Kenversations: Disneyland 35th Anniversary Celebration (Part 2)
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Disneyland at Night
It's nighttime now. The big bands are playing at Carnation Plaza Gardens, where
people are dancing along. People are lined up on the parade route for the Main
Street Electrical Parade. There's an older man with a bag, a cane, a red jacket,
and a checkered cap embroidered with "
Over at the Coca-Cola Refreshment Corner, a man named Rod tickles the ivory with his brand of ragtime.
Except for the screams of those plunging down Chick-a-Pin Hill on Splash Mountain, the whistle of the runaway Big Thunder Railroad, and the toot of the Mark Twain riverboat, the west side of the park is very quiet, the crowds light.
Fantasy in the Sky fireworks, kicked off by Tinker Bell, are a summertime treat and the bursts only appear high in the northern sky. The Mark Twain will pause on the backriver for guests to get a unique view of the show.
As we stroll down Main Street, heading for the exit, we can see toddlers asleep in the blue park strollers. Everyone is doing their last minute shopping, or letting the atmosphere soak into them before they return to the world outside the berm. Young newlyweds walk hand in hand. Entire families, wearing character t-shirts and mouse ears, head out satisfied and tired.
You think to yourself, "Disneyland truly is the Happiest Place on Earth."
And it is.
One thing about the overall condition of Disneyland is that is more innocent, more tightly self-regulated and less state-regulated. There are no signs about "certificates of compliance" at the attraction entrances, not too many lit up emergency exit signs in the attractions, no ubiquitous white placards showing you to remain seated while in your attraction vehicle. To this point, nobody has been killed at the park due to negligence by Disney, and theme parks in general are not regulated by the State of California. There are building codes and various County and City regulations that theme parks must abide by, however.
Significant acts of terrorism on American soil are but the stuff of far-fetched movies.
Park security is very stringent. Acting violently, smoking dope, threatening cast members, destruction of property, even minor shoplifting will get you booted and maybe prosecuted. Guests with attire that doesn't meet certain guidelines are turned away: no profanity allowed.
It's been thirty five years and so far, so good. Disneyland is thriving and, from the looks of things, is influencing other theme parks, urban planning, and even Las Vegas.
Celebrate!
There have been two special, notable days of celebration
here in 1990, planned to get media attention.
On January 11, the celebration’s kickoff event festivities were mainly in Town Square, with the original television special hosts, including Art Linkletter, a frail Bob Cummings, and former President of the U.S.A. Ronald Reagan. It was quite interesting to see the Secret Service agents at work protecting Reagan in such a crowded place. They were joined by Disney CEO and Chairman of the Board, Michael Eisner. The celebration kick-off would continue at Walt Disney World in the following days, as part of the plan to detail the next ten years, dubbed "The Disney Decade".
will, at least for Disneyland involve:In collaboration with George Lucas, "The Young Indiana Jones Spectacular" for 1991, a stunt show to be located where the Big Thunder Ranch has been open since June of 1986.
Bringing the Muppets to Disneyland Park in 1991 in a big way - a live show is planned for the Amphitheatre, a daily parade, and even Muppet-theming overlays such as "Kermit Floral" at the Main Entrance, green Matterhorn, and a "piggy" pink Fantasyland. However, Jim Henson's sudden death this year will contribute to the merger deal falling apart.
Mickey's Starland in 1993 - "Mickey's Starland Theater" is to host "Kermit The Frog Presents Muppetvision 3-D", and eventually the area will get a "Little Mermaid" ride-through.
A new Tomorrowland in Summer 1994. Alien Encounter (a scary attraction) will replace Mission to Mars, "Plectu's Fantastic Galactic Revue," described as "a musical-variety revue featuring a troupe of itinerant alien musicians" is planned for the Carousel Theatre. A new Circle-Vision 360 film, presented by Delta Airlines, will replace "American Journey" and would explore the scenic wonders and culture of Western civilization using film and audio-animatronic characters.
Another George Lucas-produced Disney 3-D motion picture.
An interactive attraction called "Dick Tracy's Crimestoppers" in 1996, putting guests into the middle of the attraction as they are able to shoot at the villains from their vehicle.
Hollywoodland in 1999, between Tomorrowland and Main Street, recreating the Hollywood Boulevard of the 1930s and 1940s, with "Toontown Trolley" simulator, along with Baby Herman's Runaway Baby Buggy Ride, the Great Movie Ride, and Superstar Television.
A "second gate" – meaning a second theme park, which was first alluded to publicly during the Splash Mountain grand opening press conference in 1989. This year we found out that there are plans for both another version of EPCOT Center as the second park in Anaheim, and plans for an ocean-themed Port Disney in Long Beach, California.
Wow! So much is planned for Disneyland!
Disneyland also just celebrated the actual anniversary on July 17th with Art Linkletter as the Master of Ceremonies at an event at Sleeping Beauty Castle. Roy Disney and Disney President and COO, Frank Wells, joined Linkletter with a "cake" in front of castle. Later that day, Roy Disney would unveil a rededication plaque in Town Square.
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…2006
Ah, here we are.
At Disneyland today, compared to 1990, the year of the 35th anniversary celebration, much is the same, much has changed. Disneyland was turned into a Resort, just not with Westcot. Disney got out of Long Beach, but Imagineering did build DisneySea in Tokyo. Disneyland Paris opened and added a second theme park. The untimely deaths of Frank Wells and Jim Henson reverberated throughout the company, though Disney did finally acquire the Muppets. Walt Disney World Resort got a fourth theme park. Hit Disney and Pixar animated features influenced the theme parks, as did the acquisition of ABC. Disney Store management's installation and departure from the theme parks changed them forever.
GM shut down the Geo car line.
As the Disneyland 50th anniversary celebration winds down, I hope I've given you a little perspective or rekindled some fond memories of Disneyland in 1990, where the 35th anniversary was treated like one of the biggest events in history. For young Disney fans, it kind of was!