Morning at The Happiest Place on Earth

Starting today, we'll be taking a walk through the parks of the Disneyland Resort, Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, stopping to look at some of the details and interesting sights along the way. We begin, of course, in the esplanade outside the gates to Disneyland. It's early, so the park isn't open just yet, but we can already admire some of the HalloweenTime decor, including giant pumpkins and gourds in the form of our favorite Disney characters.

Just through the gate is the famous Mickey floral and Disneyland Railroad station, sights that have greeted Guests here since 1955. The thing that makes Disneyland truly special is its history. This is the only one of the eleven Disney Parks around the world to bear Walt Disney's personal touch. That presence can still be felt 55 years later.

With a flourish, the gates open, and we're on our way into the Happiest Place on Earth. The turnstiles welcome each Guest with a tinkling of Pixie Dust. Just ahead, the Disneyland Band is playing familiar tunes. Look closely, and you'll see that even they have gotten into the spirit of the season with orange and black accents to their costumes. There's even a spiderweb motif on Bandleader Ray's cuffs.

From this point, we also get a closer look at the front of the Disneyland Railroad station. The sign across the building appears very much as it has for nearly six decades, with two exceptions. The square placard once identified the Santa Fe Railroad as sponsor of the Disneyland trains, and the population has increased significantly. Listed at an optimistic 5 million on opening day (a number reached before the end of the park's first year of operation), this part of the sign was last updated in 2004 when Bill Trow of Australia became the 500 millionth Guest to visit Disneyland.

The little yellow handcar sits on the siding in front of the Main Street Station, where the train from Frontierland would once pass its Main Street counterpart. The handcar was a gift to Walt Disney from the Kalamazoo Manufacturing Company of Michigan. As we stand here admiring the station, a whistle blows to signal the arrival of the E.P. Ripley, one of the two original engines of the Disneyland Railroad, built at the Walt Disney Studios for the opening of the park. Ripley, the engine's namesake, was an early President on the Santa Fe Railroad. For more on the history of the Disneyland Railroad, be sure to check out this article over at DisneyShawn.com.

"The E.P. Ripley now departing for a grand circle tour of Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom. Booooaaaarrrd!"

Our journey through Disneyland has begun. We step through the portal beneath the Railroad tracks and into another world. Be sure to check back every day this week, as we explore Main Street, U.S.A. and the rest of Disneyland.