Disneyland offers a good balance of classic attractions with outstanding interactive exhibits.

California Adventure at Disneyland

Step into a wonderland of behind-the-scenes animation magic at Disneyland Animation, located on the Hollywood backlot of Disneyland California Adventure. This interactive attraction reveals the secrets of animation and even gives you a chance to try it. So pick up your artist's pencil and get ready for our favorite Disneyland attraction.

Steady all hands, and keep your eyes on the overhead screen. The animation instructor guides you step-by-step through the process of drawing famous Disney characters. In the time you'll spend standing in line for Space Mountain, you can churn out at least three characters. We did: Goofy, Tigger, and Jack Skeleton, from Disney's The Nightmare before Christmas.

Best part: You don't have to be a skilled artist. The instructors make it fun and easy. Each session lasts 45 minutes and is held in a classroom setting.

Sorcerer's Workshop
Act, sing, draw, and even learn which Disney character is most like you in the workshop. Karaoke to Disney tunes or recite dialogue from classic Disney scenes. How about animation? Sketch 10 frames on some elongated paper provided, stick it in the zoetrope and give 'er a spin. A flock of 10-year-old boys were astonished at my stick man swing and hitting a golf ball. It's fun to be a kid again.

Toy Story Zoetrope
You gotta see the Toy Story Zoetrope, located near the Animation Academy exit. The animation wizards at Disney/Pixar crafted this ingenious turntable device to demonstrate how the rapid sucession of images creates the illusion of motion, a la, the motion picture. The Toy Story Zoetrope lasts under two minutes, but you'll likely stand and stare for much longer. Feels like your eyes are playing tricks on you.

Turtle Talk with Crush
Kowa'bunga, dudes. The kiddos will love this theater section featuring Crush the Turtle from Disney/Pixar's Finding Nemo. A CGI version of Crush swims up and interacts with a live audience. He swims around, asks questions, plays games, makes fun, improvises. He's a delight. But, movies generally don't talk back to you. So, how do they do that? Duuude.