Did You Know? Disneyland Opened On This Day Back In 1955?
Wishing Disneyland theme park the happiest of birthdays! We may not be able to hop on the monorail, walk right down the middle of Main Street or take a trip on the Matterhorn but there is still cause to celebrate. On this day 65 years ago, movie producer and animation pioneer Walt Disney first opened the gates to Disneyland theme parks. His goal was to create a very special place where family members of all ages could have fun together.
Drawing on his own imagination as well as those of his incredible team of Imagineers, Walt’s vision still endures today!
As a recent piece on DIsney Parks Blog tells us, a star-studded television special was broadcast on this day to introduce this theme park to the world. On opening day 18 attractions were unveiled and many are still thrilling guests to this day including Jungle Cruise, Disneyland Railroad, King Arthur Carrousel, Peter Pan’s Flight and Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.
Over the last six and half decades we’ve seen the park expand and evolve. The first expansion happened in 1959 which included three attractions (including the world’s first tubular steel roller coaster.) Further expansions included New Orleans Square in 1966, Mickey’s Toontown in 1993 and most recently Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Today, the Disneyland Resort also encompasses a sister park in Disney California Adventure, Downtown Disney and three onsite hotels.
To commemorate this special occasion, Disney+ has added “A Pre-Opening Report from Disneyland” to its streaming content. The show aired on July 13, 1955 and is hosted by Walt himself who shares many details about the park. It includes a first look at the incredible map for the theme parks, a look at how the buildings where created and designed and so much more. So be sure to head over to Disney’s streaming network when you have some spare time this weekend and check it out for yourself!
With the eternal optimism that is the heart of Disneyland, we can’t wait until we are once again able to walkthrough the parks just as Walt Disney some 65 years ago!
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