Why Disneyland Locals Should Visit Disney World- Top Ten Reasons To Visit Both Parks

If you're a Disneyland local but never visited Walt Disney World, you're missing out on a lot of Disney magic – the amount equal to San Francisco to be exact.

Walt Disney World Resort is the result of Roy O. Disney fulfilling his brother Walt's dream after his passing. Literally equal to the size of San Francisco (or twice the size of Manhattan), Walt Disney World Resort boasts more than 25 hotels, 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, and more.

Having grown up in California and gone to Disneyland for most of my life, I was in awe when I first visited Walt Disney World several years ago as a Disneyland local. It opened my eyes to the innovation Disney is capable of doing with more space. It's a place every Disneyland local needs to visit.

Here's 10 reasons why Disneyland locals should visit Walt Disney World Resort.

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1. Walt Disney World Covers Roughly 27,500 Acres

That's roughly 50 times larger than Disneyland Resort.

While Disneyland boasts 2 theme parks (Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park), 3 resort hotels (Disneyland Hotel, Disney's Grand Californian Hotel and Spa, Pixar Place Hotel), and 1 shopping district (Downtown Disney District), Disney doesn't have much room to expand without attempting to buy surrounding property. After Disneyland fist opened and became very popular, motels and knock-off souvenir shops opened up next to Disneyland, leaving no space for Walt to expand his park.

That's why when Walt had his initial plans for Walt Disney World (then called the Florida Project), he made sure to purchase as much land as possible – to make sure this wouldn't happen again. Thanks to Walt and his team, you now have more than enough room to explore 4 theme parks (Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Disney's Hollywood Studios), stay at 25+ resort hotels, and shop at Disney Springs – all without leaving the Disney property.

In fact, Disney World is so large that Disney created several different forms of transportation to get around the property!

2. Walt Disney World Features 2 Water Parks

With Florida's heat and humidity, how could Disney World not feature a water park?

For you Disneyland fans, Disney World features not one, but two water parks with very different theming.

Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park

As the story goes, Disney's Blizzard Beach is a melting ski resort resulting from a freak snowstorm in Florida. As the ice began to melt, a blue alligator named Ice Gator went down one of the snowy hills on an innertube, thus creating Blizzard Beach. This water park offers everything from floating on inner tubes, racing on a high-speed slide, plummeting down a near vertical drop on a freefall body slide, smaller pools, and surfing lessons.

Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park

Legend has it that a super storm ravaged Mount Mayday years ago, creating Disney's Typhoon Lagoon. Featuring tropical theming with surfing vibes, guests of all ages can immerse themselves in a water wonderland filled with magical memories.

3. Disney World has 25+ Resort Hotels on Property

Compared to Disneyland Resort's 3 hotels, Disney World's number of places to stay is astonishing and also offer more affordable price points Disneyland locals will appreciate!

Walt Disney World Resort boasts so many hotels on property with a variety of theming to fit your needs. And unlike Disneyland's 3 hotels with higher price points, Disney World hotels come in 3 different price points: Value, Moderate, and Deluxe. This gives guests options when finding accommodations that fit their budget.

If you want to stay in the great outdoors, stay at Disney's Wilderness Lodge, inspired by the U.S. National Parks. If you're feeling the bygone era of Atlantic City and Coney Island, stay at Disney's BoardWalk Inn, full of carnival-style games and nightlife. If you're yearning for the Hawaiian islands, stay at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, a beautiful South-Pacific themed hotel.

The Walt Disney World Resort hotels have a wonderful variety of theming and prices to fit your needs.

But don't think that just because you can't afford to stay at a Deluxe resort like Disney's Wilderness Lodge you can't visit it!

Anyone can visit any of the Walt Disney World Resort hotels to check out their theming, dine at their restaurants, and sip a drink at their lounges. And if you're interested in doing a bar crawl, why not take the Disney World Monorail to the 3 resorts along its line and visit each lounge? If you want to relax, why not take the Disney World bus to Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa to listen to the lobby pianist playing popular tunes?

Each Disney World Resort hotel offers something truly unique for guests.

4. Walt Disney World lets You Experience Live Animals

This is something that really sets Disney World apart from Disneyland.

When you visit Disney's Animal Kingdom, you get the chance to see over 30 different species of animals on Kilimanjaro Safaris on an open-air vehicle. You also get to see even more animals up close on Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail and Maharajah Jungle Trek.

But if you stay at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, you even get the chance to wake up to many of those same animals. When booking a Savanna View Room, your balcony will overlook a savanna full of wildlife.

Disney World gives you an incredible chance to experience and learn about animals.

5. Disney World has Uniquely Themed Lands

Nothing at Disneyland compares to the following lands Disney World has to offer which is sure to impress Disneyland locals:

Pandora – The World of Avatar

Located in Disney's Animal Kingdom and based on the popular James Carmon movie Avatar, Pandora – The World of Avatar allows eco-tourists like you to visit the moon of Pandora. With 1 incredibly popular thrill ride (Avatar Flight of Passage), an equally popular slow adventure ride (Na'vi River Journey), exotic foods, specialty shops, and glowing flora, Pandora – The World of Avatar is easily one of the best themed lands Disney has ever made.

Toy Story Land

Located in Disney's Hollywood Studios, Toy Story Land features everyone's favorite Pixar toys: Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, and more. Take a step into Andy's backyard as a toy-sized human. While Toy Story Mania! is identical to Toy Story Midway mania! in Disneyland, Slinky Dog Dash and Alien Swirling Saucers is unique to Disney World.

World Showcase

Located in EPCOT, World Showcase is one of the only places where you can visit 11 different countries in 1 day. Each country – which includes Mexico, Canada, Italy, and Morocco – allows you to immerse yourself in their culture and cuisine. You can sample authentic food and drink and shop for merchandise themed to each country, including items that came straight from the country itself. You can also experience music inspired by many of the different countries!

World Showcase is the only place you can quite literally “drink around the world.”

6. Disney World has Unique Attractions Compared to Disneyland

With Disney World's massive size comes more rides and attractions for you to enjoy as a Disneyland local.

Disney World has several iconic attractions that give Disneyland a run for its money:

Past Disneyland Resort Attractions

Disney World has a number attractions that originated at Disneyland but are no longer there. They include:

• Tom Sawyer Island (Magic Kingdom; at Disneyland, it's now Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island)
• Carousel of Progress (Magic Kingdom)
• Swiss Family Treehouse (Magic Kingdom; at Disneyland, it's now the Adventureland Treehouse)
• Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (Disney's Hollywood Studios; at Disney California Adventure, it's now Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout!)

These Disneyland original attractions bring back fond memories and nostalgia for the past and are true gems of Disney World.

Disney World Thrill Rides

Disney World has a number of thrill rides that Disneyland Resort doesn't have:

• Tron Lightcycle / Run (Magic Kingdom)
• Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind (EPCOT)
• Avatar Flight of Passage (Disney's Animal Kingdom)
• Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain (Disney's Animal Kingdom)
• Rock ‘N Roller Coaster (Disney's Hollywood Studios

Each ride offers completely different experiences from any thrill rides in Disneyland Resort

Disney World Rides That Offer More Than Their Disneyland Counterparts

When both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort share near-identical rides, which one is better?

We're here to argue that the following attractions at Walt Disney World offer more than their counterparts at Disneyland Resort.

Haunted Mansion: Along with the show building's different theming, Haunted Mansion at Disney World offers a more interactive queue, full of riddles to solve and tombs with interactive elements. On the ride, there are also different rooms that your Doom Buggy goes through that don't exist in Disneyland's version.

Tiana's Bayou Adventure: With the same track layout as Splash Mountain, the version at Disney World has more drops (5 drops instead of 3 at Disneyland), making for a more fun (or anxiety-inducing if you don't want to get wet) ride.

Cinderella Castle: While Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle offers a wonderful walk-through with a re-telling of Sleeping Beauty's story, Disney World's Cinderella Castle offers a character dining experience inside the castle and a beautiful set of mosaic murals depicting Cinderella's story. And if you're one of the few lucky individuals, you can sleep inside the Cinderella Castle Suite – yes, that's inside the castle.

7. Disney World Gives You an Abundance of Table Service Restaurant Options

With more than 440 restaurants at Walt Disney World Resort, you can find just about any restaurant to cater to your cravings.

Yes, just like Disneyland, Disney World offers classic Disney snacks like Dole Whip, turkey legs, and Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bars. However, unlike Disneyland, Disney world offers more table service restaurants than you can handle in 10 trips. This is often one impressive fact for Disneyland locals to take in.

Trust me, even with how often I visit Disney World, there are still restaurants I haven't eaten at yet.

Here are a few great table service restaurants you can enjoy at around the Walt Disney World Resort:

• Topolino's Terrace – Flavors of the Riviera (Disney's Riviera Resort)
• Victoria and Albert's (Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa)
• Le Cellier (EPCOT)
• The Hollywood Brown Derby (Disney's Hollywood Studios)
• Tiffins (Disney's Animal Kingdom)
• Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen (Magic Kingdom)

The thing is, there are so many great table service restaurant options at Walt Disney World Resort that it's difficult to recommend 1 or 2 – that's why we have a long list of recommendations.

8. Disney World Offers Unique Backstage Tours

With Disney World's Unique lands, rides, and attractions, what if you had backstage access to learn about how they're run?

Disney World offers a number of different backstage tours that take you behind the scenes of some of its popular areas. If you've wondered how Disney takes care of its animals, take any of the following tours:

• Caring for Giants (Disney's Animal Kingdom)
• Savor the Savanna (Disney's Animal Kingdom)
• Up Close with Rhinos (Disney's Animal Kingdom)
• Wild Africa Trek (Disney's Animal Kingdom)
• Starlight Safari (Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge)
• DiveQuest (EPCOT)
• Dolphins in Depth (EPCOT)

If you're looking for more, consider taking the Behind the Seeds Tour at EPCOT, a backstage tour of how Disney grows some of its own food. Or if you want to see what it's like behind the curtain at Magic Kingdom, take Disney's Keys to the Kingdom Tour.

Compared to Disneyland's 3 main tours, Disney World has much more unique tours to offer.

9. Disney World has More Fun Transportation Options

You didn't think that you'd be walking around 27,500 acres of Disney World, would you?

With so much space, Disney decided to make several transportation options for guests to get around the resort, this is often one of the coolest differences for Disneyland locals:

• Disney World Bus System
• Disney World Water Transportation (including Ferryboats, FriendShip Boats, Water Launches, and the Sassagoula River Cruise)
• Disney World Monorail
• Disney Skyliner

Compare this to Disneyland Resort's only transportation system to get around the resort: the Disneyland Monorail. The variety of transportation options at Disney World can take you to the theme parks, the hotels, or Disney Springs. Each transportation option gives unique and beautiful views of Walt Disney World Resort. You won't get bored with that type of variety!

The best part: all of these transportation options are free for Disney World guests.

10. Disney Springs at Disney World Offers Much More than Downtown Disney District at Disneyland

While Downtown Disney District at Disneyland holds its own with its modest amount of shops and restaurants, Disney Springs at Disney World boasts around 200 shops, dining locations, and entertainment venues which is a stark difference for Disneyland locals.

Situated across the lake from Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort, Disney Springs gives you an abundance of restaurant options, lounge options, shopping areas, and more. If you're looking for a great spot to have dinner with your family, make sure to check out The Boathouse. If you're looking for great live music, The House of Blues has you covered. And if you're looking for a thrilling show, Cirque du Soleil's Drawn to Life is incredible.

Disney Springs at Disney World simply has more for you to experience than Downtown Disney at Disneyland.

Plan Your Walt Disney World Vacation

To get a head start to planning your Disney vacation, subscribe to our FREE Deals newsletter. Here you will have access to useful planning information, exclusive Disney deals, and access to the lowest priced Disney tickets anywhere. Find more information on planning your vacation here:

• Why Disney World Fans Should Visit Disneyland
• Is Disneyland or Disney World Cheaper?
• The Best Table Service Restaurants at Walt Disney World
• 10 Secret Things to do at Disney World only the Theme Park Pros Know Exist
• Best Bars & Lounges at Disney World – Our Top Picks
• Best Months to Visit Walt Disney World