Since the day Walt Disney boldly opened the gates to Disneyland Park – on July 17, 1955 – the concept of a Disney theme park has grown from a place where families could play together to multiple, world-class resorts where families and friends enjoy vacations around the globe. This July on its 64th anniversary, Disneyland is celebrating its largest expansion ever – the land of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge – while continuing to open its gates with an enduring, magical invitation: “To all who come to this happy place, welcome!”
Disneyland will commemorate its role as the original Disney theme park Wednesday, July 17, with festivities that include the “Happiest March on Earth” down Main Street, U.S.A. Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse will make a special appearance along with beloved Disney characters.
On Wednesday, July 17, 2019, beloved Disney characters will be joined by magical entertainment, including the Dapper Dans and the Disneyland Band, and march in a special cavalcade at Disneyland Park to commemorate the 64th anniversary of the Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif. The cavalcade will take place at 2:50 p.m. and 5:25 p.m., with stops at Sleeping Beauty Castle, “it’s a small world,” Main Street, U.S.A., and Town Square.
As part of the tribute to opening day, a recording of Walt Disney’s speech will be played again on July 17, 2019: “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.”
With that goal, Disneyland transformed the amusement industry. It delivered an entirely new concept in family entertainment: a “theme park” where rides, shows and characters become part of a total storytelling environment. Creativity, technology and innovation continue to bring stories to life, while fulfilling Walt’s promise that “Disneyland will never be completed … as long as there is imagination left in the world.”
The success of Disneyland Resort also results in $5.7 billion in total economic activity to the Southern California economy annually. The resort’s workforce of more than 31,000 cast members makes it the largest single-site employer in Orange County. The Disney Parks entertainment experience has expanded worldwide and is enjoyed by guests at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., Tokyo Disney Resort in Japan, Disneyland Paris in France, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Shanghai Disney Resort in mainland China.
In addition to the celebration on July 17th, guests will be able to enjoy the return of the Main Street Electrical Parade on August 2nd.
For a limited time, guests may see Mickey Mouse and his friends join the Disneyland Band for performances of “Mickey and Friends Band-Tastic Cavalcade” at Disneyland. This delightful procession will run twice daily, from July 18 through Aug. 1, featuring live music and a host of favorite Disney characters.