Happy 57th Birthday, Disneyland!
In 1955, Walt Disney opened a theme park in Anaheim, California, to give families a place to have fun together. Fifty-seven years later, tourists, locals and celebs are all still hitting the park 365 days a year.
Click “Launch Gallery” below to see stars like Salma Hayek, Selena Gomez, Gwen Stefani and more celebrating their day at the Happiest Place on Earth – as well as at Disney World in Florida and Disneyland Paris -- then scroll down to learn five fun facts about Disneyland's opening day!
1. July 17, 1955 was supposed to be "International Press Preview" day, but thousands of extra guests showed up due to counterfeit sold tickets.
2. On opening day, Disneyland consisted of 5 lands and 18 attractions, including the still-loved Jungle Cruise, Autopia, King Arthur's Carrousel and Peter Pan's Flight. Today, there are 8 lands and a whopping 58 attractions at the park!
3. Fifty-seven years ago, the freshly poured asphalt combined with scalding So Cal temperatures made the ground so soft that high-heeled shoes would sink into the pavement. Talk about a soft-open.
4. ABC helped finance Disney's project, with the agreement to feed a live coast-to-coast broadcast of the big first day, hosted by Ronald Reagan, Art Linkletter and Bob Cummings.
5. Disney delivered his famous dedication speech, beginning with "To all who come to this happy place, welcome!" -- words that currently tick on the telegraph at the Train Station in New Orleans Square!
Can't make a trip the Happiest Place on Earth soon enough? Get in the magical mindset by listening to this Disneyland theme park music and add a little pixie dust to your day!
