DISNEYLAND OR DISNEY WORLD? WHICH PARK DO I CHOOSE?

Hey there, everyone! Welcome to Mouse&Mortimer. Today we are going to do a brief overview of both Disneyland and Disney World, and hopefully this information will help you figure out which park you want to go to.There are many factors in picking which park to do your next vacation at, were going to go over some of them today, including what makes the two parks different, ticket prices, annual passes, and which one we would choose. Let’s dive in!

About the Parks

The Disneyland Resort in California consists of two parks: Disneyland Park and California Adventure Park. Disneyland was the first of the two parks, opening on July 17th, 1955 by Walt Disney himself.Many find the fact that Disneyland was the brain child of Walt Disney to be a key factor in deciding which park to make their first experience. The Disneyland Resort expanded in 2001 with the opening of Disney California Adventure.Walt Disney World in Florida was opened in 1976 and consists of 4 parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Something to keep in mind: Walt Disney World is much larger than Disneyland!

Ticket prices

Both resorts offer single day and multi day ticket options, including one park per day or park hopper options. With the selection of a park hopper ticket, guests can visit any of the resort’s parks multiple times per day.Disney World Resort offers a 3rd type of ticket option, called the park hopper plus. This option includes the same perks of the standard park hopper option, and includes access to the two water parks, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon, and rounds of golf at the mini golf courses and access to the ESPN World Wide of Sports complex.Starting in October 2018, both parks have now adopted a peak-pricing system on one-day tickets. The prices for these tickets will depend on expected crowd levels on the day you plan on going. These ticket ranges are called Value, Regular and Peak.Currently, Disneyland Resort one-day tickets are $97 for Value, $117 for Regular, and $135 for peak. Disney World Resort ranges from $102 for Value, $114 for Regular, and $122 for peak.Disney lists their prices for multi-day tickets based on a per day price. For example, at Disneyland, 2-day tickets range from $210 for a one park per day ticket, and $260 for a park hopper. Disney will list this as $105/day starting cost. Both Disneyland and Disney World provide a cheaper per day cost the longer you stay. The difference in price between a 2-day park hopper at Disneyland compared to a 2-day park hopper at Disney World is only around $20.

Do I get a park hopper ticket?

You may be asking yourself if the price difference is worth it at this point. The answer depends on your plans and which park you go to.In California, we suggest a park hopper ticket (if it suits your budget). California Adventure is significantly smaller, and therefore has less rides. It is currently under a new expansion renovation which will include the new Marvel based land, but adventure seekers could easily do everything in one day at this park. With the park hopper option, they could hop over to Disneyland if they get bored at California Adventure.In Florida, however, each park is so big, and the crowd levels are slightly higher, we recommend doing one park per day. Even when you dedicate an entire day to one of Walt Disney World’s 4 parks, you could still miss something or leave feeling like you didn’t see everything. We would recommend a park hopper if you are planning on being at the resort for a short time or you want to make dinning reservations at multiple parks per day. But with so much to see at each park, we suggest you save the money and get standard tickets instead (and use the money you saved on food).

Annual Pass Prices

Perhaps you’re considering getting an annual pass instead of a standard ticket when you go to the parks. If you plan on going multiple times per year, or your trip is over a long period of time, this option may be worth it.At Disney World, for example, an annual pass starts at $849 and includes admission to all 4 parks with no blocked out dates for 1 year, PhotoPass downloads, up to 20% off select dinning, 20% off select merchandise, and parking. An annual pass at Disney World would be a great suggestion for a family who might plan two trip, who might stay for an extended period of time, or for anyone looking to take advantage of the PhotoPass downloads and food discounts.At Disneyland, however, annual passes cost more and might not be the ideal choice for a family traveling to California. The starting price for an annual pass at Disneyland is $749 , however this includes multiple blocked out dates. This is an important factor in decided whether to get an annual pass. For example, most of Summer 2019 is blocked out on all but the Signature Plus annual passes due to the expected crowd levels when the new Star Wars Galaxy Edge land opens.The perks for these passes increase with the different tier levels, ranging from 10% off select dining and merchandise, up to 15% off select dinning and 20% select merchandise. Due to the high cost and the small benefits, we don’t recommend a Disneyland annual pass unless you will be visiting the park more than twice in one year, or the math pans out to be cheaper.

What does Mouse&Mortimer recommend?

Our recommendation really depends on your budget. We would say that if you have never been to any Disney park, start with the original. Overall, you will likely spend less money here simply because you will be here for less days—you can do everything in both parks in 2 or 3 days.Nothing beats the original, and going to Disneyland after Disney World might underwhelm you.If you have already been to Disneyland and have not been to Disney World, then you absolutely should plan your trip to Disney World! We will have more posts about some of the amazing things both parks offer, but it seems like there is more to do at Disney World. We feel like you really get your money’s worth in Florida and the trip will likely be memorable and cherished.Keep an eye out for more posts about Disneyland and Disney World! See ya’ real soon!