by Shannon Harris
Disneyland’s opening day was supposed to be a preview. Walt Disney’s theme park dreams came true on July 17th, 1955. Guests were allowed to experience 18 attractions and Disney magic, by invitation only. Celebrities like Sammy Davis, Jr., Frank Sinatra, and Debbie Reynolds (and even a young George Lucas!) attended. The rest of America watched Disneyland’s grand opening on ABC. 70 million viewers made it the biggest television broadcast up to that time. More than half of the American population tuned in.
Then-actor and future U.S. president Ronald Reagan introduced Walt Disney for his dedication, which was written by Winston Hibler. Disney famously announced:
“To all who come to this happy place: Welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past, and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America, with hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world.”
DISASTER STRIKES
6,000 people held opening day tickets. Approximately 28,000 entered the park, mostly using
counterfeit tickets, though some used a ladder. An “entrepreneur” charged guests $5 each to climb up and sneak in. Morning guests didn’t leave by 2:30pm to make room for afternoon guests. Crowding largely contributed to Disneyland’s opening day disaster.
On opening day…
- An unprecedented 7-mile traffic jam occurred.
- High heels stuck in cheap asphalt that hadn’t completely dried.
- A heat wave surpassing 100°F led guests to excessive sweating, dehydration, and fatigue.
- Vendors ran out of food and beverages—and the water fountains hadn’t been turned on.
- A gas leak sparked flames that could have burned down Sleeping Beauty’s castle.
- The same gas leak closed Adventureland, Fantasyland, and Frontierland, further crowding the still-open lands. Meanwhile, Walt was occupied with the Dateline: Disneyland live broadcast.
- Many rides broke down; some weren’t ready and others experienced power failures.
- Overloaded, the Mark Twain Riverboat became lodged in the mud. It was set back in motion. “As soon as it pulled up to the landing, all the people rushed to the side to get off, and the boat tipped into the water again, so they all had to wade off through the water, and some of them were pretty mad,” explained former cast member Terry O’Brien.
- People fell off overloaded attractions and into the water. The canal boats had to be pushed manually.
- A window hunk from the Mark Twain Riverboat fell on a senator’s head.
The press thought Disneyland was overpriced ($1 + tickets for rides) and undermanaged. Major reporting venues gave the park one year before it closed. However, the general public loved the park. On day two, guests began lining up around 2a.m. More than 15,000 people had lined up before 10:00am! Even with a cap of 20,000 people per day, Disneyland welcomed its one millionth guest on September 8, 1955—in less than two months.
TODAY
- More than 750 million people have visited the park.
- Opening day at Disneyland is still remembered not-so-fondly as “Black Sunday”.
- The Walt Disney Company now owns ABC.
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