Disneyland Resort Celebrates 64th Birthday

ANAHEIM, CA —It has been 64 years since Walt Disney issued that enduring, magical invitation: "To all who come to this happy place, welcome!"

Since Disneyland opened to all on July 17, 1955, the concept has grown from a place where families could play together to multiple, world-class resorts where families and friends enjoy vacations around the globe.

Disneyland Resort has expanded its renowned theme parks and has grown to house nearly 100 attractions, three hotels and the shopping, dining, and entertainment area known as Downtown Disney District.

Disneyland's 64th birthday festivities included the "Happiest March on Earth" down Main Street, U.S.A.

Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse made a special appearance along with other beloved Disney characters.

As part of the tribute to opening day, a recording of Walt Disney's speech will be played again on July 17, 2019:

"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."

Disneyland transformed the amusement industry under Walt's direction.

What started with a dream while watching a carousel with his daughter on a park bench, Disneyland brought a new reality and concept to family entertainment.

Immersive in construction, design, and sounds, the Disneyland environment engaged visitors in visual storytelling far before social media took on that role. Visitors enter lands where rides, shows, and characters become part of the environment. Creativity, technology, and innovation continue to bring stories to life.

Walt's promise that Disneyland will never be completed as long as there is imagination left in the world continues to be fulfilled. Most recently, with the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge.
The success of Disneyland Resort also results in $5.7 billion in total economic activity to the Southern California economy annually. The resort's workforce of more than 31,000 cast members makes it the largest single-site employer in Orange County. The Disney Parks entertainment experience has expanded worldwide and is enjoyed by guests at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., Tokyo Disney Resort in Japan, Disneyland Paris in France, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Shanghai Disney Resort in mainland China.

Happy Birthday, Disneyland! from all of us at Patch.

Disneyland Resort Fun Facts:

• Mickey and friends’ “ears” are the most popular Disneyland Resort souvenirs of all time, with more than 90 million “ears” sold since 1955.

• Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, which opened May 31, is the largest single-themed land expansion ever at a Disney Park.

• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run is an anchor attraction at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, allowing guests 38 inches or taller to climb aboard the Falcon and settle into the cockpit to operate “the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy.” This new attraction combines immersive storytelling with interactive gameplay to make guests the protagonists of their own Star Wars adventures in a way never before undertaken by Disney Parks.

• The Matterhorn Bobsleds – which celebrated its 60th anniversary on June 14 – was the first tubular steel roller coaster in the world when it opened in 1959. It set the standard for modern-day roller-coaster design.

• Disneyland Park created the first daily operating monorail in the Western Hemisphere. It opened June 14, 1959, and the attraction also celebrated its 60th anniversary this year.

• Cast members work in many cool jobs at the Disneyland Resort, including candy makers, scuba divers who maintain the water-related attractions, and resort enhancement specialists who work year-round to prepare for the seasonal transformations for Halloween and Holidays.

• More than 32 different languages are spoken among Disneyland Resort cast members.