My Own Personal Nerdy Disney and Animation Scrutinizing Analyses: The Disney Parks - The Famous Theme Parks Who Brings Disney`s Universe To Life and Who`s Known For Being the Happiest Places on Earth

Hi folks! Welcome to my My Own Personal Nerdy Disney and Animation Scrutinizing Analysis blog. A blog where I'm analyzing several Disney films, Disney or Animation in general! These entries are just meant to be my analyses. Not reviews or statements. Just fun analyses! Though I'll make some personal remarks now and then, the content of these entries are meant to be depicted objectively. They're made for entertainment purpose only and the pictures/clips are copyright Disney or other companies.

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For the first time ever I`m going to write about something that Disney have been synonymous with: Their Theme Parks.

Well, at least we`re relieved that it`s not us who`s having that Anniversary and only the park itself :)

Yes, it was tailor made for
Pooh. Don`t ask why ;)

Disney has been known and labeled for many things throughout a whole Century (yes, it`s hard to believe that Disney has been around that long). They`ve been known for making animation through various forms. They`ve known for their iconic and archetypical components (good versus evil, an archetypical moral). They`ve been known for creating stories with magic, Princesses and talking animals. They`ve known for their previous Disneyfication, but they`ve also been known for various criticisms for many things throughout the years. However, if there`s also something that Disney has also been known for, is their Theme Parks.

Soon every train in the World
will look like me :)

Because let`s face it, regardless of what you can say about Disney, Disney are also synonymous with them. Their theme parks has always been a goal and a experience for most kids or for any Disney-fan and also been a destination for many people in general. It all started by how Walt wanted to have a theme park for his movies and shorts. And since then, the parks have managed to live their lives of their own. And it just happens that his very first park happens to have it`s Anniversary this year. And while there have been many Disney parks who`s been built afterwards, it all started with one specific theme park. And that was Disneyland in Anaheim, which opened in July 17th, 1955.

The History of Disneyland Anaheim

The idea for Disneyland began when Walt Disney was visiting Griffith Park in Los Angeles with his daughters.

While watching them ride, he wanted to make a park where adults and children could have fun together. Still, his idea lay still for many years. But the idea was born for how visitors wanting to visit his studio and realizing how it had little to offer fans. The earliest draft of the park was sent to production designer Dick Kelsey in August 31, 1948 (where it was named "Mickey Mouse Park"). Based on notes Walt made during his and Ward Kimball's trip to the Chicago Railroad Fair. As the Henry Ford's Museum and Greenfield Village had attractions like Main Street and steamboat rides. But Walt was also inspired by Tivoli Gardens in Denmark, Knott's Berry Farm, Colonial Williamsburg, the Century of Progress in Chicago, and New York's World Fair of 1939.

Walt had consultants in the park business. His ideas had a small

park with a boat ride and other areas. And was originally planned for a sixteen-acre (6.5 ha) plot to the south, across Riverside Drive from the studio. But Walt soon realized that the site was too small for his ideas. Walt bought a 160-acre site near Anaheim in 1953. Which was chosen for it`s climate and affordable land, despite how it was a rural town at the time and it was hard to get to it. Disney founded WED Enterprises (by Walt`s initials), preceeding Walt Disney Imagineering. Concept art began before funding was secured. But the Burbank City Council rejected the idea, as they feared a carnival atmosphere to the city.

Construction began in 1954. Walt set a construction deadline of one year to his staff. Both Walt and Roy took the chance to promote the park with TV. But Disney had troubles getting money, so he made the show Disneyland. During a press event on the ABC Television Network on July 17, 1955. In return, ABC agreed to finance the park. It`s a well-known that Walt was less into animation and more into other things during the last years of his life. But what`s remarkable is how Sleeping Beauty`s castle was built four years before the movie premiered. The construction cost $17 million (equivalent to $153 million in 2023), which was the triple of the original budget. 83 million people watched the event. Although 28,000 people attended the event, only about half of those were invitees, the rest having purchased counterfeit tickets, or snuck into the park by climbing over the fence. But still twice as many people showed up. Amusement parks were dying at the time.

But the park was still

a success. After two months, there were among 1. million visitors. And yes, there were many who wanted to capitalize the popularity of the parks, as both SeaWorld and Universal Studios were competing. But sometimes Walt`s creativity clashed with his operations. For the arguments of lack of attractions, he built a scale model of the Matterhorn and put a bobsled in it. Which became the first tubular steel roller coaster in the World. But Walt hoped to make an bigger impact with the advent of a monorail, which was the first in North America. He invited the US. Vice President to dedicate it`s launch.

The Attractions and Parts of Disneyland Anaheim

Don`t be fooled, it`s bigger
than it looks like :)

It`s redundant to summarize how the Disney theme parks are essentially like stepping into Disney`s movies. and the World of the characters. But visitors also gets to meet the characters. And sure, it`s needless to say that most recurring characters that you`ll meet in the parks are Mickey, Donald, Goofy and their squad. But also various other famous Disney characters, like the Princesses and other characters. However, the Disney parks doesn`t only have Disney related attractions, as they`ve have other attractions. As for areas, Disneyland Anaheim consists of nine lands and a number of concealed backstage areas. The park opened with Main Street USA, Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland. But has since added New Orleans Square in 1966, Bear Country in 1972 (now known as Bayou Country), Mickey's Toontown in 1993, and Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge in 2019.

Yes, Disneyland is a
destination by itself :)

But regarding the parts of the park, Main Street was inspired by Walt`s hometown, Missouri. And the firehouse is where he had his personal apartment, off-limits to the public. Main Street also includes The Disney Gallery and the Opera House, which shows Walt Disney A Magical Life, a show featuring an Audio-Animatronics figure of Walt. At the end lies the Central Plaza (also known as the Hub), which is a portal to most of the other parts. Adventureland was meant to recreate an exotic tropical place. Attractions include Jungle Cruise, the Indiana Jones Adventure, and Adventureland Treehouse, inspired by Swiss Family Robinson.

Yes, it was a whimsical, old
inventor who made me :)

Frontierland has the setting of pioneer days of the American frontier and includes animatronic Native Americans, at the banks of the Rivers of America. Attractions include Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Mark Twain Riverboat, Sailing Ship Columbia, Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island, Frontierland Shootin' Exposition, and Fantasmic!. Frontierland also includes Golden Horseshoe Saloon. Fantasyland includes Snow White's Enchanted Wish, Peter Pan's Flight, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Pinocchio's Daring Journey and Alice in Wonderland. And also King Arthur Carrousel, Mad Tea Party, Storybook Land Canal Boats, and It's a Small World. Tomorrowland has a "retro-future" theme like Jules Verne. It`s attractions are Space Mountain, Star Wars Launch Bay, Autopia, the Disneyland Monorail Tomorrowland Station, Astro Orbitor, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage and Star Tours: The Adventures Continue.

Yes, it`s hard for a car to be
stuck to a building :) Duuh :)

New Orleans Square is based on 19th-century New Orleans. It`s home to Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted Mansion (which was made after Walt`s death) and the private Club 33. Bayou Country's includes Tiana's Bayou Adventure. Mickey's Toontown was based by the town of Who Framed Roger Rabbit. And is home to Disney's classic cartoon characters. It has three rides: Chip 'n' Dale's Gadgetcoaster, Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway and Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin. It also includes Mickey's House and Meet Mickey, Minnie's House, Goofy's How-To-Play Yard and Donald's Duck Pond. Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge is set in the Black Spire Outpost village on the Batuu planet. It`s Attractions are Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. It replaced Big Thunder Ranch and former backstage areas. And sure, it would`ve been tempting to summarize all the attractions that has come and gone with the park. But that would`ve taken a whole entry of it`s own right. But Walt said that Disneyland would never be completed, as long as there`s imagination left in the World. Which pretty much sums the policy of the attractions.

The Other Disney Parks Around the World

We were playing with blue
fire, so that`s why it has this
color :)

However, the Disney theme parks have also expanded to other parts of the World. The second Disney Park that was made was Disney World Florida (which was chosen for many reasons, as year-round weather, major tourists and a lot of land for reasonable price. And despite how another theme park was secondary to Walt). The third Disney Park, Tokyo Disney Resort, was built in 1983 (which always has been successful). Disneyland Paris, opened in 1992 (and was originally called Euro Disney Resorts). Originally Disney were looking for locations in Frankfurt, London or Milan, but they didn`t have enough flat land.

I (Mickey) know that I`m
small, but even a small mouse
can give someone a
welcome :)

And Disneyland Paris had financial troubles, due to the recession and increased unemployment, which was affecting France at this time. But the park fortunately got more visitors three years afterwards. Tokyo DisneySea was opened in September 2001 (which are the only Disney park not owned by Disney). A second theme park in Paris, Walt Disney Studios Park, opened in 2002. Hong Kong Disneyland Resort opened in September 12, 2005 (and Disney included Chinese culture and traditions for accuracy). Shanghai Disney Resort opened in June 16, 2016. As for future parks, Disney announced that they will make a theme park and resort with Miral Group on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Criticisms of the Parks, The Best Theme Park, The Most Visited Theme Park and the Most Popular Attraction

The studio is below my box :)

However, regarding these theme parks, a relevant question if they`ve received criticism. And the truth is that Disneyland Anaheim originally received some bad reviews during it`s opening days (for not having enough drinks to the guests, too many visitors and the fresh asphalt trapping the foots of the guests). However, regarding the current criticisms have been it`s high costs and crowds, declining guest experience due to understaffing and poor service (sorry for saying this). And the introduction of paid systems like Genie+ that replace previous free alternatives, deteriorating cleanliness, and aging of attractions and overal park design. Critics also pointed cultural insensitivity in some attractions and the perceived loss of the "magic" guests associate with Disney.

I`m (Ursula) is just pretending
to be happy for Ariel :)

But regarding the popularity of the theme parks, the truth is that they`ve been the most visited theme parks of the entire World. But in that regard, it would be tempting to wonder which park is regarded as the best one by critics and visitors in general. While of course this is a personal opinion, the truth is that Tokyo Disneysea, Walt Disney World Resort, Florida and Disneyland Anaheim are regarded as the best ones in many polls. But regarding which park is the most visited, it is Disney World in Florida, having 58 million annual visitors. As opposed to Disneyland Anaheim, which gets 18 Million visitors annually. But regarding the most visited attraction in Anaheim, the truth is that (ironically) Star Wars Rise of the Resistance gets the most visitors.

Epilogue

Yes, I`m just holding the beer,
since I`m not old enough to
drink yet :)

At the end, the Disney Parks are among the most well-known and cherished components of Disney`s huge and ongoing legacy. And it`s fair to say that it`s deservedly so. No matter what you say about the parks and how it`s essentially is a cynical part of milking Disney`s commercialization (sorry for my statement), there`s no doubt that the parks are meant to delight and captivate Disney and Park lovers around the World of all ages. And while essentially this entry was meant to honoring most of the Disney Parks, it all started (pardon this intended pun) with one park.

Don`t worry, the water below
me is just a mirage :)

It`s hard to believe that this park has been around so long and that it has been longer than most of us were even born. But regardless of how expensive they are, there`s no doubt that the Disney Parks are going to continue to thrill and delight Disney buffs and park lovers for many years to come. And since this entry was meant to synergize with Disneyland Anaheim`s 70th Anniversary, there`s nothing left to wish Disneyland Anaheim Happy 70th Anniversary and may you continue to have many more.