Disneyland Opens to Massive Crowd
Renowned animator Walt Disney had long dreamed of opening an amusement park to share his bustling creativity with children and adults alike. His dream finally came true on July 17, 1955, with the opening of Disneyland – though the day didn’t go quite as he’d planned.
After a year of construction, and a $17 million investment, invitations went out to 6,000 studio employees, construction workers, sponsors, members of the press, and their families. However, counterfeit passes were made and over 28,000 people showed up, causing major traffic jams.
And that wasn’t the only problem. The larger crowd meant that vendors ran out of food and drinks. Some of the asphalt was still fresh and women’s high-heeled shoes got stuck.
But the day wasn’t all bad. Walt delivered a stirring speech, in part saying “Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past… and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams and the hard facts which have created America… with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world.” Guests also got a glimpse into the magic of Disney in five different themed sections: Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, and Main Street USA.
Walt and his staff worked hard to correct the problems of the first day. Customers began lining up at 2 a.m. the following day to experience the magic for themselves. Today Disneyland is the most-visited park in the world, with over 650 million guests in the past 60 years.
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Walt Disney is my mentor and this happens to be one of my favorite issues in my collection. While it is not the most rare it is definitely one that brings bag a flash flood of memories and symbolizes to me the “dreams really do come true” if only we are willing to pursue them.