My Review of Disneyland (Anaheim)
You haven't experienced the original Disneyland until you've visited the mouse over in Anaheim, California. You can find two parks over in the West Coast: Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure. Of course, Disneyland is the classic Magic Kingdom-esque park, where you can find original rides that you won't be able to experience anywhere else! California Adventure, on the other hand, is a very different park unique to California, and has a lot of Pixar ad Marvel themes.
Even though it is smaller than the grand Disney World on the other side of the country, there is still A LOT this West coast park has to offer, and I'm here to show you what that entails!
Let's start off with the original, first EVER Disney park.... We're talking about the one that has been around since Walt himself! Opening in 1955, Disneyland was the original dream that Walt had made come true. Before there were ever plans of an even larger resort in Florida, or even locations all over the world, this park came to life in Anaheim, California. Tickets were $2.50 for the day, and was an international sensation from the beginning.
I grew up with Disney World, and never got to experience Disneyland until I was 20. It was a bit of an adjustment at first and was kind of a shock at how much smaller this park felt! Sleeping Beauty's castle is much tinier in scale, and I wasn't even able to see it until getting onto Main Street USA! But don't get me wrong, I found this more interesting than anything. But I do love how giant Cinderella's castle is in Florida, and being able to see it from spots outside of the park, too.
What does stay the same is the atmosphere. Everyone with their Mickey ears, turkey legs and churros, having a wonderful day at the 'Happiest Place on Earth.' I felt like I saw many more locals at this park, Californians that is, or at least Americans. I bring this up because Disney World is known to bring many foreign visitors, so this is another difference I felt during my visit.
You'll find many of the classic rides here...Splash Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise... As well as some of the classics that have become exclusive to this park, like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and Snow White's Enchanted Wish. Some attractions that are found in other parks have different elements to them, so it doesn't feel like a carbon copy.
When it comes to the food, the options seem a bit less than other parks, but they still have enough of a variety. It seems like churros are a much bigger thing over in Anaheim! One area that I really love about Disneyland is New Orleans Square - you won't find this section at Disney World, and it is really neat to check out. In fact, my favorite Disneyland restaurant is here: Blue Bayou! You feel like you have teleported straight into The Big Easy... maybe even into the Princess and the Frog film!
Next, let's dive into Disney's California Adventure... This park is exclusive to Anaheim, and is themed around many of Disney's biggest films. You'll find special areas dedicated to the film Cars, Toy Story and just recently, The Avengers! It's really cool to feel like you are walking through a life-sized Radiator Springs, or to see themes around some of your favorite characters.
I've gotta say that I really love this park. I love its uniqueness and the boardwalk theme to the main area, making it feel beachy and, well, very California! They have different food, parades, and it's crazy to think that the regular Disneyland is just a few hundred feet away from their entrance! If I had it my way, I would love for every Disney resort around the world to have a separate park with themes of their own culture (and I'm not talking about just at Epcot!)
Lastly, there are just a few things I'd like to mention with this resort as a whole. One of the best, but also worst at the same time, is how small it is. It's very easy to get around... Both parks are right next door to each other! All you need is to hop on the tram from the parking lot to the entrances. But it also doesn't feel as grand, and I love how much you can explore around Walt Disney World property! This can really be a personal preference, though.
They also have their own Downtown Disney, which is awesome... especially because it is also right there by the park entrances! Honestly, I think I prefer this better than how Disney Springs stands alone, because it is so easy to hop on over to go shopping or grab a bite to eat after you're done at the park.
There are a couple of hotels on property, however I have never stayed at or explored them! They seem to be on the pricier side, but do look very lovely! They don't seem to be as big as the Florida hotels, mainly because Disneyland can be accomplished a lot quicker than its 4 park cousin.
If you haven't already been able to tell, I really love Disneyland.... and so do A LOT of other people! It definitely has a different feel than the other Disney resorts, but I think that is what makes it so special! If you've always been big on Walt Disney World in Orlando but have never been here, I HIGHY encourage you to - I can assure you that you will be pleasantly surprised by many things!
