July 17, 1955 – Disneyland, The First Disney Park, Opens
“To all who come to this happy place, welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past, and here youth may savor 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.”
On July 17, 1955, Disneyland opened its doors to an invited number of guests, with a general opening to the public taking place on July 18. Construction began on July 16, 1954, and was built on 160 acres of former orange groves in Anaheim, California, taking an investment of $17 million to create. To get enough funding for the park, an agreement was struck with ABC Television, with ABC financing the park if Disney created a television show to be broadcast on the fledgling network. Twenty attractions were available on the first day, including Peter Pan’s Flight, Autopia, and the Jungle Cruise. The opening day was called an “International Press Preview,” with the park opened to invited guests and the press; however, 28,000 people attended, with half of these guests showing up with counterfeit tickets. The opening day was considered a total disaster, as anything that could go wrong did go wrong, with rides breaking down and vendors running out of food. There had also been a plumber’s strike, causing Disney to choose between working drinking fountains or working toilets; Disney chose the latter, which caused some negative publicity, as this was believed to be a stunt to help sponsor Pepsi sell more soda. Cables were also strewn all over the park, as the opening was being broadcast live, hosted by Art Linkletter, Bob Cummings, and Ronald Reagan. The opening was referred to in later years as “Black Sunday.” Although critics wrote a scathing review after its opening, Disney invited to the press back for another private session to experience the park properly. The next day, when it was opened to the public, people waited as early as 2:00 AM to gain admittance to the park. Approximately 50,000 people guests attended on the public opening day.
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