Are the individual parks at WDW larger than those at Disneyland?

[splash]

I keep telling my DS and DH that we need to walk a lot before our trip to prepare for WDW. My DH says "We walk back and forth in Disneyland, it can't be any larger than that". Is it true, or are the parks at the WDW larger than those at Disneyland? We have done both parks in Disneyland in a day. I'm not saying that we could do all of the parks in one day, but comparison wise - how do they measure up in size?

[stan4d_steph]

From the MousePlanet park guide pages, here are the approximate sizes:

Disneyland: 75 acres
Disney's California Adventure: 58 acres

Animal Kingdom: 500 acres
Epcot: 300 acres
Disney Studios: 155 acres
Magic Kingdom: 107 acres

[tjrj]

WDW is absolutely H-U-G-E. Even MK is more spread out than DL. We tried not to back track more than necessary.

[Mostly Anonymous]

The parks in Orlando are definitely larger. And the other thing that gets to you is that you're doing it day after day. Imagine how tired and sore you are after one day walking around Disneyland and California Adventure - then picture getting that exercise every day of your trip.

Making sure you're in good shape before you go is a great idea!

[THpoohbear]

From the MousePlanet park guide pages, here are the approximate sizes:

Disneyland: 75 acres
Disney's California Adventure: 58 acres

Animal Kingdom: 500 acres
Epcot: 300 acres
Disney Studios: 155 acres
Magic Kingdom: 107 acres

One thing to keep in mind about these park sizes is that a good deal of MGM and AK you don't walk through. The MGM backlot tour covers a lot of ground that you can only see while on the tram. The same goes for AK. The ground to cover on foot at AK and MGM I think is about comparable to DL. The MK, as you can see by the stats above, is bigger. There is a lot more space in between attractions.

And EPCOT is just huge! It definitely requires the most walking out of the 4 parks at WDW. There is a lot of ground to cover on foot.

You will be walking more at WDW than at DL, and I would advise walking some before your trip. Besides, it's good for you in the mean time!

[Cheshire Figment]

WDW is 47 Square Miles (about 30,000 acres).

[efoxx]

Here is another little known fact.
DLRR from mainstreet back to mainstreet 1.2 miles
World showcase lagoon once around the promenade 1.1 miles.
which means for all practical purposes all of Dland inside the berm could fit inside WS lagoon.

[Kwahati]

So, if it's not too out of line, I'd like to sum up all the posts in this thread: no, don't worry about walking because WDW's tiny. That's why you can see everything there in one day! (Gawd, I thought *everyone* knew that!):~D [/sarcasm]

BTW: interesting bit about the DLRR efoxx. I did not know that.

[cocoabeach]

It's both the blessing and curse of WDW. They have room for great theming and landscaping and it makes an incredible experience... but the walking is definitely an issue.

On the positive side, my wife periodically laments while we are on vacation how much she eats with huge breakfasts, sit down meals for all three meals, etc. (she is hot petit 115 lbs) and she keeps thinking she's putting on a dozen pounds. But we need the energy so I convince her not to worry about it. The funny thing is when we get home after 2-3 weeks she weighs the same as when we left. Lots of walking.

On the negative side, my mom has attended with us a few times and she has never, not once, had shoes good enough to remain comfortable for the whole trip. She gets sores and falls apart every time. On our last trip she even did some "training" for it by taking long daily walks each morning for months before our trip... but a 45 minute walk each day can't come close to 12 hours of off and on walking.

[virgojmk]

It took us 10 mins to get from Big Thunder to Space Mt, and we were power walking. At DL would take us maybe 5 mins.
DL is nice and compact. Definately, start walking before the trip.

One big surprise was when we boarded the tram at MK and the kids were wandering where was the castle. Then we found out the tram only takes to to the ticket window and then you have to board a monorail, ferry, bus to even get to the resort. DL we could stay across the street and walk, nothing like that at WDW as the 4 resorts aren't close together.

Also keep in mind, just because a ride has the same name does not mean it is the same ride.

[Disney Lifeguard]

I have heard that you could fit all of DL in Epcot Center's Parking lot and still park 200 cars... ;)

[cocoabeach]

I have heard that you could fit all of DL in Epcot Center's Parking lot and still park 200 cars... ;)

I've heard that said about Epcot's parking lot by the tram operator. Lol, you have to admit, that is the hugest freakin parking lot ever. One year we lost our rental car and wandered for like 15 minutes looking for it. We couldn't remember the color and our keyless entry batteries were apparently dead because we kept hoping the lights would blink. Ah sad.

At least we had some Norway pastries to eat in case we got stranded there forever.

[stpats317]

We were told that you could fit all of DL in the MK parking lot and still have room to park 500 cars - whatever - there is a LOT of territory to cover no matter which park you're in. Be prepared!

[Drince88]

One year we lost our rental car and wandered for like 15 minutes looking for it. We couldn't remember the color and our keyless entry batteries were apparently dead because we kept hoping the lights would blink. Ah sad.
On my car, only the front lights blink, not the rear - which is really annoying to me. You can also do the 'panic' button on the keyless entry to get the car to really go wild (if you're close enough) :D


At least we had some Norway pastries to eat in case we got stranded there forever.
If you know approximately when you entered the park/parking lot, the parking attendants know where they were parking people and can help you at least narrow down your search area!

[Greg in TN]

One big surprise was when we boarded the tram at MK and the kids were wandering where was the castle. Then we found out the tram only takes to to the ticket window and then you have to board a monorail, ferry, bus to even get to the resort.

(Technically you board the monorail or ferry to get to from the Ticket & Transportation Center to the Magic Kingdom Park, you're already in the resort--have been in the resort for a good while by the time you get to the Magic Kingdom parking lot) ..

But this is really one of the things (differences?) I like best about the Magic Kingdom. It's not your every day, run-of-the-mill theme park entrance. Even after you've left the world of fast food restaurants & chain motels far behind, you don't just turn off the freeway, park & ride the tram to the entrance:rolleyes:. You approach Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom as if you're really going to a magical, far-away land. I like it, but maybe I'm more idealistic about Disney than some :) This total Disney immersion is one of the important things that keeps me coming back to Walt Disney World :D

[NYC]

I keep telling my DS and DH that we need to walk a lot before our trip to prepare for WDW. My DH says "We walk back and forth in Disneyland, it can't be any larger than that". Is it true, or are the parks at the WDW larger than those at Disneyland? We have done both parks in Disneyland in a day. I'm not saying that we could do all of the parks in one day, but comparison wise - how do they measure up in size?

Splash, except for Disney/MGM, I would say that the walking areas in the parks in WDW are larger than the walking areas in the parks at the DLR, but you really can't walk from one park to another at WDW (except Disney/MGM to EPCOT if you really want to take a hike). My family has never had a problem with the walking at WDW. In fact, we enjoy it since it allows us to see such beautiful vistas and beautiful theming. We are pretty much in decent shape and in good health, and the walking doesn't bother us in the least. Be sure to have a good "worn in" pair of walking shoes, though.

[splash]

Thanks for all the info. We are the kind who do DLR for 5 days straight and walk around (back and forth in the park from Splash - Tomorrowland). I'm sure we will be fine. Any ideas on good footwear?

[TinaMouse]

Crocs! You might have to go "geeky" and wear socks if they rub too much, but oh, are the comfy!

[Klutch]

Any ideas on good footwear?

It depends on the person. Personally, I buy good walking or running shoes and use aftermarket insoles. I have very high arches and the aftermarket insoles make a big difference. I have bought insoles which had a very long guarantee and they worked great, but they were pretty expensive. I tried going cheap for my last WDW trip (Dr. Scholl's Gel inserts) and regretted it. My feet sure knew the difference.

As to the size of WDW, my parents grew up next to Disneyland. When I arranged a WDW trip for them a few years ago, they could not get over how absolutely HUGE WDW is. My dad kept asking CMs, "How big is Disney World?" He wanted multiple answers to be sure he was getting it right. By the end of the trip, he was quite the expert as to how big Disney World is in acres, square miles, distance around the property, etc. :D

One drawback to the large scale of WDW is that it's very easy to get lost when driving. I rented a car for my last trip and ended up seeing a lot of the property by accident. If you're driving, be careful not to speed! It's easy to go too fast because the roads are wide with little traffic. I saw many a mini-van pulled over during my last trip.

[DL Mama]

Tevas!
Or at least a similar sport sandal when the weather is muggy. I wore some on our Caribbean cruise last year, and they were much better than sneakers or flip flops.

[UsBurchs]

I've read several times that you should split Epcot into two days if possible - it's THAT huge. I remember going back in 1991 and we split it into two days and it felt just about right. Magic Kingdom is pretty big. When I went to DL the first time, I was actually amazed at how small it was . . . but that's kinda nice when you want to get to everything! :) I remember too that the "Park-formerly-known-as-MGM" was very doable in a day and didn't wear us out at all - a lot of tram riding. I've never been to AK, but I've heard it's like going to a themepark/zoo combo - you do a lot of walking and seeing at zoos (we go to A LOT of zoos), but then you've got all the rides, exhibits, etc. too.

I just got my first pair of Crocs and I love them. I also have Teva's and they are great - but my arches dont' hold up well in them. My Nordy's shoe-buyer sister-in-law recommends Keens. All the benefits of Teva's with more support. It's nice to have good walking shoes that can get wet and dry out quickly.

[Cheshire Figment]

A couple of further comments based on what some people have said.

One is that the World Showcase Promenade is 1.3 miles, not 1.1.

The other was you could take the original Disneyland and its parking lot and drop them both into the Magic Kingdom's Parking Lot and still have room for 200 cards; the Epcot lot is not as large.

[danyoung]

One is that the World Showcase Promenade is 1.3 miles, not 1.1.


Well, as long as we're getting picky, the number I've always heard is 1.2 miles around.

[efoxx]

Well, as long as we're getting picky, the number I've always heard is 1.2 miles around.
well as long as we are being picky I actually measured the distance around both using GPS.
Well actually it was using google earth, and a whole lot of measuring points for accuracy, but could I have been off by a whole 500ft? possibly as I measured the inside of the promenade. I bet Disney used the outside edges to get maximum distance.

[cocoabeach]

well as long as we are being picky I actually measured the distance around both using GPS.
Well actually it was using google earth, and a whole lot of measuring points for accuracy, but could I have been off by a whole 500ft? possibly as I measured the inside of the promenade. I bet Disney used the outside edges to get maximum distance.

lol, this discussion is funny.

I'll bring a tape measure with me next time and we'll settle the matter... 25 ft at a time.

My 4 yo son would be totally into that. Except he would insist on adding the stairs up and down the Mexico temple, Norway's viking playground, the Chinese water lillies walkways... I bet we could get it up to 5 miles!