Disneyland

Main article: Disneyland Resort

Disneyland is a famous theme park in Anaheim, California. It was the first theme park made by the Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney helped design and build it himself. The park opened on July 17, 1955. Families and visitors from all over the world love to go there.

Walt Disney first wanted to build a fun place near his studios in Burbank. But the area was too small. He chose a big space near Anaheim in 1953. A talented team helped create the park. Construction began in 1954. The park was shown on a special ABC Television Network broadcast.

Over the years, Disneyland grew with new areas. These include New Orleans Square in 1966, Bayou Country in 1972, Mickey's Toontown in 1993, and Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge in 2019. Next to Disneyland, Disney California Adventure opened in 2001. Today, Disneyland is one of the most visited parks in the world. It welcomes millions of guests each year.

History

Original dedication

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.

— Walter E. Disney, July 17, 1955

20th century

Origins

The idea for Disneyland started when Walt Disney visited Griffith Park in Los Angeles with his daughters Diane and Sharon. Watching them ride the merry-go-round, he imagined a place where families could have fun together. This idea was first documented in 1948 when he sent a memo about a "Mickey Mouse Park" to a designer.

Walt Disney wanted a place near his studios for fans to visit, but the area was too small. He looked at other places like Tivoli Gardens in Denmark and Knott's Berry Farm for inspiration. After studying population growth, he bought 160 acres of orange groves in Anaheim, Orange County. His brother Roy O. Disney hired a builder named Joe Fowler to help create the park.

To help pay for the park, Disney created a TV show called Disneyland. The park cost $17 million to build and opened on July 17, 1955.

Opening day

Disneyland opened with a special event for guests and media on July 17, 1955. Many people tried to get in. The next day, it officially opened to the public with twenty attractions. The first day had some problems, but it became a famous day in Disneyland's history.

1950s and 1960s

In the early years, Disneyland welcomed important visitors. The park also created new foods like "Doritos". In 1969, the park had a record number of visitors in one day.

1970s

In the 1970s, Disneyland made many changes. New rides like Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad were built. The park also celebrated the United States Bicentennial with special events and decorations.

1980s

In the 1980s, Fantasyland was closed for updates and reopened as "New Fantasyland" in 1983. In 1985, the park celebrated its 30th anniversary with a big balloon launch.

1990s

In the late 1990s, Disneyland expanded into a larger resort area. A new theme park called Disney California Adventure was added, along with hotels and shopping areas. The park was renamed "Disneyland Park" to match the new resort.

21st century

2000s

In the 2000s, Disneyland celebrated its 50th anniversary with special events and updated rides. Many attractions were restored, and the park looked fresh and exciting again.

2010s

In 2010, Disneyland started a program where people could volunteer and get a free day at the park. In 2015, the park celebrated its 60th anniversary with special parades and fireworks.

2020s

COVID-19 closure

In 2020, Disneyland closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It reopened in April 2021 with safety rules like masks and social distancing. By June 2021, the park could operate at full capacity again.

2021–present

In 2023, Disneyland celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Walt Disney Company with new attractions and shows. The park also introduced its first official celebration supporting the LGBTQ community. In 2024, character performers voted to join a union for the first time in the park's history.

Park layout and attractions

Main articles: List of Disneyland attractions and List of former Disneyland attractions

Disneyland Park has nine themed areas and covers over 100 acres. It opened with Main Street, USA, Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland. Later additions include New Orleans Square in 1966, Bear Country (now Bayou Country) in 1972, Mickey's Toontown in 1993, and Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge in 2019. Hidden Mickeys, small images of Mickey Mouse, can be found throughout the park.

• Lands of Disneyland

**Main Street, USA**  

**Adventureland** entrance  

**Frontierland**  

([Big Thunder Mountain Railroad](/wiki/Big_Thunder_Mountain_Railroad))

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**Fantasyland**  
([Peter Pan's Flight](/wiki/Peter_Pan's_Flight) in the foreground and the [Matterhorn Bobsleds](/wiki/Matterhorn_Bobsleds) in the background)

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**Tomorrowland**  
([Space Mountain](/wiki/Space_Mountain_\(Disneyland\)))

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**New Orleans Square**  
(the [Haunted Mansion](/wiki/The_Haunted_Mansion))

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**Bayou Country**  
([Tiana's Bayou Adventure](/wiki/Tiana's_Bayou_Adventure))

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**Mickey's Toontown**  
([Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway](/wiki/Mickey_&_Minnie's_Runaway_Railway))

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Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge
(Star Wars: Millennium Falcon – Smugglers Run)

Main Street, USA

Main article: Main Street, USA § Disneyland

Main Street, USA looks like a town from the early 1900s and was inspired by Walt Disney's hometown. It has a train station, town square, cinema, city hall, firehouse, shops, and more. Sleeping Beauty Castle is at the far end, leading to most of the other themed lands.

Adventureland

Main article: Adventureland (Disney) § Disneyland

Adventureland feels like a tropical place far away. Attractions include Jungle Cruise, Indiana Jones Adventure, and Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room.

Frontierland

Main article: Frontierland § Disneyland

Frontierland shows life in the pioneer days, with attractions like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Mark Twain Riverboat.

Fantasyland

Main article: Fantasyland § Disneyland

Fantasyland has rides like Snow White's Enchanted Wish, Peter Pan's Flight, and It's a Small World.

Tomorrowland

Main article: Tomorrowland (Disney Parks) § Disneyland

Tomorrowland looks like a future world with rides such as Space Mountain and Star Wars Launch Bay.

New Orleans Square

Main article: New Orleans Square

New Orleans Square is based on old New Orleans and has Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion.

Bayou Country

Main article: Bayou Country (Disneyland)

Bayou Country, once called Bear Country, now features Tiana's Bayou Adventure and other fun rides.

Mickey's Toontown

Main article: Mickey's Toontown § Disneyland

Mickey's Toontown is inspired by old cartoons and has rides like Chip 'n' Dale's Gadgetcoaster and Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway.

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

Main article: Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge § Disneyland Park

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge puts you in the middle of the Star Wars universe with attractions like Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run.

Operations

Backstage

Major buildings backstage include the Frank Gehry-designed Team Disney Anaheim, where most of the division's administration works, as well as the Old Administration Building, behind Tomorrowland.

Photography is not allowed in these areas, both inside and outside. Guests who try to go backstage are warned and often asked to leave the park.

Transportation

Walt Disney liked trains very much. His passion for trains led him to build a small live steam backyard railroad—the "Carolwood Pacific Railroad"—on his estate. Throughout Disneyland’s history, one thing stayed the same: a train going around the park. The main designer for the park’s transportation was Bob Gurr.

Encircling Disneyland is the Disneyland Railroad (DRR), a railway with five oil-fired and steam-powered locomotives, three passenger trains, and one freight train. The DRR was first presented by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway until 1974. The track runs in a loop around Disneyland. Each train stops at: New Orleans Square Station; Mickey's Toontown Depot; and Tomorrowland Station. The tour ends with a visit to the "Grand Canyon/Primeval World" dioramas before returning to Main Street, U.S.A.

One of Disneyland’s famous attractions is its Disneyland Monorail, a monorail that opened in Tomorrowland in 1959. The monorail’s route has stayed almost the same since 1961. It goes between two stations, one inside the park in Tomorrowland and one in Downtown Disney. It follows a 2.5-mile route designed to show the park from above. The monorail was first a loop with one station in Tomorrowland. The track was extended and a second station opened at the Disneyland Hotel in 1961. When Downtown Disney was created in 2001, the new destination became Downtown Disney.

All of the vehicles on Main Street, U.S.A., were designed to look like old cars, including a double-decker bus, a fire engine, and an automobile. They give rides along Main Street, U.S.A. The horse-drawn streetcars are also used by the park entertainment, including The Dapper Dans. The cars look like ones built in 1903.

From the late 1950s to 1968, Los Angeles Airways provided helicopter service between Disneyland and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and other nearby cities. The helicopters first operated from Anaheim/Disneyland Heliport, behind Tomorrowland. Service later moved, in 1960, to a new heliport north of the Disneyland Hotel. Guests were taken to the Disneyland Hotel via tram.

On October 27, 2014, the United States Federal Aviation Administration declared a permanent zone of prohibited airspace around Disneyland and some surrounding areas at Sleeping Beauty Castle. No aircraft, including drones, are allowed to fly in this zone.

Live entertainment

In addition to the attractions, Disneyland offers live entertainment. Most of this entertainment is not offered every day, but on selected days of the week, or selected times of the year.

Many Disney, Pixar, and Star Wars characters can be found in the park, greeting visitors. Every evening at dusk, there is a flag retreat to lower the U.S. Flag. The Disneyland Band, which has been part of the park since it opened, plays on Main Street, U.S.A. Each year since 1960 during the holiday season, Disney's Candlelight Processional is performed in Town Square.

Parades

Disneyland has featured many parades down the park’s central Main Street – Fantasyland corridor. There have been daytime and nighttime parades that celebrated Disney films or seasonal holidays with characters, music, and large floats. One of the most popular parades was the Main Street Electrical Parade. From May 5, 2005, through November 7, 2008, as part of Disneyland’s 50th anniversary, "Walt Disney's Parade of Dreams" was presented. In 2009, “Walt Disney’s Parade of Dreams” was replaced by “Celebrate! A Street Party”, which premiered on March 27, 2009. During the Christmas season, Disneyland presents "A Christmas Fantasy" Parade. “Mickey’s Soundsational Parade”, debuted on May 27, 2011. Disneyland debuted a new nighttime parade called “Paint the Night”, on May 22, 2015, as part of the park’s 60th anniversary. For two weeks in 2020 before closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the parade “Magic Happens” debuted.

Fireworks shows

Fireworks shows are synchronized with Disney songs and often have appearances from Tinker Bell flying in the sky above Sleeping Beauty Castle. Since 2000, presentations have become more elaborate, with new effects and story lines. In 2004, Disneyland introduced a new air launch pyrotechnics system, reducing smoke and noise and decreasing negative environmental impacts. Projection mapping technology debuted on It’s a Small World in 2011, and expanded to Main Street and Sleeping Beauty Castle in 2015 with the premiere of Disneyland Forever.

• Regular fireworks shows:
  • 1958–1999; 2015: Fantasy in the Sky
  • 2000–2004: Believe... There's Magic in the Stars
  • 2004–2005: Imagine... A Fantasy in the Sky
  • 2005–2014; 2017–2019: Remember... Dreams Come True
  • 2009–2014 (summer): Magical: Disney's New Nighttime Spectacular of Magical Celebrations
  • 2019 and 2022 (summer): Disneyland Forever
• Seasonal fireworks shows:
  • August to October: Halloween Screams
  • Independence Day Week: Disney's Celebrate America: A 4th of July Concert in the Sky
  • November to January: Believe... In Holiday Magic
• Limited edition fireworks shows
  • 60 Anniversary: Disneyland Forever
  • Pixar Fest: Together Forever
  • Get Your Ears On – A Mickey and Minnie Celebration: Mickey’s Mix Magic
  • Disney100 and 70th Anniversary: Wondrous Journeys

Since 2009, Disneyland has used a rotating repertoire of firework spectaculars.

During slower times, the fireworks are only offered on weekends. During busier times, Disney offers additional nights. The park offers fireworks nightly during busy periods, which include Easter/Spring Break, Summer and Christmas time. A major consideration is the weather; winds at high altitude can result in the delay or cancellation of the show. In response to this, alternate versions of the fireworks spectaculars have been created in recent years, using projections and lighting effects. With a few minor exceptions, such as July 4 and New Year’s Eve, shows must finish by 10:00 pm due to the conditions of the permit issued by the City of Anaheim.

In recent years, Disneyland uses smaller and mid-sized fireworks shells and more low-level pyrotechnics on the castle to allow guests to enjoy the fireworks spectaculars even if there is a weather issue such as high wind.

Attendance

Tickets

From Disneyland’s opening day until 1982, the price of the attractions was in addition to the price of park admission. Guests paid a small admission fee to get into the park, but admission to most of the rides and attractions required guests to purchase tickets, either individually or in a book, that consisted of several coupons, initially labeled “A” through “C”. “A” coupons allowed admission to the smaller rides and attractions such as the Main Street Vehicles, whereas “C” coupons were used for the most common attractions like Peter Pan's Flight, or the Mad Tea Party. As more thrilling rides were introduced, such as the Disneyland Monorail or the Matterhorn Bobsleds, “D” and then eventually “E” coupons were introduced. Coupons could be combined to equal the equivalent of another ticket (e.g., two “A” tickets equal one “B” ticket). The term E ticket attraction is still used to refer to these most in-demand attractions, even though the coupons themselves are long gone.

Disneyland later featured a “Keys to the Kingdom” booklet of tickets, which consisted of 10 unvalued coupons sold for a single flat rate. These coupons could be used for any attraction regardless of its regular value.

In 1982, Disney dropped the idea for individual ride tickets, replacing them with “passports”, charging a single admission price with unlimited access to all attractions, “except shooting galleries”. While this idea was not original to Disney, it had business advantages: in addition to guaranteeing that everyone paid the same entry amount regardless of their length of stay or number of rides ridden, the park no longer had to print ride tickets, provide staff for ticket booths, nor provide staff to collect tickets or monitor attractions for people sneaking on without tickets. Later, Disney introduced other entry options such as multi-day passes, Annual Passes (which allow unlimited entry to the Park for an annual fee), and Southern California residents' discounts. In 1999 Disney introduced the FastPass system which was a no extra cost means to reserve an entrance time to an attraction and reduce the time waiting in line. It had extensions that cost extra and has since been replaced by the Genie+ extra cost reservation system and the Lightning Lanes that cost extra per attraction. In October 2024, Disney began piloting its new “Lightning Lane Premier Pass,” which allows guests, for an additional $400 per person per day, to enter a faster line at any time (once per ride) without having to reserve it on the app.

In February 2016, Disneyland adopted a demand-based pricing system for single-day admission, charging different prices for “value”, “regular”, and “peak” days, based on projected attendance. Approximately 30% of days were designated as “value”, mainly weekdays when school was in session, 44% were designated as “regular”, and 26% were designated as “peak”, mostly during holidays and weekends in July. In February 2020, Disneyland switched to a multi-tiered system, initially with 5 pricing tiers, with approximately 64% of days being in Tier 4 and above. Tier 6 and tier 0 were added in October 2021 and October 2022, respectively.

Closures

Disneyland has had six unscheduled closures:

• In 1963, following the assassination of John F. Kennedy, as an act of mourning.
• In 1970, due to an anti-Vietnam riot instigated by the Youth International Party.
• In 1987, on December 16 due to a winter storm.^{[clarification needed]}
• In 1992, on December 7 due to a winter storm.^{[clarification needed]}
• In 2001, after the September 11 attacks.
• In 2020–2021; in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and safety protocols, the park closed on March 14, 2020 and reopened on April 30, 2021.

Additionally, Disneyland has had numerous planned closures:

• In the early years, the park was often scheduled to be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays during the off-season. This was in conjunction with nearby Knott's Berry Farm, which closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays to keep costs down for both parks, while offering Orange County visitors a place to go seven days a week.
• On May 4, 2005, for the 50th Anniversary Celebration media event.
• The park has closed early to accommodate various special events, such as special press events, tour groups, VIP groups, and private parties. It is common for a corporation to rent the entire park for the evening. In such cases, special passes are issued which are valid for admission to all rides and attractions. At the ticket booths and on published schedules, regular guests are notified of the early closures. In the late afternoon, cast members announce that the park is closing, then clear the park of everyone without the special passes. In addition, the park has closed early for inclement weather.

Promotions

Every year in October, Disneyland has a Halloween promotion. During this promotion, areas in the park are decorated in a Halloween theme. Space Mountain and the Haunted Mansion are temporarily re-themed as part of the promotion. A Halloween party is offered on selected nights in late September and October for a separate fee, with a special fireworks show that is only shown at the party.

On October 31, 2007, author Ray Bradbury attended the presentation of a Halloween Tree at Disneyland, a homage to his 1972 book and Halloween tree idea to be included as part of the annual park-wide Halloween decorations.

From early November until the beginning of January, the park is decorated for the holidays. Seasonal entertainment includes the Believe... In Holiday Magic firework show and A Christmas Fantasy Parade, while the Haunted Mansion and It's a Small World are temporarily redecorated in a holiday theme. The Sleeping Beauty Castle is snow-capped and decorated with colorful lights during the holidays.

Revenue

The theme park grossed $65,151,000 in 1968.