A gallery inside Walt Disney Presents at Disney’s Hollywood Studios highlights the growth of Disney theme parks around the world through a collection of park photos.

Tour the Worlds of Disney

The gallery, presented as “The Worlds of Disney,” features imagery from Tokyo Disney Resort, Disneyland Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Shanghai Disney Resort.

Three circular plaques explain Disney’s expansion into Japan, Europe, and China, while the surrounding photographs showcase notable castles, lands, attractions, and entertainment from each destination.

A large panoramic image of Tokyo DisneySea anchors the display. The photograph looks across Mediterranean Harbor at sunset, with Mount Prometheus rising behind the waterfront and the orange sky reflected across the water.

A Whole New Disney World

The first plaque details the arrival of Disney theme parks in Japan, beginning with Tokyo Disneyland in 1983 and continuing with Tokyo DisneySea in 2001.

A WHOLE NEW DISNEY WORLD

Disney’s first international park debuted in the Spring of 1983 in Tokyo, Japan. Similar in design to Disneyland in California and Magic Kingdom Park in Florida, Tokyo Disneyland opened with a turn-of-the-century Main Street called World Bazaar and four themed lands: Adventureland, Westernland, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland. Thanks in part to the popularity of Disney films and parks in Japanese culture, the park was considered a resounding success.

Nearly twenty years later, in Fall of 2001, Japan welcomed [its] second hit Disney Park: Tokyo DisneySea. Inspired by the legends and lore of the ocean, the beloved nautical park is home to eight unique ports of call: Mediterranean Harbor, Mysterious Island, Mermaid Lagoon, Arabian Coast, Lost River Delta, Port Discovery, American Waterfront, and Fantasy Springs.

Several nearby photographs further represent Tokyo Disney Resort. One image shows Belle and Prince Adam dancing beneath a chandelier during the ballroom sequence of Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast at Tokyo Disneyland. The trackless dark ride carries guests through large-scale scenes from the animated film aboard enchanted cup-shaped vehicles.

Another photograph depicts Rapunzel and Flynn Rider seated together in a boat surrounded by floating lanterns. The scene is from Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival in the new Fantasy Springs area of Tokyo DisneySea.

Baymax is also pictured in the gallery as he “drives” one of the vehicles from The Happy Ride with Baymax in Tomorrowland at Tokyo Disneyland. The attraction sends guests spinning behind Baymax-themed personal healthcare companions.

A tall architectural photograph shows the ornate blue-and-gold dome of Caravan Carousel in the Arabian Coast area at Tokyo DisneySea. The elaborate two-level carousel is housed inside a palace-style structure and features camels, mythical creatures, and characters inspired by Aladdin.

This year, Tokyo DisneySea has pulled out all the stops for its 25th anniversary, the “Sparkling Jubilee Celebration.”

Check out the limited anniversary parade from WDWNT POV:

Disney Meets Europe

A second plaque follows Disney’s expansion into France, from the opening of Euro Disney in 1992 through the transformation of Walt Disney Studios Park into Disney Adventure World.

DISNEY MEETS EUROPE

In April 1992, Disney celebrated the opening of its second international park and first European park: Euro Disney, better known today as Disneyland Paris. Ten years later, Disney debuted a second park in Paris inspired by the company’s rich legacy of moviemaking: Walt Disney Studios Park. Unlike its “castle park” neighbor, the new park was divided into four studio lots rather than themed lands.

In Spring of 2026, Walt Disney Studios Park was officially re-named and totally re-imagined as Disney Adventure World. Nearly double the footprint of the original park, Disney Adventure World boasts four ambitious lands: The World of Frozen, Worlds of Pixar, Avengers Campus, and a first-of-its-kind land inspired by Disney’s classic animated film, The Lion King.

The accompanying photographs present several landmarks and attractions from Disneyland Paris.

One large image offers a clear daytime view of Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant, or simply Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Paris. The pink and blue castle boasts a unique lower dungeon area in the base that houses an audio-animatronic attraction, La Tanière du Dragon (“The Lair of the Dragon”).

A smaller image shows Crush outside Studio 5, marking the entrance to Crush’s Coaster in Worlds of Pixar at Disney Adventure World. The spinning roller coaster places guests inside turtle-shell vehicles for a journey inspired by Finding Nemo.

Another nighttime photograph features the elaborate retrofuturistic exterior and launch cannon of Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain in Discoveryland at Disneyland Park. The attraction combines the architecture of the original Jules Verne-inspired Space Mountain with a Star Wars-themed ride experience.

A separate image depicts a Dinoco tanker truck surrounded by oil equipment, waterfalls, flames, and canyon scenery. This is the effects sequence from Cars: Road Trip in Worlds of Pixar at Disney Adventure World.

The largest image associated with Disneyland Paris shows a daytime boat performance taking place across Arendelle Bay in World of Frozen. Decorated boats move across the water, one of them ferrying Anna and Elsa, as fountains and pyrotechnic effects erupt in front of Arendelle Castle and the surrounding village.

For a more detailed review of Disney Adventure World, the newest addition to Disneyland Paris, check out Tom’s Honest Review on YouTube:

Disney Comes to China

The third plaque focuses on Hong Kong Disneyland and Shanghai Disneyland.

DISNEY COMES TO CHINA

Hong Kong Disneyland opened in September of 2005 on reclaimed land beside Penny’s Bay. The park consists of seven themed areas: Main Street, U.S.A., Fantasyland, Adventureland, Tomorrowland, Grizzly Gulch, Mystic Point, and Toy Story Land. The resort incorporates Chinese culture, customs, and traditions in its design, adhering to the design principles of feng shui.

Located on a 900-acre plot of land, Shanghai Disneyland opened in June, 2016. The six breathtaking lands include Gardens of Imagination, Mickey Avenue, Fantasyland, Treasure Cove, Adventure Isle, and Tomorrowland.

Several photographs represent Hong Kong Disneyland. One wide image looks across Toy Story Land from the elevated Toy Soldier Parachute Drop. Guests are shown suspended beneath a large green parachute, with RC Racer’s orange half-pipe track, oversized toy pieces, and portions of Slinky Dog Spin visible below.

Another photograph presents the exterior of Mystic Manor in Mystic Point. The Victorian-style mansion is depicted as the home and private museum of Lord Henry Mystic and houses Hong Kong Disneyland’s trackless Mystic Manor attraction.

The Shanghai Disneyland portion includes a nighttime image of Enchanted Storybook Castle. The illuminated structure serves as the centerpiece of the park and was designed to represent multiple Disney Princess stories rather than a single character.

Another photograph shows Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps during a scene from Zootopia: Hot Pursuit. Judy is positioned above the roadway while Nick stands nearby amid the attraction’s dark, overgrown environment. The trackless ride carries guests through several districts of Zootopia as part of a police pursuit.

This year, Shanghai Disneyland celebrated its 10th anniversary with a variety of celebratory performances and limited-time offerings.

You can check out the special 10th anniversary “Magic Together” nighttime spectacular from WDWNT POV:

Which international Disney resort would you most like to visit? Share your choice with us on social media.

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