Tag: Disneyland History
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Rivers of America | DISNEY THIS DAY | January 6, 2003
On this day in 2003, the Rivers of America in Disneyland was drained for the first time in ten years. Without the river’s six million gallons of water, crews found some strange items, like a toaster and a full bottle of rum! With Tom Sawyer Island closed, Cast Members entertained guests by re-enacting the fence…
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New Year’s Eve Party at Disneyland | DISNEY THIS DAY | December 31, 1957
On this day in 1957, Disneyland hosted its first New Year’s Eve party. A total of 7,500 guests attended at the cost of $3.95 per person. Each ticket included unlimited rides on all attractions (no ticket books needed!), dancing to three live bands, activities until 2AM, and a New Year’s Eve Fun Package with streamers,…
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New Orleans Square’s Old New Waterfront – 30 Years Ago at Disneyland
The last new “land” that Walt Disney personally dedicated at Disneyland was New Orleans Square. The appearance of the deceptively small area has remained pretty much the same since that July 24, 1966 day, with winding streets and secluded courtyards creating the illusion that it is much larger. One important area of New Orleans Square…
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The Arrival of the Partners – 30 Years Ago at Disneyland
Do you remember “The Globe of Death?” If you do, it will remain only a vivid memory. That is because, thirty years ago this month, Disneyland dedicated the Partners statue at the center of the park, creating a permanent tribute to the man who started it all, and the mouse that he said started it…
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Souvenir Guidebook and Disneyland Today – 30 Years Ago at Disneyland
If you read this column last year, you may recall we explored the 1992 Disneyland Souvenir Guide, which weighed in at a hefty 32 pages. This month, we will be looking at the 1993 Souvenir Guidebook. The addition of “book” to the guide was most appropriate, as it had expanded to no less than 36…
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Two Concert Orchestrions Provide Unique Halloween Music at Disneyland
At Disneyland, there are many different entertainment offerings to enjoy during different seasons. Halloween Time is no different. For guests wandering through the Candy Palace on Main Street, USA, or in Frontierland, two concert orchestrions provide a very different approach to Halloween music. On Main Street, USA at the Candy Palace, the orchestrion is made…
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Disneyland’s Main Street Fire Engine Celebrates 65 Years on Main Street
Today the Fire Engine at Disneyland celebrates 65 years of driving up and down Main Street, USA. On August 16, 1958, the Fire Engine was added to the fleet of vehicles on Main Street, USA. It was a favorite vehicle of Walt Disney, who loved to drive it around the park in the mornings before…
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54 Years of the Haunted Mansion
Today the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland celebrates its 54th anniversary. Since opening originally in 1969, it has been a fan favorite as the happy haunts bring spirited delight to those who make their way through its spooky halls. Haunted Mansion History The Haunted Mansion took many years to come to be. Walt Disney had the…
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A Very Special Episode of Blossom – 30 Years Ago at Disneyland
With all the hoopla surrounding the opening of Mickey’s Toontown thirty years ago earlier this year, I managed to get past another memorable event that took place at Disneyland in January of 1993. Fortunately I have photos to share, and some rather fuzzy screen shots from an episode of a quintessential 90s sitcom, Blossom. Blossom…
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A Different Summer at Disneyland Without the Disneyland Resort All-American College Band
On June 21, 2022, the 2022 Disneyland Resort All-American College Band stepped out and performed in Disneyland in front of guests for the first time of its summer season. The arrival of the Disneyland Resort All-American College Band in the parks marked the arrival for summer for many guests who have followed the band for…
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“Animazement – The Musical” – 25 Years Later
25 years ago today Animazement – The Musical debuted in the Fantasyland Theatre at Disneyland. This magical musical began with a new theme song written for the show itself called It Starts with a Sketch and then went on a musical adventure through several different Disney stories. This included The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast,…
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Bring the Whole Family! – 30 Years Ago at Disneyland
After spending so much time on Toontown this year, this month’s entry will get us back into and around the rest of Disneyland. In May of 1993 (May eighth, to be precise) I again renewed my Annual Passport. This time it cost $119, but I felt the expense was worth it, considering the use I…
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Mickey’s Toontown (Part 2) – 30 Years Ago at Disneyland
This month— the suburbs. But first, a short diversion. How should we get there? We could walk (it’s a pleasant walk). Or, we could take the Jolly Trolley. Despite what anyone may have told you, thirty years ago at Disneyland the Jolly Trolley was a real thing. It really traveled along the tracks in Toontown,…
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Mickey’s Toontown (Part 1) – 30 Years Ago at Disneyland
Last month we looked at the grand opening of Mickey’s Toontown, January 25th, 1993. Or the 24th. Or 26th. This month I anticipated writing up a complete tour of the new land, but after going through the many, many photos that I took that day, I decided to present Toontown over two months. This month…
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Opening Mickey’s Toontown – 30 Years Ago at Disneyland
Serendipity is a word I have always enjoyed. It sounds as joyful as its meaning: the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way. This month’s column, all about the opening of Mickey’s Toontown at Disneyland 30 years ago, falls on the same week that there will be a dedication…
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Happy Holidays! – 30 Years Ago at Disneyland
Today, Disneyland has a staggering array of holiday-themed promotions, one blending into another through several months of the year. It may seem hard to believe, but just thirty years ago fans of the Happiest Place on Earth had to be content with a few one-day events, and then the “big” Christmas season after Thanksgiving. Here…
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5 Memorable Narrators of the Disneyland Candlelight Processional
The Disneyland Candlelight Processional is an annual tradition at the Disneyland Resort that dates back to the days of Walt Disney. Each year (except for a few in Fantasyland), a mass choir, orchestra, handbell choir, fanfare trumpeters and celebrity narrator come together in front of Main Street Station and tell the story of the original…
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A New Train Station and Toy Shop – 30 Years Ago at Disneyland
1992 may not have been the most “original” year in Disneyland history (even the “original” promotion had been carried over from 1991), but the end of the year saw two new venues open in the northernmost part of the happiest place on earth. On November 25, the new Toontown Railroad Station opened, and on December…
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Day 5: Art – 24 Days of Thanksgiving
Art, I hope you find this and are reading it. In the spirit of Thanksgiving and Disneyland, my memories travel back over the decades to the beat of the Disneyland Band marching down Main Street USA to the awaiting chairs, music stands, and park benches in front of Town Hall. I am there waiting for…
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Remembering the Last Show of Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple Four Years Later
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On November 4, 2018 Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple had its final training show in Tomorrowland. This show, which taught younglings, the ways of the Jedi inspired guests young and old during its run at the Disneyland Resort. During the process, the Padawans would learn to face their fears as they found themselves facing…
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Day Two: An Idea and a Dream – 24 Days of Thanksgiving
There are so many things to be thankful for when it comes to the many worlds of Disney this month. One of the things that seem almost to be a no-brainer is the idea that Walt Disney had while sitting on a bench at Griffith Park. Now found at Disneyland in the Opera House, this…
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A Daytime Parade to Remember – 30 Years Ago at Disneyland
This month’s column was supposed to be about a very memorable 1992 daytime parade that ran from June 19 to November 15. “The World According to Goofy” may have seemed a somewhat random choice, unless one remembers that Goofy made his Disney debut in 1932. For his 60th birthday, Disneyland created a zany parade tracing…
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Mickey’s Toontown Under Construction – 30 Years Ago at Disneyland
You may recall that a year ago I was writing about Afternoon Avenue Live! at Disneyland, and specifically about the closure of Baloo’s Dressing Room. That meet ’n greet, located immediately beyond that new railroad trestle to the west of it’s a small world, had been replaced by a construction wall. In case there was…
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Souvenir Guide 1992 – 30 Years Ago at Disneyland
One of the tangible things I miss from 30 years ago at Disneyland is their over-the-top souvenir guide. Starting in 1955, with a modest flyer printed in two colors (black and turquoise), guests were always provided with basic information to make their visit “more enjoyable.” By 1992, that single sheet had grown into a 32-page…