Where to Start....

So you have decided to look into a trip to Disney.  Now you need to know where to start to plan. 


First things first - Disneyland, California or Walt Disney World, Florida or a Disney Cruise?


As of now, I have only been to Walt Disney World, Florida and on a Disney Cruise, but Disneyland, California is next on our list (shh..don't tell, but we are thinking early 2012!!).


Here is a basic run down of the two parks and their key differences:


Disneyland, CA


Disneyland, CA consists of two parks: Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park.  These parks are in very close proximity to each other and share a parking lot.  Throughout the day and your stay, it is very easy to "hop" back and forth between the two parks (depending on your choice of park ticket).  Also within walking distance is Downtown Disney, a shopping/restaurant area where you can indulge in Disney without requiring an admission ticket.


Disneyland also has three on site hotels where guests can stay and enjoy additional Disney perks such as early entry to the parks. However, staying on site is not as exigent in Disneyland as it is in Walt Disney World.  There are several options in very close proximity that Disney designates as "Good Neighbor Hotels".  These hotels are very close to the park entrance (some walking distance) and offer Disneyland packages including tickets, early entry and other perks.  Many of these Good Neighbor Hotels are large chain hotels such as Best Western, Marriot and Holiday Inn to name a few.  Guests at Disneyland park can enjoy the perks of their favorite hotel chain and still be almost "on site". While in Southern California, Disneyland visitors can enjoy many other parks and recreational areas such as Sea World, Universal Studios, Legoland, San Diego Zoo, and much more.


Overall, Disneyland is smaller, and less encompassing than Disneyworld.  It is very easy to "hop" from park to park and stay offsite.  It allows families to enjoy Disney, yet not be immersed in "Mickey-Mania".  You can have breakfast at Denny's, lunch at McDonald's and still enjoy a full day at the parks.


Walt Disney World, FL
Ahh!!  My second home!!! What is it about Walt Disney World that we love so much?


In comparison to Disneyland, Walt Disney World is HUGE!!  Covering 47 square miles, Walt Disney World is about the size of San Francisco or two Manhattan islands. Of the more than 30,000 acres, less than one-fourth has been developed with another quarter designated as a wilderness preserve (1). Disneyland can actually fit in the Magic Kingdom parking lot with room to spare! (Trust me, that parking lot is huge! And, at the end of the day when you want to find your car, you had better remember if you parking in the Minnie or Goofy section!). On property Walt Disney World is home to 33 hotels (with one more recently announced), 4 parks, 2 water parks, 4 golf courses, 2 mini-golf courses, 139 restaurants and a large shopping area (also known as Downtown Disney).  It is entirely possible to arrive onsite and stay there for a 10 day vacation and never leave (and trust me, I never want to!).


The four parks are the biggest draw to Walt Disney World: Magic Kingdom (where everyone is a kid, a boy can be a pirate and a girl can be a princess); Disney's Hollywood Studios (where thrill rides are combined with family fun); Epcot (where you can explore the whole world in one day) and Animal Kingdom (where you can go on a Safari adventure).  


Hotel options vary from Value Resorts (as low as $82/night during Value Season) to Moderate (as low as $149/night) to Deluxe (much more expensive, but include options such as Castle Views or direct access to the Monorail). We are a Value resort family as we prefer the less expensive option of the All Star Movies.  However, if I had my choice, we would live at the Polynesian Hotel!


We have also enjoyed Blizzard Beach (one of the two water parks, the other being Typhoon Lagoon) and spent many hours at Downtown Disney (including Disney Quest and Cirque De Soleil's La Nouba).


Overall, Walt Disney World immerses you in Disney! Yes, there are other things to do in Florida (we have visited Universal Studios, Sea World and went to a Tampa Bay Devil Rays game) but, if all you want is Mickey, then Walt Disney World is where you want to be!


Disney Cruise Line


Throughout North America there are several ports where you can hop aboard a Disney Cruise.  Once on the ship your destination choices vary from the Bahamas, to Alaska, to the Mediterranean and much more. You can spend any where from 3 nights to 14 nights and get spoiled but the superior Disney service. Your cabin can include an inside cabin which sleeps four to the extravagant Roy or Walt Disney suites which include Jacuzzi tubs.


Most Caribbean and Bahamian cruises also include a stop at Disney's Castaway Cay where guest can spend the day at the beach with some of their favorite characters (including my favorite Captain Jack Sparrow!) Other characters we met on the ship included Princess Tianna, Cinderella, Belle, Snow White, Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Chip, Dale, Goofy, Pluto, Lilo, Stitch and more!


Cruise prices and destinations vary depending on the time of year, but all cruises include rotating meals in themed restaurants, a Sail Away Party, a Pirate Party (which includes fireworks at sea) and much more.


So....where do you want to go???


As the planning blog progresses, In will provide additional information on all of the above topics and include links.  As always, if there is something you are looking for more information on, please feel free to leave a comment and I will respond.


For additional information on Disney Parks, Hotels and Cruises, please visit http://www.disney.com/.


~~Happy Planning!!~~




 (1) Information Courtesy of explorethemagic.com