The Story of DISNEYLAND: A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow

"It's something that will never be finished. Something that I can keep developing...and adding to."

-Walt Disney

DISNEYLAND was designed from the beginning as a place that would constantly grow and change. It was what Walt Disney wanted and it is still the way things happen in his one and only Magic Kingdom.

"Dad's vision called for this, for DISNEYLAND, to be something that could grow more beautiful every year, and it has."

-Diane Disney Miller

While it is wonderful to remember DISNEYLAND's past and amazing to experience its present, it is always great to think about its future. Presently, DISNEYLAND is about to embark on its largest expansion in years, an amazing project that will bring the larger world of Star Wars to the park. 

These improvements will be an amazing addition to the park that will be built right behind Frontierland beginning next month. Will things look exactly like the conceptual drawings? Possibly, but the amazing thing about Walt Disney Imagineering is that they will improve and expand on their plans literally up until construction begins, so one never truly knows what the finished project will look like.

Another sure bet for DISNEYLAND is an injection of Marvel. But what will Marvel in the parks look like? Could it be something like this?

Would Iron Man or Stark Enterprises end up in Tomorrowland? Or could it find its way into Disney California Adventure in its own land?

The company also owns a large vacant lot just down the street that has often been seen as a potential site for a third theme park. Could this be a prime location for Marvel characters- or for a park highlighting Disney's Heroes and Villains?

And don't forget about Downtown Disney- there's plans for expansion, but what will those plans look like? A new hotel tower, various new restaurants and shops are planned. What might those look like? Expect celebrity restaurants and special attractions, regardless of what they end up looking like.

So while our 60th Anniversary feature has come to an end- the true story of DISNEYLAND continues to be told every day- in the smiles on the faces of Walt Disney's beloved guests and in the magical memories still being created every day. It's just the way he wanted it- just the way he'd always dreamed.

DISNEYLAND's magic will be with us forever- for now and for always. There's a great big beautiful tomorrow- just a dream away!

The Story of DISNEYLAND: A New Millennium

As the new millennium began, exciting things were happening around DISNEYLAND. Finally realizing the error of its ways, the City of Anaheim embarked on a massive effort to improve the area surrounding DISNEYLAND. Unsightly signs and poles were removed. Lush landscaping was brought in. The results were impressive.

Disneyland Drive

Katella Avenue

Disney was also putting the finishing touches on an impressive array of new offerings that would propel the Anaheim property into the stratosphere.

Disney's California Adventure

Downtown Disney

Disney's Grand Californian Hotel

These new attractions were designed to cement DISNEYLAND Resort as the centerpiece of any Southern California vacation. Downtown Disney and the Grand Californian Hotel were instant successes. Disney California Adventure required some assistance, but altogether, the components came together to make an immersive vacation destination that had the added advantage of being located close together, making park hopping a breeze.

DISNEYLAND wasn't left out of the equation. The park received a remodel of its famed Submarine Voyage attraction and a new Fantasy Faire.

In 2005, the park celebrated its 50th Year in a big way. The huge influx of heavy spending guests, eager to recapture the nostalgia of the past, convinced the company that its crown jewel was DISNEYLAND and investing in its future like Walt had done would result in massive rewards.

So the company embarked on a plan to improve and expand in Anaheim, which resulted in the massive Cars Land in Disney California Adventure and the all new Buena Vista Street.

DISNEYLAND would continue to evolve and grow just like it always had. Who knows what the future holds in store? We do (sorta). Join us next week as our year long salute to Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom comes to its conclusion with a look into the future of DISNEYLAND.

The Story of DISNEYLAND: The Disney Decade

As DISNEYLAND entered the 1990's, The Walt Disney Company began thinking about what to do with the surrounding area. The company had finally purchased The DISNEYLAND Hotel and began buying up large tracts of land surrounding the Magic Kingdom. As the 35th Anniversary kicked off, the company announced the beginning of what it termed 'The Disney Decade'.

The Disney Decade would see the arrival of two new lands in DISNEYLAND- Mickey's Starland and Hollywoodland. Tomorrowland would be completely remodeled and an entirely new park would spring up next door- Westcot Center.

Glamorous Hollywoodland

New Tomorrowland

Westcot Center

As soon as the plans were announced, changes were made. Mickey's Starland became Mickey's Toontown. New Tomorrowland was scaled back. Hollywoodland, which would have been located just off Main Street between the main entrance and Tomorrowland was abandoned. The first project debuted in 1992- Mickey's Toontown.

As Disney began to re-evaluate things, a curious new attraction debuted in Adventureland- the Indiana Jones Adventure, which kicked off DISNEYLAND's 40th year.

As the Disney Decade entered its second half, it became clear that Westcot was not necessarily a feasible idea. Designed to be a west coast EPCOT Center, the park fell out of favor when Disney executives remembered that the original EPCOT Center had been anything but successful when it debuted in 1982; as a matter of fact, it almost brought the entire company down. It would take millions of dollars and new management to get things back on track. Probably not a good model for a new theme park. While the company pondered what to do about DISNEYLAND's second park, it began work on the scaled down Tomorrowland upgrade. While Walt Disney had knocked down Tomorrowland twice in ten years, the company decreed that this renovation would use existing facilities.

The decision to use existing structures for the new attractions resulted in the first large scale failure in the park's history- the short lived Rocket Rods. This "exciting" attraction reused the People Mover tracks to create what was supposed to be a thrilling ride through Tomorrowland. The track was ill suited for a fast paced ride and guests were unimpressed. Add to that the constant breakdowns and this high flying attraction was more trouble than it was worth. It quickly closed, never to reopen.

By the end of the decade, the park was ready to embark on its next big adventure- Disney California Adventure, the new theme park that would replace Westcot Center. Strikingly similar to an idea that Walt Disney had in the early 1960's called Disney California Living, the park would begin the transformation of the area outside Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom into a full fledged resort. 

Keeping Mr. Disney's promise of an ever changing, ever expanding experience, construction began on the biggest expansion in Anaheim since 1955.

The Story of DISNEYLAND: More of Walt's Dreams Come True

The 1980's began as a turbulent time in the world of Disney. Cost overruns at EPCOT Center and its lackluster reception by guests, threatened the solvency of the company. Meanwhile, the good times chugged along at Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom. When DISNEYLAND first opened, Mr. Disney had to compromise on the look of Fantasyland. Sleeping Beauty Castle and the front part of Fantasyland were built exactly as envisioned by Walt. The rest of the land was given a medieval circus look to conserve cash.

Walt Disney always wanted to go back and redo this part of his Magic Kingdom. He never got the chance, and his brother merely replicated the cheaper look in Florida. It would be Walt Disney's son in law who would see this dream through.

Despite the growing problems in Florida, Walt Disney's dream back home was being fully realized. In 1983, it would open triumphantly- one of Walt's dreams come true.

The "new" Fantasyland would be just as Walt Disney originally intended- a charming European village, that looked like it was torn from a storybook.

The money problems caused by EPCOT Center led to new management at Walt Disney Productions. The new managers felt that due to the problems at EPCOT Center, the parks were a money drain. Plans were drawn up to sell the parks and license the characters to the new owners. As longtime employees pointed out, when the parks were run well, like at DISNEYLAND, they propped up the rest of the company. The sale plans were canceled and investment went into overdrive.

To get new excitement into the park quickly, DISNEYLAND began offering special events like Blast to the Past and State Fair.

DISNEYLAND also premiered Captain EO starring an at his peak Michael Jackson. The 17 minute film cost $17 million dollars to make.

Nearby, Disney partnered with George Lucas on another project- Star Tours, which would allow guests to experience the world of Star Wars for the first time.

To finish out the decade, DISNEYLAND finished off its amazing mountain range by building the biggest water adventure around- Splash Mountain. The mountain would rise on the western side of the park, creating the biggest mountain range of any Disney park.

As the 1980's ended and DISNEYLAND entered its fourth decade, even more amazing projects would come to life. As Walt Disney intended, the park would continue to grow and evolve.

The Story of DISNEYLAND: Mountains of Fun

The 1970's weren't always kindest to DISNEYLAND. It had become the stepchild in its own theme park kingdom. Roy Disney's penny pinching had left Florida's Magic Kingdom theme park without enough attractions after it finally caught on with guests. With numerous Disney owned hotels to fill, the company found the resort became a money sink, desperately needing further development to become more viable. Luckily, the company had a rich catalog of projects to pull possible ideas from and a stable, established money maker in DISNEYLAND. One of the first projects it chose from its back catalog was one Walt Disney had shelved in 1964- Tomorrowland's Spaceport and Rocket Flight.

The elaborate space ride was sadly not possible with mid-1960's technology. Park management suggested to Walt that he compromise and merely build a copy of the Matterhorn indoors. That wasn't the way Walt Disney did things, however, so he put his idea on the shelf. It would be a dream that would come true another day. Florida's park managers were more 'practical' however. They needed a 'mountain' and feeling that an outdoor attraction like the Matterhorn was not practical in Central Florida, the indoor Matterhorn concept was put into place. By the end of the project, however, the technology required to make Walt Disney's original dream a reality was now in reach. DISNEYLAND put Walt's dream Space Mountain under construction.

Since Mr. Disney had left room for a future Space Mountain in his Tomorrowland remodel of 1967, construction could begin quickly. The Space Mountain that would rise in DISNEYLAND would be a huge technological advancement from the one that found its way to the Central Florida swamps. In this instance, Walt Disney's dream would be fully realized in his Magic Kingdom.

The next major project that found its way to DISNEYLAND began life as a Florida project. Disney had planned a runaway train ride in the Florida Frontierland when it became clear that the park desperately needed more attractions. The Florida park's shoehorned Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, however, went over budget. This caused Florida's bean counters to cancel the more ambitious Big Thunder Mountain and instead build the cut down Space Mountain. The huge success of the two Space Mountains encouraged the company to put the Big Thunders into production. The one at DISNEYLAND was optimally situated for construction and thus opened first.

The wildest ride in the wilderness was opened in 1979 in DISNEYLAND. The attraction cemented the park's reputation as the company's flagship theme park.

As the 1970's ended, Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom prevailed over what many had felt was neglect compared to its younger sibling in Florida. It ended the decade with a super-powered mountain range, an audio-animatronic spectacular and a magical 25th Anniversary party. As the 1980's began, new challenges would arise, but an even bigger dream of Walt Disney's would come true. The magic would seemingly never end.

The Story of DISNEYLAND: Growing Pains

With its creator gone, DISNEYLAND settled in for the long haul. Walt Disney had setup an organization that he was certain would continue to pursue his dreams. Meanwhile, Roy Disney canceled his brother's plans for the Florida project and planned out his own vision of a "vacation kingdom". The resulting changes required Imagineering to shift its efforts to Florida. While DISNEYLAND's staff felt neglected, the park continued to operate as before, bringing in needed funds that were diverted to Florida. When the Florida park faltered at first, DISNEYLAND's importance was increased as its profits were used to prop up the Florida resort until it found its bearings. It is interesting to note that if DISNEYLAND had suffered the same initial attendance issues as Florida's Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney likely would have gone bankrupt.

The first attraction "imported" from Florida was the Country Bear Jamboree. Originally created for a project Walt Disney planned to build in Mineral King, California, it was wildly successful in Florida and given its own new land in DISNEYLAND. The arrival of the Country Bears was highly anticipated.

The next big addition to DISNEYLAND was also influenced by the Florida park. To save money, Roy Disney had under built attractions in Florida. When the park began to become successful, it soon needed any new additions it could muster. The Carousel of Progress was eyed as a natural addition to Florida's Tomorrowland and the attraction was packed up in Anaheim and sent out to Florida. Taking advantage of the existing infrastructure, Disney Imagineer Marc Davis proposed a salute to American music performed by animatronic animals. DISNEYLAND's America Sings opened just in time for America's bicentennial.

As the decade continued, DISNEYLAND would continue to be affected by its younger sibling in Florida, but that would soon end.

The Story of DISNEYLAND: The Happiest Place on Earth Lives On

After Walt Disney's death, many people outside and a few people inside the company doubted that it could continue running as an active company without its King. Many theorized that Roy Disney would get caught up in the conglomeration frenzy that was running through American business at the time and would sell the company to a larger corporation. The larger corporation would theoretically act as caretakers of the famous characters and films, choosing to license existing properties instead of creating new ones. Bizarrely, General Dynamics, a defense contractor, was a rumored buyer. They were allegedly interested in the vast Florida property and the everlasting revenue flow that the Disney copyrights and trademarks would provide. As rumors swirled, there was still the business of operating the world's greatest theme park and opening arguably the greatest attraction ever built- DISNEYLAND's Pirates of the Caribbean.

The amazing attraction was believed to be Walt Disney's final gift to his beloved guests. Built on a massive scale underneath New Orleans Square, the attraction put together everything that Walt and his team had learned over a decade of running DISNEYLAND to create an attraction like none other. It was- and is- a truly amazing experience, unsurpassed even by the other attractions bearing its name worldwide. To this day, guests wishing to experience the ultimate Pirates of the Caribbean adventure must make their way to DISNEYLAND in Anaheim. None of the others quite match up in scope or grandeur.

The other side of the park was not ignored either. Walt Disney had already demolished much of the existing Tomorrowland to make way for the spectacular Tomorrowland 1967: A World on the Move. Sadly, his grand ideas for a new attraction to anchor the land- Space Mountain- was not possible using 1960's technology. Rather than present his guests with an inferior 'Matterhorn Indoors', Mr. Disney delayed construction until technology caught up with his dreams, leaving a spot vacant for this future dream. His gleaming new Tomorrowland opened in late 1967.

By this time, Roy Disney was willing to silence the rumors of the company's sale by insisting that the team his brother had built was more than capable of continuing to create new films, characters and attractions. While quietly killing the EPCOT project as envisioned by his brother, he promised to go full speed ahead on Walt Disney World, which would end up incorporating very little of his brother's plans. Construction continued at DISNEYLAND as the long awaited Haunted Mansion finally began frightening guests in 1969. It seemed that as DISNEYLAND entered its era without its guiding force that things would be okay.