Disneyland has been enormously popular since it opened in 1955.
Even just saying "I'm going to Disneyland" became an advertising catchphrase.
“What are you going to do next?”
“I’m going to Disneyland!”
But as familiar as this theme park may seem, there are still things even the biggest Disney
fan may not know about "The Happiest Place on Earth."
Here's a look at the untold truth of Disneyland.
Not the first
It may be the most famous theme park of all time, but Disneyland wasn't the even the first
in California, much less the world.
The first amusement park based on a single theme was actually Santa Claus Land, which
opened in Indiana in 1946.
And while southern California's Knott's Berry Farm didn't start charging admission until
the late 60's, it began developing theme attractions well before Walt Disney even broke ground
on Disneyland.
There wasn't really a rivalry between the two parks, though.
Walt even invited Knott's Berry Farm owner Walter Knott to Disneyland's opening day in
an unlikely gesture of friendship.
“You’re not even aware / you’re such a funny pair / you’re the best of friends!”
Million Dollar Duck
Nowadays, Disneyland looks like a no-brainer.
But at the time, even the other executives at Disney were skeptical.
So Walt had to get creative about the funding, borrowing against his life insurance policy
and approaching all three fledgling television networks about co-sponsoring the park.
Only ABC, the lowest rated network at the time, was desperate enough to meet with Walt.
They ended up getting a partial stake in the park in exchange for around $6 million in
cash and loans, as well as a guarantee from Walt that he would provide exclusive television
content for the network.
The result was the Disneyland TV show, which also served as a perfect national advertising
platform for the new park, including a live broadcast of opening day.
Just how successful was the partnership?
The Walt Disney Company would eventually grow so large, it bought ABC outright in 1995.
The Three Caballeros
People think of Walt Disney as the man who came up with everything in Disneyland, but
he had a lot of help from his imagineers.
Two men in particular made key contributions to the park.
Engineer Harrison "Buzz" Price made the fateful decision to locate the park in Anaheim, California,
which proved to be such a good choice that Walt later tasked him with finding a home
for Walt Disney World, resulting in the park being based in Orlando, Florida.
And Cornelius Vanderbilt Wood, Disneyland's first employee, was in charge of the construction
of the park.
But soon after completion, a clash of egos with Walt led to Wood being fired and all
but erased from the company's history.
The Yippie invasion
During Walt's lifetime, he kept a close watch on the park's daily management, leading to
some strange rules, including the fact that male employees and guests alike had to abide
by strict guidelines governing the length of their hair.
Yep, it sounds crazy now, but people were actually denied entry to the park because
Walt thought their hair was too long.
Eventually, though, Disneyland relaxed the hair rules for customers, leading the left-wing
activist group known as the Yippies to plan a demonstration in the park.
On August 6, 1970, several hundred Yippies staged what they called the "International
Yippie Pow-Wow."
While most of the Yippies were well behaved enough, things got out of hand when a group
began chanting obscenities on Main Street USA.
Guests reportedly sang "God Bless America" in response, but after one guest got in a
fight with a protester trying to hang a Yippie flag, Disneyland summoned 150 police officers
in riot gear and closed the park early.
A Whole New World
Original rides that still exist include the Mad Tea Party, King Arthur's Carousel, Peter
Pan's Flight, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, the Jungle Cruise, Autopia, and Snow White's Scary Adventures.
But while guests may think of Disneyland as timeless, over the years there have been dozens
of new rides and attractions that have come and gone, such as the mule rides, and the
Indian Village, which featured daily live acts by Native American performers who lived
in on-site housing.
“The Indian Village is a permanent and popular attraction.
Braves from many tribes are represented here.”
Other ideas whose time has passed include an exhibit by Monsanto called "The Hall of
Chemistry," a tobacco shop on Main Street USA where guests could buy cigarettes and
cigars, and a bra store featuring an animatronic sorcerer known as "The Wizard of Bras."
The Aristocats
Legend has it that cats have lived in Disneyland since almost the beginning, with a cat clan
living in Sleeping Beauty's Castle that Walt found and wanted to keep alive.
Initially, cats on the property were adopted out to cast members' families, according to
the Disneyland Cats website.
Now they get to stay.
Currently, there are reportedly about 200 cats in the park, all of whom are spayed and
neutered.
Disneyland employees feed the cats, and cat-friendly guests like to spot the fabulous felines strolling
around the park.
The cats help with rodent removal—ironic for an empire started by a mouse.
Almost Angels
Disneyland is not always the Happiest Place on Earth, especially when it comes to people
who try to get out of rides when they're still running.
At least nine people have died in the park, mostly "the result of guests who apparently
ignored safety instructions and/or defeated rides' safety mechanisms," according to Snopes.com.
There also have been multiple injuries.
In 1998, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration cited Disneyland for violating
36 safety rules, while in 2013, Disneyland temporarily shut down The Matterhorn, Space
Mountain, and Soarin' Over California after OSHA fined the company $234,000 for safety
violations.
And in 2009, a paraplegic man was awarded $8,000 in a lawsuit for "pain and suffering"
after he got stuck on "It's A Small World" for a half hour.
Considering most people who go on the ride never get that song out of their head, it's
a miracle Disney has only had to pay off one claim for mental damages.
Walt's legacy
Perhaps the one thing that separates Disneyland from all the other theme parks in the world,
including Walt Disney World in Florida, is the fact that Walt himself oversaw all of
the attractions, even helping design some of the classic attractions that debuted following
his death in 1966, such as Pirates of the Caribbean and The Haunted Mansion.
Walt loved the park so much he even had his own private apartment inside the park, above
the firehouse, from which he could work and watch the happy crowds pass by.
Walt did have one regret, though, which is that he didn't buy enough land to keep the
outside world from intruding on the park experience.
He made sure he didn't repeat that mistake when he planned Walt Disney World, purchasing
an amazing 47 square miles of property.
Sadly, though, he died without seeing Walt Disney World realized.
Walt once said, "Disneyland will never be completed.
It will continue to grow as long as there's imagination left in the world.
It is something that will never be finished.
Something that I can keep developing and adding to."
Or in other words,
“To all who come to this happy place, welcome.
Disneyland is your land.”
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