretty firmed up. The Orlando parks are great, and I love them all in their own ways. But none of them have the line-up of D-ticket and E-ticket rides that DCA has. And DCA finally has a fairly long list of C-tickets too, including two dark rides.

An argument could be made for the Magic Kingdom being “better” than DCA still. Certainly the MK has a lot of rides, including some great classics, and very-plussed dark rides like Haunted Mansion (which out here is unbeatable). But so much of the MK has that ‘forced’ feel that is missing in Disneyland (where Disneyland is small and charming, MK goes for full-sized and ‘grandeur’ – but sometimes feels a bit forced and corporate).

I can well imagine folks all over the USA now choosing to visit Disneyland Resort rather than Walt Disney World, and finding the weeklong vacation well spent in Anaheim. This is especially true for those who have a tradition of going to Orlando yearly, and may be getting sick of the place (not to mention folks who have seen a decline first-hand in the quality, theming, variety, upkeep, and simple VALUE for your dollar in Orlando).

Watch out, Team Disney Orlando. You aren’t necessarily the big dog in the fight anymore.

 

[bmarz1000]

Take THAT Orlando!!!! As a Native Southern Californian I've always had a sweet spot for DL. DW always seemed too complicated and over done.

 

[Grenouille]

(not to mention folks who have seen a decline first-hand in the quality, theming, variety, upkeep, and simple VALUE for your dollar in Orlando).

This quote really stands out to me. The experience in Orlando has fallen off quite a bit while the prices have been steadily increasing. It's little things that are getting cut that sting a bit. For instance I'll go to WDW in January when hours are already short and now they've decided to cut on the MH. Hollywood Studios is a mess that needs some overhaul in my opinion.

The additions in California really make it tempting to take a break from Orlando.

 

[Coheteboy]

This quote really stands out to me. The experience in Orlando has fallen off quite a bit while the prices have been steadily increasing. It's little things that are getting cut that sting a bit. For instance I'll go to WDW in January when hours are already short and now they've decided to cut on the MH. Hollywood Studios is a mess that needs some overhaul in my opinion.

I agree. And the VP at Imagineering that headed up Cars Land has just been given a new assignment at Walt Disney World. Let's hope that means there will be something worth while in Florida soon.

 

[Shropt]

Florida is next in line. Disney hasn't been too quiet that the money and time for DCA was blantantly stolen from the WDW upgrades. WDW are coming, don't worry.

To list a few:
Walt Disney World : Fantasyland upgrade
Animal Kingdom : Avatar land
Epcot : Multiple silent upgrades including bars and the Phineas and Ferb redo of the old Kimpossible game (The park is fine IMO)
Hollywood Studios : Rumored Marvel additions

 

[2ndname]

Coheteboy... You should seriously consider starting a fan blog site to showcase your pictures. They are amazing and captures a lot of Disney that we normally dont get to see from standard fan pics or even professionally setup pics by the Disney team.

 

[Coheteboy]

Florida is next in line. Disney hasn't been too quiet that the money and time for DCA was blantantly stolen from the WDW upgrades.

Source? Each resort has their own budget. Nothing was "blatantly stolen" from anything, not that I'm aware. If anything was stolen budget-wise, it was taken out of other projects within DCA. Paradise Pier isn't entirely finished because the money went towards making Cars Land better. But there is no proof that Disneyland took money from WDW's plans.

If you can provide a source... that would help.



Also, there's no "next in line" when it comes to Florida or CA. They're separate properties with their own schedule and management.

Coheteboy... You should seriously consider starting a fan blog site to showcase your pictures. They are amazing and captures a lot of Disney that we normally dont get to see from standard fan pics or even professionally setup pics by the Disney team.

Thanks so much for saying that, 2ndname! I think I would really love to work there eventually. So we'll see!

 

[Hazel]

Take THAT Orlando!!!! As a Native Southern Californian I've always had a sweet spot for DL. DW always seemed too complicated and over done.

Same. When I went to DW, it didn't have that same...magic feeling that DL has. DL feels like home.