Disneyland fanatics can now take a college course on the theme park

An associate professor with the University of California, Irvine has worked Disneyland's travel experiences into his lesson plan.

Roland Betancourt teaches "Disneyland: Art, Architecture and Operation." His students are missioned to explore the design and history of theme parks.

The Los Angeles Times reported that Betancourt had 20 students in the course — which features an optional field trip to the Anaheim, Calif., park — when he taught it for the first time last spring.

"The goal of the class is not to just look at the design end or to just look at the operational end, but to really think about how these things have to inherently come together," Betancourt told the newspaper.

He said the idea came from a graduate course he previously taught on themed, artificial spaces. In that course, he examined Las Vegas and churches from medieval times.

Betancourt has taught many students who have or will work at the park. Many of them have undoubtedly visited it in their free time, too.

Betancourt himself went to the "Happiest Place on Earth" 130 times over 18 months to prepare for the class. Of course, that was more about research than rides.