The Most Magical Place on Earth, or the Happiest Place on Earth, which one is better? Well, after experiencing both, I have a good answer for you!
I’ve grown up being a consistent Disneyland passholder up until COVID-19, but I never thought Walt Disney World could be better than Disneyland. However, I was wrong.
Recently, I took a vacation to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, and I was truly amazed by the differences each park had compared to California’s Disneyland. Not only are there more options for parks, but the whole vibe of Disney World is completely different.
For starters, there are four main parks at Walt Disney World: Animal Kingdom, Epcot, Magic Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. At Disneyland in California, there are two parks on Disney’s property: Disneyland and California Adventure. This automatically gives you more to experience at Disney World rather than Disneyland.
Now it’s time to compare and contrast the differences between the kingdoms of each place.
The only two that are comparable from both places are Magic Kingdom and Disneyland, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios and California Adventure. The other kingdoms (Animal Kingdom and Epcot) from Disney World have nothing to compare to Disneyland.
Magic Kingdom fits its name perfectfully, as it is a beyond magical experience. It is basically identical to Disneyland, as they both share the same Main Street, Tomorrowland, Frontierland, Adventureland, and Fantasyland, but they differ in rides and the headlining castle. The castle at Magic Kingdom is Cinderella’s castle while Disneyland’s castle is Sleeping Beauty’s. However, the rides that both parks share are fairly similar, like Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain, Haunted Mansion, and more.
A really cool ride Magic Kingdom has that Disneyland doesn’t is their new ride, Tron Lightcycle Run. This ride is an indoor roller coaster that goes at very fast speeds and experiences intense twists and turns. The only downside to this ride is that it is not accessible to everyone. You must enter their virtual queue on time, or purchase a Lightning Lane entrance pass to ride it. However, after riding it, I think that the coaster is very worth it.
One thing I really admired about Magic Kingdom is that they had shows from different Disney characters every hour on the castle’s stage. My personal favorite part of Magic Kingdom was that Rapunzel’s tower was displayed in Fantasyland, and the scenery around it fit the “Tangled” vibe.
As much as I love Disneyland, I do think that Magic Kingdom is more enjoyable and more magical. Going there made me feel like a little kid again, and that is something everyone should get a chance to experience.
Moving onto the comparison of Disney’s Hollywood Studios and California Adventure. The two parks are definitely similar in the vibe but very different in the attractions. For instance, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and The Millennial Falcon are both located in Hollywood Studios, whereas in California, they are located in Disneyland. Despite this difference, the rides are practically identical to each other in both parks.
If you’re an old California Adventure lover, you’d love that Hollywood Studios has the well-known Tower of Terror ride, but it is still very different from the one that used to be in California. And, in my opinion, I think the Hollywood Studios version was much better.
Other cool rides that Hollywood Studios has include Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, Slinky Dog Dash, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railroad, and more. Plus, they have a whole land that is “Toy Story” themed.
The shows in Hollywood Studios are immaculate. They have an outstanding “Beauty and the Beast” show, and “Frozen” Sing Along, an “Indiana Jones” Stunt Show, and Lighting McQueen’s Racing Academy. I would definitely recommend all of those shows, especially the “Beauty and the Beast” singing and dancing show.
Additionally, they have a new restaurant that I was lucky enough to experience. The new interactive restaurant, Roundup Rodeo BBQ, is all “Toy Story” based. The whole interior looks like Andy’s bedroom, and guests are all supposed to be toys. When the saying “ANDY’S COMING” is announced on the loudspeaker, all “toys” are supposed to freeze. Also, when they say “SID’S COMING,” they have all the “toys” hide under the tables. This restaurant is pretty affordable, as it is an all you can eat restaurant, and it is so much fun too.
I think that, if I had to choose one park over the other, I would choose Disney Hollywood Studios over California Adventure because I found Hollywood Studios to be more interactive and entertaining.
Obviously, I cannot compare Animal Kingdom and Epcot to anything in Disneyland and California Adventure, but I will say that, if California had parks like that, it would make Disneyland much better. I personally enjoyed Epcot the most, and I really wish we could have one in California.
Overall, I do recommend Walt Disney World way more than Disneyland. The Most Magical Place on Earth has taken a big place in my heart, and if you’re a Disney lover like me, I hope one day you can experience the magic in Walt Disney World.