Disneyland was the first Disney park I ever visited and the same can be said for many people from older generations. Opened in 1955, it was the world's first taste of Walt's vision and it remains a popular destination for travelers. This year is incredibly special because it is Disneyland's 60th anniversary and the folks at Disney have constructed an amazing Diamond Celebration with three re-imagined nighttime shows to commemorate it!
Can you believe that over 700,000,000 visitors have passed through the turnstiles at Disneyland? If you're reading this post then you're either part of the number or are at least interested in adding to it. I tell all of my friends that Disneyland is the perfect destination for anyone that is new to the Disney parks.
What I find most convenient about Disneyland is that it is composed of two distinct parks: Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure. The layout of Magic Kingdom in Florida is pretty similar to the original Disneyland in California, which makes it a great starting point if you've never visited the park previously. Disneyland also utilizes the FastPass system, but they still use the old system of pulling tickets at the individual attractions so it takes a little more planning to make sure you can skip the lines on your favorite rides. I'll devote an entire post to make this topic more clear.
The park on the right is Disneyland, complete with Sleeping Beauty's castle as the focal point. The park on the left is the newer Disney's California Adventure. The beautiful lagoon and Paradise Pier hold a special place in this park and serve as the gathering location for the World of Color show after dark. World of Color is, hands-down, the BEST Disney show I've seen in the USA. I took my younger brother to Disneyland in 2014 (his first Disney trip ever) and he walked away exclaiming that World of Color was the best part of the whole trip. I'll go into more depth regarding the shows and attractions in my next post. Nestled between the two parks is the Downtown Disney District, which is a major dining, shopping, and entertainment destination.
Disneyland tickets are similar to Disney World in the sense that you can choose between one-park-per-day tickets or add the parkhopper option. Switching between parks at Disneyland is much easier than Disney World because the park entrances are a very short walk from one another. In order to save money, I still purchase a one-park-per-day ticket because I typically like to devote a full day to each park. For any veteran of Disneyland, a two-day single park ticket should do the trick. If you intend to fully immerse yourself in the Disney environment and want extended options to enjoy your favorite attractions, a three-day parkhopper ticket is the perfect fit AND it will give you access to one Magic Morning (early access to the designated park one hour before opening).
If you plan to enjoy additional theme parks in the Southern California area, the Southern California CityPass could save you money. It includes a three-day parkhopper ticket to Disneyland, admission to Sea World San Diego, and LEGOLAND. The individual purchase of these tickets would cost you $451 for an adult and $428 for a child under the age of 10, but you'll pay $329 and $286, respectively.
Tickets to Disneyland can be purchased through aRes Travel at a discounted rate. I've used this service and they are very reliable. They also offer package deals if you would like to visit Universal Studios Hollywood (which is slated to open a Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 2016!)
That's it for the introduction to Disneyland. I'm excited to share information on the FastPass system next!
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