1 Minute Video Takes You Back in Time to Early Days of Disneyland
As a kid, I adored everything about Disney. In fact (and this embarrasses me to admit it in print), I spent a significant portion of my sixth year only answering to the name Mickey.
I suppose that was natural for a kid growing up in Florida. After all, Uncle Walt’s stylized mouse ears seemed as much a part of the Sunshine State as beaches, palm trees, and fresh-squeezed orange juice.
That’s why it surprised me when I got older to learn that Orlando’s Disney World wasn’t the first Disney Resort. It opened in 1971, while Disneyland in Anaheim, California, threw open its gates to the public in 1955.
The park didn’t have an easy go of it at first. In fact, it took Walt Disney quite a while to even bring it to life.
Appropriately enough, though, the entertainment magnate’s dream had its beginnings in a humble place. He first envisioned Disneyland while sitting on a bench in Los Angeles’ Griffin Park and watching his children play on a merry-go-round.
What Disney had in mind, though, was something more than a mere place to relax and have fun. He also wanted it to educate the mind.
He insisted that his new park have a Main Street, as well as a quadrant of specially themed areas. I’m sure we all recognize the names of Tomorrowland, Adventureland, Fantasyland, and Frontierland.
Disney eventually purchased 160 acres in Anaheim, which is about 25 miles from Los Angeles. Then he began work on his park.
Disneyland’s initial construction time of one year and cost of $17 million sounds relatively meager. So does the $1 cost of admission for adults and $0.50 for children.
However, all of the rides cost an additional amount to enjoy. And crowds were so eager to gain admittance on opening day that many counterfeited their tickets.
Part of the hoopla had to owe to Disney’s knack for self-promotion. He staged a parade and a dedication ceremony, and ABC broadcast it all to 90 million viewers.
Big Hollywood names such as Art Linkletter and Ronald Reagan served as hosts. In the park itself, though, things didn’t go so smoothly.
Due to all the counterfeiting, 28,000 people showed up. Employees had only expected 11,000.
What’s more, the temperature had soared north of 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and plumbers had gone on strike, leaving many of the park’s drinking fountains unconnected to the water supply. A number of rides also broke down.
But the worst part of it had to be a gas leak that shut down nearly two-thirds of the park. Once Disney learned about it, he put his crew into overtime fixing the issues.
Disneyland reopened the next day for a special press-only tour, and this one went much smoother. It was all part of Disney’s magic touch, a magic he wanted his guests to personally experience — and a magic many have enjoyed year after year after year.
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