Fifty-eight years ago today, on a hot and sunny day in Anaheim, Calif., the noble experiment called Disneyland opened to the public. There were great expectations for the world's first-ever theme park ... as well as a flood of criticism from doubters and bad reviews from just about every major news outlet. The park was woefully overcrowded, thanks to thousands of counterfeit tickets; many attractions ...

The Walt Disney Hometown Museum in Marceline, Mo., is hoping to revive the vintage Disneyland attraction known as Midget Autopia, the first park ride ever moved to a non-Disney property.. The museum plans a $500,000 Kickstarter campaign to bring back the 10-car ride that ran in Anaheim from 1957 until It's a Small World displaced it in 1966. In a chapter known mostly to serious Disneyphiles and ...

The day after Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955, many newspapers had a field day with the myriad of problems the park had, such as gas leaks, failing plumbing and a lack of drinking fountains. Some called it Walt's Folly and more. But that didn't seem to matter to the public because when the park opened its gates the next day, there was a long line of people waiting to get in - and the lines never ...

Over 60 years ago, Disneyland opened in Anaheim, California. In the decades since, Walt Disney's original theme park vision has undergone changes both big and small. Rides, attractions, and entire swaths of land have sometimes been overhauled or torn down to make way for modern amusements. But thanks to documentaries and numerous Disney bloggers, we can still look back at some of the most iconic rides ...

If the new Autopia at Disneyland needs a slogan, it could be "Cars are people, too." At Tomorrowland beginning June 29, guests will have the choice of three personality-filled vehicles to "drive": Suzie, a cute, curvy compact; Dusty, a rugged and roomy SUV; and Sparky, a Ferrari-like sports car. "Today, being on the open road is a common experience, but the thrill of trying on a new car is still there," ...

Part of the magic of the Magic Kingdom, of course, is that despite the slings and arrows peppering the outside world, it somehow remains as seemingly immutable as one of Aristotle's First Causes, or Walt's immortal mouse, whose 60th birthday the park-itself pushing a healthy 33-is celebrating this year from March 19 through September 8 with a new Mickey at the Movies Parade. However, as any Disneycologist ...

It was a normal Sunday afternoon at Disneyland. The Gay Nineties show had just broken at the Golden Horseshoe, a make-believe salon located in the Frontierland area. The tourist-packed Mark Twain, a scaled-down reproduction of a nineteenth-century Mississippi river boat, was sailing around Tom Sawyer's Island. Stagecoach passengers were jolting through the Painted Desert, which, until recently, had been an ...

If Imagineers David Mumford and Bruce Gordon have gained fame among Disney fans, it may be because they haven't forgotten their roots. Gordon spent his childhood building Disneyland models in his garage and went on to become a show producer on the park's new Autopia. Mumford, meanwhile, filled his early years with Disney memorabilia and worked his way up to his current stint as art director for the Mermaid ...

The wonderful world of make-believe called Disneyland is now two years old, and it continues to delight Westerners by the thousands-small children, teen-agers, adults alike. What's more, it doesn't lose it's luster in a day's visit, nor in two or three. Possibly it never will for a good many visitors. We won't try to describe in detail this imaginative combination of playland and museum; but we do offer ...

The two old men are holding hands. In the sunlight outside the Mountain View, Calif., rest home, while a parakeet sings in the lobby, Ed Morgan and Karl Bacon reach across 60 years of being each other's muse. Among the wrinkles in their faces there are twinkles in their eyes. They are laughing about the time the elephants refused to fly. It was opening day at Disneyland, 50 years ago this July. ...

When Walt Disney first conceived of the idea that would eventually become Disneyland, much of his desire to build his own amusement park location was born from the fact that he was largely unhappy with the offerings of the day. Simple "kiddie rides" were only fun for children, and mom and dad had little to do. Carnivals and circuses tended to be dirty and frequently brought in a bad element. Adults tended ...

Disneyland has taken another giant step forward in the realm of creative and fascinating new adventures ready for this Summer season. Foremost amongst the "new" which are now ready for the enjoyment of guests at Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom is. the unveiling of the inside of the Sleeping Beauty Castle in Fantasyland. Previously a landmark to the millions of Disneyland visitors ...