A look back into the history of how Disneyland came to be, and open on July 18th, 1955

[Darkbeer1]

Disneyland is turning 65 this week, so we look at how the Magic Kingdom came to be

A brief history of Disneyland…before it was Disneyland.

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>>Eventually, the selection is narrowed down to the following four locations:

1. La Mirada, 2,300 acres that contain five separate parcels of interest
2. “Leo Harvey property,” 160 acres near intersection of Valley View Avenue and the Santa Ana Freeway
3. Willowick Country Club, Santa Ana
4. “Ball Road Subdivision” just off the Santa Ana Freeway in Anaheim

<<

And for those whole thought Disneyland was built in a year and a day...

>>Ninety days before construction begins, Disney brings in retired Navy Adm. Joe Fowler. Fowler once ran the busy San Francisco Navy Yard and is picked to supervise construction that will continue around the clock. The construction begins on July 21, 1954. <<

 

[mickEblu]

Wait, I thought Disneyland opened on July 17th?

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

I thought it opened in 1956 and nothing worked.

 

[TP2000]

I thought it opened in 1956 and nothing worked.

And when Pirates of the Caribbean broke down in '56, the pirates didn't attack the tourists.

 

[Darkbeer1]

And when Pirates of the Caribbean broke down in '56, the pirates didn't attack the tourists.

They found Holidayland and the Beer!

Holidayland - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[TP2000]

You know, that 2,300 acres in La Mirada could have been a really nice option.

 

[DLR92]

I did not knew La Miranda was once a location site option...Disneyland Park, LA Miranda, CA
That sounds nice.

 

[Phroobar]

I did not knew La Miranda was once a location site option...Disneyland Park, LA Miranda, CA
That sounds nice.

Until you go to La Miranda. At least it would have been closer to Knotts for Disney to acquire later.

 

[jerryp49]

Disneyland is turning 65 this week, so we look at how the Magic Kingdom came to be

A brief history of Disneyland…before it was Disneyland.

www.ocregister.com

If you are blocked, try any SCNG website.

SCNG Home

SCNG is the leading publisher of local news in SoCal. Our 11 publications allow advertisers to reach their target audience in print, digital, or both.

www.socalnewsgroup.com

>>Eventually, the selection is narrowed down to the following four locations:

1. La Mirada, 2,300 acres that contain five separate parcels of interest
2. “Leo Harvey property,” 160 acres near intersection of Valley View Avenue and the Santa Ana Freeway
3. Willowick Country Club, Santa Ana
4. “Ball Road Subdivision” just off the Santa Ana Freeway in Anaheim

<<

And for those whole thought Disneyland was built in a year and a day...

>>Ninety days before construction begins, Disney brings in retired Navy Adm. Joe Fowler. Fowler once ran the busy San Francisco Navy Yard and is picked to supervise construction that will continue around the clock. The construction begins on July 21, 1954. <<

I appreciate and enjoy your posts but I get blocked by subscription pop-ups to OC Register every time. . I tried SCNG , same thing ..

 

[TP2000]

Until you go to La Miranda. At least it would have been closer to Knotts for Disney to acquire later.

Valid point! But I would argue it's only valid from the year 2020.

If you went back in time 65 years, La Mirada was nothing like it was today. And neither was Anaheim.

For those not in SoCal: La Mirada circa 2020 is a rather bland inner-city suburb of small 1950's tract homes, grungy industrial parks, sketchy strip malls, and general Los Angeles outer urban decay and social despair.

If you put Disneyland in La Mirada in '55, the entire history of that suburb and region would have been rewritten. Just as Anaheim's entire future was rewritten once Disneyland opened there in '55.

Without Disneyland, Anaheim in 2020 would just be Stanton with closer freeway onramps. There would be no Anaheim Resort District. No Anaheim Convention Center. No Angel Stadium. No Honda Center. No Ducks, no Angels, no House of Blues, no Morton's Steakhouse, no JW Marriott.

Anaheim in 2020 without Disneyland would be nothing but late 1950's 1,200 square foot tract homes ignored by a housing market that passed them by 30 years earlier, and ugly corner strip malls with a liquor store, a laundromat, a creepy massage parlor, and a decent carniceria. If you are really lucky, maybe a Walgreens or a Harbor Freight.

Stanton in 2020, what Anaheim around Harbor/Katella would look like in 2020 without Disneyland.

Of course, don't breathe a word of this truth to Dr. Moreno. He thinks central Anaheim would have soared into a beautiful 21st century utopia without Disneyland.

 

[socalifornian]

I was actually able to do this last week at a decent hour
>>Its proximity to a major freeway means the park is less than 30 minutes by car from downtown Los Angeles.

 

[Robbiem]

Really interesting. If Disney had bought land in La Mirada it sounds like they could have a lot more property and walt may never have developed a Florida project, at least in his lifetime as he would have land closer to home to develop, we could even have had a California version of progress city/EPCOT in his lifetime!

 

[Phroobar]

Valid point! But I would argue it's only valid from the year 2020.

If you went back in time 65 years, La Mirada was nothing like it was today. And neither was Anaheim.

For those not in SoCal: La Mirada circa 2020 is a rather bland inner-city suburb of small 1950's tract homes, grungy industrial parks, sketchy strip malls, and general Los Angeles outer urban decay and social despair.

If you put Disneyland in La Mirada in '55, the entire history of that suburb and region would have been rewritten. Just as Anaheim's entire future was rewritten once Disneyland opened there in '55.

Without Disneyland, Anaheim in 2020 would just be Stanton with closer freeway onramps. There would be no Anaheim Resort District. No Anaheim Convention Center. No Angel Stadium. No Honda Center. No Ducks, no Angels, no House of Blues, no Morton's Steakhouse, no JW Marriott.

Anaheim in 2020 without Disneyland would be nothing but late 1950's 1,200 square foot tract homes ignored by a housing market that passed them by 30 years earlier, and ugly corner strip malls with a liquor store, a laundromat, a creepy massage parlor, and a decent carniceria. If you are really lucky, maybe a Walgreens or a Harbor Freight.

Stanton in 2020, what Anaheim around Harbor/Katella would look like in 2020 without Disneyland.

Of course, don't breathe a word of this truth to Dr. Moreno. He thinks central Anaheim would have soared into a beautiful 21st century utopia without Disneyland.

But then Stanton wouldn't have Adventure City.

and the Doll Museum at Hobby city.

 

[1HAPPYGHOSTHOST]

Anaheim in 2020 without Disneyland would be nothing but late 1950's 1,200 square foot tract homes ignored by a housing market that passed them by 30 years earlier, and ugly corner strip malls with a liquor store, a laundromat, a creepy massage parlor,

Ummm do you happen to have the address to that creepy massage parlor by any chance? Um asking for a friend.

 

[DLR92]

Valid point! But I would argue it's only valid from the year 2020.

If you went back in time 65 years, La Mirada was nothing like it was today. And neither was Anaheim.

For those not in SoCal: La Mirada circa 2020 is a rather bland inner-city suburb of small 1950's tract homes, grungy industrial parks, sketchy strip malls, and general Los Angeles outer urban decay and social despair.

If you put Disneyland in La Mirada in '55, the entire history of that suburb and region would have been rewritten. Just as Anaheim's entire future was rewritten once Disneyland opened there in '55.

Without Disneyland, Anaheim in 2020 would just be Stanton with closer freeway onramps. There would be no Anaheim Resort District. No Anaheim Convention Center. No Angel Stadium. No Honda Center. No Ducks, no Angels, no House of Blues, no Morton's Steakhouse, no JW Marriott.

Anaheim in 2020 without Disneyland would be nothing but late 1950's 1,200 square foot tract homes ignored by a housing market that passed them by 30 years earlier, and ugly corner strip malls with a liquor store, a laundromat, a creepy massage parlor, and a decent carniceria. If you are really lucky, maybe a Walgreens or a Harbor Freight.

Stanton in 2020, what Anaheim around Harbor/Katella would look like in 2020 without Disneyland.

Of course, don't breathe a word of this truth to Dr. Moreno. He thinks central Anaheim would have soared into a beautiful 21st century utopia without Disneyland.

Anaheim back was full of orange groves too...didn’t Anaheim has a thriving aerospace industry back then too?

 

[Phroobar]

Anaheim back was full of orange groves too...didn’t Anaheim has a thriving aerospace industry back then too?

They had daily flights to the moon back then.

 

[Darkbeer1]

Anaheim back was full of orange groves too...didn’t Anaheim has a thriving aerospace industry back then too?

Yes, more in the Eastern and Central part, but yes, lots of Aerospace jobs in town.