Here at AllEars, we are in the Disney parks daily, bringing you all the latest news.
News like how Disney has responded to the proposed changes to Reedy Creek, the first look inside Disney’s new rooms at the BoardWalk Inn, and all of the latest Disney World construction updates! Thanks to all of this time in the parks, we feel like we can confidently say that we found five things that are better in Disneyland than Disney World.
Earlier this year, Quincy and I had the amazing opportunity to go to Disneyland! We were attempting the 6 Parks In One Day Challenge where you visit all 6 U.S. Disney parks in one day. While this challenge was an entirely different story on its own (which you can go read about here), we were able to spend a few days in Disneyland and we couldn’t help but notice a few things!
1. Main Street, U.S.A.
The first thing we noticed in Disneyland was the differences between the respective Main Street, U.S.A. sections of the parks. While there aren’t many technical differences, the ones that we noticed set Disneyland’s apart for us. First was the addition of table service restaurants with outdoor seating. These restaurants were Carnation Cafe and the Plaza Inn.
While we didn’t eat at either of these options with a dining reservation, the nice seating that was set aside for reservations made Main Street feel even more authentic to me. While Disney World’s Main Street does offer seating behind Casey’s Corner and The Plaza Ice Cream Parlor, traditionally guests are hovering around those areas waiting for someone to leave their table.
I loved watching families enjoy a nice, relaxing sit-down meal on Main Street, and that is something Disney World doesn’t really offer. Another main difference that I loved about Disneyland’s Main Street was the benches! While that might sound silly, these made a huge difference for me.
Walt Disney World’s Main Street doesn’t offer benches near or around the castle, something I had never noticed before this trip. However, sitting with Quincy on a bench in the shadow of the castle eating Disneyland snacks and sipping on hot chocolate was one of the most special moments of my trip. It was so relaxing and simple, but it made me adore the feeling of Main Street.
Learn More About Disneyland’s Main Street, U.S.A Here
2. The Food
The next thing that Disneyland does better was the food! I’ve always been told that Disneyland’s food was better, but I couldn’t remember for myself since I was younger when we frequented Disneyland. I can now definitively say, Disneyland’s food is better!
I’m someone who is passionate about food so we tried as many things as possible. From the Chile Lime Mango Dole Whip to the Pepperoni Pizza Dip to even the Fried Chicken at The Plaza Inn, I was astounded! For theme park snacks, these items were so high quality.
Even the hand-dipped corn dogs at the Little Red Wagon had me speechless. While I’m still a huge fan of Disney World staples, my food-minded heart is still back in Disneyland.
Check Out All Of The Disneyland Restuarant Menus Here
3. Characters
Another major difference that I loved was the Disneyland characters! Every day we watched characters roam around Disneyland and Disney California Adventure without a care in the world. At Disney World, characters have traditional lines and most of the time, they don’t roam around the parks (except for Peter Pan in Magic Kingdom).
To me, these characters roaming around made the parks feel so much more immersive. It truly felt like these characters were living in Disneyland. Looking around to see Moana standing by herself at “it’s a small world” and then chatting and taking pictures with her is one of the most special and weird memories of my life.
Not only do they roam more, but they also have special characters rarely seen in Disney World like Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, and The Mandalorian with Grogu. Disney World, however, has been adding a few of its own special characters lately.
Check Out Some Rare Characters We Found In Disney World Here
4. Genie+
It’s hard to not mention one of Disney’s most controversial services when talking about a trip to any Disney park. Disney’s Genie+ service, which is Disney’s skip-the-line service, has been a topic of hot conversation since it debuted in October 2021 in Disney World, so we weren’t quite sure what to expect of the service in Disneyland.
What we decided as guests who use Genie+ nearly every day is that it works better in Disneyland! That might seem odd since it’s the same service, but the crowd sizes and the list of rides offered impact how the service works for guests. Disneyland only offers 14 rides on Genie+ including their two Individual Lightning Lanes.
We were able to utilize this service casually AND grab hard-to-get Lightning Lanes for some of the most popular rides like Indiana Jones Adventure towards the end of the day. Lightning Lanes traditionally fill up very early in the day for popular rides (if not within minutes) at Disney World, so we really appreciated the flexibility with the system.
Learn More About Disneyland’s Newest Genie+ Update Here
5. Cost
Finally, one aspect that was hard to ignore was cost. In particular, the hotel room was a surprising difference to me. We stayed for one night at the Disneyland Hotel and it was roughly the price of what we would pay for a moderate resort at Walt Disney World.
This hotel was so incredibly nice and we felt was comparable to resorts like the Contemporary in Walt Disney World. It was no secret to us that this was a high-end resort but for the price, we were very impressed. Disneyland is still a Disney Park so we aren’t saying it’s cheaper, we were just pleasantly surprised.
Check Out More About The Disneyland Hotel Here
Overall, we loved Disneyland and are counting the days until we can go back, but don’t get it twisted — we still adore Disney World! If you disagree with any of our 5 things, we get it! Choosing between Disney Parks feels like picking a favorite child so for now, we’ll say we love the kids equally!
Don’t forget to keep following AllEars for your latest Disneyland and Disney World news and update!
Check Out How We Went To 6 Disney Parks In One Day Here
What do you think Disneyland does better? Tell us in the comments!
Disneyland is better because you are able to walk to the parks in just a few minutes – no buses to deal with. You lose so much time in Disney World with the buses!
Fantasyland at Disneyland is also better. You have rides there that don’t exist at Disney World: Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, the original Snow White’s Adventures, Pinocchio’s Daring Journey, Alice in Wonderland, Storybook Land Canal Boats, Casey Jr. Circus Train, walk-through of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, Matterhorn Bobsleds, and a MUCH better Small World. In Adventureland, Pirate’s is longer & more immersive, the Tiki Room has a charming, outdoor pre-show, and they have the Indiana Jones ride. Over in California Adventure, they have an entire Cars Land plus the World of Color nighttime show. On Main Street, they have Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln and a primeval diorama on the Walt Disney Railroad. And, of course, they have the waterside Blue Bayou Cafe inside the Pirates’ ride, with its amazing Monte Cristo sandwich.
Wait a darn sec. Who is this “Grogy” you speak of? *knowing wink*