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mikala
10-14-2005, 06:23 PM
We took our first trip to WDW from 9/22-10/01. While I we had a wonderful time seeing so much new stuff, I still felt a different warm feeling about the original.

It is likely that having additional family members put a damper on our visit at times, and we will definately stay on WDW property the whole time, or rent our own car. I haven't been to Disneyland since Labor Day, and am anxious about our trip coming up in three weeks.....

Mikala

tink360
10-14-2005, 06:40 PM
If so, at least you are in good company:~D

Susan L
10-14-2005, 08:21 PM
Your not crazy, you are just part of the original magic. WDW doesn't have that.

spectromen
10-14-2005, 08:44 PM
Not at all. WDW is awesome and has a ton more to see and do than DL, but it will never have the same charm. Thats what makes the two places the same, but different, and both are worthy of your visits!

potzbie
10-14-2005, 09:50 PM
Yes, you are crazy.
But not for that reason.
:eek:

TowerofTerror
10-14-2005, 09:59 PM
Hey it`s not crazy to like Disneyland over WDW.

hbquikcomjamesl
10-14-2005, 11:18 PM
Personally, I like DL better than WDW-MK, because even decades after his death, it still has Walt's personal touches. And the Hand of Walt is something that no complete theme park in WDW, DLP, TDL, or elsewhere, can ever have in the same way.

But I do marginally prefer WDW as a whole, simply because its greater scope provides greater variety. Besides which, there are individual attractions at WDW that have Walt's fingerprints all over them. Most notably, Carousel of Progress. (It's not without a good reason that today, it's referred to as "Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress") And while he wasn't around to see ground broken for it, much less to see it completed, the Hall of Presidents also has the Hand of Walt, because it (and indeed, all of Liberty Square) is just a variation on something he had wanted to put in DL (in the area that ended up being the Town Square Parade Layover Area), but hadn't been able to. And while American Adventure wasn't built until many years after his death, it, too, is very Walt.

disneyhound
10-15-2005, 05:15 AM
I am not sure that I have ever read a post from someone who had grown up on Disneyland, then visited WDW, and thought it was better. I have never been to WDW, it is a copy, why not stay with the original!

twist1980
10-15-2005, 08:02 AM
I am not sure that I have ever read a post from someone who had grown up on Disneyland, then visited WDW, and thought it was better. I have never been to WDW, it is a copy, why not stay with the original!

I agree completly. It's the same thing the other way around. I have friends that grew up with WDW and were disappointed with DLR when they finally visited.

I grew up at DL and when I took my first trip to WDW when I was 21, I spent the whole time at MK comparing it to DL! Pirates isn't as long and there aren't drops and Space Mt. is strange! I'm just so used to DLR and it is such a huge part of my life that nothing compares! Plus its way cheaper for me to take a trip to DLR than WDW! I do envy the space that they have down there and wish that we had an Epcot! :)

Whittibo
10-15-2005, 08:20 AM
This has worried me. We're trying to move from California to Tennessee, if we do, we would of course go to WDW because it's closer. But while at Disneyland this year I just realized we "KNOW IT". It's familiar, we don't feel awkward there, it won't be the same at WDW. :s

I am sure if we do move, then we'll get used to WDW or find a way to get back to DL each year?! Maybe because my memory is so bad, I won't even notice the differences. ;)

WDW heart
10-15-2005, 11:12 AM
I have never been to DL. I first went to WDW when I was 6. I have incredible feelings of nostalgia when I visit the MK. I am sure that if I visited DL, things would feel off kilter and that nostalgia would not be there. I think it is what you are used to.

mkcbunny
10-15-2005, 11:18 AM
You are not nuts. I feel the same way. DL is magical.

And I enjoy being immersed at DLR with everything within walking distance. WDW, while a fun adventure and worthwhile, is just plain exhausting to get around.

disneyhound
10-15-2005, 11:19 AM
This has worried me. We're trying to move from California to Tennessee, if we do, we would of course go to WDW because it's closer. But while at Disneyland this year I just realized we "KNOW IT". It's familiar, we don't feel awkward there, it won't be the same at WDW. :s

I am sure if we do move, then we'll get used to WDW or find a way to get back to DL each year?! Maybe because my memory is so bad, I won't even notice the differences. ;)Stay on the west coast, the DL will always be your Disney destination!

geoffa
10-15-2005, 11:48 AM
Your not crazy, you are just part of the original magic. WDW doesn't have that.

Can't agree. OK DL is smaller and was the original but as you say it's about "original magic". I'd always wanted to visit Disney no matter what park it was. I'd waited so long. In 1992 I went to WDW and just everything was sheer magic and fun. When I sat down to watch the Beauty and the Beast show at the studios my eyes welled with tears - and I'm male and was 41 years old at the time. When I eventually met Mickey I was tongue tied and that moment can never ever be repeated for the glow it gave me. Every ride, parade and firework show (particularly the one at EPCOT) was total MAGIC! And the hotel that we stayed at was the Quality Inn on International Drive. Years later for an anniversary we stayed at the Grand Floridian and took the cruise on the Disney Wonder. THAT was magic beyond magic!

My first experience at DL turned out to be on "Residents Day". What chaos. Trash and food on floors - lines for Temple of Doom over 4 hours long, spent two hours in line for Pochahontas show which was cancelled 10 minutes before it was due to start - RESULT - no magic and a complaint to City Hall that resulted in a FULL refund. That being said I have been back to DL and had a great time despite the area having one year's rainfall in one afternoon.

The one thing I do find with DLfans is that they can sometimes be "parochial" about their park. Disney has expanded over the years and the original has been replecated around the world. Heaven forbid but even Disneyland Resort Paris has it's magic.(It took a few years to get there). I'm sure HK and future proposed parks will be the same. "No man (or park) is an island":fez: :fez: :fez:

Clotho
10-15-2005, 12:16 PM
I feel like it's somewhat apples to oranges. Or at least apples to crabapples. LOL

I grew up on DL. I love it. It definitely has an intimate air to it--a closeness that isn't crowded so much as cozy and familiar. Everything feels in balance, aesthetically, and I like that. Maybe MK doesn't have that, but, I tell ya, WDW has it all over DL on scale. Everything is a bit bigger, a bit more detailed, a bit more epic. And frankly, I just can't compare the food and wine options at WDW compared to DL. Man, I would go back to WDW JUST for all the amazing food and entertainment that DLR lacks.

They both have their strong points. If you go to WDW trying to find DLR in there somewhere, you won't. You will find WDW, which is incredible in its own right.

mckygirl99
10-15-2005, 03:32 PM
I am taking my first trip to WDW too in about 2 weeks and I was wondering the same thing too. Everyone has built this place up so much and my expectations are so high that I am scared to be disappointed and constantly comparing it to DLR. I have been an AP for 7 years and before that visited two to three times a year since I was two and I am 30 now. It will definately be hard for me not to compare since DLR is like a second home to me. I plan on going back to DL the day after I return!

mikala
10-15-2005, 07:20 PM
Thanks so much for the responses. I thought I was weird at first, until I read all of your responses. To give you an idea of our itinerary:

Yes, there is alot to do there. In all our days we went to:
Sea World
Blizzard Beach
Typhoon Lagoon
Downtown Disney
Magic Kingdom
Animal Kingdom
Epcot
MGM

We stayed for 2 nights @ All Star Movies in Love Bug 6 and the rest of the time we stayed in Celebration.

We ate at:
Portobello
Rainforest
California Grill
Concorde Steakhouse
1900 Park Fare
Tappanyaki
San Angel Inn
Kona Cafe
Brown Derby
Sci Fi
50's Prime Time

and many more. Most of them we're sit down with the exception of the counter service in the water parks, and 2 days in the parks.

I brought back so much stuff, I am thrilled, and maybe I will feel different about if next time. My husband had to cut our 10 days to 5 for him because of work. As he puts it, he has his job to give me what I want....sweet, I know.

My sister and brother in law are the type of people that though they paid all that money to go, they ended up wanting to go back to the room for a lengthly break by noon. Funny enough, my 20 month old old niece was riding rides and water slides and nothing like her parents lazy nature. We go, go, go. So there was a couple days that by my husbands advice to enjoy every moment, I toured alone. I am hardly afraid to be alone, as I was in Europe last year for studies for 7 weeks, and I was by myself. I guess I am just used to no compromises because my husband is the ultimate Disney trooper, and we love to explore. We will plan another trip to WDW next fall, and will get away from the humid 90 degrees that September brought. With staying off property, we spent alot of time, and 3 tanks of gas, because my sister and bro in law could never get the right way to get back, so we toured alot.

Little things like that will be different next time.

Mikala

Mrs. Newseditor44
10-15-2005, 08:46 PM
I prefer DL over WDW. There's a lot more to do in WDW but I still prefer the one out here.

Another Dimension
10-15-2005, 11:54 PM
Am I crazy for liking Disneyland better than WDW?


Nope.

It's Disneyland(!)


...and it's in California. :cool:

disneyhound
10-16-2005, 06:51 AM
I am taking my first trip to WDW too in about 2 weeks...It will definately be hard for me not to compare since DLR is like a second home to me...I think you will need to continually chant, "It's OK that WDW is NOT the same as DL; I am NOT betraying the original by being here."

Oh, and have a GREAT time, give us a trip report!

GrumpyUTboi
10-16-2005, 07:25 AM
no you are not crazy for liking DL better than WDW. I feel the same way. It is cheaper to go to DL!

mckygirl99
10-16-2005, 10:05 AM
Oh, and have a GREAT time, give us a trip report!


Definately will do!!

tink360
10-16-2005, 03:29 PM
I am not sure that I have ever read a post from someone who had grown up on Disneyland, then visited WDW, and thought it was better. I have never been to WDW, it is a copy, why not stay with the original!

I know of only one "traitor," a guy named Steve I believe I met on the ADD board a long while back. He was a total fixture on the board, a total disneyland freak (like the rest of us ;) ), and racked up a pile of miles on his car driving back & forth between DL and his home in Arizona. Then he made a trip or two to WDW, and before you knew it he had decided WDW was better and he didn't have much interest in DL.

I've never been to WDW, can't see going when DL is one of my favorite places to be, it would mean such a long flight, missing out on DL and then having to learn a whole new park.

mikala
10-16-2005, 05:47 PM
As what I call a "Forever and Everything Disney Fan, exploring everything Disney is wonderful. Nothing is exactly the same, and I continuously compared things (in a good way), like how Haunted Mansion is different or how the front of IASW reminds me of as if I was seeing it at the 1964 World's Fair. But then there was things we loved there, like not freezing while enjoying the water parks, or everything Animal Kingdom.

At least as my travels continue, I can say I have been to Disneyland, WDW, and Disneyland Paris. I will be going to Toyko Disneyland in March. Some people want to explore something new, some don't. But at least we all have this love for Disney. I am fanatical......you guys help share in the fun. :)

MrsG
10-16-2005, 06:56 PM
WDW is wonderful... but Disneyland is home. :geek: