It’s been over 30 years since I took my six year old son to Disneyland in Anaheim, California and over 20 years since my last visit. So, when I began thinking about how fun it would be to take my granddaughter there, I had some catching up to do.

For starters, the Disneyland® Resort is now two theme parks in one, Disneyland Park® and Disneyland’s California Adventure® Park, plus the Downtown Disney District. Here’s what else I learned.

Disneyland Park is the park that Walt Disney opened in 1955, where Mickey and Minnie Mouse hang out with all their friends.

It's home to Fantasyland, Frontierland, Tomorrowland, Critter Country and New Orleans Square. It features the Disneyland® Railroad, Sleeping Beauty Castle, the Mad Hatter’s Tea Cup ride, the Matterhorn, Tom Sawyers’ Island, the Jungle Cruise, the Haunted Mansion and three of my personal favorites, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Enchanted Tiki room and It’s a Small World. The family classics!

Of course these exhibits have been updated and modernized to keep them interesting and current. For example the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea submarine ride I remember has been replaced with the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. Pixie’s Hollow has been added to Fantasyland for Tinkerbell and her best friends. More action-packed rides geared for older kids have been added, for example, Tomorrowland includes the Star Tours ride designed by George Lucas and the Disney team and Adventureland now features the Indiana Jones™ Adventure – Temple of the Forbidden Eye.

Disneyland’s California Adventure Park opened in 2001 to honor the beautiful and diverse state of California, from the days of old right through the future. Here the “lands” are Golden State, Paradise Pier, Hollywood Picture Backlot, “a bug’s land” and Family Adventures.

In Golden State, you can get a hang-glider’s view of California, rush through rapids and down waterfalls to celebrate mining history, discover California farming, take a ride down Mulholland Drive on a 3-story rollercoaster, and learn about the history and making of tortillas and sour dough bread. In the Walt Disney Imagineering Blue Sky Cellar, participants learn how Disney ideas are turned into future attractions.

Other exhibits in Disneyland’s California Adventure Park include the Twilight Zone of Terror, Muppet Vision 3-D, Toy Story Mania, and the Golden Zephyr inspired by Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon.

In October 2007 the Walt Disney Company announced a major, multi-year expansion of Disney’s California Adventure. The first two new attractions, Toy Story Mania and the Walt Disney Imagineering Blue Sky Cellar, opened in 2008. Still to come are Car Land inspired by the Disney/Pixar film Cars, “The Little Mermaid” attraction and much more.

The Downtown Disney District specializes in eating and shopping, and of course amusements. This is home to the ESPN Zone® Sports Arena with 175 TV screens and 10,000 square feet of interactive games, as well as Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen® - Flambeaux's Jazz Club and the Lego® Imagination Center.

Timing is everything. You might want to coincide your visit with special Disneyland events, like the November-December holiday celebration, the April – June 2009 Food & Wine Festival or special Halloween activities.

Or, you might want to time your visit to your own special event, a birthday celebration, wedding, family reunion or business conference.

Maybe, like me, you want to minimize the risk of long lines? According to Disneyland Resort’s website, that would be mid-week during mid-January through mid-March, or mid-April through mid-May or mid-September through mid-November.

Disney makes it easy. Disney Resort offers a free DVD to help plan a visit. You can request a copy of it from their website.

The website is very helpful and easy to navigate. By using the main menus you can find information about park attractions, tours, hotels, vacation packages and special offers. For example, use the Explore menu to select a park and learn about the attractions and entertainment it offers. Then use the Choose an Experience button and select a category for specific Disney recommendations for Little Ones, Families with Kids, Families with Teens and so on.

If you are wondering what special events are happening on a specific day, use the Plan menu to select the Entertainment Schedule.

Naturally, the site offers information about Disney Resort hotels, but I was pleased when I typed the word “hotels” in the Search Disneyland.com box, and found a “Good Neighbor Hotel Comparison Chart” that describes several nearby community hotels.

And of course, you can book a vacation package, buy tickets and print them at home, and purchase annual passports and gift cards online. Visit: Disneyland for more information.

Happy Travels!


More from West Coast Travel . . .
Subscribe to our newsletter, join the community forum, and see more of our site!

West Coast Travel Home Page | Newsletter | Discussion Forum | Site Map