Cast Members Celebrated Disneyland’s 70th Anniversary Bright & Early This Morning!
Today is Disneyland’s official 70th Anniversary, and there are all kinds of celebrations going on! You can get limited-edition food, special merchandise, see exclusive entertainment, and so much more.
This morning, Disneyland Cast Members celebrated the 70th Anniversary before Disneyland Park opened up to regular guests. Let’s take a look at the morning log from Disney Parks Blog!
Cast Members Celebrate Disneyland’s 70th Anniversary
4AM — Celebrating A Morning of Memories with Disneyland Cast Members
The 70th Anniversary fun for Cast Members kicked off before the park was open to regular guests.
Photo: Disney
A special event was held as Anaheim-based Cast Members, employees, and Imagineers were invited to be some of the first to experience this milestone anniversary and historical moment!
Photo: Disney
There were everyone from Disneyland Railroad conductors to Market House baristas in the park. People were able to pick up some complimentary commemorative items to gear up for the rest of the day!
4:25AM — Visiting a Hot Air Balloon on Main Street, U.S.A.
Yep, there was a hot air balloon in Disneyland this morning for Cast Members! It launched first from ESPN’s Bristol Headquarters back in May then visited some other locations across the country like Seattle and San Francisco.
Photo: Disney
This is a special Disneyland Resort 70th Celebration hot air balloon and it landed this morning on Main Street, U.S.A. for the anniversary celebrations. You can see its bright, pastel colors and Mickey Mouse’s face on the side!
Cast Members were able to take pictures next to the balloon, which was on display near Astro Orbiter.
4:40AM — “it’s a small world” Glows with “Tapestry of Happiness”
Special projections were made on the facade of “it’s a small world” in Fantasyland! There were performances this morning of “Tapestry of Happiness”, which brings the exterior of the 1966 attraction to life with an array of light, music, and projections.
Photo: Disney
The show also happens in the evenings during the 70th Anniversary celebration, but Cast Members got a special viewing this morning. The performance was inspired by the style and work of legendary Disney artist Mary Blair and created an animated mosaic of Disneyland attractions, moments, and memories with nods to recognizable Disneyland tunes from across the years.
4:45AM — Snapping a Memorable Photo at Sleeping Beauty Castle
Sleeping Beauty Castle is special because it was the only castle actually seen by Walt Disney himself. For the anniversary today, Cast Members were able to get complimentary Disney PhotoPass digital downloads when they snapped a picture in front of it this morning!
Photo: Disney
Disney Parks Blog’s Peyton shared this photo of him and his dad in front of the castle back in 2005, when Disneyland was celebrating its 50th anniversary!
5:00AM — Posing at Photo Locations Around Town Square
There were three additional photo locations set up inside of Town Square on Main Street, U.S.A. this morning for Cast Members — in front of the Disneyland Railroad Station, the Town Square Fire Station, and the colorful 70th Medallion.
Photo: Disney
Disney Parks Blog spoke with Abigail Clay this morning, who is a core lead on the Disneyland Railroad. This is what she had to say about working at an opening day attraction that has taken guests around Disneyland since 1955: “It’s so amazing working with this iconic attraction and it just makes every day extra special!”
5:55AM — Settling in for the Flag Raising Ceremony
Once the sunshine started to appear, Cast Members headed to Town Square to see the Flag Raising ceremony, which featured appearances from the Disneyland Band and the Dapper Dans. This ceremony is a tradition from opening day of Disneyland 70 years ago!
Photo: Disney
This is a great reminder of how the spirit of service lives on at the Disneyland Resort and honors those who have served in every branch of the U.S. military. It includes performances of “America the Beautiful” and “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
6:35AM — Cast Members Get Together for a Cast Photo
Thousands of Cast Members from around Disneyland Resort got together on Main Street for a giant cast photo! You could see them from Main Street all the way back toward Fantasyland.
Photo: Disney
There were also some remarks from CEO and Chairman of The Walt Disney Company, Bob Iger, and Disney Experiences Chairman, Josh D’Amaro.
7:30AM — Rope Dropping with Guests at Disneyland
After the festivities for Cast Members began to wind down, many guests showed up bright and early this morning so they could rope drop the park on the anniversary! Guests lined up behind ropes at the entrances to the different lands of the park so they could be some of the first ones inside and start celebrating the big day.
Cast Member Welcome
Stay tuned for more Disneyland news and updates!
