HOLLY WIENCEK PHOTOGRAPHY by BILL SFERRAZZA and ERIC WEBER INTRODUCTION 8 DISNEYLAND PARK 10 HOTELS of the DISNEYLAND RESORT 165 DOWNTOWN DISNEY DISTRICT 171 DISNEY CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE PARK 204 DISNEYLAND RESORT IS A WORLD OF MAGIC, a place where train station and into Town Square, I was overcome with emotion. stories, fantasy and enchantment unfold. It is a playground for It was familiar, yet brand new, and possessed a vibe I could hardly the child who lives within all of us, a manifestation of one man’s explain. The Disneyland Band was playing familiar tunes, and I dream. “Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, stopped in front of the fire station — Walt’s home away from home tomorrow and fantasy.” Disneyland Resort is a place where today — taking in the lamp in the window that glows as a reminder of disappears and fantasies spring to life, an imaginative story told his presence. It was surreal, as if I had just stepped into a dream, by Walt Disney that inspires all who follow in his footsteps. but I was about to walk in the same footsteps as one of the most It is no secret that I am a lifelong Disney enthusiast. It has creative minds to grace our world. been a part of my life since I was a toddler. Walt Disney World As I rounded the Emporium for my first glance of Sleeping Resort is a place where I escape my everyday world and immerse Beauty Castle, I was taken aback at how small it was. I grew up myself in the fanciful lands of enchantment and fantasy. Some say admiring the spires of the 189-foot Cinderella Castle in Magic I am powered by pixie dust; I just say it is my happy place. Even Kingdom Park, and Sleeping Beauty Castle was considerably though I grew up at Walt Disney World Resort, I always dreamed smaller, yet powerful and alluring enough to draw me to her of visiting Disneyland Park and walking in Walt’s footsteps. pink elegance and charm. A magical first day exploring Walt’s It wasn’t until I was in my late twenties that the dream came imaginative world was shared with the man who, two years later, true, and it was well worth the wait. On a visit to Los Angeles with would become my husband. my then-boyfriend, Pete, I asked him if we could go to Disneyland Since that first visit, we have shared many visits to Disneyland Park and he replied, “Disney is for kids.” A shocking response to Resort with our daughter, Abby, who is following in Mom’s Disney-obsessed me. I resolved that a visit that trip wasn’t in the footsteps and growing up Disney. It is a gift to be able to create cards for me, but that I would get there one day. memories as Walt intended — parents and children having fun Fast-forward six months to another trip to Los Angeles, together — and each visit to Disneyland Resort is better than the where again, my continued requests to go to Disneyland Park last. Our most recent visit as a family was during the Disneyland were denied … until one crisp February morning in 1998. What 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration, where we enjoyed I thought would be a day trip to the Orange County beaches commemorative events and savored the celebrations of Walt’s became a dream come true at the hands of the same man who life and legacy. That’s when the desire to create the Disneyland denied my past requests. We drove down Harbor Boulevard, Resort edition of Capturing the Magic came to life. chatting away, and I was not paying attention to my surroundings. Months later, Capturing the Magic photographers, Eric Pete nudged my arm and said, “Look up,” and much to my Weber and Bill Sferrazza, and I journeyed to Disneyland Resort, surprise, there it was … THE original Disneyland sign. I was and together we worked to honor the legacy of Walt Disney, his speechless and turned into a puddle of happy tears. extraordinary visions and the exquisite details of the “Happiest With excitement that could rival any youngster, we made our Place on Earth.” Join us on a photographic journey celebrating way to the traditional turnstiles, my inner child dancing in delight. the past and present of Disneyland Resort and the unforgettable I tried to play it cool, but once I walked under the portals of the mark left on the world by Walt Disney. 8 CAPTURING THE MAGIC “I JUST WANT DISNEYLAND TO LOOK LIKE NOTHING ELSE IN THE WORLD, AND IT SHOULD BE SURROUNDED BY A TRAIN.” Walt Disney DISNEYLAND RAILROAD ALL ABOARD FOR A scenic tour of Disneyland Park. The authentic Canyon and Primeval World, before returning to the Main Street, Disneyland Railroad steam-powered passenger trains take guests U.S.A. Station. The Grand Canyon diorama, featuring the work of on a journey encircling Walt Disney’s original Magic Kingdom prolific scenic artist Delmer Yoakum, offers a glimpse of the vistas with stations at Main Street, U.S.A., New Orleans Square, Mickey’s and animals of the famous American landmark in realistic detail, set Toontown and Tomorrowland. to the sounds of “On The Trail” from composer Ferde Grofe’s Grand Pass by Adventureland en route to the New Orleans Square Canyon Suite. Following the Grand Canyon diorama, guests go back Train Station for a quick stop. Across the platform at the Telegraph in time a million years to catch sight of the dinosaurs in Primeval Cable Office, guests can hear tapping across the tracks — the World, an exhibit that originated from the Ford Magic Skyway sounds of Walt Disney’s opening-day dedication speech recreated pavilion at the 1964–65 New York World’s Fair. in Morse code. Continue your travels along the Rivers of America Walt Disney was an avid train enthusiast with a lifelong into the American frontier as it was more than a century ago. fascination of trains that inspired him to build the Carolwood Chug down the tracks to the Toontown Depot, the official stop for Pacific Railroad in the backyard of his home in Holmby Hills, Mickey’s Toontown and the gateway to Fantasyland, with splendid California. The trains of Disneyland Park are not just a culmination views of Matterhorn Mountain and it’s a small world before of one man’s fascination with railroading, they are a gift he shared stopping at the Tomorrowland Station. with the world as both a means of transportation and an immersive Complete your grand-circle tour with a journey into a tunnel way of telling a story. Walt Disney occasionally took the throttle for featuring two captivating dioramas, the south rim of the Grand excursions around his beloved park. DISNEYLAND PARK 15 PARTNERS STATUE “I THINK MOST OF ALL, WHAT I WANT DISNEYLAND TO BE IS A SURROUNDED BY A BURST of colorful HAPPY PLACE…WHERE PARENTS flowers is the centerpiece of Disneyland Park’s central hub and one of the most AND CHILDREN CAN HAVE FUN, photographed icons, the Partners statue. TOGETHER.” Sculpted by animator and Disney Legend Walt Disney Blaine Gibson, the Partners statue Plaque on Partners Statue portrays a joyful Walt holding Mickey Mouse’s hand. Together they admire their magical land, as if to say, “Look what we accomplished together.” Blaine Gibson came out of retirement to create the sculpture, taking one year to capture the uniqueness of the real Walt Disney as he was in the prime of his life in 1954. Paying close attention to detail, Gibson included the initials “STR” often found on Walt’s ties, a reference to the Smoke Tree Ranch vacation home he owned in Palm Springs. On his right hand is the Irish Claddagh ring he and his wife Lillian wore in addition to their traditional wedding rings, purchased during their travels to Ireland. The Partners statue was unveiled on November 18, 1993, by Walt’s brother, Roy E. Disney, during a celebration of Mickey Mouse’s 65th birthday and Disneyland Park event “Mickey’s Worldwide Kids Party,” where more than 7,000 children from around the world were guests of honor. A rededication ceremony was held commemorating Walt’s 100th birthday on December 5, 2001. Today, guests can take a photograph encompassing the three most famous icons of Disneyland Park: Walt Disney, Mickey Mouse and Sleeping Beauty Castle. 38 CAPTURING THE MAGIC NEW ORLEANS SQUARE AREA JUST AROUND THE river bend, with winding, narrow streets and ornate wrought-iron balconies, guests will find the romantic settings of a nineteenth-century French Quarter in the legendary Crescent City. New Orleans Square evokes the vibrancy of The Big Easy with its delightful street cafés, quaint boutiques and quintessential Southern charm. Guests can swing in time to the rhythm of Dixieland jazz while taking in the exotic flavors of Cajun cuisine or relaxing under blossoming magnolia trees while savoring freshly baked fritters. New Orleans Square is the Paris of the American frontier. The howls of a haunted antebellum mansion can be heard in the distance, beckoning guests to discover the mysteries of the Haunted Mansion, while swashbuckling pirates plunder the loot of sunken pirate ships nearby at the Pirates of the Caribbean. Tucked away on Royal Street is the secret entrance to the exclusive club, Club 33, a distinctive members-only experience, as well as the ultimate in rich dining experiences, 21 Royal, the lavish dining room where storytelling unfolds through culinary inspirations in the former Disneyland Dream Suite.