60 Magical Years of Disneyland History

 

Walt Disney trusted that the power of the human spirit would be flourishing in the year 2015.  That deep faith in humankind ensured that his baby, his Disneyland, would continue to advance and thrive as long as imagination drove man’s “Carousel of Progress.” It is evident in this 60 magical years of Disneyland history.

Seemingly, for as much as The Happiest Place on Earth moves forward, it is at its heart exactly as it was on July 17th, 1955.  For millions and millions of visitors since, for both the young and young at heart, Disneyland is the place that “is always growing, but never grew old.”

On a personal level, I recognize that I am about the very age that Walt was when he began planning his Florida Project.  My 85-year-old mother is just as enchanted by planning this summer’s trip to Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration as my 10-year-old nephew. And me!

60 Days to 60 Years is dedicated as a reminder; with each of our 60 historical stories and 60 bloggers, co-host Gayle (@DisneyGals) and I challenge you to:

“Come, remember that feeling.
  Come feel forever young…”

60 Magical Years of Disneyland History

60 Days to 60 Years~ A Magical Invitation to Celebrate Disneyland

Disneyland 1950s

Disneyland 1955 ~ Disney Gals~ Welcome To The Happiest Place On Earth

1956 ~ Guru Donna Kay ~  Storybook Land & Tom Sawyer Island Are Born

1957 ~ Disney Running Mama ~ Monsanto House of the Future; MIT meets Imagineering

1958 ~ Focused On the Magic ~ Down the Rabbit Hole with Alice in Wonderland

1959 ~ I Am a Mommy Nerd ~ An E Ticket Year for Disneyland

Disneyland 1960s

1960 ~ Tim O’Day at Babes in Disneyland ~ A Wooden Anniversary

1961 ~ Love Our Crazy Life ~ “Bigger Fun For Everyone At Disneyland in ’61”

1962 ~ Inspired by Dis ~ Major Adventureland Expansion & Swiss Family Tree House

1963 ~ Flowers Croon ~ Enchanted Tiki Room & Audio-Animatronics Take Flight

1964 ~ Fans of Mickey Mouse’s House ~ Disneyland Goes To the New York World’s Fair

1965 ~ Maker Mother Marathon Runner ~ Disneyland’s Tencennial

1966 ~ The Delightful Life ~ Disneyland Without Walt

1967 ~ Frontierland Station ~ A Year of Pirates and New Lands

1968 ~ Plus the Magic ~ Walt Disney’s Disneyland: A pictorial souvenir and guide

1969 ~ My Adventures in Disneyland ~ Welcome Foolish Mortals

Disneyland 1970s

1970 ~ Lynette Riggs Nobel ~ Camping and Tigers and Pancakes Oh My!

1971 ~ Mostly Mommyhood ~ An Attendance Milestone for Disneyland

1972 ~ Superheroes and Teacups ~ The Debut of the Main Street Electrical Parade

1973 ~ Ellen Cusack ~ The 50th Anniversary of The Walt Disney Company

1974 ~ Saving Up for Disney ~ A First Trip to Disneyland!

1975 ~ Krystina Whitten ~ Disneyland’s 20th Anniversary

1976 ~ Funk Squared ~ America on Parade Celebrates the Bicentennial

1977~ What’s the Point? ~ Space Mountain Launches

1978 ~ Reporting From Disney World ~ Mickey Mouse Turns 50

1979 ~ Jane’s World ~ Big Thunder Mountain Debuts

Disneyland 1980s

1980 ~ Just Me and My Running Shoes ~ Disneyland’s Silver Anniversary

1981 ~ Minnesota Girl In the World ~ Disneyland Welcomes its 200 Millionth Visitor

1982 ~ The Disney Kids ~ Farewell E Ticket

1983 ~ Trips With Tykes ~  The Transformation of Fantasyland

1984 ~ 4 Well Rules ~  The Games of the XXIII Olympiad Come to Play at Disneyland

1985 ~ Can Do It Mom Blog ~ Disneyland’s 30th Anniversary

1986 ~ Disney Gals ~ “Looks Like We Started Something” With Captain EO

1987 ~ Mousekatools ~ Lightspeed to Star Tours

1988 ~ The Real Up House ~ Mickey Mouse’s 60th Birthday Parade

1989 ~ Sparks of Magic ~ Splash Mountain Takes Its First Plunge

Disneyland 1990s

1990 ~ Run All the Races ~ Disneyland’s 35th Anniversary Party Gras

1991 ~ Dawn’s Dorky Diary ~ Plane Crazy at Videopolis

1992 ~ Tiny Bits of Magic ~ A FANTASMIC Year

1993 ~ Babes in Disneyland ~ Mickey’s Toontown- Then & Now

1994 ~ Courtney Bautista ~  Parasols, Caricatures & Timeless Family Traditions

1995 ~ Lottie Ferguson ~ 40 Fantastic Years!

1996 ~ Debbie’s runDisney Challenge ~ Windows on Main Street, U.S.A.

1997 ~ Heather Foote McGilvray ~ Pirates of the Caribbean Celebrates Turning 30

1998 ~ Disney Day by Day ~ Disneyland Welcomes New Tomorrowland

1999 ~ Nancy Sinclair Brook ~ FASTPASS to Disneyland 1999

Disneyland in the New Century

2000 ~ The Joys of Boys ~ Y2K Brings 45 Years of Magic

2001 ~ My No-Guilt Life ~ Disney California Adventure Park Opens

2002 ~ Cork, Fork, & Passport ~ Main Street Electrical Parade Returns

2003 ~ Idahome ~ Critter Country Welcomes The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

2004 ~ Entertainment New Media Network ~ Disneyland Welcomes 500 Millionth Visitor

2005 ~ Park Talk Podcast ~ A Cinderellabration for Disneyland’s 50th

2006 ~ Plugged In Family ~ Jedi Training Academy Debuts

2007 ~ Vy Spear ~ The Year of a Million Dreams

2008 ~ Kendra Kuske ~ It’s Playtime on Paradise Pier with Toy Story Mania! 

2009 ~ Bibbidi Bobbidi Booze ~ “What Will You Celebrate” in 2009

Disneyland 2010s

2010 ~ The Diaper Bag Confessions ~ First Ears, First Kiss

2011 ~ This Roller Coaster Called Life ~ Star Tours- The Adventures Continue

2012 ~ Home Is Where The Mouse Is ~ Cars Land Races Onto the Scene

2013 ~ Rolling With the Magic ~ The Year of Limited Time Magic

2014~ Daveland ~ Big Thunder-ous Changes

2015 ~ My Dreams of Disney ~ Happy Birthday Disneyland!

The past meets the present: DIStherapy ~ Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration | 60 Years of Beloved Images

In this 60 years of Disneyland history, Walt’s vision has proven true. For all of this park’s change, its soul is unchanged.

**  For more magical nostalgia, be sure to follow our other Disney community retrospectives:

–   40 Days to 40 Years  (of Magic Kingdom Park)

–   30 Days to 30 Years  (of Epcot)

–   20 Days to 20 Years  (of Disneyland Paris)

–   15 Days to 15 Years  (of Disney’s Animal Kingdom)