All the activities, displays and buildings in theme parks are based on a particular theme or idea. They attract people of different age, gender, tastes and interest. For the great majority of people theme parks are a good choice for spending great time and having fun with friends and family.
There are theme parks in almost every country. Walt Disney Parks are the best known and most loved by nearly all children and adults all around the world. The first three cities where Disneyland theme parks were opened are Anaheim, Lake Buena Vista and Tokyo. The first Walt Disney Park was opened in 1955 by Walt Disney, an American entrepreneur, animator, voice actor and film producer. In the early 1950s, Walt Disney began designing a huge amusement park which was intended to have educational and amusement value and to entertain adults and children.
He bought land in Anaheim and construction began in 1954. In the summer of 1955, special invitations were sent out for the opening of Disneyland on July 17. The park was built in just a year. On Main Street, above the fire department, Walt Disney’s private apartment was built. The apartment is still there today, and the light in the window is supposed to symbolize Walt’s presence.
Disneyland Resort is separated into two theme parks: Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure. Disneyland Park is divided into 8 themed “lands”—Main Street, U.S.A., Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, Mickey’s Toontown, Frontierland, Critter Country, New Orleans Square and Adventureland. Disney California Adventure is a journey from the old California to the modern one. Tomorrowland is famous for an amazing feature: all the plants in that attraction are edible. The park’s haunted mansion has a pet cemetery. It’s hidden on the mansion’s side lawn — a place that guests seldom see.
Of course, the cemetery is fake, no pets are buried there, and the inscriptions on the grave stones are meant to be funny. Walt Disney World, the 2nd Walt Disney Park, was opened on October 1, 1971 near Orlando, Florida. The project of the park had started in 1965. In 1966 Walt Disney died and the opening of the theme park was in the honor of the founder of Walt Disney theme parks. Disney’s Magic Kingdom was the first attraction to open at Walt Disney World back in 1971, and is one of the most famous theme parks in the world till now. Cinderella’s magnificent Castle is situated in the center of the park.
Disney World has since expanded with Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and Epcot. There are also two separate water parks (Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach) at Disney World. However, Magic Kingdom remains the all time favorite amusement park for children and their parents. Magic kingdom is separated into 6 different so called lands. Adventureland, Fantasyland, Frontierland, Tomorrowland, Main Street and Liberty Square.
Epcot is a science and technology theme park and is one of the four areas of Walt Disney World Resort. The iconic image of the park is the 18-storey spherical Spaceship Earth ride at the centre of the park. Epcot does not focus on the rollercoasters and famous characters; instead it has an educational approach to entertainment. Disney’s Hollywood Studios is divided into six main areas, each dedicated to a different Disney-related theme featuring rides, attractions, shows, shops and restaurants. These areas are Hollywood Boulevard (at the park’s main entrance), Echo Lake, Streets of America, Pixar Place, Animation Courtyard and Sunset Boulevard. Tokyo Disneyland was opened in 1983 as the first Disney theme park outside of the United States.
Modeled after Disneyland in California and the Magic Kingdom in Florida, Tokyo Disneyland is made up of seven themed lands; World Bazaar, Tomorrowland, Toontown, Fantasyland, Critter Country, Westernland and Adventureland. World Bazaar is located at the main entrance of the park and serves as a main shopping area where many guests stop on their way out of the park. Tomorrowland features future technologies and offers attractions like Space Mountain, Star Tours and Buzz Lightyear’s AstroBlasters. Toontown is a place where the Disney characters live, work and play.
Here the young er visitors can meet Mickey at his house, play on Donald Duck’s boat, check out Chip’n Dale’s Treehouse and ride a kid sized rollercoaster. Fantasyland is the park where Cinderella’s Castle is situated. Here visitors can find rides such as Peter Pan, Snow White, It’s A Small World and Pooh’s Hunny Hunt, an original Fantasyland attraction unique to Tokyo Disneyland. Critter Country is home to Disney film “Song of the South” characters.
Here you can find the popular Splash Mountain log ride, as well as guided canoe tours on the Rivers of America. Westernland is a place where the popular rollercoaster Big Thunder Mountain is located. Adventureland gives you the chance to explore the Swiss Family Treehouse, ride the Western River Railroad and sail with the Pirates of the Caribbean. Tokyo Disneyland is mostly identical to the ones in the USA with all the areas in the same general locations, rides and other attractions and Cinderella’s Castle.
In conclusion I can say that even though all three theme parks mentioned above are based on a particular idea and have much in common, there are still many differences. Firstly, names and numbers of theme lands are not identical in all the parks. Similarly, three theme parks offer different attractions and rides; they are not the exact copies of each other. Secondly, the shopping and dining options vary in all three parks. Thirdly, the ticket prices are different, it is cheaper in Tokyo. In other words Disney World theme parks are designed with a common theme yet with their own and unique differences.
