Differences between Disneyland, Disney World, and Disneyland Paris

The castles aren’t the only difference in Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and Disneyland Paris- although of course I have to talk about them.

Anaheim, California, Orlando, Florida, and Paris, France are as different as night and day, and so are the parks in those cities.

Let’s Begin With the Castles

One of the most iconic images of a Disney Park is the castle. Of course, the castles are different; each of them was created under very different circumstances.

Disneyland- This park is the OG, Walt rode many of these rides, and his spirit lives there. But I bet he wished that darn castle was bigger! It’s true: if you haven’t had the opportunity to visit Disneyland, the castle looks like it’s been stepped on. It’s charming, of course, but don’t expect to step onto Main Street and get a castle pic- you can’t see it over the trees!

Walt Disney World- The Imagineers had room to build with Cinderella’s Castle, and they did. She proudly stands at 189 feet tall. The largest of the three castles we are discussing in this article. (Shanghai is the largest of them all.) She was pink for a bit, but is now back to her original grey and blue. She supports a restaurant filled with princesses, and even a suite (that most of us will never see).

Disneyland Paris- When the Imagineers were designing Euro Disney, the original name of the park, there was a special challenge. Europe is filled with beautiful castles. This castle has to compete with castles that have a history of more than 1,000 years. So, inspired by a French princess, Sleeping Beauty, they did indeed create a gorgeous, unique castle with a balcony that brings you outside to overlook Fantasyland, a waterfall, and an amazing animatronic dragon. I thought I knew what I would see, but it was so much more. Simply stunning.

Classic Rides- Each Has Its Own Style

I don’t have the space to discuss all the ride differences, so I’ll focus on a couple to give you the idea.

it’s a small world- The differences between “it’s a small world” in Disneyland and Disney World have always been obvious. The Disneyland version is directly from the 1964-65 World’s Fair in New York. It’s grand, original, and stands out as an important attraction, and don’t get me started on Christmastime. The Disney World version looks like it’s in a local strip mall. Although I’m personally grateful it doesn’t have Disney characters in it (personal preference). The Disneyland Paris version is grand like Anaheim, has a train running past the exterior, and, wait for it, has a whole section depicting the USA. Not only does it have the USA, but there is much more to see overall. I wanted to ride it over and over, but my family vetoed me.

Haunted Mansion/ Phantom Manor- There are certainly similarities like the stretching room and the singing busts, but each mansion has its own style. The most obvious difference is that they are not in the same lands and have very different exteriors. Disneyland is in New Orleans Square in a plantation home, making it the scariest. Disney World’s Liberty Square has a stately brick house, and Disneyland Paris’s Phantom Manor is in Frontierland, with a dilapidated, classic haunted-house look.  While Disneyland and Disney World share the same headliner story points, including the Hatbox Ghost and the Hitchhiking ghosts. Disneyland adds a whole other vibe from Halloween through Christmas with a Nightmare Before Christmas overlay. But Phantom Manor has a completely different storyline. It’s creepier, and the Phantom has a whole backstory that is truly scary! Plus- the Phantom is very cool.

TIP- read up on the backstory before you go. I enjoyed the ride both times we rode it, but I didn’t fully understand it until my son filled me in on the story. So much cooler if you know.

Pirates of the Caribbean- For those of you who don’t know the lore, Pirates was not one of the original rides at Walt Disney World, even though it was one of the most popular attractions in Disneyland.

Florida has many pirate stories and legends. For example, the Florida town I grew up in has an annual festival and torchlight parade celebrating our founding pirate, Billy Bowlegs (I promise this is true!). So the Imagineers believed guests at Walt Disney World wouldn’t be interested in Pirates of the Caribbean. How wrong they were. After many comments, they quickly fit it into the corner of Adventureland. Of course, the ride isn’t as long as Disneyland’s, and there’s no restaurant to float past, but it does have Captain Red and the classic song.

In Disneyland Paris, this classic is a perfect example of how grand and beautiful everything is. The setting is as impressive as the ride. Huge rock skulls, full pirate ships, a little river and bridge, and beautiful landscaping. The ride itself is similar to Disneyland, longer, with two drops and a restaurant, but the exterior is truly impressive.

Three Different Cultures

You might be thinking, wait, you’re only talking about two different countries, and that’s true, but it really is three different cultures.

Disneyland- This is the house that Walt built. Full of history, it’s a quaint, beautiful park that expanded into two parks directly across the plaza from each other. Disneyland is surrounded by the town of Anaheim, and by surrounded, I mean the Howard Johnson’s is closer to the front gate than the Disneyland Hotel. There is a lot more local traffic than at the sister park in Orlando. Not to say there aren’t tourists, of course, there are, but menus, attractions, and events are designed to keep locals coming out. They aren’t targeted at the family staying for a five-night stay.

Sunny California rarely sees rainfall, and many of the rides reflect that, like the teacups out in the open air, and the superior churros that aren’t affected by humidity.

Overall vibe- experiences

Walt Disney World- Size matters on this one. It is so large that there are three major transportation systems in addition to everyone’s cars! There are more than 30 Disney-owned resorts, dozens of other franchises, and a military-only retreat right by Magic Kingdom. It is huge!

In the four different parks, you have distinct themes and very different vibes. The overall goal is to create magical moments on family vacations. Much of Disney World’s design is about efficiency and moving large crowds as quickly as possible. It’s always pretty, and the details are still fun and go above and beyond any non-Disney park, but, with the exception of the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival, the focus is not on the design.

Overall vibe- vacation mode

Disneyland Paris- The pace here is more relaxed. It’s set up similarly to Disneyland, with two parks just steps apart. Disney Adventure Park still has a lot of growing to do, unlike California Adventure, which is really in its groove now. But there isn’t the hustle and bustle like Disney World.

There are delightful attractions like Alice’s Curious Labyrinth, the Nautilus, and the dragon in the castle, all just for walking through and enjoying. Again, a different pace.

Parisians don’t walk around eating, they sit and enjoy their meal. Disneyland Paris doesn’t even have paper cups. All drinks are served in plastic cups that you leave at the restaurant. And you won’t find ice cream carts every 20 feet, but don’t worry: Mickey bars are available at quick-service restaurants and a kiosk in Fantasyland. And a quick heads-up: there is no Diet Coke, overall, Europe drinks Coke Zero.

Overall vibe- A magical stroll.

As you can see, all of the parks have similarities and the gold seal of Disney, they just presnt differently. Which one are you planning to visit next?