In light of the recent pandemic, Disney hasn't had much to report on. However, Disneyland History is absolutely fascinating to me. Disneyland looked completely different in 1955 when Walt Disney opened his ground-breaking destination theme park.
There were only the 5 original lands: Main Street, USA, Frontierland, Adventureland, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. There were only 18 attractions and Tomorrowland was almost not opened on opening day. Opening day became known as Black Sunday because most of the attractions broke down, and women lost heels of their shoes in the soft asphalt. Crowds reached 30,000 and people were climbing the walls and fences to get in. The opening ceremony was televised, reaching over 90 million viewers or just about anyone who could afford a television. Disneyland was a huge success and people flocked to the park. By September, Disneyland had welcomed its millionth guest.
Starting on opening day, Disneyland charged not only admission but you had to buy tickets for the different attractions. Each attraction had a different level of thrill. At first there were "A" through "C" tickets. If you wanted the ride the Main Street Vehicles like the horse drawn carriages, you would use an "A" ticket. If you were looking for some of the bigger attractions, a "C" ticket could get you on Peter Pan's Flight or the Mad Tea Party.
As the attractions got more adventurous, the ticket book had to expand to include "D" and "E".
Tom Sawyer's Island opened July 16, 1956. This was a D-ticket.
The Skyway between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland opened June 23, 1956. Also a D-ticket.
The Rainbow Cavern Mine Train opened in 1956.This ride was an E-ticket!
In 1982, however, these attraction tickets were phased out in favor of the single admission price. In June of 1982, the one-day adult admission price for a day in Disneyland was only $12.00!!
In 1957, Disney launched a new "land" called Holidayland. It was only open for four years but it had playgrounds, horseshoes, a baseball field, volleyball and other activities. It featured "the world's largest candy-striped circus tent" and its own entrance to Disneyland. The 9-acre recreation area was replaced by the show buildings for The Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean rides.
The summer of 1958 brought Alice in Wonderland to life, and a year later, the massive, ground-breaking Matterhorn bobsleds were opened. Walt wanted actual bobsleds but it was decided that that would be unsafe for untrained persons. The colossal structure was a 1/100th scale model of the peak in the Swiss Alps, reaching 147 feet into the air above Anaheim. Arrow Development Company were the masterminds behind the brand new tubular steel roller coaster, the first of which could dispatch multiple trains simultaneously. It also featured breaking blocks to help stop the trains without them colliding.
By the end of the 1950's, Disneyland was bringing in 5 million guests annually with a ticket price of $3.50, including admission and at least 10 attractions!
Many tried to duplicate the growing success of Disneyland.
A Magic Mountain in Denver started construction but the financial backers were unsure and the park was never completed.
A small traditional amusement park was converted into a lavish theme park in Santa Monica. Pacific Ocean Park was very popular but their low admission rate did not allow them to cover the costs of up-keep and it failed ten years later.
Boston opens their own Pleasure Island but the park failed to impress guests. Within 10 years, the park failed without turning a profit.
New York opened Freedomland USA in the Bronx but it was ambitious and underfunded. Opening day was a huge success but the park failed and closed four years later.
Many were convinced that Disneyland was a fluke that just happened in the right place, at the right time. The overnight success and rapid expansion shocked the world. And Walt was just getting started.
To be continued...
Comments