Disneyland park is celebrating its 70th anniversary, back on an eventful opening – RTS.CH

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Disneyland park celebrating its 70th:

On July 17, 1955, Disneyland opened its doors near Los Angeles. Therefore, This theme park designed by Walt Disney experienced a chaotic inauguration. In addition, with an unexpected influx of visitors, incomplete facilities and technical incidents. Similarly, Despite these difficult beginnings, the park quickly became a worldwide success.

The first Disney themed park. Moreover, Open in Anaheim, California, was the victim of its success as soon as it was inaugurated. Nevertheless, With the arrival of approximately three times more people than expected. Meanwhile, many of whom with counterfeit tickets, the installation has been overwhelmed.

The infrastructure was still incomplete, with fresh tar and un planned trees. Similarly, Food and drinks were missing, some installations collapsed due to overload and a boat, so overloaded, has even overturned.

Photos dating from 1955. Therefore, a few days before the opening of Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Meanwhile, On the left: workers are preparing to flow from the cement where the northern edge of Town Square meets. In disneyland park celebrating its 70th addition, Main Street. In addition, Right: a crane raising the “rocket for the moon” during the construction of Tomorrowland. Additionally, In addition, [EPA via KEYSTONE – DISNEYLAND RESORT N/B UNIQUEMENT]

However, this “black Sunday” is quickly forgotten. Disneyland recovers and quickly becomes profitable. In 1983. a second hotel was added and expansion continued with the inauguration of a second park and a third hotel in 2001.

These enlargements mark a victory over the lack of space in the original park. the main challenge that the subsequent project of Walt Disney Worldin Florida, aimed to solve. The man at the origin of this vision will however not see the project succeed: Walt Disney died in 1966. while the “Magic Kingdom” (the main section of the Disney World park in Orlando) opened its doors in 1971.

The first entry ticket to Disneyland. sold in 1955 for a dollar, was exhibited during a visit to the Walt Disney archives in 2023 at Disney Studio Lot, in Burbank, California. [AFP – ROBYN BECK]

Disneyland park celebrating its 70th

Nostalgia at the heart of Walt Disney’s vision

Communication researcher at Sorbonne. University Paris Nord Johan Boittiaux returned Thursday in the RTS Forum program on history behind the creation of Disneyland park. “Walt Disney himself said that the idea came to him like a flash of genius by playing with disneyland park celebrating its 70th his daughters. He imagined a place where parents and children could have fun together. In reality, the Disneyland project was a long process, which Walt Disney had matured for a long time.”

The rejection by the municipal council of its initial project. an entertainment area near its studios in Burbank, pushed it to develop a larger vision. Although he has not revolutionized the themed parks industry. Disney innovated by transforming them into places of nostalgic escape and dreamlike and entertaining parenthesis, relates Johan Boittiaux.

Walt Disney has not revolutionized the theme parks industry. Rather. he innovated by transforming them into places of nostalgic, dreamlike and entertaining escape

Johan Boittiaux, researcher at Sorbonne Paris Nord University
Photo dated 1955 showing the day of the opening. taken outside the main entrance to Disneyland in Anaheim, California. [KEYSTONE – DISNEYLAND RESORT]

The global expansion of the Disney phenomenon

Since then. Disneyland has exported its parks to all continents and especially in Paris. Johan Boittiaux recalls that, however, this expansion was not simple. “In France. the designers had seized the expectations of Europeans on the image of America, but less their social habits: the Eurodisney hotel park remained almost empty, because visitors preferred short stays.”

Despite difficult periods, Disneyland has established itself as a world model, thanks to a strategy of thematization and merchandising. The parks attract visitors. visitors to the Disney media universe, while serving as windows for its products, creating a real “Disneyland culture”, disneyland park celebrating its 70th explains Johan Boittiaux.

Disneyland parks exported abroad. On the left: people take photos when they arrived in Tokyo Disneyland during the official reopening of the park. after four months of closure due to the epidemic of COVID-19. In Japan, Disney adopts a franchise strategy, thus limiting its risks. Right: a view of Disneyland Paris, which welcomes millions of visitors as the largest amusement park in Europe. [AFP – STR / JIJI PRESS / Serap Aydin / ANADOLU]

Today. Disney remains a phenomenon that inspires entertainment parks around the world, despite the growing questions about their sustainability. Faced with the challenges of surcourism. ecological transition, the company is pushed to rethink its expansion and integrate a more visible, even experiential ecology, at the heart of its parks.

>> Travel to disneyland park celebrating its 70th Disneyland: Listen to the radio report on October 30, 1957:

Travel to Disneyland / Nameless Emission / 19 min. / October 30, 1957

Radio subjects: Katja Schaer, Mehmet Gultas and Julien Bangerter

Article Web: Klara Soukup

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