Have you ever been stuck on whether to visit Disney World or Disneyland Resort?
It’s a tough call! To begin with, they both offer different things, like attractions, lands, and food, and location is also a factor. But, we know that a big decision maker with what trip you should take is how much they both cost. So, we’re going to figure out if a trip to Disney World is more expensive than a trip to Disneyland Resort.
Let’s look at an example trip for the same exact dates and number of people in Disney World and Disneyland. We chose our hypothetical trip to take place from December 5th to December 11th, 2022 and be for 4 people. This is typically a less crowded time at the parks. We’re also choosing a moderate resort or comparable at both locations to be fair. Do note that prices will vary based on when you book your trip, the length of stay, which hotel you book, etc.
Starting in Disney World, a base room for 4 people at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort: Riverside is $310 per night for the weeknights, and $362 per night, for Friday and Saturday night, before tax. So we’re looking at $1,964 total for the hotel, before tax.
Moving on to tickets, you gotta get Park Hoppers, right?! So, let’s assume you’re only getting a 5-day ticket, since those other two days won’t be full days due to travel. A 5-Day Park Hopper Ticket starting on May 5th, 2022 is $632.94 per person, before tax — multiply that by the 4 people in your group and it comes to $2,531.76 total, before tax.
Okay, we know how much Disney World costs, now how about Disneyland Resort? We chose the Paradise Pier Hotel, as it’s comparable to a moderate at Disney World. For 4 people during the dates we previously chose, a standard room is $437.00 per weeknight, and $477.00 on the Friday and Saturday nights of our stay, before tax. Multiply that by the 6 nights that you’re staying there and it comes to $2,702.00, before tax.
Since we got a Park Hopper ticket in Disney World, we obviously have to get one in Disneyland! So, a 5-day Park Hopper Ticket at Disneyland Resort is $440 per person, before tax. Multiply that by the 4 people in your group and it comes to $1,760 total, before tax.
With these two trips, Disney World comes out to be $4,495.76 and Disneyland Resort comes out to be $4,462. The hotel stay at Disneyland is more expensive than that at Disney World, but the ticket prices at Disney World are higher — high enough to make Disneyland the *slightly* cheaper trip.
This also obviously isn’t taking travel to the resorts into account, because that varies greatly depending on where you live and if you could drive or would have to fly. But, basing it just off of theme park tickets and hotels, Disney World is slightly more expensive.
However, let’s not forget, you are possibly getting more for your money in Disney World! There are 4 theme parks and 2 water parks compared to Disneyland’s 2 theme parks — Disney World simply has more to offer than Disneyland does! We also think it’s much easier to fill up a week-long trip at Disney World than Disneyland. So, it’s all about what you want to get with your money!
We hope this helps you decide which resort will work best for you on your next Disney vacation! Keep in mind that discounts and special packages can change these numbers dramatically. Stay tuned to DFB for more news on Disney pricing and discounts!
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Do you like Disney World or Disneyland better? Let us know in the comments!
Lisa says
There are far more options for staying off property in Disneyland. And they’re more affordable. Most have free parking.
Lee Sauer says
And staying off-property is a much more viable option in Disneyland where there are many hotels and motels within walking distance of the parks, something NOT true at Disney World. In addition, there are a number of options at Disneyland that include parking in their hotel rates (which are MUCH lower than the Disney properties), and parking is an expense you did NOT include in your calculations.
Ernie says
There are also other theme parks in the LA area. Knott’s Berry Farm is just five miles from Anaheim and Universal Studios is about 30-40 minutes away. Also, you are closer to the beach (Sunset Beach is about 11 miles from Disneyland). Then there’s Hollywood too. San Diego is an hour and a half drive. Lots of things to do.
Susan W says
I Have Price Both And Disneyland Is Cheaper Then WDW For Sure. Need To Add In The Fact Airfare And Rental Car If Needed.
CHANDRA KIRTS says
We never stay “on property” at Disneyland because there are nice walking distance hotels. But we always stay on property at DisneyWorld because otherwise you travel to far on and off. This makes Disneyland ALOT cheaper.
Rick TR says
Disneyland is definitely cheaper. We stayed at a hotel across the street and a half block away. We were also able to have groceries and water delivered from Vans. No buses to wait for that wastes your time, both parks are right across from each other so a Park Hopper ticket would be a waste of money. As far as Disney World having four lands, I would say that the exclusive attractions in Disneyland like Indiana Jones, Radiator Racers, Spider-Man, Mr Toad, Matterhorn, Submarines and others more than makes up for it. Downtown Disney is just a short walk from the parks saving you another bus trip to the shopping district. Disney World may be bigger but all the time you spend on transportation and waiting in line doesn’t make it a better bargain.
Steve B. says
Too many factors you did not consider.
Major one is you can do everything at both Anaheim parks in half the amount of days than in Florida. To park hop you just take a 2 min walk to the other park instead of taking anywhere from 25min up to an hour at DW.
Yes there is more to do at DW but most of the time spent is getting from your resort to whichever park then back to your resort or another park. A lot of wasted time which adds up considerably over your trip. Plus between DLand & CAdent they have just about the same amount of attractions as all 4 DW parks combined.
Chrystie says
You probably wouldn’t stay that many days in Disneyland so you could always up your resort to a Deluxe with the extra cash.
Sarah Best says
I agree with Lisa’s comment. It’s very possible to find an affordable off property hotel at Disneyland that’s in walking distance of the park. And with only two parks you might feel less pressure to do a super long trip.
Rick Hutchison says
We have been to both. Air travel is a consideration because we live in New England. Transportation from the airport to the resort is another item to consider. Even though the magical express is gone Florida airport transfer is much cheaper. Off site hotels is cheaper at both but can be very convenient in California.
Bottom line for us is that we love both parks for their differences and it doesn’t affect our choice.
Rose says
Most don’t realize there’s more rides in the 2 DLR parks than the 4 WDW parks. When you stated “four theme parks and 2 water parks” did your ticket price include the additional $ for water parks. Food is another consideration. DLR QS is excellent. Not so with WDW. You’re almost forced to pay the extra and spend the extra time for TS @ WDW. They are completely different experiences. I like both, but DLR, with it’s convenient off-site hotels, is definitely cheaper.
Marcus Hubley says
I’ve been to Disney World seven times and stayed onsite three times. I’ve been to Disneyland thirteen times and never stayed onsite. The problem with this comparison is most people who come to WDW stay onsite but almost no one stays onsite at Disneyland and most trips are usually 3-4 days making them inherently cheaper.