This, park fans, is where it all began. Sure there were amusement parks before Walt Disney mortgaged the farm in the 1950s to develop his dream, but nothing compared to the grandeur, the scope, the sheer audacity of Disneyland. It uses a "hub and spoke" layout to connect the iconic Sleeping Beauty's Castle at its center with the themed lands: Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, Mickey's Toontown, Adventureland, Fronteirland, New Orleans Square, Critter Country, and Main Street, USA. To walk the same streets that Walt himself walked and ride the attractions he helped design imbues Disneyland with a special, enchanting charm. It is the prototype theme park and it retains its magic even in these more jaded times.
Disneyland Tickets
Disneyland offers single-park tickets for one day or park-hopping tickets with access to both Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure for one day up to six days. Park-hopper tickets must be used within 13 days of first use. Reduced price for children, ages 3 to 9. 2 and under are free. Discounted tickets may be available online
Save money and time. Get Disneyland California tickets in advance of your visit, and check for online discounts.
Get the lowdown on other deals, discounts, and ways to purchase passes in About.com's Disneyland tickets overview.
Disneyland Highlights
Yes, there are some spectacular attractions here. But the timeless lure of say, hopping aboard Dumbo -- essentially a pedestrian kiddie ride -- shows that nearly everything at Disneyland is a highlight. Winnowing the list down to the E-Ticket attractions:
See Disneyland
Disneyland Dining
The Top 10 Best Restaurants at Disneyland Disneyland Tips
- Grab a spot for Disneyland's parades at least 30 minutes before they start or you'll be stuck three rows behind mouse-eared guests.
- Check Disneyland's Fastpass attractions and learn how to make the most of the Fastpass program.
- Prime viewing spots for Fantasmic! (along the Rivers of America in Frontierland) are limited. Stake yours out at least 45 minutes before the show begins.
Are you looking for hotel accommodations? Compare rates for Disney's Grand Californian Hotel at About.com's booking partner, Kayak.
New for 2011 at Disneyland
- Let the Memories Begin
The yearlong campaign will incorporate guests' images into a nightly show. Learn how to share your Disney memories in a big way. - Star Tours II- The current Star Tours will close in October 2010, and spiffed-up attractions will reopen in 2011. The rides will get a complete makeover, including 3-D imagery and all-new footage.
Disney's HalloweenTime
Info about the resort's Halloween events.
Christmas and the Holidays at Disneyland
Info about the resort's holiday events.
Yo Ho, Yo Ho, the Pirates Ride for Me
Check out the seminal Pirates of the Caribbean E-Ticket attraction, including a review, some below-deck insights from Disney Imagineering legend Marty Sklar, a 16-photo gallery--even the lyrics to the rousing "Yo Ho" song. Drink up, me 'earties!
The Best of Disneyland
Top picks for rides at Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure
They're Dying to Meet You at the Haunted Mansion
An overnight sensation (that was actually many years in the making), the classic Haunted Mansion ride has remained enormously popular; casual and ardent fans alike typically pair it with Pirates of the Caribbean as the archetypal Disney attractions. Here is my full review, plus links to behind-the-screams secrets revealed, Museum of the Weird facts about the ride, a Haunted Mansion Photo Gallery, a history of the attraction from Disney legend Marty Sklar--even the lyrics to "Grim Grinning Ghosts," the Haunted Mansion theme song.
Jonesing for Disneyland's Indy Ride
An E-Ticket tour de force, Indiana Jones Adventure immerses guests into the world of the popular movie series through the use of Disney's innovative Enhanced Motion Vehicles, highly elaborate sets, and a stunning array of effects. Rather than retell one of the Indiana Jones films, it creates a new story and casts riders in leading roles. It is one of Imagineering's crowning achievements.
Nemo Subs for Mermaids in Disneyland's New/Old Submarine Voyage
When the Submarine Voyage, a classic ride that was one of Disneyland's signature attractions, closed in 1998, it left a literal and figurative void at the park. It took an enormously popular lost clownfish for Disney to find the inspiration and budget to bring the subs back. With its new Finding Nemo overlay, the ride is perfectly positioned to appeal to today's Pixar-lated kids as well as their nostalgia-fueled parents. The combination of deft storytelling and Imagineering magic makes the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage an alluring, sea-worthy E-ticket attraction for Disneyland's next 50 years.
Peeking into the Mouse Hole
Discover how the Disney Imagineers develop the Disney theme parks and attractions.
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