Main Street, USA

It's one of the first things you see as you enter the park and pass under the train station.  It is modeled after iconic America at the turn of the century.  Here you can find shopping, dining, photo opportunities and even the chance to ride in a horse drawn streetcar.  You might even catch a whiff of fresh baked cookies.  However that scent of cookies you're smelling is actually piped in through vents.  This is just one detail that many don't notice throughout this section of the park.  As you walk towards the castle you won't even notice that you are walking uphill.  You are actually on the second story of the park.  The first story are the underground utilidors, and underground network of tunnels for employees of the park.  Another detail you may not notice, but should appreciate, is the contrast of color between the sidewalk and grass.  The color of the concrete used throughout the park was specially created by the Kodak company to enhance the look of your photos.

There's always room for one more...

The Haunted Mansion at the Walt Disney World Resort

It's an attraction that has spawned multiple movies and merchandise and is found in a different part of every park around the world.  The Haunted Mansion tells different stories of it's owners and their afterlife.  In Disneyland it's located in New Orleans Square, it's in Liberty Square in Disney World, Fantasyland in Tokyo Disneyland and Frontierland in Disneyland Paris.  All but the last follow the storyline of the master of the house hanging himself and lead you through the now haunted home.  However the attraction in Disneyland Paris has a different storyline that ties in with the area surrounding it.  In the Paris version it is the daughter of a wealthy land owner that haunts the house, having waited for her love who was killed by her father (unknown by her) to come to her.  Part of the house is destroyed by the same natural force that destroyed the town in Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

Each attraction has a facade that reflects the area it is housed in and follow the same basic layout.  You enter a stretching room that may actually be an elevator depending on which park you are in that gives you an introduction from the ghost host himself.  A door appears out of nowhere and you then follow the path to where you will load into your doom buggy.  You will soon find yourself being led through the house and a witness to many haunted scenes such as a ghost ball.  And if you keep an eye out you may even spot a hidden Mickey.

Frontierland

Frontierland is a unique land.  In every park it has it's own background story, usually differing in how the town in Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is destroyed.  This land is themed around the west, a theme that fascinates many people in many different cultures.  You can find shooting range games and arcades in this land, along with many western themed shopping.

You can also go on an exciting mine train ride that depicts the story of a western town during the time of the gold rush.  In some of the parks the town has experienced a flood or an earthquake.  In the case of Disneyland Paris the storyline of the ride ties in with the story of Frontierland and The Haunted Mansion.

Fairytales

Fantasyland is the signature land in all of the Disney Magic Kingdom parks.  When you think of the parks you most likely picture this area.  It is home to the most iconic rides such as Dumbo and It's a Small World.  Until recently all of the Fantasylands had a carnival, tournament tent theme.  The Fantasyland in Disneyland in California was recently refurbished to make the buildings appear as permanent structures.

Fantasyland is one of the most unique lands as it can differ greatly from park to park.  The size and amount of rides varies in each of the parks.  In Disneyland, Fantasyland has many rides that can't be found in any other park, such as Alice in Wonderland and the Storybook Canal Boats.  One ride that you will find in every park however is the carousel.

On the carousel each horse has it's own color palette and each horse is carved differently.  It results in a unique and varied carousel.  And if you're lucky you can even ride Cinderella's horse, designated by a gold ribbon on it's tail.

Keep Moving Forward: Tomorrowland

Tomorrowland

Tomorrowland is the futuristic land in the Magic Kingdom theme parks.  It focuses on technology, space and the future innovations.  In every one of the Disney parks around the world it houses the popular ride Space Mountain.

Space Mountain is a steel roller coaster that is housed inside of a large building.  The darkness of the ride offers a different experience from your normal coaster.  Riders get to experience a fast paced ride through a field of stars and on some of the versions of the ride head to the moon and even get their very own soundtrack to accompany their journey.  The Space Mountain in Disneyland Paris is the only one with the unique theme of Jules Verne's From the Earth to the Moon.

Disneyland Paris is the only park to not have a Tomorrowland, instead they have Discoveryland.  The focus of this land is on the famous thinkers like Da Vinci and Jules Verne, unique and forward ideas ahead of their time.

Many of the spaces in the Tomorrowland at Walt Disney World Resort have seen many different attractions since the park's opening, keeping with the theme of change and innovation.  However some things don't change, such as the Astro Orbiter.  A version of the Astro Orbiter can be found in every park's tomorrowland.  On this ride every one has their own personal rocket.  One of the concepts in Tomorrowland is the future of transportation, and the Tomorrowland Transit Authority is one of those concepts.  A futuristic, quiet form of transportation powered by electricity.  These are just some of the things that the Disney Imagineers create that may find their way into the real world.


References:
Wright, A, & , . (2009). The imagineering field guide to magic kingdom at walt disney world--updated!. New York, NY: Disney Editions.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomorrowland

What Lies Beneath

Artist: Frank Armitage

Le Chateau de la Belle au Bois Dormant at Disneyland Park at Disneyland Paris, is one of the most unique and interesting of the Disney Castles.  Imagineering decided to take a new approach to the iconic castle that would be situated in the center of the park.  France is home to the castles that inspired the castles of the Disney theme parks and the Imagineers felt that they needed to make this one as magnificent as those that inspired it.  Some of the inspirations cited by Imagineering include illustrations from Book of Hours, Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry and the Mont Saint Michel monastery in Normandy.

Just like the other Disney castles, this one also features a walk-through attraction of the story of the princess that it houses.  However, below the castle lives an audio-animatronic dragon form of Maleficent, the evil queen from Sleeping Beauty.  Le Chateau de la Belle au Bois Dormant is the only one of the Disney theme park castles with an attraction like this.  The dragon is 89 feet from head to tail and was one of the largest audio-animatronics ever built at the park's opening in 1992.

 

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Chateau_de_la_Belle_au_Bois_Dormant

The Imagineers, Initials. (Ed.). (2010). Walt disney imagineering: a behind the dreams look at making more magic real. New York, NY: Disney Editions.

The Hub & Spoke

It's one thing to get the guests into the parks, it's another thing getting them around it.  Theme parks need to be easy to navigate and lead the guests around the entirety of the premise.  Disney has designed their theme parks in the layout of a hub & spoke.  "Another common layout is the "hub and spoke" approach that Disneyland first popularized. It has a central visual icon (such as a castle) as its hub, with themed areas fanning out from this centerpiece."(Leisure Business Advisors LLC)