Exploring the Universe of Disney World and Disneyland

Allison Jensen, Student Writer
January 16, 2018

Vacationing in the magical world of Disney, families experience friendly characters, thrilling rides, and adventurous expeditions. Disneyland was Walt Disney’s first creation, and it opened in 1955. Located in California, Walt Disney’s mission was to create a family-friendly theme park. According to Joy Case, an author dedicated to writing about historical landmarks, 27,443 acres of land in Florida was purchased, which would become DisneyWorld. Opened in 1971, this theme park was made in a much larger scale, as additions to this park would make it one of the most visited places on Earth (Case). Although Disney World and Disneyland were created by the same person, Walt Disney, the geographical size and population of people, the popular attractions, and the special park events are different.

Uniquely, Disneyland is much different compared with Disney World. According to TripSavvy, a travel website created by experts, covering only 160 acres, Disneyland is only about one-fourth a square mile (Kelleher). Though it may seem small, it is filled with character. About 17,943,000 people visit Disneyland every year (Rubin). As reported by TripSavvy, people enjoy the variety of attractions Disneyland has to offer; popular attractions include: Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, and Indiana Jones Adventure. The Pirates of the Caribbean ride is as exciting as sailing out to seas, offering small splashes and perky pirates. Moving to ghosts, the Haunted Mansion offers a ride through a haunted house — animated by humorous ghosts. Indiana Jones Adventure ride features a ride through the life of Indiana Jones — thrilling and scary (Levine). In addition to popular attractions, Disneyland also includes many special events: Disney’s Happiest Haunts Tour, Mickey’s Halloween Party, and “Walk in Walt’s Disneyland Footsteps” guided tour. Disney’s Happiest Haunts Tour is a guided tour through Disneyland, encountering characters from Haunted Mansion and finding sweet-tasty treats along the way. From tricks to treats, Mickey’s Halloween Party offers extravagant decorations and everything Halloween. Another tour, “Walk in Walt’s Disneyland Footsteps,” is a learning experience for people of all ages (“Disneyland Special Events”). According to Malloy, an author for TripSavvy, “Disneyland in California is the only Disney park that Walt Disney actually walked in and it’s the easiest place to connect with the man who started it all” (Malloy). Walt Disney may have created many wonderful theme parks, but nothing is as astonishing as the original Walt Disneyland.

Although Walt Disney created many theme parks, Disney World is larger in size and provides interminable attractions for its visitors. Disney World is heaven on Earth for kids. According to TripSavvy, Disney World is 43 square miles, which is comparable to the size of San Francisco (Kelleher). Instead of one theme park, Disney World in Florida includes four theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios. Every year, about 53,727,000 people enjoy the variety of attractions at Disney World (Rubin). According to Business Insider, popular rides in Disney World are Expedition Everest, Space Mountain, and Soarin’. Expedition Everest is a Himalayan themed roller coaster located in Animal Kingdom. It features a scary Yeti and a twist around every corner. Space Mountain is a roller coaster in the dark, simulated for people who want a view into space, offering many twists and turns. Soarin’ has no drop or turns, but instead it is a cool coast round the world. It offers exotic views from landmarks all over the world, and it also includes smells and wind effects to make the ride more magical (Wisel). Just like Disneyland, Disney World offers behind the scenes tours like “Disney’s The Magic Behind Our Steam Trains Tour,” along with different events like Epcot International Food and Wine Festival and Wild Africa Trek. During the “Disney’s The Magic Behind Our Steam Trains Tour,” visitors learn about the different trains and how they are stored and serviced. An event, like the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, people all over the world come and walk around Epcot tasting wine and different foods from all over the world. The Wild Africa Trek gives visitors an opportunity to get up close to all different kind of wildlife (“Walt Disney World Special”). Disney World is like drinking coffee; once a person starts, they can not stop. That is why millions and millions of people visit this theme park every year. While Disneyland and Disney World may be thousands of miles apart, they offer unique attractions for all different kinds of visitors.

Despite the fact Walt Disney created Disney World and Disneyland, the parks differ in size and attendance, attractions, and special events during the year. Disney World, located in Florida, has a larger theme park size, allowing more visitors to visit the park. It also offers more state-of-the-art attractions like Soarin’ and Expedition Everest. Because of its larger size, Disney World also features more events like Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival. Disneyland, located in California, on the other hand, is smaller and has less visitors during the year. It has popular attractions like the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and Indiana Jones Adventure. Disneyland also features special events like “Walk in Walt’s Disneyland Footsteps” tour. Overall, indispensable vacations to Disneyland and Disney World allow families to explore the abundant magic found inside these parks.