Is Disneyland or Disney World Bigger? | Easily Explained
A common question we always get is which is a bigger park, Disneyland or Disney World?
In this page, we cover which park is bigger, how to get around each park, which park is older, and the differences of the castles between the two Disney parks.
Table of Contents
- Which Park is Bigger?
- Getting Around the Parks
- Which Park is Older?
- Castle Differences
- Can You Visit These Parks in One Day?
Which Park is Bigger Disneyland or Disney World?
Disney World is a much larger park than Disneyland, as Disney World has a size of 25,000 acres, while Disneyland's park size is 500 acres. This means that 50 Disneyland's can fit inside of the Disney World park.
Most people don't realize how large the size difference is, as Disneyland does a fantastic job displaying attractions and shows throughout the park.
Parks Inside Disneyland
Both Disney's California Adventure Park and Disneyland Park can be found inside of the 500 acres of Disneyland.
Parks Inside Disney World
Disney World on the other hand has 4 total parks including:
- Epcot
- Magic Kingdom
- Disney's Hollywood Studios
- Disney's Animal Kingdom
Park Location
Each Disney park is located on one coast of the United States.
Disneyland is located in the West Coast of the U.S in Anaheim, California.
Disney World is located in the East Coast of the U.S in Orlando, Florida.
Getting Around the Parks
If you decide to purchase an ultra-popular Park Hopper ticket from either Disney park, you'll want to know the easiest ways to get to each park.
Luckily for Disneyland and California Adventure park hoppers, California Adventure is located directly across from the Disneyland entrance.
In fact, California Adventure's entrance is only 400 feet apart from Disneyland, which is a nice feature for visitors as they can easily walk through to both parks.
Disney World on the other hand is a much larger park, but luckily they offer a complimentary transportation system including a monorail, buses and even a ferry.
These are used to transport guests to and from the parks, as well as Disney operated hotels.
Which is Older Disneyland or Disney World?
Disneyland opened 16 years before Disney World. Disneyland opened in July 17, 1955 while Disney World opened in October 1, 1971.
Castle Differences Between Disneyland and Disney World
One of the 'trademarks' of Disney parks is the famous castle that all visitors go to lengths to take a picture with.
Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle stands at 77 ft tall while Disney World's Cinderella Castle stands at 189 ft.
Can You Visit These Parks in 1 Day?
Short Answer
The answer is you can, but you'll have to prioritize certain things and cut out other ones in order to see what you want to see.
If you can only visit for one day, you'll want to make a plan ahead of time on which rides/shows you'll want to experience, and which ones you will cut out.
Long Answer
Disneyland will be the easiest park to visit in one day as you can walk to California Adventure at any time.
Disney World will be more challenging as there are 4 parks and each of those parks is massive, and you'll also have to use a transportation system to travel to the other parks (which will take up time).
We recommend visiting Disneyland for at least 2 days, preferably one day for each park so that you can enjoy it without needing to rush.
For Disney World we recommend giving yourself at least 3 days to visit the 4 parks.
Naturally, there will be some parks that you'll love more depending on your preferences, and you'll know within the first few minutes of being there.
Having at least 3 days will allow you to be able to spend more time in those areas, without having to worry about rushing to see another park.
Related Articles
What Is The Tallest Ride At Disney World?
Is Disney Building a Theme Park in Texas?
How To Buy Disney Tickets & Hotel Rooms With PayPal
Annual Pass at Disneyland & Magic Key | Simply Explained