"Royal Send-off for Disneyland Senior Hostess Donna Jackson...tour guides salute Grove girl before she leaves for Copenhagen, Denmark and "exchange" job at Tivoli Gardens Park." Early 1960s
Disneyland's Birthday
Jul 17
Other Scottish Country Dances for this Day
Today's Musings, History & Folklore
"The Happiest Place on Earth"
~ Disneyland motto
Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California opened to the public on July 17th, 1955! The park opened with Main Street, U.S.A., Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland, and has since added New Orleans Square in 1966, Bear Country (now known as Critter Country) in 1972, Mickey's Toontown in 1993, and Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge in 2019! Disney detectives know that there are dozens of insider secrets about the park that even regular visitors don't know about! Some are architectural: the internal Matterhorn basketball court and ping pong tables and the 'Hidden Mickeys' inserted subtly into the design of attractions and environmental decor. And some are ironic: there is a herd of the wild cats that roam the park at night in order to help control the... (non-Mickey) mouse population. In exchange for their services, the kitties are all spayed/neutered, given regular shots, fed, and even have their own website!
A Trip to Disney
Happy Birthday to the Happiest Place on Earth!
Disneyland Park, originally Disneyland, is the first of two theme parks built at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, and opened to the public on July 17, 1955. It is the only theme park designed and built under the direct supervision of Walt Disney.
Walt Disney came up with the concept of Disneyland after visiting various amusement parks with his daughters in the 1930s and 1940s. After hiring a consultant to help him determine an appropriate site for his project, Disney bought a 160-acre site near Anaheim in 1953. Construction began in 1954 and the park was unveiled during a special televised press event on the ABC Television Network on July 17, 1955.
The park opened with Main Street, U.S.A., Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland, and has since added New Orleans Square in 1966, Bear Country (now known as Critter Country) in 1972, and Mickey's Toontown in 1993, and Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge in 2019.
Disneyland's original tour guides also had a special theme. Walt Disney decided upon an equestrian theme and a Royal Stuart tartan (plaid) skirt. Tour guides still sport uniforms of tartan!
Throughout the park are 'Hidden Mickeys', representations of mascot Mickey Mouse heads inserted subtly into the design of attractions and environmental decor. An elevated berm supports the much loved 3 ft narrow gauge Disneyland Railroad that circumnavigates the park.
For complete coverage of the opening of Disneyland in 1955 by ABC, click the original park sign.
And for some of the insider secrets to the park, click here!
Click the dance cribs or description below to link to a printable version of the dance!
