How Disneyland Is Celebrating Its 70th Anniversary

It all started with a dream: Walt Disney showcasing a map of the original Disneyland vision.

Courtesy of Disney

It’s hard to deny the landmark role Disneyland in Southern California—the original Disney theme park opened by the visionary himself, Walt Disney—has played in shaping the history and evolution of the theme park landscape in the United States and beyond. And yet 70 years on, one can argue that visiting Disneyland is absolutely nothing like it used to be. Between the soaring crowds, the high ticket prices, constant expansion efforts, and an onslaught of technological advancements ranging from high-tech apps to even-higher-tech rides, the Disneyland of today is quite changed from the one that opened to the public in 1955.

Or is it?

Having grown up 15 miles away, I have been visiting the Disneyland Resort, which now consists of two distinct theme parks—Disneyland and Disney California Adventure (the latter opened in 2001)—for more than four decades. My father used to take me and my older brother to Disneyland annually when we were kids, back when there were still individual tickets for the rides (such simpler times). When I was in high school, the cool thing for us locals to do was get an annual pass and go dancing there at night to the soundtrack of the live cover bands that played in Tomorrowland (I wish I were kidding).

Earlier in my travel-reporting career, one of my beats was theme parks, and I returned often to cover them. Now, as I parent, I have visited numerous times with my two kids, to introduce them to the Happiest Place on Earth.

During my most recent visit this past fall, I realized how easy it is to forget the significant history of this magical place, to get caught up in the fervor of ride-maximization strategy, obsessing over FastPasses and app updates and making sure to secure character dining and meet-and-greet reservations.

But the simple fact that you can still climb onto about a dozen rides that debuted on Disneyland’s opening day on July 17, 1955, indicates that this dream has withstood the test of time. Above all else, Disneyland is a landmark to the marvels that can be accomplished when you cultivate creativity and imagination. The 70th-anniversary celebrations, which kicked off last month and will last until 2026, serve as a good reminder of how it all began.

You can still take a ride back in time on the original Disneyland Railroad.

Courtesy of Disneyland Resort