Disneyland: How The Happiest Place on Earth Became a Reality
Disneyland opened 65 years ago and created theme amusement as we know it today
Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955.
Walt Disney said he wanted a place where adults and kids could have fun together. When Walt told his wife about his idea, she asked him why he would want to do that. She said those places are so dirty; the people that work there are so unfriendly.” Walt said Disneyland was not going to be that, and He was determined to build his idea. Not an amusement park but a theme park; clean, and friendly. He wanted to make people happy and bring them together.
There were many skeptics, including Walt’s brother, Roy, (the financial director of the movie studios).
Banks refused to invest.
The movie studios were still recovering from WWII when the European markets closed off its market, and animated films were more expensive than ever.
Roy and Walt fought over building Disneyland. However, when Roy saw the full-scale schematic of Disneyland, he proposed a weekly TV series for ABC (who was struggling) in exchange for funding the 5 million dollar park. Walt used the TV show to promote his idea to America. Walt and his company have always been a master of marketing.
