The Land -vs- The World: Does Size Matter

Every year I talk to people who are making their first trip to a Disney park.  Some have been to Disneyland but not Disney World.  More frequently, its visitors who have been to Disney World but have never experienced Disneyland.  This year, we decided to visit both parks within a 45-day period so we could examine the similarities and differences of the first two Disney theme parks.  

What we experienced and documented was so voluminous that we have decided to break it down into a series of posts.  Who knows - maybe we’ll even write a book about it.  For as similar as the parks are, there are twice as many differences.  And we aren’t going to focus on known facts such as the Magic Kingdom having a series of utilidors while Disneyland Park does not.  Instead, we want to talk about some of the lesser known features that non-park goers may not be familiar with starting with the sheer size difference.  

Yes, everyone knows that Disney World is bigger than Disneyland, but until you visit both parks, it’s hard to comprehend just how much bigger Disney World is compared to Disneyland.  Walt’s original park hails from humble beginnings as it is less than one (1) square mile and a total of 571 acres.  Walt Disney World, by comparison, is nearly forty (40) squares miles and over 27,000 acres.  

Once you visit Disneyland, you immediately see why Walt was frustrated by the limitations of the space and why he wanted to build bigger - much bigger.  As you approach the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World, you arrive via Monorail or ferry boat across the Seven Seas Lagoon.  The ride in creates a dramatic arrival at the park no matter how many times you have been there.  In California, you are a 6 minute walk from the Denny’s that sits outside the resort to the ticket gates at Disneyland Park.  

One advantage to the humble dimensions of Disneyland Resort is the ease with which you can navigate between the two theme parks.  As someone who had visited Disney World exclusively for the first 30 years of his life, this was the biggest shock of all.  The distance between Disneyland Park and California Adventure (which sits on the land previously occupied by the Disneyland parking lot) is 350 feet - that’s right, just a twitch larger than the size of a football field!  

Compare that quick walk to the Magic Kingdom and the next closest park, Epcot, which is 2.8 miles.  You would need to travel by monorail or bus in order to get from the gates of the Magic Kingdom to Epcot, while over at Disneyland, you can simply make the minute walk from gate to gate.  This is especially beneficial if you are park hopping in Anaheim and want to catch World of Color at California Adventure and then head over to Disneyland for a couple of hours of rides before the park closes at midnight.  

While Walt Disney World has the capacity for continued growth and multiple theme parks, don’t less Disneyland’s quaint dimensions fool you.  Sometimes, great things do come in small packages.