A comparison of two Disneys: What visitors can anticipate at Disney World versus Disneyland

After more than a year, both Disney parks in the U.S. — Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, and Disneyland in Anaheim, California — are now open to guests.

Dedicated Disney fans understand that these two parks have always had their distinctions, even in normal times. It’s no surprise that new differences have surfaced in 2021, largely influenced by the contrasting approaches to the pandemic and the current business regulations in Florida and California.

Disney World has had a substantial advantage in reopening compared to its Californian counterpart. Disney World reopened its gates in July 2020 and has remained operational ever since. Meanwhile, Disneyland finally reopened on April 30, 2021. Consequently, Disneyland has a considerable amount of ground to cover to fully reopen and scale operations, as permitted by state regulations.

Disneyland faces unique challenges due to its narrow walkways and queues from the 1950s, making social distancing particularly tricky. These factors will continue to create some differences even after state guidelines become more aligned.

For now, here are the key differences to consider when visiting Disney World versus Disneyland as the summer 2021 travel season kicks off.

Availability of resorts

Disney World:

Nearly a year into its reopening, most, though not all, Disney World resort hotels have resumed operations.

Hotels such as Port Orleans, All-Star Movies, All-Star Sports, and Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge – Jambo House remain closed. During many weekends, holidays, popular summer travel dates, and especially around the park's 50th-anniversary celebration starting in October, a significantly larger number of Disney resort hotels will be fully booked compared to those available.

While some discounts are offered at select Disney World resorts, generally speaking, guests are still paying about the same rates as they did before the pandemic, despite certain amenities and services being temporarily unavailable -- and in some cases, prices are even higher.

In other words, a stay at Disney's Yacht Club currently lacks nightly housekeeping, and amenities like the arcade and spa remain closed, yet it typically costs between $400 and $500 per night.

Disneyland:

Disneyland has significantly fewer on-property hotels, and right now, availability in California is extremely tight. Currently, the only Disney hotel open is Disney's Grand Californian Resort & Spa, which reopened alongside the parks at the end of April.

The next Disney-owned resort set to reopen is Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel, on June 15, 2021. Following that, the iconic Disneyland Hotel will welcome guests again on July 2. Currently, available rooms are not selling out on most dates, indicating that supply meets the existing demand. However, prices remain steep, with Paradise Pier starting at around $400 for many summer nights, while Grand Californian often exceeds $700 per night for a standard room.

Amenities and dining options at the Disneyland on-property hotels are limited, despite these hotels charging full rates.

Aside from their prime locations, the only current advantage of these hotels is that they provide guests with access to a separate pool of theme park reservations that offers near-wide availability (much better than the on-property reservations at Walt Disney World).

This benefit is particularly valuable for those making last-minute plans. However, for those who can plan in advance and obtain theme park reservations through regular means, off-property hotels typically present better value for money.

Entry requirements

Disney World:

Upon reopening in summer 2020, Disney World implemented the requirement for Disney Park Pass reservations to be made prior to visiting the parks. This wasn't a significant barrier when attendance was low, but it has become more challenging as visitor numbers have surged. In fact, Disney's Hollywood Studios has been reaching full capacity for Park Pass reservations nearly two months in advance. Epcot tends to have the most availability among the four Disney World parks.

There are various availability tiers based on whether you hold an annual pass, have a reservation at an on-property resort, or just possess individual park tickets. While this structure has evolved over time, currently those with an annual pass enjoy the best access to availability.

Disneyland:

Similar to Walt Disney World, Disneyland requires daily theme park reservations alongside a park ticket for entry. These reservations assist in managing daily park capacity. While travelers to Walt Disney World can secure reservations well into 2023, the Disneyland reservation calendar is limited to just 120 days in advance.

The rate at which reservations "sell out" at Disneyland can fluctuate significantly. Disneyland park tends to fill up quickly (often more than a month ahead), whereas Disney California Adventure usually takes a bit longer to reach capacity. Initially, weekends were the first to fill due to the influx of local Southern California visitors. However, as summer approaches and more out-of-state guests plan longer visits, demand is becoming more evenly distributed throughout the week.

COVID-19 regulations

Disney World:

With Florida fully reopened, Disney World is accessible to anyone who can travel there, with no state residency restrictions in place.

The park has been gradually increasing its capacity, reducing social distancing measures, and lifting some earlier pandemic precautions. For instance, most attractions are now utilizing all available rows for shows and rides. Additionally, the temperature checks at park entrances and dining establishments have been discontinued.

Masks are not required for fully vaccinated guests indoors or outdoors at Disney World, except when using Disney buses, monorails, or the Skyliner. In comparison, Universal Orlando has eliminated mask mandates for vaccinated guests altogether (with no vaccination verification needed).

Disneyland:

While Florida has reopened its doors to all visitors, California continues to enforce a COVID-19 travel advisory for out-of-state arrivals. As a result, Disneyland is currently only accessible to California residents. However, this policy will change on June 15, 2021, when out-of-state visitors will be welcomed once again.

Other COVID-19 measures at the California parks are stringent but largely what one would expect.

Temperature checks are conducted right before guests pass through the security checkpoints to enter Downtown Disney. Masks are mandatory throughout the parks, except when guests are actively eating or drinking while stationary. While Disney World has eased its outdoor mask mandate, Disneyland has yet to follow suit.

The Disneyland parks were limited to a maximum of 25% capacity while Orange County was in the state’s orange tier. However, with improving COVID-19 statistics, the county has moved to the yellow tier, allowing for 35% capacity at theme parks. This aligns Disneyland's operations more closely with those of Disney World in recent months.

Disneyland must also adhere to strict limitations on indoor guest time. All ride queues are located outdoors, as is most dining. Fortunately, Southern California's heat is generally more manageable than Florida's, with fewer AC breakdowns. Many of these state-mandated capacity and queuing restrictions are set to be lifted on June 15, but it remains uncertain how Disneyland will adjust its operations, if at all.

Ride adjustments

Disney World:

Although ride vehicles at Disney World aren't operating at full capacity yet, they are nearing that point. Single rider lines to maximize seating in each row have not returned, but typically, every row of a vehicle is now filled. Plexiglass barriers are often installed between rows on attractions like the indoor boat rides, and you'll notice plenty of plexiglass in the winding queues as well.

Currently, only Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance in Galaxy's Edge utilizes a virtual queue; all other attractions require guests to wait in the traditional lines, which can extend both indoors and outdoors. FastPass+ and Extra Magic Hours are not available at this time.

Certain attractions that typically feature crowded preshow areas, like the Haunted Mansion and Tower of Terror, are omitting that part of the experience for now.

Disneyland:

While Walt Disney World has resumed full capacity on its rides, Disneyland's ride modifications still resemble the initial operational setup of Disney World during its reopening in summer 2020.

With California's requirement for six feet of social distancing, queues at Disneyland are significantly extended. Unlike Walt Disney World, where many queues utilize indoor spaces of unused show buildings, all queues at Disneyland must remain outdoors due to state regulations.

Attractions like Pirates of the Caribbean, which usually have indoor waiting areas, have undergone major changes. The line for Pirates now winds across the terraces of New Orleans Square. Additionally, Disneyland has begun to implement a virtual queue for Indiana Jones at certain times to alleviate congestion caused by long lines.

This raises the total number of virtual queues currently operating at Disneyland to three: Rise of the Resistance, WEB SLINGERS, and Indiana Jones.

Operations are also affected by the fact that ride vehicles at Disneyland are operating at reduced capacity. Larger boat rides like Pirates of the Caribbean and it's a small world now accommodate only two rows. Roller coasters are limited to one party per car, often leaving two empty rows between smaller groups on attractions such as Space Mountain and Thunder Mountain.

Other attractions resemble their counterparts at Walt Disney World more closely. For instance, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance features plexiglass separating the two rows in the eight-seater ride vehicle, mirroring the modifications made in Florida last fall.

There is just one ride at Disneyland that arguably has fewer COVID-19 safety changes compared to its Walt Disney World counterpart: Haunted Mansion. While guests bypass the traditional stretching room show in Orlando, the design of the ride at Disneyland prevents skipping it altogether.

Instead, Disneyland accommodates a very small number of parties in each corner of the room as it descends.

Food & beverage modifications

Disney World:

Similar to the Disney World hotel resorts, although many Disney World restaurants have reopened, some remain closed. Additionally, those that are open might still offer limited menus or not be fully staffed yet. Consequently, there's considerable competition to secure a reservation at one of the most popular reopened locations.

You can once again enjoy character dining at select Disney World locations such as Topolino's Terrace, Garden Grill, and Chef Mickey's. The characters maintain their distance, but they have returned to a handful of restaurants.

Advance dining reservations can now be made 60 days ahead of your visit, rather than the usual 180 days, and popular venues tend to fill up quickly.

If you prefer a quick meal, be aware that counter-service restaurants essentially require you to order and pay through the My Disney Experience app.

On busy days, the wait time to return and pick up your order can be one to two hours after placing your purchase, so it's wise to plan ahead and order your lunch along with its pickup time before your morning coffee fully wears off.

Disneyland:

Similar to Walt Disney World, the selection of food and dining options at Disneyland has been significantly reduced. As Disneyland is still in the early stages of recalling cast members to work, its dining services are not yet on par with those at Disney World. However, plans to reopen more restaurants and broaden menus are being developed swiftly.

A greater portion of dining at Disneyland is now counter service. Due to stricter indoor operation limits compared to Florida, very few table service restaurants are currently open, with only three available in each park at this time.

For counter-service dining at Disneyland, mobile ordering is essential. During peak meal times, return windows fill up quickly, so guests should place their mobile orders well in advance to secure their preferred dining time and location.

Amenity modifications

Disney World:

Currently, Disney World has not resumed fireworks, nighttime shows, FastPass+, scheduled parades, and most tours or special events remain on hold.

Nevertheless, unannounced mini-parades, also known as cavalcades, regularly occur throughout the Disney World parks. These feature music, characters, floats, and dancers—similar to the longer parades, but in a shorter format.

While there hasn't been any official update regarding the return of fireworks or FastPass+, Disney World recently introduced a Halloween-themed after-hours Boo Bash event scheduled to run from August through October. This marks the first event of its kind to return to Disney World.

It was recently announced that Disney Club Level will be reintroduced at select Disney World resort hotels starting in September.

Although things aren't fully back to normal yet, live entertainment shows have begun to make a comeback. The beloved Festival of the Lion King show has just returned to Disney World's Animal Kingdom.

Disneyland:

Many of the amenities and perks typically associated with a Disneyland vacation are still on hold in 2021.

All the strategies and shortcuts to avoid long wait times, including Fastpass, MaxPass, and single rider lines, are currently suspended. Fortunately, wait times for most attractions aren't too long at the moment, making this situation less challenging.

Fireworks and all nighttime spectaculars are still not in operation. There are no parades or live performances at shows either, although two indoor attractions — the Tiki Room and Mickey's Philharmagic — are currently welcoming guests.

Character interactions at Disneyland have also been adjusted. Similar to Walt Disney World, there are several distanced meet and greet opportunities for characters and photo ops. In fact, Disneyland appears to have a higher density of these experiences per square foot compared to Walt Disney World, especially with the new Avengers Campus buzzing with character activities.

However, Disneyland misses out on two character experiences that Walt Disney World provides: character dining and character cavalcades. The narrower walkways and parade routes at Disneyland would likely complicate the implementation of cavalcades, which are essentially unscheduled mini-parades.

Park hopping restrictions

Disney World:

After being on pause for the entirety of last year, park-hopping made its return to Disney World at the start of 2021. With a qualifying (more expensive) park hopping ticket, you can visit your pre-reserved park in the morning and then switch to a second park without needing a reservation for that park after 2 p.m.

Once you've explored your initial park, you can hop to other parks as often as you like starting at 2 p.m., provided there’s space available in each park you wish to enter.

Disneyland:

Similar to Walt Disney World, park hopping is fully operational at Disneyland.

Guests at Disneyland have the advantage of starting their park hopping an hour earlier at 1:00 p.m. so far, there haven't been any issues with either park reaching full capacity, meaning park-hopping guests haven't had to be turned away or wait.

Due to the close proximity of the two parks in California, guest movement at Disneyland is somewhat uneven. More visitors transition from California Adventure to Disneyland than vice versa, leading to noticeably larger (yet still manageable) crowds in Disneyland during the afternoon hours.

The recent debut of Avengers Campus in California Adventure helps to balance park-hopping demand a bit more, although it introduces new operational challenges of its own.

Bottom line

Although neither park has returned to full normalcy, Walt Disney World currently offers more attractions and experiences than Disneyland, with fewer COVID-19 restrictions in effect.

Currently, Disneyland enjoys the temporary benefit of lower crowd levels and shorter wait times for attractions. This summer, both parks are likely to see rapid changes as more experiences become available and more visitors return. We are also at a critical juncture where pandemic-related measures and requirements are quickly shifting on both coasts.

At this moment, if you're seeking a more typical theme park experience complete with character dining, mini-parades, relaxed mask policies, some live entertainment, and fuller ride vehicles, Disney World is the preferable choice.

On the other hand, if you prefer a more controlled capacity environment, feel more at ease with stricter mask and distancing rules, or simply want to experience Disney's latest attraction -- WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure -- then Disneyland is the right park for you.