It may come as a surprise, but not everything at the Disneyland Resort can be found at Walt Disney World.
While you might think California’s Disneyland Resort and Florida’s Walt Disney World are carbon copies on different sides of the country, you’d be wrong. Disneyland is by far the smaller of the two resorts, but the California park manages to pack a lot of attractions into its (relatively) small footprint — and there are quite a few of them that you simply won’t find if you visit the Florida parks.
So let’s take a walk down Main Street and see which of our favorite Disneyland landmarks won’t be found at Walt Disney World (and remember, this is NOT an exhaustive list).
1. Walt’s Apartment
Disneyland Fire DeptWalt’s Apartment above the Disneyland Fire Department. © E. Harper
Though this isn’t something that any but the most hardcore Disney fans are likely to note, there’s a window above Main Street Fire House at Disneyland where a light always burns — though during Christmastime, it’s replaced with a miniature Christmas tree. While most passersby will see this as just another piece of Main Street’s elaborate theming, behind that window is actually a tiny apartment where Walt and Lillian Disney would stay when they visited the park. When the light was on, it meant Walt was in — and now it burns constantly as a sign that Walt’s always with us.
2. Matterhorn Bobsleds
Matterhorn BobsledsRiding the Matterhorn Bobsleds. © Disney
As you walk down Main Street, the towering silhouette of the Matterhorn mountain in Fantasyland is impossible to miss. This roller coaster takes you up and down the Matterhorn in bobsled-style cars… just watch out for the Yeti. Walt Disney World visitors shouldn’t despair that they don’t have their own Matterhorn, though: the ride is similar in feel to Space Mountain, even though the two have vastly different theming.
3. Space Mountain
Space Mountain at DisneylandDisneyland’s version of Space Mountain. © E. Harper
Speaking of Space Mountain, Disneyland’s version of the ride may look identical to the Magic Kingdom original on the outside, but to differentiate it from the nearby Matterhorn, it’s vastly different on the inside. While both versions of Space Mountain take you on an outer space adventure in the dark against a backdrop of stars, Disneyland’s version eschews the sled-style cars in favor of more traditional roller coaster cars where two passengers sit side by side. The ride’s track is also completely different, and the twisty turny thrill ride hits a higher maximum speed of 34.8mph (compared to Magic Kingdom’s 27mph).
Fans of fast rides will love the Disneyland version, but if Magic Kingdom’s version already pushes your thrill limit, you may want to avoid this ride.
4. Marvel characters
Captain America at DisneylandCaptain America greets guests at Innoventions. © Disney
On the east coast, Marvel theming and characters are reserved for Marvel Super Hero Island at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, but at Disneyland you can find Marvel characters at Tomorrowland. It’s hardly on a par with Universal’s land, but if you venture into Innoventions — not the most interesting area in either park, but always a good place to get out of heat during summer months — you’ll find meet and greets with Thor and Captain America as well as a collection of Iron Man armor. It’s not much Marvel, but with the success of this minor Marvel invasion, we expect Disney will continue to add a new Marvel attraction whenever a movie is released.
5. Disney’s classic dark rides
Snow White’s Scary Adventures at DisneylandGo on a scary adventure with Snow White. © Disney
If you head back towards Fantasyland, you’ll find a large collection of classic Disney dark rides, many of which have been replaced or revamped in the Magic Kingdom. Here you’ll find Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Peter Pan’s Flight, Snow White’s Scary Adventures, Pinocchio’s Daring Journey, Alice in Wonderland, and, around the corner in Critter Country, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Three of these — Mr. Toad, Peter Pan, and Snow White — are park originals that have been around since 1955. And of the lot, only two — Peter Pan and Winnie the Pooh — can be found at Disney World.
These rides are simplistic, to say the least, featuring cars on fixed tracks that navigate through brightly painted sets that tell classic Disney tales, often lit with black light to give the colors extra pop. Though they’re hardly state of the art, they are great for a dose of nostalgia and give us a look back on the park as it was back in Walt’s day.
6. Mickey’s Toontoon
Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin at DisneylandTake a wild ride with Roger. © Disney
If you pass through Fantasyland, you’ll find Mickey’s Toontown. Though a similar area used to exist in the Magic Kingdom, it closed in 2011. Only at Disneyland you can continue enjoying Toontown, which bears some resemblance to the Toontown from Who Framed Roger Rabbit… albeit with only Disney characters. It’s here that you’ll find the homes of Mickey, Minnie, Chip n’ Dale, Donald, and Goofy, as well as a unique Roger Rabbit ride. Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin is a dark ride that sends you on a cab ride through Toontown — but it being Toontown, your cab spins wildly as you go. Expect dizziness if you take the trip!
7. Haunted Mansion Holiday
Haunted Mansion Holiday at DisneylandVisit the Haunted Mansion’s holiday makeover at Disneyland. © E. Harper
Like at Magic Kingdom, the Haunted Mansion lies alongside the Rivers of America — and though this southern-style mansion looks different from the Magic Kingdom version on the outside, the inside is almost identical… except during the Halloween season. Because Disneyland gets a huge number of local visitors who know the park by heart, it will often shake things up for holidays to give annual passholders a new experience.
In the case of the Haunted Mansion, the ride is taken over by crew from The Nightmare Before Christmas — and from September to January, both the inside and outside of the mansion are decorated as Jack Skellington gets ready for Christmas. The yearly highlight is a giant — and appropriately creepy — gingerbread house in the ballroom, complete with a gingerbread scent that will send you to the vendor stands for seasonal gingerbread skeleton cookies. Creepy, but oh-so-yummy!
8. Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye
Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden EyeCheck out the Temple of the Forbidden Eye with Indiana Jones. © E. Harper
While Disney’s Hollywood Studios has the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular — which Disneyland lacks — it’s got nothing on this highly-themed thrill ride. Adjacent to the Jungle Cruise (whose skippers will joke about the crowds as they motor past the temple’s queue), this ride takes you into the newly discovered Temple of the Forbidden Eye. Board a jeep and drive through, navigating over rickety bridges, skidding around sharp turns, dodging snakes, and (hopefully) avoiding a very unfortunately placed boulder, all with the help of Indiana Jones.
If you’re ever at Disneyland this is definitely a must-ride!
9. Buena Vista Street
Walt and Mickey on Buena Vista StreetWalt and Mickey are waiting to greet visitors to Buena Vista Street. © Disney
If you venture out of Disneyland and across the esplanade to Disney California Adventure, you’ll find yourself on Buena Vista Street, DCA’s answer to Main Street. This shopping district is themed around 1940s California, designed to look the way it did when Walt first arrived. While the entry to DCA is a copycat of Florida’s Disney Hollywood Studios park and Buena Vista Street could be said to take some cues from Hollywood Boulevard, Buena Vista Street is a unique destination in its own right. At the end of Buena Vista Street, you’ll find a replica of the Carthay Circle Theatre where Snow White premiered — though the theater exterior hides a swanky restaurant — and a statue of a young Walt Disney, just arrived in California with the idea of Mickey Mouse.
In addition to all that, Buena Vista Street also has its own unique residents. These aren’t known Disney characters, just supposed inhabitants of the area — like Officer Calvin Blue the policeman who might write you a ticket for smiling. If you’re ever on Buena Vista Street, keep your eye out for these in-character cast-members and be sure to say hello!
10. Cars Land
Cars Land in Disney California AdventureVisit Radiator Springs at Disney California Adventure. © E. Harper
The latest addition to the Disneyland Resort is DCA’s Cars Land, which takes you into the world of Pixar’s Cars with a ride down Route 66 and into the super-kitschy town of Radiator Springs. While it’s a highly themed delight any time, with a mountain range resembling Cadillac tail fins and flower arrangements made out of tail lights, it’s at its best during the Christmas season when it’s bedazzled with lights and decorations. This new land’s star attraction is Radiator Springs Racers, which consistently has the longest wait times in the resort — and with good reason, because Racers combines the detailed theming and story of a great dark ride with the high-speed action of a thrill ride.
For Walt Disney World regulars who want to get a taste of Racers, your best bet is Epcot’s Test Track, which uses the same ride tech — but lacks the Pixar theming.
