6 reasons to visit Disney World instead of Disneyland in 2024

Festivals, discounts, and no park reservations!

Jan 06, 2024

Happy New Year everyone!

January is a big travel-planning month and I’m guessing you might have a Disney vacation on your mind. Of course one of the first things to consider is which Disney destination is right for you.

I’ve been on a Disneyland kick lately but IMO 2024 is shaping up to be a great time to choose Disney World. So let’s get into it…

Here are six reasons you should consider Disney World instead of Disneyland in 2024

New attractions

Over the past year or so, Disney World has opened some big-deal attractions. For thrill-seekers, the new Tron coaster at Magic Kingdom and Epcot’s Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Rewind are must-rides.

Epcot’s seemingly endless construction is finally wrapping up, with the finishing touches coming together this month. Besides the delightful Guardians coaster, you’ll find the new Moana Journey of Water attraction, new garden spaces, and a new fireworks show.

To be fair to Disneyland, an entirely new version of Mickey’s ToonTown opened there last year, as well as a revamped Adventureland Treehouse.

On both coasts, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (in the former Splash Mountain) is set to open before the end of 2024.

Epcot festivals

Festivals are back and bigger than ever at Epcot. The festival cycle is virtually unending, beginning with Festival of the Arts January 12th - February 19th.

Other festivals this year:

Flower and Garden, beginning February 28th. Expected to run until around July 4th.

Food and Wine, end of July through mid-November.

Festival of the Holidays, starting just after Thanksgiving until the end of the year.

Also, for festival fans, Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras Celebration runs February 3rd to April 7th.

No more park reservations!

At last - Disney World is dropping park reservations for most guests beginning January 9th. Even though I still recommend that you make your touring plans in advance, you won’t have to involve Disney in that decision anymore.

The parks at Disneyland resort get no such reprieve, however. So if you’re heading West, you’ll still need to get those reservations. Here are my top tips:

No reservation NO admittance ⛔

Sue Winter

April 1, 2023

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Unlimited park-hopping

Also starting January 9th, guests are free to park-hop at will, with no time restrictions. (Of course you need a park-hopper ticket for this). It’s been almost five years since guests could hop to another park before 2pm, so this is a pretty big deal.

Now you can start in Magic Kingdom and hop to Epcot for lunch! Four parks in a day is also a lot more feasible when you can start moving early. And this makes your park-hopper ticket more valuable, since there’s no restrictions on when or where you go.

Disneyland continues to restrict park-hopping to an 11am start, so at least you can switch in time for lunch. But if you start in one park, then find your favorite attraction is down, you can’t just jump next door to ride something else in those early hours.

Discounts

Watch for continuing discounts at the Disney World resorts, and at Universal Orlando. Hot deals right now include:

Disney World’s ‘Kids Play & Dine’ promo, which covers most of the spring. It’s a 50% discount on kids’ park tickets and dining for 4-day packages.

Universal is offering 4-day park tickets for the price of 2-days.

This is also traditionally a big week for Disney to release special offers. Be sure to check this page on the Disney World website to see all the current discounts.

See Universal Orlando before 2025

If you’re wondering whether now is the time to visit Orlando, consider that Universal is building a huge third theme park, scheduled to open in 2025. The new park is called Epic Universe and it will surely increase crowds and prices at the entire Universal Orlando property.

2024 will be an excellent time to enjoy Universal Orlando with relatively low crowds and low hassle. Check out my post here to find out how you can easily combine Universal and Disney in one trip.

Disneyland Haunted Mansion will be closed almost all year

This might not be top of your list, but for me, a visit to Disney isn’t complete without the Haunted Mansion. Disneyland’s Mansion is getting a new outdoor queue, a merch shop, and an expanded garden.

The Mansion will close for the duration of construction, which begins at the end of January and will likely run all the way through summer 😱. So if you want to ride with the ghosts, Orlando is your best destination.

Or go to Disneyland Paris!

Thinking about a farther-flung Disney experience? Here’s my post about how you can do Disneyland Paris in just one day on your European layover.

Wondering where to stay at Disney World?

From cabins in the woods, to roaming animals right outside your room, to Nemo, Cars, and Little Mermaid suites - here’s my complete guide to all the on-site Disney World hotels.

Wondering where to stay at Universal Orlando?

Wake up next to the Wizarding World! Here’s my ultimate guide to the hotels at Universal Orlando.