For all of Disneyland’s history, live entertainment has been an important part of the guest experience. From the Pearly Band in Fantasyland to the 5 and Dime on Buena Vista Street, various musical groups perform every day, all over the resort. In the late 1960s, one popular group was called The Kids of the Kingdom. Source: […] Read more…
Note: As of 2024, the Paradise Pier Hotel has been replaced by the Pixar Place Hotel, and the dolphin has once again disappeared somewhere into Disney’s behind-the-scenes treasure box. The Paradise Pier Hotel takes its name from Paradise Pier, a former land in California Adventure celebrating old-fashioned beach boardwalks and oceanside living. Though Paradise Pier […] Read more…
UPDATE (2022): The tree at the entrance to the treehouse has been removed as part of its re-theming. So sadly, Jabba is now a retired hidden gem. With the opening of Galaxy’s Edge, Star Wars characters and shows have slowly been fading out of Tomorrowland. But not all the tributes to a galaxy far, far away […] Read more…
Since 1955, Tomorrowland has undoubtedly seen the most change of any Disneyland “land”. This space has changed color schemes, opened and closed dozens of attractions, and completely reworked its layout to accommodate its ever-changing lineup. Today, you know you’re arriving in Tomorrowland when you walk through massive jagged rock formations and come face-to-face with the […] Read more…
In the 2000s and early 2010s, Downtown Disney had a RIDEMAKERZ shop, where kids could build their own custom model cars. Inside the shop’s entryway was a special hidden gem: a real stock car, hanging upside down! The stock car towered from the second story ceiling in the shop, so visitors often walked right beneath […] Read more…
In the 1950s, space travel was still an adventure for the future. Visitors to Tomorrowland had the chance to take a rocket to the moon before NASA’s astronauts, and excitement about the “final frontier” was at an all-time high. Disney humanized the excitement around space travel with Space Man and Space Girl, a couple visiting […] Read more…
In the early days of Disneyland, Frontierland stood out as the quiet, slow-paced frontier town between the bustling Fantasyland attractions and mysterious Adventureland jungle. The town included a saloon, shops, small restaurants, trails, and a Marshal’s Office. Source: Gorillas Don’t Blog For the first year of Disneyland’s operation, the Marshal’s Office stood in the center […] Read more…
With the official retirement of Paradise Pier last week, I’ve been looking through some of my photos from the boardwalk. This beautiful land didn’t skimp on the details, and the Victorian theming wasn’t its only nod to the past. In fact, one of the shop signs paid tribute to a 1960s Disney classic: The Jungle Book. […] Read more…
Tomorrowland’s lagoon always captures the attention of passing guests. The deep blue waters, squawking seagulls, and circling submarines stand out from the overwhelmingly large buildings nearby. When the lagoon opened in 1959, the park also debuted a brand new attraction: the Submarine Voyage. Though the vast majority of this attraction took place underwater, Disney added […] Read more…
In the early years of Disneyland, Main Street USA used to sell a munch broader variety of goods. Along with standard souvenir fare, Disneyland sold tobacco, lingerie…and magical flowers that never wilted. How did Disney accomplish this impossible feat? All of the flowers were made of plastic! Source: Mousetalgia The Flower Market filled the western […] Read more…
Disneyland uses all kinds of storytelling techniques. These extend far beyond the actual architecture and appearance of every land. Sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch all work together to transport visitors between imaginary worlds, which we believe are real. A key piece of the storytelling puzzle is music. Each land in the park has a […] Read more…
On my last trip to Disneyland, I stopped for a moment to think about Tomorrowland; I realized it has the fewest hidden gems of any land in Disneyland. And then it hit me: of course it does. Tomorrowland is constantly changing, to stay updated futuristic, and somewhat imaginary. With so much growth and change, not […] Read more…
So much of Disneyland takes place in fictional worlds: enchanted kingdoms, an all-encompassing jungle, an outer planet. But Main Street USA brings you right back home to classic Americana. Main Street boasts quaint popcorn carts, horse-drawn trolley cars, and in the 1950s, a magnificent bandstand. Source: Farm 4 Originally, Walt and his team envisioned the […] Read more…
Disney designed each land in Disneyland so that guests knew instantly they were stepping into a distinct world. Tomorrowland, the land of the future, was no exception. This land’s center courtyard was the gateway to the future, ushering guests into the world of 1985. And this courtyard had a special hidden gem as its centerpiece: the […] Read more…