Disneyland Celebrates 65th Anniversary
Today marks the 65th anniversary of the opening of the theme park that Walt built, Disneyland Resort. Over the years, the park has allowed countless guests to enjoy thrilling rides, fairytale worlds, magical character encounters and exotic odysseys.
Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955, as the only theme park designed and built under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney welcomed thousands of invited guests to preview the theme park on a 160-acre former orange grove in Anaheim, Calif. However, the event did not go smoothly. The by-invitation-only opening was intended for around 11,000 guests and press, but a total of 28,000 attended due to many counterfeit tickets.
To make matters worse, the park was not equipped for the public on opening day. Food and drink ran out, asphalt on Main Street USA that had been poured just that morning was so soft that the spiked heels on woman’s shoes sank in and the Mark Twain Steamboat nearly capsized from too many passengers. The opening was planned to be a preview event preceding the opening to the public the next day, but Disneyland chose July 17 as the official date of its opening and birthday.
On opening day, Disneyland offered five themed lands with a total of 20 attractions. The five themed sections: Frontierland, Tomorrowland, Adventureland, and Fantasyland, were all accessed from a plaza at the start of Main Street USA. Disneyland originally cost $17 million to build, equivalent to $163 million in 2020.
After the grand opening, Disneyland quickly recovered and was off to the races. Attractions such as Snow White and Her Adventures, Sleeping Beauty Castle, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Space Station X-1, Jungle Cruise, and Stagecoach attracted thousands of children and their parents. The implementation of special events and frequent construction of new state-of-the-art attractions inspired them to visit again. As a result, Disneyland now hosts more than 14 million visitors a year, who spend almost $3 billion annually.
Disneyland was a revolutionary vacation destination for its time. Back in the 1940s and 1950s, typical American amusement parks were full of random roller coasters, carousels and Ferris wheels. Beer was sold in large quantities and sanitation was lacking at these parks, so they contained vulgarity and grime that turned off Disney.
These experiences helped shape Disney’s views and fostered his goal to create a park where parents and children experienced fun times together. He aimed to make Disneyland the first of its kind by establishing a cleaner, theme-based park where families would enjoy the magical world that his films portrayed. In this park, his cartoon characters would come to life and interact with guests.
Main Street USA, the hub of Disneyland, was bordered by souvenir shops and alcohol was not sold on the premises. Disney wanted to avoid the rowdy element alcohol would bring, which could ruin the family atmosphere desired. This helped make Disneyland different from other amusement parks. By delivering the ideal setting for a family outing, Disneyland attracted large numbers of visitors.
Disneyland was truly a new and original creation. The different factors, such as cleanliness and theme-based, made Disneyland unique and transformative by changing the park experience. The implementation of Disney stories and characters to the park allowed it to separate itself from the pack and set the standard for future theme parks.
Disneyland was truly a new and original creation. The different factors, such as cleanliness and theme-based, made Disneyland unique and transformative by changing the park experience. The implementation of Disney stories and characters to the park allowed it to separate itself from the pack and set the standard for future theme parks.
After the success of Disneyland, Disney decided to use this family-friendly and clean theme park model to expand over the following decades. First, Disney created another park on the East Coast. Walt Disney World opened on October 1, 1971 near Orlando, Fla. During the next decade, EPCOT, known as Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, followed in 1982. The next step was growing internationally and Tokyo Disneyland, the first foreign Disney park, opened on April 15, 1983. Then in France, the park now known as Disneyland Paris, opened on April 12, 1992. After the turn of the century, a brand-new theme park, Hong Kong Disneyland, opened in September 2005 and then on June 16, 2016, Shanghai Disney opened.
Story Image: Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland Anaheim on September 3, 2003. Credit: Tuxyso / Wikimedia Commons