By Robert Vaux
The Disneyland theme parks grew out of Walt Disney's desire for a place where fans could visit and share a little bit of Disney magic. The company's Burbank studios were a place of business--inappropriate for tours and not especially interesting to a layman. But a park nearby, with rides and attractions matching Disney's sense of imagination, would be perfect. No one would have believed that an entire family of theme parks would result.
Disneyland Opening
Disneyland opened in Anaheim, California, on July 18, 1955. Despite a disastrous preview for the press the day before in which high temperatures and breakdowns contributed to a miserable atmosphere, it proved a huge success with the public.
E-Tickets
Disneyland originally used passbooks full of tickets that could be individually exchanged for rides within the park. The best rides were bought through E-tickets, which were introduced in 1959; the ticket system was eliminated in favor of single-price admission in 1982.
Closures
Disneyland has had to close unexpectedly only three times in its history: after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963, after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and during a strange protest by the Youth International Party in 1970.
FastPass
In 1999, Disneyland introduced the FastPass system, allowing people to pick up tickets for certain rides, then come back later in exchange for a shorter wait in line.
Other Parks
In addition to Disneyland in Anaheim, three other parks bearing the Disneyland name have opened around the world: in Tokyo in 1983, Paris in 1992 and Hong Kong in 2005. A fourth "park," Walt Disney World resort in Florida, is considered a separate entity from the rest.
About the Author:
Robert Vaux has been a professional writer and editor since 1995. He has traveled throughout Europe and North America as well as parts of North Africa. Since 2000 he has been a professional movie critic at Flipside Movie Emporium, the Sci-Fi Movie Page and Mania.com. Vaux has a Master of Arts in English literature from Syracuse University.
