Walt Disney's $17,000,000 Disneyland was formally opened to the public yesterday at 10 a.m. The 60-acre wonderland at 1313 Harbor Blvd., Anaheim was previewed for the press civic officials and entertainment industry Sunday. Disneyland was formally dedicated by Disney "to the people of the world young and old with a dream in their hearts." Gov. Goodwin J Knight added: "All America can take ...

The Land that Never Was One of the themes that Disney toyed with was the birth of the nation, continuing on through the Colonial Era, following inventors and political figures that shaped our country. Officially, it wouldn't be referred to as a land per se, the same as Main Street USA, New Orleans Square and Toontown. Actually the proposed idea was a combination of two areas, the first being Liberty ...

Disneyland, the idea, came from the mind of Walt Disney, but Disneyland, the theme park, was a collaborative effort. It took a great many men and women to create it. Since all men are created equal, everyone who contributed should be credited. I've known about C.V. Wood for many years, and although he was not an Imagineer, he was a land developer who made significant contributions in terms of sales and ...

There's Got to be a Morning After When we last left off, Walt Disney had made it through Opening Day. It wasn't all that he had hoped it would be, but he made it. "Black Sunday" was supposed to be a relatively tame press preview. Instead it resembled more of an all out free-for-all -- the park being besieged by triple attendance that was more than expected. From a certain point of view, this was ...

1955 Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week in summer; closed Mondays the rest of the year. Size: 60 acres, plus 100 acres for parking. Zones: Fantasyland, Frontierland, Adventureland, Tomorrowland, Main Street USA 18 attarctions Admission: $1 (including tax) for adults. 50 cents for children. Ride tickets, sold separately, priced from 10 to 35 cents. Employees: About 1,000 ...

With his infectious enthusiasm and keen eye for detail, Charles Phoenix celebrates the 55th Anniversary of the Magic Kingdom's grand opening with his Retro Disneyland Slide Show. One performance only takes place at the Crown Plaza Hotel Anaheim Resort in Garden Grove on Saturday morning, July 17 at 10 a.m. Charles shows ands tells the back story of long-gone attractions including the Phantom Boats, ...

"I'm not Disney-obsessed, but I never discount the effect it had on me as a child," says the pop-culture humorist and author, best known for blending comedy and commentary in shows based on other people's family and vacation slides. "It helped make me a visual person in terms of recognizing motifs and themes. I like to say I studied at the Disneyland School of Style." It's no surprise, then, that the ...

The year is 1954, and construction for Disneyland park is in full swing. The many creative faces of WED Enterprises were hard at work so that it would reach its ambitious opening date in 1955. Scaffolders were placing finishing touches on the rugged cliffs of Adventureland, engineers were developing the precise movements of Abraham Lincoln, and Walt Disney himself was faced with a massive decision. ...

Rocket to the Moon closed and inspired several futuristic flight rides were equally unsuccessful. Rocket to the Moon was a Disneyland opening day attraction in 1955 that placed guests in a giant rocket ship, or moonliner, standing in Tomorrowland. The futuristic simulation ride was sponsored by the now defunct airline TWA (Trans World Airline). Guests sat in a circle with screens ...

I was not born when Disneyland first opened in 1955, or even during what was billed as its second opening in 1959. The fact is, I didn 't visit Disneyland until its 25th anniversary in 1980. By then, many early attractions were already gone: the Phantom Boats, Rainbow Caverns Mine Train, the Flying Saucers, Space Station X-1, Rocket to the Moon, and so many others. The one bygone attraction that stands out ...