lbrad
Well-Known Member
NOT ME ... I'll be @ Epcot enjoying F&WF :sohappy:
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40th anniversary program - Wow, that's so...underwhelming
- Thread starter Spike-in-Berlin
- Start date
NOT ME ... I'll be @ Epcot enjoying F&WF :sohappy:
TP2000
Well-Known Member
I was there for that one, so I can share.
When the last Disney theme park had a 40th Anniversary, there was a year-long celebration called "40 Years Of Adventures". These types of decorations were used around the park that year, and Cast Members had 40 Years of Adventures nametags for 1995.
While Disneyland's birthday is on July 17th, the party really kicked off in February, 1995 with the grand opening of the Indiana Jones Adventure (hence the "adventures" theme) by Michael Eisner and George Lucas, on the same day that the brand new Lion King Parade premeired on Main Street USA.
On July 17th, 1995 they gave out party hats at the entrance turnstiles, strung up balloon arches over Main Street USA, and passed out free birthday cake to every park guest.
They had the traditional Cast Member Photograph that Disneyland does on major anniversaries where all CM's pose on Main Street for a photograph just before the park opens.
Then at Noon they had the official ceremony in front of the Castle. Everyone gathered in the Central Plaza with their party hats on, where a special banner had been draped over the Matterhorn.
Michael Eisner, Roy Disney Jr., Marty Sklar, John Hench, Art Linkletter (who hosted the original Disneyland TV special in 1955) gave speeches.. Disneyland had created a special "Time Castle", which was a gorgeously crafted bronze time capsule filled with mementos and memories from Disneyland's 40th year. It was dedicated to the children of the 21st century who are to open it on Disneyland's 80th Anniversary in 2035. During the Noon ceremony it was lowered by crane and buried in a vault beneath the pavement in front of the Castle.
Then Randy Travis (who was at the height of his popularity in '95) appeared on top of the Matterhorn, and led the whole park in singing a rousing version of "Happy Birthday Dear Disneyland" while Mickey conducted the chorus from a platform beneath the mountain. Cause, you know, that's what Randy Travis does.
Daytime fireworks were then set off, peace doves were released, women cried, Eisner led the rest of the execs over to the bar at Club 33, and everyone else ran to go get in line for Indiana Jones again.
The plaque over the Time Castle is still there, waiting to be unearthed on July 17th, 2035 so the children of the 21st century can marvel at how cheap a Disneyland ticket was back in '95. I plan to be there when they unearth it.
The Disneyland 40th Anniversary Time Castle plaque by Loren Javier, on Flickr
TP2000
Well-Known Member
Duh. How could I forget that? :lol:
I still have a few of the 40 different trading cards they passed out free at the entrance turnstiles that spring to kick off the party!
raiden
Member
Im not surprised that DL Knows how to throw a 40th celebration. I was there for the 55th. The 55th? And we get cupcaKes for the 40th? Sad.
40 years of any anniversary is a big deal and is reason to celebrate. If you think otherwise you i feel sorry for ya! When you hold on to something for 40 years i guess you will then understand.
On a side note I wont be at the MK, since this is a very weeK celebration, instead we will be at Typhoon Lagoon and will watch wishes from BLT top of the world. But all I expect is the extra tag from the new years fireworKs.
40 years of any anniversary is a big deal and is reason to celebrate. If you think otherwise you i feel sorry for ya! When you hold on to something for 40 years i guess you will then understand.
On a side note I wont be at the MK, since this is a very weeK celebration, instead we will be at Typhoon Lagoon and will watch wishes from BLT top of the world. But all I expect is the extra tag from the new years fireworKs.
Rowdy
Member
So, why not throw a 41st, 42nd, 43rd, and so on? I mean, they are more than 40 years, and if 40 years is such a big deal, shouldn't they be as well? At some point is has to be diminished.
I would personally rather have a less crowded October 1st, rather than one packed wall to wall because of ceremonies and cake every year.
aladdin2007
Well-Known Member
The ones in the middle arent as important but the milestones should not be diminished. Every 5 or so years is somewhat of a marking and some should be celebrated more than others. It was always something they did very well on a grand scale and part of what made Disney, Disney. The 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th, were wonderful and each one had its own parade and things, then after that they just quit. They should have done a 30th and now the 40th. Hopefully a 50th will make up for it and be more than just a speech and cupcakes.
raiden
Member
They do celebrate every year. Celebrate today, Let the memories begin, Year of million years, dreaming of a thousand memories and so forth.
WDW is always celebrating something, so I as you this, why cant they celebrate the 40th? They celebrate everything else. At some point shouldnt all the celebrating be diminished with that logic?
Rowdy
Member
Hardly.
The 40th means nothing to me. The 10th, sure. The 50th, sure. The 100th, of course. But the 40th... yea it's a big deal. But for people to be disappointed is just absurd.
jlevis
Well-Known Member
It's the entitlement syndrome.
raiden
Member
So will you be saying the same thing if the 50th is treated the same way as the 40th? Thats how these things roll.
raiden
Member
I know you have been waiting a long time to use that phrase(or maybe you like to say that all the time?) but please understand what that means, and at least be it your own words, so you can use it in the correct way.:animwink:
Rowdy
Member
That's not a fair assumption. Especially since I've said, I believe this is the third time, that I think the 50th should be a huge deal.
ChristianG
Well-Known Member
How awful would it be if Disney released an ad like this for the 40th.
aladdin2007
Well-Known Member
How awful would it be if Disney released an ad like this for the 40th.
Well then I guess we would know for sure how serious they are taking the whole cupcake thing. :lol:
Communicore
Well-Known Member
How awful would it be if Disney released an ad like this for the 40th.
I guess in honor of pink month, Pepto-rella will be unveiled....2 of my yrs as a CM were during the pink cake era, ugh!
mickeysaver
Well-Known Member
I will most definitely be there Saturday with my partner and our little 20 month old great niece that we are raising. I can't wait! :sohappy:
A character parade and perimeter fireworks...even if nothing else happened, that is enough extra pixie dust for me for the 40th. I will say that the 50th had better be a massive blowout resort wide year long promo to blow the doors off what DL had for their 50th and then some.
I am not feeling the cupcake thing. If it's cute and free, I will get one for the baby, as long as there is no red dye in there. I will take pictures of it before and during consumption of the cupcake.
If the special available only on the day of t-shirt is cool, I might buy one for the baby or my partner, but I will skip it.
I have no plans to buy any of the items that the Disney artists are there to sign, although, I really have taken a shine to NOAH's work and we have several Jim Shore pieces in our Disney collection as well as pieces by the guy with the name that starts with an O that I can not for the life of me remember how to spell or pronouce at this moment. :hammer:
I will buy pins. I won't buy all of the pins, but I will buy the "I was there" Mickey and if there is a special one that my partner likes, we will grab that one too. Thankfully, the baby owns one pin. It's a Tiana Pin and it's permanently attached to her stroller for her Disney park touring enjoyment. I do and don't look forward to the day when the pin trading bug bites her. Luckily, I have over 300 traders and over 1000 pins that are thought of as keepers. I imagine that in a couple of years we will still have a pin or two to help get her started with. :animwink:
Ok, that's enough overtired rambling for this thread. Carry on my fellow Mouseketeers!
ETA: I would like to buy pins, but I am not getting in line at 6 AM for any pin.....EVER!
A character parade and perimeter fireworks...even if nothing else happened, that is enough extra pixie dust for me for the 40th. I will say that the 50th had better be a massive blowout resort wide year long promo to blow the doors off what DL had for their 50th and then some.
I am not feeling the cupcake thing. If it's cute and free, I will get one for the baby, as long as there is no red dye in there. I will take pictures of it before and during consumption of the cupcake.
If the special available only on the day of t-shirt is cool, I might buy one for the baby or my partner, but I will skip it.
I have no plans to buy any of the items that the Disney artists are there to sign, although, I really have taken a shine to NOAH's work and we have several Jim Shore pieces in our Disney collection as well as pieces by the guy with the name that starts with an O that I can not for the life of me remember how to spell or pronouce at this moment. :hammer:
I will buy pins. I won't buy all of the pins, but I will buy the "I was there" Mickey and if there is a special one that my partner likes, we will grab that one too. Thankfully, the baby owns one pin. It's a Tiana Pin and it's permanently attached to her stroller for her Disney park touring enjoyment. I do and don't look forward to the day when the pin trading bug bites her. Luckily, I have over 300 traders and over 1000 pins that are thought of as keepers. I imagine that in a couple of years we will still have a pin or two to help get her started with. :animwink:
Ok, that's enough overtired rambling for this thread. Carry on my fellow Mouseketeers!
ETA: I would like to buy pins, but I am not getting in line at 6 AM for any pin.....EVER!
mickeysaver
Well-Known Member
How awful would it be if Disney released an ad like this for the 40th.
Thank you God for Castle Dream Lights! They are probably one of the few things that kept them from doing something that stupid to the castle again.
AEfx
Well-Known Member
I was there for the 15th, and besides themed shopping bags (which I still have), they also gave everyone who came in a ticket (still have that as well) that gave you a prize. I believe everyone won something - usually a free soda or something. Of course, there were bigger prizes as well, a car, etc.
It was neat, but I don't remember much else besides the fact that this was also when Disney Dollars were new (I have a small bunch of early ones). Wasn't anything crazy spectacular, though.
I didn't expect anything much for the 40th, but we better sure as heck get something awesome for 50.
It was neat, but I don't remember much else besides the fact that this was also when Disney Dollars were new (I have a small bunch of early ones). Wasn't anything crazy spectacular, though.
I didn't expect anything much for the 40th, but we better sure as heck get something awesome for 50.