Walt Disney World vs. Disneyland Paris
After inspiring myself with my last blog post, this time I thought I'd sit down and give a more in-depth comparison between Walt Disney World (WDW) and Disneyland Paris (DLP). Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE DISNEY. I spent about 7 months working at Walt Disney World in Florida two years ago, and it will always hold a very special place in my heart. I'd give anything to go back in time and relive that experience! But for now, I'll be bopping between parks, enjoying my time on the guest side. So for this post, I'll give you some insider info on the general characteristics of each park, Disney Springs vs. Disney Village, the magnificent castles, the attractions, and the overall magic. Here we go!
General
To the left, we have a map of Walt Disney World in Florida! You can see it's HUGE and pretty dynamic. For starters, there are four parks, plus a huge Disney Springs area (marked on this map as Downtown Disney, RIP), two water parks, a mini-golf course, and 28 company-owned and operated resorts. It's basically its own county at this point, and they've only developed a third of the land they own in Florida. Crazy!
To the right, we have a map of Disneyland Paris. It looks pretty big here, but it's a lot more zoomed in than the WDW map. There are only two parks, a much smaller Disney Village, and seven resorts. DLP is a lot easier to navigate, as the park entrances are less than a five-minute walk from each other.
As far as resorts go, I'm a bit biased towards WDW's (Caribbean Beach Resort represent!), but I haven't ever stayed in a DLP resort. The Disneyland Hotel is absolutely beautiful and overlooks the Disneyland park in Paris, and I've walked in there a couple of times just to look around and it is amazing! Merch at both parks is generally the same, save for the actual words printed on the shirts. DLP tends to have a few more trendy or upscale items, but WDW has been stepping up their game lately with the competition of small shops!
Disney Springs vs. Disney Village
Disney Springs is a magical place. It is luxurious, kid-friendly, modern, trendy, all while keeping the Disney magic. I have zero complaints about Disney Springs. I've even accepted its rebranding as Disney Springs as opposed to Downtown Disney. You should set aside an entire day to spend at Disney Springs when planning for a trip to WDW.
Disney Village is another story. It's outdated and doesn't have anything upscale for adults. There are rumors of a potential revamp of the shopping center, but they have not started anything yet! It feels dingy and cartoonish. I will say that their World of Disney store is very cute, and they do have a Starbucks which is probably the newest installment they've had! It's an enjoyable place to kill thirty minutes while you wait for the parks to open.
Castles
Cinderella's castle in WDW is the definition of grand! It looks like it could even be real, in some far way world. The colors aren't overwhelming and don't look cartoonish. Adults and kids alike can enjoy the beauty of this castle! The design is meant to make the castle look larger than it actually is from a distance. Inside, there is a hall with access to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, and the entrance to Cinderella's Royal Table. Other than that, there isn't anything else to do inside the castle. That is unless you are one of the lucky invitees to Cinderella's Suite, an exclusive suite located somewhere in the castle.
The castle in DLP belongs to Aurora from Sleeping Beauty, or La belle au bois dormant. It is fantastical and dreamy, to say the least. This castle is small, and clearly so. There is no Disney magic trying to trick our eyes here! That doesn't make it any less beautiful, however. The pink and bright blue colors light up the habitually grey French skies, and it's surrounded by stone and trees meant to look like those in the movie. Also, you can walk around inside the castle! Yes, three floors to explore the story of Sleeping Beauty, and there's a scary surprise in the basement... Something having to do with a reptile that blows fire!
Attractions
WDW is known for its new world-class attractions... See "Flight of Passage" if you need further convincing. And with the new Galaxy's Edge land in Hollywood Studios, it'd be hard for any other park in the world to keep up! Epcot and Animal Kingdom definitely have an upper hand when it comes to attractions in WDW.
Disneyland Paris, however, is a newer establishment altogether. That means that classics in the Disneyland Park in DLP like "it's a small world" and "Pirates of the Caribbean" are newer versions than the ones at Magic Kingdom in WDW. They've had time to improve them, so they're bigger and (hate to say it) better! "it's small world" is more dynamic in DLP than WDW, and "Pirates of the Caribbean" has TWO drops instead of one! There is also the charming "Ratatouille: The Adventure" which is quintessentially Parisian, but is being constructed at Epcot in WDW as we speak! Overall, DLP has improved offerings of classics and a few unique attractions that are fun for everyone!
Magic
I won't attach any pictures here, because the Magic of Disney is something you cannot see! I will say its largely dependent on the Cast Members of the park, and the general upkeep of things. WDW takes the win on this one, for sure. Cast Members are taught from day one to keep everything Safe, Courteous, Efficient, and Show-Ready (4 Keys!). I believe the expectations of service are fully engrained into each Cast Member, and they know that it's their duty to make Disney special for each guest. The parks and resorts can't do it on their own. I remember feeling responsible for how each guest enjoys their time at the resort and took it upon myself to make it special for everyone. I am not sure what they are taught at DLP but whatever it is, isn't taught hard enough. It may simply be a difference in culture, but DLP lacks Magic, big time. For example, I had premade a reservation at Captain Jack's Restaurant in Disneyland Park about a week before we went. We waited a significant amount of time before getting sat and then waited another 30 minutes before a server even came over to our table to take drink orders. That would never happen in WDW! Now, this obviously isn't to say that every single person that works at Disney in Paris isn't kind or trying to go the extra mile, because there are some! But overall, the feeling isn't the same.
Now you've heard all of my praises and complaints about Walt Disney World and Disneyland Paris! Overall, I love both parks, but WDW will always be home to me, even with the slightly updated attractions at DLP. :) Both parks are worth the trip, and it's an awesome thing to see how Disney touches the people of countries across an ocean from where it started. If you have any questions about either park or are interested in a "Must-Do" list for either, comment on this post, or message me through any social media platform! I'd be happy to help. :) Until next time...
bisous,
Kaitie
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