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Disneyland Facts & Worksheets

Disneyland is an amusement park built based on the various works of Walt Disney and his company

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Disneyland is an amusement park that features characters, rides, and shows based on the creative productions of Walt Disney and the Disney Company.

See the fact file below for more information on Disneyland or alternatively, you can download our 27-page Disneyland worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

BRIEF HISTORY

  • Back in August 1948, the earliest drafts of Disney’s plans for an amusement park were sent to Dick Kelsey, a studio production designer. It was initially called Mickey Mouse Park.
  • There were difficulties regarding the funding of the park, which is why they decided to create a show named “Disneyland” broadcasted by ABC. 
  • The opening of the park on July 17, 1955, was regarded as “Black Sunday” due to the negative responses they received.
  • On December 5, 1985, Disneyland celebrated its 30th year by launching one million balloons along the street bordering Disneyland. 
  • In the late 1990s, additional sites were added including the Disneyland Resort, a remodeled Disneyland Hotel, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa, and Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel.
  • In celebration of Disneyland Park’s 50th anniversary, the park had an 18-month-long celebration entitled the “Happiest Homecoming on Earth.”
  • In 2004, the park underwent some renovations, which included the restoration of some attractions such as the Space Mountain, Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room.

DISNEYLAND THEMED LANDS

  • As of 2021, Disneyland Park has nine (9) themed lands: (1) Main Street, U.S.A, (2) Adventureland, (3) Frontierland, (4) New Orleans Square, (5) Critter Country, (6) Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, (7) Fantasyland, (8) Mickey’s Toontown, and (9) Tomorrowland.
  • Main Street,  U.S.A. is themed to resemble a typical Midwest town of the early 20th century and was heavily inspired by Walt Disney’s hometown, Marceline, Missouri.
  • Main Street, U.S.A usually has a train station along the park’s Disney railroad above the entrance.
  • Adventureland is designed to convey the theme of an exotic tropical location in a far-off land. Adventureland was based on Walt’s famous nature documentaries on Africa and Asia. Some attractions that can be seen in Adventureland include Indiana Jones Adventure, Jungle Cruise, and Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room.
  • Home to the Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion, the New Orleans Square’s theme is based on 19th-century New Orleans. This land is also home to the private Club 33.
  • Frontierland is one of the original five (5) themed lands. Attractions in Frontierland include the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Mark Twain Riverboat, Sailing Ship Colombia, and the Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island.
  • Critter Country was originally designed as Bear Country in 1972 but was renamed Critter Country when Splash Mountain was launched in 1989. 
  • “Star Wars”: Galaxy’s Edge is one of the themed areas and is heavily inspired by the “Star Wars” franchise.
  • Fantasyland is themed on the fairy tale films of Disney. Some of the attractions found in this area include Alice in Wonderland, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Mad Tea Party, and Peter Pan’s Flight.
  • Mickey’s Toontown is themed after the Mickey Mouse universe, where visitors can meet the Mickey Mouse universe characters and their homes, which were made to recreate the cartoon version. 
  • Tomorrowland is the last theme land on the list. Tomorrowland shows a futuristic theme. According to Walt Disney, “Tomorrow can be a wonderful age.” Scientists today are opening the doors of the Space Age to achievements that will benefit our children and generations to come The Tomorrowland attractions were designed to allow the opportunity to participate in adventures that are a living blueprint of our future.

FAMOUS DISNEYLAND ATTRACTIONS

  • Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, also known as Buzz Lightyear Astro Blazers, Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast, or Buzz Lightyear Planet Rescue is one of the well-known attractions at Disneyland. It is an interactive shooting dark ride attraction.
  • Jungle Cruise which was formerly known as Jungle River Cruise is a riverboat ride located in one of the themed lands of Disneyland, Adventureland. Jungle Cruise shows a simulated riverboat cruise that travels along a waterway using a hidden guidance system.
  • Matterhorn Bobsleds is modeled after the snow-covered Matterhorn, a mountain in the Alps. This attraction depicts a pair of intertwined roller coasters. Matterhorn Bobsleds is also the first-known tubular steel continuous-track roller coaster.

MAIN STREET ELECTRICAL PARADE

  • The Main Street Electrical Parade is a nighttime parade, which was originally held in Disneyland in California. It soon became part of the neighboring Disneyland California Adventure Park, Magic Kingdom, Tokyo Disneyland, and Hong Kong Disneyland.
  • Some of the characters in the parade include Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and Goofy.
  • There are also several floats in the parade; some of these include the float which is inspired by the Casey Jr. train from Dumbo, then there are the floats based on Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Peter Pan, Pinocchio, and Pete’s Dragon.

DISNEY PARKS AROUND THE WORLD

  • Despite the earlier blockers during the establishment of Disneyland, Disneyland achieved enormous success and was able to attract visitors all over the world. This success gave birth to the expansion of the concept to other locations. 
  • One of the earliest expansions was the establishment of Magic Kingdom in 1971, which was built at Walt Disney World in Florida.
  • In 1983, the first international Disney theme park was opened in Japan, Tokyo Disneyland. Tokyo Disneyland is part of the Tokyo Disney Resort. 
  • In 1992, Disneyland Park was opened in Paris. This park is now known as Disneyland Paris. 
  • In 2005, one of the most famous Disney theme parks in the world was opened, Hong Kong Disneyland. 
  • In 2016, the Shanghai Disneyland was opened in Shanghai.  

TRANSPORTATION

  • Due to Walt Disney’s fascination for transportation and railroads, he built a miniature steam railroad in the grounds of his own house. This was the inspiration for several modes of transport that were added to the park. 
  • The Disneyland Railroad is a steam railroad, previously known as the Disneyland and Santa Fe Railroad. Disneyland Railroad was constructed at a cost of 240,000 USD.
  • Disneyland Monorail is one of the signature attractions of Disneyland. The monorail shuttles visitors between two (2) stations, in Tomorrowland and outside Disneyland. 
  • Known as “the first aerial tramway of its kind in the United States,” the Disneyland Skyway is undeniably one of the signature attractions of Disneyland.
  • The Disneyland Skyway shuttles visitors between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland and was set 100 feet above the ground which allows the passengers a view of the Sleeping Beauty Castle, the Matterhorn Bobsleds, and the Autopia. Despite the attention the Skyway got, it was permanently closed in 1994 due to the enormous cost to retrofit the attraction for earthquake safety and Americans with Disabilities Act Standards for Accessible Design (ADA Compliance). 
  • Other vehicles to be seen in Disneyland include a double-decker bus, a horse-drawn streetcar, an old-fashion fire car, and old-fashioned cars.

DISNEYLAND TRIVIA

  • AT&T Inc., an American multinational telecommunications company that is also considered the world’s largest telecommunications company, sponsored one of the attractions in Disneyland, the Indiana Jones Adventure in Adventureland, for several years.
  • It took only around one (1) year for Disneyland to be completed despite the financial issues Walt Disney encountered during the early phase of the project. 
  • After the 9/11 terrorist attack, a restriction was placed on Disneyland. Airspace is restricted to 3,000 feet above and within a three-mile radius above the Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom. However, planes can fly higher than 3,000 feet. 

Disneyland Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Disneyland across 27 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Disneyland which is an amusement park that features characters, rides, and shows based on the creative productions of Walt Disney and the Disney Company.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Disneyland Facts
  • What Do You Know?
  • Connect!
  • Solve Them
  • Get To Know
  • My Favorite
  • Time to Hunt
  • Oops, Not Allowed!
  • Create Your Own
  • D-I-S-N-E-Y
  • Is It?

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Disneyland built?

Back in August 1948, the earliest drafts of Disney’s plans for an amusement park were sent to Dick Kelsey, a studio production designer. It was initially called Mickey Mouse Park. There were difficulties regarding the funding of the park, which is why they decided to create a show named “Disneyland” broadcasted by ABC. The opening of the park on July 17, 1955, was regarded as “Black Sunday” due to the negative responses they received.

How many Disneylands are there in the world?

There are currently six Disneyland amusement parks in the world and they are in California, Florida, Paris, Tokyo, Shanghai, and Hong Kong.

What are the different Disneyland themed areas?

As of 2021, Disneyland Park has nine (9) themed lands: (1) Main Street, U.S.A, (2) Adventureland, (3) Frontierland, (4) New Orleans Square, (5) Critter Country, (6) Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, (7) Fantasyland, (8) Mickey’s Toontown, and (9) Tomorrowland.

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Link will appear as Disneyland Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, May 31, 2022

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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