On July 17, 1955, Disneyland opened its gates for the first time to tens of thousands of people. The California park’s opening-day gala drew a crowd of 11,000 invited guests, as well as several thousand more who attempted to get in with counterfeit tickets.
Seventy years later, the “happiest place on Earth” still attracts fans of all ages, from young children to self-proclaimed “Disney adults.” About 17.3 million people walked through the turnstiles in 2023, compared to the estimated four million people who attended during Disneyland’s first full year.
Those in attendance on opening day were charged a whopping $1 entry fee, plus an additional 10 to 30 cents per ride. Even accounting for inflation, the $50 ticket in today’s dollars (which includes the entry fee plus around 10 rides) is just a portion of today’s cost of attendance, which ranges from $104 to $206 per person depending on the time of year.
But Disneyland has expanded a lot since its grand opening: The 160 acres consisting of four lands (Adventureland, Fantasyland, Frontierland, and Tomorrowland) has since turned into about 550 acres made up of nine lands, the California Adventure theme park, a shopping strip, parking lots, and more. And another expansion is on its way.
In May of last year, the Anaheim City Council approved DisneylandForward, a proposal that allows Disney to expand the theme park onto Disney-owned land, which was previously only allowed to be used for parking lots and hotels. California Adventure will add two attractions to the Avengers Campus, a “Coco”-themed ride, and an Avatar destination, construction of which will begin next fall.
In celebration of the park’s 70th anniversary, Disneyland will also be unveiling an animatronic version of Walt Disney as part of the new show Walt Disney—A Magical Life. Additionally, the quintessential Disneyland ride It’s a Small World will add a final verse to its catchy tune, which was introduced to Disneyland in 1966.
