The Grand Circle Tour of

The Lay of the Lands

     Disneyland is divided into eight themed lands. When the park opened in 1955, there were only five. These were Frontierland, Fantasyland, Adventureland, Main St, USA and Tomorrowland. The Imagineers arranged the lands within the park in a purposeful, meaningful way.  Main St. is the visitor's introduction to the park.  Its cozy, hometown feel makes guests feel welcome and invites them farther into the park. It also serves to separate guests from the outside world. They move from the cities of today to an idealized city of yesteryear. This slowly eases guests out of "civilization" as they move toward the more fanciful realms of the future and the never-was. At the end of Main St. is the hub, or Central Plaza, which works much like a traffic circle to distribute guests throughout the park. In every cardinal direction from the hub is a land, each of which has a "wienie" meant to pull the guests toward it. Tomorrowland's Astro Orbitor and Frontierland's Mark Twain are examples of this.

     If a guest stands in the middle of the Hub facing the castle, to the left is Frontierland, which like the American West it represents, is on the western "frontier" of the park. And also like the Old West of the 19th century, it is bordered by more "untamed" wilderness for exploration farther west.  Tomorrowland is to the guest's right on the eastern side of the park, and just like the sunrise promises hope for the future.  Fantasyland, straight ahead, like a realm of illusion, is sheltered from the "outside" by the walls of Sleeping Beauty's Castle. Also, its central placement within the park implies the value that Disney gave to imagination and his love of fairy tales. The last land of the original five is behind the visitor and to the left. Adventureland is mysteriously tucked away next to Frontierland. It offers the excitement of the exotic and unknown.

     Disney, though, was not content with these few lands to contain the Imagineers' many ideas. Therefore, the park kept up by adding more lands, three to be exact: New Orleans Square, Critter Country, and Mickey's Toontown.   New Orleans Square became the first new land added when it premiered in 1966. It was carved out of a southern section of Frontierland along the Rivers of America and celebrates the festive spirit of The French Quarter.  Critter Country, which also occupies some of the original Frontierland, was originally known as "Bear Country." Bear Country was created specifically in 1972 to accommodate the Disney World import, Country Bear Jamboree.  In 1989, the land was renamed, Critter Country, for the opening of Splash Mountain.  Finally, the newest land, Mickey's Toontown, debuted in 1993 behind It's a Small World in Fantasyland.  This land, dedicated mostly to small children, was built on a portion of the Disneyland backlot. It allows guests to imagine they are animated characters exploring a cartoon city. Toontown was an appropriate addition to the park because the Disney Company was founded on its cartoon shorts. Or as Walt Disney liked to say, "It all started with a mouse."

     Now you know a little history of the park and how to find you way around. It's time to start exploring. Click on the blue button below, pick a land, and you're on your way!