There is no doubt that both are amazing. Each experience is tantamount to pure ecstasy. Growing up in the Bay Area, an hour plane ride south to Anaheim, my parents opted a different route: annual vacations in Walt Disney World. Disneyland was reserved for every couple of years; it wasn't as frequent as Walt Disney World. Nevertheless, I experienced both, but had a tendency for the latter.
Disneyland was the "Happiest Place On Earth," yet Disney World was the "Most Magical Place On Earth." Two very distinct claims. Different people cling onto different parks as their favorite, and usually is rooted in childhood. If you lived in California, Disneyland was your favorite place. If you lived on the east coast, Disney World was your park of choice. Simple enough, your geographic location usually dictated where you'd be spending your summer vacations and spring breaks. There are obviously exceptions to every generalization, but I enjoy speaking broadly.
When you compare the two, certain red flags pop up when you are describing them: one is bigger often comes to mind. Disneyland has the Matterhorn, Magic Kingdom does not. Magic Kingdom has Peoplemovers, and Disneyland just has a vacant reminder of what used to be. The list drags on. When you start comparing it on another, more socioeconomic and interpersonal level, subtle differences start to present itself.
For every visit I've made to Disneyland, I've made at least five trips to Walt Disney World. I'd say I've been to Disneyland about 5 times in my life, at various ages: 5, 10, 16, 23, 28. My most recent trip to Disneyland was October 3rd, 2014. My last trip to Walt Disney World was January 18th-25th of 2014. Both times I was paying my own way, and not on a family trip, and it allowed me to view the experiences from an adult's perspective. You see how things transpire in the real world, and not just in a euphoric state eating churros in a stroller and paying with your Figment toys.
The experience is broken down into three sections: how we interact with cast members, and how we see others interact at the parks, and a ride comparison, and the last will be explored in another post. Right now, the workers that make up Disney Parks and the interaction of the park guests.
Disney guest service is unmatched by any other competitor. The feel of Disney cannot be felt anywhere else. A Six Flags park feels cheap; there is nothing special about it except a slew of roller coasters and uninspired rides based off Looney Tunes characters. The sights, the smells, the experience of Disney is truly unique. Both offer great service, even when you start to wander into Downtown Disney territory, when it can get questionable. But for the most part it is still quite pleasant.
The majority of workers in the theme park industry are largely young kids/college students and the elderly. You'd think employing kids would cause the customer service to dwindle, but alas, it remains consistent. Disney has that unparalleled guest experience that cannot be beat. Once while in line for ordering a $10 mediocre burger and fry combo (drink sold separately) at the Liberty Inn for 10 minutes, I peeked to see what was taking so long (from the counter, of course, not trying to get kicked out of EPCOT by sneaking into the back) and saw a sign. It was a funny little sign, and I forget the exact words, but the jist of the sign was as such: no matter what you are doing, if a guest asks for something or needs help, stop what you are doing and help them. That sentiment is what makes Disney truly one of the best theme parks that has ever existed. They make it no secret that they strive for the best customer service. And while ornery guests still exist and berate the cast members, they all take it, and deliver a smile back to you.
In Disneyland, the majority of employees live in the Orange/LA County area. Southern California is huge and densely populated, obviously, so that's who you have to work there. And they're nice people, who seem to enjoy their jobs. Disney World is more of a destination employment center; it relies on people from all over the world to power it. People from different countries who have different work ethics than those who live in the US. This creates an interesting dynamic when you visit Disney World. Disneyland employs Californians, who's attitude and work ethic is different. They are not as sharp and on point as their WDW counterpart. And a majority of the workers in Disneyland are young, so you see a difference in customer service than you would at Walt Disney World.
Walt Disney World requires a lot of people to make it work. A lot of your employees come from all over the US, but you see a lot of people from the east coast. Some of the best service I've had have been from people originating from New York and New Jersey. You start to see a difference in attitude from people who come from the east coast versus the west coast. Career waiters at Walt Disney World are among the best, and if you can get Tony from Long Island at the Sci-Fi Dine In Theater, you'll see why. The two parks have the same agenda and purpose, but two very different styles in which things operate. Simply put, people make a career out of Walt Disney World, and Disneyland is more of the "summer job while I'm in school."
Another reason why I see the quality of service unmatched at Disney World is due in large part by the fact that these career waiters are career waiters, exclusively for Disney. The longer you work there, you are guaranteed to get a certain raise per year (I am aware it's not as cut and dry as that, so work with me on this one as I make more generalizations), so when you have those people who have worked there since 1971 (the real characters of Walt Disney World), who have job security and know the game, they're gonna keep on delivering that great service. The great customer service and friendly interaction is still there, but it's a different experience.
Disneyland, in a general sense, is a commuter destination. Sure, families will fly in from all over to visit Southern California, but for the most part, it's somewhere you go when you're bored and want to hang out with friends or family. And since Southern California's population is around 24 million, they've gotta go somewhere to enjoy themselves. Walt Disney World, in a broad sense, is a destination city. Central Florida is one-eighth of the population of Southern California, so you're not going to get as many locals there than in Disneyland. So when you bring in all sorts of outside people to Disney World, you get an amalgam of tourists from all walks of life to experience it. Bring in people from Southern California to Disneyland, you get pretty much a lot of the same kind of people: Californians...
To Be Continued.
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