Disneyland overview
A quick snapshot of the park, its rides, and its origin story.
Opening: Disneyland in Anaheim, California opened on July 17, 1955, as Walt Disney’s dream of a “family park” where parents and children could enjoy attractions together.
Rides & lands: Disneyland is divided into themed lands such as Main Street, U.S.A., Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, New Orleans Square, Critter Country, and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Each land holds multiple attractions, shows, and experiences.
Number of rides: The exact number changes over time as attractions are added, updated, or retired, but Disneyland Park typically has several dozen attractions, including classic dark rides, roller coasters, boat rides, and interactive experiences.
- Classics: Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, “it’s a small world,” Jungle Cruise.
- Mountains: Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Matterhorn Bobsleds.
- Modern favorites: Indiana Jones Adventure, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.
Haunted Mansion & seasonal overlays
Spooky elegance, ghostly storytelling, and Jack & Sally’s holiday takeover.
Haunted Mansion: Located in New Orleans Square, the Haunted Mansion blends eerie humor with elaborate illusions. Guests board “Doom Buggies” and travel through a haunted estate filled with singing busts, dancing ghosts, and the famous ballroom scene.
Backstory: The mansion’s lore hints at restless spirits, mysterious hosts, and a playful tone—more spooky fun than true horror. The attraction is known for its use of classic stage tricks like Pepper’s Ghost and detailed set design.
Haunted Mansion Holiday: Each year, the attraction transforms into a “The Nightmare Before Christmas” overlay, featuring Jack Skellington, Sally, Oogie Boogie, pumpkins, and a twisted Christmas aesthetic. The façade and interior blend Halloween and Christmas—pumpkin patches, eerie wreaths, and a towering haunted Christmas tree.
History of the color wheel
From early theories of color to modern design and storytelling.
Early ideas: Artists and scientists have studied color for centuries. Isaac Newton’s work with prisms in the 1600s helped show how white light splits into a spectrum of colors.
Color wheel: The color wheel organizes hues in a circle, showing relationships between primary, secondary, and tertiary colors. Traditional art theory often uses red, yellow, and blue as primaries, while modern digital systems use red, green, and blue (RGB).
Different aspects of color:
- Hue: The basic color family (red, blue, green, etc.).
- Saturation: Intensity or purity of a color.
- Value: Lightness or darkness of a color.
- Temperature: Warm vs. cool colors and how they affect mood.
Disney parks use color to guide emotion: warm, inviting tones on Main Street, eerie purples and greens for spooky areas, and bright, high-contrast palettes for celebrations and parades.
Background of time & dates
How humans have measured days, years, and the passing of time.
Early timekeeping: Ancient civilizations used the movement of the sun, moon, and stars to track time. Sundials, water clocks, and later mechanical clocks helped people divide the day into hours.
Calendars: Many cultures developed calendars based on lunar cycles, solar cycles, or a combination. The modern Gregorian calendar, widely used today, was introduced in 1582 to better align the calendar year with the solar year.
Years & eras: Years are often counted from a reference point (an “era”), such as BCE/CE (Before Common Era / Common Era). Over time, societies have adjusted calendars to keep seasons and dates in sync with astronomical events.
Mini calendar
A simple month view to connect dates, weeks, and today.
Disneyland story & symbolism
How color, time, and storytelling weave together in the park.
Background story of Disney: Walt Disney began with animation and storytelling, then expanded into theme parks to create immersive worlds. Disneyland was designed as a living storybook, where each land feels like stepping into a different narrative.
Castle & glass: The central castle acts as a visual anchor. Glass-like surfaces, reflective pools, and nighttime lighting turn it into a beacon—especially during fireworks and holiday shows.
Holidays & overlays: Halloween brings pumpkins, eerie lighting, and villains; Christmas brings garlands, trees, and warm lights. Attractions like Haunted Mansion Holiday and “it’s a small world” Holiday show how the same ride can feel completely different with new color, music, and decor.
Color & time together: Morning, afternoon, and night each have different color moods in the park—soft pastels at sunrise, bright primaries midday, and deep purples, blues, and sparkling whites at night.