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Tag Archives: 1950s

August 15

Posted on August 15, 2018 by disneydetail

August 15, 1955 – Disneyland Appears in Life Magazine

Image Credit: http://vintagedisneylandtickets.blogspot.com/2008/05/disneyland-in-life-august-15-1955.html

“Uncle Walt packs his new park with the stuff children’s dreams are made on.”

On August 15, 1955, Life Magazine was released, featuring a four-page article on the opening of Disneyland, a few months after it had opened. The article featured pictures of early park attractions, and described the chaos that was opening day, with over 20,000 guests trying to mill about the park. The article covers the Golden Horseshoe (known as a “children’s saloon”), Casey Jr. as it passes by the canal, and a large image of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle.

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August 14

Posted on August 14, 2018 by disneydetail

August 14, 1958 – The Grand Opening of the Alice in Wonderland Attraction is Held

“Don’t be late, your adventure awaits.”

On August 14, 1958, two months after the opening of the attraction, the Grand Opening Ceremony for the Alice in Wonderland dark ride was held in Disneyland. The ceremony was a grand affair, featuring Walt Disney himself riding down Main Street in a horse-drawn carriage with Mouseketeer Karen Pendleton, who was selected by Walt to play Alice for the day. Joined by Mickey and Minnie Mouse, as well as the White Rabbit, Karen was given the key to the attraction by Walt.

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July 30

Posted on July 30, 2018 by disneydetail

July 30, 1956 – The Mineral Hall Store Opens in Disneyland

“An exciting display of minerals glowing in the beauty of black light!”

On July 30, 1956, the Mineral Hall store and display opened in Disneyland’s Frontierland. Guests could enter the hall and see a variety of minerals under regular light and black light; there was a bonus of guests being able to see how their clothes would glow under the black light. Guests were also able to purchase the types of minerals on display. The store closed in 1963.

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July 18

Posted on July 18, 2018 by disneydetail

July 18, 1955 – The Puffin Bakery Opens in Disneyland

On July 18, 1955, the Puffin Bakery opened on Disneyland’s Main Street. Opening the day after the park’s grand opening, the bakery featured a variety of pastries and drinks for guests to either enjoy at the shop’s window front, or take with them as they traveled through the park. The shop closed in 1960, and was replaced with the sponsored Sunkist Citrus House.

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July 9

Posted on July 9, 2018 by disneydetail

July 9, 1955 – The New York Times Publishes Article on Disneyland

“Fantastic Amusement Park, at Cost of $16,500,000, to Open July 18.”

On July 9, 1955, an article ran in the New York Times about the soon-to-open Disneyland theme park. Entitled “Disneyland Gets its Last Touches,” the article focused on Walt Disney’s vision for a brand new type of amusement park, to which the article wrote “For its appellation ‘amusement park’ is inadequate, for it has no banalities as roller coasters, Ferris wheels, and dodge-‘ems in a milieu of honky-tonk.” This was one of many articles used to promote this new type of park, which was seen as very different from the amusement parks of its time.

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June 26

Posted on June 26, 2018 by disneydetail

June 26, 1956 – The Attraction Rainbow Mountain Stage Coaches Opens in Disneyland

On June 26, 1956, the Rainbow Mountain Stage Coaches attraction opened in Disneyland’s Frontierland. Guests could board a stagecoach and travel around Frontierland, particularly through the Living Desert and other updates to the area. This attraction would share a road with the Conestoga Wagons, another attraction where guests are taken en masse down the Frontierland trails. Unfortunately, the attraction had many issues, including the horses often getting spooked by the Disneyland Railroad as it passed by, and the attraction was closed on September 13, 1959.

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June 10

Posted on June 10, 2018 by disneydetail

June 10, 1958 – The People and Places Featurette Wales is Released to Theaters

On June 10, 1958, the People & Places Featurette Wales was released to theaters. It was the eleventh featurette in the series to be released, and was filmed in CinemaScope. Directed by Geoffrey Foot, the featurette takes a look at the country of Wales, including its rich history and folklore, along with its factories and natural resources.

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March 31

Posted on March 31, 2018 by disneydetail

March 31, 1958 – Grand Canyon Diorama is Added in Disneyland

On March 31, 1958, the grand opening ceremony of the Grand Canyon Diorama, the “largest diorama in the world,” was held in Disneyland Park. The diorama was placed along the route of the Disneyland Railroad, and Walt Disney himself was the conductor of the train that passed by the scenes of the Grand Canyon. The soundtrack for the scenery is Ferde Grofé’s “Grand Canyon Suite,” which accompanies lush scenes of the landscape by scenic artist Delmer Yoakum. The diorama is 306 feet in length, and was restored in 2017 to how it would have appeared in 1958, with some subtle updates to add some “magic.”

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March 27

Posted on March 27, 2018 by disneydetail

March 27, 1957 – The 25-Millionth Mickey Mouse Watch is Presented in Disneyland

“Walt Disney receives the 25-millionth Mickey Mouse Watch to celebrate its success.”

On March 27, 1957, the Ingersoll-Waterbury Company celebrated a milestone with the 25–millionth watch featuring Mickey Mouse having been made. This watch was presented to Walt Disney in a special ceremony in Disneyland. The first Mickey Mouse watch created by the company started with a patent on May 22, 1933, with the first watches being built soon after.

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March 21

Posted on March 21, 2018 by disneydetail

March 21, 1956 – Men Against the Arctic Wins Academy Award

On March 21, 1956, the 28th Academy Awards were held at the RKO Pantages Theater in Hollywood, California. At this ceremony, Disney’s People and Places documentary featurette won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject, winning against MGM’s The Battle of Gettysburg and The Face of Lincoln. This was the second People and Places featurette to win an Academy Award.

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