Opening Day
On July 17, 1955, Disneyland was open to the public. "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, 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." This quote by Walt Disney introduced Disneyland to the world on opening day. In spite of Walt's good spirits, Disneyland came of to a rough start. Disney sent out 11,000 invitations to Disneyland's opening day; however, many invitations were counterfeited, and over 28,000 uninvited people were at opening day. Also due to a heat wave, temperatures raised up to 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Furthermore, as a result of a plumbers strike, not many water fountains were working correctly. Additionally, because of the tight schedule, Disneyland was not prepared for the public. Food and drink ran out, and the Mark Twain Steamboat almost collapsed because of too many passengers. Despite of the rough start, Disneyland eventually started up, and by 1965, just ten years after Disneyland opened, over 50 million people had visited Disneyland.
Disneyland Dedication Opening Day Line Opening Day
Disneyland Dedication Walt Disney at Disneyland Front Entrance Disney's Opening Day Speech
Attendance
Over the years, Disneyland's popularity has increased greatly. In 1955, the year Disneyland opened, the park had one million visitors. Then, just two years later, 1957, Disneyland had 10 million visitors. Finally, by 2004, 500 million people had passed through the gates. Disneyland is getting more popular over the years.