Happy 53rd "Re-Dedication" Day - July 17th, 2008

[astrologic]

to quote the words of luna lovegood, " A circle has no beginning". so they all came first?

Just wanna say, I love that you quoted Luna Lovegood!


and of course - agreed with Steve hahaha.

[DisneyMouse]

I appreciate your focus on details, David, so to remain consistent, you should refrain from using the term "birthday" to describe July 18th in regards to Disneyland. "Birthday" invariably is defined as the date of birth of a person or other living thing, not a plot of land or something inanimate.

Who says Disneyland isn't a "living thing?"

This might be the adjective, but reason for debate can be found under verb, and noun...

1 a: having life
b: active, functioning <living languages>

2 a: exhibiting the life or motion of nature : natural <the wilderness is a living museum…of natural history — NEA Journal>
b: 2 live 2a

3 a: full of life or vigor
b: true to life : vivid <televised in living color>
c: suited for living <the living area>

4: involving living persons

5: very —used as an intensive <scared the living daylights out of me>

I'd say five out of five would make it a "living thing."

July 17, 1955: Grand opening of Disneyland. July 18 is the grand opening for the general public.

July 18, 1960: Disneyland celebrates its 5th Birthday on July 18 with a 5-foot-tall Birthday Cake.

July 17, 1965: Disneyland presents the "Tencennial Re-Dedication Day" featuring the "Disneyland Tencennial Celebration Parade."

I would also like to point out that one can celebrate their birthday on any day... I just went to a birthday party this past weekend in celebration of a friend who's brithday was the month before...

Not to mention on July 17th Disneyland had 28,154 in attendance, and another 90 million watched on ABC as Walt dedicated is dream to his Guests:

"To all that come to this happy place: welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past, and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America... with hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world." ~Walt Disney

Having said that, on this day of July 17th I wish you Disneyland, a very Happy Birthday! =)

[I Heart Disneyland]

Okay, so, the article says, "July 17, 1955: Grand opening of Disneyland."

That was good enough for me! July 17 it is! People were there on July 17, Walt gave his speech that day. To me....this makes July 17 THE day!

[Craigroy8287]

But in Jurassic Park, they say Disneyland didn't open until 1956.

That's great that you remembered that. LOL

[astrologic]

Who says Disneyland isn't a "living thing?"

This might be the adjective, but reason for debate can be found under verb, and noun...

1 a: having life
b: active, functioning <living languages>

2 a: exhibiting the life or motion of nature : natural <the wilderness is a living museum…of natural history — NEA Journal>
b: 2 live 2a

3 a: full of life or vigor
b: true to life : vivid <televised in living color>
c: suited for living <the living area>

4: involving living persons

5: very —used as an intensive <scared the living daylights out of me>

I'd say five out of five would make it a "living thing."

Not to mention on July 17th Disneyland had 28,154 in attendance, and another 90 million watched on ABC.

That is awesome to think of Disneyland as a living thing; something I haven't ever done, but I like the idea of it a lot.

[Grumpy4]

You're all wrong, Walt Disney World came first.

I thought the argument was the chicken or the egg?

[mycroft16]

I think DisneyMouse is right here... Disneyland is a living entity. It may not be flesh and blood but it certainly has a life and motion all it's own, growing and evolving with time. It may have been just a collection of buildings and such while it was being built... but on the 17th of July 53 years ago, Walt Disney himself breathed life into it with one of the most touching dedication speeches ever.

[Rex Dopey24]

anyhow, I am looking forward to the celebration tomorrow on a friday yay. lol.

[DisneyMouse]

Disneyland is a living entity. It may not be flesh and blood but it certainly has a life and motion all it's own, growing and evolving with time. It may have been just a collection of buildings and such while it was being built... but on the 17th of July 53 years ago, Walt Disney himself breathed life into it with one of the most touching dedication speeches ever.

Here, here!

[sir clinksalot]

I would also like to point out that one can celebrate their birthday on any day...

Right ... and DISNEY (the ones that own DISNEYland) celebrate it today.

The end.

[JiminyCricketFan]

I always wanted two birthdays... It means twice the presents and cake!

[adamvonwillis]

DLR Cast Exclusive Pin Released
http://dizpins.com/archives/images/2...nniversary.jpg
Disneyland® park 53rd Anniversary

Edition Size: 500
Retail: $6.55

[mycroft16]

That's a cool looking pin! Thanks for sharing that (and welcome).

[DisneyMouse]

Right ... and DISNEY (the ones that own DISNEYland) celebrate it today.

The end.

Well... the quote back from 1960 says they're "celebrating" it on the 18th... though really, I think that was just Disney suits being bad parents and trying to cover up the fact that they forgot about it... "No, no! We remembered... uh, we're just celebrating it a day latter... Happy Birthday!" =P

[fo'c's'le swab]

Since there is a conspicuous lack of Darkbeer, and no one seems willing to defend his position, I'll take a turn.

I might ask where you draw the distinction between July 17 and 18 in terms of an anniversary date. Is it because on one day the guests were formally invited, and the other day, presumptively invited? If that is your distinction, it seems pretty thin to me.

I think this is exactly the premise. One day was invitation only--not open to the public-at-large. DL as we know it--the open-to-all Magic Kingdom was NOT open to all on the 17th, but the 18th. We celebrate Walt's massive private party on the 17th. DL was open to the general paying public (with less fanfare) on the 18th.
The public DL did not exist until the 18th. If we are celebrating the incarnation of DL that we all know and love, we should use the 18th. If what we are commemorating is the first of many large DL Private Parties, we should continue to celebrate the 17th.

Could we not also consider Disneyland's 1954 groundbreaking to be the anniversary of the Park--when it crossed the threshold from concept to reality?

Or maybe the day physical construction began?
http://www.justdisney.com/disneyland/history.html

Or the day the deed for the property was finalized? Or the day Disney first thought of such a notion? Or maybe Walt's birthday itself?
To compare these arbitrary dates to Darkbeer's arguably valid date (a date THAT DISNEY THEMSELVES RECOGNIZED for many years) is unreasonably dismissive of his point, IMO.

In my personal opinion, the date of the Park's "christening" might logically be assumed to be the anniversary date (while "christen" is a term generally defined as the Christan ceremony of bestowing a name on a baby, it can also be used secularly, as in "To name; To name and dedicate ceremonially; or To use for the first time (emphasis mine).

From what I have read, DL had already been used for the first time BEFORE the 17th. Already in use before a christening or dedication? Not much of a christening, IMO.
True, its prior use was for invitation only, but so was the 17th. Why is the standard here being applied differently? The real public had access to DL only on the 18th. Not before. It was a red carpet premiere--which happens BEFORE public release in most cases--sometimes a full day before.

This seems to me a far more logical anniversary date for a collection of inanimate objects and buildings that had been assembled in one place, rather than the specious reasoning that "on July 18th, guests without formal invitations were admitted to the property."

The public opening of DL on the 17th was anything but public. Call it the 17th or 18th, I suppose it makes little difference to most, but the DL I can walk up to and gain admission to without prior invitation was born on the 18th. I think this is Darkbeer's point, and a relatively sound position to defend.

Which begs the question: Do you believe that Disneyland only "became" after the general public set foot within the Berm? Please defend this point, if you can.

Already attempted above^^.

It's certainly no skin off my nose which date anyone prefers to use. I would ask you, David, however, to back up your assertions logically--i.e., not necessarily relying on Disney PR (which, as you no doubt realize, has a shady record for keeping track of its own history).

And yet you are using the same aforementioned PR machine's DL opening day program as evidence that DL true anniversary is on the 17th. You justify your argument by citing this as the date the PR machine kicked into high gear promoting a Park not yet open to the general paying public.