Disneyland turns 70: See photos of the magic from then to now
Disneyland's celebration for its 70th anniversary, with a theme of "Celebrate Happy", started on May 16 and will run through the summer of 2026. But July 17 is the park's actual anniversary.
"To all that come to this happy place: Welcome," Walt Disney said during a speech on the park's opening day. "Disneyland is your land."
Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955, in California, according to D23, the official Disney fan club. Then, 16 years later, Walt Disney World Resort opened on October 1, 1971, in Florida.
The parks grew in popularity and soon spread to Europe and Asia, with notable additions including Disneyland Paris, Shanghai Disney Resort, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, and Tokyo Disney Resort.
In the U.S., there are eight theme and water parks, two, including Disneyland, are located in Anaheim, California, while four other theme parks and two water parks are located in Orlando, Florida.
Disneyland was designed by WED Enterprises, a company Walt Disney created.
"Over several years, Walt and the Imagineers worked diligently, designing a theme park unlike the world had ever seen," states a Defunctland documentary on the history of Disney animatronics. "When guests first entered Disneyland, they were able to wander through nostalgic environments and ride unique attractions."
Since its opening, Disneyland and its predecessors have paved the way to feats of engineering, with rides like the Jungle Cruise, which was "seen as Disneyland’s most impressive attraction when the park debuted."
Photos of Disneyland then and now
Julia is a trending reporter for Paste BN. Connect with her on LinkedIn,X, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com