By Brooklynn Wong
It was July 17 of 1955 when Walt Disney first unveiled his theme park, during a televised press event with thousands watching. Disney’s original desire was to build a theme park next to Disney studios in Burbank, so visitors to the studio could conveniently visit both attractions.
However, there was not enough space, so the plot of land in Anaheim that now houses Disneyland was purchased.
The park only took a year to construct, from 1954-1955.
Both Disney and nearby developers knew that the theme park would be a major tourist attraction, as Disney and his films were already well-known internationally, so two additional lanes of highway were added to the just-built freeway that is now known as the 5 in preparation for the expected additional traffic.
It was actually July 18, the day after the unveiling, that the park was first open to the public.
It is estimated that 50,000 people attended opening day.
Attendance has generally increased with each passing year, with 2018 still in progress, and last year, 2017, having the highest attendance ever, at 18.3 million. The year Disneyland opened, one million visited.
During this year’s anniversary, two parades were held (after press time), to celebrate Disneyland’s 63rd year with Disneyland Resort Ambassadors, Dapper Dans, and 63 Disney characters.
