Time to enter the parks- isn’t that what we all look forward to?! There are two parks at the Disneyland Resort: Disneyland park and Disney California Adventure.
Disneyland Park is the ORIGINAL- it was open on July 17, 1955 which was exactly ONE YEAR from the day they broke ground. There were 18 attractions/rides ready on that day. The icon for this park is Sleeping Beauty’s castle.
To all who come to this happy place: Welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past, and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America, with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world. — Walt Disney on opening day.
Disneyland Park has 8 Lands/areas. You’ll be able to tell a difference in area- the design changes as you go from one land to another- the trash cans, ground, music- this is how Disney immerses you in an experience. This is very similar to the Magic Kingdom park in Florida- there are some differences in layout, but most of the same attractions are there.
Adventureland
Critter Country
Fantasyland
Frontierland
Main St. USA
Mickey’s Toontown
New Orleans Square
Tomorrowland
Then there is Disney California Adventure which opened in 2001. This park is meant to show the culture, landmarks and history of the state it’s titled after.
Here we pay tribute to the dreamers of the past: the native people, explorers, immigrants, aviators, entrepreneurs and entertainers who built the Golden State. And we salute a new generation of dreamers who are creating the wonders of tomorrow, from the silver screen to the computer screen, from the fertile farmlands to the far reaches of space. Disney’s California Adventure celebrates the richness and the diversity of California… its land, its people, its spirit and, above all, the dreams that it continues to inspire. — Michael Eisner on opening day, Feb 8, 2001.
The icon for this park is Grizzly Peak, which is a bear shaped mountain.
There are going to be 6 lands here after 2012.
“a bug’s land”
Golden State
Hollywood Pictures Backlot
Paradise Pier
Sunshine Plaza
Cars Land (Opening 2012)
It’s amazing all that they fit into these two parks- they have a lot of elements also at the Florida parks: Soarin’ over California, Toy Story Mania, Turtle Talk with Crush. The Cars Land will have a ride similar to Test Track, but with the Cars theme.
Over the next posts, we will explore each land individually- the rides, shows, dining and any other features they might include.
Linds is a Disney fanatic which started from a young age with her first Disneyland trip at 4 years old- now married and has 4 boys, she enjoys going even more! Linds blogs at Enchanting Deals about the latest Disney specials and park, dining and resort guest tips. She loves being a Disney deal expert- to help families get to Disney and save money! Also can find her on Twitter or Facebook.
Go here to catch up on the Disneyland Training series.
Ashley says
This training series is great! I am going to Disneyland in January and have been reading your training posts multiple times, as well as am going to have them bookmarked on my phone to reference while there. :]