When Walt Disney began dreaming of building a theme park in the early 1950s, the concept was ridiculed.

At the time, amusement parks were typically dirty, chaotic places with cheap rides and little attention to detail or storytelling. Disney dreamed of creating something entirely different: a clean, immersive, family-friendly park where guests of all ages could step into the worlds of their favourite stories.

Few others shared in his vision. The press dubbed the Disneyland concept “Walt’s folly” and predicted its failure within months. His own team was sceptical. Building the park cost US$17 million (more than US$180m, or NZ$304m today) and forced Disney to mortgage his home, sell life insurance policies, and create a television show (“Disneyland” on ABC) to fund the project.

Taking just a year to construct, Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955, to much anticipation from the public. But its opening day quickly became a veritable disaster now referred to by employees as ‘Black Sunday.’ Plumbing issues forced Disney to choose between working toilets or drinking fountains (he chose toilets), while counterfeit tickets and unauthorized entries swelled attendance from the expected 15,000 guests to more than 28,000 people. As the Southern California heat soared to about 40C, freshly laid asphalt softened and trapped women’s high heels in the muck, while rides malfunctioned and the Mark Twain Riverboat almost capsized, listing under the weight of overloading.

And yet, this year, Disneyland Park celebrates 70 years in operation and seven decades of its status as a cultural icon. That means a range of festivities, new decor, shows, themed food and beverages and a catchy new theme song courtesy of the Jonas Brothers.

So how has the iconic theme park endured? It’s likely down to the vision of Disney himself who set about fixing infrastructure and rides after the calamitous opening day, to ensure the park became a roaring success and went on to welcome one million visitors in its first year.

Disney’s ethos was that the park will “never be completed as long as there is imagination left in the world.” And so its evolution has been constant. Growing from a single theme-park with 18 attractions in 1955, to a sprawling entertainment empire with two huge theme parks, three hotels and the Downtown Disney leisure district, Disneyland looks very different today than it did seven decades ago.

That has meant transformations to classic rides such as the Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean and Space Mountain, including advanced animatronics that seem eerily life-like. A mobile app now handles everything from directions to rides to Lightning Lane system bookings to food orders, and an ultra-realistic Spider Man robot has visitors doing a double take in the Avengers Campus.

The price for a ticket isn’t what it used to be, either the most basic ticket now costs a whopping US$104 (NZ$175) to $206 (NZ$345) and the prices for even the simple food items inside will make your eyes water (US$10/NZ$17 for a corn dog). But it’s clear you’re now paying for a premium experience and a lot of money has gone into the park’s ongoing evolution. The Cars-themed Radiator Springs Racers attraction at Disney California Adventure cost $200m to construct, for example, making it one of the costliest rides ever made.

Seventy years on from its ill-fated opening, “Walt’s crazy idea” has become a global brand and inspired theme parks around the world.

Reminders of the 70th anniversary are everywhere. The park’s iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle, which has stood as its centrepiece since its opening day, now features an elegant ‘70th’ medallion in the anniversary’s colour scheme: blue, magenta and purple with golden accents. It’s the hues you’ll see on the new 70th merchandise, and in which Mickey and Minnie Mouse are now dressed in if you see them greeting people around the park.

Several time-honoured Disney shows and performances have been brought back for the anniversary including the “Paint the Night” parade, an extravagant evening parade of bright, LED-emblazoned floats, the “Wondrous Journeys” projection and fireworks display on the Sleeping Beauty castle, and the “Tapestry of Happiness” night-time projection show on the facade of the It’s a Small World ride.

New performances have also joined the line-up, including an epic fountain and light show at Disney California Adventure Park known as “World of Colour Happiness!” You won’t be able to escape the “Celebrate Happy” earworm by the Jonas Brothers it’s featured in several new entertainment experiences and across the park. The song is part of Walt Disney Records’ ‘Music From Disneyland Resort 70th Celebration,’ which is available on streaming services on the Disneyland Official Playlist.

Of course, you can’t visit Disneyland without tucking into a few eclectic food offerings and there’s now more than 70 anniversary-themed food and beverage options to choose from. From a new spin on the famous Matterhorn Macaroon at the Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe a coconut macaroon dipped in white chocolate and sprinkles and the 70th Celebration Churro a churro rolled in ube sugar and topped with marbled blue raspberry icing drizzle and sprinkles you’ll need an extra day at the park just to eat everything. There’s new merchandise too, meaning you can get a special pair of Mickey Mouse ears to ensure you fit in with the masses.

But Disneyland is saving a few of its tributes for the official birthday, July 17, 2025. That’s when the new show “Walt Disney A Magical Life” will debut at the park’s Main Street Opera House, a hat-tip to Disney’s journey over the years, culminating in a visit with the man himself in his office, brought to life for the first time ever through audio-animatronics storytelling.

One wonders if Disney himself could have pictured how his “crazy idea” might have transformed not only itself, but the world around it. But, as fireworks burst above the Sleeping Beauty Castle and laughter echoes down Main Street, it’s clear that his dream didn’t just survive and evolve, it redefined what magic means for generations to come.