Disney Parks Worldwide Celebrate as Disneyland Hits Milestone 50th Anniversary
Disney Parks Worldwide Celebrate as Disneyland Hits Milestone 50th Anniversary
For the first time ever, the 10 Disney theme parks around the world will join together for one glorious celebration to mark the 50th anniversary of Disneyland in Southern California.
Disney Chief Executive Officer Michael Eisner joined Walt Disney Parks & Resorts President Jay Rasulo and Disneyland Resort President Matt Ouimet in a spectacular ceremony this morning in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland announcing details of the Happiest Celebration on Earth.
The Happiest Celebration on Earth pays tribute to Walt Disney's dream of Disneyland, the original park that launched an industry and sparked an empire of fun that now spans the globe and continues to offer the most visited attractions in the world, drawing 100 million visitors on three continents every year — and still growing.
Beginning May 5, 2005 and extending for 18 months through 2006, the event is so monumental that it will take place in all of the Disney theme parks around the world, with the premiere of exciting new shows and attractions at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, Tokyo Disney Resort in Japan and Disneyland Resort Paris in France. Disneyland in California will naturally be the center of the celebration, featuring its own unique Happiest Homecoming on Earth festivities.
"Walt Disney's creation of Disneyland is truly one of the single greatest entertainment achievements of the 20th Century, launching the international theme park industry and creating a place where the entire family can go to have fun and enjoy wholesome, quality family entertainment together." said Jay. "The Disney theme park experience is a timeless tradition that millions have passed from generation to generation. All our parks, as well as the Disney Cruise Line, will be joining in this unprecedented global celebration, which promises to be the biggest event in Disney theme park history."
Michael noted that Disneyland has grown into a cultural phenomenon. "Disneyland was built on one man's singular dream which has evolved to a point where today the sun never sets on a Disney theme park," Michael said. "Our Happiest Celebration on Earth is another example of our continued investment in creative entertainment for our guests, and will salute all of our those valued guests who have helped to make Disneyland a national treasure and Disney theme parks the unrivaled leader in family vacation resorts worldwide."
At Disneyland, the global celebration becomes the Happiest Homecoming on Earth, a unique chance for the generations of guests who have been touched by the magic of Disneyland to return to where the magic began and relive their fondest memories of park visits past and create new memories with family and friends.
DISNEYLAND RESORT
Showcasing new and exciting shows and attractions, the Happiest Homecoming on Earth will be the biggest celebration in the history of the Park and will take different forms throughout the Disneyland Resort — even extending out to sea:
· Sleeping Beauty Castle will be transformed into a breathtaking focal-point for the Happiest Homecoming on Earth and will glow with Disney enchantment as never before.
· Audiences will be overwhelmed by the fun and spectacle of the new Walt Disney's Parade of Dreams, featuring one of the largest casts of Disney Characters ever assembled.
· An all-new fireworks spectacular entitled Remember . . . Dreams Come True represents the most elaborate and extravagant in the history of Disneyland.
· In the all-new attraction Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, guests pilot their very own Star Cruiser through a comical interactive space mission where they will help to protect outer space from the forces of the evil Emperor Zurg!
· Space Mountain will be re-"Imagineered" for the 21st century, featuring all-new "out of this world" effects and surprises.
· Guests will experience Disneyland — The First 50 Years, a remarkable new exhibit showcasing 50 years of Disneyland and highlighting the amazing evolution of the park from concept to reality.
· Block Party Bash — At Disney's California Adventure guests will suddenly find themselves surrounded by the rollicking music, excitement and fun of one of five instant celebrations.
DISNEY CRUISE LINE (Port of Los Angeles, California / Port Canaveral, Florida)
· Disney Cruise Line will launch its first-ever west coast itinerary with celebratory cruise vacations out of Los Angeles aboard the Disney Magic to Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
The global Happiest Celebration on Earth represents Disney's biggest launch of new adventures and entertainment ever — and the first time all the Disney theme parks have joined together to mark a milestone in a truly global fashion. Hong Kong Disneyland will join the festivities when it opens in late 2005/early 2006 as China's first theme park.
The worldwide Happiest Celebration on Earth will salute The Happiest Place on Earth by taking different forms at each of Disneyland's sister parks and resorts:
WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORT
Walt Disney World Resort pays tribute to 50 years of Disneyland and Disney theme park magic around the world with its most over-the-top event ever. Each of the four Walt Disney World theme parks will feature an incredible attraction or show imported from Disney's parks around the globe — plus a unique new attraction will be created just for the Florida resort.
· Guests to the Magic Kingdom will see a favorite princess begin her Happily-Ever-After life during the magnificent, musical coronation of Cinderellabration, direct from Tokyo.
· At Epcot, guests will take flight over the Golden State with the opening of Soarin, based on the hit Anaheim attraction.
· The secrets behind Hollywood's most astounding stunts will be revealed in the high-octane Lights, Motors, Action — Extreme Stunt Show at Disney-MGM Studios, direct from Paris.
· At Disney's Animal Kingdom — from out of the secret labs of Walt Disney Imagineering — will come Lucky the dinosaur, the first-ever free-roaming Audio-Animatronics® figure. Later in the celebration year, Expedition EVEREST will take guests to thrilling new heights in a runaway mountain train.
TOKYO DISNEY RESORT
· Tokyo Disneyland Park — Disney's very first international theme park honors its namesake with a very special tribute in the summer of 2005 that pays homage to Walt's dream of Disneyland.
· Lost River Delta Thrill Attraction — This new attraction at Tokyo DisneySea will be the first at Tokyo Disney Resort to feature a vertical 360-degree loop and will offer guests a thrilling experience on a high-speed ride through special effects employing fire and water when it opens in 2005.
DISNEYLAND RESORT PARIS
· Wishes — A dramatic combination of glittering fireworks and Disney music is set to light up the skies over Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland Park every night from the 9th of July until the 28th of August 2005. Inspired by a similar show at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, Wishes will be accompanied by a specially arranged musical score, featuring favorite Disney tunes and characters.
HONG KONG DISNEYLAND
· The legacy of Disneyland continues into the next half century when Hong Kong Disneyland opens its gates in 2005/early 2006. Classic Disney attractions and unique design elements for China will introduce a new generation to the enchantment of Disney, demonstrating how Disney magic can cross geographical and cultural borders, bringing people and families closer together.
"The next few years will aptly kick off Walt Disney Parks and Resorts' next 50 years — from last fall's launch of Mission Space at Walt Disney World to the debut of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror this week at Disney's California Adventure, and of course, the golden anniversary of Walt's dream-come-true in 2005," said Jay. "Our vision for the future reflects the innovation and imagination Walt infused into Disneyland nearly five decades ago."
Additionally, DisneyHand, worldwide outreach for The Walt Disney Company, will join in the 50th Anniversary of Disneyland by celebrating its role as a magical place where the wishes of children from around the world come true. A series of exciting signature events, in association with Make-A-Wish Foundation®, Starlight Children's Foundation and Toys For Tots, will share many of the ways in which Disney serves children and families in need.
Further outreach programs focused in Anaheim and Orange County will build on Disneyland's commitment to the local non-profit and education communities and leave a legacy for years to come. Disney VoluntEARS will play a central role in outreach activities, continuing to strengthen the relationships between Disneyland cast members and the communities in which they live and work.
