Few brands are as well known or as influential on the world’s culture as Disney. This site has a number of photos of the construction and opening of a legend. And for only $17 million? Given billion dollar casinos in Vegas, what do you imagine it would cost to be built today?
As TV, radio, and newspapers throughout the country cover the grand opening of Disneyland’s California Adventure, and huge crowds vie for tickets, it seems like a timely moment to take a trip down memory lane and visit another grand opening: July 17, 1955, when the first crowds of eager visitors made their way across the drawbridge of Sleeping Beauty’s castle into Disneyland.
Back in the early 1950s, Anaheim was a sleepy little town, and the area around it was nothing more than acres and acres of orange groves. Enter Walt Disney, the original Imagineer. Disney’s initial idea was to build a park near his Burbank studio for his employees and their families, but those plans changed over time and his dream grew.
He bought over 160 acres of those sleepy orange groves around Anaheim and set about, in 1954, building his “Magic Kingdom.” Original plans called for a 9 million dollar 45-acre park, but by opening day the park covered 160 acres and had cost 17 million. Opening day was a gala affair: The ceremonies were broadcast live on ABC with Art Linkletter and Robert (Bob) Cummings as hosts, with celebrities like Ronald Reagan, and VIPs like the Governor of California also in attendance.
I’ve been to Disney World a few times, and was reasonable impressed with its size (if nothing else); but since I have no interest in ever going to California, I guess I’ll never experience the older sibling.
“nothing more than acres and acres of orange groves.” Nothing more than ? What’s wrong with orange groves ? Most people love oranges and fruit trees are a wonderful thing. That’s what’s wrong with human beings. They don’t appreciate what nature made. It’s always ‘nothing but swamp land’ or , ‘nothing but wet lands’, or ‘nothing but oak trees’, and then everyone cries when they are gone.
I’ve been there a few times..
i’d be morte interested to know how much money disney has gobbled up since.. in total..