Disneyland, the “Happiest Place on Earth,” celebrates its 70th anniversary this week in Anaheim, California. The park, founded by Walt Disney, showcases the company’s intellectual property through attractions based on popular films and characters. The experiences division, including parks and resorts, is a top profit driver for Disney.

Disneyland has expanded globally with 12 theme parks and plans for a new location in Abu Dhabi. The company’s acquisition of major studios like Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, and 20th Century Fox has fueled new attractions and lands based on popular franchises. Revenue growth in the experiences division was the strongest for Disney in 2024.

Disney’s focus on using intellectual property in its parks has drawn criticism from some fans but has broadened the audience and increased revenue. The company plans to invest $60 billion in experiences over the next decade, with new attractions like a villains land, “Monsters Inc.” land, and Avengers Campus expansion. Changes include re-theming rides and closing some areas to make room for new attractions.

Read more at CNBC: Disney IP anchors theme parks. Here’s why it works