Tale as old as time, it is the age-old question that, as a Disney fan, I am forever asked: What is the difference between Disney World and Disneyland? As a Disney Parks friend, frequent Disneyland visitor, and current Walt Disney World Cast Member, I often get asked questions about the difference between the two resorts from coworkers, guests, and even family and friends!

With my current trip to Disneyland planned in the next couple of weeks, I thought it would be fun to highlight some of the big differences between these two iconic theme parks and showcase what truly distinguishes them with some useful information that people may not be aware of about the two U.S.-based Disney theme parks and what makes them unique!

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Disneyland Resort

• Opened on July 17th, 1955
• West Coast – Located in Anaheim, California
• “The Happiest Place on Earth”
• 500 acres
• Was personally created and opened by Walt Disney himself
• 2 parks: Disneyland Park (1955) and Disney’s California Adventure Park (2001)
• 3 Disney Resort owned and operated hotels
• Resort Icon: Sleeping Beauty Castle (Disneyland Park), 77 feet tall
• Some unique attractions at the Disneyland Resort that cannot be found at the Walt Disney World Resort include:
  • Matterhorn Bobsleds (Disneyland Park)
  • Alice in Wonderland (Disneyland Park)
  • Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride (Disneyland Park)
  • Snow White’s Enchanted Wish (Disneyland Park)
  • Indiana Jones Adventure (Disneyland Park)
  • Radiator Springs Racers (California Adventure Park)
  • WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure (California Adventure Park)
  • Incredicoaster (California Adventure Park)

Walt Disney World Resort

• Opened on October 1st, 1971
• East Coast – Located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida
• “Where Dreams Come True”; “The Most Magical Place on Earth”
• 43 square miles
• While Walt purchased the land for the “Florida Project” and got to visit the site, he never saw construction begin on his east coast Disneyland. His brother Roy O. Disney helped finish the project and open the park, dedicating it to the Walt Disney World Resort in honor of his brother.
• 4 parks: Magic Kingdom Park (1971), EPCOT (1982), Disney’s Hollywood Studios (1989), and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park (1998)
• 22 Disney Resort owned and operated hotels
• Resort Icon: Cinderella’s Castle (Magic Kingdom) 189 feet tall
• Some unique attractions at the Walt Disney World Resort that cannot be found at the Disneyland Resort include:
  • Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (Magic Kingdom Park)
  • TRON: Lightcycle Run (Magic Kingdom Park)
  • Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover (Magic Kingdom Park)
  • Frozen Ever After (EPCOT)
  • Guardians of the Galaxy – Cosmic Rewind (EPCOT)
  • Spaceship Earth (EPCOT)
  • Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure (EPCOT)
  • Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster (Disney’s Hollywood Studios)
  • Slinky Dog Dash (Disney’s Hollywood Studios)
  • Avatar Flight of Passage (Disney’s Animal Kingdom)
  • DINOSAUR (Disney’s Animal Kingdom)
  • Expedition Everest (Disney’s Animal Kingdom)

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While I can go into far more detail about the two resorts as an avid Disney Parks fan and frequent theme park visitor, this is a general overview of what distinguishes the Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts from one another. If any of you are interested, I would be happy to share a more detailed guide to the resorts at some point. Please leave a comment below if you would like to hear more about the differences between Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resort, and if you do, what exactly you would like to know more about! Until next time…

Keep Moving Forward

-Kacey