History of Disneyland

The park Disneyland in California is the first of the Disney parks, moreover only the Royaume Magic conceived and seen by Walt Disney. It was inaugurated the July 17th 1955. It was built in a little more than one year by the teams of Walt Disney Imagineering.

The park was built on an old orange grove of Anaheim of 73 ha, in the Orange county, to about thirty kilometers in the south-east of Los Angeles. Only 37 ha constitute the park itself, it is smallest of the magic kingdoms of Disney.

The park belongs to the complex Disneyland Resort which includes/understands also another park, Disney' S California Adventure, several hotels and a retail park.

Here the history of this amusement park

History

The preliminary draft 1948-1955

In 1948, Walt Disney describes in a memo the idea of a park Mickey Mouse. The little story would like that he would have imagined this idea on the bench of a public garden by looking at his daughters having fun, whereas all the parents, with his image, had patience without diverting themselves.

Walt proposed to use a piece of 3,2 ha of the Studios Disney located at the south of the other with dimensions of Riverside Drive.
Walt Disney had a passion for the miniatures and particularly the trains, he wanted quickly to combine both. But the ideas were so numerous that the piece was quickly insuffisante.

In 1952, Walt Disney founds WED Enteprises to conceive and build Disneyland with its personal goods.

Walt after having met Harrison Price required a study of the Stanford Research Institute to find a site, if possible in California of the south. The study returned its result the August 28th 1953, the site of Anaheim seemed the best site for an amusement park.

the July 21st 1954, Walt poses the first stone. Only 257 days remained to build the park and nobody of the team knew if the plans were the final ones.

the July 13rd 1955, Walt uses the park in the course of completion to celebrate its 30 years of marriage with Lillian. Part of the evening occurs on board Mark Twain Riverboat and marks its inaugural voyage. Walt and Lilian had to clean themselves the bridges of the ship of the objects to leave by the workmen and dust.

The Years 1950

the July 17th 1955 the park opens its doors, under a hot summer days, the tar of Street Hand dating only from the day before. The same day on ABC, a televisual emission celebrates during more than one hour of direct the opening of the park. Art Linkletter, Bob Cummings and Ronald Reagan (not yet president) is the presenters and is accompanied by it by Fess Parker (Davy Crockett), Anette Funicello, Louis Armstrong, Sammy Davis Jr… which make the spectacle.

Attractions are very few but account already the traditional ones like Jungle Cruise, Mark Twain Riverboat on the Rivers off America or White-Snow. They are distributed in five country , Main Street the USA, Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland.

See also: List of original attractions of Disneyland

During summer 1955 of new attractions supplements the park of which Dumbo' S Flying Elephants.

In 1956, still of new attractions open of which Storybook Land Channel and a funicular, Skyway, between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland.

In February 1957, the Maison of the Future of Monsanto (Monsanto Future House) is built according to the plans of MIT.
the June 9th 1957 Walt Disney Productions repurchases 31 % of Disneyland Inc for 528.810 $.

In June 1959, the park receives one of its greater modifications with the addition of the Matterhorn Bobsleds (the Cervin), the Submarine Voyage and the first monorail (for a history cf Disneyland Monorail supplements). These innovations make it possible to supplement the park of which certain parts could not be built for lack of funds.

on June 14th, 1959, the vice-president Richard Nixon with her dedication family opening ceremony.

The Years 1960

At the beginning of the summer 1960, Frontierland accommodates a decoration of the far-west, Nature' S Wonderland, browsable in the train or with back of mules, but will be replaced by Big Thunder Mountain.
on July 6th, 1960, Disney repurchases the 34,5 % remaining of Disneyland Inc with ABC for 7,5 million dollars.

In June 1961, the monorail is prolonged until Disneyland Hotel.

In November 1961 a haunted house is projected, Haunted Mansion but Walt Disney wanting that all the park is clean and brilliance, the concept external of dilapidated house was re-examined to become a manor of Lousiane. Construction was pushed back for technical reasons.

In November 1962, the Swiss Family Treehouse , the tree of concrete Robinsons and steel was installed at the entry of Cruise Jungle. It takes again the topic of the tree where Robinsons Swiss build their houses in film of 1960 Swiss Family Robinson.

In 1963, New Orleans Square a new country opens off its doors along Rivers America. It is the first country with being added and (for the moment) not to only have of entry on the hub (CF radial Plan). It does not contain for the moment any attraction but shops on the topic of the French district of the New-Orleans visited in 1957 by the teams of Disney.

In June 1963, The Enchanted Tiki Room opens with Adventureland and present robots of birds singing and moving together. They are the first Audio-animatronic S. This attraction shows the talents which WED Enterprises conceal.

In 1964-65 WED Enterprises works out four attractions for the International exhibition of New York: a house for sponsored UNICEF by Pepsi, for Ford, another for General Electric and the last for the State of Illinois. (Cf Fair of New York 64-65)

on January 3rd, 1965, Disneyland accommodates It' S.A. Small World the old house of Pepsi.

In July 1965, the robot of Abraham Lincoln of the house of the State of Illinois is moved from New York to be presented to Disneyland in an exposure of Main Street the USA , Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.

the summer 1966, two last attractions of the International exhibition of New York, the Carousel off Progress and the canyon of prehistory of the house of Ford, are rebuilt in Disneyland.

the December 15th 1966 Walt Disney dies of a lung cancer.

In 1967 Tomorrowland is reorganized according to the vision of the imagineer John Hench, to reflect a futuristic city centered on a astroport.

In February 1967 a new attraction opens in New Orleans Square, with Audio-Animatronics on the topic of the pirates, the famous Pirates off Caribbean.

In August 1969, Haunted Mansion finally also opens in New Orleans Square.

The Years 1970

on June 17th, 1971 the 100 millionth visitor passes the doors of Disneyland.

In 1972, the musical shop firm Wonderland Music Store its doors. Bear Country off opens its doors along the Rivers America behind New Orleans Square.

the June 17th 1972 takes place the first of the Main Street Electrical Parade

In September 1979, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad opens with the public instead of Nature' S Wonderland .

The Years 1980

In 1981-82 Tomorrowland is again updated.

In spring 1983, Fantasyland receives to him also a “ révision ” with mainly of the frontages with more relief.

In 1986, a new entry is built for the Pirates off Caribbean with around a driving horseshoe staircase with an old private apartment of Disney transformed into Disney Gallery.

In 1987 a collaboration between Walt Disney Imagineering and George Lucas allows the opening of Star Turns, based on the trilogy Star Wars.

the June 22nd 1988, the exit of the film Which wants the skin of Roger Rabbit? revival interest of Mickey' S Toontown .

In 1989 with the opening of Splash Mountain, Bear Country becomes Critter Country.

The Years 1990

on January 26th, 1993 Mickey' S Toontown opens in Disneyland. It is the first entirely built country on other side of the line of train surrounding the park.

on March 3rd, 1995, Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple off the Forbidden Eye opens in Adventureland. the attraction conceived with Georges Lucas. Attraction is outside the park and a long thematized corridor makes it possible to reach it.

In summer 1998, Tomorrowland opens with a new design, using colors coppers, gold and red. Space Mountain will lose its white color for an oxidized copper. It is the point of organ of the Pressler era.

In January 1999 the Swiss Family Treehouse becomes the Tarzan' S Treehouse because of the success of the film Tarzan.

The Years 2000

In 2000, the system FastPass is inaugurated in order to reduce the length of the queues.

on February 8th, 2001 takes place the opening ceremony of the park located opposite Disneyland, Disney' S California Adventure transforming the field into a arises : Disneyland Arises. This park really opened its doors on January 1st, 2001

on September 5th, 2003, attraction Big Thunder Mountain Railroad makes a death and 10 wounded, because of a defect of braking due to a lack of maintenance.

on April 3rd, 2004, one week after its reopening and on July 8th, 2004 Big Thunder Mountain Railroad still shows engineering problems.

In 2005 Disneyland celebrates its 50 years with the Happiest Homecoming one Earth. The majority of the errors of the era Pressler are “ corrigés ” or in order to be it. New attractions open and the majority of attractions and shops receive a restoration.

In 2007, attraction Submarine Travels , closed since 1998, should reopen with a topic inspired of the film Le Monde de Nemo.

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