Get Ready to Celebrate 60 Years of Disney Magic

On July 17, 1955, Disneyland opened with an hour-long television broadcast debuting the park. Ronald Reagan and Art Linkletter were hosts, and it was a big deal.

I've been thinking a lot about this event in working on my book project; as it takes more shape, I'll share the progress. What's surprising is that the day just barely pulled together, unlike the incredible orchestration that visitors to Disney theme parks expect today. There were even counterfeit tickets circulated so that the number of visitors doubled, making it difficult for some of Walt's friends and associates to gain admission.

Disney will celebrate its 60th anniversary in now-typical Disney fashion and will carry forward that celebration into 2016 with the opening of a new, enormous Disney park in Shanghai. The story of Disney theme parks will only get more interesting.