California

The story behind the day out

A new way to organize a day of amusement

Disneyland opened in Anaheim to an invited audience on 17 July 1955, with public admission beginning the following day. Its lands, buildings and attractions were designed to contribute to a coordinated visitor experience. That specific model became an important reference point for later themed parks. It did not erase California’s other amusement traditions, but added a new approach to how a park could organize entertainment and storytelling.