What is Disneyland and Why do I want to go?

Ok, I am going to break this down from the very basics for those of you who just aren't sure if Disneyland is a place you want to take your family.  

Disneyland was built in 1955 by Walt Disney.  Disney's vision was to create a place where families with members young a old could go to spend time together enjoying some amusement together. 

Image via history.com

 He came upon the idea for the park while sitting on a park bench watching his daughter ride on a park carousel.  He had so much joy watching his daughter that he became inspired to create a place where entire families could go together and experience some of that kind of joy.  (Secret: that actual park bench is actually somewhere in Disneyland park that you can go sit on yourself, but that is another post.)

Disneyland has rides for big and small, and rides that can be enjoyed with all the family together.  The park has been ridiculed before for not creating crazy thrill rides that make people spill their lunch, and this is actually kind of true.  While there are one or two super scary rides at the parks, Disney's vision was to create rides that the entire family could enjoy together.  That means that many of the rides are created in a way that everyone can go on them despite age or size.  

The park is truly built in a way that you feel like you are being transported into another world.  Walt didn't want to build just another dirty amusement park, he wanted to give people an experience.  That is why there are "lands" in the park.  You can enter Adventureland and cruise through the jungle or join Indiana Jones on a rescue, or Tomorrowland and venture into space and beyond.  Whichever of the 7 lands you enter, you can expect to feel your surroundings change and find tons of fun details that help you feel transported from reality.  It is said that Walt Disney's wife asked him "Why do you want to build an amusement park?  They are so dirty."  And Walt replied "That is exactly why, mine won't be".  He didn't just built an amusement park like Six Flags with rides, he built a world you can escape into.

Its not just rides!  Also a part of Walt Disney's vision, there is entertainment EVERYWHERE in the park.  From character meet and greets, parades, amazing musical shows and jaw dropping nighttime spectaculars, the parks are full of things to do or see that should not be overlooked.  If you go to Disney and don't indulge in any of the entertainment, you are missing out on part of what makes the parks so magical.  I encourage everyone to at least catch the fireworks.  There is so much magic and work that go into these shows, the amount of fireworks each night alone is astounding. 

For our family, Disneyland represents a place where the stresses and trials of life fall by the wayside.  It allows our children a place where they can be silly and young and not worry about peer pressures or being cool, or achieving goals.  It allows us as parents a time that we can be kids along with our kids.  Since our kids are happy and carefree at the parks, there is not a ton of need for over parenting, which means we can chill out and have fun with them.  We can squeal with joy on the drop of Splash Mountain, we had giggle as we travel through Winnie the Pooh's dream sequence and we can gasp at the ghosts of the Haunted Mansion.  

In this Disneyland 101 Series we will cover the following topics for both Disneyland and California Adventure Park.
THE PARKS: DISNEYLAND VS. CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE
PARK HOPPER
FAST PASS AND MAX PASS
WHERE TO STAY
TOP RIDES AT THE PARKS

I will leave this post, hoping to have inspired you to follow along further with this series.  Walt Disney had a vision and that magic is felt in the heart of Disneyland when you walk through. 

"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

XOXO-Leah