On July 17, 1955, the gates of a brand-new amusement park swung open in Anaheim, California. The park was called Disneyland, the dream of cartoonist Walt Disney, who had spent years sketching its rivers, castles, and rocket ships on napkins. Opening day was meant to be perfect, with a televised live broadcast hosted by future president Ronald Reagan. Instead, it turned into a chaotic mess that Walt and his team would forever call 'Black Sunday.'
Nearly 28,000 people showed up - many with counterfeit tickets. The hot California asphalt was so fresh that ladies' high heels sank into it. A gas leak temporarily closed Fantasyland. Drinking fountains weren't working because of a plumbers' strike. Restaurants ran out of food. The Mark Twain steamboat got so crowded it nearly tipped over. Even so, kids' faces lit up as they walked under Sleeping Beauty Castle, rode the Mad Tea Party teacups, and saw Mickey Mouse waving from Main Street, U.S.A.
Walt didn't give up. He fixed every problem, then kept dreaming up more rides. Disneyland was the world's first 'theme park,' meaning each section had its own story - pirates, jungles, space, fairy tales. The idea was so popular that Disney built Walt Disney World in Florida, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, Shanghai Disneyland, and Hong Kong Disneyland. Today, more than 18 million people visit the original Anaheim park every year. Black Sunday is now just a funny story, and the place Walt called 'the happiest place on Earth' is exactly that for millions of families.
