Disneyland Resort

Anaheim, site of the Disney theme parks (Disneyland Resort & Disney's California Adventure), is located 25mi southeast of LA. Take 1-5 south to the Disneyland exit.

Mickey, Minnie, Donald Duck, Pluto- who could have imagined that a few friendly cartoon characters could give rise to a global empire? Walter Elias Disney, that's who. Born and raised in the Midwest, the cartoonist (1901-1966) took his first animation job in Kansas City at the age of 18 and founded his own production company in 1922. By 1923 Walt and his brother Roy, now in Hollywood, had established the Disney Brothers Studio. They scored their first box-office success in 1928 with Steamboat Willie, a cartoon starring the newly created character Mickey Mouse. Other smash hits followed.

In the early 1950s, Walt purchased a tract of orange groves in Anaheim and formed a team of "Imagineers" to design his wildly popular Magic Kingdom. In 2001, after a $l.4-billion expansion, the original 90-acre park was joined by a second theme park, 55-acre Disney's California Adventure. Linking the two is Downtown Disney, a shopping, dining, and entertainment district best enjoyed in the evening. The three parts now make up the massive Disneyland Resort.

Disneyland Park

Disneyland

1313 Harbor Blvd, Anaheim. Open daily year-round.

Roughly elliptical in shape, Disneyland is organized into eight distinct sections that radiate out from the Central Plaza.

Adventureland - The Indiana Jones Adventure (think spiders, snakes and skulls) and the Jungle Cruise (surfin' safari) are the favorites here.

Critter Country - Expect to get wet as you swish down Splash Mountain in a log boat at a top speed of 40mph.

Frontierland - Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is a thrill ride (tame by today's standards) on a simulated runaway train. At night, visitors crowd the shoreline to see Fantasmic, a fiber-optic show.

Main Street, U.S.A. - Horse-drawn trolleys, fire engines and a double-decker bus ferry passengers past tidy brick Victorians holding old-fashioned shops, mom-and-pop soda fountains, a penny arcade and a cinema.

Mickey's Toontown - Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin offers a harrowing adventure through this 1930s cartoon come-to-life.

New Orleans Square - Strolling musicians perform Dixieland jazz in this squeaky-clean version of New Orleans' French Quarter. Go a-raidin' with a rollicking crew of rum-runners in the wildly popular Pirates of the Caribbean.

Disney's California Adventure

Adjacent to Disneyland.

Disney's newest theme park explores the richness and diversity of California. It goes lighter on the fairy tales than its 50-year-old neighbor and heavier on the reality of the State: high-tech innovation (translated here as awesome special effects and stomach-dropping rides) and high-toned tastes (sourdough bread and Napa Valley wine). The park is divided into four "lands."

A Bug's Land - Insect exploration for the very young.

The Golden State - Try hiking and white-water rafting on Grizzly River Run; Napa Valley tastings at the Golden Vine Winery; and seafood with sourdough on Pacific Wharf, reminiscent of Monterey's Cannery Row. Soaring over California is a dizzying hang-gliding tour of the state, complete with the scent of orange blossoms.

Hollywood Pictures Backlot - A tribute to the golden era of filmmaking - the two-block version of Hollywood Boulevard includes Disney's animation studio and live-entertainment theater. Opened in 2004, Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is the park's newest and scariest ride.

Paradise Pier - Thrill seekers flock to this beachfront amusement zone. California Screaming is a roller coaster that accelerates from zero to 55mph in less than five seconds.

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