Anaheim or Orlando?

Neither city is on the sea, but Anaheim is much closer to it. Huntington Beach, Newport and the coves of Laguna are about half an hour away, so an afternoon on the sand fits easily between park days. The Pacific is cool, though, and outside late summer most people swim in a wetsuit.

Orlando's Atlantic beaches at Cocoa Beach and New Smyrna are about an hour's drive, and the calmer Gulf beaches are nearly two. The water is far warmer in summer, but the distance turns the coast into a single day out, and day-to-day swimming happens in hotel pools and water parks.

Both cities eat in much the same way: chains and park counters near the resorts, and better food a drive away. The difference is in what you drive to. Anaheim's strength is its immigrant communities, with Lebanese and Yemeni grills along Brookhurst Street and the pho and banh mi of nearby Little Saigon.

Orlando's best eating is split between the Vietnamese and other Asian kitchens of Mills 50, the chef-led restaurants and farmers' markets of Winter Park, and the steak and seafood rooms on Sand Lake Road. Inside the parks, Epcot's World Showcase is a better place to graze than anything at Disneyland.

Neither city suits a trip built around museums. In Anaheim, the main piece of history is Disneyland itself, the park Walt Disney saw finished, and the rest is spread across the county: the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda and the glass Christ Cathedral.

Orlando has one stronger draw: the Morse Museum in Winter Park, with the largest collection of Tiffany's work anywhere and his World's Fair chapel. Beyond that, the art and history museums in Loch Haven Park and downtown fill an afternoon rather than a trip.

Orlando gives you a proper night out if you want one. Downtown around Orange Avenue and Church Street fills with a university crowd late on weekends, Ivanhoe Village and Mills 50 have gay bars and an easy-going scene, and Disney Springs and CityWalk offer simpler themed bars near the hotels.

In Anaheim, most evenings end after the fireworks with a drink on the resort promenade or at a brewpub in the centre. Livelier bars in Anaheim mean game nights near the stadiums or a short drive to Fullerton's student bars, and anything bigger means Long Beach or Los Angeles.

Anaheim has more variety within reach. Chaparral trails climb into the Santa Ana Mountains, the coast has bluff walks and tide pools at Crystal Cove, and boats go out for grey whales in winter and blue whales in summer. The dry climate means all of this works in any month.

Orlando's countryside is flat and wet, but it has its own appeal. You can kayak the clear water at Wekiwa Springs, see manatees at Blue Spring, ride an airboat past alligators or watch birds at Merritt Island. Summer heat and storms push most of it into the cooler months.

Anaheim is the better base for exploring. Los Angeles, with Hollywood, the Getty and Griffith Observatory, is about an hour away, Catalina Island is a ferry ride from Long Beach or Newport, and the mission at San Juan Capistrano, the Temecula wine country and San Diego are all within reach.

From Orlando the choice is narrower, but it includes one of the best days out in America: the Kennedy Space Center, with the Saturn V and the shuttle Atlantis. St Augustine's Spanish fort, and Tampa and St Petersburg with Ybor City and the Dalí Museum, are each about two hours away.

Both are among the best places in the world to take children, and the difference is scale. Anaheim is compact: Disneyland and California Adventure face each other across a plaza, Knott's Berry Farm is ten minutes away, and the mild, dry weather means few days are lost to rain or heat.

Orlando is far bigger, with four Disney parks, two water parks, Universal's film worlds for teenagers, SeaWorld and Legoland for younger children. It can fill a much longer stay, but summer heat and the long distances mean you need to plan, and a few pool days help.

Anaheim is easier without a car, at least around the parks. Many hotels are a walk from the Disney gates, shuttles cover the rest, and trains from the station by the stadium go to Los Angeles and San Diego. You only need a car for the beaches and the suburbs.

In Orlando a car is close to essential. The parks, hotel zones and downtown are miles apart along Interstate 4, and the streets are not built for walking. The exception is staying on-site, where Disney's monorail, boats and gondolas and Universal's water taxis do the work.

Orlando is the better shopping destination, and many international visitors come partly for it. Two large premium outlet centres and the Mall at Millenia cover brands at every level, and Park Avenue in Winter Park is a real tree-lined street of boutiques and galleries.

Anaheim's best shopping is the big luxury mall in Costa Mesa, about 20 minutes south, plus the Disney merchandise on the promenade. Otherwise you are driving between car parks, with nothing like Winter Park for a stroll.

Park tickets are the biggest cost in both places, but Orlando is a little easier on the wallet. It has a huge supply of rooms along International Drive and in Kissimmee, and self-catering villas let families cook their own meals. Extras such as express passes, parking and on-site hotels still add up fast.

In Anaheim, the hotels within walking distance of the gates charge for the location. Staying further out in a chain motel saves on the room, but then car hire, fuel and parking eat into the savings.

Both cities are much alike here. Each has one serious arts centre, plus polished park shows that most visitors see instead. Anaheim's is the Segerstrom Center in Costa Mesa, home to the Pacific Symphony, with touring Broadway shows and ballet. The city's arena brings major pop and rock tours, and Los Angeles is close enough for opera.

Orlando's Dr. Phillips Center is downtown and hosts the Orlando Philharmonic and Broadway tours. The city also has a Shakespeare company in Loch Haven Park and a long-running fringe festival every spring, and Disney Springs has a resident acrobatic show.

Orlando makes resting between park days easier, though in both cities the parks themselves set a tiring pace. In Anaheim, rest mostly means the hotel pool or a Korean-style day spa with saunas and scrubs in the suburbs. For real calm you drive to the clifftop resorts at Laguna Beach and Dana Point, which are quieter than anything near the parks but cost you a day away from them.

Orlando's resort hotels around Lake Buena Vista and the Disney and Universal resorts have full spas, lazy rivers and big landscaped pools, so a massage or an afternoon by the pool is close at hand. Couples can also find quiet in Winter Park, with its lakes and slower pace.