We visited Walt Disney World over the New Year’s break, and very much enjoyed our time there. As a longtime Disneyland visitor I always find the Magic Kingdom to be a disappointment. There are many things to like about the park, to be sure. But as a Disneylander I am left with an unsatisfied feeling. There are some obvious differences in the park, especially with super-headliners like The Matterhorn and Indiana Jones not at the Magic Kingdom. On the other hand, as a newer park there are different/improved things in Florida as well.
So, I decided to see if I could quantify this. This analysis looks only at attractions and not at shows, character greetings, fireworks, shopping and dining, or other intangibles. Instead, we’re just looking at attractions to experience. Â What I did was compare the attractions in each park. If they were clones (or near clones) of each other, then that would be a wash and even out from a points perspective. If a similar ride was “a little” better in one park or the other, then I would award one point. If it was significantly better then I would award two points.
In terms of attractions unique to one park or the other, 1-3 points are awarded based on value/scope. So, Shunken Ned’s Jungle Boats at the Magic Kingdom only gets a 1, whereas something of larger scope and appeal such as Mickey’s PhilharMagic gets a 3.
In my ratings below, I’ve tried to be as fair as possible. In some cases I actually awarded points to the attraction I actually prefer less, due to historical value or other elements. An example of this is Disneyland’s Jungle Cruise, which I prefer but lacks an extra scene in the Magic Kingdom version (which, therefore, gets the points). I grouped attractions more or less together by land, though this wasn’t completely equivalent due to differences in the parks.
| Disneyland | Magic Kingdom | Notes | ||
| Main Street USA | ||||
| Main Street Vehicles | 2 | Main Street Vehicles | Vehichles rarely run at MK, greater variety at DL too | |
| Disneyland Railroad | 1 | Walt Disney World Railroad | Primieval World missing at MK | |
| The Disneyland Story presenting Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln | The Hall of Presidents | 2 | Greater scope and entire land built around this attraction. But DL has the Steve Martin movie. | |
| The Disney Gallery | 1 | none | Not much of an “attraction” | |
| Fantasyland | ||||
| Sleeping Beauty Castle | Cinderella Castle | 1 | Much larger castle including a restaurant. But DL has a walk through. | |
| Dumbo the Flying Elephant | 0 | Dumbo the Flying Elephant | 0 | |
| It’s a Small World | 1 | It’s a Small World | Larger attraction features Disney characters in DL. | |
| Mad Tea Party | 0 | Mad Tea Party | 1 | Can spin the cups much faster at MK |
| The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh | The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh | 1 | Better queue and theme and ride at MK | |
| Peter Pan’s Flight | Peter Pan’s Flight | 1 | Better animatronics at MK | |
| King Arthur Carrousel | 0 | Prince Charming Regal Carrousel | 0 | |
| Snow White’s Scary Adventures | Snow White’s Scary Adventures | 1 | More focus on Snow White at MK | |
| Mickey’s PhilharMagic | 3 | Excellent 3D film with Disney music | ||
| Casey Jr. Circus Train | 2 | Mild thrills for kids | ||
| Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride | 2 | Dark ride with cult following | ||
| Alice in Wonderland | 2 | Used to be a 3 until OSHA forced changes on outdoor portion | ||
| Pinocchio’s Daring Journey | 2 | Dark ride | ||
| Matterhorn Bobsleds | 3 | Disney classic | ||
| Storybook Land Canal Boats | 2 | Charming boat ride | ||
| Adventureland | ||||
| Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room | 0 | Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room | 0 | Essentially similar once again |
| Pirates of the Caribbean | 2 | Pirates of the Caribbean | Much longer ride at DL | |
| Jungle Cruise | Jungle Cruise | 1 | Longer attraction with extra scenes at MK (but Trader Sam is better at DL) | |
| Tarzan’s Treehouse | 0 | Swiss Family Treehouse | 0 | Essentially similar |
| Shrunken Ned’s Junior Jungle Boats | 1 | |||
| The Magic Carpets of Aladdin | 2 | Fun Dumbo-like attraction | ||
| Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye | 3 | Super-headliner | ||
| Frontierland | ||||
| Splash Mountain | 0 | Splash Mountain | 0 | Essentially similar |
| Big Thunder Mountain Railroad | 0 | Big Thunder Mountain Railroad | 0 | Essentially similar |
| Frontierland Shooting Exposition | 0 | Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade | 0 | Essentially similar |
| Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island | Tom Sawyer Island | 1 | Themed better at MK and big plus for Fort you can enter | |
| Mark Twain Riverboat | 0 | Liberty Belle Riverboat | 0 | |
| Haunted Mansion | Haunted Mansion | 1 | Extra scene in MK, but better looking exterior at DL. Edge to MK for elaborate queue and hitchhiking ghosts | |
| Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes | 1 | Only runs on weekends and busy season | ||
| Sailing Ship Columbia | 1 | Runs less frequently than Riverboat | ||
| Country Bear Jamboree | 1 | Would be a 2 if animatronics were well maintained | ||
| Tomorowland | ||||
| Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters | 2 | Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin | Much better experience with hand-held blasters in DL | |
| Astro Orbitor | 0 | Astro Orbiter | 0 | Essentially similar |
| Space Mountain | 2 | Space Mountain | Far better track, audio effects, seating in DL | |
| Autopia | 0 | Tomorrowland Speedway | 0 | Essentially similar |
| Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover | 2 | So sad that this isn’t running at DL anymore | ||
| Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress | 1 | Very very dated animatronic show | ||
| Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor | 2 | Wish it was funnier | ||
| Stitch’s Great Escape! | 2 | I like it better than the predecessor but nobody would be sad to see this go | ||
| Disneyland Monorail | 2 | Part of Walt’s vision of a world in motion | ||
| Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage | 3 | Nemo overlay works well and preserves a Disney original | ||
| Star Tours: The Adventures Continue | 3 | Super-headliner | ||
| Captain EO Tribute | 2 | |||
| Innoventions | 1 | Not very compelling, but maybe more than Carousel of Progress | ||
| ToonTown | ||||
| Mickey’s House and Meet Mickey | 2 | Charming fun | ||
| Minnie’s House | 1 | |||
| Goofy’s Playhouse | 1 | |||
| Donald’s Boat | 1 | |||
| Chip ‘n Dale’s Treehouse | 1 | |||
| Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin | 3 | Immersive dark ride | ||
| Gadget’s Go Coaster | 2 | Short kiddie coaster | ||
| Disneyland | 51 | Magic Kingdom | 24 | |
As you can see, Disneyland’s rating was 51 with Magic Kingdom only ranking as 24. That’s twice as many points!
Magic Kingdom currently suffers due to the construction of the new Fantasyland attractions. So, the loss of Mickey’s ToonTown surely hurts. That said, the Magic Kingdom is still far, far behind its cousin in California.
If you have any thoughts on the rationale or my ratings, please leave a comment below.
Hi Kevin… Since I gre up o. The East Coast, I spent my kid years going to MK… so for me, it always gets the nostalgia vote… But I like your summary and I agree that the rides really are better in California. As an adult, the thing I love about MK is all the additional places (Epcot, etc) so that you can really explore more and make a full week with the family… Thanks for sharing your summary.. Love it!
Yes, Lisa. Comparing the two parks outside of their greater context isn’t exactly a fair comparison. We thoroughly enjoyed Disney World, especially Epcot and the Animal Kingdom parks that are so unlike what we have in the two parks in California.
As much as I love Disneyland, it’s at most a four day vacation (especially once the expanded sections of Disney’s California Adventure open this summer). Far more to do in Florida.
I see what you are saying. And I honestly agree with you, BUT I don’t think its fair to give points to DL for rides that exist at WDW, just not at MK. Star tours for example. 3 to 0. Thats not fair. (also Captain Eo and Innoventions)
I realize that it barely dents the score difference, but those attractions were put it the other WDW parks because it fit with the themes of where they were placed.
There’s a certain merit there for sure, TAZ. On the other hand, it isn’t like Magic Kingdom doesn’t have space for something like Star Tours. They’ve just placed it in another park and put another attraction in the similar location (attractions that everyone agrees are not as up to par). And, to be honest, while I don’t think much of Captain EO I do think it fits thematical better in Disneyland.
What I was trying to convey, especially to WDW vets, is that these two parks while very similar are oh so different. Definitely not equivalent – not even close.
It will be interesting to compare again in a couple years after the new Fantasyland opens in Magic Kingdom with several unique attractions.