Monthly Archives: December 2016

December 20, 1956 – The People and Places Featurette Disneyland, U.S.A. is Released to Theaters

“Here in Southern California, a new land has come into being. Its purpose is enlightenment; its product, happiness. This place is Disneyland, USA.”

On December 20, 1956, the People and Places featurette Disneyland, U.S.A. premiered in theaters. It was the sixth featurette in the series. It was directed by Hamilton S. Luske, and narrated by Winston Hibler.

The featurette begins a look at Southern California, taking an aerial view over the land. The narrator explains Disneyland in general, pointing out that Disneyland will always grow and expand, so that the “new and unexpected” can continue to be found there. The audience is first brought to the Disneyland Hotel via tram, viewing all the recreational activities the hotel has to offer. Taking the train, the audience is then brought to Disneyland Station, and enters the main entrance to enter the park. They are brought through Main Street, with the narrator explaining the ways to get around in the time of the gas lamp. The camera pans around to several stores along the streets, including the Penny Arcade and the Main Street Movie House. The audience pauses in The Plaza area, the hub of Disneyland. The narrator points out each of the separate parts of Disneyland before looking at a panorama of Frontierland. The narrator points out the various selling points of Frontierland, including Tom Sawyer’s Island and Rainbow Ridge. The audience the boards a train to continue traveling through the land. Next is a look at the Rivers of America, with special attention paid to the Mark Twain paddleboat, before catching the railroad again to view another part of Frontierland: the Indian Village, where 17 different tribes are represented.

The audience then moves on to Adventureland, taking a boat on the Jungle Cruise and traveling through the many winding waterways. After the adventure, the audience quickly moves into Tomorrowland, where guests are given a glimpse at the way of the future. The tour begins at the Autopia attraction, with drivers of all ages heading to the track. There is also an area for model airplane clubs, and the Astro Jets for those that prefer to fly themselves. After this, the audience flies over Fantasyland, walking through the castle to an area of magic and childhood. The first attraction seen is Peter Pan’s Flight, where guests board a pirate ship to fly over London. The narrator then brings the audience to Storybook Land, where miniature scenes of classic Disney movies are shown on the riverbanks. This is followed by a look at the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party attraction, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, and the Skyway. The end of the featurette shows Walt Disney and Fess Parker leading a parade down Main Street before the falg is brought down at the end of the day.