The Weirdest Reason a Disney Theme Park Ever Closed

You’ve heard about all the times Disney theme parks have closed for hurricanes.

You may have even read the tragic incidents during the Kennedy assassination or 9/11.

Today, we’re going to discuss a much different day in Disney folklore.

Here’s the weirdest reason a Disney theme park closed early.

What’s a Yippie?

Before we can discuss that fateful day in 1970, I need to give you a quick history lesson.

In late 1967, American society was in turmoil over the Vietnam War and pressing local concerns.

The biggest domestic issue at the time was the Vietnam War Draft, which impacted many young men.

As a form of protest, two of them, Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin, founded a new political party.

This group, the Youth International Party, primarily existed to perform counterculture protests.

Along with their cohorts, including Hoffman’s wife, Anita, they earned a reputation as political pranksters.

You can probably see where this is going… Yup, one of them got the bright idea to invade Disneyland.

I am not joking. That’s actually how they described their grand plan for political protest.

They would invade Disneyland and bring justice to the parks in some odd ways.

As a whole, describing the Yippies as a political party is somewhat generous.

They were the late 1960s and early 1970s equivalent of a flash mob.

The Hoffman described their followers as “psychedelic hippies,” which speaks volumes about their effectiveness.

If you have a friend who swallows several gummies and then talks a big game about making sweeping societal changes, you know the type.

The Yippies were, by definition, anti-war, anti-capitalism, and anti-establishment. They didn’t perceive themselves as pure hippies but rather as more evolved ones with political ambitions.

In fact, Rubin unsuccessfully ran for mayor of Berkeley, California, in 1967, earning only about 20 percent of the vote.

Generally speaking, voters didn’t take Yippies seriously, nor should they have…except Disney.

The Invasion of Disneyland

This nonsensical attempt at political protest occurred on August 6^th, 1970.

History remembers Disneyland as closing five hours earlier than intended that day.

What caused the shutdown? Well, it wasn’t anything understandable like a power failure or an earthquake.

No, the source of this disruption was a bunch of goofy 20-somethings protesting Porky Pig.

Before you remind me that Porky Pig isn’t a Disney character, I’ll cut you off and say, “Yes, I know.”

The problem is that the Yippies organizing the Invasion of Disneyland didn’t realize that.

Their lives weren’t defined by intellectual properties the way ours are in the 2020s.

So, these political protesters thought they were making a big statement about Porky Pig’s presence at Disneyland.

Let’s just say that the Invasion of Disneyland wasn’t a well-organized event.

For that matter, the leaders of the Youth International Party couldn’t be bothered to attend.

Because of this fact, it’s fair to wonder how much the official Yippies had anything to do with it.

What we do know is that local Yippies in Southern California printed tons of brochures. They posted them on bulletin boards, utility poles, and anything else they could find.

Since the event didn’t lack for marketing, Disneyland officials took this invasion seriously.

They braced for thousands of Yippies to arrive on August 6^th and disrupt daily operations.

Meanwhile, the organizers made big plans about how to spend the day politicizing The Happiest Place on Earth.

The Three-Pronged Protest

Yippies posted these pamphlets promising three different park protests.

Yippies intended to host a “Black Panther Hot Breakfast” at Aunt Jemima’s Pancake House inside Disneyland.

No, this wasn’t a Wakanda thing. It referenced the Black Panther political group of the era.

They would have politicized the representation of Aunt Jemima…if anyone had shown up.

This particular activity never happened. That’s a bit odd if we accept the historical records of the day.

Reports from that week indicated that the Yippies passed out 100,000 flyers about the Disneyland Invasion.

I believe that number about as much as I buy that Porky Pig is a Disney character.

Speaking of which, Porky Pig wouldn’t have had fun at this protest.

The plans called for a Porky Pig barbecue…which Disney may have allowed since, again, he’s not a Disney character.

I joke because this plan also failed to come to fruition, speaking to the disorganized nature of the event.

You’d think that protesters capable of producing 100,000 flyers could do a better job building a park itinerary.

To their credit, one suggested activity did take place…sort of.

Feminists planned to liberate Minnie Mouse at Disneyland, whatever that means.

This final prong of the protest failed to free Minnie Mouse from the patriarchy, but some Yippie women did briefly stand in the area.

That’s about the extent of the planned protests, and I’ll now explain why.

You Can’t Fight City Hall…Or Main Street, U.S.A.

Disneyland officials had access to those same circulars that the Yippies did.

They identified the planned protests and took steps to protect the peace.

Management contacted law enforcement, leading to a police presence on Main Street, U.S.A.

That’s something you don’t often see, yet it definitely occurred on August 6^th, 1970.

Disney tried to prevent it, though, albeit by participating in a bit of profiling.

Disneyland had only recently reduced its restrictions on who could enter the parks. Men with long hair weren’t allowed to enter the park during its first decade. I’m serious.

Had management maintained this policy into the early 1970s, none of this would have happened.

I say this because Cast Members could easily identify Yippies at the park entrance.

The protesters were the men with long hair…and also some picket signs.

Disney employees clearly indicated that if the protesters were there to have a good time, they were welcome.

That is Disneyland’s mantra, after all. “To all that come to this happy place, welcome.”

However, if they intended to disrupt other guests, Disney would ask the protesters to leave.

Remarkably, this gentle warning worked shockingly well. Only a few hundred Yippies performed any protests.

The best estimates from the era suggest that about 200-300 Yippies didn’t heed that warning.

You can guess what happened to them. First, they acted like idiots, though.

Disneyland Closes Early                      

The Yippies, frustrated by their failed plans, lack of Blank Panther members, and absence of Porky Pig at the park, panicked.

These political pranksters panicked, developing unplanned protests on the fly.

For a time, they took over what was then the Chicken of the Sea pirate ship.

Yes, the Yippies boarded a fake pirate ship and pretended that they’d conquered it.

They also headed to Tom Sawyer Island and captured Castle Rock.

The Yippies went so far as to raise a Viet Cong flag before getting stoned and hopping on some Disney rides.

This whole event was every bit as ridiculous as it sounds. For Disney, it was no laughing matter, though.

The other paying guests disliked all the weirdos who acted rudely throughout the park.

Park officials finally had enough when Yippies marched down Main Street, U.S.A.

For some reason, they sang We Are Marching to Cambodia as the Main Street Marching Band tried to perform.

When one Yippie switched out the American flag on Main Street, U.S.A. for a marijuana flag, fights broke out.

Some of the regular guests tried to replace it, leading to physical confrontations between the normies and the Yippies.

At this point, Disney signaled the police, who swarmed Main Street, U.S.A.

Management made the call to close Disneyland five hours early, shutting down at 7 p.m. In the process, the Yippies caused the weirdest Disneyland closure ever.

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Feature Photo: VAN EATON GALLERIES