Disneyland celebrates 50th in grand style

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/07/2005 (7392 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ANAHEIM, Calif. — A little pixie dust and tonnes of imagination — thanks to the foresight and dreams of a certain movie producer named Walt Disney– and Disneyland has become a household name worldwide.

Who knew that the land formerly sprouting orange and walnut groves here in Anaheim would turn out to be the place where dreams come true?

This year, Disneyland is celebrating its golden anniversary billed as the “Happiest Homecoming on Earth”.

Amid all the festivities, it is interesting to note that the actual date of the anniversary is tomorrow, July 17. However, celebrations commenced on May 5 (05/05/05 is 50 written backwards) to allow summer visitors more of an opportunity to enjoy all of the new experiences, say Disney officials.

In preparation for the May 5 event, Disneyland was closed to the public (an extremely rare occurrence). That evening, there was a red carpet affair — a gold one was used instead to commemorate the 50th anniversary — to welcome VIP guests and celebrities that included Julie Andrews (the honorary ambassador of the 50th anniversary), Geena Davis, Sean Astin, John Voight, Teri Hatcher, Kelsey Grammer, Garth Brooks and Andy Garcia. Even Art Linkletter, one of the original hosts at the park’s opening in 1955, came by. So, too, did Leann Rimes and Christina Aguilera, who lent their voices to the festivities.

To encourage public participation in their anniversary, Disney asked visitors to send in photographs taken at the park within the past year. Using these 100,000-plus pictures to form classic Disney images, The Happiest Faces on Earth… A Disney Family Album was formed. These 34 gigantic photo collages can be found in both parks, the largest being the one with Mickey’s outline standing at 8.5 metres wide and more than six metres high.

Then there was the unveiling of the new-look Sleeping Beauty Castle. Christened the crown jewel of Disneyland, this park icon has undergone an elegant transformation, complete with richly hued royal banners and custom-made jewel-like gemstones decorated in gold (sigh… this is where many wee ones first form their fairy-tale dreams).

Also making its debut this 50th anniversary are:

* Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years. Here, Steve Martin and Donald Duck fight over who should be host of this film while archival photos, Walt Disney interviews, clips of celebrity visitors and their own favourite memories slowly unfold before the audience. (Trivia: a teenage Martin worked at the Magic Shop on Main Street).

* Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters. This new attraction is inspired by the movie Toy Story 2 and takes visitors on an interactive space mission to foil the plans of the evil Emperor Zurg. For the first time, people outside the park can join in the fun in real time by logging onto the Disney website. A webcam is located on the bottom left-hand corner of the screen at the attraction itself, so those at home can see the live action at the attraction. Go to www.disneyland.com/buzz.

* Walt Disney’s Parade of Dreams. Oh no, not another parade… but the difference this time is that it is apparently the biggest showcase of Disney characters and performers ever.

* Remember… Dreams Come True. Touted as the biggest fireworks display in the park’s history, it boasts dramatic pyrotechnics that appear closer than they really are.

* Block Party Bash. Featuring music from the ’50s to the ’70s, this block party has been designed to make visitors feel like they’ve stepped into an impromptu street party. Acrobats and dancers on floats appear alongside several Pixar Film characters like Flik from A Bug’s Life and Woody and Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story 2. This parade winds its way through Disney’s California Adventure.

* Space Mountain. After two years being out of commission, this inside in-the-dark roller-coaster, a crowd favourite, has been “re-imagineered for the 21st century” (read updated). It promises to have a few new surprises. The ride reopened yesterday.

* Disney Magic. To top it all off, Disney Cruise Line introduced a west-coast itinerary for summer 2005 on its flagship, Disney Magic. The seven-night cruise will depart from Los Angeles to the Mexican Riviera, stopping en route in Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas.

Walt Disney built a dream filled with fantasy and imagination to appeal to the child in us. May we never lose that innocence and grow old.

Happy birthday, Disneyland.

Beatrice Ang is a Vancouver-based travel writer.