(Credit: David Butow—Corbis/Getty Images)Walt Disney stands by a model of Disneyland circa 1954. According to the Los Angeles Times, ABC chairman Leonard Goldenson lent Walt Disney the money he needed to build Disneyland in return for a weekly television show produced by Disney and aired on ABC.
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.
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
