I heart Disneyland!

My hubby and I are die-hard Disney World fans, along with the rest of our family. We live in Virginia, and we travel to Florida to vacation there, specifically, every opportunity we get. There is nothing like that place, and we are neck-deep in family memories of our times together hanging with Mickey!

So, when the opportunity came around for us (my hubby and me) to visit DisneyLAND for the first time, I knew I wanted to go. (How could I not?) However, I had set in my mind that it wasn't going to be near the fun and excitement that we have had at DisneyWORLD. After all, the World is bigger and better, right?

Well, this Virginia girl got a nice surprise when we took our trip last month: I absolutely loved it! We had a blast, and here is why:

Disneyland is much smaller. Its true....all of this first theme park by Walt Disney could fit into the Magic Kingdom at WDW, with room to spare.  Nevertheless, the size is its charm and biggest asset! My hubby and I "park-hopped", which means we did both Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure (right next door to each other), AND Downtown Disney all in one day, and we had energy to spare...amazing.  No, we certainly did not do every attraction, but it was nice to be able to walk and at least see everything that there was to offer. (that just cannot be done at Disneyworld in one day. Ever.) By the time we hopped on the tram to go back to the parking deck (yep, for both the parks and DD), we were ready to do more!

Also, due to its more compact layout, we had more time (and less people) to deal with. There wasn't quite the herd effect that you can get at WDW. No, our pace took a more leisurely turn as we took note of similarities and differences between the two parks. I strolled down main street while my husband rode a ride, and I wasn't bumping into people while I shopped. The sun was shining brightly and we had the time of our lives!

2. There are special things to do at Disneyland that are not at Disneyworld.  I was told by a few of my Twitter Disney pals (shout out to Holly and Mel, as well as the Disney Moms panel!) that Its a Small World is 10 times better at Disneyland....and they were on the money!

So was Toontown - both were bigger and more developed.

 I enjoyed the feel of the French Quarter, and the Grand Californian's entrance (for those staying there) right into California Adventure is quite quaint and convenient. And Sleeping Beauty's castle is so much more tangible than Cinderella's! You can walk through it, touch it, and get a lot a great shots of it.

3. World of Color.  What a delightful fusion of light, color, sound and water this is!  I knew this show at Disney's California Adventure was going to be good, but WOW, what a treat. I got to see and hear unforgettable clips from some of my favorite Disney films, synced with lights and water sprays that danced to the music as we did. We were in the standing zone, and it was still that good. We had a clear view of everything...nice. For me, this was worth the extra to hop to this park, just to see this show. Loved it!

Yep, Disneyland is a keeper! (haha...of course it is!) I knew we would have a great time, just my hubby and I having the opportunity to set foot in the original land. However, our experiences far exceeded my expectations.  Everything from its size to the special things that you can only do there works in its favor and  makes it a wonderful place to visit. I am hooked!