Mommy2PrincessAbby
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2007
I know, this is the DL board... There are always so many posts from wdw vets wanting to know why come to DL. Well, we are back from 10 days in wdw, and I had heard from so many people said once we go wdw we won't go back to DL. I wanted to write you guys and tell you it isn't true!
We all know how easy it is to park hop, or go back to the hotel to rest... I can not stress how impossible it is at wdw. It is miles and miles between the hotels and parks. We drove a car, and it took 15 minutes to drive from the onsite hotel to a park... Then the parking lots are like the Sahara desert... Even getting there 30 minutes before rope drop in supposedly level 4 "quieter" days, we had a hike to the gates. Yes, the busses drop you off closer, but I was loathe to ride a bus with 50 of my stinkiest new friends on a 92 degree day.
Magic bands were kinda awesome... Actually liked prebooking my fast passes, and you can now add another one once you've used your 3. So I did FPs starting at 10 am (parks opened at 9), and did one an hour. The thing is, there are so few rides per park, you won't need more than 4 or 5 in a park anyway. MK alone has like 8 less rides than DL, and they are so spread out, you have to walk and walk from one ride to the next... Can't swoop in and do FL in an hour because they are so spread out, and FL is missing half it's rides!
The heat... Holy crap was it hot... Now I know there are hot days in the summer and occasional freak heat wave at DL. But we have been over two other mothers days, and it was lovely, warm enough to wear capris (and like it), but not scorching. There was no rain... Just heat, lots and lots of heat, and did I mention the long walks between rides? And then yes, the rides are a/c, but so short, you are back out in the heat in no time. We preferred epcot because of the 30 minute rides and shows... I would do anything to get out of the heat!
Food... Everyone says the wdw food is so amazing, and it was good. We did no signature dining. There were tons of sit down places to choose from... But you know why? They need all those places to eat because of the sheer quantity of people. DL food is just as good, and there is no stress about scoring your adr 6 months out!
The rides... Pirates, small world, space, tiki room, splash... All of them are better at DL. In fact if you look at all the rides in all the parks, we agreed TOT is better at wdw, haunted mansion is maybe a slight edge to wdw which doesn't get the nbc treatment I love, Everest is like Matterhorn on steroids. But everything else... I give the win to DL. Kali wants to be grizzly when it grows up. Rocking roller coaster was a blast, and different enough from screamin you can't compare them. But so many rides are missing it is crazy, and wdw doesn't have anything DL doesn't have really... They might have a different theme but same platform or whatever (Dino vs Indy). We did love test track, but missed Carsland and Bugsland. Mission space was a good ride (orange about killed my hubby), and some "rides" are called that because you are moving, but they are really just nap time (Ellen, spaceship earth, living with the land.)
The waterparks were amazing, we did both on the same day... DL needs a waterpark
Animal kingdom was also pretty cool, but it's just a big zoo with some rides.
The resorts... We stayed at coronado springs which is a moderate for half the trip, and animal kingdom lodge which is a delux in the savannah view room for half. Both were very nice, and well themed... I liked them both. We have stayed at all three onsite DL hotels... And I think all three could fit in well at wdw, they just have more resorts to choose from, not necessarily better ones. Their pools are better though as a whole.
All in all it was a good trip, glad to have experienced how the other half live. But I don't need to go back... Except maybe to spend more time at universal which was amazing... But that's another report
We all know how easy it is to park hop, or go back to the hotel to rest... I can not stress how impossible it is at wdw. It is miles and miles between the hotels and parks. We drove a car, and it took 15 minutes to drive from the onsite hotel to a park... Then the parking lots are like the Sahara desert... Even getting there 30 minutes before rope drop in supposedly level 4 "quieter" days, we had a hike to the gates. Yes, the busses drop you off closer, but I was loathe to ride a bus with 50 of my stinkiest new friends on a 92 degree day.
Magic bands were kinda awesome... Actually liked prebooking my fast passes, and you can now add another one once you've used your 3. So I did FPs starting at 10 am (parks opened at 9), and did one an hour. The thing is, there are so few rides per park, you won't need more than 4 or 5 in a park anyway. MK alone has like 8 less rides than DL, and they are so spread out, you have to walk and walk from one ride to the next... Can't swoop in and do FL in an hour because they are so spread out, and FL is missing half it's rides!
The heat... Holy crap was it hot... Now I know there are hot days in the summer and occasional freak heat wave at DL. But we have been over two other mothers days, and it was lovely, warm enough to wear capris (and like it), but not scorching. There was no rain... Just heat, lots and lots of heat, and did I mention the long walks between rides? And then yes, the rides are a/c, but so short, you are back out in the heat in no time. We preferred epcot because of the 30 minute rides and shows... I would do anything to get out of the heat!
Food... Everyone says the wdw food is so amazing, and it was good. We did no signature dining. There were tons of sit down places to choose from... But you know why? They need all those places to eat because of the sheer quantity of people. DL food is just as good, and there is no stress about scoring your adr 6 months out!
The rides... Pirates, small world, space, tiki room, splash... All of them are better at DL. In fact if you look at all the rides in all the parks, we agreed TOT is better at wdw, haunted mansion is maybe a slight edge to wdw which doesn't get the nbc treatment I love, Everest is like Matterhorn on steroids. But everything else... I give the win to DL. Kali wants to be grizzly when it grows up. Rocking roller coaster was a blast, and different enough from screamin you can't compare them. But so many rides are missing it is crazy, and wdw doesn't have anything DL doesn't have really... They might have a different theme but same platform or whatever (Dino vs Indy). We did love test track, but missed Carsland and Bugsland. Mission space was a good ride (orange about killed my hubby), and some "rides" are called that because you are moving, but they are really just nap time (Ellen, spaceship earth, living with the land.)
The waterparks were amazing, we did both on the same day... DL needs a waterpark
Animal kingdom was also pretty cool, but it's just a big zoo with some rides. The resorts... We stayed at coronado springs which is a moderate for half the trip, and animal kingdom lodge which is a delux in the savannah view room for half. Both were very nice, and well themed... I liked them both. We have stayed at all three onsite DL hotels... And I think all three could fit in well at wdw, they just have more resorts to choose from, not necessarily better ones. Their pools are better though as a whole.
All in all it was a good trip, glad to have experienced how the other half live. But I don't need to go back... Except maybe to spend more time at universal which was amazing... But that's another report
). I wish there were more character meal options, especially one with the Disney Junior characters like at H&V. The food (we do mostly CS) is much better, and I really love being able to make ADRs just a couple weeks or months in advance rather than 6 months.
We were heading for HM and when we turned off the hub, I was lost. 
.
