Disneyland opens to the world

Chaotic scenes mar the theme park’s first day

O17July 1955 in Anaheim, California, Walt Disney welcomed Americans into his very own Garden of Eden. “To all who come to this happy place, welcome,” he proclaimed. “Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past, and here youth may savour the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America, with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world.”

Disney had been planning a huge Mickey Mouse Park, as it was originally called, since at least 1948. The park cost in the region of $17 million, and public interest was enormous. Although Disney issued just 11,000 tickets on the first day, it’s been estimated that the crowds numbered about 28,000, thousands having bought fake tickets or simply climbed over the fences into the park.

Despite Disney’s rhetoric, that first day was a disaster. California was in the grip of a heatwave, and the temperature hit 38°C (101°F). In the sweltering heat, the surrounding roads were jammed with traffic, and women’s high heels sank into the melting asphalt. Three areas were closed after a gas leak, and some of the rides broke down. Many refreshment stands ran out of food and drink, while a plumbers’ strike meant that there was no water in the drinking fountains. Even the live TV coverage, co-presented by the actor (and future president) Ronald Reagan, was a shambles.

To Disney’s executives, the opening became known as ‘Black Sunday’. But Disneyland never looked back. Over six decades on, it has welcomed more than 650 million visitors.