How Disneyland has changed decade by decade

Orange County Register (multiple links in body of thread) | July 11-17, 2016 | Mark Eades

[EveningStar]

Part 1: This is how Disneyland looked in 1955

Part 2: This is how ​Disneyland changed from 1956 to 1959

Part 3: Here's how Disneyland looked and changed in the 1960s

Part 4: This is how Disneyland looked in the 1970s

Part 5: Star Tours, Captain EO, Splash Mountain – see how Disneyland changed in the 1980s

Part 6: From 'Fantasmic!' to Toontown, this is how Disneyland changed in the 1990s

Part 7: Gold, diamonds and new lands for the new century at Disneyland

[Dagnabitt]

I remember when there was a gondola cable ride that took you on a peaceful quiet ride from Fantasyland through the Mattahorn to Tomorrowland.

Apparently costs, or the inability of today’s public to behave themselves and not drop stuff on people, resulted in the gondola ride being removed.

[bigtoona]

Listen to Walt talk about how they changed the design of Disneyland to include liberty Street
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxihN_hEdmE

[workerbee]

That’s so cool!

I’ve never been to Disneyland. My first trip to DisneyWorld (Florida) was 2008, with my husband and 3 daughters. It really was “magical”.... but I love hearing about “all things Disney”, back before it all became... well... you know...

[Fiji Hill]

Disney had walked the east parking lot at the LA County Fairgrounds in Pomona with the city council. They told him, “We already have the Fair, we don’t need an amusement park.”

Anaheim would go on to become world-famous for its major league sports teams and as a site for conventions while Pomona would become a "low-rent" community to be avoided at night.

[morphing libertarian]

they have more space in the behind-the-scenes area then in the public part of the park.

[Fiji Hill]

I last visited Disneyland in 1969—and I live eight miles away.

[roadcat]

I miss the old Disneyland. There was a huge parking lot in front of the entrance. Once you had your ticket, you just strolled right in.

We just visited Disneyland 2 months ago. The former parking lot is now a plaza inside a security area between new lands and the old Disneyland. It takes a long time to snake your way past the security checkpoint to the interior plaza. If you go through the plaza to first shop at one of the new areas with Disney stores and restaurants, you must then wait in lines to again go through security checkpoints to get back to the plaza - a double check! Those lines are horrible, it took us an hour of waiting to get through before being able to enter and go to the old Disneyland.

What's worse is that there are no separating ropes between the lines leading to the security tables, so there can be ten or more lines that merge to four, causing friction between peoples as they merge. Really bad planning, Disney. The Disneyland of decades past, was much better.

[morphing libertarian]

after the watts riot the feds relocated parolees and welfare families to Pomona. The realtors in the other cities refused to sell houses to the feds.

Soon there were knife fights in the middle schools and the whites were leaving by the bs load.

We moved to Sacramento in 1978. In 77, Pomona was the armed robbery capitol of the US. (detroit was the murder capitol)

[Inyo-Mono]

Disneyland has changed over the years, wife and I were last there in 1995 when the kids were little.

[stylecouncilor]

Ping

[Walkingfeather]

great find

[corkoman]

Back then there were attractions so good they deserved an E Coupon.

[morphing libertarian]

when we moved in 78, I had 30+ A coupons in a drawer.

[beethovenfan]

Coming soon - Poofland

[rainee]

I grew up not too far away..who remembers the ticket books?
My mother n law was Alice in Wonderland in 1960’s..she has some very cool stories, memories! Disneyland different then & throughout the years but even in my 40’s..still get butterflies walking through the main entrance & now get to see it through my sons eyes.

[Nea Wood]

A friend of mine went to Disneyland just last week. They've been checking purses and backpacks for some time, and making random guests go through a metal detector. According to my friend, for the first time ever, everybody has to go through the metal detector now.

Sad times.

[Inyo-Mono]

I remember buying cigarettes out of a machine in Disneyland in 1968. 50¢ a pack! An incredibly high price at the time when it was 25¢ to 35¢ a pack everywhere else.

[umgud]

Dad piled us kids in our brand new 1956 Chevy station wagon (2 door, but not a Nomad) and left Kansas for CA and Disneyland. Been there more times than I can count, but not Disney World.

[bicyclerepair]

Think the Daily Mail just did an article about disgruntled disney employees. They can’t have piercings or tattoos and are mad because they have to look a certain way. Kids bother them etc. Boohoo.

One quote said if characters say “have a magical day” to you, it’s their way of saying go F yourself.

[jttpwalsh]

“the gondola ride being removed”

When I worked there, some @$$h0le tried to sue, because he “fell” out, when he “accidentally” opened the gondola door. Pretty difficult to do, since there was no door handle, on the inside.

Sure enough, a German tourist had been videotaping at the exact same time, and it showed the potential plaintiff reaching out, opening the external handle, and falling into one of only two tall trees, along the route.

The Disney lawyers figured it still wasn’t worth the risk, and it was removed, shortly there after....