1500 Posts!

On this special day, we are excited to announce that this is our 1500th post! Thank you for being our guest each day as we share our love of Disney with you. So what does the future hold for this site? As Mr. Disney himself said-

"I just want to leave you with this thought, that it’s just been sort of a dress rehearsal and we’re just getting started. So if any of you start resting on your laurels, I mean just forget it, because…we are just getting started.”

-Walt Disney

Happy Birthday, DISNEYLAND!

On July 17, 1955, the world was finally introduced to Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom. Nearly every television in existence at the time was tuned to DISNEYLAND's opening celebration. Tens of thousands of people got to experience it in person.

The park was expecting much smaller crowds, but the tickets had been counterfeited, plus others who were given passes that allowed them to bring as many guests as they wanted brought much more guests along than expected. The park was overwhelmed with guests, running out of food and drink.

Even more interesting- since nothing like DISNEYLAND had ever existed, the crowds were a bit confused. How does one act inside this place? Do you have to ride everything from the map in order?

While the day was later viewed negatively by some, the majority of the people in attendance loved what they saw. They came back and brought friends and family, making new memories that would last a lifetime.

"Yesterday, a man walked up to me and said, ‘Isn’t it a shame that Walt Disney couldn’t be here to see this?’ and I said, 'He did see this, that’s why it’s here.'"

-Art Linkletter

DISNEYLAND Birthday Weekend: Just A Dream Away!

"In 1955, an amazing man named Walt Disney dreamt of a Magic Kingdom..."

-Julie Andrews

"Just imagine- if you were standing right here over 60 years ago, you'd be standing in the middle of an orange grove. One visionary man stood right where you are now, but instead of orange trees, he envisioned a Magic Kingdom. This man's name was Walt Disney. And his dream would be called DISNEYLAND."

“The greatest thing about DISNEYLAND is that its magic stays with you forever.”

-Ralph Castaneda

DISNEYLAND Birthday Weekend: A Wonderland of Magic!

There's a great big beautiful tomorrow- shining at the end of every day!

There's a great big beautiful tomorrow- and tomorrow's just a dream away!

“DISNEYLAND proved to me that if you’ve got enough guts and intelligence and drive you can accomplish anything.”

-Marvin Davis

Just A Dream Away...

Even Miracles Take A Little Time...

A Magical Kingdom...

Have Faith in Your Dreams and someday- your rainbow will come shining through!

D23 Week: Disney Legend #33- Jack Hannah

Jack Hannah began his art career designing movie posters for Hollywood theaters. He decided to try getting a job at Disney and soon found himself as an "inbetweener", animating lesser scenes. In time he was a full-fledged animator- but his big break would come when he was assigned to work with Carl Barks, the famed cartoonist whose work with Donald Duck would become legendary.

Jack eventually directed segments for The Wonderful World of Disney and became one of the founding artists at Walt's final dream come true- CalArts in Valencia, California.

D23 Week: Disney Legend #32- Joe Grant

Joe Grant has a unique place in Disney history. He had a hand in both Disney animation Golden eras- the original and the one that took place in the 1990's. He began his Disney career working on Mickey Mouse shorts, but he quickly moved up to features, animating the evil queen in Snow White and overseeing Pinocchio and Fantasia. The dog Lady from Lady and the Tramp was even based on a dog he owned. Mr. Grant left the studio to found his own greeting card and ceramics business. 

He returned decades later to guide Disney through its second golden age, working on The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Monsters, Inc and Up. Mr. Grant felt a loyalty to the company that his friend Walt Disney had founded, working right up until he passed away at age 97.

D23 Week: Disney Legend #31- Annette Funicello

Annette Funicello needs no introduction; the spunky dynamo was plucked from obscurity by Walt Disney and quickly became the star of The Mickey Mouse Club. Born in New Jersey, Ms. Funicello' family moved out west in search of greener pastures. Unlike other child stars with similar stories, Annette wasn't being groomed for stardom. In fact, Annette hadn't even auditioned for The Mickey Mouse Club. She was performing at a school recital when she caught the eye of Walt Disney, who had been looking for Mouseketeers. While her parents had been skeptical at first, they were soon persuaded by Mr. Disney and Annette soon became a super star.

D23 Week: Disney Legend #30- Morgan Evans

If you've enjoyed the landscaping at DISNEYLAND or any modern theme park, actually, you have Morgan Evans to thank for it. Despite a tiny budget and a catastrophic issue with a color blind tractor operator, Mr. Evans expertly landscaped Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom, beginning a tradition of horticulture excellence at Disney Parks worldwide.

When Morgan Evans was brought onboard, he was met with a project site that was flat and full of citrus groves. His job was not only to make millions of tourists believe they had traveled to the old American west or the adventuresome jungles of far off locales, he was also supposed to make sure that they couldn't see the outside world once they entered DISNEYLAND's gates. He accomplished all of this and even succeeded in getting DISNEYLAND classified as a botanical garden. His hard work would influence every Disney theme park since, including Shanghai Disneyland. Mr. Evans would pass away in 2002, having been retired for several years.