Disneyland

For other Disney parks see Walt Disney World (in Orlando, Florida), Hong Kong Disneyland, Disneyland Resort Paris and Tokyo Disney Resort.

The Disneyland Resort is located in Anaheim, California. It is home to the original Disneyland which opened in 1955, a favorite among visitors to Southern California from all over the world for well over half a century. It has since been joined by a sister park, Disney's California Adventure in 2001, which is a stylized recreation and celebration of California's rich history and culture.

Understand

"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 ideas, 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, July 17, 1955

"To all who believe in the power of dreams, welcome. Disney's California Adventure opens its golden gates to you. 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, February 8, 2001

The Disneyland Resort is divided into two separate theme parks and a shopping and entertainment district. The first park is the original Disney theme park Disneyland, which opened in July 1955. Its sister park Disney's California Adventure, which opened in February 2001, is located across the entry plaza on the former site of Disneyland's parking lot. Both parks are divided into "lands", or themes. At the western end of the entry plaza is Downtown Disney, a shopping and entertainment district. Hotels are located at the end of Downtown Disney.

Disneyland's rides are generally considered classic well-themed dark rides (e.g. Pirates of the Caribbean) with the occasional thrill ride (e.g. Space Mountain), while California Adventure's rides are more thrill-oriented (e.g. California Screamin') with some some family-style rides (e.g. Soarin' Over California). The CMs (Disney calls their employees "Cast Members") in all sections of the park are widely known to be very friendly and helpful. The attention to detail throughout the parks is extraordinary, however most cast members will not know the history behind the details.

The two biggest problems with the Disneyland Resort as a whole are crowds and price. However with careful planning, both can be avoided.

Disneyland is one of the most visited theme parks in the world (with 14.7 million visits, second only to the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World), so the parks can be pretty crowded, especially during the weekends, summer, and winter holidays, which leads to long lines for the most popular attractions. However, if you visit in the late winter or early spring, off-season lines can be short, especially during the weekdays. Disney's California Adventure has fewer attractions but still has long lines, although not as long as Disneyland's attractions.

Eating outside the parks is quite possible due to the close vicinity of several restaurants to the park and the benefit of hand-stamp and re-entry. Stick to just snacks and maybe one meal in the park, and you can save some cash.

Getting there

Disneyland
1313 South Harbor Boulevard
Anaheim, CA 92802

Disney's California Adventure
1600 South Disneyland Drive
Anaheim, CA 92802

By plane

Disneyland is within driving distance of a number of Southern California airports. Regardless of which airport you land at, it is always a good idea to consider available alternative forms of transportation before deciding to rent a car. Airport shuttles and public transit are an ideal option, especially if you are unfamiliar with the area. While LAX is the obvious choice and the most popular, there are a few other options which are calmer and sometimes even make for an easier arrival.

John Wayne Orange County Airport (IATA : SNA) is the closest airport to Anaheim. The Disneyland Resort Express , operated by Gray Line, provides direct bus service to the Disneyland Resort from here.

Long Beach Airport (IATA : LGB) . The 2nd closest airport, which is also one of the smallest (e.g. easiest to deal with) in the Los Angeles area. Depending on where you are flying from it's one of the easiest ways to get to Disneyland. Although there is no direct bus service from the airport to the resort, depending on the number of people in your party it may be less expensive to rent a car in any case. Interestingly, if you take the main exit from the airport, which is East Wardlaw Road, eventually it becomes Ball Road, which runs directly across the north edge of Disneyland itself. JetBlue serves 14 nonstop destinations from Long Beach: Boston, New York, Washington D.C., Fort Lauderdale, Chicago, Austin, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Sacramento, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Portland, and Seattle.

Los Angeles International Airport (IATA : LAX) is the largest airport in the area. The Disneyland Resort Express is also available here as well. Most visitors, especially those from overseas, arriving for a visit to Disneyland or to the greater Los Angeles area tend to arrive here.

LA/Ontario International Airport (IATA : ONT) in San Bernardino County is within close distance of Disneyland; take I-10 (San Bernardino Freeway) west and exit into California State Route 57 (Orange Freeway) south which leads directly into Anaheim. Take either the Ball Road or Katella Avenue exit (3 and 2 respectively) and travel west. Alternatively, you can also take the Metrolink San Bernardino Line from Rancho Cucamonga or Upland to Los Angeles Union Station, where you can transfer to either the Orange County Line or the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner.

Bob Hope Airport (IATA : BUR) in Burbank is the only Los Angeles-area airport that is directly served by Amtrak and Metrolink. Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner directly connects the airport to Anaheim, with departures at 8:58AM, 11:26AM, 4:25PM, 7:05PM, and 9:12PM. Outside of those times, Metrolink's Ventura County Line links the airport with Los Angeles Union Station, with 10 daily departures. Transfers to the Orange County Line or the Pacific Surfliner can be made at Union Station.

By car

As with much of California, by car is probably the easiest way to get to the Disneyland Resort from the surrounding area (or even San Diego, Las Vegas, and San Francisco). The Disneyland Resort offers ample parking both for day visitors to the park as well as hotel guests. All of the surrounding hotels offer parking, however, some clearly do not have sufficient parking for the number of overnight guests.

Driving to the Disneyland Resort also means braving the Southern California traffic, which at times can be overwhelming. The Disneyland website offers driving directions , as do most online map sites. Traveling from the Long Beach Airport to the Disneyland Resort can be done using surface streets instead of freeways, which can be very crowded during commute hours.

The Disneyland Resort is bounded by Katella Avenue to the south, Ball Road to the north, Walnut Street to the west, Harbor Boulevard to the east, and the Santa Ana Freeway (I-5) on the northeast corner. The Anaheim Convention Center is located south of the resort across Katella Avenue.

Parking at the theme parks is $12 for Car/Motorcycle, $17 for RV/Oversized Vehicle, and $22 for Bus/Tractor Trailer. Parking at Downtown Disney is free for the first three hours and $6 for each additional hour afterwards, charged in increments of $2 every 20 minutes. Valet parking is available at Downtown Disney for $6 from 5:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.

If you are arriving in Anaheim by train, a taxi is a reasonable option to get to the resort from the station. A one-way taxi ride from the station to Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel costs $10.40 (as of July 5, 2006).

By foot

One of the great advantages at the Disneyland Resort is that Disneyland Park, Disney's California Adventure Park, Downtown Disney, and many "off property" hotels are all within walking distance. Unlike Walt Disney World in Florida, guests can walk between Disneyland Park, Disney's California Adventure Park, and Downtown Disney in just a minute or two. There are approximately 12 "off property" hotels that are within a 10 minute walk. Some experienced visitors to the Disneyland Resort stay at the walking-distance hotels and find it more convenient to not have a car. It only takes five to 10 minutes to walk to the Disneyland entrance from a walking-distance hotel, and taking breaks in the middle of the day is much more convenient.

By transit

Local trains and buses are the cheapest ways to get to the park. Amtrak and Metrolink's Anaheim station is located on the north edge of the parking lot of Angel Stadium, about two miles east of Disneyland on Katella Avenue. Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner (Paso Robles to San Diego, via San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles) and Metrolink's Orange County Line (LA to Oceanside) service the station.

From 6:30AM-8:45AM a free Orange County Transit Authority bus (Route 430) will take you directly into Disneyland from the station. That same bus will take you back to the station for free from 3:30PM-6PM. There is no service on weekends. Other than these times Route 50, which runs from Cal State University Long Beach to The Village at Orange, services the station and Disneyland every 20 minutes. Other OCTA routes that service the park but not the station are: Route 43 (Harbor Blvd.), which runs from La Habra to Downtown Newport Beach every 15 minutes (although you will need to walk ten minutes to get to the park for this route); Route 46 (Ball Rd.), which runs between Los Alamitos and The Village at Orange; and Route 83 (Santa Ana Freeway) which goes from the Laguna Hills Mall to the Disneyland Resort, by way of Santa Ana. The latter four routes cost $1.25 per boarding.

Los Angeles County MTA Route 460 links Disneyland with Fullerton, Buena Park (with a stop at Knott's Berry Farm), Norwalk, and downtown LA.

If you are staying at the Knott's Berry Farm Resort Hotel in nearby Buena Park, you can take advantage of the free Disneyland shuttle.

Greyhound offers service to the park and the City of Anaheim runs a tourist bus service .

Traveling around

Once in the park, everything is reachable by foot. Disneyland also has pretty good access for wheelchairs and other mobility-assistance vehicles. Outside of the park, a car is again the best way to get around, though many hotels and restaurants are just across the street.

To help make getting around a breeze, the Disneyland Monorail links Disneyland's Tomorrowland with Downtown Disney.

Eat

Disneyland dining

When dining if you want to dine at the more upscale or "sit down" restaurants there is a good chance you will not be able to get seating without a reservation in advance. Some locations, especially the Blue Bayou Restaurant and Goofy's Kitchen - inside the Disneyland Hotel, require a reservation weeks in advance. Reservations are made through Disney Dining at (714) 781-DINE.

Main Street, U.S.A.

• Blue Ribbon Bakery - Baked goods,sandwiches and specialty drinks.

• Carnation Café - Table service, breakfast, sandwiches, gourmet coffees and ice cream

• Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor - Ice cream specialties

• Main Street Cone Shop - Ice cream cones

• Plaza Inn - "Minnie & Friends Breakfast in the Park", lunch and dinner featuring home-style favorites, broasted chicken

• Refreshment Corner - Hot dogs, chili and cold Coke

• Little Red Wagon - Corn dogs

New Orleans Square

• Blue Bayou Restaurant - The Blue Bayou is one of the most well known restaurants inside Disneyland. It offers amazing ambiance from inside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. A great location for a romantic dinner or a sit-down lunch of their famous Monte Cristo Sandwich. Entrees $25- $35, you are paying for the ambiance not necessarily great food quality. Reservation Highly Recommended Vegetarian Friendly

• French Market Restaurant -Fast serve "scramble style buffeteria" with jambalaya, roasted citrus chicken, creole salmon, roast beef, salads and decadent desserts. Live entertainment on the patio.

• Café Orléans - Table service, soups, salads, gourmet sandwiches including the Monte Cristo and crepes

• Royal Street Veranda - Chowder and gumbo in bread bowls, New Orleans-style

Fantasyland

• Village Haus Restaurant - Hamburgers, pizza and salads

• Enchanted Cottage, Sweets and Treats - Bavarian-style sausages, desserts and drinks

Mickey's Toontown

• Daisy's Diner

• Clarabelle's Frozen Yogurt

• Pluto's Dog House

• Toon Up Treats

Adventureland

• Bengal Barbeque - Barbeque kabobs and coffee drinks

• Tiki Juice Bar - famous Dole Whip ice cream desert, Dole Whip floats, pineapple spears and pineapple juice are available out front of Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room.

Frontierland

• The Golden Horseshoe - Chicken, fish and mozzarella strips, chili, and tasty ice cream specialties

• Stage Door Café - Chicken, fish, and mozzarella strips

• Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante - Mexican favorites and Costeña Grill specialties, soft drinks and desserts

• River Belle Terrance - Breakfast, BBQ and Southern-style food

• Conestoga Fries - Fries and drinks

Critter Country

• Harbour Galley - Sourdough bowl soups, salads

• Hungry Bear Restaurant - Burgers, chicken and salads

Tomorrowland

• Redd Rockett's Pizza Port - Pizza, pasta and salads

• The Spirit of Refreshment - Coke, Diet Coke and Sprite

• Tomorrowland Terrace - Breakfast, sandwiches, burgers, salads, desserts and drinks

Sunshine Plaza

• Baker's Field Bakery - Baked goods, sandwiches and coffee

• Bur-r-r Bank Ice Cream - Ice cream specialties and cones

Golden State

• Wine Country Trattoria at the Golden Vine Winery - Casual table service Italian cuisine restaurant. Entrees between $10-$14

• Pacific Wharf Café - Salads, soups and breakfast

• Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill - Tacos, drinks and more

• Pacific Wharf Distribution Co. - Karl Strauss handcrafted beers

Paradise Pier

• Ariel's Grotto - "Ariel's Disney Princess Celebration" character dining featuring American-style favorites for lunch and dinner. Fixed price menu $31.99 + tax for adults.

• Burger Invasion - Hamburgers, fries and shakes

• Pizza Oom Mow Mow - Pizza, pasta and salads

Hollywood Pictures Backlot

• Award Wieners - Hot dogs and gourmet sausages

• Schmoozies - Fruit smoothies

"a bug's land"

• Bountiful Valley Farmers Market - Chicken, fish and mozzarella strips

Downtown Disney dining

Downtown Disney has a wide array of choices for dining; the complete list may be found on the official website . Those that shouldn't be missed are:

• ESPN Zone A great place escape and watch the game. Snacks $6 - $11, Entrees $12 - $26 (for the New York Steak)

• House of Blues Southern cuisine.

• Naples Ristorante e PizzeriaPizza, Pasta and more. Entrees $17-$25

• Rainforest Cafe Nearly a theme park in itself, Rainforest Cafe is fully decorated to theme with rain storms and more. Entrees $15-$40 (for the Main Lobster)

• Tortilla Jo's Mexican food, with hand-made tortillas and live music.

Sleep

Hotels within the resort

• Disneyland Hotel , 714 956 MICKEY (6425), 1150 Magic Way. Anaheim, CA 92802, The original Disney hotel. The mid-level hotel of Disneyland's three hotels. 990 rooms and suites in three high-rise towers. three stars. Swimming pool, hot tub, air conditioning, television, fitness center, beach, dining, game room and indoor pool.

• Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa , 714 956 MICKEY (6425), 1600 S Disneyland Dr, Anaheim CA 92803, The higher end of Disneyland's three hotels.Convienent location with an entrance into Disney's California Adventure (Golden State [Grizzly Peak Recreation Area]). 745 rooms and suites. Four stars. Air conditioning, fitness center, hot tub, spa, massage, swimming pool and dining.

• Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel , 714 956 MICKEY (6425), 1717 South Disneyland Drive, Anaheim, California 92802, The lower end of the three Disneyland hotels. 489 rooms and suites. Three stars. Air conditioning, theater, rooftop pool and spa, fitness center, dining, hot tub, kitchen, and beach.

Other hotels

There are 37 designated Good Neighbor Hotels which are either within walking distance or provide transportation to and from the Disneyland Resort. Many other hotels and motels of varying cost and quality may be found in the local area. Start with Anaheim.

Buy

Within the theme parks

There are many gift shops throughout Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure. They are so abundant, it is close to impossible to throw a stone and not hit a store. Some attractions even have gift shops located right at their exits. The complete list of shops in both parks may be found on the official website, via the links below.

• Disneyland Park Shopping

• Disney's California Adventure Park Shopping

There is only one dedicated book and media store inside the main parks -- it's located in in Disneyland on the east side of Main Street USA.

Downtown Disney

Downtown Disney's anchor store is the World of Disney, the second largest of its kind, after the one at Walt Disney World. Essentially, this is a Disney Store on steroids. Downtown Disney also showcases a wide range of well-known retail chains. These are just a select few; see the official website for the complete list.

• Anne Geddes

• Build-a-Bear Workshop

• Compass Books

• Disney Pin Trading

• Disney Vault 28 (specializes in boutique style pieces with Disney characters and from various designers.)

• ESPN Zone Store

• Fossil

• House of Blues

• Lego Imagination Center

• Rainforest Cafe

Tickets

Visiting Disneyland is an expensive affair. Tickets are sold at several levels: the base ticket is the Single-Day Theme Park Ticket which enables admission to only one of the two parks for a full day. By contrast, the 1-Day Park Hopper allows you to see both parks on the same day, and to move back and forth between the parks. Park Hopper tickets are also sold in increments of 2, 3, 4, and 5 days; while the ticket price increases with each day, the price per day actually decreases with each day. The days on which the ticket is used do not have to be consecutive. The value of the Park Hopper ticket options should not be underestimated.

The prices below were accurate as of August 2009:

Children under age 3 are admitted free.

Discounts are hard to find, but California residents (bring a driver's license or utility bill to prove residency) will receive a small discount, and booking tickets online through disneyland.com may also save some cash. AAA occasionally offers its members discounts, and seasonal discounts such as the "buy a day, get a seasonal pass" offer occur during non-peak seasons.

If you're planning a multi-day vacation to Southern California with visits to multiple attractions including Disneyland, you can save significantly by using the Southern California CityPass . For only $259 ($219 for ages 3-9), you'll receive a 3-day Park Hopper ticket, and 1 day each at Universal Studios Hollywood, SeaWorld San Diego, and your choice of either the San Diego Zoo or the San Diego Wild Animal Park (once used in one of these, the pass may not be used in the other). This makes for a wonderful week long vacation and a very attractive price with about $90 off standard prices.

See and Do

"I think what I want Disneyland to be most of all is a happy place, a place where adults and children can experience together some of the wonders of life, of adventure, and feel better because of it." -- Walt Disney

Disneyland

Disneyland is the original Disney theme park which opened in July 1955. While the park has changed dramatically over the years, there are still many favorite classic attractions, such as the Disneyland Railroad. Today, Disneyland boasts 57 attractions, the most number of attractions for a Disney theme park. Despite competition from other Disney parks, it is still the favorite among both adults and kids.

Disneyland's themed lands are Main Street, USA. (modeled after 20th Century Marceline, Missouri, Walt Disney's childhood town), New Orleans Square (modeled after 18th Century New Orleans), Fantasyland (modeled after a Bavarian village), Mickey's Toontown (modeled after the cartoon town of Toontown in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?), Adventureland (modeled after the jungles of Asia, Africa and the South Pacific), Frontierland (modeled after the old west), Critter Country (modeled after North American forests) and Tomorrowland (modeled after science fiction authors' visions of yesterday's future).

Main Street, USA

• Disneyland Railroad (A train ride that takes you around Disneyland and stops at 4 stations, great for sightseeing.)

• Main Street Cinema (A theater-like attraction that shows the first 6 Mickey Mouse cartoons.)

• Main Street Vehicles

  • Fire Engine (transportation)

  • Horse-Drawn Streetcars (transportation)

  • Horseless Carriage (transportation)

  • Omnibus (transportation)

• Disneyland: The First Magical 50 Years (An exhibit that shows how Disneyland has changed in 50 years since its opening.)

New Orleans Square

• Disneyland Railroad (The Disneyland Railroad has a station in New Orleans Square.)

• Haunted Mansion (A scary dark ride that is based on a horror story in 18th Century New Orleans.)

• Pirates of the Caribbean (An indoor boat ride through caverns and a burning village.)

• Fantasmic! (A nighttime show with wonderful special effects. Does not run every night off-season.)

• Rafts to Pirate's Island (Tom Sawyer's Island re-imagined with a pirate theme.)

Fantasyland

• Alice in Wonderland (A dark ride that goes through the film's storyline.)

• Casey Jr. Circus Train (A train ride that goes around the exterior of Storybook Land Canal Boats.)

• Dumbo the Flying Elephant (A spin ride on which one rides on "Dumbos".)

• Disney Princess Fantasy Faire (Where visitors can meet all of the Disney princesses.)

• "It's a Small World" (An indoor boat ride that introduces visitors to singing children from all over the globe.)

• King Arthur Carrousel (A classic carousel ride.)

• Mad Tea Party (A spin ride on which one spins on models of tea cups.)

• Matterhorn Bobsleds (A bobsled inspired roller coaster that is based on the Matterhorn in Switzerland - note that for this ride there are two different tracks so ride both!.)

• Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (A dark ride that goes through the scenes of the movie The Wind in the Willows.)

• Peter Pan's Flight (A dark ride based on the movie.)

• Pinocchio's Daring Journey (A dark ride based on the story.)

• Snow White's Scary Adventures (A dark ride that is based on the story.)

• Storybook Land Canal Boats (A boat ride that goes through miniature scenes of famous Disney stories.)

Mickey's Toontown

• Chip 'n Dale Treehouse (A walkthrough for kids based on the living quarters of Chip 'n Dale.)

• Disneyland Railroad (The Disneyland Railroad has a station in Mickey's Toontown.)

• Donald's Boat (A walkthrough that is based on Donald Duck's home.)

• Gadget's Go Coaster (A rollercoaster, expectant mothers should not ride.)

• Goofy's Fun House (A funhouse attraction that is based on Goofy's home, in the place of the former Goofy's Bounce House.)

• Mickey's House and Meet Mickey (A walkthrough based on Mickey Mouse's house and where one can meet Mickey Mouse himself.)

• Minnie's House (A walkthrough based on Minnie Mouse's house, Minnie appears out front quite often.)

• Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin (A dark spin ride based on the movie, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?)

Adventureland

• Enchanted Tiki Room (An Audio-Animatronics show that features singing birds, flowers, and various tiki figures; in the lanai out front you will also see tiki gods and goddesses.)

• Indiana Jones Adventure (A dark thrill ride based on the Indiana Jones series.)

• Jungle Cruise (A boat ride that goes through sights of isolated jungles of Asia, Africa, and South America.)

• Tarzan's Treehouse (A walkthrough that is based on the treehouse in Tarzan.)

Frontierland

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (A mine train-themed rollercoaster.)

• Tom Sawyer Island (A large play area that is based on the Tom Sawyer stories.)

• Frontierland Shootin' Exposition (A shooting gallery arcade, one round costs $0.50.)

• Mark Twain Riverboat (A full-sized riverboat sailing around the "Rivers of America.")

• Rafts to Tom Sawyer Island (Rafts to access Tom Sawyer Island.)

• Sailing Ship Columbia (A pirate ship themed boat sailing around the "Rivers of America.")

• Big Thunder Ranch (A petting zoo.)

• The Golden Horseshoe Stage (A performance venue.)

Critter Country

• Splash Mountain (A log flume water ride)

• Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes (A canoe ride in which visitors paddle around the "Rivers of America.")

• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (A dark ride that is based on the stories of Winnie the Pooh.)

Tomorrowland

• Astro Orbitor (A spin ride)

• Autopia (A driving course. While many might think this to be a children's ride, there is a height requirement, as crashing may occur.)

• Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters (A dark ride that is a game similar to laser tag, only riders need to shoot the Z's along the way.)

• Disneyland Monorail (The first monorail built in the West connects Disneyland to Downtown Disney.)

• Disneyland Railroad (The Disneyland Railroad has a station in Tomorrowland.)

• Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage (you can see Nemo and his friend from the Pixar film "Finding Nemo")

• Honey, I Shrunk the Audience (A 3D show)

• Innoventions (A walk through museum featuring the latest technology.)

• Space Mountain (A dark rollercoaster)

• Starcade (An arcade, the fee to play the games is 5 tokens for $1.)

• Star Tours (A Star Wars-themed flight simulator)

Shows and Parades

Fantasmic is an evening live action show that takes place on the Rivers of America. It is a wonderful show with many of the Disney characters, animation on a screen made of jets of water, and fireworks. It can be too intense for very young children, but for all others it is a very enjoyable. Daily, there are two parades along the route between Main Street, U.S.A. and "it's a small world." At 9:25PM nightly, Disneyland puts on its famous fireworks show. There are many other shows at Disneyland as well.

Disney's California Adventure

Disney's California Adventure is Disneyland's sister theme park which opened in February 2001. The park has nearly doubled its attendance numbers since opening and is now ranked in the top ten most visited U.S. theme parks. Disney's California Adventure boasts 34 attactions and has added attractions every year since its opening. This park is probably the most favorite Disney park among teens and adventurous adults and kids. The park is also family friendly.

Disney's California Adventure is divided into 5 themed lands: Sunshine Plaza (modeled after a California postcard), Golden State (which is divided into 5 districts; Condor Flats is modeled after the aviation days of 20th Century Mojave Desert, Grizzly Peak Recreation Area is modeled after the Northeastern California wilderness, The Bay Area is modeled after 20th Century San Francisco, Golden Vine Winery is modeled after California's Wine Country, and Pacific Wharf is modeled after California's 20th Century wharfs), Paradise Pier (modeled after California's 20th Century boardwalks), Hollywood Pictures Backlot (modeled after Hollywood's studio backlots) and "a bug's land" (modeled after the movie "A Bug's Life") is the only non-Californian themed land in the park.

Sunshine Plaza

There are no attractions in Sunshine Plaza.

Condor Flats

• Soarin' Over California (An IMAX simulator that shows famous California landmarks as if one was hangliding over California.)

Grizzly Peak Recreation Area

• Grizzly River Run (Roar down this white-water raft adventure, visitors may get very wet on this attraction.)

• Redwood Creek Challenge Trail (A large play area based on the Mount Shasta wilderness and the film, Brother Bear.)

The Bay Area

• There are no attractions in The Bay Area, but there are restrooms with San Francisco-style architecture.

Golden Vine Winery

Where one can enjoy the different tastes of wine from around the world. Can not be younger than 21 years of age to drink.

Pacific Wharf

• Mission Tortilla Factory (A behind-the-scenes look at tortilla production.)

• The Bakery Tour (A presentation of how sourdough bread is made.)

Paradise Pier

• California Screamin' (A high speed rollercoaster that launches form 0-60 MPH in just 4.5 seconds!)

• Maliboomer (Launch straight up 180 feet into the air!)

• Mickeys Fun Wheel (A ferris wheel with swinging and stationary gondolas)

• Mulholland Madness (A mini-rollercoaster based on Los Angeles's Mulholland Drive.)

• Golden Zephyr (A spin ride with rocketship models as the spinners.)

• King Triton's Carousel (A sea-themed carousel)

• Jumpin' Jellyfish (A mini-drop ride)

• S.S. rustworthy (A play area)

• Games of the Boardwalk (An arcade modeled after Boardwalk games.)

• Toy Story Mania (Step right up and compete in an interactive "Toy Story" adventure like no other! You'll grab some 3-D glasses before boarding your ride vehicle and zipping off into a world of immersive, midway-style games.)

Hollywood Pictures Backlot

• Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! (A dark ride based on the movie, Monsters, Inc.)

• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (A drop ride that drops 13 stories down, based on a 1950's TV series.)

• "Disney's Aladdin-A Musical Spectacular" (A musical based on Aladdin.)

• Playhouse Disney-Live on Stage! (A musical show based on Playhouse Disney.)

• Muppet*Vision 3D (A 3D show featuring the Muppets.)

• Disney Animation

  • Turtle Talk with Crush (A show in which visitors can interact with Crush in Finding Nemo.)

  • Animation Academy (A presentation on how to draw Disney characters.)

  • Character Close-Up (A presentation on where visitors can meet most of the famous Disney characters.)

  • Sorcerer's Workshop (A presentation where visitors can create their own animation.)

• The Hollywood Backlot Stage (performance venue)

"a Bug's Land"

• It's Tough to be a Bug (A 3D show about how insects protect themselves.)

• Bountiful Valley Farm (A water play area based on California's irrigation system.)

• Flik's Fun Fair

  • Flik's Flyers (A wave swing modeled after giant food boxes.)

  • Francis' Ladybug Boogie (A spin ride modeled with ladybugs as spinners.)

  • Heimlich's Chew Chew Train (A train that shows how Heimlich from the film, "a bug's life" finds food.)

  • Princess Dot Puddle Park (A water play area)

  • Tuck and Roll's Drive 'Em Buggies (bumper cars)

Shows and Parades

Disney's California Adventure has many shows and parades for visitors. The High School Musical Pep Rally begins daily at Sunshine Plaza and continues to Paradise Pier every morning at 11:30AM, 1PM and 3:15PM. The park is also home of the new Pixar Play Parade, where floats are based on the Disney Pixar movies, The Incredibles, Toy Story, Ratatouille, A Bug's Life, Finding Nemo, and Monsters, Inc. as well as water and bubble effects. The parade begins daily at 5:15PM at Sunshine Plaza and 5:35PM in Golden State (The Bay Area). Also, the park hosts the classic Disney's Electrical Parade, when the parade's route lights up with thousands of sparkling lights and begins nightly at 8:45PM beginning from Paradise Pier to Sunshine Plaza.

Downtown Disney

• AMC Downtown Disney 12 Catch a box-office chart-topper at this stadium seating, digital projection, and surround sound cineplex.

• ESPN Zone Watch your favorite sports event or play one of many interactive games.

• House of Blues As the name implies, a blues club.

• Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen Experience the best of Bourbon Street outside New Orleans.

Get out

Disneyland is within close distance of a number of other Southern California tourist attractions. Not suprisingly, some of these attractions have the word "Anaheim" in their names.

• Anaheim Convention Center Located directly south of the Disneyland Resort, across Katella Avenue.

• Anaheim GardenWalk , 321 West Katella Avenue, 714-635-7400. A new outdoor shopping oasis, located just a stone's throw east of the Disneyland Resort.

• Anaheim Ice , 300 West Lincoln Avenue, 714-535-7465. About 1 mile north of the Disneyland Resort. Has two Olympic-size ice surfaces. The practice and training venue of the Anaheim Ducks, where you can also learn the sport yourself. There are also figure skating and public ice sessions.

• The Grove of Anaheim , 2200 East Katella Avenue, 714-712-2700. A concert venue located on the northwest corner of Angel Stadium's parking lot, adjacent to the Amtrak/Metrolink train station.

Other theme parks

• Adventure City Located on Beach Boulevard south of the Ball Road intersection, about 4 miles west of the Disneyland Resort.

• Knott's Berry Farm Take LACMTA Route 460. Or if you have your own car, travel west on Katella Avenue or Ball Road, then north on Beach Boulevard.

• Legoland California Take the Pacific Surfliner or the Orange County Line south to Oceanside.

• SeaWorld San Diego Take the Pacific Surfliner all the way to its southern end.

• Universal Studios Hollywood Take the Pacific Surfliner or the Orange County Line to Los Angeles Union Station, then transfer to the LACMTA Red Line and disembark at the Universal City station.

• Anaheim Ducks (National Hockey League) Plays in Honda Center, just north of Angel Stadium.

• Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (Major League Baseball) Plays in Angel Stadium.