Disneyland is one of the 2 parks at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. This park opened on July 17, 1955. It is the only Disney park to have been conceived and built under the direction of Walt Disney. It is the very first Disney park and was renamed Disneyland Park when the second park opened to avoid confusion between the park and the resort.
Walt Disney had the idea to create an amusement park while spending time with his daughters at local fairs in the 1930s and 1940s. He initially envisioned a location near the Disney studios in Burbank, but he quickly realized that the location would be too small. With the help of a consultant, Walt searched for the ideal location and purchased 65 hectares in Anaheim in 1953. Construction began in 1954, and the park was unveiled during a specially dedicated television show on the ABC channel on July 17, 1955.
Since its opening, Disneyland has had several expansions and numerous renovations including New Orleans Square, Critter Country in 1972, Mickey's Toontown in 1993, and Star Wars Galaxy's Edge in 2019.
Disneyland is the most visited amusement park in the world with 726 million visitors since its opening (up to December 2018). In 2018, the park received 18.6 million visits, placing it in second position just behind Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.
