Disneyland was supposed to be the “Happiest Place on Earth”. But its opening turned it into a total disaster!
Walt Disney dreamed of a theme park with a real-life version of his films. It took him one year and one day to build the park. His dream cost $17 million. Disneyland opened its doors on July 17, 1955, in Anaheim, California. This day was an “invite only” and wasn’t meant for public visits. Tickets were mailed out to special guests, the press, and celebrities. But tickets were counterfeited and crowds of people flooded the park. There were two times as many people as was expected. Tickets cost only $1 for adults and 50 cents for children. One man set up a ladder outside of the fence and took $5 to sneak into the park. The freeway that led to the park was blocked by the traffic for 11 km. People were trapped in the cars for so long they were urinating in the parking lot. Disneyland was still under construction on an opening day. The workers were painting walls and planting trees. Weeds had yet to be removed from the riverbanks. Some rides were out of work because they were not finished. There were plenty of water fountains but they didn’t work. The reason was a plumbers’ strike right before the opening. There were not enough hours to finish both restrooms and water fountains. Restaurants were out of food and beverages within hours because of an unexpected crowd. The weather was so hot that fresh asphalt was melting. People had their shoes and heels stuck in the pavement. During the first weeks after opening a ride was permanently closed. It was discovered it could flip over if it was too top-heavy. 36 cars in Autopia crashed due to aggressive driving. Though they were designed to teach children the rules of the road. The Mark Twain Riverboat sank after carrying about 500 people on an opening day. Some attractions were closed for a few hours due to a gas leak. Flames from the leak almost engulfed Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. The live broadcast of the Disneyland opening also faced some difficulties. Faulty miscues, on-air flubs, hot mics were part of the shooting. The opening day was called Black Sunday but still, it was a memorable day.
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