Disney World vs. Disneyland Size

Disney theme parks are basically cities. In fact, Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, is about the same size (in acres) as San Francisco. But is bigger better when choosing between Disney World and Disneyland? And how do you compare Disney World’s size versus Disneyland?

• Disneyland is 500 acres in size.

• Disney World is much larger, at 30,080 acres.

Here's a look at these two different locations, what they have to offer and how they differ when it comes to size.

» Learn more: Ways to save on your first — or next — Disney vacation

Disneyland vs. Disney World size

How big is Disneyland? The original Disney theme park began percolating in 1954, when Walt Disney purchased a 160-acre plot in rural Anaheim to develop his amusement park. When it opened in 1955, it became an instant success and Disney’s vision for a larger theme park started to formulate.

Although California has since become the home of two Disney parks, including California Adventure, it’s still on the small side when compared with Disney World. If you’re wondering “How many acres is Disneyland?” you’ll be interested to learn that the original 160-acre plot has since grown to encompass 500 acres within a now-bustling Anaheim.

With space in California limited by the surrounding city, Disney bought a much larger parcel of land in Florida in 1965. So, just how big is Disney World in Florida? Ringing in at a total of 43 square miles — or 27,520 acres — Walt Disney World is substantially larger than its older sibling. The park also has grown and it now covers 47 square miles.

» Learn more: How to stay at Disney hotels for cheap (or free)

How many parks are in Disneyland?

Although Disneyland is tiny when compared with Disney World, it still manages to pack quite a punch. It features two distinct theme parks within its grounds.

Disneyland

At the park that started it all, there are nine distinct lands, rides, merchandise, character meetings, food and other attractions. Each land is themed, from light fixtures to architecture. These lands include:

1. Adventureland.

2. Critter Country.

3. Fantasyland.

4. Frontierland.

5. Main Street, U.S.A.

6. New Orleans Square.

7. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

8. Tomorrowland.

9. ToonTown (temporarily closed).

» Learn more: How to budget for a family trip to Disney

Disney California Adventure

Opening nearly 50 years after Disneyland, California Adventure began welcoming visitors in February 2001.

Originally focused on celebrating the various highlights of California, the park has seen new themes, including the conversion of Paradise Pier — a tribute to California beach boardwalks — to Pixar Pier, which focuses on Pixar’s movies.

How many parks are in Disney World?

You would hope that Disney had managed to create a more expansive theme park in Florida with a much larger parcel of land — and you’d be right.

First opened in 1971, Walt Disney World consists of four distinct theme parks and two water parks. These parks are a major tourist draw, with parks such as Magic Kingdom drawing upward of 17 million guests annually.

Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom is Disneyland’s doppelganger. With similar structure, including various highly-themed lands, Magic Kingdom retains the original fantasy aspect created by Disney’s first park.

Epcot

Epcot, short for the Experimental Prototype City of Tomorrow, actually came to life as a self-contained city. While this was the original idea as imagined by Walt Disney, upon his death the park was altered to its current version. Within Epcot you’ll find a few different “worlds,” including:

• World Nature.

• World Discovery.

• World Celebration.

• World Showcase.

» Learn more: How to go to Disney World for cheap

Hollywood Studios

Hollywood Studios is home to the newest expansion at Walt Disney World, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened in 2019 to great fanfare and remains a popular attraction.

Hollywood Studios also offers plenty of other entertainment, such as Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy, the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Toy Story Land.

Animal Kingdom

The most recently opened park at Disney World is Animal Kingdom, which began greeting guests in 1998. This park focuses on animals and features a variety of interactive experiences with wildlife, including an off-road safari. It’s the largest theme park in the world, at a total of 580 acres — or more than the entire Disneyland resort combined.

Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park

The first water park at Walt Disney World was Typhoon Lagoon; although it’s currently closed for refurbishment, it usually features different water slides, pools and water rides.

Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park

The second water park at Disney World is Blizzard Beach, where winter-themed attractions include a chairlift, waterslides and toboggan racing.

Disney World vs. Disneyland hotels

Both Disneyland and Disney World feature their own branded hotels, though you’ll find more located within the vast Walt Disney World complex than at Disneyland.

In general, you will have more luck finding an affordable stay near Disney World than near Disneyland — in large part due to supply.

Disney World hotels

Disney World offers a more extensive selection — over 30 resorts — and thus has a wider range of themes, price points and amenities. It separates these into different tiers based on luxury and price; deluxe resorts are the most expensive, followed by moderate and then value resorts. These include options such as overwater bungalows and a safari-themed lodge.

Guests at Disney World resorts can expect complimentary bus transportation between resorts and parks. There's also a monorail system that connects some resorts to Epcot.

Disneyland hotels

Disneyland, in contrast, offers three on-site hotels. Disneyland’s hotels include Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa, the Disneyland Hotel and Pixar Place Hotel.

One perk of Disneyland's relatively-smaller size is its walkability. Most hotels and the parks are walking distance, and the Downtown Disney District is typically accessible from the hotels via a complimentary tram.

How to save on your Disney stay

If this is a once-in-a-lifetime vacation, you might want to spring for the on-site hotels, which come with added perks like Extra Magic Hours and more Disney spirit. But these stays can be notoriously pricy, so it pays to find ways to save where you can.

You could consider staying off-property and booking your hotel with points and miles. While you give up some conveniences and perks, the cost may be easier to swallow.

Most Disney-owned hotels can't be booked with travel rewards, but a smart workaround is to book your stays via an eligible online travel portal.

Several Disney-owned and operated hotels can be booked via Capital One’s travel portal, allowing you to redeem your Capital One Miles for your stay. This is a unique perk that isn't available for every bank rewards program; for instance, you can't directly book hotels owned and operated by Disney using Chase Ultimate Rewards® points in the Chase travel portal.

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now

These bookings come with some considerations. Possible benefits include the ability to earn rewards in your preferred program or get access to special travel deals. That said, the prices might not always be the cheapest. You might also run into hiccups if you encounter problems with your reservation — you'll have to liaise problems with the bank's customer service team, who may be less familiar with the specific hotel or have limited power to resolve issues.

If you’re trying to compare Disney World vs. Disneyland size

Although these two resort complexes have a lot in common, size isn't one of them. As the one that started it all, Disneyland is significantly smaller than the much-larger Walt Disney World. As a result, it features fewer parks and hotels, though both locations will give you that much-needed dose of Disney flair.

Featured image courtesy of Disneyland Resort.