04 May Off to Disneyland!
When the family is gathering to reconnect and spend time together, the alternatives available for gathering places are several. Nevertheless, in the United States, undoubtedly one of the most popular spots for families would have to be Disneyland. For decades, families have travel there: building memories, having fun, and valuing things both magical and whimsical.
You couldn’t always escape into Adventureland, Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, and Frontierland like you can today. Before the park was created, that space was a blanket of orange groves. Park structure began in July of 1954, and was finished in just one year for opening day on Sunday, July 17, 1955.
Despite the snags, however, the park’s success wasn’t hindered. After only one month, 20,000 people came through its gates every day, and that figure has only grown in the interim.
If one thing is true about Walt Disney, he had grit and tenacity that paid off. Turns out, some of those ideas turned into major successes, the greatest being the initial park that still bears his name today.
How did he do it? How did he establish one of the most well-known attractions in the world? The answer has to do, at least in part, with the man’s drive for development and the potential he had to put things together to accomplish the perfect combination. Harrison Price, a man that worked closely with Disney, said this: “Walt … said …’ I dream that one day, nobody shows up. That’s my nightmare.’ He knew that the show had to be fresh, that there had to be a new factor to come back. And the nature of getting people to come back is visibility and exposure, but it’s mostly something new to talk about.”
Disney’s journey began long before he was an adult. As a boy, he created an interest in drawing, working to boost his skill through practice. Subsequently, this love affair led him to draw for his school’s newspaper as a teenager. During World War I, he attempted to enlist in the army but was declined because of his age. He refused to be deterred, however, and after altering the date on his birth certificate, drove ambulance for the Red Cross. Even in war, his drawing ability was displayed when he made use of the side of his rig.
Several years later, in 1928, Mickey Mouse was conceived by Ub Iwerks and Disney, the character that would become synonymous with Disneyland almost three decades later. In the ensuing years, animated classics that are still beloved by children today were released: Snow White, Dumbo, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, and others. And then, his dreams materialized in the creation of a theme park that became so big it’s known throughout the world, and he oversaw every aspect of it.
Although he lived to see the success of the initial park, he died in 1966 at age 65 from lung cancer. The magic he created lives on today, and if you watch one of his beloved animated classics or walk through the gates into the park itself, you’ll feel it. He had a gift, and Rolly Crump, one of Walt’s imagineers, put it this way: “This was Walt’s secret: he went over everybody with everything that he did.”
That trait of his is definitely one of the reasons why Disneyland continues to be a popular gathering place for family reunions these days. Let us help you make this family reunion’s transportation experience the finest!
(The information for this article came from the following sources:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=35r5kZ3O93o
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cQIHPTwmyGQ
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Disney#).