Hello everyone! This week I will be ranking the Disney destinations that I have been to around the world. I’ve been to Disney World in Orlando, FL, Disneyland in Anaheim, CA, and the Disney Cruise to the Bahamas. Unfortunately, the pandemic postponed my family trip to Japan last year, so I wasn’t able to go to Disneyland in Tokyo. Other than that, I do not have future plans set in stone to visit the international parks, but they are all on my bucket list! The two Disney properties and ship I will be discussing will be ranked in consideration of multiple factors.

First, I want to discuss the sizing of each experience. Disney World wins this category by a landslide, but let’s discuss why. Disneyland sits on 500 acres of land, while Disney World has a span of over 40 miles of the property. This is highly influenced by the origins of Disney. While creating the first Disney Park, Disneyland, Walt Disney’s vision was to create a friendly and magical environment for locals. He never envisioned it becoming the multi-billion-dollar company that it is today. Therefore, when later Disney executives saw the potential that the concept had, they knew they needed larger sizes of land to expand throughout the decades. The Disneyland property has 2 theme parks, while the Disney World property has 4 theme parks and 2 water parks. Of course, the ship would be the smallest since it is a boat, but the destinations offered along with Disney’s private island really allow Disney to expand their horizons all around the world.

Second, I want to discuss the lodging options available. Disneyland has 3 hotels on property and Disney World has 32 hotels and resorts on property. The cruise has all of its staterooms on the ship, but they have an interesting touch. Some of the staterooms have an actual porthole with a live view of the ocean, but others have a ‘magical’ porthole with a digital real-time view of the ocean. Throughout the day and night, different Disney characters will make an appearance in your porthole to greet you. This is the type of room I had, and I would choose it again over having a real ocean view! Also, the housekeepers would make very cool animal designs with the towels while you were gone throughout the day. All Disney hotels have a special touch to them with different themes and exceptional guest service, but the cruise staterooms are one-of-a-kind experiences so the cruise wins this category.

Overall, I would say that Disney World in Orlando would win first place in the Disney experiences I have had. They have the most things to do, they have many lodging options, and it is a fully immersive experience. Disneyland is very foundational to the projects that exist today and to those that are in the works, so there is much to appreciate there as well. The Disney cruise is very unique for those who are looking to visit a destination outside the US but still have the magic of Disney on your vacation.