In February of 2018, I will be visiting Disneyland for three days with my girlfriend, brother and long-time buddy, a trip that has been in the works since August of ’17. I am, of course, looking forward to this trip, and, in an effort to get into the spirit of the thing, I present to you a brief guide to the lands and attractions at the park!
Themed after a typical, early 1900’s town, Main Street USA is the first place you visit after entering the park. (Assuming you didn’t take the monorail to Tomorrowland). As you move down the street, the smells of pastries, sounds of horseshoes on cement, and “awoogas” of passing vehicles all work in unison to add to the effect.
Notable Attractions: Penny Arcade, horse-drawn street car, Great Moments with Mister Lincoln.
Adventureland, themed to look like a jungle in a remote locale, is one of the two lands that leads into New Orleans Square from Main Street USA. This effect is achieved with the numerous broad-leafed plants and the presence of the Jungle Cruise in almost every location in the land.
Notable Attractions: The Jungle Cruise, Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye.
Frozen in the time of the California Gold Rush, Frontierland is stylized with stucco building and ground. Thunder Mountain, one of the park’s four “mountain” attractions, towers over the land, and the Mark Twain Riverboat circles the river.
Notable Attractions: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Mark Twain Riverboat, Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island.
Drawing architectural inspiration from 19th Century New Orleans, this part of the park sits right where Frontierland and Adventureland meet. The area features somewhat narrow alleyways between a few of the buildings, reinforcing the design of the area.
Notable attractions: Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted Mansion.
Drawing architectural inspiration from medieval Swiss and German villages, Fantasyland is home to the iconic “Sleeping Beauty Castle.” While most of the attractions are more oriented towards families compared to the other lands in the park, they all have their own charm.
Notable Attractions: Matterhorn Bobsleds, Mad Tea Party, it’s a small world.
Set in an idealized future, akin to the Jetsons and Star Trek, Tomorrowland’s retro-futuristic looks conjure ideas of personal teleportation pads, robot butlers and taking rockets to work on the moon.
Notable Attractions: Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters, Autopia.