Disneyland Resort - Information On Disneyland Park Anaheim, California

When planning a trip to Disneyland it's easy to get confused and overwhelmed by everything there is to see and do. It's even more confusing to try and stay current with all of the locations and naming. For example, what's the difference between Disneyland Resort and Disneyland Park? This article aims to sort all of that out for you.

Disneyland Resort
At the highest level up we have Disneyland Resort. This is basically the entire Disney property in California as it relates to your vacation experience. This resort area is the all encompassing area where you'll spend your time. Inside of this resort area you will find three major regions which are Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure Park, and the Downtown Disney District. Let's describe each region in detail.

Disneyland Park

This is the big one everyone thinks of when they think of Disneyland. Although many also refer to this as the Magic Kingdom, it's actually called Disneyland Park. The version in Florida's Walt Disney World is called the Magic Kingdom but in California it's called Disneyland Park. This is the original theme park and the one with the iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough and other popular attractions such as Haunted Mansion, It's A Small World, and Pirates Of The Caribbean among many others.

Within Disneyland Park, you'll find various "lands". Each land has it's own theme and set of attractions. These lands are Main Street U.S.A., Fantasyland, Adventureland, New Orleans Square, Frontierland, Critter Country, Mickey's Toontown, and Tomorrowland.

Disney California Adventure Park

Back in February of 2001, Disney opened Disney California Adventure Park which is located right next door, and a very short walk from, Disneyland Park. This is an entirely separate park with it's own entrance and separate prices (though you can buy combo "park hopper" passes that work in both parks).

Many would agree that although a new park from Disney was a welcome sight, Disney California Adventure Park started off a bit rough. It felt a little rushed and lacked good attractions for a while. Recently though, it's become a fantastic park with many unique attractions such as Incredicoaster, Radiator Springs Racers, Soarin' Around the World, and Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!.

This park also has "lands" in it and they are Buena Vista Street, Hollywood Land, A Bug's Land, Cars Land, Pixar Pier, Pacific Wharf, Grizzly Peak, and Condor Flats.

Downtown Disney District

This region isn't a park, but more of a corridor or walkway that ties all of the areas in the Disneyland Resort together. What it lacks in rides it makes up for with shopping, dining, and non-ride attractions. This area is also home to the three Disney branded hotels which are (in order of cost and general fanciness) Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, Disneyland Hotel, and Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel.

The Downtown Disney District isn't very and easily navigated on foot, which also means that you can easily walk from either of the two parks to any of the three hotels in this area which is a huge perk to staying at a Disney operated hotel.