Disneyland Opening Day is typically celebrated on July 17, 1955. While it is true that the Park was open on that day, that was more akin to a soft opening. The actual date where Walt Disney’s innovative theme park wasn’t open to the general public until the following day, July 18. Below is a guest taken shot showing the Sleeping Beauty Castle drawbridge being lowered for guests the second time.
See the guests excitedly “storming the castle”:
A closeup of the still-blank plate for the Disney family crest:
With crest, as seen in this March 1968 image:
Back to 7/18/55 and the recently lowered drawbridge. Note the distinctive salmon colored roof in the background:
Originally, this bandstand was located just off of Central Plaza. It was too big for Town Square (it blocked the view of the Castle) so this is where it landed first:
The Mad Tea Party teacups were a popular attraction from the beginning; the Mickey Mouse Club Theater in the background was replaced by the Pinocchio dark ride in 1983:
The Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship restaurant was not ready for business just yet:
If you look closely, you can see that the windows and other details are not yet complete:
This photo from the collection of Michael Black was also taken on July 18, when scaffolding and work was taken place in plain view of guests:
The Dumbo attraction still had flapping ears at this point; they are now molded in one-piece; much easier to maintain! Note the plywood sitting in this particular Dumbo seat:
The Jungle Cruise attraction:
The Mark Twain was filled with guests, as these were pre-Columbia days. Behind the boat is the Chicken Plantation restaurant:
An unobstructed view of the restaurant:
Next to the Golden Horseshe Saloon was a row of dining establishments, including The Oaks Tavern, Casa de Fritos, and Aunt Jemima’s Pancake House:
Tomorrowland got the shaft for Opening Day; there simply just wasn’t enough time to get everything completed in time. An easy fix was to have the 20k League Show, which recycled some of the set pieces from the 1954 Disney classic live-action film:
Were any of you there on that magical day?
See more Disneyland Opening Day photos at my main website.
5 comments:
Phenomenal shots! Always great stuff-Adam from LA
Yep, a terrific find of memorabilia. I can't help to think of the Bandstand and how it eventually ended up in Rogers Gardens in Corona del Mar. Always made time when I was shopping there to go over to it and contemplate its history. KS
Phenomenal shots, indeed-! I didn't make it there until January, 1956.
Your article are always so much fun, but today you've given so much. Security guards sitting on the railing of the castle, something that would get you fired today. ( I assume security? That doesn't look like any service uniform of that time. ) I still can't get over the teacups out in the open like that. I just stepped outside for 20 minutes and the heat was so overwhelming I was hyperventilating when I got back in. ...and there they are riding in the open, no issues. Wow. I admire them but admit we were heartier back then. Riding with a plywood seat was no big deal, at least you were riding. Those tiny trees, though. If not for the berm, the Jungle Cruise would have simply been a good view of the parking lot.
Dave - My Dad's company did air conditioning work for Walt's new park... the result of which was that my Mom, Dad, Grandmother and I were there July 18th, 1955. Mom remembered commenting that day: "It's all very nice. It's a shame that in a year it'll all be run down and dirty." We had lunch that day in the Golden Horseshoe saloon. I was just 3 1/2 years old at the time... 25 years later - to the day - I performed that night as Pecos Bill in the Golden Horseshoe Revue!
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