Originally Posted By Darkbeer Yes, I know a lot of you have heard this before, but for the new folks who don't know the history of the park... Here is OFFICIAL Disney material showing the date is clearly July 18th... <a href="http://darkbeer.smugmug.com/gallery/1677032" target="_blank">http://darkbeer.smugmug.com/ga llery/1677032</a> A Pin sold in 2005 with this on the bottom Quote: 1st Day ticket, July 18, 1955 And a printed card came with a pin with this question... Quote: What individual bought Disneyland's first general admission ticket for its public opening on July 18, 1955? And the OFFICIAL publication of the park, The Disneyland News from July 1955 Quote: More than 50,000 visitors were attracted to Disneyland on Monday, July 18, when the Park officially opened its gates to the general public. Disney did celebrate the 18th for about 10 years, even holding ceremonies and opening rides on that date. Then someone in marketing decided to make it the 17th..... Sorry, but I don't care if folks want to CHANGE history, it is clear that the park opened to the public on the 18th. Heck, why did the special tickets for the 17th say "International Media Preview"?? When is the official DCA opening day, the first preview in January, or the first day it opened to the general public on February 8th, 2001? IMHO, a Preview is not an official opening.
Originally Posted By Darkbeer Did you know that Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln opened on July 18th, 1965 in celebration of Disneyland's 10th anniversary. Also, Splash Mountain opened on July 18th, 1989. (34th Anniversary)
Originally Posted By berol The short version: the park had its televised preview on July 17, 1955. The park's official public grand opening was July 18.
Originally Posted By Roger55 And away we go.... "Start your engines", "release the hounds", "play ball"....
Originally Posted By ShivaThDestroyer <<I was waiting for this.>> I don't know anything anymore. First DL opened officially on 7/18/55 then 10 years later the Media Preview date is celebrated as the official birthday, I was at the 5/4/05 sneak preview for the 50th anniversary kick-off. Does that mean in 8 more years that Disney will say that that was the official start date for the 50th anniversary celebration? I am so confused...
Originally Posted By oc_dean >>Also, Splash Mountain opened on July 18th, 1989. (34th Anniversary) << Would have been a much earlier date if it hadn't been for so many problems.
Originally Posted By Nobody Would have gotten away with it to, if it weren't for those meddling kids.
Originally Posted By Nobody Sorry oc_dean. Back on topic, I fot to be one of those crash-test dummies for Splash Mountain, so I remember the delays. Wet times...wet times...
Originally Posted By oc_dean I remember the pamphlets for DL ... Top portion revealing the month for the debut .. must have been pushed up some 4-5 times .. till they finally gave a more safe - opening Spring/Summer 1989.
Originally Posted By lesmisfan i just like to think of the 17th as the anniversary of walt disneys dedication to disneyland.
Originally Posted By jonvn Splash Mountain was a complete disaster. Eisner's comment was "I'm just glad it's open now." I remember those delays. And filled logs with water. Soaked to the skin folks riding the thing....
Originally Posted By Dabob2 ...And the longest wait I ever chose to wait - on a MISERABLY hot preview day - knowing that if I didn't ride it that day it would be a year or more before I could. So I chose to wait... and wait... and wait... through several breakdowns when the line just stood there, but there was no way I was getting out of line. I was so distracted on my first ride by all the America Sings figures, which I didn't know would be in there (look! there's the gator from "See ya' later. There's the bird in the gilded cage..." that I probably didn't properly enjoy it till a year later anyway.
Originally Posted By DlandJB i just like to think of the 17th as the anniversary of walt disneys dedication to disneyland.>>>> Best response yet.
Originally Posted By SoThisIsLove Okay, I'm the token new person who had not heard it before. May I ask the proverbial dumb question: Why can't we just move it to July 18th? LP has a picture on it today, taken by x pirate_princess x, I think, and it has the sign with July 17th on it and everything. If my birthday was moved to November 19th, I'd be kind of bummed...if my anniversary was moved to November 11th, I'd be even bummer-ered (no longer the quiet dig to my Marine dad that I had married the Army kid on the Corps' birthday *sigh* I'll let you wiser and more informed-folk debate, but my feeble vote is: Celebrate it on the right day. Happy 52nd anniversary, Disneyland, from the new kid on the LP block. (And thanks, Darkbeer, for sharing)
Originally Posted By Park Hopper In my personal opinion, just choose the date you like best. Both seem to work. For me, it will always be the 17th beacuse that is the date I was frist told, it is the date on the dedication plaque, and ever since I began regularly visiting Disneyland in fall 1989, it has been the day it was celbrated on. (and I have not missed visiting on July 17th since.) As you see, I've got too much invested in the date to change my mind now.
Originally Posted By TheRedhead Disneyland was born on the 17th. The birth was a major moment in cultural history. Millions of people across the country sat in front of their tv's and watched the first train come in, the draw bridge lower, and most importantly, Uncle Walt make that wonderful speech that they still play ever day in the parks. The general public was invited on the 17th, they just weren't there in person. And it wasn't until later that people really understood the sheer enormity of that day. Disneyland was THE theme park, and it still is. So we honor the day that Walt first said "Welcome" to the world. The 17th.
