The happiest place on earth just celebrated its 70th anniversary! This big achievement invited many people from all over the world to experience the magic. Visitors still walk through the gates of magic after all these years. But after all these years, there is still one unanswered question remaining…which park is better? Disneyland, or Disney’s California Adventure?
Rides and Attractions
The most popular attraction at Disneyland, coming in at number one is Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. Other popular rides are Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain, the brand new Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, and the classic Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage.
In my opinion I think the best rides out of the whole park are Indiana Jones Adventure, Matterhorn Bobsleds, and Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, although the lines can be cruel unless you have the Fast Pass.
Disney California Adventure has the Radiator Springs Racers, which is also one of my favorites, as well as the Incredicoaster, Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout, Soarin’ Around the World, Pixar Pal-A-Round, and more roller coasters type of rides.
TICKETS
The tickets are a bit pricey; around $119 to $209+ a day. If you wanted to stay for one day it would roughly be $104, plus an additional $40 dollars for parking.
There are also Magic Keys. What’s a Magic Key? Well there are four different types of keys that do different types of things. Inspire key has unlimited Disney PhotoPass downloads, twenty percent off Disney merchandise and more. Explore key has reservation based admissions, 25 percent off of parking, 10 percent off of dining, 10 percent off of merchandise, and 25 percent off of the Lighting Lane pass. The Imagine Key has the same stuff as the Explore Key and it’s good for local families and guests who visit a few times per year and want more access and perks. There are also season passes which have blackout days depending on the pass you have.
FOOD
Disneyland has over 65 unique food options such as Blue Bayou Restaurant, which is inside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. It can be very tough getting a reservation, as reservations open up 60 days in advance. Tiana’s Palace is a newer dining option offering beignets and gumbo, and Docking Bay 7 in Star Wars Land is a more a quick service option where you can wait in line or order in the app. The Golden Horseshoe in Frontierland and the Bengal Barbecue in Adventureland are also popular options. The most popular sweet treats are Disney Dole Whip, Mickey shaped beignets, Minnie caramel apples, cream cheese pretzels, raspberry rose Mickey, and, my favorite, Disneyland churros.
CMHS Student Opinions
I asked a couple of students at MESA to settle this argument.
Eighth grader Adeline Ybarra replies, “My favorite is Disneyland, because they have all my favorite rides in that area. Yes, they don’t have all the most popular rides and attractions there. But Disneyland has all my favorite rides there, such as the Nemo ride and Railroad Runaway. I also say Disneyland because lines are shorter than in California. In my opinion, California is a little bit too crowded for my liking. But California also has its pros. California has parades, more shops, and more food places. I also do like California because they also have one of my favorite rides, Pirates of the Caribbean. Pirates of the Caribbean is very fun to me because people are eating there, and it’s interesting to look at. But if I had to pick one, it would be Disneyland for sure.”
Eighth grader Ailin Uraga said, “I prefer Disney California because my all-time favorite ride is the Incredicoaster. Also, the food has a unique print of all the characters, and I would say they’re pretty good.”
Eighth grader Leo Garcia said, “Disneyland has more mini rides that take you through the actual movie. They also have, of course, the iconic rides that Disneyland is known for, like the teacups, Dumbo, Space Mountain, and many more. Disney California is the home of the Incredicoaster and Cars Land, which are both newer. Although I love these rides, I would have to say Disneyland is my favorite because it was the first park that sparked the magic, and I have a lot of memories there.”
Ninth grader Karina Gomez: “I would say Disney California because they have a lot of the really good and most popular rides over there. Plus, if you’re into that kind of “scary” stuff like I am. I would highly recommend the Guardians of the Galaxy ride. It’s quite thrilling, and I believe a lot of people would like it if they would try it out.”
Ninth grader Amy Sandoval: “I prefer Disneyland more! They have more fun attractions and amazing sweet treats. I really like all the food. But Disneyland looks so beautiful at night, especially the castle”.
Out of all these students, it sounds like Disneyland is the most popular!
