Disclosure: Disney Interactive Studios paid for my traveling and lodging expenses.

Last Thursday, I went to Disneyland. But I didn't go for the rides. I was there to see firsthand how the themed lands of Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom inspired renowned game designer Warren Spector in his upcoming Wii game, Epic Mickey -- on a tour led by Spector himself. Pretty surreal for a guy (i.e., me) whose day job involves greasing pizza pans.

Of course, the Wasteland -- the world of Epic Mickey -- is a surreal place itself. In the game's story, it was created for all of Disney's forgotten characters and rides, with each level corresponding to areas and attractions from Disney's 55-year-old park. Main Street, U.S.A., for example, is represented in the game by the cleverly-named Mean Street. Think of it like The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past's dark world, except that this distorted place is based on a real-world location.

Both Epic Mickey's Mean Street and Disneyland's Main Street, U.S.A., lead to a distant castle.

While buildings and other structures look familiar, their form and function can be entirely different. The iconic clock tower of It's a Small World, one of the most charming and unthreatening structures imaginable, serves as one of the game's bosses.

The clock tower from It's a Small World is a perfect example of the Wasteland's twisted take on iconic Disneyland structures and characters.

During our tour, Spector delighted in pointing out specific buildings, telling us that they would be in the game or that they inspired the Wasteland's architecture. Some of these inspirations are immediately  recognizable, like the Haunted Mansion's transformation into the Wasteland's Lonesome Manor.

The Lonesome Manor shares many design elements with Disneyland's Haunted Mansion.

The highlight of our tour was a trip inside Walt Disney's apartment, located on the second floor of the Firehouse on Main Street, U.S.A. The room is filled with Walt's presence, from the antique chairs to the vintage grilled-cheese maker. A window in the office looks out to the park, and a lamp by the window is always kept lit to remind everyone that Walt is still with them.

Walt Disney's apartment is on the second floor of this building. Walt would turn on the lamp behind the center window whenever he was inside. Since his death, the lamp is always left on.

This was Spector's first time in Walt's office. His eyes watered as he tried to explain the significance of this place to the dozen gaming journalists crammed inside. Even though it was an honor to be standing in that office,I had no idea why Spector brought us there. Then, while looking out at the park, watching the families make their way down Main Street toward's the Magic Kingdom's wondrous themed lands, Spector informed us that even this most sacred of places would be in his game.