I've had way too many awesome memories of D-land to pick just one, but here's something that will definitely stay with me forever. After months of planning and waiting, I woke up from my parents' house at 4 am on the morning of July 17, 2015. I got dressed, had a quick bite, and got in my car. I drove through the early morning all the way up to Anaheim, to the Disneyland parking lot. I walked in with my ticket and headed straight for the castle. I was lucky enough to find a spot very close to the very front of the castle, where a grand piano was set up. I knew what was coming, but I was on pins and needles all the way from 8 to 10 o'clock. The sun beat down on my back as I waited by the churro stand, surrounded by hundreds of people. I had on a special commemorative button, and I was reading a special newspaper about the history of Disneyland. As I waited for the ceremony to start, I spotted several familiar faces in the VIP seats directly in front of the castle- Bob Gurr, Tony Baxter, Marty Sklar, Bobby Burgess, and Dick Van Dyke. I had my camera out and was taking as many photos as possible. Finally, at 10 o'clock, the birthday ceremony officially began. The president of Disneyland came out and spoke. He introduced members of Walt's family, and gave out a million dollar prize to the Girl Scouts. Finally, the moment I had been waiting for finally arrived. As soon as the president started speaking about Walt's love of music, I knew who would come out. When he spoke the name Richard Sherman, let's just say that if the crowd had been standing under a roof, our reaction would have blown it right off. Richard and Ashley Brown spoke about how Richard and Robert were introduced by Walt to Mary Poppins, and how they came to write the song "Feed the Birds", and how Walt loved it. Then the master sat down at the piano, his fingers touched the keys, and his beautiful music came out. Ashley's melodic voice sang out to us, and all around me, the audience was singing along, very quietly, even me. And as I looked around, with tears in my eyes, I felt Walt's presence. I know it sounds strange, but it just felt like he was there with us, at that moment. After the song was over, Ashley and Richard conducted us all as we sang a happy birthday to Disneyland. The Disney characters ran out of the castle and confetti shot up into the air. After the ceremony, I stayed around to try to take some photos, and I got some pretty good ones. I also filmed the ceremony, but it's real shaky because I was kind of jumping up and down from excitement, and a lot of people kept getting in my way. I will never forget the day I got to see, and hear, Richard Sherman in person. If only I could have literally met him.
Hmm. Certainly a memorable experience. Back when Robert Sherman was still alive, the Sherman Brothers made a number of Hollywood Bowl appearances. Rather remarkably, I'd never heard of them, the first time I saw them at the Bowl; the only "Robert Sherman" I'd ever heard of was Robert Cabot Sherman ("Bobby Sherman"), former teen idol and member of the cast of the old sitcom/western "Here Come the Brides." Be that as it may, my ignorance was rather quickly relieved, and after that, I made it my business to attend their subsequent Bowl appearances. And let's have a quick chorus of "Feed the Birds."
Okay, I have definitely spent too much time in WE this week. Need to do something lighter. Sadly I do not have a copy of the best photo in this sequence; which was Blake toddling out of the store, unnoticed, with two of these in each hand!! Luckily, his parents are honest and took them back and then bought him one. He knew what he wanted!!
There are sooo many...a sweet surprise on my 40th birthday was being up top on The Mark Twain wearing my birthday sticker...of course I expected the CMs to mention the birthday when face to face....the thrill came when looking down at a Davy Canoe gliding by, and the CMs aboard waving and having their boat full of guests sing me Happy Birthday!
I was there that day too! It was such a fun day, and the in-park atmosphere was probably the best part. Then again, free cupcakes always make things better (and they had so many of them, too)!
We stayed for the 11:30 showing of Fantasmic! (That was great as we got to sit front and center at the Riverbelle.) As we were exiting a CM gave us a whole box of cupcakes to take home to friends and family who could not be there. Disney Magic at its best.
Oh gosh, LOVE those pics of the 50th! I can remember that Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince came out the day before, and all of us kids were up late waiting for it's midnight release. We proceeded to drive up to Disneyland for the early morning line-up in DCA on the 17th. We read our books as we waited and carried them around all day. My favorite memory of Disneyland has got to be getting to visit Club 33. It felt like it would never be possible, and then the opportunity just fell in our laps, thanks to LP My brother and I were so thrilled to get to go in and eat- it was a dream come true. I can just remember being in awe the whole time, loved being up above everyone in New Orleans as we hung out on the balconies... A close second would be getting to ride the Lily Belle with my whole family.
Yes, right after they sold out of them. Last time I checked it was like $30 or so. I guess the novelty wore off.
I have one of these. Weird that my parents decided to go to Disneyland on July 17, 1980. There was no mention from them about it's 25th anniversary. I don't think they knew. We just showed up and they were handing out pins and cake. We were totally surprised.
When I was 4 or 5 my grandparents took me took me to Dland along with my two older brothers and a cousin. I was the youngest and just hung with Grandma and Grandaddy all day....I only really have one memory that really sticks and that was of sitting between my grandparents on a bench on Main Street. (formerly Sara Tonin)
I hope my grandchildren think of those times among their happiest memories. Good to see you Sara Tonin
Remembering Christmas Disneyland trips and feeling nostalgic. I have mentioned the trip in 2001 two weeks after my son-in-law's kidney transplant. In all the excitement of seeing Alice; we left Carissa, Kevin and the baby behind. They worked out a solution and we all felt a bit guilty.
Just remembered another good one: many years ago (about a year before the debut of Walt's Footsteps), DL experimented with a backstage tour program. They even went so far as to have a batch of passport books printed up, and a corresponding set of visa stamps made, and they offered two different tours. I got to go on the one that went into the bowels of HM (including a look into one of the maintenance access doors for the Omnimover track), and a visit to the control tower), visited the Roundhouse and the Space Mountain control tower, and RODE THE LILLY BELLE (the DRR VIP business car, not the Carolwood Pacific live steam locomotive now on exhibit in the Disney Family Museum). By the time I made it back to DL, to take the other backstage tour (if I remember right, it included Lincoln), the whole program had been discontinued. I have no doubt that even if the unused passport books still exist, the ones actually used on the tour are as priceless as a fully functioning Linotype machine. The Lilly Belle was also included on the Walt's Footsteps tour, for the first few years. For anybody who understands the concept of a VIP business car, a ride on it was worth more than the cost of any tour that included it. And today, a ride on it is, to a railfan, probably worth more than dinner in Club 33.
We got to ride the Lilly Belle with some other LPers some years back. I do not know if it beats Club 33 but it is up there at the top.
