The Imagineering Story

 

As an adult, I have a like/hate relationship with the Disney parks. Most of the negatives that you hear are true. They're expensive, tiresome, crowded, etc. When you leave from a week at Disney World, you return to home exhausted and ready for another vacation. Yet, I continue to find myself visiting the parks. Despite the well documented negatives, there is something special about the place that keeps bringing our family back. Most of it comes down to the fact that my kids love the place. Even so, as an adult, I find the place intriguing and I can't quite put my finger on the reason for this.

I've been to Disney World in Florida several times as a kid and as an adult. With research and planning (thanks to Sarah), our family has been able to discover new restaurants and features of the park with each return trip. The place is absolutely massive, and I think this discovery of new attractions is part of what brings us back. There is always this feeling that there is more to see. 

Earlier this year we had the opportunity to go to Disney Land in Anaheim. Sarah and I really liked Disney Land. I've been asked several times which park do I prefer between the one in Florida and the one in California. I've been telling people that if you've never been to a Disney park, and you want a full Disney experience, I would go to Disney World. The appeal of Disney Land for us is that it is significantly smaller, and thus logistically easier to navigate. Plus, Disney Land's version of Magic Kingdom has a vintage and authentic feel to it. Many of the rides that are featured in both parks are a bit better at Disney Land, in my opinion.

About The Imagineering Story. California Adventure is the other park at Disney Land California. When visiting, it isn't difficult to notice that this park has a different vibe compared to other Disney parks. I started doing some research and learned that the park basically bombed after it opened. This was surprising news to me, as I thought all the Disney parks were successful (although I had heard that Euro Disney - now Disney Paris - wasn't a huge success at first either). They later repurposed the park and it has since become successful. This got me interested in the history of the parks, and so I started watching the documentary The Imagineering Story on Disney+.

The Imagineers are the group of creative minds responsible for bringing the parks to life. Walt was an absolute visionary, seemingly ahead of his time in his approach to theme parks. The Imagineers attention to detail, and what they've been able to do with all aspects of the parks is truly amazing. The show started at the beginning, with the parks in California and Florida, and progressed to the parks in Europe and Asia all the way to the present. They even discussed the initial flop of California Adventure and subsequent remake. As I was watching the show, the reason why we continue to go to Disney parks became apparent. The amount of detail that goes into every minute aspect of the park is palpable. The design and thinking that went into the parks is just amazing. You won't experience this anywhere else in the world.