If you have been to either the Disneyland® resort or the Walt Disney World® resort, you may think you know everything there is to know about both of the Magic Kingdoms. You might be surprised to find out there are quite a few differences in the two parks. The most obvious would be the two castles. Cinderella’s castle is located in Florida and Sleeping Beauty’s is in California. The monorail in the Disneyland® park travels inside the park and lets you off inside of Tomorrowland whereas at the Magic Kingdom® Park, the monorail lets you off outside the main gates.

Each park has rides and attractions that the other doesn’t have. In the Disneyland® park, the Matterhorn towers high above the rooftops of Main Street U.S.A. A favorite in each park is the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. In the Disneyland® park, however, the ride is longer with different story elements that aren’t included in the ride in the Magic Kingdom® Park. “it’s a small world” starts outside an elaborate building that is transformed every holiday season into “it’s a small world” holiday only in the Disneyland® park. The Magic Kingdom® Park at the Walt Disney World® Resort hosts Mickey’s PhilHarmagic that is definitely a must see, four dimensional show. Haunted Mansion in each park is inside completely different looking buildings. In the Disneyland® park, it is in New Orleans Square, so the mansion is a southern style plantation home. In the Magic Kingdom® Park, Haunted Mansion is the creepy mansion that is in all of our imaginations.

The Disneyland® park is a smaller park that often gives a more intimate feel but can feel confining during peak crowd times. You have the ease of walking the short distance to Disney’s California Adventure™ park. The firework shows in the respective parks are unique and are magical in their own way. The Magic Kingdom® Park has the nighttime parade, Spectromagic. The Disneyland® park hosts their own version of Fantasmic on Tom Sawyer’s Island for a different feel than what is experienced at the Disney’s Hollywood Studios™. The list could go on and on. Whether you have visited the Disneyland® park or the Magic Kingdom® Park, you will have to see for yourself what the other has to offer. Each has its own character and magic of its own to share with you.