Disneyland Anaheim: Why the Original Is Still the Happiest Place on Earth

There are bigger theme parks, faster rollercoasters and newer attractions packed with enough technology to make your television look like an old wireless. But there is still nowhere quite like the original Disneyland in Anaheim, California.

I have been fortunate enough to visit Disneyland several times over the years—first as an 11-year-old boy, and later as a parent taking my own children. Each visit has been different, but that wonderfully strange Disneyland magic has always remained.

Is it really “The Happiest Place on Earth”? After several hours in a queue with tired children, sore feet and a rapidly declining bank balance, some parents may briefly question the slogan. Yet when Sleeping Beauty Castle lights up, the music begins and your kids see Mickey Mouse walking towards them, you understand exactly why Disneyland continues to be considered the ultimate family theme park experience.

Where Walt Disney’s Dream Began

The Disneyland story began with Walt Disney watching his daughters ride a carousel at Griffith Park in Los Angeles. Walt imagined a clean, welcoming place where children and parents could have fun together—not simply an amusement park where adults sat on a bench while the kids went on rides.

That idea became Disneyland, built among the orange groves of Anaheim and officially opened on 17 July 1955. It was unlike anything the world had seen: a carefully created collection of themed lands where attractions, landscaping, costumes, music and storytelling all worked together.

Today, Disney has theme parks in Florida, Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Shanghai, but Anaheim remains special because it is the only Disneyland that Walt Disney personally walked through, worked on and continually improved. Sleeping Beauty Castle and several original attractions welcomed visitors on opening day and remain part of the park more than 70 years later. Disneyland’s opening-day history (opens in a new tab)

Universal Studios may deliver bigger movie thrills, Walt Disney World in Florida offers an enormous multi-park resort, and Tokyo DisneySea is regularly praised for its spectacular design. However, Anaheim has something they can never recreate: it is the original. It feels more intimate, more nostalgic and somehow more personal.

The Day My Sister and I Were Let Loose!

My first Disneyland adventure happened when I was 11 and travelling with my parents and my 14-year-old sister.

After surviving one full day at Disneyland, Mum and Dad apparently decided they had completed their parental theme park obligations. They weren’t particularly keen on backing up for a second round, so they stayed at the hotel drinking beside the pool and shoved my sister and me onto a bus heading back to Disneyland.

We were 11 and 14, in another country, without mobile phones, GPS tracking or any way for our parents to contact us. We ran amok around Disneyland all day and stayed until well after dark.

Ah, the good old days—when parents weren’t constantly checking where their children were, what they were doing or whether they had been kidnapped by pirates somewhere near New Orleans Square. Their basic parenting strategy was, “There’s two of you, so look after each other.”

Somehow, we survived.

More importantly, it became one of the great memories of my childhood. We had Disneyland almost entirely on our own terms. We were lucky, it wasn’t too busy so we had the place pretty much to ourselves able to go one the rides over and over again with next to no queue’s. It was a very special time in my memory. We chose the rides, ate what we wanted and squeezed every possible minute from the day.

The Childhood Rides I Never Forgot

The ride that captivated me most was Peter Pan’s Flight. You climb aboard a flying pirate ship, sail over a miniature London and continue towards Never Land. By today’s standards it is relatively simple, but as an 11-year-old, it felt completely real. Peter Pan’s Flight was one of Disneyland’s original 1955 attractions and remains one of Fantasyland’s most popular rides. Peter Pan’s Flight (opens in a new tab)

Then there is “it’s a small world”, a cheerful boat journey celebrating children and cultures from around the world. It is colourful, clever and genuinely charming.

Unfortunately, the song begins approximately three seconds into the ride and will remain inside your head for the next fortnight. After five minutes, you may be considering jumping overboard and swimming for freedom. Great concept. Beautifully presented. Possibly the most effective form of musical torture ever invented.

The Matterhorn Bobsleds—and yes, Matterhorn is the correct spelling—was another favourite. Opened in 1959, it was Disneyland’s first rollercoaster-style attraction and the world’s first tubular-steel coaster. It also remains unique to Anaheim; no other Disney park has its own Matterhorn mountain. Matterhorn Bobsleds history (opens in a new tab)

Other classics still demanding a place on the family itinerary include Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, Mad Tea Party, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and the magnificent Haunted Mansion.

The Haunted Mansion is classic Disney storytelling at its best. You are surrounded by ghosts, moving portraits, disappearing guests and wonderfully spooky special effects without the experience becoming too terrifying for most children. It is creepy, funny and delightfully theatrical.

Space Mountain was easily our favourite ride. Disneyland wasn’t particularly busy that day, so my sister and I must have ridden it close to 20 times, carefully timing our place in the queue so we could sit right at the front. Racing through almost complete darkness with stars, meteors and flashes of light flying past felt incredibly fast and slightly terrifying—and the moment we climbed out, we would race straight back around and do it all again.

Returning With My Own Children

Years later, I returned to Disneyland with my own kids.

There is something very special about watching your children experience a place that once felt so enormous and magical to you. Suddenly, you aren’t simply remembering your childhood—you are seeing it replayed in front of you.

Disney characters come to life throughout the parks. Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and the Disney Princesses still draw enormous reactions, but younger visitors may be equally excited to meet characters from Frozen, Toy Story, Cars, The Incredibles, Star Wars and the Marvel universe.

Of course, taking your own children also makes you appreciate what your parents went through. As a kid, Disneyland is endless excitement. As a parent, it is endless excitement accompanied by backpacks, drink bottles, toilet stops, changing weather, queues and someone announcing they are hungry seven minutes after lunch.

It is wonderful—but it is not relaxing.

Disneyland Is Now Two Theme Parks

The “newer part” of Disneyland Resort is called Disney California Adventure Park, which opened in 2001 directly opposite the original Disneyland Park.

Disney California Adventure has changed enormously since opening and now provides a more contemporary Disney experience, bringing together Pixar, Marvel and newer generations of characters.

Its headline attractions include Radiator Springs Racers in Cars Land, the looping Incredicoaster, Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!, WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure, Toy Story Midway Mania!, Grizzly River Run and Soarin’ Around the World.

Cars Land is particularly impressive after dark, when Radiator Springs lights up like the town from the movie. Even adults who have watched Cars approximately 300 times because their children demanded it may feel a little emotional.

When I returned in 2019 with my second-oldest daughter and one of her friends, they were determined to ride everything—including the newly rethemed Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! I had no idea what to expect, apart from hearing people screaming while we waited. We strapped ourselves in, the lift climbed and paused, and then—WHAM!—it dropped who knows how far. I nearly shat my pants, came dangerously close to being reintroduced to my breakfast and pulled several muscles trying to keep both myself and my daughter in our seats, while she screamed with laughter. It was terrifying, hilarious and an absolutely brilliant ride built around a movie we both loved.

Back in Disneyland Park, the newer generation of attractions includes Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and the extraordinary Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. The latter is more than an ordinary ride—it combines enormous sets, multiple ride systems, live characters and special effects to place you inside a Star Wars battle. Current Disneyland Resort attractions (opens in a new tab)

This combination is what makes Disneyland Anaheim so difficult to beat. You can fly over London with Peter Pan, ride a 1959 rollercoaster, explore a haunted mansion and then step into an attraction using some of the most advanced theme park technology in the world.

Disneyland Does Halloween and Christmas Properly

Disneyland embraces seasonal celebrations in true American fashion—which means subtlety is packed away in a cupboard and absolutely everything receives decorations.

At Halloween, enormous pumpkins appear along Main Street, characters wear special costumes and selected attractions receive spooky makeovers. The Haunted Mansion becomes Haunted Mansion Holiday, combining the attraction with Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. Disney California Adventure also hosts the separately ticketed Oogie Boogie Bash on selected nights. Halloween at Disneyland Resort (opens in a new tab)

Christmas brings festive parades, thousands of lights, seasonal food, enormous trees and a holiday transformation of “it’s a small world”—because apparently the original song wasn’t firmly enough lodged in our brains.

These periods are spectacular, although they can also attract larger crowds. If seeing Disneyland completely decorated for Halloween or Christmas is important to your family, the extra atmosphere may be worth the longer waits.

Staying at Disneyland Resort

Disneyland Resort operates three official hotels: Disneyland Hotel, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa and Pixar Place Hotel.

The Disneyland Hotel delivers the strongest sense of classic Disney nostalgia, while the Grand Californian offers a more luxurious experience and extremely convenient access to Disney California Adventure. Pixar Place Hotel is a bright, modern option filled with Pixar artwork and character touches. Disneyland Resort hotels (opens in a new tab)

Staying at an official Disney hotel is not the cheapest option, but the location is incredibly useful—particularly with younger children. Being able to return to the room for an afternoon rest, swim or change of clothes can prevent a family meltdown later in the evening.

Anaheim also has numerous independent hotels within walking distance of the parks, providing more affordable choices for families who would rather spend their money inside Disneyland. And trust me, Disneyland will happily help with that.

How Many Days Do You Really Need?

One day is no longer enough to experience Disneyland Resort properly.

Allow at least two complete days—one for each park. Three days is better, especially for families with younger children. That gives you time to revisit favourite attractions, watch the parades and nighttime entertainment, meet characters and take an afternoon break without feeling as though you are competing in an Olympic walking event.

A Park Hopper ticket allows you to move between Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure after first entering your reserved park. The entrances are only a short walk apart, making park hopping much easier than it is at Walt Disney World in Florida.

Best Times to Visit Disneyland

There is no reliably “empty” period anymore like when I was a kid, but your chances of shorter queues are generally better from Tuesday to Thursday outside American school holidays and major public-holiday weekends.

Traditionally quieter periods include:

• Mid-January through February, excluding holiday weekends
• Late April and early May, after the Easter and spring-break crowds
• Selected weekdays in August and the first half of September
• Weekdays in early November, between Halloween and the main Thanksgiving rush

Crowd patterns change according to ticket pricing, annual-pass restrictions, special events and ride openings, so check a current crowd calendar before booking. Quieter winter periods can also bring shorter operating hours and more scheduled ride maintenance. Disneyland crowd-planning guide (opens in a new tab)

Pro Travelling Tips

• Arrive before opening: The first hour or two can be the most productive part of the day. Don’t stroll in at 11am and wonder where everybody came from.
• Allow two or three days: Trying to conquer both parks in one day will leave everyone exhausted and slightly cranky.
• Download the Disneyland app: It provides live wait times, maps, mobile food ordering, attraction information and access to Lightning Lane bookings. Disneyland mobile app (opens in a new tab)
• Confirm your park reservations: Current entry arrangements require valid admission and a reservation for your starting park. Check the latest conditions before travelling.
• Consider Lightning Lane carefully: The paid Multi Pass can reduce time spent in selected queues, while separate Single Pass access may be available for major attractions such as Rise of the Resistance and Radiator Springs Racers. Prices and availability change. Lightning Lane information (opens in a new tab)
• Use Rider Switch: If one child is too small or doesn’t want to ride, adults can take turns without both waiting through the complete standard queue. Disney Rider Switch (opens in a new tab)
• Check height requirements before promising rides: It is much better to discover this at the hotel than underneath the attraction sign with a devastated six-year-old.
• Book popular dining early: For casual meals, use mobile ordering while waiting for another attraction rather than joining yet another queue.
• Return to the hotel during the afternoon: A rest or swim can give everyone enough energy to enjoy the evening shows and fireworks.
• Wear proper shoes: Disneyland is not the place to discover your fashionable new footwear has the structural integrity of wet cardboard.

Still the Ultimate Family Experience

Disneyland is expensive, busy and physically exhausting. You will walk further than expected, queue longer than planned and probably purchase at least one souvenir that seemed far more necessary while standing inside the park.

But if your family ever has the opportunity to visit the original Disneyland in Anaheim, take it.

I first experienced it as an 11-year-old running wild with my sister, blissfully beyond the reach of our parents and several decades away from mobile-phone tracking. I later returned with my own children and watched the magic begin again through their eyes and probably enjoyed that experience more.

That is the real power of Disneyland. The rides change, technology advances and new characters arrive, but every generation gets to create its own memories.

For many families, it truly is one of those experiences you should try to have at least once.

Just be warned: after riding “it’s a small world,” the happiest place on Earth may follow you home in the form of one extremely persistent song.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT DISNEYLAND ANAHEIM