Remembering Opening Day | Disneyland 1955

Disneyland opened with an invitation only event on Sunday, July 17th, 1955. Ronald Reagan, Bob Cummings, and Art Linkletter hosted ABC’s 90 minute Telecast, the largest live event ever. The entrance fee was one dollar with rides and attractions each costing from 10¢ to 35¢. The television crews and staff contributed to the overcrowded conditions, along with the dignitaries, and the extensive guest list. Because of the heat, women were literally sinking into the freshly paved asphalt on Main Street. Others were getting paint all over themselves from the wet paint on the buildings and light posts. Walt Disney guaranteed that the park would be completed within the next 30 days.