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Why I’ll Fly Across the Country for Disneyland
I live only 99 miles from Walt Disney World, but given the choice, I would much rather fly across the country to visit Disneyland. And, I hate to fly.
That sometimes surprises people. Walt Disney World is wonderful, but Disneyland has a completely different feeling. It is more intimate, easier to navigate and filled with history. It is truly one of my favorite places in the world.
There Is Something Special About Disneyland
Disneyland Park was Walt Disney’s original park and the only Disney theme park he personally experienced. You can still feel that connection while walking down Main Street, riding the Disneyland Railroad or enjoying attractions that have welcomed generations of visitors.
Disneyland Resort also feels wonderfully manageable. Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure are only a short walk from one another. Downtown Disney and the resort hotels are right there as well.
It feels less like traveling across an enormous vacation complex and more like stepping into one complete Disney neighborhood.
The Disneyland Versions Are Different
Even familiar attractions can feel completely different in California.
Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean is my favorite version, and I love that it begins beside the tables of Blue Bayou Restaurant before continuing through a much longer adventure. There are also classics such as Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride and the original Tiki Room, along with newer experiences including Avengers Campus and Cars Land.
On this visit, I enjoyed longtime favorites, Halloween overlays and newer experiences such as watching Spider-Man soar above Avengers Campus. I also had a wonderful meal at Blue Bayou and probably drank enough water and iced tea to concern the server!
Disneyland is not simply a smaller Walt Disney World. It has its own attractions, history, atmosphere and personality.
Travel Tip of the Week
Do not try to squeeze Disneyland into one or two rushed days while visiting Los Angeles.
I believe four full park days is ideal. That provides enough time to experience both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure, enjoy good meals, revisit favorite attractions and notice the details that make Disneyland special.
A Park Hopper ticket is particularly useful because the parks are so close together. You can move between them without losing a large part of your day to transportation.
Make It a Southern California Vacation
After four days at Disneyland, I would move closer to Hollywood for the next part of the trip.
One of my favorite hotels is The Garland in North Hollywood. It has a warm, retro California atmosphere and offers a complimentary trolley to Universal Studios Hollywood and the nearby Metro station.
From The Garland, you are well positioned for several memorable Southern California experiences. The Brady Bunch house is an easy walk a couple of blocks away.
The Brady Experience allows visitors to step inside the Brady Bunch house and explore the recreated living room, kitchen, bedrooms and backyard. Touring the house was pure nostalgia and one of the highlights of my trip.
This is still a relatively new experience, and the currently published tour dates only run through December 30, 2026. There is no guarantee that it will continue indefinitely, so anyone interested should check the schedule before planning a trip around it.
I would also spend a full day at Universal Studios Hollywood. In addition to the theme-park attractions, the included Studio Tour takes visitors behind the scenes of a real working movie studio.
Another day could be devoted to a Los Angeles sightseeing tour featuring Hollywood, Beverly Hills, the Griffith Observatory, the Hollywood Sign and perhaps Santa Monica.
That combination creates a wonderful vacation: four days immersed in Disneyland, followed by several days exploring television, movies, Hollywood history and Los Angeles.
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