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Disneyland: Not Just a Small Walt Disney World!

A smiling woman with long brown hair, wearing Disney-themed ears with a shining orange bow, poses in front of the "Hotel Marceline" sign. The building is light brown with a window displaying vintage kitchen items. A vintage-style light fixture hangs above the sign.
Hotel Marceline on Disneyland Main Street, a nod to Walt's love of Marceline, MO

Happy Monday, friends! This week, I want to remind you that this is the year that REAL ID finally goes into effect for everyone! As of May 7, 2025, you must have a TSA approved ID, including, but not limited to, a REAL ID compliant Drivers License (it will have a gold star on it), a passport, or a DoD ID to fly. You can see a list of all TSA approved ID here.


I've had a lot of folks with Walt Disney World sticker shock lately, as well as reasons for not visiting Florida right now (DAS changes, heat, Florida being Florida) so this week is a good time to talk about Disneyland, which is celebrating their 70th Anniversary this year! Despite being pretty close to the middle of the country, St Louisans overwhelmingly choose the Gulf Coast over the West Coast for vacations. VERY RARELY do St Louisans consider Disneyland, and it's often because they heard it's "very small" from someone who hasn't been there since the 90s, which means they haven't even heard that Disneyland added an entire 2nd park in 2001!


A smiling woman wearing Mickey Mouse ears stands in Walt Disney's apartment in Disneyland, styled in a late Victorian era fashion. She is wearing a green dress and blue denim jacket. The room features a red floral carpet, a red settee with floral cushions, and antique furniture including a lamp, a chair, and a phonograph. Red drapes hang at the windows.
No photos allowed in Walt's Apartment, so they bring in a Photopass photographer. This tour is WORTH IT, even if you just love vintage.

Disneyland Park might remind you of Magic Kingdom in a lot of ways, but there are still some significant differences. One, this is the Park where Walt Disney himself walked the streets, and you can even visit his apartment above the Fire Station if you do the Walt's Main Street Story tour. Two, and my favorite part, is that there are still several "opening day" attractions here that you won't find at Walt Disney World, like Mr Toad's Wild Ride, & Storybook Land Canal Boats, and other rides that no longer exist at Walt Disney World, like Under the Sea with Nemo and Friends (formerly 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea). They also have an entire extra land called Mickey's Toontown. Plus, even if you THINK you've already seen a ride, like Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, and yes, even it's a small world, they are different at Disneyland!


A mother and daughter pose for a selfie in front of the "House of Body Art" building at Disney California Adventure. The daughter, on the left, wears glasses and a black t-shirt featuring a cartoon graphic. The mother, on the right, is wearing Disney-themed ears with a glittery crown and a black tentacle design. Neon lights in green and violet illuminate the building's facade, which has an Art Deco style. Pedestrians can be seen in the background.
Don't miss the neon at sunset in Cars Land!

At California Adventure Park, you may see some familiar sights like Toy Story Midway Mania and Soarin', but you'll also see entire lands that aren't at Walt Disney World, like San Fransokyo, Pixar Pier, Avengers Campus, and my personal favorite, Cars Land. (You may also expect to see Galaxy's Edge here, because of the Hollywood Studios vibe, but that land is actually at Disneyland Park.) California Adventure is also the "festival" park (like Epcot) and you'll find annual events here like the California Food & Wine Festival and Pixar Fest, and the California Adventure Festival of the Holidays.


A low-angle shot of the Haunted Mansion facade, decorated for a holiday overlay. Halloween and Christmas elements blend together; pumpkins line the roof over a garland of skulls and dark foliage draped across the pediment. The mansion's railing features candelabras with candles, metal spiderwebs, and small wreaths with skulls. Below the portico, a large, ornate wreath surrounds a clock face with a spiderweb design. A sign below the clock reads "Days to Xmas" with the counter displaying "000".
Haunted Mansion Holiday

Speaking of Holidays, Disneyland has many exclusive events throughout the year that you won't find at Walt Disney World. First, Haunted Mansion gets a Nightmare Before Christmas overlay from mid-September through early January. That alone is worth a Disneyland trip! There are also special events like Disneyland After Dark with themes like Star Wars Night and Pride Night, holiday events like Oogie Boogie Bash, Dia de los Muertos, Three Kings Day, and Lunar New Year!


A festive Halloween display at the Grand Californian Hotel features the character Oogie Boogie from "The Nightmare Before Christmas" sitting partially submerged in a large black cauldron. The display is set on a raised platform with faux stone pillars and hanging dice. An orange and black striped snake winds around the base of the cauldron. The display is roped off with red velvet ropes and gold stanchions.

One of the biggest differences between Walt Disney World and Disneyland is that it's a short walk between Disneyland's two parks, which makes Park Hoppers a must here. You can also easily walk between the Parks and the 3 on-site hotels: Grand Californian, the Disneyland Hotel, and Pixar Place. No buses or boats here, but they do have a monorail that will take you from Downtown Disney, near the Disneyland Hotel, and drops you right into Tomorrowland! Disneyland also has MANY Good Neighbor hotels in walking distance, or on the Anaheim Resort Transportation (ART) line.


A brightly lit hotel room at Disneyland's Pixar Place Hotel featuring two queen-sized beds with white linens and blue cylindrical pillows. Behind the beds is a wall mural depicting scenes and characters from Pixar and Disney movies such as "Ratatouille," "Toy Story," "Finding Nemo," "Coco" and "Inside Out ". Light blue curtains frame a window overlooking a city view. To the right, a red sofa with throw pillows is positioned near a desk with a lamp and assorted items. A red suitcase stands near the window. The room’s decor is modern and colorful.
The newly refurbished rooms at Disneyland's Pixar Place Hotel

Disneyland is full of both history and all the innovation and Imagineering that has come since. Walt Disney famously said, "Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world." If you're a Disney fan, and you've never been to Disneyland, what are you waiting for??


 
 
 

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T.I.#78744, independent agent for FST No. ST15578 and CST No. 2090937-50

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