Wade’s, Ryan’s, Caitlin’s, & Tammy’s Guide to Disneyland
The first Disney theme park ever, Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955, inaugurating a new era in theme parks in general & in Disney commerce in
particular. Officially nicknamed “the happiest place on Earth,” Disneyland is the second-most-attended theme park in the world
annually & has the highest cumulative attendance of any theme park in the world.
Disneyland Resort is located in Anaheim, CA. The dedication delivered by Walt Disney at the park’s opening runs thus: “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.”
At 85 acres, Disneyland is the second-smallest of the “Disneyland-type parks” and the fourth-smallest Disney park overall. Much is
often made of Disneyland’s smaller size, especially in comparisons between it and its big brother (so to speak), the Magic Kingdom. However,
this size difference is largely irrelevant. Each of the various “lands” in Disneyland is of comparable size to the corresponding
subdivisions in the Magic Kingdom. If anything, Fantasyland is larger at Disneyland. Disneyland, in fact, has eight “lands” to the
Magic Kingdom’s seven. Additionally, Disneyland possesses attractions that have never existed at the Magic Kingdom, such as Star Tours,
Fantasmic, & Indiana Jones Adventure (although the same or similar attractions are located at other parks in WDW), and
Disneyland has managed to retain some attractions that the Magic Kingdom has since abolished: Mr Toad’s Wild Ride & Submarine Voyage.
Finally, Disneyland has several attractions that are unique to it (at least, in the United States): Pinocchio’s Daring Journey, Alice in
Wonderland, Storybookland Canal Boats, the Matterhorn Bobsleds, & Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin.
The size difference between the parks essentially comes into play in the distances between “lands” as well as the space between
attractions within the “lands.” This may well mean that guests will experience less walking overall during a day at Disneyland than
they would at the Magic Kingdom. In addition, certain areas & structures at Disneyland are smaller. Town Square & Main Street USA itself is
smaller, as are the Castle, the central hub, & Space Mountain.
In 1998, Disneyland was re-named Disneyland Park, to distinguish the park from Disneyland Resort.
Parking Lot/Structure
Entrance
Main Street USA
Central Hub & Sleeping Beauty Castle
Adventureland
New Orleans Square
Critter Country
Frontierland
Fantasyland
Mickey’s Toontown
Tomorrowland
Parking Lot/Structure
Unless you’re staying at a hotel on or near the Resort with shuttle service to the parks, then your first stop at Disneyland will most
likely be the parking lot/parking structure. When the old parking lot was demolished to make way for Downtown Disney & Disney’s California
Adventure, this parking structure, by some reports the second-largest in the world, was constructed.
Entrance
After parking your car, you will take a tram to the entrance to Disneyland. Walk through the entrance, and you will find yourself on
Main Street USA.
Main Street USA
Themed after small-town America circa 1900, Main Street USA serves as the gateway to Disneyland. With no major attractions, Main Street USA
has many restaurants & gift shops. Main Street USA leads only to the central hub.
Central Hub & Sleeping Beauty Castle
Sleeping Beauty Castle dominates the far side of the central hub. Radiating from the central hub, like the spokes of a wheel, are four walkways.
Granted these paths are much narrower & shorter than their counterparts at the Magic Kingdom, but they are there nevertheless.
The nearest path on the right (counter-clockwise from the point at which you enter the hub from Main Street USA) leads to Tomorrowland.
The second path on the right leads to Fantasyland. The second walkway on the left (clockwise around the hub) leads to Frontierland (although
this entrance was blocked during our visit in 2010). And the first path on our clockwise tour of Disneyland leads to Adventureland.
Adventureland
Adventureland has three points of entry: from the central hub (left & center), from New Orleans Square (not pictured), & from Frontierland (right).
Upon entering from the central hub, you will immediately encounter the Enchanted Tiki Room on the left. Moving on a bit farther, also on the
left, you will see the Jungle Cruise.
Proceeding forward, you will find the Indiana Jones Adventure & Tarzan’s Treehouse, both on the left. This brings you to the edge of
Adventureland.
New Orleans Square
Among the smallest of Disneyland’s districts & possessing only two major attractions, New Orleans Square has three ports of
entry: from Adventureland (not pictured), from Frontierland (not pictured), & from Critter Country (not pictured). New Orleans Square is one of
two lands possessed by Disneyland not present at the Magic Kingdom & one of three of Disneyland’s subdivisions that does not connect to the central hub.
Furthermore, the position occupied by New Orleans Square & Critter Country within Disneyland corresponds to the position of Frontierland at the Magic Kingdom.
Entering New Orleans Square from Adventureland & proceeding forward a bit, the first major attraction you will come upon is Pirates of the
Caribbean on the left. Continuing forward, you next will find the Haunted Mansion, also on the left.
Critter Country
Critter Country is the smallest of Disneyland’s lands & can be entered only from New Orleans Square. Critter Country is one of three of
Disneyland’s districts that does not connect to the central hub & was originally named “Bear Country,” when the area opened in 1972.
It became Critter Country in 1988. Critter Country does not exist at the Magic Kingdom.
On entering Critter Country, you will immediately see its only two attractions—Splash Mountain on the left & The Many Adventures of Winnie the
Pooh on the right.
Next, on our clockwise tour of the Happiest Place on Earth, leave Critter Country, walking through New Orleans Square back to
Pirates of the Caribbean. Once there, instead of proceeding straight & back into Adventureland, you will turn left & proceed to Frontierland.
Frontierland
Frontierland has four points of entry: from Adventureland (left), from Fantasyland (right), from the central hub (not pictured), & from New Orleans Square (not
pictured). Frontierland at Disneyland occupies the region corresponding to Liberty Square at the Magic Kingdom.
Moving straight from New Orleans Square through Frontierland, you will first encounter The Golden Horseshoe on the right. Continuing straight, you will soon
come upon Frontierland’s only major attraction—Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (on the right).
Proceeding forward along the rightward-veering path around Big Thunder Mountain, you soon will find yourself magically whisked into Fantasyland.
Fantasyland
Fantasyland is the heart of Disneyland, possessing even more attractions in relation to the other park areas than the Fantasyland of the Magic Kingdom.
Fantasyland has three points of entry: from Frontierland (left), from the central hub either around or directly through Sleeping Beauty Castle (right), and
from Tomorrowland (not pictured).
As you exit Frontierland & enter Fantasyland you will find Village Haus restaurant to the right, a bit farther on your right you will see Pinocchio’s
Daring Journey (an attraction that debuted at Tokyo Disneyland), &, finally, moving toward the rear of Sleeping Beauty Castle, you will encounter Snow
White’s Scary Adventures on the right.
Moving inexorably forward, you will come to the King Arthur Carousel in the midst of the Castle courtyard.
Directly behind the Carousel, Dumbo the Flying Elephant is to be found.
Moving toward the Castle again, past the carousel, you will see Mr Toad’s Wild Ride on your left, directly across the courtyard from Snow White’s
Scary Adventures. Next to Toad Hall, closer to the Castle & also on the left, is Peter Pan’s Flight.
Leaving the shadow of Sleeping Beauty Castle & proceeding through Fantasyland toward Tomorrowland, you will encounter Monstro the Whale, guardian of the
Storybookland Canal Boats on the left. Directly across the way, on the right, is the Mad Tea Party, & behind that is Alice in Wonderland.
Across the path from Alice in Wonderland is the Matterhorn Bobsleds. If you navigate around the Matterhorn (right or left), you’ll find yourself
astro-blasted into Tomorrowland. But if you turn left, you will eventually run into the imposing ediface of it’s a small world, whose 400 citizens
have been singing the eponymous song since 1966. Passing it’s a small world on your right, you will eventually run straight into Mickey’s
Toontown.
Mickey’s Toontown
Mickey’s Toontown opened in 1993 & is one of two lands added to Disneyland since park opening. This section of the park has just one point of entry (from
Fantasyland) and is one of three of Disneyland’s districts that does not communicate with the central hub.
Mickey’s Toontown at Disneyland is very different in appearance and layout from the analogous Mickey’s Toontown Fair at the Magic Kingdom.
Mickey’s Toontown is larger, circular rather than linear, & more elaborately decorated.
Touring Mickey’s Toontown clockwise from its entrance, you will first come upon Mickey’s House on the left. Mickey’s House is a
character greeting area in which guests can meet the famous rodent, and which is not to be confused with Mickey’s Country House at the Magic Kingdom.
The conceit is that the Disneyland version is Mickey’s full-time residence, while the house at WDW is his vacation home.
Next on the left, you will find Minnie’s House. On every occasion on which I’ve visited Minnie’s Country House in Orlando, Minnie was
nowhere to be found (at other sections of the park, perhaps, but never at her house). On the single occasion that I visited her home at Disneyland (in 2010),
however, Minnie was there meeting & greeting guests.
As you proceed clockwise around Toontown, next you will see, also on the left, Toontown City Hall. Then, on the left, you’ll discover Roger
Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin. Continuing your tour, exit Mickey’s Toontown, walking through Fantasyland & passing it’s a small world. Veer
around the Matterhorn Bobsleds to the left, and soon you will be teleported to Tomorrowland.
Tomorrowland
Tomorrowland has just two points of entry: from the central hub (above) & from Fantasyland (not pictured).
Proceeding straight through Tomorrowland, you will first encounter Finding Nemo’s Submarine Voyage on your left. As you continue, you will see Autopia
(not pictured), also to the left. Walking forward, you will eventually come upon Space Mountain directly ahead.
Take a right turn at the path, and you will encounter Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters on the right & Star Tours on the left.
Proceed ahead, and you will discover the Astro Orbiter. Go around the Orbiter, and you will find yourself back in the
central hub at the first spoke counter-clockwise from Main Street USA. You have completed your clockwise circuit through each land of Disneyland!
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