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It’s hard to beat the allure of Disney World. Covering 43 square miles, it offers everything from roller coasters to golf courses to a replica African safari. The cluster of theme parks has made Orlando, Florida, one of the top tourist cities in the world.
But all those options can also be overwhelming.
“Walt Disney World is a wonderful place, but you need a vacation after your vacation,” says Seth Kubersky, author of The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland 2022. With four theme parks, two waterparks and hundreds of entertainment options, even the most prepared visitor is likely to get hit with a case of FOMO (fear of missing out.)
“It’s thrilling and exciting, and it’s not relaxing at all,” Kubersky says.
For travelers looking for theme park fun — and the thrill of crossing everything off a to-do list — Walt Disney’s first theme park, in Anaheim, California, checks both boxes.
At just 500 acres, Disneyland Resort, with its two parks — Disneyland and Disney California Adventure — is manageable. “Because of its scale, you can get your arms around it,” Kubersky says. “Visitors can feel like they’ve seen it all, without feeling overwhelmed.”
Although it’s designed for families, Disneyland is not just for kids. For adults who grew up watching the studio’s animated films and remember Sunday evening television broadcasts of The Wonderful World of Disney, a visit is bound to evoke nostalgia. Others enjoy the park’s imaginative immersive designs and, of course, the thrill rides.
Here’s why travelers should consider making the trip.
Disneyland is the original
If you love theme parks, thank animator and film producer Walt Disney, whose company will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2023. (The kickoff celebration is at Disneyland from Sept. 9–11.)
Before Disneyland opened in 1955, amusement parks with rides and attractions built around a specific theme really didn’t exist. Disney planned his creation as an alternative to roadside carnivals, which he considered dirty and unsavory. He wanted to offer a wholesome, educational place that appealed to children as well as adults.
Today you can walk the grounds Disney himself designed, and see his four original “lands” — Frontierland, Tomorrowland, Adventureland and Fantasyland — all featuring some of the original (but often-updated) rides.
You can even find sites with a tie to Disney himself. For example, just after entering the park, look for the firehouse on the left, where every evening a lamp glows from the second story. This was the apartment Disney used when he stayed overnight at the park, which allowed him to walk the grounds early in the morning, before the public arrived.
