Recently, I went on a trip to Walt Disney World. It was my first time there in over 21
years. There have been quite a few
changes since I was last there. And
there are many differences to Disneyland, which I consider my home park. Now that I’ve been to both resorts within the last year, I
feel qualified to discuss the differences between the two and the pros and cons
of each park.
Let’s start with the Magic Kingdom, which is essentially a
copy of Disneyland. First, the Magic
Kingdom is a lot bigger than Disneyland.
Disneyland is essentially a circle which is pretty easy to navigate, and
you don’t have to walk more than a few feet to get from one attraction to the
next. Magic Kingdom is not like that at
all. There were stretches when we were
walking and the only thing nearby were restaurants or shops. And with all the forks and different paths,
it was quite easy to get lost or not know where you were. We almost missed an entire section of the
park because we couldn’t figure out how to get there. Advantage: Disneyland
Now let’s look at the individual rides within the park,
starting with the big rides. Space
Mountain at Disneyland is my favorite ride.
It is so much fun and I have the entire experience memorized. Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom is very
different than its California counterpart.
First, there are two tracks in Florida, which are slightly different
than each other and very different from Disneyland’s. I have to say they are much better. Disneyland’s track is very circular, to say
the least, while Magic Kingdom offers two tracks that have much more
variety. Secondly, the cars are quite
different between the two. Disneyland
cars can sit riders side by side and have music in the headsets that is timed
to the ride making it seem more thrilling.
The Magic Kingdom cars sit riders single file, have no music, and are
rather uncomfortable. Finally, the Magic
Kingdom takes your picture at the beginning of the ride, while Disneyland snaps
it at the end. Overall, I have to give
the edge to Magic Kingdom due to the longer and better track, although I much
prefer the cars at Disneyland.
On to another mountain ride, Splash Mountain. The edge here is clearly with Magic
Kingdom. First of all, the logs are much
more comfortable in Florida, and you can sit side by side. Also, they don’t sit so low in the water, so
water doesn’t constantly splash in from the sides. It makes riding at night much more pleasant. Finally, the ride is a little longer and the
storytelling feels a little more complete.
Disneyland’s Splash Mountain is a fun ride, but I enjoyed it a lot more
at Magic Kingdom.
Next up, we have Thunder Mountain. This ride feels almost identical in both
places, with one glaring omission. There
is no dynamite chewing goat at Magic Kingdom.
For that reason alone I have to give the edge to Disneyland.
Pirates of the Caribbean is next on the list. Pirates at Disneyland is iconic and a
wonderful ride. It’s an 18 minute cruise
with some fun drops and state of the art animatronics. Pirates at Magic Kingdom is a five minute
rushed copy that doesn’t come close to living up to the original. It’s a very disappointing ride.
Jungle Cruise at Magic Kingdom, however, is a slightly
longer cruise than Disneyland. I love
the Jungle Cruise. It’s one of my
favorite rides. Both rides are very
similar with only small differences between the two. For instance, there are no piranhas at Disney
World. And even with the added length,
many of the scenes were the same at Magic Kingdom. But I have to give the edge to Disneyland for
a couple reasons. First, it’s the
original, and second, I’ve never had a rude guide there before. Our guide in Florida was kind of rude and
sarcastic in a mean way. It really
ruined the experience and we never made it back to try it again.
The next ride to compare is Haunted Mansion. I kept hearing how the Haunted Mansion at
Disney World was much better than Disneyland, but, honestly, they felt pretty
much the same to me. The order of some
of the scenes was a little different, but both rides are equally enjoyable.
Comparing It’s a Small World is another clear advantage for
Disneyland. That ride is a classic, and
as annoying as you might think the song is, you can’t deny the charm and good
feelings the ride produces. Bringing the
ride from the 1964 World’s Fair, it was a remarkable achievement for its time,
and it has withstood the test of time.
The ride at Magic Kingdom is a disappointing copy. It’s shorter, darker, and less charming.
The Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin is an interesting ride
to look at. The rides are nearly
identical in both places with only a couple noticeable differences. The first is that the laser guns at Magic
Kingdom are affixed to the cars whereas the guns at Disneyland are tethered by
a cord and can be moved around easier.
Magic Kingdom, however, does have one video scene that is fun and adds a
layer of storytelling to the ride. But
the guns on the Disneyland version give it the edge in my book.
The Tomorrowland Autopia at Disneyland and the Tomorrowland
Speedway at Magic Kingdom are really only similar in the fact that you get to “drive”
cars around a track. But the track at
Disneyland is far superior and much more enjoyable than Magic Kingdom. There is more scenery and props and it feels
longer. Another notch for
Disneyland.
The final ride I will be comparing in this post is Peter
Pan. I rarely ride Peter Pan at
Disneyland because the line is always long, but from what I remember, it is
identical to the one at Magic Kingdom.
So this one is a wash.
The standings after looking at rides that appear in both
parks is 6 for Disneyland, 2 for Magic Kingdom, and 2 ties.
Now, there are some rides and attractions which are only
featured in Magic Kingdom. These
attractions include the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Monsters Inc Laugh Floor, and
Stitch’s Great Escape. There are also
two attractions which used to be at Disneyland but no longer are like the
Country Bear Jamboree and the Peoplemover.
The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is a great ride and gives Magic Kingdom a
significant boost. The Monsters Inc
Laugh Floor is also very fun and interactive and something I would be inclined
to do again. Stitch’s Great Escape is not
very enjoyable overall. I would not do
that again. And I very much miss the
Peoplemover and Country Bear Jamboree at Disneyland. Peoplemover was one of my favorites and I
continue to lobby to bring it back.
Overall, this set of rides gives an edge to Magic Kingdom.
But I would be remiss if I didn’t look at rides at
Disneyland which are not featured at Magic Kingdom. That list begins with Matterhorn and Indiana
Jones. Those two right there should be
the cherry on top for Disneyland, but then you add Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride on top
and you make an even stronger case. These
are three of my favorites with the Matterhorn being such an iconic experience
at Disneyland that it felt weird without it at Magic Kingdom.
Taking all this into account, I have to give Disneyland the
overall edge in this instance. If I had
to choose between just Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom, I would choose
Disneyland. That doesn't mean I didn't love my time in the Magic Kingdom, as sharing the visit with my lovely girlfriend made the entire experience absolutely incredible. There will be more on that and looks at the other parks that make up both resorts later, but for the sake of time, I will end this post here and call it
Part I. Look for Part II sometime in the
near future. I hope you enjoy and feel
free to leave your opinions and thoughts in the comments.
