Posted on Tuesday, 22 October 2019

Disney theme parks have been offering family-friendly fun since the 1950s. Today you can choose from six theme parks and an entire cruise line - all packed with much-loved characters and franchises, including Mickey Mouse, Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean - and much, much more.

Back in the 1950s, Walt Disney began planning a theme park based on his most popular creations. He'd enjoyed huge success with characters such as Mickey Mouse and Goofy, and with feature films such as Snow White, Dumbo and Bambi.

In 1955, after much planning, his company opened Disneyland in Anaheim, California. It was a huge hit. In 1971, Disney opened its second resort in Florida, which enjoyed equal success. Next came Tokyo Disneyland in 1983, followed by Disneyland Paris in 1992, then Hong Kong Disneyland Resort in 2005, and most recently Shanghai Disney Resort in 2016.

The Disney ethos is simple: create clean, safe resorts where both children and adults can enjoy themselves. And of course, with Disney's vast array of characters playing a central role in maintaining the magic. Add themed hotels, golf courses and daily entertainment, and you have the perfect land-based family holiday package.

But the Disney brand was eager to conquer the oceans as well as the land: The brand partnered with Premier Cruise Line to deliver a seaborne Disney product, with packages combining cruises, hotels, and theme park entry. In 1998, Disney created its own ocean-going concern: Disney Cruise Line.

Today, the Disney offering is as alluring as it ever was - with entire packages that are as enticing to people from LA and London as they are to residents of Hong Kong or Shanghai.

Here we look at the chief Disney resort and cruise experiences.

Disneyland Resort, California

It may be the oldest resort in the Disney stable, but it has one of the newest and most exciting attractions: Star Wars Galaxy's Edge. This attraction promises to cast you into the heart of Star Wars universe on your very own adventure: advanced virtual reality blends with detail sets and towering walkers. While 2019 will be dominated by this attraction, there's a lot of other draws: Pirates of the Caribbean (based on the films); The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh; and Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters. The resort also boasts a number of themed hotels.

Walt Disney World, Florida

Opened in 1971, Walt Disney World features four theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot (Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow), Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Disney's Animal Kingdom. It also boasts two waterparks, no less than 27 themed hotels, a number of golf courses and an outdoor shopping centre called Disney Springs. As with the California resort, you'll find the ever-popular Pirates of the Caribbean, as well the spooky Twilight Zone Tower of Terror; The Haunted Mansion; and Avatar Flight of Passage - where you can fly over the moon of Pandora on the back of a banshee!

Tokyo Disney Resort

Fancy experiencing Disney, Japanese style? Located near Tokyo, this resort isn't as big as its US counterparts - but it's still bags of fun: There are three main entertainment areas - Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo DisneySea, and Ikspiari, the latter of which is based largely around shopping and dining. There are a number of Disney-branded hotels in the resort, which are linked to the theme park areas via the (very efficient) Disney Resort Line monorail.

Disneyland Paris

Originally called EuroDisney, Disneyland Paris is the biggest Disney resort outside the USA. It features two theme parks and the usual assortment of themed hotels, golf courses and restaurants. The original park features five 'lands': Main Street, U.S.A.; Adventureland; Frontierland; Fantasyland and Discoveryland. Popular rides include the (sometimes mocked) It's a Small World; the adrenaline-pumping Big Thunder Mountain; and you guessed it, Pirates of the Caribbean. Perhaps the best thing about this resort is that you can pop into Paris and see some real castles (aka Château). And of course, if you live in the UK, all this fun is a short hop under or over the English Channel!

Chinese Disney Resorts

There are two resorts in China: one in Hong Kong and one in Shanghai. The Disney recipe seems to work as well in East Asia as it does in the US or Europe. However, the Hong Kong resort has operated at a loss for most years since it opened in 2005. But with thrilling rides such as Hyperspace Mountain and the Iron Man Experience, we're sure those figures will turn around eventually. 

In the Shanghai resort, by far the most popular ride is Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure: A boat ride takes you into the centre of an epic battle in pirate-infested waters. Meanwhile, Peter Pan's Flight brings you more pirates: board a galleon and fly high above London. And TRON Lightcycle Power Run is a classic rollercoaster based on the film - and gets a big thumbs up for its top-notch visual effects.

Disney Cruises

If you thought land-based Disney experiences were immersive, waiting until you board a Disney Cruise - you can't even get off this floating theme park! But that's no bad thing when you see the array of entertainment onboard: think fun-packed pools and waterslides, vast staterooms, and superb food. But what sets Disney Cruises apart from the competition is having access to a private island, Castaway Cay - only to be enjoyed by Disney holidaymakers. Needless to say, kids love meeting all the Disney characters and slides, while adults tend to enjoy the beautiful beaches of Castaway Cay - and the comfortable rooms. There are even adult-only areas if grownups need some respite from getting hugged by oversized Mickey Mouse!

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