The obstacles would have stopped a lesser man. But as the 35th anniversary of the self-styled ”happiest place on earth” nears, the late Walt Disney`s vision has been rewarded with a Magic Kingdom that keeps getting more magical day by entertaining day.
In the beginning it was just supposed to be a ”magical little park”
built on two acres adjacent to the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, Calif. It would have singing waterfalls and statues of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and other famous Disney characters, alongside which visitors could take photos.
In the course of the 20 years Disney spent daydreaming about his Disneyland park for the entire family, the idea grew until it would encompass 120 acres. Disney commissioned the Stanford Research Institute to find a site that could be purchased at a reasonable price, provide a large enough parcel of land and offer easy freeway access.
That site selected was a 160-acre orange grove flecked with walnut trees in Anaheim. Disney risked nearly all his fortune to build his dream park on that orange grove, selling his vacation home in Palm Springs and even borrowing against his life insurance policy to raise the necessary $17 million. He broke ground for his Magic Kingdom in 1954.
Skeptics abounded
Skeptics predicted Disneyland would fail and major hotels refused to build in Anaheim, then a sleepy town dotted with just seven motels offering a total of 87 rooms.
But Disney dreamed his dream and wished upon his star and the park opened on July 17, 1955. Disney would refer to that day as ”Black Sunday.” The cars stretched bumper-to-bumper on the Santa Ana Freeway in what police at the time called ”the worst traffic jam ever seen.” Nearly 30,000 invited guests, along with countless counterfeiters, poured through the gates to find long lines everywhere. Rides broke down shortly after opening and restaurants and refreshment stands ran out of food and drink. Fantasyland had to be temporarily closed because of a gas leak. In some areas, paint was wet to the touch. In the blistering heat, spiked heels on women`s shoes sank into the asphalt on Main St.
Disney was unaware of the situation as he was being shuttled from one part of the park to another for ”Dateline Disneyland,” a live 90-minute TV show witnessed by 90 million viewers. Co-hosts for that opening day were Bob Cummings, Art Linkletter, and a man destined to become president of the United States, Ronald Reagan, along with a then unknown group of youngsters called the Mousketeers who were to star in something on TV called the ”Mickey Mouse Club.”
In the following weeks, Disney virtually lived at the park until he straightened out the opening day problems at the 18 attractions showcased in the park`s five themed lands. By the seventh week, the park had its one millionth visitor. Today there are 60 attractions in seven themed lands, and Disneyland has welcomed more than 300 million guests to its Magic Kingdom 27 miles southeast of the Los Angeles Civic Center.
The premier park
Disneyland was the forerunner of Walt Disney World in Florida, Tokyo Disneyland and a new Euro Disneyland, scheduled to open on a site near Paris in 1992. The California property is considered the ”Rembrandt” of the Disney theme parks, according to Dick Nunis, president of Walt Disney Attractions, because it is ”the only park built under the direct supervision of Walt Disney,” who gave Nunis his first job when he was a football great fresh out of Stanford.
This spring, the park will host a 35th anniversary auction of memorabilia reflecting Disneyland history, including the ”D” from Disneyland`s old marquee, a teacup from the Mad Hatter`s Tea Party ride, a living topiary shrub (pruned in the shape of a Disney character), an Autopia Car, a pair of Mickey Mouse`s four-fingered gloves and even a pair of Minnie`s yellow shoes. Celebrities will be among the auctioneers, and the proceeds will go to charity.
Premiering in 1990 will be the all-new Party Gras Parade down Main Street, U.S.A., with traditional Mardi Gras elements reshaped by Disney Magic that includes five gigantic balloons shaped like favorite Disney characters.
The Great American State Fair will run Aug. 20 through Nov. 12, with highlights including a giant Ferris wheel, pig races, game booths, special shows, daily prizes, and hearty food. The Aug. 20 kickoff of the fair will be- appropriately-the first playing of the Disneyland Pigskin Classic, a new preseason collegiate football game that will annually pit two leading college teams in Anaheim Stadium.
A new mountain
But the show is still the thing. And Disneyland`s mountain range of thrill rides-Matterhorn Mountain, Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain-boasts a new peak, Splash Mountain, based on the animated sequences in Walt Disney`s 1946 film, ”Song of the South.” The ride takes passengers on a waterborne journey through backwoods swamps and bayous, past more than 100
”Song of the South” movie characters (including three Brers, Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox and Brer Bear). The show/ride represents the best song-and-dance advances in Audio-Animatronics technology, which utilizes electronically synchronized voices, music and sound effects. This system brings to life a variety of objects, from realistic-looking human figures (but no Uncle Remus, to avoid racial stereotypes) to a multitude of animals, birds and flower figures.
The flume ride starts out tamely enough in a hollowed-out log boat, proceeding roller-coaster style on tubular steel tracks, reminding this recent rider of a Southern version of Disney`s Pirates of the Caribbean. But just as I was humming zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-aye from the movie, the ”aye”
turned to a screaming ”ahhhhhh” as we hurtled along a steep spillway, descending from the top of the mountain to a briar-filled pond five stories below. Crash. Splash. Bam. Allakazam.
Wet but not drenched, we emerged shook up but exhilarated, with my daughter Martha giving me credit for having more courage than she thought I had. The ride lasted about nine minutes, with most of the excitement crammed into the final nine seconds. But, whoosh, what a thrill ride at the end.
All rides crowded
In fact, the overall impression of Disneyland is crowds stretching across its seven ”theme” lands, from Adventureland, Critter Country and Fantasyland/Frontierland to Main Street, U.S.A., New Orleans Square and Tommorrowland. We waited 40 minutes to ride what amounted to a merry-go-round in a Dumbo-shaped flying car, 45 minutes to soar on Space Mountain (never again) and on-and-on, with rides crowded right up until the 1 a.m. closing.
The park opens at 9 a.m., so best to get there early for the shortest waits-the shortest for us being five minutes for It`s a Small World, a boat tour through what seems like a cosmos peopled by thousands of animated mini-animal and fairy tale singers.
We didn`t mind the waits because Disneyland does its best to live up to its nickname, ”the happiest place on earth,” with non-stop entertainment ranging from fireworks displays to parades to dance bands. The Disney
”imagineers” have picked up right where Walt left off, with their latest efforts including space-oriented shows drawing upon the imagination of George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola and Jim Hensen of Muppets fame, and starring the likes of Michael Jackson.
Disneyland occupies 80 acres of land, has guest parking for 15,167 vehicles on another 102 acres and has roughly 100 additional acres for expansion, perhaps with an Epcot-style attraction in its future. It is open every day during the year, with winter hours generally from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, and 9 a.m. to midnight Saturdays and Sundays. Opening hours are extended during holiday periods and in summer. (To verify park hours, call 714-999-4565 or 213-626-8605, extension 4565). Adult 1-day admission is $23.50, 2 days $42.25 and 3 days $56.50. Children 3 to 11 pay $18.50, $33.25 and $44.50, respectively. Children under 3 are free.
