50 Years Young
Fifty years ago today, July 17, 1955, Disneyland first opened to the public. Since then, millions have been enchanted by a land that was once acres of orange groves. It's been a good fifty years overall, and here's hoping it lasts yet another fifty years, at minimum.
Since May 5, Disneyland has been operating on an anniversary footing, and will continue to do so for 18 months, through the summer season next year. We've already done our pilgrimage to Disneyland for the anniversary year. I don't anticipate going back until the new Nemo sub ride is up, replacing the beloved Submarine Voyage ride. If you have a chance to do so, I'd encourage you to visit when you have the opportunity. Everything's going full blast now, especially now that Space Mountain is back in commission. I'd especially visit before they decide to jack up prices even further; we paid $53 each for the privilege, but just a matter of weeks later, the price was hiked to $56 for "adults" (this includes kids 10 and up!), while those who are 3-9 get to pay $46 a pop.
In honor of Disneyland's actual anniversary, I'd like to share two neat links with you. The first is one I stumbled across fairly recently. It's a site that has pictures of Disneyland from its earliest years through the 1960s. For those of you that have never visited, it will be more a time capsule of how people looked and dressed (still amazing to think how casual dress has changed so much over a relatively short period of time. In the mid-60s, people still dressed nicely-- just a few years later, it's t-shirts and jeans...); for those of you that have visited at least once, it's a way to see just how much the park has changed over the years-- most of the lands have undergone a lot of change (the Haunted Mansion & Pirates of the Carribean didn't come along til the late 60s, the northwestern part of the park has been changed several times over, Tomorrowland has gone through several incarnations, Fantasyland went through a major overhaul in the early 80's and re-opened in 1983, and ToonTown is a relatively recent addition). So enjoy the photo tour.
The second site is one I've visited a few times over the past few years. As I said, Disneyland has gone through a lot of changes, and of course that means new rides or replacements to old rides (for example, I loved "Adventure Through Inner Space" when I was a kid-- I thought it was neat that I was "shrinking" to the size of an atom. That ride has vanished, and "Star Tours" has replaced it). One man, Werner Weiss, has compiled a lengthy and as comprehensive as possible list of rides and attractions (parades, shows, and the like) that have disappeared from the map of Disneyland, only to exist in memories (and pictures, some of which are on the site). Weiss doesn't update as much as he used to, but it's still a very entertaining and nostalgic site to visit when you have some time to kill. So go ahead, visit "Yesterland".
Happy Birthday, Disneyland. Thanks to Walt Disney, wherever he is, for giving us such a fun place to play in.
Since May 5, Disneyland has been operating on an anniversary footing, and will continue to do so for 18 months, through the summer season next year. We've already done our pilgrimage to Disneyland for the anniversary year. I don't anticipate going back until the new Nemo sub ride is up, replacing the beloved Submarine Voyage ride. If you have a chance to do so, I'd encourage you to visit when you have the opportunity. Everything's going full blast now, especially now that Space Mountain is back in commission. I'd especially visit before they decide to jack up prices even further; we paid $53 each for the privilege, but just a matter of weeks later, the price was hiked to $56 for "adults" (this includes kids 10 and up!), while those who are 3-9 get to pay $46 a pop.
In honor of Disneyland's actual anniversary, I'd like to share two neat links with you. The first is one I stumbled across fairly recently. It's a site that has pictures of Disneyland from its earliest years through the 1960s. For those of you that have never visited, it will be more a time capsule of how people looked and dressed (still amazing to think how casual dress has changed so much over a relatively short period of time. In the mid-60s, people still dressed nicely-- just a few years later, it's t-shirts and jeans...); for those of you that have visited at least once, it's a way to see just how much the park has changed over the years-- most of the lands have undergone a lot of change (the Haunted Mansion & Pirates of the Carribean didn't come along til the late 60s, the northwestern part of the park has been changed several times over, Tomorrowland has gone through several incarnations, Fantasyland went through a major overhaul in the early 80's and re-opened in 1983, and ToonTown is a relatively recent addition). So enjoy the photo tour.
The second site is one I've visited a few times over the past few years. As I said, Disneyland has gone through a lot of changes, and of course that means new rides or replacements to old rides (for example, I loved "Adventure Through Inner Space" when I was a kid-- I thought it was neat that I was "shrinking" to the size of an atom. That ride has vanished, and "Star Tours" has replaced it). One man, Werner Weiss, has compiled a lengthy and as comprehensive as possible list of rides and attractions (parades, shows, and the like) that have disappeared from the map of Disneyland, only to exist in memories (and pictures, some of which are on the site). Weiss doesn't update as much as he used to, but it's still a very entertaining and nostalgic site to visit when you have some time to kill. So go ahead, visit "Yesterland".
Happy Birthday, Disneyland. Thanks to Walt Disney, wherever he is, for giving us such a fun place to play in.
posted by Mr. Sandman | 2:45 PM
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