Disneyland

Anaheim the land of dreams and fun.  The whole city is a resort, dominated by two major theme parks - Disneyland and The California Adventure.

But the magic comes at a price, $37 for under 10s and $47 for everyone else for a one-day pass.  If you are planning more than one visit to either of the two parks then the Park Hopper passes are good value.  These come in 2-day, 3-day or 5-day options ranging from $98 to $129 per person over 10.

If you're staying in Anaheim there is a free bus shuttle service from outside hotels in the area to take you to Disneyland and bring you back.  Ask at your hotel for details and timings.

It's a good idea to plan your visit so as not to waste time walking around the massive area of the parks.  You should also make use of the FASTPASS® service which reserves your place in line while you enjoy other rides.

Disneyland and California Adventure

Disneyland is divided into eight theme "lands”, each of which has a number of rides and attractions that are somehow related to the theme of that geographic designation.

Main Street U.S.A.
At the park's entrance, Main Street U.S.A. is a picture perfect version of small town America. The streets are lined with gift shops, candy stores, a soda fountain, and a silent theater that runs early Mickey Mouse films. There is an information booth to the left of the main entrance which has a schedule of the day's events.

Adventureland
Adventureland is home to several popular rides with the theme of the most exotic regions of Asia, Africa, India, and the South Pacific Among these are:

Tarzan's Treehouse Jungle Cruise, (aboard a Mississippi River-style paddleboat)

Enchanted Tiki Room  20-minute musical show

Indiana Jones Adventure, Riders follow Indiana Jones in all-terrain vehicles and experience the bubbling lava pits, whizzing arrows, fire-breathing serpents, collapsing bridges, and a tumbling boulder. 

New Orleans Square :  A large grass filled park illuminated by gas lamps, New Orleans Square is home to the Haunted Mansion . The Pirates of the Caribbean, one of Disneyland's most popular rides, has visitors float on boats through underground caves, entering an enchanting world of pirates and buried treasure. At the Blue Bayou Restaurant, located in the depths of the ride, you can eat surrounded by cool moonlight and listen to the sound of crickets.  

Critter Country is a version of Frontierland. Older children and grown-ups love Splash Mountain, one of the largest water flume rides in the world. Loosely based on the Disney movie Song of the South, the ride is lined with about 100 characters that serenade with "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah." Riders paddle around in log boats and often get sprayed or dunked.

Frontierland -- Inspired by 19th-century America, Frontierland features a raft to Tom Sawyer's Island and a play area with balancing rocks, caves, and a rope bridge. There is also a petting zoo and a log cabin for the family to explore.

In season, Frontierland presents Rivers of America   This fascinating spectacle mixes magic, music, live performers, and sensational special effects.  Mickey Mouse uses his magical powers to create giant water fountains, enormous flowers, and fantasy creatures. A 45-foot-tall dragon breathes fire and lights up the water of the Rivers of America.

Mickey's Toontown :  This is a colorful world of cartoon characters inspired by the "Roger Rabbit" films; a land populated by 'toons. There are several rides, including Roger Rabbit's CarToonSpin, but Toontown itself is the main attraction.

Fantasyland :  A land with a storybook theme.   Most of the rides are designed for children under age 6, You'll also find Alice in Wonderland, Snow White's Scary Adventures, Pinocchio's Daring Journey, and more.

It's a Small World is a slower moving indoor river ride through a confection-filled panorama as the world's children sing It's a Small World. 

Matterhorn Bobsleds gives a roller coaster ride through chilled caverns and drifting fog banks. It is one of the park's most popular rides.

Tomorrowland    Conceived as an optimistic look at the future, Tomorrowland is designed in the stark, metallic look popularized by futurists such as Jules Verne. Long-time Tomorrowland favorites include Space Mountain and Star Tours, the original Disney-George Lucas joint venture. It's a 40-passenger StarSpeeder that encounters a a series of challenges on the way to the Moon of Endor, achieved with wired seats and video effects

Disney's California Adventure
Opened on February 8, 2001, Disney's California Adventure occupies about 55 acres of the original 100 acre Disneyland parking lot. Located immediately to the south of the Magic Kingdom, this entirely separate gated attraction features all the best of California in condensed form.

The  entrance to California Adventure is under a jaunty rendition of the Golden Gate Bridge flanked by two tiled murals representing California's riches.   Disney designers traveled throughout the state while drafting California Adventure. The result is a celebration of the brightest and best that California offers (past and present)

The themed areas within include an area representing a seaside resort, complete with  a Boardwalk and "ocean front” amusement park, with a roller coaster, California Screamin', and other rides, a "Cannery Row" area representing the Monterey area, something of Tinsel town with the Hollywood Studios backlot, a high desert aviation area named Condor Flats, an area for agriculture called Bountiful Valley and wine tasting with the Mondavi family from Napa Valley. Finally, a wilderness area, Redwood Creek, featuring the symbol for the entire park, Grizzly Peak (it's a rocky outcropping in the shape of a bear head) which has a white-water rafting adventure. Also included within the park itself is the Grand Californian Hotel, themed as a wilderness lodge in the architectural style of the National Parks lodges.

Soarin' Over California in Condor Flats is a favorite. This is a theatre attraction  that lifts each guest 20 degrees up and down. Participants soar, as though on a hang glider, over the most scenic and exciting places in California, including Yosemite, the Golden Gate, the Central Valley, the coast, San Diego, Los Angeles and Disneyland, along with other locales. You can feel the wind in your face, and each guest "glider" moves and tilts in full compliance with the scenes above, below, and to each side. 

Paradise Pier
Paradise Pier is the amusement park section of Disney's California Adventure. On the surface, it looks like a seaside recreation park from years gone by, but beneath the veneer are state-of-the-art thrill rides and amusements and midway games along the boardwalk at the edge of the lagoon.   Paradise Pier lights up at night with thousands of lights and visual effects.