Disneyland holds a very special place in my family.  It wasn’t always like that though.  When I was growing up in Florida, I spent most of my theme park time going to Walt Disney World and I was of the opinion that Disneyland was some cramped old theme park stuck in the middle of a dirty, grimy city.  For those that don’t know, Walt Disney World is more spread out, surrounded by forest and connected by a series of lakes to hotels, additional parks and a multitude of shops. 

Then I moved to California and met my wife.  She practically grew up at Disneyland, having held annual passes from the age of seven.  In fact, if you flip through her family photo album, you’ll see the passes and photos marking her transition from a kid to an adult.  The first time she took me to Disneyland, my impression was that it was a smaller, more cramped version of Walt Disney World.  However, the more I went, the more I started getting a feeling that there was definitely something more special about Disneyland than it’s bigger Florida counterpart.  There’s a feeling of history there.  When you walk the streets of each land, there’s something about it that feels more inviting… dare I say it, more magical.   

I still feel that way and after much reflection, I know what the difference is.  The majority of people I see when I go to Disneyland are fellow Californians, locals who are there to spend a day at their park.  Walt Disney World is for tourists. 

That the designer of a theme park could make you feel like the park belongs to you is something pretty special.  Yet it’s something you can read between the lines in interview after interview on Disneyland Secrets, Stories and Magic.   This feature is a collection of interviews with the people who brought the park from Walt Disney’s dream to reality.  Many of them are in their 80s and 90s and it’s a marvelous thing that they get to tell their stories before we’ve lost them completely.  Everyone from park managers to imagineers get their opportunity to talk about the creation of the park and personal stories of interactions with Walt Disney himself.   

Probably my favorite story on the disc is the creation of the Haunted Mansion and its evolution from a walk-through Museum of the Weird to the top-notch dark ride that it is today. 

If there are two things I can say I’m disappointed in, it would be that relatively little time is spent on “the Disneyland that never was” (exploring rides that were designed but never built) and that there is absolutely no mention of Club 33 (the exclusive club that sits over New Orleans Square – for more info see John Felix’ series A Year In Disneyland here on DIMP).  Also, it can seem a little like an extended infomercial in parts as the talk of “magical lands”, “magical journeys” and “magical dreams” gets repeated a few too many times, however the feature is a fantastic look at one of the greatest imaginations to ever walk the Earth. 

 
 
Presentation
Everything on this disc looks fantastic.   Whether it’s the new documentary or the old Disneyland TV episodes, it all looks vibrant, sounds great and will get you excited. 
 
Extras
Where to begin.  Well, if we take them all in order, your first stop would be Wonderful World of Disneyland Trivia Game which actually prevented my wife and I from going further on this set for two days.  The Trivia game has both beginner and advanced questions and if you answer one question from each of the lands in the park, you can open short films not available on the rest of the DVD.  Some of these are definitely worth your time and effort, especially the behind the scenes look at The Haunted Mansion. 

Next up, People and Places:  Disneyland U.S.A. takes you on a journey through the park circa 1957, not long after it opened.  For anyone familiar with the park now, this is an in depth view of places that are long since gone in the park, including a much larger and more realistic Frontierland. 

Operation Disneyland is a documentary made specifically for ABC that covers the technical issues with broadcasting live on opening day.  The Golden Horseshoe Review, Disneyland Goes To The World’s Fair, and Disneyland Around The Seasons are all from Disney’s Wonderful World of Color.  The Horseshoe Review showcases the 10,000th show at the theater in Frontierland.  The World’s Fair piece covers the creation of It’s A Small World, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln and my personal favorite The Primeval World (which can still be seen by taking the train from Tomorrowland to Main Street).   

Building Walt’s Dream:  Disneyland Under Construction is a time lapsed presentation showing the construction of the park.  Finally, there are Still Frame Galleries. 

One last note, as a Disney Treasures release, this comes in a tin, includes a numbered certificate of authenticity, a copy of the initial rendering of Sleeping Beauty’s castle and a replica of a Disneyland ticket booklet from opening day. 
 
The Bottom Line
Disneyland is an American treasure and this collection of features shows its history, it’s evolution into the entertainment giant it is today and why it endures year after year.