"To all who come to this happy place welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, dreams and the hard facts that have created America
with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world." Walt Disney, July 17th 1955
Disney's original modest plans called for Disneyland park to be built on eight acres on Riverside Drive next to the Disney studios in Burbank, California as a place where his employees and families could go for a holiday and relax for a while.
Early in development, during the 1950s they realised that they needed more area. Difficulties in obtaining funding caused Walt to investigate new ways of raising money. He decided to use television to get the ideas into people's homes, and so he created a show named Disneyland which was broadcast on the American Broadcasting Company television network and in return the network helped finance the new park.
Construction began on July 18th 1954 and and estimated cost of $17 million to complete and in preparation for the traffic which Disneyland was expected to bring two more lanes were added to the freeway.
Disneyland Park was opened to the public on Monday July 18th 1955 but the opening event did not go very smoothly as the park became overcrowded as the by-invitation-only affair was plagued with fake tickets.A gas leak in Fantasyland caused Adventureland, Frontierland, and Fantasyland to close for the afternoon and parents were throwing their children over the shoulders of crowds to get them onto rides.Walt forever referred to the first day as "Black Sunday"
The park got such bad press for the event day that Walt Disney invited members of the press back for a private day for them to experience the true Disneyland, after which Walt held a party in Disneyland Hotel for them.
Plaque was put at the entrance that embodies the intended spirit of Disneyland by Walt Disney.
"Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tommorow and fantasy."
This map of Disneyland has 2 places on it that were not even built.
This is the front cover of the very first Disneyland newspaper
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When Theme Park became Resort |
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In the 1990s, major construction began to transform Disneyland from a theme park into a vacation resort. The Walt Disney Company purchased land surrounding the park that was once the site of low-budget motels and trailer courts, and on this land built Disney's California adventure park and Downtown Disney which opened in 2001.
Most of the resort's parking today is handled by the six-level "Mickey and Friends" parking garage. With six levels and 10,250 parking spaces, it was for a short time the largest parking structure in the world. Propane-powered trams bring visitors to the entrance plaza between the two parks. There are also some smaller, off-property lots with regular shuttle service to the parks, and most nearby hotels offer regular shuttle service as well.
Under their direction, few new attractions were built and many were closed down. Shops that once carried a variety of items themed to their locations now carried general Disney character products. Themed restaurants and shops were closed and replaced by outdoor vending carts which caused crowds to clog up the walkways.
After nearly a decade of deferred maintenance, Walt Disney's original theme park was showing visible signs of neglect. Paint was peeling off buildings and roofs were literally disintegrating from age and especially the roofs in Fantasyland. Light bulbs which were once replaced before they burned out were not only were run to burnout but were so numerous as to make the facades they outlined look almost toothless. Fans of the park decried the perceived decline in customer value and park quality and railed for the dismissal of the management team. |
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Other DisneyLand Locations |
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Walt Disney World opened in 1971 under the guidance of Roy .O Disney and Since its opening with one theme park and two hotels the resort has now grown into four theme parks, two water parks, twenty-three hotels and a retail, dining and entertainment district.
In 1983 the first international Disney theme park opened in Japan called Tokyo Disneyland Park which is now part of the Tokyo Disney Resort and has a sister theme park called Tokyo DisneySea.
In 1992 DisneyLand Resort Paris opened in France with two theme parks.
Hong Kong Disneyland Resort opened On the 12th September 2005. |
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Disneyland's 50th Anniversary |
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In 2004, the park undertook a number of major renovation projects in preparation for its fiftieth anniversary celebration. Many classic attractions were restored like Space Mountain, Jungle Cruise and Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room and has received a complete restoration of its 40-year-old soundtrack.
Disneyland Paris introduced a new version of the fireworks show from Walt Disney World and Wishes were performed nightly from July 9 to August 28, 2005. The Paris resort will also offer visitors a special program to help them remember some Golden moments of their visit to a Disney theme park .
Tokyo Disneyland kicked off the party when their version of Buzz Lighyear's Astro Blasters opened in 2004. Tokyo DisneySea said they will open two new rides by 2006: an unnamed new thrill ride in the Lost River Delta section of the park, and the third property in the Hollywood Tower Hotel chain. The Lost River Delta thrill attraction which is said to feature a vertical 360-degree loop through fire and water effects that opened in 2005. Tower of Terror will be located in the American Waterfront and is expected to open in 2006.
Disneyland, the first Disney theme park, and the only one that Walt Disney got to see in operation during his lifetime. Disneyland celebrated its own milestone with a promotion called "The Happiest Homecoming on Earth," an event said to be the park's "biggest party ever." |
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Disneyland Paris 15th Anniversary |
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Although it is called Disneyland Paris it is avtually based at Marne-la-vallee which is 32 kilometres east of Paris. It opened April 12th 1992, was the second Disney Resort to open outside the United states and is one of Europe's leading tourist destinations. In 2007 it celebrated it's 25th anniversary. |
