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222-652: Disneyland is a theme park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California . It was the first theme park opened by the Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney , and opened on July 17, 1955. Disney initially envisioned building a tourist attraction adjacent to his studios in Burbank to entertain fans who wished to visit; however, he soon realized that

444-501: A dividend to its bondholders. In large part due to inclement weather, some concessionaires considered closing their attractions, and the fair had recorded nearly 3 million fewer visitors during the 1940 season compared with the equivalent time period in 1939. The WFC planned to distribute posters advertising the fair, and bondholders agreed to waive $ 14.5 million of the WFC's debt. The WFC also began selling off materials and memorabilia from

666-460: A token ). The cost of the attraction is often based on its complexity or popularity. For example, a guest might pay one ticket to ride a carousel but four tickets to ride a roller coaster . The park may allow guests to purchase a pass providing unlimited admissions to all attractions within the park for a specified duration of time. A wristband or pass is then shown at the attraction entrance to gain admission. Disneyland opened in 1955 using

888-446: A $ 4.15 million net profit. In the fair's last week, the WFC hosted extravagant shows such as fireworks displays. The fair had 537,952 visitors on its final day, October 27, 1940. The day afterward, passersby were allowed to tour the grounds for $ 2. In total, the fair had recorded 19,115,713 million visitors during 1940; even accounting for the second season's shorter duration, it had fewer daily visitors on average than in 1939. During

1110-575: A New Day". The 1,202-acre (486 ha) fairground consisted of seven color-coded zones, as well as two standalone focal exhibits. The fairground had about 375 buildings . Plans for the 1939 World's Fair were first announced in September 1935, and the New York World's Fair Corporation (WFC) began constructing the fairground in June 1936. The fair opened on April 30, 1939, coinciding with the 150th anniversary of

1332-510: A Safer Economy phased re-opening. Prior to this, Disneyland was operating at reduced guest capacity since it re-opened on April 30, 2021, after 13 months of closure due to the pandemic. On January 27, 2023, Disneyland kicked off the year-long celebration of the centennial of The Walt Disney Company , Disney100. Disneyland Park introduced the Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway attraction and Wondrous Journeys fireworks show. On April 13, 2023, it

1554-418: A Small World . In addition, Sleeping Beauty Castle features a walk-through telling the story of Disney 's 1959 film Sleeping Beauty , in the style of the film's production designer Eyvind Earle . Mickey's Toontown opened in 1993 and was partly inspired by the fictional Toontown from the 1988 Touchstone Pictures film Who Framed Roger Rabbit . Mickey's Toontown is based on a 1930s cartoon aesthetic and

1776-518: A blaze of lights from the "White City." To make sure that the fair was a financial success, the planners included a dedicated amusement concessions area called the Midway Plaisance . Rides from this fair captured the imagination of the visitors and of amusement parks around the world, such as the first steel Ferris wheel , which was found in many other amusement areas, such as the Prater by 1896. Also,

1998-520: A camera caught Cummings kissing a dancer. When Disney started to read the plaque for Tomorrowland, he read partway when an off-camera technician stopped him, and Disney responded, "I thought I got a signal", and began the dedication again. At one point, while in Fantasyland, Linkletter tried to give coverage to Cummings, who was on the pirate ship. He was not ready and tried to give the coverage back to Linkletter, who had lost his microphone. Cummings then did

2220-450: A carnival atmosphere. In 1952, he created WED Enterprises to design the park, which was now to be built in Anaheim, and in 1953, was able to convince the bankers on funding the park with the help of a studio artist, Herb Ryman, by making an aerial drawing of Disneyland. By July 1954, construction had started with a deadline of one year. Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955, and two months after

2442-547: A centrally located Court of Peace, a Lagoon of Nations, and a smaller Court of States. The Hall of Nations consisted of eight buildings, which flanked the Court of Peace. Countries could build their own pavilions, lease space in the Hall of Nations, or do both. Most of the U.S. state pavilions were located around the Court of States, which had a lagoon, and replicated notable buildings or architectural styles in each state. Southwest of

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2664-433: A longtime interest in transportation, and trains in particular. Disney's passion for the "iron horse" led to him building a miniature live steam backyard railroad —the " Carolwood Pacific Railroad "—on the grounds of his Holmby Hills estate. Throughout all the iterations of Disneyland during the 17 or so years when Disney was conceiving it, one element remained constant: a train encircling the park. The primary designer for

2886-554: A month and a half before the fair's official opening, Whalen announced plans to spend $ 1 million on shows and miniature villages in the Amusement Area. The lights on the fairground were first turned on that April, three weeks before the fair's scheduled opening. In addition, La Guardia issued a proclamation declaring April 1939 as "Dress Up and Paint Up Month" in New York City. Sixteen thousand workers were putting final touches on

3108-484: A parade celebrating the opening. The fair received 600,000 visitors on its first day, far short of the 1 million visitors that the WFC had predicted. At the time, many major attractions in the Amusement Area were incomplete, and only 80% of the structures were ready. The fair accommodated one million visitors in its first four days. By mid-May, the fair was 90% finished, but many of the amusement attractions were still incomplete. The WFC's operations department oversaw

3330-412: A play-by-play of him trying to find it in front of Mr. Toad's Wild Ride . Traffic was delayed on the two-lane Harbor Boulevard. Famous figures who were scheduled to show up every two hours showed up all at once. The temperature was an unusually high 101 °F (38 °C), and because of a local plumbers' strike, Disney was given a choice of having working drinking fountains or running toilets. He chose

3552-446: A pleasure ride of flying carriages that revolved around a central pylon. Other rides included the 'Grotto' (a fantasy ride), 'River Caves' (a scenic railway ), water chutes and a tobogganing tower. Fire was a constant threat in those days, as much of the construction within the amusement parks of the era was wooden. In 1911, Dreamland was the first Coney Island amusement park to completely burn down; in 1944, Luna Park also burned to

3774-461: A proper theme park. That same year, SeaWorld San Diego opened and displayed many varieties of aquatic and marine life. Initially meant to house Walt Disney's dream idea, EPCOT (Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow), Disney executives decided to settle on building the park first in Walt Disney World and the city later. After six years of construction, Walt Disney World opened to

3996-548: A second park or risk losing the land to the French government. The park opened March 16, 2002, with only three rides and California Adventure style theming. However, Hong Kong Disneyland was higher quality than the other black sheep, but still lacked the number of attractions that was needed, just like California Adventure and Walt Disney Studios Park. It opened on September 12, 2005, with only four lands, and had exorbitant wait times on opening day for everything from rides to food. In

4218-465: A shopping, dining and entertainment complex named Downtown Disney , a remodeled Disneyland Hotel , the construction of Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa , and the acquisition and re-branding of the Pan Pacific Hotel as Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel (known today as Pixar Place Hotel). The park was renamed "Disneyland Park" to distinguish it from the larger complex under construction. Because

4440-464: A short-term increase in shareholder returns, they drew widespread criticism for their lack of foresight. The retail backgrounds of Harriss and Pressler led to a gradual shift in Disneyland's focus from attractions to merchandising. Outside consultants McKinsey & Company were brought in to help streamline operations, resulting in many changes and cutbacks. After nearly a decade of deferred maintenance,

4662-523: A show named Disneyland . It was broadcast on then-fledgling ABC . In return, the network agreed to help finance the park. For its first five years of operation, Disneyland was owned by Disneyland, Inc. , which was jointly owned by Walt Disney Productions , Walt Disney , Western Publishing and ABC. In addition, Disney rented out many of the shops on Main Street, U.S.A. to outside companies. By 1960, Walt Disney Productions had bought out all other shares, but

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4884-473: A similar fair. The New York Times attributes the idea for the 1939 New York World's Fair to the civil engineer Joseph Shadgen , who had come up with the idea in 1934 following a conversation with his daughter. By early 1935, a group led by the municipal reformer George McAneny was considering an international exposition in New York City in 1939. Though the date coincided with the 150th anniversary of George Washington's first inauguration , Moses said

5106-649: A smaller roller coaster, the Joy Wheel, Miniature Railway, The Whip and the River Caves. A ballroom was constructed on the site of the Skating Rink in 1920 and in 1923 a Variety Cinema was built on the site. Between 1920 and 1935 over £500,000 was invested in the site, constantly adding new rides and facilities and culminating in the construction of the Dreamland Cinema complex in 1934 which stands to this day. Until 2011

5328-782: A source of fantasy and escape from real life. By the early 1900s, hundreds of amusement parks were operating in the United States and Canada. Trolley parks stood outside many cities. Parks like Atlanta's Ponce de Leon and Idora Park, near Youngstown, OH, took passengers to traditionally popular picnic grounds, which by the late 1890s also often included rides like the Giant Swing, Carousel , and Shoot-the-Chutes . These amusement parks were often based on nationally known parks or world's fairs : they had names like Coney Island , White City , Luna Park , or Dreamland . The American Gilded Age was, in fact, amusement parks' Golden Age that reigned until

5550-461: A standalone attraction next to Disney World (especially now as Disney built one in Disney-MGM). So it divided up the segments of its California tour into individual attractions, such as Jaws , Disaster! , and Kongfrontation . Disney-MGM Studios opened it on May 1, 1989, with two major attractions: The Backlot Tour and The Great Movie Ride. The concept for the park started out as an EPCOT pavilion, but

5772-531: A time bomb at the British Pavilion died when the bomb detonated; the bombing was never solved, and visitors were largely unaware that it had even occurred. Following the bombing, security outside European countries' pavilions was increased. Later the same month, the WFC began surveying the fair's buildings, with plans to demolish them. At the midpoint of the season, in August 1940, the WFC had to postpone paying

5994-565: A visit to the " Grand Canyon / Primeval World " dioramas before returning passengers to Main Street, U.S.A. One of Disneyland's signature attractions is its Disneyland Monorail , a monorail service that opened in Tomorrowland in 1959 as the first daily-operating monorail train system in the Western Hemisphere . The monorail guideway has remained almost exactly the same since 1961, aside from small alterations while Indiana Jones Adventure

6216-527: Is also home to the Golden Horseshoe Saloon , an Old West -style show palace. On October 31, 2007, author Ray Bradbury attended the presentation of a Halloween Tree in Frontierland, to be included as part of its annual park-wide Halloween decorations every year. Bayou Country opened in 1972 as Bear Country. It was renamed Critter Country in 1988, and in 2024 it was renamed Bayou Country. Formerly

6438-419: Is home to Disney's classic cartoon characters. Toontown features three rides: Chip 'n' Dale's GADGETcoaster , Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway and Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin . The land also includes Mickey's House and Meet Mickey , Minnie's House, Goofy's How-To-Play Yard, and Donald's Duck Pond. Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway opened in 2023 and increased the size of Mickey's Toontown as well as

6660-480: Is now home to Walt Disney Animation Studios and ABC Studios . Roy O. Disney hired Wood away from SRI as executive vice president to undertake the task of actually building Disneyland. When Walt told Wood that he wanted a paddle steamer in Disneyland, it was Wood who introduced Walt to his good friend Joe Fowler , a retired U.S. Navy rear admiral. Difficulties in obtaining funding prompted Disney to investigate new methods of fundraising, and he decided to create

6882-458: Is themed after stories based on the ocean and nautical adventure. It was constructed at a cost of ¥335 billion and opened on September 4, 2001. The park's two signature attractions are a modernized version of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea and Journey To The Center of The Earth . In the early 90s, Michael Eisner wanted to make Disneyland in the image of Walt Disney World 's resort style. Plans were made for multiple hotels (such as one based on

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7104-518: The 1939–1940 New York World's Fair ) was an international exposition at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens , New York City, United States. The fair included exhibitions, activities, performances, films, art, and food presented by 62 nations, 35 U.S. states and territories, and 1,400 organizations and companies. Slightly more than 45 million people attended over two seasons. It was based on "the world of tomorrow", with an opening slogan of "Dawn of

7326-626: The 1964 New York World's Fair on the same site. The fair hosted many activities and cultural events. Participating governments, businesses, and organizations were celebrated on specific theme days. Musical performances took place in conjunction with the fair, and sculptures and artworks were displayed throughout the fairground and within pavilions. The fairground also displayed consumer products , including electronic devices, and there were dozens of restaurants and concession stands. The exposition spurred increased spending in New York City and indirectly influenced Queens's further development. Artifacts from

7548-761: The Actors' Equity Association , with 79% voting in favor. The decision marked the first time these workers have unionized since Disneyland's opening in 1955. Disneyland Park consists of nine themed "lands" and a number of concealed backstage areas, and occupies over 100 acres (40 ha) with the new addition of Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway that came to Mickey's Toontown in 2023. The park opened with Main Street, U.S.A. , Adventureland , Frontierland , Fantasyland , and Tomorrowland , and has since added New Orleans Square in 1966, Bear Country in 1972 (now known as Bayou Country ), Mickey's Toontown in 1993, and Star Wars : Galaxy's Edge in 2019. In 1957, Holidayland opened to

7770-581: The Blackpool Pleasure Beach ranked among the top free of charge attractions in Britain. Blackpool Pleasure beach was developed continuously, requiring frequent large-scale investments. The construction of many new rides could be counted on. Rides included the Virginia Reel, Whip, Noah's Ark, Big Dipper and Dodgems. In the 1920s the "Casino Building" was built, which remains to this day. In 1923, land

7992-619: The COVID-19 pandemic . After nearly four months of closure, Downtown Disney reopened on July 9, 2020. The parks had been scheduled to reopen on Disneyland's 65th anniversary on July 17, 2020, but due to rising cases in California , the parks' reopening was once again postponed. It was expected to stay closed until at least December 31, 2020. In February 2021, Disneyland announced a limited-capacity ticketed event called "A Touch of Disney", which would offer guests to shop at stores and enjoy eateries around

8214-610: The Crosley Corporation and WNYC both had radio broadcasting studios there. The WFC hired Exposition Publications to print a guidebook, souvenir book, and daily programs, and it promoted 17 other publications about the fair. The Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) retroactively recognized the 1939 World's Fair as an official World Expo, even though the BIE's rules permitted official Expos to run for only one year. Whalen agreed to hire only union laborers to install exhibits on

8436-880: The Disneyland Resort and Universal Orlando Resort to thrilling coaster parks such as the Six Flags parks and Cedar Fair parks. Countless smaller ventures exist across the United States and around the world. Simpler theme parks directly aimed at smaller children have also emerged, such as Legoland . Examples of amusement parks in shopping malls exist in West Edmonton Mall , Pier 39 and Mall of America . Family fun parks starting as miniature golf courses have begun to grow to include batting cages, go-karts, bumper cars, bumper boats and water slides. Some of these parks have grown to include even roller coasters, and traditional amusement parks now also have these competition areas in addition to their thrill rides. In 2015, theme parks in

8658-542: The Frank Gehry -designed Team Disney Anaheim , where most of the division's administration currently works, as well as the Old Administration Building, behind Tomorrowland. Photography is forbidden in these areas, both inside and outside, although some photos have found their way to a variety of web sites. Guests who attempt to explore backstage are warned and often escorted from the property. Walt Disney had

8880-572: The Give a Day, Get a Disney Day volunteer program, in which Disney encouraged people to volunteer with a participating charity and receive a free Disney Day at either a Disneyland Resort or Walt Disney World park. On March 9, 2010, Disney announced that it had reached its goal of one million volunteers and ended the promotion to anyone who had not yet registered and signed up for a specific volunteer situation. In July 2015, Disneyland celebrated its 60th Diamond Celebration anniversary. Disneyland Park introduced

9102-635: The Grand Floridian Hotel ) and a new west coast version of EPCOT , called WESTCOT. WESTCOT never came to be due to local opposition from residents, rising costs, and the financial fallout of Disneyland Paris. After a corporate retreat in Colorado, Disney executives decided to make a park themed to California so that guests could experience all of California within the confines of the Disneyland Resort and would be built across from Disneyland on its 100-acre parking lot. Disney's California Adventure would be

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9324-846: The Haunted Mansion , with nighttime entertainment Fantasmic! . This area is also the home of the private Club 33 . Frontierland recreates the setting of pioneer days along the American frontier and is home to animatronic Native Americans, who live on the banks of the Rivers of America . Entertainment and attractions include Big Thunder Mountain Railroad , the Mark Twain Riverboat , the Sailing Ship Columbia , Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island , and Frontierland Shootin' Exposition. Frontierland

9546-534: The Indiana Jones Adventure , and Adventureland Treehouse, inspired by Walt Disney's 1960 film Swiss Family Robinson . Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room , which opened in 1963 and is located at the entrance to Adventureland, was the first attraction to employ Audio-Animatronics . New Orleans Square is based on 19th-century New Orleans , opened on July 24, 1966. It is home to Pirates of the Caribbean and

9768-559: The International Convention Bureau endorsed the 1939 World's Fair, allowing the bureau's 21 member countries to host exhibits there, and Lehman also invited the governors of all other U.S. states. By the beginning of 1937, eleven hundred concessionaires had applied for concessions at the fair, and nine buildings were under construction. The WFC unveiled a model of the fairground at its Empire State Building headquarters that March. Workers had finished grading and filling

9990-517: The King Arthur Carrousel . In later years, Disney and his 1955 executives referred to July 17, 1955, as "Black Sunday". After the extremely negative press from the preview opening, Walt Disney invited attendees back for a private "second day" to experience Disneyland properly. At the time, and during the lifetimes of Walt and his brother Roy, July 17 was considered a preview, with July 18 the official opening day. Since then, aided by memories of

10212-535: The Paint the Night parade and Disneyland Forever fireworks show, and Sleeping Beauty Castle was decorated in diamonds with a large "60" logo. The Diamond Celebration concluded in September 2016 and the whole decoration of the anniversary was removed around Halloween 2016. Disneyland Park, along with Disney California Adventure , Downtown Disney, and the resort hotels, closed indefinitely starting March 14, 2020, in response to

10434-671: The SeaWorld and Busch Gardens parks also offer educational experiences, with each of the parks housing several thousand animals, fish and other sea life in dozens of attractions and exhibits focusing on animal education. Created in 1977, the Puy du Fou is a much-celebrated theme park in Vendée , France. It is centered around European, French and local history. It received several international prizes. Some theme parks did evolve from more traditional amusement park enterprises, such as Knott's Berry Farm . In

10656-503: The Stanford Research Institute (SRI) to identify the proper area in which to position the planned theme park based on future population growth. Based on Price's analysis (for which he would be recognized as a Disney Legend in 2003), Disney acquired 160 acres (65 ha) of orange groves and walnut trees in Anaheim, southeast of Los Angeles in neighboring Orange County . The small Burbank site originally considered by Disney

10878-513: The Trylon and Perisphere , the fair's symbol and primary theme center. The Trylon and Perisphere were the only structures on the fairground that were painted completely white; the buildings in the surrounding zones were color-coded . The fairground had 34 miles (55 km) of sidewalks and 17 miles (27 km) of roads, in addition to dozens of miles of sewers, water mains, gas mains, and electrical ducts. About 850 phone booths were scattered across

11100-554: The Vietnam War . The protestors held grievances with specific aspects of the theme park itself, such as the Aunt Jemima -themed pancake restaurant in Frontierland and the park's association with Bank of America , a subject of controversy at the time for its lending to military contractors such as Boeing . The Yippies were met by an estimated 100 riot police who established lookouts within the park and another 300 on standby just outside of

11322-575: The Walt Disney Studios , he realized that a functional movie studio had little to offer to visiting fans, and began to foster various ideas about building a site near the Burbank studios for tourists to visit. His ideas evolved to a small play park with a boat ride and other themed areas. The initial park concept, the Mickey Mouse Park, was originally planned for a sixteen-acre (6.5 ha) plot to

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11544-441: The first inauguration of George Washington . When World War II began four months into the 1939 World's Fair, many exhibits were affected, and some exhibits were forced to close after the first season. The fair attracted over 45 million visitors and ultimately recouped only 32% of its original cost. After the fair ended on October 27, 1940, most pavilions were demolished or removed, though some buildings were relocated or retained for

11766-557: The 1860s and 1870s created mechanical rides, such as the steam-powered carousel (built by Thomas Bradshaw, at the Aylsham Fair ), and its derivatives, notably from Frederick Savage of King's Lynn , Norfolk whose fairground machinery was exported all over the world; his "galloping horses" innovation is seen in carousels today. This inaugurated the era of the modern funfair ride, as the working classes were increasingly able to spend their surplus wages on entertainment. The second influence

11988-655: The 1870s along the Connecticut River . The trick was getting the public to the seaside or resort location. For Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York, on the Atlantic Ocean, a horse-drawn streetcar line brought pleasure seekers to the beach beginning in 1829. In 1875, a million passengers rode the Coney Island Railroad , and in 1876 two million visited Coney Island. Hotels and amusements were built to accommodate both

12210-474: The 1920s, Walter Knott and his family sold berries from a roadside stand, which grew to include a restaurant serving fried chicken dinners. Within a few years, lines outside the restaurant were often several hours long. To entertain the waiting crowds, Walter Knott built a Ghost Town in 1940, using buildings relocated from real old west towns such as the Calico, California , ghost town and Prescott, Arizona . In 1968,

12432-473: The 1940 season, annuals and trees were added instead of the tulips, and a woodland garden was added. Despite the fair's futuristic theme, the fairground's layout—with streets radiating from the theme center—was heavily inspired by classical architecture . Some streets in the fairground were named after notable Manhattan thoroughfares or American historical figures, while others were named based on their function. A central esplanade called Constitution Mall

12654-530: The 1940 season, attendance had exceeded 100,000 on only 59 days. The fair had attracted just over 45 million visitors across both seasons. The 1940 season also recorded little crime, with 96 arrests and one violent crime (the July 4 bombing). The fairground was divided into seven geographic or thematic zones, five of which had "focal exhibits", and there were two focal exhibits housed in their own buildings. The plan called for wide tree-lined pathways converging on

12876-657: The 1940 season, while most of the exhibitors who had withdrawn were more likely to be renting space from the WFC. The commission also signed agreements with several trade unions to avert strikes and disputes; there was a brief strike in April 1940, while the fairground was preparing to reopen. The fair was rebranded as the World's Fair 1940 in New York for its second season. The WFC decided to focus more heavily on amusement attractions, and it added theaters and free shows. The Amusement Area

13098-455: The Amusement Area to emphasize the rides there. The corporation also tried to attract visitors within an overnight drive from New York City, rather than guests from further afield. At the requests of several U.S. state exhibitors, the WFC halved rent rates for U.S. state pavilions during the second season. Despite the uncertainty caused by the ongoing war, many European countries expressed interest in returning. In January 1940, Finland became

13320-454: The Caribbean , and Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room . Attractions that had been in the park on opening day had one ride vehicle painted gold, and the park was decorated with fifty Golden Mickey Ears . The celebration started on May 5, 2005, and ended on September 30, 2006, and was followed by the "Year of a Million Dreams" celebration, lasting twenty-seven months and ending on December 31, 2008. Beginning on January 1, 2010, Disney Parks hosted

13542-452: The Casa de Fritos operation at Disneyland, " Doritos " (Spanish for "little golden things") were created at the park to recycle old tortillas that would have been discarded. The Frito-Lay Company saw the popularity of the item and began selling them regionally in 1964, and then nationwide in 1966. On August 6, 1970, an estimated 300+ anti-war Yippies entered Disneyland in a planned protest against

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13764-449: The Casino building to name a few. The Great Depression of the 1930s and World War II during the 1940s saw the decline of the amusement park industry. War caused the affluent urban population to move to the suburbs, television became a source of entertainment, and families went to amusement parks less often. By the 1950s, factors such as urban decay , crime , and even desegregation in

13986-572: The Central Plaza (also known as the Hub), which is a portal to most of the themed lands: the entrance to Fantasyland is by way of a drawbridge across a moat and through the castle. Adventureland , Frontierland , and Tomorrowland are on both sides of the castle. The lands that are not directly connected to the Central Plaza are; New Orleans Square , Bayou Country , Star Wars : Galaxy's Edge and Mickey's Toontown . The design of Main Street, U.S.A. uses

14208-518: The Dark Arts class with one shop and one restaurant in the former submarine lagoon at Magic Kingdom. She was also displeased with the lack of creative control she had and exited the deal. She went to Universal next and was also displeased with the initial plan to redress the Islands of Adventure's Lost Continent area. To remedy this, J.K Rowling wrestled creative control from Universal and forced them to make

14430-494: The Disneyland Resort, including about 20,000 direct Disney employees and 3,800 third-party employees ( independent contractors or their employees). To all who come to this happy place: Welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past, and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America, with

14652-899: The Disneyland and Santa Fe Railroad, the DRR was presented by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway until 1974. From 1955 to 1974, the Santa Fe Rail Pass was accepted in lieu of a Disneyland "D" coupon. With a 3 ft ( 914 mm ) gauge, the most common narrow track gauge used in North America, the track runs in a continuous loop around Disneyland through each of its realms. Each 1900s-era train departs Main Street Station on an excursion that includes scheduled station stops at: New Orleans Square Station; Mickey's Toontown Depot; and Tomorrowland Station. The Grand Circle Tour then concludes with

14874-593: The European Middle Ages . An amusement park is a contemporary arrangement, designed to combine components of a fair, carnival, and theme park. An early example of an amusement park is the Bartholomew Fair . By the 18th and 19th centuries, they had evolved into places of entertainment for the masses, where the public could view freak shows , acrobatics , conjuring and juggling , take part in competitions and walk through menageries . A wave of innovation in

15096-525: The Golden Age of roller coasters, being the decade of frenetic building for these rides. In England, Dreamland Margate opened in 1880 with Frederick Savage's carousel the first amusement ride installed. In 1920 the Scenic Railway rollercoaster opened to the public with great success, carrying half a million passengers in its first year. The park also installed other rides common to the time including

15318-920: The Government Zone was the Food Zone, composed of 13 buildings. Its focal exhibit, Food No. 3, had four shafts representing wheat stalks. The Production and Distribution Zone was dedicated to showcasing industries that specialized in manufacturing and distribution. The focal exhibit was the Consumers Building (also the Consumer Interests Building), an L-shaped structure illustrated with murals by Francis Scott Bradford . Numerous individual companies hosted exhibitions in this region. There were also pavilions dedicated to generic industries, such as electrical products, industrial science, pharmaceuticals, metals, and men's apparel. The Transportation Zone

15540-405: The Knott family fenced the farm, charged admission for the first time, and Knott's Berry Farm officially became a theme park. Because of its long history, Knott's Berry Farm currently claims to be "America's First Theme Park." Knott's Berry Farm is now owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company. Lake Compounce in Bristol, Connecticut, may be the true oldest continuously operating amusement park in

15762-436: The Netherlands donated a million tulip bulbs to the fair, though the tulips were destroyed and replaced with other plantings the month after the 1939 season opened. The Washington Post estimated that the WFC spent some $ 150,000 (equivalent to $ 3,286,000 in 2023) on plants at the fair. There were also around 50 landscaped gardens. Some of these fountains included water features such as fountains, pools, and brooks. For

15984-435: The New York City area. The final week was celebrated with a Mardi Gras –themed festival. When the first season ended on October 31, 1939, the WFC had recorded 25,817,265 paying guests. Attendance had exceeded 100,000 on 114 days, or about 62% of the season. At the peak of the first season, the WFC had directly employed about 8,500 people, and exhibitors had employed another 16,500. Including workers on temporary permits,

16206-585: The Queens County Court was temporarily expanded to hear additional criminal cases relating to the fair. For the 1939 season, the WFC charged 75 cents per adult and 25 cents per child; the agency also sold season tickets, multi-visit tickets, and souvenir ticket books. Manhattan borough president Stanley M. Isaacs had wanted the WFC to give students free admission, but Moses opposed the proposal. Whalen began selling discounted advance tickets in February 1939;

16428-556: The U.S. government issued stamps depicting the fair's Trylon and Perisphere . World leaders delivered "greetings to the fair" as part of the "Salute of the Nations" radio program, and the WFC also broadcast 15-minute-long "invitations to the fair", featuring musical entertainments and a speech by Gibson. In addition, the WFC distributed a promotional film, Let's Go to the Fair. The WFC's board of design reviewed several proposed master plans for

16650-547: The United States had a revenue of US$ 8 billion and theme parks in China had a revenue of US$ 4.6 billion , with China expected to overtake the United States by 2020. Some parks use rides and attractions for educational purposes. There are also Holy Land USA and the Holy Land Experience , which are theme parks built to inspire Christian piety. Dinosaur World entertains families with dinosaurs in natural settings, while

16872-521: The United States, open since 1846. Santa Claus Town, which opened in Santa Claus, Indiana , in 1935 and included Santa's Candy Castle and other Santa Claus-themed attractions is considered the first themed attraction in the United States: a precursor to the modern day theme park. Santa Claus Land (renamed Holiday World in 1984) opened in 1946 in Santa Claus, Indiana , and many people will argue that it

17094-577: The WFC began selling discounted "combination tickets" with snacks and admission to multiple attractions, as well as "bargain books" with food vouchers and admission tickets. At the request of amusement-ride operators, the WFC also considered reducing admission prices. At the beginning of August, admission was reduced to 50 cents during weekends, and the WFC started selling discounted 40-cent tickets at night. The WFC also began allowing railroads to sell 50-cent tickets to groups of 500 or more passengers. With daily attendance averaging 129,000—less than half

17316-450: The WFC leased out the last vacant sites in the fair's Government Zone. Exactly one year before the fair's expected opening, the city hosted a parade with 1 million spectators on April 30, 1938; the WFC also hosted a fireworks show the next week. That May, the WFC began allowing visitors to inspect the fairground on weekends for a fee. By then, many of the buildings were under construction. The structures were all supposed to be completed by

17538-412: The WFC opened more restaurants late that May. Within a month of the fair's opening, several exhibitors had alleged that labor unions had charged exorbitant prices for labor at the fair, and the government of Nevada canceled their exhibit due to high labor-union costs. Due to concerns over sexually explicit content, several of the fair's shows were raided as well. That June, to accommodate high demand,

17760-635: The WFC rescheduled the fair's nightly fountain performances at the Lagoon of Nations, which attracted up to 60,000 observers a night. The same month, the WFC established a committee to oversee the amusement area, and amusement concessionaires agreed to offer discounted ride tickets once a week. The WFC also sold discounted 50-cent tickets to organizations and businesses who bought at least 500 tickets. Lower-than-expected attendance prompted Whalen to fire hundreds of employees in July 1939, and there were also proposals to reduce performers' salaries. The same month,

17982-477: The WFC signed construction contracts for the fairground's first building. At that point, only a small number of fairground buildings had been approved. In November 1936, France became the first nation to announce its participation, and U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt urged other nations to join the fair. The city government also began selling bonds for the fair that month, and several nations and hundreds of businesses had expressed interest. That December,

18204-508: The WFC to break even. In contrast to the more formal atmosphere that had characterized the first season, the second season had a more informal, "folksy" atmosphere. Additionally, the international area included exhibits from 43 countries, plus the Pan-American Union and League of Nations . Adults paid 50 cents, while children paid 25 cents; children's admission was reduced to 10 cents on "Children's Days". To entice people to attend

18426-448: The World's Fair site by April, and they began planting trees on the fairground. That month, AT&T became the first company to lease a pavilion at the fair, and work officially began on the first building, the administration structure. In addition, the WFC began auctioning off the fairground's concession spaces, and workers also began planting trees in early 1937. Whalen predicted that

18648-400: The administration building, was completed by the next month. At the time, 89 buildings were under construction, and 86% of the fairground sites had been leased. Utah became the first U.S. state to lease space in the fair's Hall of States that September, while Missouri was the first state to lease space for a standalone building. Whalen also traveled to Europe to invite European countries to

18870-500: The amusement area deterred visitors with more refined tastes. In September 1939, the WFC began inviting foreign exhibitors to return for a second season. At the time, Harvey D. Gibson, who led the WFC's board of directors, did not anticipate that the WFC would encounter any financial issues between the two seasons. The same month, the Carrier Corporation was the first industrial exhibitor to renew its lease. Southern Rhodesia

19092-564: The area was home to Indian Village, where indigenous tribespeople demonstrated their dances and other customs. Bayou Country's main attraction is the log flume ride Tiana's Bayou Adventure . Other attractions include The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes . Star Wars : Galaxy's Edge is set within the Star Wars universe, in the Black Spire Outpost village on

19314-460: The ash mounds; excavating Meadow and Willow lakes; and diverting much of the Flushing River into underground culverts . The dirt from the lake sites was used as additional topsoil for the park. Workers also transported soil from Westchester County, New York , to the fairground. Four hundred fifty workers were employed on three eight-hour shifts. The rebuilt landscape was to be retained after

19536-442: The attractions were in the central exhibit area, covering 390 acres (160 ha). The pavilions were mostly illuminated by artificial light; most of the illumination came from 30 miles (48 km) of fluorescent lighting tubes, though some attractions used mercury lamps or fluorescent pylons. Additional pinwheel-shaped lights and 10,000 more lightbulbs were installed for the 1940 season. The Trylon and Perisphere theme center

19758-578: The aviation, railroad, and maritime industries. The Amusement Area was located south of the World's Fair Boulevard, covering 230 acres (93 ha) or 280 acres (110 ha) on the east shore of Fountain Lake. This area was shaped like a horseshoe surrounding Meadow Lake, and it lacked a traditional midway ; instead, it was divided into more than a dozen themed zones. The Amusement Area contained numerous bars, restaurants, miniature villages, musical programs, dance floors, rides, and arcade attractions. Due to

19980-531: The beginnings of the Wurstelprater as an amusement park. The concept of a fixed park for amusement was further developed with the beginning of the world's fairs . The first World fair began in 1851 with the construction of the landmark Crystal Palace in London, England. The purpose of the exposition was to celebrate the industrial achievement of the nations of the world and it was designed to educate and entertain

20202-694: The boardwalk out over the ocean. The first of several was the Ocean Pier in 1891, followed later by the Steel Pier in 1898, both of which boasted rides and attractions typical of that time, such as Midway-style games and electric trolley rides. The boardwalk also had the first Roundabout installed in 1892 by William Somers, a wooden predecessor to the Ferris Wheel . Somers installed two others in Asbury Park , New Jersey and Coney Island , New York. Another early park

20424-454: The city already owned 586 acres (237 ha) nearby. Mayor Fiorello La Guardia pledged financial support for the fair that October; at the time, Moses estimated that it would cost $ 5–7 million to prepare the fairground and build transit to the fair. The New York World's Fair Corporation (WFC) was formed to oversee the exposition on October 22, 1935, and the Board of Estimate allocated $ 200,000

20646-405: The city finalized its lease of Flushing Meadows to the WFC in June 1936. Work on the World's Fair site began on June 16, 1936, and a groundbreaking ceremony for the fairground took place on June 29. The WFC established seven departments and thirteen committees to coordinate the fair's development. The fair was planned to employ 35,000 people. The construction of the fairground involved leveling

20868-529: The city government to formally lease the Flushing Meadows site to the WFC. Moses warned that the fairground's completion could be delayed due to funding issues; by then, the fair was estimated to cost $ 45 million. That February, McAneny announced that he would organize a committee to devise an architectural plan for the fairground. The committee initially advocated for a single massive building. Brownell requested funding from New York governor Herbert Lehman

21090-483: The city to lease out Flushing Meadows. In April 1936, Grover Whalen replaced McAneny as the WFC's chairman; he was later elected as the agency's full-time president as well. J. Franklin Bell was hired to draw up preliminary plans for the fair, and the WFC appointed a committee of seven men to devise a plan for the fairground. At the end of the month, the city government announced plans to sell $ 7 million in bonds, and

21312-494: The company announced a plan titled DisneylandForward to expand the park with more rides, restaurants, and shops with The Anaheim City Council expected to receive the development plans for approval by 2023. On June 15, 2021, Disneyland, Disney California Adventure and other theme parks in California were permitted to return to full capacity with most COVID-19 pandemic restrictions lifted per California governor Gavin Newsom 's Blueprint for

21534-529: The completion of Horace Harding Boulevard , the opening of the Bronx–Whitestone Bridge and Whitestone Expressway , the extension of Grand Central Parkway , and the widening of Queens Boulevard. Markers were placed at intersections throughout the city to direct motorists to the fairground, and several highways to the fairground were outfitted with amber lights. Maps also touted the fairground's proximity to five airports and seaplane bases. During

21756-429: The corporation wanted to sell at least $ 3 million in advance tickets. A thousand retailers in the New York metropolitan area sold advance tickets. The fair initially did not distribute free tickets to anyone, although journalists could visit the fairground free of charge. Advance ticket sales were supposed to have ended on April 23, 1939, but the WFC had to print additional souvenir books due to high demand. Though there

21978-465: The date was "an excuse and not the reason" for the fair. That September, the group announced plans to spend $ 40 million to host an exhibition at the 1,003-acre (406 ha) Flushing Meadows site. The New York City Board of Estimate approved the use of Flushing Meadows as a fairground on September 23, and Moses directed municipal draftsmen to survey the site. The Flushing Meadows site had been selected because of its large size and central location, and

22200-502: The early 1960s. There was mild controversy over the lack of African American employees. As late as 1963, civil rights group the Congress of Racial Equality , was in discussions with Disneyland officials about hiring more black people, with Disneyland telling the group they would consider their requests. Unlike other amusement parks at the time, Disneyland was never racially segregated , and was open to all races since opening day. As part of

22422-521: The early 2000s, the Harry Potter book series written by J.K Rowling had become a pop culture phenomenon. Universal and Disney entered a bidding war over the theme park rights to the books, but Disney seemed to have won after Rowling signed a letter of intent with Disney. However, Rowling was disappointed with Disney's small-scale plans to install an omnimover attraction themed to the Defense Against

22644-502: The early 20th century. New York City Parks Commissioner Robert Moses first conceived the idea of developing a large park in Flushing Meadows in the 1920s. Although the neighborhoods around Flushing Meadows contained residential developments, the meadow itself remained undeveloped and isolated. Meanwhile, the 1933 Century of Progress exposition in Chicago had boosted that city's economy, prompting businesspeople in New York City to consider

22866-413: The early 90s after the opening of Universal Studios Florida, Universal sought to build a second theme park, one aimed more towards children and their families. Universal acquired the theme park rights to many properties including Marvel and Dr. Seuss to build the park around. In 1999, Universal Studios opened Universal Studios Islands of Adventure under the new resort name Universal Studios Escape. The park

23088-564: The emergence of the amusement park industry. Bakken ("The Hill") in Klampenborg , Denmark, Wurstelprater in Vienna, Austria, and Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark are the three oldest operating amusement parks in the world. Lake Compounce opened in 1846 and is considered the oldest, continuously operating amusement park in North America. The amusement park evolved from traditions in

23310-627: The end of June, but Jaws had to be rebuilt and reopened three years later. However, Universal learned from opening day and started conducting exit surveys and special ticket deals. In 1992, Disney opened its first European park, Euro Disneyland , outside of Paris, France, designed to be like the Magic Kingdom in Florida, yet it caters to the European tastes through changes, including removing Tomorrowland and replacing it with Discoveryland , themed to

23532-566: The end of March 1939, giving one month for exhibitors to fit their pavilions out. The WFC awarded contracts to 30 amusement-ride operators in June 1938, following months of disputes over the concessions. Work was delayed for three weeks in July during a labor strike. and the delivery of materials was delayed that September during the New York City truckers' strike . The WFC continued to issue concessions for eateries and amusement rides. By late 1938, workers were painting murals on buildings, and

23754-524: The entrance gates. Around 4:00 p.m., many of the Yippies occupied Tom Sawyer Island , purportedly smoking cannabis and causing cast members to halt park guests from boarding rafts to the island. An hour later, the group of Yippies converged at Main Street, U.S.A. and became confrontational with other park guests and riot police after tearing down patriotic bunting while unfurling Viet Cong and Youth International Party flags. Standby riot police entered and

23976-464: The exception of Wood. In September 1959, Soviet First Secretary Nikita Khrushchev spent thirteen days in the United States, with two requests: to visit Disneyland and to meet John Wayne , Hollywood's top box-office draw. Due to the Cold War tension and security concerns, he was famously denied an excursion to Disneyland. The Shah of Iran and Empress Farah were invited to Disneyland by Walt Disney in

24198-512: The existing Q-type Queens subway cars were rebuilt to provide additional service on the Flushing Line. A Long Island Rail Road station (now Mets–Willets Point ) was built next to the Flushing Line station. In addition, Queens-Nassau Transit Lines bought 55 buses to serve passengers heading to the fairground, and a water taxi service traveled to the fair from City Island, Bronx . There were also several modes of transit traveling around

24420-523: The existing parking lot (south of Disneyland) was repurposed by these projects, the six-level, 10,250-space Mickey and Friends parking structure was constructed in the northwest corner. Upon completion in 2000, it was the largest parking structure in the United States. The park's management team during the mid-1990s was a source of controversy among fans and employees. In an effort to boost profits, various changes were begun by then-executives Cynthia Harriss and Paul Pressler . While their initiatives provided

24642-610: The experience of the enclosed ideal city with wonder, rides, culture and progress (electricity), was based on the creation of an illusory place. The " midway " introduced at the Columbian Exposition would become a standard part of most amusement parks, fairs, carnivals, and circuses. The midway contained not only the rides, but other concessions and entertainments such as shooting galleries , penny arcades , games of chance , and shows. Many modern amusement parks evolved from earlier pleasure resorts that had become popular with

24864-453: The fair and flew it around the world in 1938. Helen Huntington Hull led a women's committee that helped promote and develop the fair. New York license plates from 1938 were supposed to have slogans advertising the fair, but a city judge deemed the slogans unconstitutional. New York license plates from 1939 and 1940 also advertised the fair. Local retailers also sold more than $ 40 million worth of merchandise with World's Fair motifs, and

25086-435: The fair had recorded 32.79 million visitors. At the end of the first season, the WFC owed bondholders $ 23.5 million, and it had $ 1.13 million on hand. In addition, the fair had handled 8.52 million phone calls and 3.3 million pieces of mail. Around 150 fairgoers had been arrested during the first season, only one of whom was charged with a felony. After the 1939 season ended, many exhibits were removed for safekeeping, and

25308-593: The fair still exist, and the event has also been dramatized in media. New York City had hosted the United States' first world's fair, the Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations , in 1853–1854; the city did not host another world's fair for 85 years. The site of the 1939 World's Fair, Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens , was originally a natural wetland straddling the Flushing River before becoming an ash dump in

25530-564: The fair structures. In addition to the pavilions and amusement rides, the fairground had a marina, as well as hundreds of fountains, toilets, and benches. The fair had about 375 buildings, of which 100 were developed by the WFC; the commission reserved about 500,000 square feet (46,000 m ) for its own structures. The buildings included design features such as domes, spirals, buttresses, porticos, rotundas, tall pylons, and corkscrew-shaped ramps. Many buildings' steel frames were bolted together so they could be easily disassembled. Most of

25752-482: The fair would attract 59 nations. Shadgen, who had devised the idea for the fair, was ousted from the WFC that year. Whalen announced plans in June 1937 for a 280-acre (110 ha) amusement zone at the south end of the fairground, and Moses proposed adding a trailer parking lot and a community interests zone. Work on the first non-commercial pavilion, the Temple of Peace, began in July. The fairground's first structure,

25974-440: The fair's master plan that October, which called for a $ 125 million exposition themed to "the world of tomorrow". The city, state, and federal governments would spend $ 35 million; the WFC was to spend $ 30 million; and the remaining funds would come from individual exhibitors. There were to be ten zones, an amusement area, a central tower with paths radiating away from it, and extensive public-transit improvements. Later that month,

26196-422: The fair, several local business groups and hotels randomly gave 170 automobiles to visitors. The World's Fair reopened on May 11 and recorded 191,196 visitors on that day. The reopening ceremonies were broadcast on radio stations across the U.S., and La Guardia sponsored a citywide celebration for the fair's reopening. In the first few weeks of the 1940 season, the WFC sold off most of its outstanding debt from

26418-537: The fair, the Civil Aeronautics Authority temporarily banned most planes from flying over the fairground, except for planes taking off or arriving at the nearby airports. The fair was themed to "the world of tomorrow". The colors blue and orange, the official colors of New York City, were chosen as the official colors of the fair. The fair's official seal depicted the Statue of Liberty with her torch, which

26640-430: The fair. The city, state, and federal governments also worked on 48 infrastructure-improvement projects, such as highway and landscaping projects, for the fair. To promote the fair, the WFC established advisory committees with members from every U.S. state. Several baseball teams wore patches promoting the fair during the 1938 Major League Baseball season , while the businessman Howard Hughes named an airplane after

26862-719: The fair. A special subway line, the Independent Subway System 's (IND) World's Fair Line was constructed; it operated as a spur of the IND Queens Boulevard Line and was dismantled after the fair ended. The Willets Point station on the Flushing Line was rebuilt to handle fair traffic on the Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT) and Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit (BMT) systems. A special fleet of 50 World's Fair Lo-V subway cars were built, and

27084-413: The fair. Daily attendance increased gradually, and the fair recorded the ten-millionth visitor of the season at the end of August. By then, Gibson said the fair had made over $ 2.5 million in profit, despite Moses's claim that the fair was about to go bankrupt. The WFC had drawn up detailed plans for clearing the site by the beginning of October, and the corporation's executive leadership agreed to oversee

27306-543: The fair. The WFC reported in October that 62 construction contracts had been finished and that another 63 were in progress. Various fairground buildings were rapidly being developed, as well as the Trylon and Perisphere , the fair's icons. That December, the Ford Motor Company became the first automobile manufacturer to lease space at the fair; by then, the WFC had received commitments from 60 nations. The WFC awarded

27528-408: The fair. In addition, visitors could rent one of 500 rolling chairs, each of which had space for one or two people. Boats also traveled around Fountain Lake (now Meadow Lake), stopping at seven piers. For a fee, visitors could ride a 40-passenger motorboat across Meadow Lake to the Florida pavilion. Several highway and road improvements were conducted in advance of the World's Fair. These included

27750-441: The fairground itself. General Motors manufactured 100 buses specifically for the fair; Exposition Greyhound Lines operated the buses, which connected with each of the fairground's entrances. The original plan called for two bus routes, though this was expanded to seven routes soon after the fair opened. There were also tractor trains that traveled along the fairground's paths, as well as tour buses that gave one-hour-long tours of

27972-403: The fairground was more than 90% complete, but although 95% of the buildings were under construction, work on one-third of the amusement concessions had not started. The fair had attracted 1,300 industrial exhibitors and 70 concessionaires. In addition, 62 nations and 35 U.S. states or territories had leased space at the fair; their flags were flown atop a hill on the fairground. In March 1939,

28194-476: The fairground's utilities were turned off. Most of the fair's 2,800 employees were reassigned to other positions, though the WFC hired a skeleton crew and allocated $ 3.3 million to maintain the fairground during the off-season. The FDNY and NYPD watched over the fairground, and many exhibitors also hired their own security guards. Because of lower-than-expected attendance, the WFC agreed to reduce adult admission prices to 50 cents. The WFC agreed to redesign

28416-469: The fairground, of which more than 97 percent survived the 1939 season. There were no evergreen trees because it was not open during the winter, and the site also did not have rare plants. The fairground contained 1 million plants, 1 million bulbs, 250,000 shrubs, and 10,000 trees. The site had 7,000 American camassias , 48,000 scillas , and 50,000 narcissi , and there were several formal gardens as well, with roses, yew, and other plants. In addition,

28638-464: The fairground, the Flushing River was dredged to create Meadow and Willow lakes. Several of the fair's fountains had water jets with gas burners, which were illuminated by colored lights. Nightly light shows, with music, took place at the Lagoon of Nations as well. Pavilions and attractions generally fell into one of three categories: exhibits sponsored by the WFC or private companies; government exhibits; and amusement attractions. The WFC subleased

28860-412: The fairground. There were 11 entrances to the grounds during the 1939 season and 13 entrances during the 1940 season. From the start, Moses wanted to convert the site into a park after the fair, and the fairground's landscape architect, Gilmore David Clarke , had designed the fairground with this expectation in mind. The central portion of the old Flushing ash dumps became the main fairground, while

29082-441: The fairground; in exchange, several trade unions agreed to buy the WFC's bonds. Free emergency services were provided on site by dozens of doctors and nurses, and there were six first-aid stations, a mobile X-ray machine, and five ambulances. The fairground was covered by a temporary New York City Police Department (NYPD) precinct and a temporary New York City Fire Department (FDNY) battalion with 118 firefighters. In addition,

29304-570: The firehouse is where Walt Disney had his personal apartment, where it still exists today, off-limits to the public. Main Street is also home to the Disney Art Gallery and the Opera House which showcases Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln , a show featuring an Audio-Animatronic version of Abraham Lincoln . At the far end of Main Street, U.S.A. is Sleeping Beauty Castle , the Partners statue , and

29526-625: The first country to agree to reopen its pavilion, while West Virginia was the first U.S. state to lease additional space. More than thirty nations had agreed to return to the fair by the end of the next month. Several exhibits were also added, including a China pavilion and a European center. Conversely, 11 nations—several of which had been invaded during World War II—did not return, and nine U.S. states also withdrew. Most commercial exhibitors agreed to reopen their exhibits, and some planned to enlarge or modify their exhibits. Almost all major exhibitors with their own pavilions renewed their leases for

29748-523: The first fair concession in January 1938; by then, Whalen was making plans for the fair's opening ceremony. Whalen wanted to have 100 buildings under construction by the end of April, and the WFC planned to spend $ 10 million on upgrading the fairground's utilities. Work on the Perisphere, the fair's theme building, began in early April, along with work on the first foreign-government structure. The same month,

29970-446: The first season. WFC officials claimed that the late opening date would coincide with warmer weather and the end of the school year. Following requests from organizations, the WFC agreed to open the fair two weeks earlier. The fair's police force was downsized for the 1940 season due to low crime rates, and the overall number of staff was reduced to 5,500. According to Gibson, at least 40 million visitors needed to attend during 1940 for

30192-410: The gardens were originally designed for the elites, they soon became places of great social diversity. Public firework displays were put on at Marylebone Gardens , and Cremorne Gardens offered music, dancing, and animal acrobatics displays. Prater in Vienna, Austria, began as a royal hunting ground which was opened in 1766 for public enjoyment. There followed coffee-houses and cafés, which led to

30414-623: The ghettos led to changing patterns in how people chose to spend their free time. Many of the older, traditional amusement parks closed or burned to the ground. Many would be taken out by the wrecking ball to make way for suburb and housing and development . In 1964, Steeplechase Park , once the king of all amusement parks, closed down for good. The traditional amusement parks which survived, for example, Kennywood , in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania , and Cedar Point , in Sandusky, Ohio , did so in spite of

30636-431: The great futuristic thinkers of European culture such as H. G. Wells and Jules Verne . A recession in the French economy and the immense public backlash against the park led to financial hardship, putting the park into debt. However, this did not stop Disney from expanding Disney-MGM Studios with The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror , in 1994, and building their fourth Walt Disney World park, Disney's Animal Kingdom . In

30858-510: The ground. Most of Ingersoll's Luna Parks were similarly destroyed, usually by arson , before his death in 1927. During the Gilded Age , many Americans began working fewer hours and had more disposable income. With new-found money and time to spend on leisure activities, Americans sought new venues for entertainment. Amusement parks, set up outside major cities and in rural areas, emerged to meet this new economic opportunity. These parks served as

31080-544: The hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world. Walter E. Disney , July 17, 1955 The concept for Disneyland began when Walt Disney was visiting Griffith Park in Los Angeles with his daughters Diane and Sharon. While watching them ride the merry-go-round , he came up with the idea of a place where adults and their children could go and have fun together, though this idea lay dormant for many years. The earliest documented draft of Disney's plans

31302-553: The land a full scale, realistic re-creation of Hogsmeade and Hogwarts without being a refurbishment of an existing area. The project was announced in 2007 and in 2010 the land was opened to the public and made Universal Orlando a must visit destination. Today, there are over 475 amusement parks in the United States, ranging from mega-parks and those that are operated by Warner Bros., Disney , Six Flags and NBCUniversal . The amusement park industry's offerings range from immersive theme parks such as Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi ,

31524-427: The land to exhibitors, charging different rates based on the sites' proximity to major paths. There were 1,500 exhibitors on the fair's opening day, representing about 40 industries. Because the fairground was built atop swampy land, many of the largest buildings had to be placed on steel-and-concrete decks, pilings , or caissons . Thousands of Douglas fir timbers were driven into the ground to act as pilings for

31746-496: The larger, more popular rides. Later, the "D-ticket" was added, then finally the " E-ticket ", which was used on the biggest and most elaborate rides, like Space Mountain . Smaller tickets could be traded up for use on larger rides so that for example two or three A-tickets would equal a single B-ticket. Disneyland, as well as the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, abandoned this practice in 1982. 1939 New York World%27s Fair The 1939 New York World's Fair (also known as

31968-408: The largest disaster Disney ever created because unlike Disneyland, it would be set in the modern day and spoof modern-day California with its cheap, insincere, and flat backdrops. The park would be adult focused, sell fine food, and serve alcohol. When the park opened on February 8, 2001, it received a chilly reception for its lack of attractions, poor environment (for example, Hollywood Studios Backlot

32190-456: The late 1920s. The Golden Age of amusement parks also included the advent of the kiddie park. Founded in 1925, the original Kiddie Park is located in San Antonio, Texas , and is still in operation as of 2022 . The kiddie parks became popular all over America after World War II. This era saw the development of new innovations in roller coasters that included extreme drops and speeds to thrill

32412-452: The latter, leaving many drinking fountains dry. This generated negative publicity since Pepsi sponsored the park's opening; disappointed guests believed the inoperable fountains were a cynical way to sell soda, while other vendors ran out of food. The asphalt that had been poured that morning was soft enough to let women's high-heeled shoes sink into it. Some parents threw their children over the crowd's shoulders to get them onto rides, such as

32634-466: The modern, competitive amusement park industry. In the late 1950s, Wynne visited Disneyland and was inspired to create an affordable, closer, and larger amusement park that would be filled with fantasy. He followed in the steps of Disney and had subdivisions within the park that reflected different lands. The subdivisions included the Old South and other sections that referenced Wynne's background. By 1968,

32856-451: The monorail station did not change, but the original station building was demolished as part of the hotel downsizing, and the new station is now separated from the hotel by several Downtown Disney buildings. Amusement park Amusement parks evolved from European fairs , pleasure gardens , and large picnic areas , which were created for people's recreation . World's fairs and other types of international expositions also influenced

33078-462: The motivation for entrepreneurs to build accommodation and create new attractions, leading to more visitors and a rapid cycle of growth throughout the 1850s and 1860s. In 1879, large parts of the promenade at Blackpool were wired. The lighting and its accompanying pageants reinforced Blackpool's status as the North of England's most prominent holiday resort, and its specifically working class character. It

33300-509: The next day for preliminary work. The WFC elected McAneny as its president, and two contractors were hired that December to conduct preliminary surveys. Several foreign exhibitors had expressed interest in the fair before the end of the year, and the WFC and the New York City Board of Transportation devised plans for public transit lines to the fair. State lawmaker Herbert Brownell Jr. proposed legislation in January 1936, allowing

33522-427: The odds. Inspired by the layout of Tivoli Gardens theme park in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1951, Walt Disney came up with the idea of having an amusement park next to the studios in Burbank. The park would have been called Mickey Mouse Park , built across the street with a western area featuring a steam driven paddleboat, a turn of the century town, and a midway. It was rejected by the Burbank city council in fear of

33744-414: The original estimate of 270,000—the WFC was unsure if the fair would run for another season. The fair's financial standing was so bad that, by mid-August the WFC was asking bondholders to lend it more money, and the bondholders agreed to forgo their right to collect a portion of the fair's admission revenue. A writer for Variety magazine said local residents tended to avoid the fair's restaurants and that

33966-471: The original park was showing signs of neglect. Fans of the park decried the perceived decline in customer value and park quality and rallied for the dismissal of the management team. Matt Ouimet , the former president of the Disney Cruise Line , was promoted to assume leadership of the Disneyland Resort in late 2003. Shortly afterward, he selected Greg Emmer as Senior Vice President of Operations. Emmer

34188-424: The park by climbing over the fence. The following day, it opened to the public, featuring twenty attractions. The Special Sunday events, including the dedication, were televised nationwide and anchored by three of Walt Disney's friends from Hollywood: Art Linkletter , Bob Cummings , and Ronald Reagan . ABC broadcast the event live, during which many guests tripped over the television camera cables. In Frontierland,

34410-428: The park during business hours with members of their respective staff, wearing cast member name badges, standing in line for attractions, and welcoming guests' comments. In July 2006, Ouimet left The Walt Disney Company to become president of Starwood . Soon after, Ed Grier , executive managing director of Walt Disney Attractions Japan, was named president of the resort. In October 2009, Grier announced his retirement, and

34632-590: The park from March 18 through April 19, 2021. On March 5, 2021, it was announced by the California Department of Public Health that Disneyland could reopen with capacity restrictions beginning April 1, 2021. The following week, then-Disney CEO Bob Chapek said that the company was planning on officially reopening the park in late April 2021. Disneyland along with Disney California Adventure officially reopened on April 30, 2021, with limited capacity and social distancing/mask guidelines in effect. The following week,

34854-571: The park from above. Currently, the Mark VII is running with the colors red, blue and orange. The monorail was originally a loop built with just one station in Tomorrowland. Its track was extended and a second station opened at the Disneyland Hotel in 1961. With the creation of Downtown Disney in 2001, the new destination is Downtown Disney, instead of the Disneyland Hotel. The physical location of

35076-466: The park opened, it welcomed its one millionth guest. Because of the financial success of Disneyland, the amusement industry was reinvigorated. What became Busch Gardens Tampa opened in 1959 as a garden and bird sanctuary. Six Flags Over Texas opened in 1961, themed to the six different countries that ruled over Texas. In 1964, Universal Studios Hollywood opened to the public with a studio tour of their backlot that had multiple adventure scenes and became

35298-498: The park transportation vehicles was Bob Gurr who gave himself the title of Director of Special Vehicle Design in 1954. Encircling Disneyland and providing a grand circle tour is the Disneyland Railroad (DRR), a 3 ft ( 914 mm ) narrow gauge short-line railway consisting of five oil-fired and steam-powered locomotives, in addition to three passenger trains and one passenger-carrying freight train. Originally known as

35520-502: The park was evacuated around 5:00 p.m. when some of the insurgents approached the park's Bank of America branch, sparking concern that the building could be burned in a similar fashion to the arson of a Bank of America in Isla Vista in February 1970. Police arrested 23 park guests and it was only the second unexpected early closure in park history, the first being in response to the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963. The incident

35742-470: The park was unveiled during a special televised press event on the ABC Television Network on July 17, 1955. Since its opening, Disneyland has undergone expansions and major renovations, including the addition of New Orleans Square in 1966, Bear Country in 1972, Mickey's Toontown in 1993, and Star Wars : Galaxy's Edge in 2019. Additionally, Disney California Adventure Park opened in 2001 on

35964-582: The park's earliest attractions received major changes or were replaced in the mid-to-late 1970s. The Flight to the Moon attraction was rethemed as Mission to Mars in March 1975, five years after Apollo 11 had successfully landed humans on the Moon. Construction of Space Mountain began that same year adjacent to the new Mission to Mars attraction but was delayed by El Niño -related weather complications. The ride opened in 1977 to much acclaim as lines would often stretch all

36186-580: The park. In 1897, Sea Lion Park was joined by Steeplechase Park , the first of three major amusement parks that would open in the Coney Island area. George Tilyou designed the park to provide thrills and entertainment. The combination of the nearby population center of New York City and the ease of access to the area made Coney Island the embodiment of the American amusement park. Coney Island also featured Luna Park (1903) and Dreamland (1904). Coney Island

36408-409: The park. Main Street, U.S.A. is patterned after a typical Midwest town of the early 20th century, and took much inspiration from Walt Disney 's hometown, Marceline, Missouri . Main Street, U.S.A. has a train station, town square, movie theater , city hall, firehouse with a steam-powered pump engine, emporium, shops, arcades, double-decker bus, horse-drawn streetcar, and jitneys. The second-story of

36630-426: The park. Other revenue sources include parking fees, food and beverage sales and souvenirs. Practically all amusement parks operate using one of two admission principles: In amusement parks using the pay-as-you-go scheme, a guest enters the park at little or no charge. The guest must then purchase rides individually, either at the attraction's entrance or by purchasing ride tickets (or a similar exchange method, like

36852-422: The partnership had already led to a lasting relationship with ABC which would eventually culminate in the Walt Disney Company's acquisition of ABC in the mid-1990s. Construction began on July 16, 1954, and cost $ 17 million to complete (equivalent to $ 153 million in 2023). The park was opened one year and one day later. U.S. Route 101 (later Interstate 5 ) was under construction at the same time just north of

37074-503: The pay-as-you-go format. Initially, guests paid the ride admission fees at the attractions. Within a short time, the problems of handling such large amounts of coins led to the development of a ticket system that, while now out of use, is still part of the amusement-park lexicon. In this new format, guests purchased ticket books that contained a number of tickets, labeled "A", "B" and "C." Rides and attractions using an "A-ticket" were generally simple, with "B-tickets" and "C-tickets" used for

37296-659: The popularity of nude or seminude performances at the Golden Gate International Exposition , similar shows were presented in the Amusement Area. There were two focal exhibits that were not located within any zone. The first was the Medical and Public Health Building on Constitution Mall and the Avenue of Patriots (immediately northeast of the Theme Center), which contained several halls dedicated to health. The other

37518-462: The previous season. By the end of June, the WFC wished to reorganize itself and pare its workforce due to lower-than-expected revenue; as such, 500 employees were dismissed. In addition, due to an increase in federal tax rates, amusement concessionaires increased the ticket prices for their rides. The fair's restaurateurs generally absorbed the losses from the higher taxes instead of raising food prices. On July 4, 1940, two NYPD officers investigating

37740-527: The proposed site was too small for the ideas that he had. After hiring the Stanford Research Institute to perform a feasibility study determining an appropriate site for his project, Disney bought a 160-acre (65 ha) site near Anaheim in 1953. The park was designed by a creative team hand-picked by Walt from internal and outside talent. They founded WED Enterprises, the precursor to today's Walt Disney Imagineering . Construction began in 1954 and

37962-543: The public for day-trips or weekend holidays, for example, seaside areas such as Blackpool , United Kingdom and Coney Island , United States. In the United States, some amusement parks grew from picnic groves established along rivers and lakes that provided bathing and water sports, such as Lake Compounce in Connecticut, first established as a picturesque picnic park in 1846, and Riverside Park in Massachusetts, founded in

38184-452: The public on October 1, 1971. Meant to be a larger east coast version of Disneyland, it had copies of most of the attractions from Disneyland (except for Liberty Square and the Hall of Presidents ), yet it was financially the most ambitious project Walt Disney Productions had ever undertaken, and succeeded once the holiday crowds came in during Thanksgiving. In 1982, Walt Disney Productions opened

38406-405: The public with a nine-acre (3.6 ha) recreation area including a circus and baseball diamond , and was closed in late 1961. Throughout the park are " Hidden Mickeys ", representations of Mickey Mouse heads inserted subtly into the design of attractions and environmental decor. An elevated berm supports the 3 ft ( 914 mm ) narrow gauge Disneyland Railroad that circumnavigates

38628-431: The remainder of the construction. In early May, the WFC began selling 10-cent children's tickets once a week, which helped increase children's attendance significantly. At La Guardia's behest, the New York City Board of Education operated guided tours in which school classes could visit the fair for free. Concessionaires in the Amusement Area asked the WFC to consider offering reduced-price tickets after 9 p.m., and

38850-684: The remote frontier planet of Batuu . Attractions include the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Star Wars : Rise of the Resistance . The land opened in 2019, replacing Big Thunder Ranch and former backstage areas. Fantasyland is home to the dark rides Snow White's Enchanted Wish , Peter Pan's Flight , Mr. Toad's Wild Ride , Pinocchio's Daring Journey , and Alice in Wonderland . The area also includes King Arthur Carrousel , Mad Tea Party , Storybook Land Canal Boats , and It's

39072-467: The riders. By the end of the First World War, people seemed to want an even more exciting entertainment, a need met by roller coasters. Although the development of the automobile provided people with more options for satisfying their entertainment needs, the amusement parks after the war continued to be successful, while urban amusement parks saw declining attendance. The 1920s is more properly known as

39294-484: The same month for "basic World's Fair improvements"; the city and state governments were each supposed to spend $ 5 million on site preparations. The project remained stalled during early 1936 because of disagreements over the fair's location and financing. There was a competing proposal to relocate the fair to Marine Park in Brooklyn. but the New York State Legislature ultimately voted in April to allow

39516-833: The second Six Flags park, Six Flags Over Georgia , opened, and in 1971, Six Flags Over Mid-America (now Six Flags St. Louis ) opened near St. Louis , Missouri. Also in 1971 was the opening of the Walt Disney World resort complex in Florida . In 1991 Warner Bros. in partnership with Village Roadshow, opened their own Warner Bros. Movie World . It is the only Movie-Related theme park in Australia. Warner Bros. continued their theme park ventures and opened Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi in UAE and Parque Warner Madrid in Spain. Amusement parks collect much of their revenue from admission fees paid by guests attending

39738-528: The second Walt Disney World park, EPCOT Center, based on Walt Disney's futurist ideals and World Fairs. Like a World's Fair, the park would display the latest technologies in an area called Future World, and the cultural pavilions in World Showcase. In 1987, Disney announced that it would open its third Disney World park, Disney-MGM Studios in 1989, which would have a working backlot. However, Universal knew that its Californian backlot tour would not work as

39960-406: The site by mid-April, and foreign nations were delivering $ 100 million worth of exhibits to the fair. Thousands of additional workers were employed toward the end of April. The fairground ultimately cost $ 156,000,000 (equivalent to $ 3,417,000,000 in 2023), and Whalen anticipated that 60 million people would visit. Five major newsreel companies were hired to provide newsreel coverage, and

40182-436: The site of Disneyland's original parking lot. Disneyland has a larger cumulative attendance than any other theme park in the world, with 757 million visits since it opened (as of December 2021). In 2023, the park saw 17.25 million visitors, making it the second most visited amusement park in the world that year, behind only Magic Kingdom , the very park it inspired. According to a 2005 Disney report, 65,700 jobs are supported by

40404-400: The site, and the corporation had relocated the last occupants of the fairground site by August 1936. The WFC launched a design competition for several fairground pavilions that September and selected several winning designs two months later. Before the final master plan was revealed, Whalen said the fair would likely be dedicated to the past, present, and future. The WFC announced details of

40626-459: The site-clearing process. To promote the fair, hundreds of American newspapers printed discounted tickets that could be redeemed on October 6; the promotion attracted nearly 350,000 visitors on that day. The city government also provided free tickets to adults who were receiving welfare payments through the Home Relief program. By the middle of that month, the fair's second season had recorded

40848-442: The site; in preparation for the traffic Disneyland was expected to bring, two more lanes were added to the freeway before the park was finished. Disneyland was dedicated at an "International Press Preview" event held on Sunday, July 17, 1955, which was open only to invited guests and the media. Although 28,000 people attended the event, only about half of those were invitees, the rest having purchased counterfeit tickets, or snuck into

41070-565: The sites, expanding them from picnic groves to include regular entertainments, mechanical amusements, dance halls, sports fields, boat rides, restaurants and other resort facilities. Some of these parks were developed in resort locations, such as bathing resorts at the seaside in New Jersey and New York . A premiere example in New Jersey was Atlantic City , a famous vacation resort. Entrepreneurs erected amusement parks on piers that extended from

41292-452: The size of Disneyland Park from 99 to 101 acres (40 to 41 ha). Tomorrowland currently has a "retro-future" theme reminiscent of the illustrations of Jules Verne . Attractions include Space Mountain , Star Wars Launch Bay , Autopia , the Disneyland Monorail Tomorrowland Station, Astro Orbitor , Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters , Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage and Star Tours–The Adventures Continue . Major buildings backstage include

41514-448: The south, across Riverside Drive from the studio. Besides Greenfield Village and the Chicago Railroad Fair, Disney was also inspired by Tivoli Gardens in Denmark, Knott's Berry Farm , Colonial Williamsburg , the Century of Progress in Chicago, and the New York's World Fair of 1939 . His designers began working on concepts, though the project grew much larger than the land could hold. Disney hired C. V. Wood and Harrison Price of

41736-465: The southern section of the dumps became the narrow Amusement Area, located on the shore of Meadow (Fountain) Lake. The fairground used up to 400,000 cubic yards (310,000 m ) of topsoil from the New York City area, as well as salty, acidic soil dredged from the bottom of Flushing Meadows Park's lagoons. The fairground included 250 acres (100 ha) of lawns and a wide range of topiary and deciduous trees. Around 10,000 trees were transplanted to

41958-430: The state pledged $ 4.125 million for the project. In addition, the WFC was to sell $ 20 million in bonds; the WFC eventually ended up issuing $ 26,862,800 worth of bonds. The New York City Board of Estimate appropriated $ 308,020 to begin landscaping the site that May, and city officials acquired another 372 acres (151 ha) through eminent domain . The WFC dedicated the fairground site on June 4, 1936, shortly before

42180-408: The streets bordering Disneyland as part of the Skyfest Celebration. In the late 1990s, work began to expand the one-park, one-hotel property. Disneyland Park, the Disneyland Hotel, the site of the original parking lot, and acquired surrounding properties were earmarked to become part of the Disneyland Resort . At that time, the property saw the addition of the Disney California Adventure theme park,

42402-411: The subway stations serving the fairground were being completed. That October, the Heinz Dome became the first commercial exhibit to be completed, and 80% of the fairground's 3 million square feet (280,000 m ) of exhibit space had been leased. Leasing lagged in the amusement zone; by that December, only two-thirds of the ride concessions had been leased. Whalen announced in January 1939 that

42624-438: The technique of forced perspective to create an illusion of height. Buildings along Main Street are built at 3 ⁄ 4 scale on the first level, then 5 ⁄ 8 on the second story, and 1 ⁄ 2 scale on the third—reducing the scale by 1 ⁄ 8 each level up. Adventureland is designed to recreate the feel of an exotic tropical place in a far-off region of the world. Attractions include Jungle Cruise ,

42846-433: The television broadcast, the company has adopted July 17 as the official date, the one commemorated every year as Disneyland's birthday. Within a year after Disneyland's opening, increasing friction between Walt Disney and Wood resulted in Wood's termination. Most of the executives who led the development of Disneyland are now commemorated in window signs as proprietors of fictional businesses along Main Street, U.S.A. , with

43068-436: The theme park, Silver Dollar City . The park is still owned and operated by the Herschends and the family has several other parks including Dollywood , Kentucky Kingdom and Wild Adventures . The first regional amusement park, as well as the first Six Flags park, Six Flags Over Texas was officially opened in 1961 in Arlington, Texas . The first Six Flags amusement park was the vision of Angus Wynne Jr. and helped create

43290-442: The upgrades would cost $ 8 million. The WFC began selling one million souvenir ticket books on April 11, 1940, and the next week, it began selling discounted tickets to students across the U.S. By the end of April, all of the attractions in the Amusement Area had been leased, and half a million advance tickets had been sold or ordered. Originally, the second season was supposed to open on May 25, 1940, and be one month shorter than

43512-473: The upper classes and the working class at the beach. The first carousel was installed in the 1870s, the first roller coaster , the " Switchback Railway ", in 1884. In England, Blackpool was a popular beachside location beginning in the 1700s. It rose to prominence as a seaside resort with the completion in 1846 of a branch line to Blackpool from Poulton on the main Preston and Wyre Joint Railway line. A sudden influx of visitors, arriving by rail, provided

43734-427: The visitors. American cities and businesses also saw the world's fair as a way of demonstrating economic and industrial success. The World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago , Illinois was an early precursor to the modern amusement park. The fair was an enclosed site, that merged entertainment, engineering and education to entertain the masses. It set out to bedazzle the visitors, and successfully did so with

43956-466: The way to Main Street, U.S.A. The final major change of the decade came in 1977 when the slow-paced Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland was closed and replaced by the similarly themed Big Thunder Mountain Railroad rollercoaster in 1979. Fantasyland was closed for refurbishment in 1982 and reopened to the public in 1983 as "New Fantasyland." On December 5, 1985, to celebrate Disneyland's 30th year in operation, one million balloons were launched along

44178-520: Was a huge success and by the year 1910 attendance on days could reach a million people. Fueled by the efforts of Frederick Ingersoll who borrowed the name, other " Luna Parks " were quickly erected worldwide and opened to rave reviews. The first amusement park in England was opened in 1896 – the Blackpool Pleasure Beach by W. G. Bean. In 1904, Sir Hiram Maxim 's Captive Flying Machine was introduced; he had designed an early aircraft powered by steam engines that had been unsuccessful and instead opened up

44400-467: Was a long-time Disney cast member who had worked at Disneyland in his youth prior to moving to Florida and held multiple executive leadership positions at the Walt Disney World Resort . Ouimet set about reversing certain trends, especially concerning cosmetic maintenance and a return to the original infrastructure maintenance schedule, in hopes of restoring Disneyland's former safety record. Similarly to Walt Disney, Ouimet and Emmer could often be seen walking

44622-432: Was allegedly designed by former Disney Imagineers who left after the financial disaster of Disneyland Paris. In the late 80s, the Oriental Land Company (the owners and operators of Tokyo Disneyland resort which opened in 1983) wanted a second park. None of the current non-Magic Kingdom parks satisfied the Japanese, but one concept thrown away for Disneyland's second gate inspired a new one: DisneySea . Tokyo DisneySea

44844-410: Was an upcharge fee for some of the exhibits and attractions, three-fourths of the original attractions did not charge any extra fees. On April 30, 1939, exactly 150 years after Washington's first inauguration, the fair formally opened with a speech by President Roosevelt. Twenty-eight United States Navy men-of-war arrived in New York City for the fair's opening, and 20,000 people participated in

45066-534: Was announced that Disneyland would be holding its first official "Pride Nite", supporting the LGBTQ community. This comes 25 years after the first celebrated 'Gay Day' at Disneyland, which is identical to the Gay Days at Walt Disney World celebration. In May 2023, a male employee of Disneyland was dressed as 'Fairy Godmother's apprentice' welcoming the visitors to Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique in Fantasyland , generating both criticism and support on social media. On May 18, 2024, Disneyland character performers voted to join

45288-403: Was being built. Five generations of monorail trains have been used in the park since their lightweight construction means they wear out quickly. The most recent operating generation, the Mark VII, was installed in 2008. The monorail shuttles visitors between two stations, one inside the park in Tomorrowland and one in Downtown Disney . It follows a 2.5-mile-long (4.0 km) route designed to show

45510-412: Was cited as a clash of the park management's perceived appeal to tradition following the death of Walt Disney and the growing counterculture movement among young people in the United States. Despite the opening of the more expansive Walt Disney World resort in 1971, Disneyland continued to set attendance records and maintained its status as a major tourist attraction. In 1972, the Bear Country land

45732-426: Was designed by Wallace Harrison and Max Abramovitz ; the Trylon was a 610-foot (190 m) tower (originally designed to be 700 feet tall), while the Perisphere was a sphere 180 feet (55 m) across. North of the theme center was the Communications and Business Systems Zone, which was centered on the Communications Building, a structure flanked by 160-foot-high (49 m) pylons. The Community Interest Zone

45954-428: Was located just east of the Communications & Business Systems Zone. The region's exhibits showcased several trades or industries that were popular among the public at the time, such as home furnishings, plumbing, contemporary art, cosmetics, gardens, the gas industry, fashion, jewelry, and religion. The Government Zone was located at the east end of the fair, on the eastern bank of the Flushing River . It contained

46176-416: Was located west of the Theme Center, across the Grand Central Parkway. It was connected to the rest of the fairground by two crossings known as the Bridge of Wheels and the Bridge of Wings. The focal exhibit of the Transportation Zone was a Chrysler exhibit group. The Transportation Zone also included large exhibits by companies such as Ford Motor Company and General Motors , in addition to buildings for

46398-420: Was opened and the Main Street Electrical Parade was introduced. Disneyland underwent several changes in preparation for the United States Bicentennial . In 1974, Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress was replaced with America Sings , an audio-animatronic theater show featuring the history of American music. America on Parade debuted in 1975 and ran through 1976 in celebration of the bicentennial. Several of

46620-413: Was planned as part of the fairground, running between the Grand Central Parkway to the west and Lawrence Street in Flushing to the east. A curving road named Rainbow Avenue connected the color-coded zones, linking the paths that radiated from the theme center. At the eastern end of the mall was the Central Mall Lagoon, an 800-foot-long (240 m) elliptical lake with fountains. In the southern half of

46842-436: Was reclaimed from the sea front. It was at this period that the park moved to its 44-acre (18 ha) current location above what became Watson Road, which was built under the Pleasure Beach in 1932. During this time Joseph Emberton, an architect famous for his work in the amusement trade was brought in to redesign the architectural style of the Pleasure Beach rides, working on the "Grand National" roller coaster, "Noah's Ark" and

47064-497: Was reduced in size and rebranded as the " Great White Way ", a reference to Broadway theatre . The transportation zone was renovated for more than $ 2 million. Several exhibits were added or expanded, and some pavilions were repaired due to deterioration. Twenty thousand hotel rooms were added in New York City prior to the 1940 season, and La Guardia promoted low-cost hotel rooms to fairgoers. Low-cost eateries were also added. The fair's construction superintendent estimated that

47286-432: Was replaced by George Kalogridis. The " Happiest Homecoming on Earth " was an eighteen-month-long celebration (held through 2005 and 2006) of the fiftieth anniversary of Disneyland Park, also celebrating Disneyland's milestone throughout Disney parks worldwide. In 2004, the park underwent major renovations in preparation, restoring many attractions, notably Space Mountain , Jungle Cruise , the Haunted Mansion , Pirates of

47508-484: Was sent as a memo to studio production designer Dick Kelsey on August 31, 1948, where it was referred to as a "Mickey Mouse Park", based on notes Disney made during his and Ward Kimball 's trip to the Chicago Railroad Fair the same month, with a two-day stop in Henry Ford 's Museum and Greenfield Village , a place with attractions like a Main Street and steamboat rides, which he had visited eight years earlier. When people wrote letters to Disney to inquire about visiting

47730-432: Was the Eldorado Amusement Park that opened in 1891 on the banks of the Hudson River , overlooking New York City . It consisted of 25 acres. The first permanent enclosed entertainment area, regulated by a single company, was founded in Coney Island in 1895: Sea Lion Park at Coney Island in Brooklyn. This park was one of the first to charge admission fee to get into the park in addition to sell tickets for rides within

47952-560: Was the pleasure garden . An example of this is the world's oldest amusement park, Bakken ("The Hill"), which opened in mainland Europe in 1583. It is located north of Copenhagen in Klampenborg, Denmark . Another early garden was the Vauxhall Gardens , founded in 1661 in London. By the late 18th century, the site had an admission fee for its many attractions. It regularly drew enormous crowds, with its paths often noted for romantic assignations; tightrope walkers, hot air balloon ascents, concerts and fireworks providing amusement. Although

48174-464: Was the Science and Education Building, just north of the Medical and Public Health Building. The administration building was at the western end of the fairground, and there was also a Manufacturers Trust bank branch. Whalen predicted in late 1936 that these lines needed to be able to handle as many as 800,000 visitors per day, though he predicted an average of 250,000 daily visitors. As such, several public transit lines were built or upgraded to serve

48396-454: Was the first exhibitor to shutter its pavilion entirely, and other exhibitors curtailed their operations. Whalen also traveled to Europe, asking exhibitors to return in 1940. At the end of September, the WFC notified the city government that it intended to lease the land for a second season, and the WFC reduced admission fees to 50 cents for the rest of the season. In the final weeks of the 1939 season, visitors increasingly came from outside

48618-422: Was the first true Theme Park despite Knott's history. In the 1950s the Herschend family took over operation of the tourist attraction, Marvel Cave near Branson, Missouri . Over the next decade they modernized the cave, which led to large numbers of people waiting to take the tour. The Herschend family opened a recreation of the old mining town that once existed atop Marvel Cave. The small village eventually became

48840-645: Was the forerunner of the present-day Blackpool Illuminations . By the 1890s, the town had a population of 35,000, and could accommodate 250,000 holidaymakers. The number of annual visitors, many staying for a week, was estimated at three million. In the final decade of the 19th century, electric trolley lines were developed in many large American cities. Companies that established the trolley lines also developed trolley parks as destinations of these lines. Trolley parks such as Atlanta 's Ponce de Leon Park , or Reading's Carsonia Park were initially popular natural leisure spots before local streetcar companies purchased

49062-441: Was themed to a modern-day movie backlot of modern-day Hollywood), and overemphasis on retail and dining. When John Hench (an original Imagineer who worked with Walt and was a chief creative executive at Imagineering since Imagineering was founded) was asked for his opinion on the park, he reportedly said, "I preferred the parking lot." Walt Disney Studios Park in Paris was the second Disneyland Paris park. Disney had to build

49284-550: Was turned into a park as a "half day" attraction—a complement to the rest of the resort. The rest of the park was themed to 1930s Hollywood and featured lost parts of Hollywood like the Brown Derby. Universal Studios Florida opened on June 7, 1990 (delayed by one year) to great fanfare, but the primary attractions were experiencing severe technical difficulties. All three of the park's major attractions (Jaws, Disaster!, and Kongfrontation) were not working and suffered major technical difficulties. Disaster! and Kongfrontation were fixed by

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