Yes, Disneyland is significantly older than Walt Disney World. Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, opened its gates on July 17, 1955. It was the only theme park designed and built to completion under the direct supervision of Walt Disney himself. In contrast, Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, did not open until October 1, 1971, nearly five years after Walt Disney’s death. While Disneyland was built on roughly 160 acres of orange groves, Disney World was conceived as a massive "Project X" spanning over 25,000 acres to avoid the urban encroachment that Walt felt had "spoiled" the surroundings of his original California park. Consequently, Disneyland is often referred to as the "original" or the "ancestor," while Disney World is the massive, multi-park resort destination that evolved from those first 1955 concepts.