What is the story of Disneyland 1955?

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Disneyland, the only theme park designed and built under the direct supervision of Walt Disney, opened on Sunday, July 17, 1955. Construction lasted for exactly one year, and cost only $17 million to complete. See what it looked like back in the day in the video above.



The opening of Disneyland on July 17, 1955, is famously known among Disney historians as "Black Sunday" due to a series of chaotic mishaps. After a year of feverish construction and a $17 million investment, the park opened for a live ABC television special. However, the day was plagued by problems: a record-breaking heatwave of 101°F melted the fresh asphalt on Main Street, causing women's high heels to sink in. A plumbers' strike meant Walt had to choose between working toilets or working water fountains; he chose the toilets. Counterfeit tickets led to 28,000 guests showing up when only 11,000 were invited, causing massive food shortages and gridlock. Rides like Peter Pan's Flight broke down, and a gas leak closed several lands for the afternoon. Despite these disasters, the live broadcast was a massive success with 90 million viewers, and Walt Disney spent the following weeks working around the clock to fix the "bugs," eventually turning the park into a global cultural icon.

People Also Ask

In a This Day in History video, learn that on July 17, 1955, Disneyland opened its doors in Anaheim, California; it was a disaster. The summer heat was so intense that women's heels were sinking into the soft asphalt, refreshment stands ran out of drinks, some rides were breaking down, and there was a gas leak.

MORE DETAILS

Disney was gambling that in the flourishing, post-WWII economy, American families would have extra disposable income to spend on travel and entertainment, and Disneyland would become a tantalizing destination. On July 17, 1955, Disneyland had its invitation-only opening day gala, which was broadcast live on ABC.

MORE DETAILS

1956 – By October, 5 million people have visited Disneyland. The D ticket is introduced this year. The Skyway opens and is the first aerial tramway of its kind in the US. Tom Sawyer Island opens.

MORE DETAILS

A slew of rides that weren't ready for opening day, such as Rocket to the Moon and Dumbo the Flying Elephant, soon were open, with many attractions coming online within the first year. Within two months, the park had welcomed its 1 millionth visitor. By its first anniversary, attendance stood at 3,642,597.

MORE DETAILS

Schoenfeld, of Scottsdale, Arizona, died after she jumped or fell from the Mickey and Friends Parking Structure at the Anaheim, California, amusement park, Orange County Sheriff's Sgt. Scott Steinle told the Mercury News.

MORE DETAILS

Christmas Eve 1998 was a tragic day for Disneyland. As the large Columbia ship was arriving at a dock, an employee jumped from the ship and prematurely secured its rope around a mooring post. The cleat, which was designed to keep the ship motionless at the dock, was not strong enough to stop the moving vessel.

MORE DETAILS

Roy Oliver Disney was, with his younger brother Walter Disney, the co-founder of what is now The Walt Disney Company. After Walt died, Roy became the chairman of the company.

MORE DETAILS

The fresh asphalt on Main Street, USA began melting, and drinking fountains were not working. There was a gas leak that messed with many of the rides. Disneyland was unprepared for the number of guests interested in the opening day festivities and the bathrooms were packed. They also ran out of food and drinks quickly.

MORE DETAILS

Petrified Tree: Weighing in at over five tons, the Petrified Tree in Frontierland is believed to be nearly 70 million years old.

MORE DETAILS

Named locally as Anislav Varbanov, the stuntman is the third staff member to die at the resort in the past seven weeks.

MORE DETAILS

Bruce Springsteen said he and his E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt were escorted out of Disneyland for violating the park's dress code.

MORE DETAILS

The first baby was born inside the theme park in 1979. Parents Rosa and Elias Salcedo unexpectedly welcomed their daughter, Teresa, at the Happiest Place on Earth – but she didn't receive a lifetime park pass!

MORE DETAILS

8. Disneyland's First Fatality. Disneyland was a perfectly safe amusement park from 1955, when the park opened, until 1964. In May of 1964, their flawless record came to an end when a 15-year-old boy died while riding on the Matterhorn Bobsled.

MORE DETAILS

Well, in 1955, park admission cost $1, and attractions then cost $0.10 – $0.35. There were 35 attractions open at Disneyland in 1955, which brought the average price-per-attraction to ~$0.23.

MORE DETAILS

Disney 100 Year of Wonder Dates and Tickets. The year-long Disney 100th anniversary celebration started Jan. 27, 2023, at Disneyland Resort.

MORE DETAILS