Magical Times at Disneyland

California’s ultimate theme park, The Happiest Place of Earth, still makes the magic happen with classic attractions and new thrills.

There’s no such thing as “been there, done that” at Disneyland® Park , not with new rides joining improved versions of classic attractions every year. Even when Disneyland opened in 1955, Tomorrowland was as big a part of the experience as Main Street USA. That’s because the park has always looked to the future while still celebrating the past. Example: The original (and charmingly hokey) submarine ride has morphed into the high-tech, Pixar-inspired Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. And Jack Sparrow now sails the Spanish Main in Pirates of the Caribbean.

Even Honest Abe himself, a longtime Main Street USA favorite, has gotten a makeover; the inspirational president’s words and animatronic likeness have new punch and power, creating an eerily lifelike experience at Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln. Other classics still have their fans—Dumbo soars, The Haunted Mansion scares, Matterhorn’s Abominable Snowman roars, It’s a Small World’s children sing, Splash Mountain’s Brer Rabbit and his friends laugh, Sleeping Beauty Castle sparkles, and of course Mickey and the gang still delight kids of all ages—while new dazzlers like the updated, all-digital 3-D Star Tours: The Adventures Continue, keep things fresh.

Smart tip: Get to the park early and work your way from the back to the front—you may ditch some long lines. And be sure to take advantage of the Fastpass system, which lets you reserve a spot in line for a future ride, so you can play rather than stand and drum your thumbs.