Tag: Disneyland History
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The Official Opening of Bayou Country Marks a Fourth Location for a Venerable Disneyland Attraction
Take a look at the only attraction to appear in four lands at Disneyland, without having to move through its long history.
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Parade of Dreams | DISNEY THIS DAY | November 11, 2008
On this day in 2008, Walt Disney’s Parade of Dreams ran for the last time at Disneyland.
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Farewell to a Classic Attraction – 30 Years Ago at Disneyland
This month Doug takes a look back at the Skyway, 30 years after it took to the skies over The Happiest Place on Earth for the last time.
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A (Mostly) Ever Changing Landscape – 30 Years Ago at Disneyland
Every now and then I try to offer a stroll around the park, usually with an eye to seeing how much the Disneyland “landscape” has changed over thirty years. This month though… I’m not so sure. For example, this is what Main Street Station looked like in the fall of 1994. Is that a big…
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Disneyland Railroad History on Display
Learn about the history of the Disneyland Railroad while it currently is being refurbished at The Happiest Place on Earth!
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Ruth Shellhorn | DISNEY THIS DAY | September 21, 1909
On this day in 1909, landscape architect Ruth Shellhorn was born.
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Souvenir Guidebook 1994 – 30 Years Ago at Disneyland
Take a look at the 1994 Souvenir Guidebook for Disneyland on this newest edition of 30 Years Ago at Disneyland!
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Haunted Mansion | DISNEY THIS DAY | August 12, 1969
On this day in 1969, the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland hosted a grand opening to the public.
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Haunted Mansion | DISNEY THIS DAY | August 9, 2009
On this day in 2009, on the 40th anniversary of the Haunted Mansion’s opening at Disneyland, a family spent the night inside the attraction!
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Frontierland Shooting Gallery | DISNEY THIS DAY | July 12, 1957
On this day in 1957, the Frontierland Shooting Gallery opened at Disneyland. One of four shooting galleries in the early years of the park, it is the only one that survives today. The guns originally fired real lead pellets. Every night, the chipped targets had to be repainted before the next day’s action, adding up…
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Rainbow Caverns Mine Train | DISNEY THIS DAY | July 2, 1956
On this day in 1956, the Rainbow Caverns Mine Train debuted in Disneyland’s Frontierland. It was part of the new Living Desert, which the Stage Coach, Conestoga Wagons, and Pack Mules also navigated. Guests of the Mine Train took a leisurely ride through the arid landscape, observing whimsical cacti, balancing rocks, and interesting stone formations.…
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The Lion King Celebration Parade | DISNEY THIS DAY | July 1, 1994
On this day in 1994, The Lion King Celebration Parade premiered at Disneyland. The parade showcased six elaborate floats, each themed after an element of Africa. It used both “Puppetronics,” a method to animate large characters on floats, and Audio-Animatronics in a parade for the first time. Four of the floats eventually found a permanent…
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Autopia | DISNEY THIS DAY | June 29, 2000
On this day in 2000, the Autopia at Disneyland reopened with much longer tracks, including a new off-road section. It had updated cars that replaced the original Chevrolet Corvette Stingray-style cars. These cars were styled after the new sponsor, Chevron, and their animated “Chevron Cars” line that was made into advertisements and toys. They were…
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Videopolis | DISNEY THIS DAY | July 22, 1985
On this day in 1985, Videopolis opened at Disneyland. “A musical kaleidoscope of sight and sound,” Videopolis was a high-tech dance club for teens. It featured a 5,000 square foot dance floor, two 12×16 foot video screens, a video wall with 70 TV screens, and live cameras capturing all the action. It was the first…
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20th Century Music Company | DISNEY THIS DAY | June 20, 1999
On this day in 1999, the 20th Century Music Company opened on Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland. At its debut, the shop sold Disney CDs and videos. Today, one can find a selection of Disney pins. The location formerly housed the Tobacco Shop from opening day until 1990. The Main Street Chief statue still stands…
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Magic Journeys | DISNEY THIS DAY | June 16, 1984
On this day in 1984, the 3D film ‘Magic Journeys’ began a two-year run in Tomorrowland at Disneyland, first on the outdoor Space Stage and later in the Magic Eye Theater. The show originally premiered in EPCOT in 1982 and was Walt Disney Imagineering’s first 3D film for a Disney theme park. ‘Magic Journeys’ looked…
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Looking Back at the Matterhorn Bobsleds As it Turns 65 at Disneyland
The Matterhorn Bobsleds celebrates 65 years of guests racing down icy slopes at Disneyland!
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Sunday Spotlight: Fantasmic! at Disneyland
On this Sunday Spotlight, Mr. Daps takes a look at the three main iterations of Fantasmic! at Disneyland through the years.
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Busy Summer Nights – 30 Years Ago at Disneyland
The return (again!) of Fantasmic! brought back some very specific memories of Disneyland from thirty years ago. These days, crowds jostling to get good viewing spots for the nighttime spectacular have no idea what it was like back in the early 1990s. In previous columns I have already touched on those first season adjustments that…
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New Tomorrowland | DISNEY THIS DAY | May 21, 1998
On this day in 1998, New Tomorrowland was dedicated in Disneyland. Astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Wally Schirra were among the honored guests. New Tomorrowland was a retro-futurist retheme loosely inspired by Jules Verne and similar to Discoveryland in Disneyland Paris. The buildings, including Space Mountain, were repainted in bronzes, golds, and dark browns. The changes…
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Main Street Horseless Carriage | DISNEY THIS DAY | May 12, 1956
On this day in 1956, the red Main Street Horseless Carriage debuted at Disneyland. Imagineer Bob Gurr built the car from scratch using parts he sourced himself. He and fellow Imagineer Roger Broggie decided this was the best approach after scouting antique cars at a lot in San Bernardino. Many of the cars were in…
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More Construction Mysteries – 30 Years Ago at Disneyland
The last couple of months have been spent unraveling some mysterious (for the time) construction that was taking place out in the parking lot to the west of the entrance to Disneyland. Early in 1994 all was revealed when the construction of the Indiana Jones Adventure was officially announced, and a big construction wall went…
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Beauty and the Beast: Live on Stage | DISNEY THIS DAY | April 12, 1992
On this day in 1992, ‘Beauty and the Beast: Live on Stage!’ debuted at the Videopolis Stage in Disneyland. Recreating the story of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ through music and dance, it was similar to the show that premiered at Disney-MGM Studios in Florida five months earlier, along with the film. The Disneyland version would…
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Construction Mystery Revealed – 30 Years Ago at Disneyland
Last month’s column left us with a bit of a cliffhanger (at least, a cliffhanger thirty years ago). What was that very large structure rising up all the way out in the parking lot where the Eeyore section used to be? It was definitely looking more substantial as the steel skeleton was being filled in.…