Disney

American multinational mass media company

The Walt Disney Company operates several theme park resorts around the world. It is one of the largest corporations in mass media and entertainment. While most people associate the name "Disney" with animated cartoons, computer-animations and live actions, the company owns a vast range of fiction material in all kinds of media, including Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and The Muppets. It also owns the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), sportscaster ESPN and 20th Century Studios, streaming services Disney+ and Hulu, theme parks such as Disneyland and Walt Disney World and Disney original animated cartoon characters such as Mickey Mouse and Goofy.

Theme park resorts

The Walt Disney Company has twelve theme parks at six resorts spread around the globe. The original, in California, is compact and surrounded by the city of Anaheim; the resort in Tokyo is similarly situated. Paris, Hong Kong, and the newest resort in Shanghai all offer more space to breathe and a more inclusive "Disney experience" while still being close enough to their respective city to escape to other sights via train connections. The largest Disney resort, in Orlando, Florida, takes up an area larger than the island of Manhattan, and offers a fully immersive experience where the outside world can be forgotten for the length of the vacation. Each resort offers Disney-owned hotels on the property, ranging from the two hotels of the Shanghai resort to a whopping 20 in Orlando.

North America

Main Street USA and Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom.
  • Disneyland — The original two-park resort in Anaheim, California.
    • Disneyland Park — The iconic first park, with its six famed sections including Adventureland, Tomorrowland, and Fantasyland. Opened in July 1955.
    • Disney California Adventure — Park themed to different regions of California, as well as Pixar movies. Opened in February 2001.
    • Downtown Disney — Entertainment and dining complex that connects the two theme parks.
  • Walt Disney World — The massive, flagship four-park resort destination, just outside Orlando, Florida.
    • Magic Kingdom — A larger "sequel" to the original Disneyland park, with the same layout and many similar rides. Opened in October 1971.
    • Epcot — A unique "world's fair" park with two distinct sections, one themed to the innovation and the other to world cultures. Opened in October 1982.
    • Disney's Hollywood Studios — A movie-themed park with rides ranging from Star Wars to Toy Story to the imposing Tower of Terror. Opened in May 1989.
    • Disney's Animal Kingdom — A large park dedicated to the natural world past, present, and imaginary, where live animals coexist with thrilling rides. Opened in April 1998.
    • Disney Springs — Entertainment, dining, and shopping complex with unique stores and highly-themed restaurants from top chefs.

Asia

  • Tokyo Disney Resort — The unique two-park resort in Chiba, Japan.
    • Tokyo Disneyland — The first Disney park outside the U.S. shares a similar design to the Magic Kingdom park. Opened in April 1983.
    • Tokyo DisneySea — A wholly different Disney park unlike any other on the planet, a hotel straddles the entrance and a large volcano sits at the center. Opened in September 2001.
  • Hong Kong Disneyland — A smaller Disney park in Hong Kong, constant expansions have made it worth visiting. Opened in September 2005
  • Shanghai Disney Resort — The newest Disney park, in Pudong, Shanghai, China, is large and home to many interesting rides. Opened in June 2016.

Europe

  • Disneyland Paris — The now-successful two-park resort in Marne-la-Vallée, France, near Paris.
    • Disneyland Park — The first European park, it is a combination of both the original Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom. Opened in April 1992.
    • Walt Disney Studios Paris — A small, struggling park set to begin a massive reimagining and expansion in 2018. Opened in 2002.

Other experiences

At sea

Vacation Club hotels

Real locations associated with Disney films

Poohsticks Bridge, Ashdown Forest, UK
See also: Fiction tourism
  • Pixar's "Cars" (2006 film) is based on research trips to more than 1200 miles (2000 km) of Route 66, as well as NASCAR tracks and Detroit automakers. See Radiator Springs for an itinerary retracing a five-state journey through Baxter Springs and Peach Springs.
  • Winnie the Pooh's Hundred Acre Wood is based on the Five Hundred Acre Wood near Hartfield and the Ashdown Forest. Statues of the real Winnie stand at the London Zoo, at her White River (Ontario) birthplace and in Winnipeg, the city for which the bear was named.
  • While the "Star Wars" films were not set on Earth, many locations which were used when shooting the film are destinations for Star Wars tourism.
  • Brave (2012) by Pixar is set in medieval Scotland and inspired by locations such as Glen Affric and Dunnottar Castle.

See also

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