Disneyland turns 70: This is a have a look at “The Happiest Place on Earth” then and now

Disneyland is celebrating 70 years of being “The Happiest Place on Earth.”

The summerlong festivities in southern California embody the opening of “Walt Disney – A Magical Life,” a present that includes a lifelike animatronic of the corporate’s founder that debuts Thursday and likewise marks Disneyland’s official anniversary.

Walt Disney’s imaginative and prescient of making a getaway for households revolutionized the amusement park trade with immersive sights that includes robotic figures and holographs, and reveals and characters interesting to youngsters.

The park’s emphasis on storytelling and a spotlight to element remains to be evident at this time in theme parks internationally.

Disneyland now ranks because the world’s second-most visited theme park, carefully behind Magic Kingdom at Disney World in Florida, which opened in 1971. In keeping with the Themed Leisure Affiliation, Disneyland drew greater than 17 million folks in 2023, bouncing again from an unprecedented 13-month closure through the COVID-19 pandemic.

The park was constructed on what was as soon as orange groves in Anaheim, simply outdoors Los Angeles. It opened on July 17, 1955 — a yr that additionally noticed Ray Kroc begin his first McDonald’s restaurant and Jim Henson introduce his unique model of Kermit the Frog.

Disneyland’s first day was famously a catastrophe, all broadcast on a reside tv particular. The park opened only a yr after its groundbreaking and easily wasn’t prepared for its massive day.

Points of interest broke down, there weren’t sufficient restrooms, meals and drinks have been briefly provide, visitors backed up for miles and the footwear of the primary friends sank into freshly paved asphalt.

Among the many unique rides nonetheless round at this time are the Mad Tea Celebration, Peter Pan’s Flight and Jungle Cruise.

The fee to get in that first yr was $1 for adults and 50 cents for youngsters, though tickets for many rides have been a further 10 to 50 cents.

Immediately, a one-day ticket begins at greater than $100 and on some days can double that.

Over time, the park has hosted U.S. presidents, kings and queens, and numerous celebrities. A couple of even obtained their begin at Disneyland — actor Kevin Costner was a skipper on the Jungle Cruise and comic Steve Martin labored at a magic store the place he discovered about being a performer.

A yearlong seventieth birthday celebration will embody parades akin to  that includes Disney characters and bringing as “Paint the Night time” a fan favourite making a limited-time comeback for the resort’s anniversary.

The Walt Disney Co. now has six resorts with a dozen theme parks worldwide. The parks have change into one among its most profitable and necessary enterprise segments.

The resort in Anaheim now contains Disney California Journey and Downtown Disney, a procuring and leisure district.

Whereas Disneyland nonetheless options lots of the touches Walt Disney oversaw himself, the unique park is ever-evolving, typically to the dismay of its loyal followers. In 2019, the park unveiled Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, an attraction that transports guests to the Star Wars universe, with “movie-accurate starships, fan-favorite characters roaming the land and an immersive audioscape, world,” in accordance with the Disneyland Resort web site. 

A few of the strikes have been made to maintain up with a altering society, whereas others have been made to introduce extra thrilling sights with the most recent know-how to maintain up with rivals.

Simply final yr, Disney acquired approval to develop its Southern California theme parks. A brand new parking construction and transit hub are the primary steps in its plans to open more room for brand new sights.

The Disneyland Resort seventieth Celebration runs via summer season 2026.