A Family Day at Disneyland

Published in the Sunday Gujarat Samachar on 10 August 2025

From Hong Kong to Paris: Why Disney Parks Are the Happiest Places on Earth, Everywhere

I was recently in Hong Kong with my wife Heta, our daughter Raya, and all of my cousins. Naturally, one day had to be dedicated to Disneyland. It’s just one of those places you don’t skip, especially when you are travelling with a child. And while we originally planned it for Raya, I’ll be honest: I think the adults may have had just as much fun, if not more.

There’s something incredible about stepping into Disneyland, no matter your age. The music, the colours, the familiar characters brought to life, it all hits you the moment you walk through those gates. In Hong Kong, we zoomed through Tomorrowland, strolled through the magical streets of Fantasyland, and laughed like kids again as we watched Raya meet the fun characters in Toy Story Land. The food? It didn’t steal the show. But the rides, the parades, the sheer imagination of it all? Unmatched.

That day reminded me of just how powerful these places are. Across continents and cultures, Disneylands have become modern-day landmarks, not just theme parks, but spaces of joy, nostalgia, and wonder.

So this week, I want to take you on a little journey, through the history of how Disneylands came to be, where in the world you can find them, and why, no matter where you are in life, it’s never too late to feel a little magic.

A Dream That Started in USA

The story of Disneyland begins, quite simply, with a bench.

In the early 1950s, Walt Disney would often take his two daughters to ride the merry-go-round at Griffith Park in Los Angeles. As he sat on a bench watching them go round and round, he realised something: there weren’t any places where parents and children could truly have fun together. There were amusement parks for kids, and more grown-up entertainment for adults, but nothing that bridged the two. That simple thought sparked an idea.

Walt began dreaming of a place where stories would come to life, where fantasy and imagination could be walked through, touched, and experienced, not just on screen. A place that would feel safe, clean, and full of wonder. And so, in 1955, after years of planning, designing, and convincing others that this wasn’t a crazy idea, Disneyland opened its doors in Anaheim, California.

Opening day wasn’t smooth. There were rides that broke down, plumbing issues, and ticket-holding guests who couldn’t get in. But despite the chaos, the magic stuck. Families came, children smiled, and for the first time, people experienced a new kind of space, something between a movie and a memory.

Walt once said, “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.” And grow it did. That one park in California, USA became the blueprint for something much bigger, a global network of imagination.

Disneylands Around the World

What began in Anaheim, California in 1955 as a bold dream by Walt Disney has since blossomed into a global constellation of magic. While each Disneyland shares the core elements, fairy tale castles, Mickey-shaped treats, and that signature sense of wonder, they each have a local soul, shaped by culture, geography, and audience. Let’s take a closer look.

Disneyland California

This is where it all began. Walt Disney himself walked these grounds, envisioning a place where parents and children could have fun together. You can feel that legacy on Main Street, U.S.A., or when boarding the Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, or Haunted Mansion, rides that inspired entire movie franchises. And of course, there’s Sleeping Beauty Castle, smaller than its later counterparts, but rich with nostalgia. California Adventure Park next door adds Pixar and Marvel into the mix with Radiator Springs Racers and Avengers Campus.

Walt Disney World Florida

If California is intimate, Florida is epic. Opened in 1971, Walt Disney World is practically its own city, with four parks: Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. EPCOT stands out for its futuristic tech and the World Showcase, while Hollywood Studios brings Star Wars fans into a galaxy far, far away with Galaxy’s Edge and the thrilling Rise of the Resistance ride. Animal Kingdom features the stunning Pandora - The World of Avatar, where the Flight of Passage ride gives you a breathtaking flight over a bioluminescent alien world.

Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea

Opened in 1983, Tokyo Disneyland is incredibly faithful to the classic American Disney model, but with unmatched Japanese attention to detail and hospitality. But it’s Tokyo DisneySea next door that truly turns heads. It’s widely considered the best Disney park in the world. With themes drawn from ocean myths and exploration, rides like Journey to the Center of the Earth and Sindbad’s Storybook Voyage mix storytelling and artistry in a way that feels almost theatrical. DisneySea is where adults feel completely at home, every stone and lantern seems crafted with intent.

Disneyland Paris

Just 45 minutes from Paris, this park brings a unique Gothic elegance to the Disney formula. Sleeping Beauty’s Castle here is arguably the most beautiful of them all, inspired by French fairy tale architecture and even housing a dragon in its dungeon. The Phantom Manor is darker, more atmospheric than its American cousins, and Ratatouille: The Adventure is a 4D delight that shrinks you to the size of a rat scurrying through a Parisian kitchen.

Hong Kong Disneyland

It’s smaller, yes, but that makes it more relaxed, easier with young kids, and very walkable. There’s a newly unveiled World of Frozen, a must-visit whether you have sung “Let It Go” a hundred times or not. The Iron Man Experience is Marvel’s first major ride in Asia, and Mystic Manor, their version of Haunted Mansion, uses trackless technology to tell an original story filled with magic and mischief.

Shanghai Disneyland

The newest of them all, opened in 2016, Shanghai Disneyland was designed for Chinese audiences from the ground up. It’s massive, and many attractions are more high-tech than anywhere else. The TRON Lightcycle Power Run is a futuristic rollercoaster unlike anything in other Disney parks, you ride on a motorbike-style vehicle that glows with LED light. The Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure here is widely considered the best version of the ride in the world, with jaw-dropping digital effects and massive scale.

Which one is for you?

If you see, every Disneyland offers a slightly different experience. So whether it’s your first Disney adventure or your fifth, whether you are drawn in by castles, coasters, or childhood nostalgia, there’s a Disneyland somewhere that’s waiting to surprise you. I went to Hong Kong Disneyland for my daughter Raya, but truthfully, I think I may have enjoyed it just as much. Maybe even more. Because that’s the magic of Disney, it doesn’t matter how old you are; it always finds a way to make you feel like a kid again.