Happy Birthday, Disneyland! The Happiest Place on Earth is celebrating its 56th anniversary today, July 17. In 1955 on this date, Disneyland Park opened its gates for the first time, inviting the press and other special guests to enjoy the park’s first day of operation. Walt Disney also gave the park’s dedication speech on this day, sending out the following message to the park’s guests and an estimated 90 million television viewers:
“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 the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world.”
Since then, Disneyland has become a true icon that has brought joy and happiness to generations of families from all over the world, and will surely be the “source of joy and inspiration” that Walt envisioned for many years to come.
Check out this video of the now-legendary dedication speech:
