Disneyland 50th Anniversary Celebrations

In 2005, The Walt Disney Company celebrated Disneyland’s 50th anniversary, marketed as the “Happiest Homecoming on Earth.” The official celebration began on May 5, with a dedication from Michael Eisner, Bob Iger, and Art Linkletter. On July 15th, 2005, Disneyland became the first ‘location’ to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The actual anniversary day (July 17) was an event marked more by the fans’ enthusiasm than by the company’s recognition. The first people began to line up at 3 p.m. the day before. Overnight, park management opened the gates of Disney’s California Adventure simply to house the thousands of people who showed up over the course of the night. A second line formed outside the security checkpoints as thousands more arrived in the final hours before the park opened. Disneyland opened at 7 a.m., although it took several hours to admit the crowds that showed up that morning.

At 10 a.m., Diane Disney Miller re-read her father’s original dedication speech in a ceremony with Art Linkletter, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, CEO-Elect Robert Iger, and CEO Michael Eisner. Later that day, a recording of Walt Disney’s original dedication speech was replayed throughout the park, exactly 50 years to the minute from when it was originally delivered. No other special events had been planned for the day, making for a much smaller celebration than the media blowout of May 5. There were also complimentary golden Mickey ears that were specifically made for July 17, along with cupcakes for the guests. Many of the people who had waited overnight left after the re-dedication. Although the gates had been temporarily closed in the morning, it was only done to control crowds which were flooding Main Street for the morning ceremony. The park never reached capacity that day.