59 years young!

Californian Elitist

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I won't have time to post this tomorrow, so I'm doing it now. Another year has passed, and Disneyland will be turning 59 tomorrow, July 17th. Happy Birthday to the wonderful park Walt Disney helped create! The original Disney park has gone through many changes, some for the better and some for the worst, but it's still a great place to visit. Walt Disney's creation has become a California and American icon over its time here. Let's hope for another successful 59 years.

First concept artwork of Disneyland, by Herb Ryman:

disneylandmaprymanbig_zpse4bba903.jpg


Walt Disney, presenting Disneyland:

walt-disney-4.jpg


Construction:



walt-disney-5.jpg


walt-disney-34.jpg


Special Vintage Disneyland presentation, by Tony Baxter:



Opening day shots:

EXM-N-11521-00113.jpg


Back when DCA was just a parking lot!

walt-disney-30.jpg


disneyland-3.jpg


Disneyland, circa 1955 (aerial shot):

walt-disney-29.jpg


Disneyland then:

castle55.jpg


Disneyland now:

Sleeping%20Beauty%20Castle.jpg
 

Marc Gil

Well-Known Member
*clears throat...*

"59 years of fantasy,

59 years of fun,

59 years of growing and you've only just begun!

59 years of building on a dream that never ends,

59 years of happiness for 600 Million friends!

59 magic years ago, you had your start,

Now you're the kingdom of the young and young at heart,

May you forever be the land where dreams come true,

Congratulations Disneyland Happy Birthday To You!!!!"

Now you'll have that song stuck in your head forever.
 

Marc Gil

Well-Known Member
Here are come lovely gif images that celebrate the 59 magical years of Disneyland's operation:
tumblr_msh29ze3ir1s2wio8o2_400.gif

Walt in character at The Golden Horseshoe Review
anigif_original-grid-image-15062-1398715061-33.gif

Walt on the inaugural run aboard the E.P. Ripley, 1955
tumblr_n4pgrmbknL1s2wio8o1_500.gif

The infamous invincible ribbon during the grand opening of The Disneyland Monorail, 1959
tumblr_n4hczbBECf1s2wio8o4_500.gif

When Mary Poppins debuted at the parks in 1965
anigif_enhanced-18564-1398708064-5.gif

That one time when some crazy, yet incredibly brave cast member jetpacked over Disneyland in 1967
tumblr_ms9nut21Xj1s2wio8o3_400.gif

Teenagers aboard Astro Jets! Crazy reckless pilots!
anigif_original-grid-image-7918-1398712746-1.gif

Walt Disney riding caboose on Matterhorn Bobsleds with the Shah of Iran and his wife in 1959
tumblr_mk4yh0aDNS1s5nzd6o3_400.gif

A wonderful view of Fantasyland during the early days of Disneyland
anigif_enhanced-15178-1398707802-1.gif

Walt on his way to the grand opening of "it's a small world" in 1966
tumblr_m5kdaeLxId1qakh43o5_250.gif

Walt being his usual self during the grand opening of The Swiss Family Treehouse in 1962
anigif_enhanced-30646-1398716583-22.gif

And last but not least, Walt and Disneyland Ambassador Julie Reems fail once more while trying to cut the ribbon for Great Moments, in 1965

And here's to the next 59 more magical years of Disneyland! I'm sure the future holds a great many things! Happy Early Birthday Disneyland!!
tumblr_mq2b365WvW1r1pz1eo7_400.gif

tumblr_mq2b365WvW1r1pz1eo5_400.jpg

tumblr_ly8bice1Px1r63keto1_400.gif

tumblr_m6j7gfBLC51qe5vzdo5_250.gif

tumblr_m6j7gfBLC51qe5vzdo7_250.gif

tumblr_m6j7gfBLC51qe5vzdo9_250.gif
 

TP2000

Well-Known Member
*clears throat...*

"59 years of fantasy,

59 years of fun,

59 years of growing and you've only just begun!

59 years of building on a dream that never ends,

59 years of happiness for 600 Million friends!

59 magic years ago, you had your start,

Now you're the kingdom of the young and young at heart,

May you forever be the land where dreams come true,

Congratulations Disneyland Happy Birthday To You!!!!"

Now you'll have that song stuck in your head forever.

Fantastic! It never gets old.

For those unfamiliar with Disneyland history, Walt celebrated big for Disneyland's 10th Anniversary in 1965 and it was dubbed the "Tencennial". This was the first time they actually made a big deal out of a Disneyland anniversary, and it set the stage for major anniversary celebrations in the future.

Walt hosted a special Wonderful World of Color in the spring of '65 to kick off the Tencennial, and the Sherman Brothers wrote a birthday song for the occasion. The song was performed on the show, in a rather bizarre musical production number in front of the Castle. The song and production number begin at the 3:30 mark of this clip if you want to skip ahead...

WARNING: Like any Sherman Brothers tune, it's ridiculously catchy!


It was the 1960's. Things were weirder back then.
 

Marc Gil

Well-Known Member
Fantastic gifs!!!!

I will be watching Disneyland After Dark sometime this week. That is one of my favorite specials.
Yep! It's certainly one of my favorites as well next to the Tenth Anniversary Show and Around the Seasons.

Also, The Disneyland USA movie has some excellent footage of Disneyland circa 1950s.
 

seahawk7

Well-Known Member
My Grandpa took my Mom the year DL opened and she thought it was the neatest place not because of the rides but because of all the fountains. She got in trouble for jumping in them!
My Dad also went as a child and they both took me and my brother multiple times. Every time we went, I bought a glass figurine of one of the characters at the DL hotel and every week, when I cleaned my room I dusted those figurines of Snow White, Mickey, and Minnie, ETC., and I dreamed of the next time.

Happy Birthday Disneyland and thank you for being a HUGE part of my childhood.
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom