I am a bit surprised that on reflection, I realized that I have not dedicated a post to the Disneyland California Resort in the nearly six years that this blog has been active, especially given that my first five posts covered Disney World in Florida. To be fair, I did write a comparison between Disneyland and Magic Kingdom in Orlando, its closest theme equivalent, however, this was more to highlight the Florida park. Other than covering the reopening of Downtown Disney and part of California Adventure during the Covid19 pandemic, I have not written a post about the Disneyland Resort itself. So to commemorate 100 years of Disney and Disneyland’s 68th birthday, here’s a post about a day at the ‘happiest place on earth.’
Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955, the ambitious dream of producer and ‘imagin-ear’ Walt Disney. According to news archives, the Sunday was hot and there were some issues with the opening day, which was meant for press. The official public opening was the following day, July 18. Entry tickets were only $1, however guests also had to pay for rides, hence the references to “E tickets” being the top tier experience prior to 1982.
I grew up with Disneyland, though by the time I was born, the ticketing system had changed to a flat admission that included the rides. My family first visited as tourists in 1985 as the park was getting ready to celebrate its 30-year anniversary, and my dad captured the festivities on his- at the time- state of the art RCA video recording system. After we moved out here permanently, an annual summer trip to Disneyland became a tradition, usually to celebrate my own July 17 birthday. Being in So Cal, we also had the luxury of going on school trips to the ‘happiest place on earth’ with our performing arts programs or for graduation celebrations. Years later, as our family was growing, we invested in annual passes for ourselves and the kids. These ended up being worth the money as we would visit the parks about once or twice a month. While I have not had an annual pass since just before the pandemic, I have been able to visit Disneyland and California Adventure as a chaperone on school field trips. And this is what took me to the park in May of this year.
The park has changed much over the 68 years of its operation. The original 13 rides has expanded to 49 rides and several other attractions. The Disneyland resort now includes Disney California Adventure, a separate theme park on the Disneyland complex. More recently, a new land opened up in 2019: Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Due to the pandemic, I had been unable to visit this new land paying homage to the Star Wars franchise, but I finally had the opportunity on this trip in May. It is where we spent a good portion of our time at the park.
As all things Disney, the Galaxy’s Edge was incredible. The experience was immersive, and the level of thought and detail in the construction of the land was meticulous, down to the landscaping and lamp posts. It was as though we could have been at Batuu in the Outer Rim. As we entered the land, a smooth transition from Frontierland, we were greeted by R2-D2.
On the advice of my colleagues, I purchased a Genie Pass for $25. This replaced the former FastPass system and brought along more perks such as photo filters. This was worth the cost in terms of convenience, and was not a bad price in comparison to similar services at other amusement parks in the So Cal region. This made the day so much more relaxed, as we were able to plan our day, allowing for breaks and have shorter wait times.
At Galaxy’s Edge, we were able to get on both major attractions- Rise of the Resistance and Smuggler’s Run. Smuggler’s Run was an interactive simulation of a trek across the galaxy in the famed Millennium Falcon. There are roles for each of the six passengers: two pilots, two gunners, and two engineers. I got to be a pilot on our run, possibly to the detriment of our crew, but it was all in great fun. The experience played like an immersive video game, and it was easy to get into.
However, the piece de resistance (pun intended) was Rise of the Resistance. This ride runs on new trackless technology and features Rey and BB-8 from the most recent installations of the Star Wars series. The immersive attraction takes riders through a battle between the Resistance and the First Order. The pre-ride experience is pretty extensive and does well in setting the tone for the actual ride experience. In addition to a high level of detail in every aspect of the set, the cast members are true to First Order character, almost making us think that we were being interrogated.
The ride itself was great fun. I won’t go into too much detail here for fear of spoilers, but it is a thrill ride that takes riders through the battle scenes and ending with a ‘drop’ back to Batuu in an ‘escape pod.’
While Galaxy’s Edge was definitely the highlight of the day, including lunch at Docking Bay 7, there is much more to do and see at the Disneyland park. We rode on favorites- It’s A Small World in Fantasyland and Big Thunder Mountain in Frontierland- and I earned the lowest score on the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blaster ride in Tomorrowland. We also visited the newly updated Mickey’s Toon Town past Fantasyland. It was, all in all, a fun day, and even with caffeine and plenty of Disney-inspired snacks, we were tuckered out by the end of it.
Some things to consider:
One of the main complaints about Disneyland, despite its continued popularity, is the cost. It is expensive, especially with demand pricing. That said, for California residents, there is an $83 per day summer special in honor of Disney’s 100 year celebration. The caveat is that you purchase 3 days at the discounted rate ($249 for the three day pass) and those visits have to be completed before September 28, 2023. For more details, visit Disney.com.
Also for Southern California residents and Disney lovers, a Magic Key annual pass can be a good option for folks who plan on visiting the park more than four or five times in a year. When the kids were little, this worked well for our family so that we could make multiple, shorter visits and not feel the need to stay all day with tired babies. There is also a discount on food and merch when using an annual pass.
For an optimal experience, be sure to bring plenty of water and sun protection. A day at the park can be long, especially in the Southern California heat. Be sure to take breaks and know your family’s limits.
A day at the Disneyland Resort is a fun adventure for all. I have enjoyed my visits as a kid and then later on as a parent and an educator. Each trip was different in its own way and each brought different challenges and joys. Above all, there were memories made at the ‘happiest place on earth,’ because whether with beloved family or wonderful colleagues, life is an adventure meant to be shared.
References:
Taylor, Alan. “Opening Day at Disneyland: Photos from 1955.” The Atlantic, 24 July 2019, http://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2019/07/opening-day-disneyland-photos-1955/594655/.
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