California's Disneyland Resort

When California's Disneyland Resort first opened in 1955, there was no resort. There was only Disneyland, a "kiddie park" with just eighteen attractions, situated on 107 acres of land. It began as a single amusement park coupled with a single hotel.

Walt Disney's purpose in creating Disneyland was two-fold. First, he wanted to give children an opportunity to meet their favorite Disney characters. Secondly, a much more personal motive was to create a place where parents could enjoy attractions with their children, rather than merely watching from the sidelines. Long since referred to as "the happiest place on earth," Disneyland is proof-positive that Walt Disney more than accomplished his goal.

Over 50 years later, the now 180-acre area in Anaheim, California has grown into an entire resort destination, complete with 3 hotels, 2 theme parks, and a shopping, dining and entertainment area known as Downtown Disney. Today, thanks to the creative vision of Walt Disney and his team of Imagineers, Disneyland Resort continues that tradition of creating magical experiences, building unforgettable memories, and delighting guests of all ages.

We were first introduced to Disneyland several years ago, when my mother won a trip for four through a radio contest. Our visit consisted of three days at the resort and a room at the Disneyland Hotel. Though it was a short trip, we were there long enough to realize what we'd been missing by restricting ourselves to Walt Disney World.

Disneyland is not a small inferior version of Walt Disney World as some believe; far from it, in fact. While all of the Disney theme parks pride themselves on making each guest's experience a magical one, never have I felt that more keenly than when we've visited Disneyland Resort. Perhaps it was due to our excitement and anticipation. Maybe it was because I shared the experience with my boys. Whatever the reason, one thing is certain . . . Disneyland is unique and charming in a way that the larger Disney theme parks are not, though not for lack of trying.

Though small, Disneyland is quite intimate, and its appeal has a great deal to do with the fact that the original park was designed and built by Walt Disney himself. It's not the attractions that make this one park stand out from the rest, but the nostalgic nuances that can be found around every corner and in every nook and cranny of Disneyland Park. Little touches that were put into place by Mr. Disney and his team of Imagineers. No other Disney theme park can claim as much.

Some people are under the pre-conceived notion that, because California's Disneyland Resort is considerably smaller than the Walt Disney World Resort, there can't possibly be enough to do to warrant spending one's entire vacation there. Well, that couldn't be further from the truth!

Guests will find that Disneyland offers much the same entertainment as WDW, but in closer proximity. While the California resort will never enjoy the vast acreage of its counterpart in Florida, there are still plenty of attractions, parades, shows, character appearances, and live performances to fill your time there.

Disneyland Resort has two theme parks. Together, Disneyland Park and California Adventure Park require at least 4 full days to tour. That's just my opinion, though. If you don't mind hustling from one attraction to the next or plan on skipping several attractions, then you can certainly shrink that number. It's just that there are so many, many fantastic top-of-the-line rides and shows that definitely should not be missed during your visit, if at all possible.

Furthermore, there is Disneyland's Downtown Disney, my own personal favorite, which is a wonderful place to relax and unwind after a busy day at the parks. The area features a wide assortment of eateries and shops, as well as the musical stylings and entertaining performances of various musicians. My husband and I could probably spend a full day just browsing the different stores and enjoying the atmosphere of that place alone.

At the Disneyland Resort, guests will also find character meals, as well as a variety of other dining options, and, of course, many, many souvenir shops for your browsing pleasure. All of this and more combine to create a truly singular guest experience, done as only Disney can, and designed to completely dazzle the senses.

The best feature of California's Disneyland Resort, though, is that all of this is within walking distance of the resort hotels, and a few of the off-site hotels as well. So, you don't need to drive from your hotel, hop on a monorail, or take a taxi to reach Downtown Disney or the theme parks. Not only can you easily walk to your destination, but you get to further enjoy the wonderful atmosphere of this resort along the way.

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We knew early on in our first trip that we needed much more than three days to experience everything the resort has to offer and really enjoy the "magic" of Disneyland. So, as soon as our youngest son was old enough to enjoy the parks and attractions, we returned and stayed for a week. It was, without a doubt, the best trip we've ever had! We did everything . . . dined at every character breakfast, visited both theme parks, saw nearly every attraction, watched every parade, and caught almost every show. What an awesome vacation!!! It was truly wonderful. For us, there is simply no better way to experience the "magic" of Disney than with a Disneyland Resort vacation and we can't wait to do it all over again!