Aboard the Disneyland Railroad, guests travel through this dinorama that features animatronic dinosaurs set in a misty swamp.
Opening Day Attractions You Can Still Enjoy At Disney
Dateline: September 1, 2023
Status: Current
Source: disneydining.com
Opening on July 17, 1955, Disneyland Park changed the world.
Over the past few decades since then, it has undergone multiple changes, including the addition of adjacent hotels, Downtown Disney, and Disney California Adventure Park. But let 's explore the attractions that were there from the very beginning.
The Mad Tea Party
Does It Pass The Smell Test Rides Ranked By Their Scents
Dateline: December 31, 2021
Status: Current
Source: SFGate
In an era when social media has made everyone with an annual pass a theme park influencer, it seems like we 've got rankings of every Disneyland ride, wait time, snack, souvenir and entertainment offering. But no one is talking about one of the most crucial elements to the park experience: the smell. Walt Disney himself knew that scents were important to forming positive
24 Surprising Things About Disneyland We Did Not Know But Should
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Dateline: December 2, 2018
Status: Archive
Source: thetravel.com
Disneyland is said to be the "Happiest Place on Earth." For one day (or several depending on your trip schedule) people of all ages from toddlers to seniors can have fun, let loose and become a kid again. It's a place filled with magic, music, your favourite characters and rides to fit whatever you're in the mood for.
It opened its doors on July 17, 1955, and was the
Disneyland Railroad And Fantasmic Return Dates
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Dateline: June 15, 2017
Status: Archive
Source: NBC Los Angeles
Much of the Disneyverse is craftily constructed around clocks and the nature of time, and a fan only need dip into a song, or story, to find references to the meaning, and passage, of hours and minutes.
From the stroke of midnight in "Cinderella" to Cogsworth the clock of "Beauty and the Beast" to "Step in Time" from "Mary Poppins" to the beloved doll clock at It's a
This Is How Disneyland Looked And Changed In The 1960s
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Dateline: July 12, 2016
Status: Archive
Source: Orange County Register
It was the '60s, a decade of change. And just like society, Disneyland would change too - in dramatic fashion.
1960
Just like previous years, Walt Disney was constantly tinkering with Disneyland as the decade started. The first year of the decade, he added more scenes to the Rainbow Ridge Mine Train, and changed its name to the Mine Train Through Nature's
58 Ways Star Wars Land Is Changing Disneyland
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Dateline: November 5, 2015
Status: Archive
Source: Los Angeles Magazine
The Walt Disney Company recently announced that an entirely new land based on the Star Wars universe would be coming to Disneyland, likely in 2019. The 14-acre mini universe will feature two major new rides and other attractions including a restaurant based on the Mos Eisley cantina in the films. I'm not a big Star Wars aficionado, but I hear that the designers working on
Rare Collecting Disneyland Exhibit And Auction
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Dateline: October 20, 2015
Status: Archive
Source: finebooksmagazine.com
Van Eaton Galleries, one of the world's premier animation artwork and collectibles galleries located in Sherman Oaks, California, has announced a rare exhibit and auction, "Collecting Disneyland." The auction will take place Saturday, November 21, 2015 at Van Eaton Galleries located at 13613 Ventura Blvd in Sherman Oaks, California. Collecting Disneyland is an
8 More Unanswered Questions About Star Wars Land
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Dateline: October 1, 2015
Status: Archive
Source: Los Angeles Times
Disney raised even more questions with the recent announcement of plans to temporarily close the Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer Island and the Disneyland Railroad to allow for construction of Star Wars Land.
Here's what we know so far: The new 14-acre land will feature two attractions set in a remote frontier town on the outer rim of the "Star Wars" galaxy. While no
60 Reasons To Visit Disneylands 60th Anniversary
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Dateline: April 22, 2015
Status: Archive
Source: about.com
You don't really need a reason to visit Disneyland. It is the happiest place on earth after all. But when was the last time you stepped onto Main Street U.S.A. and took a spin on Dumbo the Flying Elephant?
If it's been awhile, you might want to consider planning a visit this year as the resort goes all out for its 60th anniversary Diamond Celebration. In honor of the
50 Year Old Memories Of Worlds Fair
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Dateline: November 11, 2014
Status: Archive
Source: dailypilot.com
It was half a century ago.
This native son of Newport-Mesa was on the East Coast visiting the 1964 New York World's Fair.
That fair turned out to be one of the highlights of my young life. I was 19 and stationed with the U.S. Army at Fort Slocum, N.Y., north of New York City. The fair was spread over 650 acres of Flushing Meadows territory, in Queens.
The
Sandy In Disneyland
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Dateline: June 21, 2013
Status: Archive
Source: filmthreat.com
During the early 1970s, Sandy Duncan saw her star ascend in a series of pleasant (if forgettable) films and television programs. Even though she wasn't the sexiest chick in show business, and even though her singing and dancing could hardly be considered as show-stopping, Duncan possessed a spunky vibrancy that appealed to casting directors - hell, she even turned up as a
Class Action Of Blind Persons Against Disney
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Dateline: February 16, 2012
Status: Archive
Source: PRWEB
On June 5, 2012, trial will commence in an action brought against Walt Disney Parks & Resorts by a class consisting of all blind visitors to the Disneyland and Walt Disney World resorts. In Shields v. Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, the class action pending in Los Angeles, the class alleges that the Disneyland and Walt Disney World theme parks refuse to accommodate the needs
California vs. Blackpool: General
Dateline: September 1, 2011
Status: Current
Source: MickeyMousePark.com
Earlier in the year, I wrote an article for DLDHistory.com comparing the Alice in Wonderland ride in Disneyland to Alice's Wonderland at Pleasure Beach Blackpool (the most visited theme park in the United Kingdom).
As I have recently come back from a week's vacation in Blackpool (and seeing as my main article this month was shorter than usual) I thought I would
Evolution Of Disney's Pirates
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Dateline: July 9, 2010
Status: Archive
Source: silive.com
At Disney, it's always about the story. Always.
Where most other amusement parks put up a roller coaster, give it an ominous-sounding name and hope you find a connection, Disney goes the extra mile and builds a roller coaster with an elaborate tale to tell, embellishing that story with a variety of sensory cues; creating a believable environment that makes guests get
Disneyland 55 And Still A Major Force
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Dateline: June 9, 2010
Status: Archive
Source: silive.com
Disneyland The Happiest Place on Earth turns 55 this summer. Clearly, Walt Disney's dream of creating a family park where parents and children could have fun together is here to stay.
But that's not to say Disneyland hasn't seen its share of changes in 5½ decades. Indeed, one of the biggest overhauls in the Anaheim, Calif., resort's history is currently under way
My First Long-Awaited Much Anticipated Wonderful Trip To Disneyland
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Dateline: March 2, 2008
Status: Archive
Source: Deseret Morning News
I had never been to Disneyland. When I was growing up, we watched "The Wonderful World of Disney" TV show and thought it looked like a magical place, but the idea of piling all seven of us into the 1953 Plymouth and heading for California was not something that occurred to us.
I didn't even know anyone who lived in California, and in those days our few vacations were
Its A Scholl World
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Dateline: January 28, 2008
Status: Archive
Source: Sacramento Bee
After all, storyboard artist Larry Scholl has transformed his childhood home into a mini-park reminiscent of Disneyland.
It might be expected in Hollywood Hills, but not so much in the hills of Fair Oaks, where Larry Scholl has a pint-size Disneyland in his backyard.
He turned a portable garage into "River Mountain," a zip-quick train ride populated by four
50 Things You Didn't Know About Disneyland
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Dateline: November 23, 2005
Status: Archive
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
In honor of Disneyland's 50th anniversary, we present 50 cool, obscure and simply odd things you probably didn't know about the self-proclaimed Happiest Place on Earth. Many were culled from Mouse Tales by David Koenig (Bonaventure, $19.95). Some were provided by Disney archivist Dave Smith, and others came from 101 Things You Never Knew About Disneyland by former park
50 Ways To Love Disneyland
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Dateline: May 1, 2005
Status: Archive
Source: Arizona Republic
Mickey Mouse is planning a blowout as Disneyland Resort in California celebrates its 50th anniversary, starting Thursday.
Sure, it'll be hot, and the lines will be long. But you know you want to go: the Matterhorn; Mickey-shaped, chocolate-covered ice cream; mouse ears with your name embroidered on the back. Arizona is second only to California for the number of
Discovering Disneyland
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Dateline: May 1, 2005
Status: Archive
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
You have to look quickly, and you have to know exactly where to look. But if you do, you'll catch a pretty cool inside joke at Disneyland.
On the Star Tours ride, just before your runaway Starspeeder exits the space station, keep your eye on the lower right side of the screen: You flash past what looks like a giant electron microscope. Old-timers will recognize it
Disneyland: A Parents' Survival Guide
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Dateline: June 1, 1989
Status: Archive
Source: California
Disneyland, a monument to childhood, is also a test of how well you've grown up. Your first visit is guaranteed to be interesting, just as the first time you drive a car, have sex or spend a night by yourself is filled with wonder. But by the tenth or hundredth time you do it, amazement will elude you unless you apply an adult imagination to the experience.
The adults
Where Dinosaurs Roam Disneyland's Primeval World
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Dateline: June 1, 1973
Status: Archive
Source: Vacationland
Guests traveling on the Santa Fe and Disneyland Railroad are not only treated to a circular tour of "the happiest place on earth," they are also taken on an incredible journey back through time to a world that existed some 300 million years ago.
Here, in Disneyland's Primeval World, prehistoric plants, insects, and giant reptiles live again through the startling
Roundhouse Boasts Four Pioneers Of Early Railroad History
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Dateline: October 1, 1968
Status: Archive
Source: Disney News
Boarding one of the four colorful trains in Disneyland is not just stepping aboard a train-it's actually stepping into a pioneer of early railroad history. It's experiencing a steam train ride of the past, at a time when the West was just really beginning to grow. The Santa Fe and Disneyland trains are the dreams and reflections of Walt Disneys love for trains -- an
Babes In Disneyland
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Dateline: June 10, 1967
Status: Archive
Source: Saturday Review
"If you take me to Disneyland I will be your best friend," said the little girl who lives in my house. And the Crown Prince, who is going on five and lives there, too, allowed that he might put away his hammer, with which he alters the furniture, refrain from loud shrieks except an occasional one of joy, and generally act like the tall people if only he could go, too.
Pirates, Puppets And Pterodactyls
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Dateline: January 1, 1967
Status: Archive
Source: Motorland
Disneyland, Walt Disney's 70-acre "Magic Kingdom" at Anaheim, California, probably draws more visitors each year than any other attraction in the world-6.5 million annually, 58 million to date. Each season new visitors come, and others return for repeat visits.
Disneyland is worth returning to again and again because something new is always being added. During its
Disneyland Announces New Attractions For Fall
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Dateline: October 3, 1966
Status: Archive
Source: Pasadena Independent
Disneyland's fall schedule moves into October with three new adventures open, a fourth nearing completion special private nighttime parties for major groups and site preparations for a new Tomorrowland
During the fall, the relaxed time to see Disneyland following the summer rush, the "Magic Kingdom "is open Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on
Disneyland Capital Investment Grows
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Dateline: February 6, 1966
Status: Archive
Source: Independent Press Telegram
During its first 10 years, Disneyland's capital investment grew from $17 million on opening day to more than $53 million.
In the next five months, the figure will jump another $20 million with the completion of four new gigantic attractions.
"What we will do by this summertime," Walt Disney said after announcing the new attractions last week, "is to raise our
A Fantasy That Paid Off
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Dateline: June 27, 1964
Status: Archive
Source: New York Times Magazine
The place is surrounded by a berm, a high barrow of earth, that insulates it from the external world. There is a single gateway where admission is charged. This, the land of Disney, is more secure than ancient Troy. No Trojan horse will get into Disneyland. Guards at the main gate closely scrutinize all who enter. Not even an unseemly teenager will get past them, much
The Dinosaurs are turned on via a switch that the Disneyland Train trips. The time they run is timed by how long it takes the Disneyland Train to pass. The stegosaurus has no support in its tail as it keeps shaking after everything stops.
Music was composed by Bernard Herrmann
When the Primeval World premiered in 1966, it was commonly thought that T-Rex had three digits on each of his puny arms, like his carnivorous bi-pedal cousins. It wasn't until 1988 that an intact T-Rex forearm was discovered in the Montana Badlands that proved the mighty Rex was a two-fingered critter. Secret courtesy of Cat Grey
From New Attraction Profiles: 1966
Giant animals that inhabited the earth millions of years before man will live again when Walt Disney opens his dramatic Primeval World at Disneyland this summer.
Startlingly realistic in every movement and detail, the lifelike, three-dimensional "Audio-Animatronic" stars of the show were first presented in the Ford Pavilion at the New York World's Fair. Nearly 15 million people saw the show during the Fair's two-year run.
Created by Walt Disney and designed by his WED Enterprises, Inc., the Primeval World adventure will be experienced by guests aboard the Sante Fe & Disneyland Railroad, which encircles the Magic Kingdom.
Trains will carry guests first through the popular Grand Canyon diorama -- largest of its kind in the world -- then into a "time tunnel" where they will be whisked back to the days of prehistoric life in, settings inspired by Walt Disney's film classic, "Fantasia".
THE FOREST PRIMEVAL
Emerging from the "time tunnel", passengers will arrive in a forest of exotic plants that grew more than 300 million years ago.
Misty vapors will rise from the swampy terrain. This scene will be enveloped in mysterious half-light, which will reveal the stirrings of early life as large snails inch along decaying foliage. Giant insects, resembling dragonflies, will cling to tree trunks and the fin-backed edaphosaurus will breakfaSt on tropical vegetation.
AGE OF REPTILES
Guests will then come face-to-face with the most famous dinosaur of all -- the brontosaurus, who lived 155 million years ago. These massive creatures, at home in a shallow lake, will be enjoying a meal of tender water plants.
Vulture-like pteranodons (flying lizards with 25-foot wingspreads and tooth-filled three-foot beaks) will circle over a Jurassic lagoon while quieter members of their clan perch atop rugged rock cliffs.
Travelers will move on to a beautifully-landscaped plateau. Colorful species of the first flowering plants will adorn a peaceful setting where two horned dinosaurs, called triceratops, watch with parental pride as their young hatch from eggs. One egg pulsates, another rolls about and a third is punctured by a tiny triceratop head. Two recently hatched youngsters will play nearby.
Abundant herds of dinosaurs and dense rain forests begin to give way to encroaching desert sands in the next era. A trio of ornithomimus, "ostrich dinosaurs", will be gathered around a drying water hole, drinking in chicken-like fashion.
PREHISTORIC BATTLE
The action-packed final scene will feature two prehistoric monsters engaging in mortal combat amidst exploding volcanoes and rivers of molten lava.
Stegosaurus, the armored dinosaur which had two brains, will be accosted by the most horrifying of all dinosaurs, tyrannosaurus rex, which stands 22-feet high. These two prehistorical wonders will claw, growl and swipe at each other as eyes flash, tails lash and bodies convulse.
"AUDIO-ANIMATRONICS"
To animate the 46 figures in Primeval World, Walt Disney will apply the wizardry of "Audio-Animatronics". This system, developed by WED, is a space-age medium of three-dimensional animation. By an electronic process, this system will produce preprogrammed, synchronized sound and movement for the prehistoric animals.
From WED Disneyland Dictionary 1968
Is visited by passengers aboard trains of the Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad after passing through the Grand Canyon. Guests plunge backward through time for a breath-taking look at prehistoric plants, insects and giant reptiles that inhabited North America more than 300 million years ago. Misty vapors rise from swampy terrain as massive brontosaur; feed on tender water plants, and triceratops parents watch over their hatching young. Rain forests give way to desert sands, and a trio of thirsty ornithomimus ("ostrich dinosaurs") are seen gathered around a drying water hole. In the final setting a carnivorous tyrannosaurus rex and a stegosaurus engage in symbolic mortal combat amidst exploding volcanoes and rivers of molten lava. Many of the Primeval World's "Audio-Animatronics" stars were also seen at the widely acclaimed Magic Skyway attraction at the New York World's Fair 1964-1965.
Quiet now as we travel back in time, back to the fantastic Primeval World, Land of the Dinosaurs.
