Then vs. Now: How Disneyland Has Changed in the 2000s

Disneyland Resort turned 70 last July.

This milestone anniversary has triggered a sense of nostalgia for many fans.

So, let’s take a look back about how The Happiest Place on Earth has evolved over the years, focusing on the modern era.

Let’s compare then versus now at Disneyland to see how it has changed during the 2000s.

Crowd Behavior

The entire theme park industry has undergone a shocking revolution in the 2020s.

When Disneyland Resort closed for a year, management reevaluated the annual calendar.

Disney began incentivizing park guests to visit year-round rather than at specific times.

This process was already underway a decade ago, but the pandemic accelerated the behavior.

As a result of these changes, Disneyland no longer has any kind of offseason.

The crowds generally remain the same throughout the year, partially due to pricing.

Disneyland introduced dynamic pricing in 2016, starting with a basic structure.

At first, the park offered Value, Regular, and Peak tickets/pricing.

Today, guests can purchase any one of seven (!) different ticket tiers, ranging from Tier 0 to Tier 6.

The Tier 0 tickets cost the least, which often causes these park days to be extremely crowded.

Since they’re the most affordable, costing $104 plus tax, local residents and budget-conscious vacationers target them.

Conversely, the most expensive tickets often fall on major holiday weeks.

So, the crowds are sizable on those dates as well, which means Disneyland is never empty.

The Evolution of Attractions

What would you consider the best ride of the 1990s?

At Disneyland, I’d argue that the top two options were Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Splash Mountain.

Those were both instant classics that had storied glory days, with one still in operation.

Disney has modified the other into an even better version, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.

The technical innovations and digital effects on that ride define modern Imagineering.

Disney can now turn a wall into a moving picture capable of advancing any story.

Even more remarkably, Imagineers can combine multiple ride structures into a single attraction.

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance proves this fact, as it’s five different rides in one.

I’m not even counting the pre-show, which is also a demonstration of Disney excellence.

During the 1990s, Disney emphasized elegant simplicity, and there’s still a place for that.

As an example, Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree isn’t anything fancy, just a ton of fun to ride.

Other attractions such as The Incredicoaster and Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! elevate existing concepts.

Disney has mastered the art of plussing its attractions, while exploring new ideas to boot.

I mean, nobody ever expected Walt Disney to live on at Disneyland after his death.

With the introduction of Walt Disney – A Magical Life, fans can watch him every day.

Disney attractions are constantly evolving and one-upping previous Imagineering ideas.

The company starts with the best ideas in theme park history, and then Imagineers outdo them.

The Expansion Era

From 1955 through 2000, Disneyland Park operated as the only game in town.

Then, in 2001, The Happiest Place on Earth doubled its entertainment options.

Disney California Adventure debuted on February 8^th, 2001, recently celebrating its 25^th anniversary.

During that quarter-century, Disneyland Resort has changed dramatically.

Disney California Adventure (DCA) unmistakably got off to a slow start, but things have changed.

Roughly a decade ago, Disney committed to making this park half-Pixar and half-Marvel.

Since then, the results are stunning, with some fans actually preferring DCA to Disneyland.

No matter where you stand on the subject, one thing cannot be denied.

Disneyland vacations work much differently today than they did during the 1990s.

Fans can Park Hop between Disneyland Park and DCA, which many do every day.

Disneyland still hosts exponentially more rides, but DCA’s offerings are top-tier, too.

DCA hosts E-ticket attractions such as Radiator Springs Racers and Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!

Remarkably, the expansion era is only getting started thanks to the DisneylandForward deal.

Disney has purchased roads near Disneyland Resort, freeing up space for additional expansion.

Currently, Imagineers are constructing an Avatar themed land and doubling the size of Avengers Campus.

The agreement suggests that as many as a dozen more new attractions are in the offing.

So, Disneyland’s expansion era is just getting started.

FastPass to Lightning Lane

Here’s a conversation that’s not as cut-and-dried as some of the others.

The 1990s barely contained any FastPass usage. You may not believe that, but it’s true.

This service debuted at Disneyland in November 1999, so we’re only talking about a few weeks.

Most of the FastPass changes have occurred over the past 15 years.

During the early days of FastPass, fans quickly learned the system and, frankly, abused it.

I’m not throwing shade on anyone; I did it, too. The system was rife for abuse.

Fans could hold as many paper FastPasses as they needed, and that wasn’t all.

A few enterprising individuals started selling them online on sites like eBay.

Disney officials realized that something had to change. So, they threw out the old system.

Disneyland converted FastPass to a digital system where people booked reservations on their phones.

This system was still somewhat easy to manipulate to a guest’s advantage, just not as much.

In July 2017, Disney introduced MaxPass, a paid FastPass system that started at $10 a day.

Let’s just say that the price didn’t remain that low for long, and the same is true of the name.

Disney dropped MaxPass in favor of the current system, Lightning Lane.

This version comes in several forms, including Single Pass, Multi Pass, and Premier Pass.

Disney has monetized the Lightning Lane system within an inch of its life.

So, I suspect that many of you look back fondly on the early days of paper FastPasses.

Diehard fans had their run of Disneyland back then.

The Recommitment to Branded IP

Critics often assert that Disney theme parks rely far too much on branded content.

They argue that Disney parks are nothing more than an intellectual property delivery system.

Well, that may be true, but it’s not unique to the 21^st century. If anything, it’s a tribute to the early days.

When Walt Disney appeared on his ABC series, he promised one thing about Disneyland.

The park would bring all his magical cartoon creations to life as charming themed rides.

Attractions such as Peter Pan’s Flight and Snow White’s Scary Adventures were Disney IP.

They’d recently been movies that Uncle Walt and his Imagineers reinvented as rides.

Even Jungle Cruise (!) was based on a popular Disney IP from the 1950s, True-Life Adventures.

So, this is something that hasn’t changed much at The Happiest Place on Earth.

If anything, Imagineers have returned to their roots, especially at DCA.

As I mentioned earlier, after this park’s early struggles, Disney injected tons of IP.

For Pixar and Marvel fans, DCA is the gold standard in experiential entertainment.

That’s before we factor in the upcoming Avatar experience, as well as a new Coco ride.

Branded IP is back at Disneyland Resort in a big way, so much so that I suspect it’d make Walt Disney smile.

He was more than 70 years ahead of the curve in understanding what fans want.

Which Version of Disneyland Is Better?

The thing about nostalgia is that we always look back with fondness.

We don’t remember all the things that upset us about a bygone era.

Our minds reject the bad stuff, lingering on the joy we encountered along the way.

That’s particularly true at Disneyland, literally The Happiest Place on Earth.

So, I understand why people get sentimental about Disneyland’s good ole days.

Here’s the thing, though. Not that long ago, Disneyland Resort hosted just one park.

Even more recently, well, let’s face it. DCA wasn’t very good.

The positive changes started with Radiator Springs Racers/Cars Land in 2012.

We’re looking at a 14-year window of staggering improvement at DCA with more coming soon.

The Disneyland of yesterday was unquestionably spectacular…but it’s better now, folks.

Your kids will remember right now as the good ole days of Disneyland. It’s just how humans are.

Me, I’m like Walt Disney. I love society’s constant carousel of progress, and Disneyland is riding it right now.

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Featured photo: Disney