Washington DC – How it is Like Disney World

I know, I know, you read that headline and thought “is this guy insane?” The answer is yes, but that doesn’t mean I can’t make a good point or two. Since we are just getting our Washington, D.C. coverage off the ground — along with a brand-new Unofficial Guide to Washington, D.C. — I figured I’d help you understand why it’s an interesting vacation destination. Since most readers of this blog are familiar with Walt Disney World, let’s see a quick overview of how visiting America’s Capital compares to the massive Orlando theme park complex. You may find that D.C. is a pretty darn good alternative.

This is part 1 of a two-part intro to D.C. — the other part, coming later today, will focus on how Washington is unlike Walt Disney World. Don’t worry, there will be much more Washington, D.C. coverage over the ensuing months, so please forgive me for merely scratching the surface in this post. All of the details will be coming, whether you want them to or not. Without further ado…How Washington, D.C. is Like Walt Disney World:

They Are Both Easy to Get to

Actually, Washington is probably even easier to get to, but it depends a lot on where you live so I’ll call it a draw. If you live anywhere from Boston to Cincinnati to Charleston, S.C., you are within an 8 hour drive of America’s Capital. You have to be in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, or a Carolina to say the same about Disney World.

If you need to, or prefer to, fly to your vacation, there are plenty of options in both destinations. Disney World has Orlando International Airport with many, many flights from around the country and there are often pretty good deals from other major cities. You can also find good deals into D.C., which features three major airports: Reagan National, Baltimore-Washington (BWI), and Dulles. Access to your destination is easy from any of those airports.

They Are Both Easy to Get Around Once You’re There

You are likely familiar with Disney World’s extensive system of buses, monorails, and boats that transport you any where you need to go on Disney property. Well, D.C. has a similar system consisting of a subway (the Metro) and many, many buses. Sure, the Washington public transportation is not free like Disney’s, and it has many of the same problems (breakdowns and the like), but it is generally an efficient way of getting around without using a car.

…But You’re Still Going to do a Lot of Walking

Of course, Washington’s Metro system is not all-encompassing. Sometimes you may have a few blocks to walk from any stop, not to mention all of the walking you will do getting around any of the museums. In addition, the National Mall is a wide, 2-mile long strip with very few public transportation points. Seeing any of the multiple monuments there will require some hiking. To a Disney fan, this all probably sounds similar to how the WDW transportation does not help with the many miles you’ll walk around the parks.

There Are Lots of Hotel Options

Walt Disney World has many hotels within its borders with a range of prices and amenities and even more just outside of its borders that are usually cheaper or give you more for your money. As you would expect from a major metropolis, there are plenty of hotels in Washington and the hotels of D.C. can be put into these categories as well.

You have your mid-to-upper hotels that offer great location (walking distance to the mall) and/or great amenities. Next are your moderately priced hotels that either have a great location and few amenities or are further out. Towards the bottom (of the non-super-shady hotels) are the ones that have transportation issues, just like off-site WDW hotels. In the case of Washington, that usually means they do not have a Metro station in walking distance.

No matter your budget you can find something that is clean and reputable in either destination.

A Variety of Food Options and Prices

Much like the hotels, there are so many dining options at either destination that it is almost impossible to do anything but an overview. No matter what you want, be it cheap Asian, fancy French, celebrity chef-tasticness, or microwaved chicken tenders, you can find it in either Washington, D.C., or Walt Disney World. The prices are generally similar as well although the sheer glut of competition in D.C. means that you can find unheralded (a.k.a. cheaper) places more frequently.

They Both Have Cyclical Attendance

Any fan of TouringPlans.com does not need to be told that Disney World becomes much busier at certain times of the year. Christmas week, Easter week, Spring Break, etc., are all times to avoid if you are crowd-averse. The same goes for Washington, with those weeks also seeing an uptick in tourists. In addition, special events such as the Cherry Blossom Festival (mid-March to mid-April) bring the crowds. In both cases it is essential to know what you’re walking into and plan accordingly.

Both Have Lots To Do

You could spend a week at Walt Disney World and not see everything you want, let alone everything that is available. The same could be said about Washington, which has more museums and monuments than I can list (well, I could, but it would be like, really long). Just counting the FREE Smithsonian museums gets you the Smithsonian Castle, Museum of African Art, Air and Space Museum, Air and Space Udvar-Hazy Center (Chantilly, Virginia), American Art Museum, American History Museum, Museum of the American Indian, Freer Gallery (closed until summer 2017), Hirshorn Museum, National Zoo, Natural History Museum, Portrait Gallery, Postal Museum, Renwick Gallery, Ripley Center, and Sackler Gallery.

Adding in the other FREE spots like the National Gallery of Art, the National Archives, White House, U.S. Capitol, Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the Washington Monument, Ford’s Theater, and the Holocaust Museum and you’ve got a full docket. There is so much that I won’t even name it all…although I know a really well-written book you could check out (wink, wink, nudge, nudge).

Interesting Architecture

If you really start looking at the design choices made at Disney World you start to see the architectural touches that represent everything from the South Seas to old Hollywood to Equatorial Africa. You could spend days just taking it slow and examining all of the wonderful design (I can at least).

Washington, D.C. was begun in the late 18th century and was meant to be a grand city capable of representing America. It has some of the most impressive buildings, monuments, and churches in the country. In addition, inspirationally historical spots, while not as grandiose, are symbols that tell the story of the growth of America.

Local Celebrities

Disney has Mickey and friends. D.C. has the President and Congress. (In order to keep this apolitical, I will not correlate anything.)

Oppressive Summer Humidity

Not all of the similarities are great. Both Walt Disney World and Washington, D.C. were built on top of swamps, therefore they both have that swimmable air that allows your shirt to stick so seductively to your back all summer.

Check back later this today to read all of the reasons that these two destinations are NOT alike and let me know what I missed below.