Walt Disney originally conceived of and built the Disneyland theme park. Although much larger than when it began, it still holds true to Disney's dream. As you plan your own trip, you're about to experience what hundreds of millions of people already have — the magic of Disneyland. No matter how many people pass through the gates of this incredible place, each one takes away a unique experience and set of memories.

Walt Disney, with his team of Imagineers and animators, created Mickey Mouse and all the Disney animated characters. Walt and his brother Roy founded Disney Brothers Studios in 1923. Soon thereafter, they became the force behind dozens of full-length animated and live-action movies, television programs, and, of course, the theme parks.

Dubbed “the Happiest Place on Earth,” Disneyland is the original Disney theme park. Located in Anaheim, California, it opened to the public on July 17, 1955, with eighteen major attractions. Today, the Disneyland Resort includes two major theme parks, three resort hotels, and dozens of shops and restaurants in Downtown Disney. Disneyland alone now contains more than sixty major attractions.

Since Disneyland's opening, the magical experience has touched more than 500 million people of all ages and nationalities. On a peak-season day, more than 65,000 guests pass through the park's main entrance. Back in the 1940s and early 1950s, when Walt and his team dreamed up this theme park, who could have imagined that a 180-acre orange grove in Anaheim would become a tourist destination to be enjoyed for generations?