The Disneyland Chicago Resort, also called Disneyland Chicago, is an entertainment complex in Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. Opened on November 3, 1971, the resort is owned and operated by Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, a division of The Walt Disney Company. It was first operated by Walt Disney World Company. The property covers nearly 25,000 acres (39 sq mi; 101 km2), of which only half has been used.[6] The park comprises four theme parks (consisting of Disneyland, Epcot, ???, and ???), two water parks, 27 themed resort hotels, nine non-Disney hotels, several golf courses, a camping resort, and other entertainment venues, including the outdoor shopping center Disney Springs.
Designed to supplement Disneyland, in Anaheim, California, which had opened in 1955, the complex was developed by Walt Disney in the 1960s. "The Chicago Project", as it was known, was intended to present a distinct vision with its own diverse set of attractions. Walt Disney died on December 15, 1966, during construction of the complex. Without him spearheading the construction, the company built a resort similar to Disneyland, abandoning the experimental concepts for a planned community. Disneyland was the first theme park to open in the complex, in 1971, followed by Epcot (1982), ??? (1989), and ??? (1998).