2007-12-15T00:37:00.000-08:00

Disneyland Park
Disney theme park
Sleeping Beauty Castle as decorated for the park's 50th birthday.
Location	Anaheim, California, U.S.
Opening Day	July 17, 1955
Resort	Disneyland Resort
Theme	Various
Website	Disneyland Resort Homepage
Operator	The Walt Disney Company

Disneyland is a theme park that is located at 1313 South Harbor Boulevard in Anaheim, California, USA. It opened on July 17, 1955. The park is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company. Currently the park has been visited by more than 515 million guests since it opened to the public, including presidents, royalty, and other heads of state.

When the park initially opened, it consisted of five themed areas:

Main Street, U.S.A., an early 20th century Midwest town
Adventureland, featuring jungle adventures
Frontierland, illustrating western frontier
Fantasyland, bringing fantasy into a reality
Tomorrowland, looking into the future.

After the inital opening, three additional areas were added:

In 1966, New Orleans Square, based on 19th century New Orleans
In 1972, "Bear Country", later renamed Critter Country, themed both to the South in the 19th century and to forests of the Pacific Northwest.
In 1993, Mickey's Toontown, themed on the Toontown seen in the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit

An elevated berm supports a narrow gauge railroad which circumnavigates the park. Disneyland features rides and attractions designed to appeal to all ages.

In 1998 Disneyland was renamed Disneyland Park in order to distinguish it from the larger Disneyland Resort complex.

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[edit] Dedication

"To all who come to this happy place - welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America... with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world. Thank you."

—Walter E. Disney, July 17, 1955 4:43pm^[1]

The dedication of all Disneyland parks worldwide begin with the phrase "To all who come to this happy place - welcome."

[edit] History

[edit] Concept and construction

Sleeping Beauty Castle

The concept for Disneyland began one Sunday when Walt Disney was visiting Griffith Park with his daughters Diane and Sharon. His idea was simple: a place that both adults and children could enjoy. His dream would lie dormant for many years.^[2]

While many people had written letters to Walt Disney about visiting the Disney Studio lot and meeting their favorite Disney character, Walt realized that a functional movie studio had little to offer to the visiting fans. He then began to foster ideas of building a site near his Burbank studios for tourists to visit. His ideas then evolved to a small play park with a boat ride and other themed areas. Walt's initial concept, his "Mickey Mouse Park," started with an eight-acre plot across Riverside Drive.

Walt started to visit other parks for inspiration and ideas, documenting what he liked and did not like. Some of these included: Tivoli Gardens, Greenfield Village, Playland, Children's Fairyland, and Republica de los niños. He started his designers working on concepts, but these would grow into a project much larger than could be contained in eight acres.

Walt hired a consultant, Harrison Price from Stanford Research Institute to gauge the area's potential growth. With the report from Price, Disney acquired 160 acres (730,000 m²) of orange groves and walnut trees in Anaheim, south of Los Angeles in neighboring Orange County. ^[3]

Difficulties in obtaining funding prompted Disney to investigate new methods of fund raising. He decided to use television to get the ideas into people's homes, and so he created a show named Disneyland which was broadcast on the then fledgling ABC television network. In return, the network agreed to help finance the new park. For the first five years of its operation, Disneyland was owned by Disneyland, Inc., which was jointly owned by Walt Disney Productions and ABC. In 1960 Walt Disney Productions purchased ABC's share. In addition, many of the shops on Main Street, U.S.A. were owned and operated by other companies who rented space from Disney.

Construction began on July 18, 1954 and would cost USD$17 million to complete and was opened exactly one year later.. U.S. Route 101 (later Interstate 5) was under construction at the same time just to the north of the site; in preparation for the traffic which Disneyland was expected to bring, two more lanes were added to the freeway even before the park was finished.

[edit] 1955: Opening day

An aerial view of Disneyland in 1956. The entire route of the Disneyland Railroad is clearly visible as it encircles the park.

Disneyland Park was opened to the public on Monday, July 18, 1955. However, a special "International Press Preview" event was held on Sunday, July 17, 1955 which was only open to invited guests and the media. The Special Sunday events, including the dedication were televised nationwide and anchored by three of Walt Disney's friends from Hollywood: Art Linkletter, Bob Cummings, and Ronald Reagan.

The event did not go smoothly. The park was overcrowded as the by-invitation-only affair was plagued with counterfeit tickets. All major roads nearby were empty. The temperature was an unusually high 101°F (38°C), and a plumbers' strike left many of the park's drinking fountains dry. The asphalt that had been poured just the night before was so soft that ladies' high-heeled shoes sank in. Vendors ran out of food. A gas leak in Fantasyland caused Adventureland, Frontierland, and Fantasyland to close for the afternoon. Parents were throwing their children over the shoulders of crowds to get them onto rides such as the King Arthur Carrousel.

The park got such bad press for the event day that Walt Disney invited members of the press back for a private "second day" to experience the true Disneyland, after which Walt held a party in the Disneyland Hotel for them. Walt and his 1955 executives forever referred to the first day as "Black Sunday," although July 17 is currently acknowledged by Disney as the official opening day. On July 17 every year, cast members wear pin badges stating how many years it has been since July 17, 1955. For example, in 2004 they wore the slogan "The magic began 49 years ago today." But for the first ten years or so, Disney did officially state that opening day was on July 18, including in the park's own publications.

On Monday, July 18 crowds started to gather in line as early as 2 a.m., and the first person to buy a ticket and enter the park was David MacPherson with admission ticket number 2, as Roy Disney arranged to pre-purchase ticket number 1. Walt Disney had an official photo taken with two children instead, Christine Vess and Michael Schwartner, and the photo of the two carries a caption along the lines of "Walt Disney with the first two guests of Disneyland." Vess and Schwartner both received lifetime passes to Disneyland that day, and MacPherson was awarded one shortly thereafter, which was later expanded to every single Disney-owned park in the world.

[edit] 1990s transition: Park becomes Resort

In the late 1990s, work began to expand on the one park property. Disneyland Park and its Hotel, the site of the original parking lot, as well as acquired surrounding properties were earmarked to become part of a greater vacation resort development. The new components of this resort were another theme park, Disney's California Adventure Park; a shopping and entertainment precinct, Downtown Disney; and a remodeled Disneyland Hotel, Paradise Pier Hotel and Grand Californian Hotel. Because the old parking lot was built upon, the six-level 10,250 space "Mickey and Friends" parking structure was constructed, the largest parking structure in the US.

The park's management team of the mid-1990s was a source of controversy among Disneyland fans and employees. In an effort to boost park profits, various changes began by then park executives Cynthia Harriss and Paul Pressler. While their actions provided a short term boost in shareholder returns, it drew widespread criticism from employees and guests alike. With the retail background of Harriss & Pressler, Disneyland's focus gradually shifted from attractions to merchandising. Outside consultants McKinsey & Co were also brought into to help streamline operations, which resulted in many changes and cutbacks. After nearly a decade of deferred maintenance, Walt Disney's original theme park was showing visible signs of neglect. Fans of the park decried the perceived decline in customer value and park quality and rallied for the dismissal of the management team.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Disneyland in the 21st Century

Matt Ouimet, formerly the president of the Disney Cruise Line, was promoted to assume leadership of the Disneyland Resort in late 2003. Shortly afterward, he selected Greg Emmer as Senior Vice President of Operations. Emmer is a long-time Disney cast member who had worked at Disneyland in his youth prior to moving to Florida and holding multiple executive leadership positions at the Walt Disney World Resort. Ouimet quickly set about reversing certain trends, especially with regards to cosmetic maintenance and a return to the original infrastructure maintenance schedule, in hopes of restoring the safety record of the past. Much like Walt Disney himself, Ouimet and Emmer could often be seen walking the park during business hours with members of their respective staff. They wore cast member name badges, stood in line for attractions and welcomed comments from guests.

In July 2006, Matt Ouimet announced that he would be leaving The Walt Disney Company to become president of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. Soon after this announcement, Ed Grier, executive managing director of Walt Disney Attractions Japan, was named president of the Disneyland Resort. Greg Emmer remains at the Disneyland Resort.

[edit] 50th anniversary

Main article: Happiest Homecoming on Earth

The Happiest Homecoming on Earth was the eighteen-month-long celebration (held through 2005 and 2006) of the fiftieth anniversary of the Disneyland theme park, which opened on July 17, 1955. The Happiest Celebration on Earth commemorated fifty years of Disney theme parks, and celebrated Disneyland's milestone throughout Disney parks all over the globe. In 2004, the park undertook a number of major renovation projects in preparation for its fiftieth anniversary celebration. Many classic attractions were restored, notably Space Mountain, Jungle Cruise, and Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room. The 50th Anniversary celebration ended on September 30, 2006.

[edit] Park layout

The park is divided into realms, which radiate like the four cardinal points of the compass from Central Plaza, and well-concealed backstage areas. The public areas occupy approximately 85 acres (344,000 m²). Upon entering the park, you first proceed down Main Street, U.S.A., to reach Central Plaza. At the center of The Magic Kingdom and immediately North of Central Plaza stands Sleeping Beauty Castle, which provides entrance to Fantasyland by way of a drawbridge across a moat. Adventureland, Frontierland, and Tomorrowland are arrayed on both sides of the castle.

It is here, also, where the duality of Disneyland is first experienced. Main Street, Disneyland, U.S.A. gives way to a magic kingdom where timeless and imaginary characters, settings, and stories come to life in fully-immersive and permanent physicality.

[edit] Lands of Disneyland

Main articles: List of current Disneyland attractions and List of past Disneyland attractions

The original park layout included four distinct lands (or realms), in addition to Main Street, U.S.A. The idea behind this was to develop theatrical "stages" with seamless passages from one land to the next.^[4]

Three more areas have been added since the park's opening, including New Orleans Square, Critter Country, and Mickey's Toontown. Once entering a realm, a guest is completely immersed in the environment and are unable to see or hear any other land.

[edit] Main Street, U.S.A.

Main Street, U.S.A. is patterned after a typical midwest town of the early 20th century. Walt Disney derived inspiration from his boyhood town of Marceline, Missouri and worked closely with designers and architects to develop the Main Street appeal.

“	For those of us who remember the carefree time it recreates, Main Street will bring back happy memories. For younger visitors, it is an adventure in turning back the calendar to the days of grandfather's youth.	”
	— Walt E. Disney

Main Street, U.S.A. is reminiscent of the Victorian period of Americana with the train station, town square, movie theatre, city hall, firehouse complete with a steam-powered pump engine, emporium, shops, arcades, double-decker bus, horse-drawn streetcar, jitneys and other bits of memorabilia. At the far end of Main Street, U.S.A. is Sleeping Beauty Castle, and the Plaza hub which is a portal to all the theme lands.

The design of Main Street, U.S.A. utilizes a process to give the appearance of height called forced perspective. Buildings down Main Street are built at 3/4 scale on the first level, then 5/8 on the second story, and 1/2 scale on the third.

[edit] Adventureland

Adventureland is designed to be an exotic tropical place in a far-off region of the world. "To create a land that would make this dream reality," said Walt Disney, "we pictured ourselves far from civilization, in the remote jungles of Asia and Africa." Attractions include opening day's Jungle Cruise, the "Temple of the Forbidden Eye" in Indiana Jones Adventure, and Tarzan's Treehouse, which is a conversion of the earlier Swiss Family Robinson Tree House from the Walt Disney film, Swiss Family Robinson. Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room which is located at the entrance to Adventureland is the first feature attraction to employ Audio-Animatronics, a computer synchronization of sound and robotics.

[edit] New Orleans Square

The Haunted Mansion is patterned after a Southern plantation home.

Main article: New Orleans Square

New Orleans Square is a themed land based on 19th century New Orleans. It was opened to the public on July 24, 1966. Despite its age, it is still very popular with Disneyland guests, being home to two of the park's most popular attractions; Pirates of the Caribbean and The Haunted Mansion.

[edit] Frontierland

Frontierland recreates the setting of pioneer days along the American frontier. According to Walt Disney, "All of us have cause to be proud of our country's history, shaped by the pioneering spirit of our forefathers. Our adventures are designed to give you the feeling of having lived, even for a short while, during our country's pioneer days." Frontierland is home to the Pinewood Indians band of animatronics Native Americans, who live on the banks of the Rivers of America. Entertainment and attractions include Fantasmic!, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Mark Twain Riverboat, and Sailing Ship Columbia. May 2007 featured the opening of "Pirate's Lair at Tom Sawyer Island". Frontierland is also home to the Golden Horseshoe Saloon, a show palace straight out of the Old West. Currently the comedic troupe "Billy Hill and the Hillbillies" entertain guests on a daily basis.

[edit] Critter Country

Critter Country opened in 1972 as "Bear Country," and was renamed in 1988. Formerly the area was home to Indian Village where actual indigenous tribespeople demonstrated their dances and other customs. Today, the main draw of the area is Splash Mountain, a log-flume journey inspired by the Uncle Remus stories of Joel Chandler Harris and the animated segments of Disney's Academy Award-winning 1946 film, Song of the South. In 2003, a dark ride called The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh replaced the Country Bear Jamboree The Country Bear Jamboree presented shows featuring singing bear characters that were original to Disneyland and were visualized through electronically-controlled and mechanically-animated puppets, known as audio-animatronics.

[edit] Fantasyland

Fantasyland is the area of the Disneyland of which Walt Disney said, "What youngster has not dreamed of flying with Peter Pan over moonlit London, or tumbling into Alice's nonsensical Wonderland? In Fantasyland, these classic stories of everyone's youth have become realities for youngsters - of all ages - to participate in." Fantasyland was originally styled in a fairground fashion, but its 1983 refurbishment turned it into a Bavarian village. Attractions include several dark rides, the King Arthur Carrousel, and various children's rides.

[edit] Mickey's Toontown

Tree House in Toontown.

Mickey's Toontown opened in 1993 and was partly inspired by the fictional Los Angeles suburb of Toontown in The Walt Disney Studios' 1988 release Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Mickey's Toontown is a 1930s cartoon come-to-life and is home to Disney's most popular cartoon characters. Toontown features two main rides, Gadget's Go Coaster and Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin.

[edit] Tomorrowland

Tomorrowland after its 1998 refurbishment

Main article: Tomorrowland

During the 1955 inauguration Walt Disney dedicated Tomorrowland with these words: "Tomorrow can be a wonderful age. Our scientists today are opening the doors of the Space Age to achievements that will benefit our children and generations to come. The Tomorrowland attractions have been designed to give you an opportunity to participate in adventures that are a living blueprint of our future."

Disneyland producer Ward Kimball had Rocket scientists Wernher von Braun, Willy Ley, and Heinz Haber as technical consultants during the original design of Tomorrowland.^[5] Initial attractions included a Rocket to the Moon; later, the first incarnation of the Submarine Voyage was added. The area underwent a major transformation in 1967 to become New Tomorrowland, and then again in 1998 when its focus was changed to present a "retro-future" theme reminiscent of the illustrations of Jules Verne.

Current attractions include Space Mountain, Star Tours, and Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters. Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage opened on June 11, 2007, resurrecting the original Submarine Voyage which closed in 1998

[edit] Theatrical analogy

Disneyland staff use theatrical terminology. This is to emphasize that a visit to the park is intended to be similar to witnessing a performance. For example, visitors are referred to as Guests and park employees as Cast Members. On Stage refers to any area of the Resort that is open to Guests. Backstage refers to any area of the Resort that is closed to Guests. Costume is the attire that Cast Members who perform the day-to-day operations of the park must wear. Terms such as uniform are not used. Show is the Resort's presentation to its Guests, such as the color and façades of buildings, placement of rides/attractions, costumes to match the themed lands.

The theatrical motif extends to aspects of the park's layout and design. For example, entering the park requires you to pass through one of two tunnels underneath the Main Street Train Station; akin to an opening curtain. The windows above Main Street serve as credits, containing names of key people who worked on the park. Each of the lands was originally presented as a unique act, with transitions between lands much like transitions between scenes in theatre or film

[edit] Backstage

Backstage areas include closed areas of attraction, store, and restaurant buildings, as well as outdoor service areas located behind such buildings. Although some areas of the park, particularly New Orleans Square, have underground operations and storage areas, there is no park-wide network of subterranean tunnels, such as Walt Disney World's utilidors.

There are several points of entry from outside the park to the backstage areas: Ball Gate (from Ball Road), T.D.A. Gate (adjacent to the Team Disney Anaheim building), Harbor Pointe (from Harbor Boulevard), and Winston Gate (from Disneyland Drive).

Berm Road encircles the park from Firehouse Gate (behind the Main Street Fire Station) to Egghouse Gate (adjacent to the Disneyland Opera House). The road is so called because it generally follows outside the path of Disneyland's berm. A stretch of the road, wedged between Tomorrowland and Harbor Boulevard, is called Schumacher Road. It has two narrow lanes and runs underneath the Monorail track. There are also two railroad bridges that cross Berm Road: one behind City Hall and the other behind Tomorrowland.

Major buildings backstage include the Frank Gehry-designed Team Disney Anaheim, where most of the division's administration currently works, as well as the Old Administration Building, behind Tomorrowland. The Old Administration Building additionally houses the Grand Canyon and Primeval World dioramas visible on the Disneyland Railroad.

The northwest corner of the park is home to most of the park's maintenance facilities, including:

Company vehicle services, including Parking Lot trams and Main Street Vehicles
Scrap yard, where the Resort's garbage and recyclables are sorted for collection
Circle D Corral, where the Resort's horses and other animals are stabled
Parade float storage and maintenance
Distribution center for all Resort merchandise
Ride vehicle service areas
Paint shop
Sign shop

Backstage also refers to parts of show buildings that are normally not seen by guests. Backstage areas are generally off-limits to park guests. This prevents guests from seeing the industrial areas that violate the "magic" of on-stage and keeps them safe from the potentially dangerous machinery. Cast members can also find some solace while they work or rest, as backstage offers alternate routes between the park's various areas.

Many attractions are housed in large, soundstage-like buildings, some of which are partially or completely disguised by external theming. Generally, these buildings are painted a dull green color in areas not seen by guests; ostensibly, this choice has been made to help disguise the buildings among the foliage and make them less visually obtrusive. Most of them have off-white flat roofs that support HVAC units and footpaths for cast members. Inside are the rides, as well as hidden walkways, service areas, control rooms, and other behind-the-scenes operations. Photography is forbidden in these areas, both inside and outside, although some photos have found their way to a variety of web sites. Guests who attempt to explore backstage are warned and often escorted from the property.

The boundary between on and off-stage is demarcated at every access point. Everything within guest view when a door or gateway is open is also considered on stage. It is from this point, that characters start playing their part. That way, when the door is open, guests will not accidentally see a person out of character backstage.

Various amenities exist for Cast Members backstage when they are on breaks, or before and after their scheduled shifts. A number of cafeterias, now run by Sodexho, offer discounted meals throughout the day. These include Inn Between (behind the Plaza Inn), Eat Ticket (near the Team Disney Anaheim building behind Mickey's Toontown), and Westside Diner (located in a lower level beneath New Orleans Square). Partners Federal Credit Union, the credit union for employees of The Walt Disney Company in Orange County, provides nearly 20 ATMs backstage for cast member use and maintains an express branch at the Team Disney Anaheim building.

[edit] Transportation

Walt Disney had a longtime interest in transportation, and trains in particular. He even built a miniature live steam backyard railroad, the "Carolwood Pacific Railroad", on the grounds of his Holmby Hills estate. Throughout all the iterations of Disneyland during the seventeen or so years when Mr. Disney was conceiving it, one element remained constant: a train encircling the park.^[6] The primary designer for the park transportation vehicles was Bob Gurr who gave himself the title of "Director of Special Vehicle Design" in 1954.

[edit] Disneyland Railroad

Disneyland Railroad engine #2.

Main article: Disneyland Railroad

Encircling Disneyland and providing a grand circle tour is the Disneyland Railroad, a short-line railway consisting of five oil-fired and steam-powered locomotives, in addition to three passenger trains and one passenger-carrying freight train. Originally known as the Disneyland and Santa Fe Railroad, the D.R.R. was presented by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway until 1974. From 1955 to 1974, the Santa Fe Rail Pass was able to be used in lieu of a Disneyland "D" coupon. Laid to three-foot gauge, the most common narrow gauge measurement used in North America, the track runs in a continuous loop around The Magic Kingdom through each of its realms. Each turn-of-the-19th-Century train departs Main Street Station on an excursion that includes scheduled station stops at: Frontierland Station; Toontown Depot, the gateway to Fantasyland; and, Tomorrowland Station. The Grand Circle Tour then concludes with a visit to the "Grand Canyon/Primeval World" dioramas before returning passengers to Main Street, U.S.A.

[edit] Disneyland Monorail System

Main article: Disneyland Monorail System

Monorail Blue travels over the former Submarine Voyage ride which is now the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage in Tomorrowland.

One of Disneyland's signature attractions is its monorail service, which opened in Tomorrowland in 1959 as the first daily-operating monorail train system in the Western Hemisphere. The monorail guideway has remained almost exactly the same since 1961, aside from small alterations while Indiana Jones Adventure was being built. Four generations of monorail trains have been used in the park, since their lightweight construction means they wear out quickly. The most recent generation, the Mark V, was installed in 1987 when more modern trains built by Ride & Show Engineering eliminated the old ALWEG Buck Rogers-style trains. The next update will be in 2008, when the Mark VII trains are slated to be installed. The monorail shuttles visitors between two stations, one inside the park in Tomorrowland and one in Downtown Disney. It follows a 2.5 mile (4 km) long route designed to show the park from above.

The original destination of the monorail was the Disneyland Hotel. With the creation of Downtown Disney in 2001, the new destination was Downtown Disney, instead of the Disneyland Hotel. The physical location of the monorail station did not change, however the terminal was now separated from the hotel by several Downtown Disney buildings, including ESPN Zone and the Rainforest Café.

[edit] Main Street vehicles

All vehicles that are found on Main Street were designed to accurately reflect turn-of-the-century vehicles, including a double-decker bus, a horse-drawn streetcar, a fire engine, and an automobile. They are available for one-way rides along Main Street, U.S.A. The horseless carriages are modeled after cars built in 1903. They are two cylinder, four horsepower (3 kW) engines with manual transmission and steering. Walt Disney used it to drive the fire engine around the park before it opened, on most mornings. It has also been used to host celebrity guests and used in the parades.

[edit] Entertainment

In addition to the attractions, Disneyland provides live entertainment throughout the park.

[edit] Characters

Disney characters, who greet visitors, interact with children, and pose for photos, can be found wandering the park. Some characters have specific areas where they are scheduled to appear, but also can be found wandering as well. One reason Mickey's Toontown was created was so that there would be a place for Mickey Mouse to always be available to greet guests in his own house.

Periodically through recent decades (and most recently during the summers of 2005 and 2006), Mickey Mouse has climbed the Matterhorn attraction several times a day with the support of his friends Minnie, Goofy, and some Disneyland guests. Other mountain climbers could also be seen on the Matterhorn from time to time. As of Spring 2007, Mickey and his "toon" friends no longer climb the Matterhorn but the climbing program continues.

[edit] Daily ceremonies

Every evening at dusk, there is a flag ceremony to lower the American Flag for the day.

[edit] The Disneyland Band

The Disneyland Band, which has been part of the park since its opening, plays the role of the Town Band on Main Street, U.S.A. It also breaks out into smaller groups like the Main Street Strawhatters, the Hook and Ladder Co., and the Pearly Band in Fantasyland.

[edit] Fantasmic!

Fantasmic! is a popular multimedia nighttime show hosted by Mickey Mouse which debuted in 1992. The presentation is made at the Laffite's Tavern end of Pirate's Lair at Tom Sawyer Island and uses the Rivers of America as part of the stage. It uses Frontierland and New Orleans Square as the spectator arena.

It consists of synchronized lighting and special effects, with floating barges, the Mark Twain Riverboat, the Sailing Ship Columbia, fountains, lasers, fireworks, thirty-foot-tall "mist screens" upon which animated scenes are projected, and an automated forty-five foot fire-breathing dragon.

[edit] Fireworks

Remember...Dreams Come True fireworks show at night.

Elaborate fireworks shows synchronized with Disney songs and often an appearance by Peter Pan's character Tinker Bell. Recent presentations have become more elaborate, featuring new pyrotechnics, launch techniques and story lines. In 2004, Disneyland introduced a new air launch pyrotechnics system, reducing ground level smoke and noise and decreasing negative environmental impacts. At the time the technology debuted, Disney announced it would donate the patents to a non-profit organization for use throughout the industry. ^[7]

1958-1999 Fantasy in the Sky
2000-2004 Believe... There's Magic in the Stars
2004-2005 Imagine... A Fantasy in the Sky
2005-Present Remember... Dreams Come True

During the Holiday Season, there is a special fireworks presentation called Believe... In Holiday Magic which has been running since 2000, except for a short hiatus in 2005 during the park's 50th Celebration.

[edit] The Golden Horseshoe Revue

The Golden Horseshoe Saloon offers a live stage show with a frontier or old-west feel. The Golden Horseshoe Revue is an old-west Vaudeville type of show starring Slue Foot (or Sluefoot) Sue and Pecos Bill. It ran until the mid-1980s, when it was replaced by a similar show starring Lily Langtree (or Miss Lily) and Sam the Bartender. Most recently, Billy Hill and the Hillbillies have played their guitars and banjos in a bluegrass-and-comedy show.

Additionally, in front of the Golden Horsehose Saloon, The Laughing Stock Co. enacts small humorous skits with an old-west theme.

[edit] Parades

The Parade of the Stars in Disneyland (2000-2005).

Disneyland has always had parades that have marched down Main Street. There are several daytime and nighttime parades that celebrate Disney films or seasonal holidays with characters, music, and large floats. One of the most popular parades was the Main Street Electrical Parade (now at Disney's California Adventure as Disney's Electrical Parade). Debuting in May 2005 as part of the Disneyland's 50th Anniversary, Walt Disney's Parade of Dreams is presented, celebrating several of the classic Disney stories including The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Alice in Wonderland, and Pinocchio. During the holiday season, Disneyland presents "A Christmas Fantasy" Parade which celebrates the joy & wonder of the holiday season.

[edit] Tomorrowland Terrace

The Tomorrowland Terrace is a stage in Tomorrowland. It is a two-story stage where the lower stage rises from below with dramatic effect. It was popular in the 1960s with music performers of the day. Over the years, it was eventually replaced with Club Buzz, a Buzz Lightyear themed stage and show featuring the space character from the Toy Story movies. In 2006, it was restored to the Tomorrowland Terrace with the same style and design as the original. It is now home to the Jedi Training Academy interactive stage show where children are chosen as Jedi padawan and taught how to use a Lightsaber. Each child then has the opportunity to face either Darth Vader or Darth Maul. Recently, local bands have returned to play in the evenings, just as Tomorrowland Terrace hosted in the 1960s.

[edit] Other performers

Various other unscheduled street performers play and sing throughout the park, including:

The various Main Street Piano Player play at Corner Cafe, also known as "Coke Corner" on Main Street;
The Dapper Dans barbershop quartet often sings on Main Street;
The Firehouse Five Plus Two was originally a band comprised of WED Imagineers can be found on Main Street. The Firehouse Five began at the peak of the California revival of traditional jazz - owing as much to vaudeville as it does to New Orleans jazz, it invoked the spirit of America's early popular music;
Various bands in New Orleans Square, often with a jazz influence;
The Bootstrappers, a band of pirates that performs songs based on Pirates of the Caribbean, along with other sea-shanties;
The Trash Can Trio, a STOMP like group that performs using trashcans in Tomorrowland;
Merlin, appears in Fantasyland several times a day to help some lucky child pull the sword from an anvil and stone; and
Alice in Wonderland characters staging a wacky game of "Musical Chairs" either at "Coke Corner" or the porch of the Plaza Inn daily.

During the summer months, the All-American College Band performs around the park. The band is comprised of talented college students who audition for the chance to perform in Disneyland.

Also, during the Holidays, many other smaller entertainment offerings are added, such as the Main Street Carolers who perform throughout the day.

[edit] Tickets

From Disneyland's opening day until 1982, the price of the attractions was in-addition to the price of park admission.^[8] Park-goers paid a small admission fee to get into the park, but in order to be admitted to most of the rides and attractions they would purchase a book of tickets that consisted of several coupons, initially labeled "A" through "D". The coupons were also sold individually. "A" coupons allowed admission to the smaller rides and attractions such as the vehicles on Main Street, whereas "C" coupons were used for the most common attractions like the Peter Pan ride, or the Tea Cups. As more thrilling rides were introduced, such as the Monorail or the Matterhorn bobsled, "D" and then eventually "E" coupons were introduced. From the thrill ride experience at Disneyland, the colloquial expression "an E ticket ride" is used to describe any exceptionally thrilling experience.

Disneyland ticket book circa 1975-1977. The tickets are actually printed as "coupons".

Later Disneyland featured a "Keys to the Kingdom" booklet of tickets, which consisted of 10 unvalued coupons sold for a single flat rate. These coupons could be used for any attraction regardless of its regular value. Obviously it would behoove the buyer to use these for the most thrilling attractions or rides.

In 1982 Disney dropped the idea for individual ride tickets to a single admission price with unlimited access to all attractions, "except shooting galleries" . ^[9] While this idea was not original to Disney, its business advantages were obvious: in addition to guaranteeing that everyone paid a large sum even if they stayed for only a few hours and rode only a few rides, the park no longer had to print tickets or ticket books, staff ticket booths, or provide staff to collect tickets or monitor attractions for people sneaking on without tickets.

Later Disney introduced other entry options such as multi-day passes, Annual Passes which allow unlimited entry to the Park for an annual fee and Southern California residents' discounts.

One-Day, One-Park, Adult Admission Prices over time
Year	1981*	1982	1984	1985	1986	1987	1990	1991	1993	1994
Price US$	$10.75	$12.00	$14.00	$17.95	$18.00	$21.50	$25.50	$27.50	$28.75	$31.00

Month & Year	Jan 1999	Jan 2000	Nov 2000	Mar 2002	Jan 2003	Mar 2004	Jan 2005	Jun 2005	Jan 2006	Sep 2006	Sep 2007
Price US$	$39.00	$41.00	$43.00	$45.00	$47.00	$49.75	$53.00	$56.00	$59.00	$63.00	$66.00

* previous to 1982 passport tickets were available to groups only. ^[10]

[edit] Fastpass

A Fastpass from 2002.

In 1999, in an effort to offset the long waits for the most popular attractions, Disney implemented a new service named Fastpass ^[11]. At attractions featuring Fastpass, a guest can use their park admission ticket to obtain a Fastpass ticket with a return time later that day printed on it. If the guest returns to the attraction at their return time, they can wait in a shorter line and typically be on the attraction within ten minutes. Initially, only a few attractions offered this service, but its popularity has meant that the list of Fastpass equipped attractions has changed over time.

[edit] Closures

Disneyland Park has only had three unscheduled closures since it opened in 1955:

In 1963 due to President Kennedy's assassination.
In 1970 due to an "invasion" and demonstration by Yippies in August. The stated reason for the attack was because Bank of America -- a sponsor of Disneyland -- was financing the Vietnam War, which they opposed. ^[12] ^[13] ^[14] ^[15]
In 2001 due to the attacks on September 11, 2001 out of fear of being a high-profile target.

Additionally, planned closures included:

In the early years, the park was often scheduled to be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays during the off-season. ^[16] This was in cooperation with nearby Knott's Berry Farm, which closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays to keep costs down for both parks, while offering Orange County visitors a place to go 7 days a week.
On May 4, 2005 for the 50th Anniversary Celebration media event.^[17]
Due to various special events, the park has closed unusually early to accommodate them, such as, special press events, tour groups, VIP groups, private parties, etc. It was common for a corporation to rent the entire park for the evening. The corporation's guests would be issued special passes, which were good for admission to all rides and attractions. In the late afternoon, park employees would announce that the park was closing, then clear the park of everyone without the special corporate passes.

[edit] Management

The senior executives oversee the entire Disneyland Resort, which includes Disneyland Park.

Ed Grier is president of the Disneyland Resort;

Grier reports to Al Weiss, president of worldwide operations for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts;
Weiss reports to Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts;
Rasulo reports to Bob Iger, the president and CEO of The Walt Disney Company.

Grier is assisted by several experienced theme park managers, including senior vice president of operations Greg Emmer and vice president of theme park operations Jon Storbeck.

On a minute-to-minute basis, the parks are run by stage managers, who are identified by their radio call signs. These managers respond to situations throughout the park and are empowered to open backstage areas for crowd control purposes, close specific locations, or even close the entire park.

Theme Park One is Disneyland's senior on-the-ground manager, a position which rotates among a group of managers in the resort's Theme Park Operations department.
Theme Park Two is Disney's California Adventure's equivalent to Theme Park One

Guest service managers from the park's several business units, including Attractions, Custodial, Foods, Merchandise, and Security, report to the Department Director who in turn reports to Theme Park One, and are given call signs such as Attractions One or Merch One. Various assistant managers, in turn, report to their business unit's duty manager, and carry call signs such as River One (the manager in charge of the Critter Country and New Orleans Square rides). As of 2007, most Departments have only one manager with the others being Assistant Managers or TAs (Managers in Training).

DISNEY LAND

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