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

[Darkbeer]

Well, the Orange County Register has helped me out with some new information....

http://ocresort.freedomblogging.com/...ears/#more-846

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.”

This information makes it crystal clear, that Disneyland's Birthday is on July 18th!, and that in 1965, Disney did have a "Re-Dedication" day on a Saturday (July 17th), but it looks like that was done since they were premiering a new Summer Parade and wanted to have it start on Saturday instead of Sunday....

Well, hope to see some of you at Noon today for a celebration of the "Re-Dedication", and then at 4 PM for Flag Retreat and the "Re-Dedication" ceremony.

And of course, tomorrow, Friday, July 18th at Noon at the Hub in celebration of Disneyland's 53'rd official Birthday!

[sir clinksalot]

Disneyland celebrate's it's birthday on the 17th. It's the 17th. Nuff' said. In 1965 it might have been "re-dedication" day, but in 2008 it's Birthday, or Anniversary ... or whatever.

Catch up with the times.

[Olympicnut]

We get it, D-land's official public opening day was the 18th. How many times do you need to force this down our throats?

[Tui]

[techskip]

Veteran's Day was initially called Armistice Day, but you rarely hear it called that anymore. I'm sure if you looked up the history you could see when it officially switched over. I believe the same concept applies here. At some point in Disneyland's history the decision was made to switch the name, and the date. It does not negate the fact that July 18th was the official public opening. However the decision to celebrate early, and advertise it accordingly, is completely up to the company. The fact that most major anniversaries in recent memory all centered on the 17th indicates which date the company prefers. If we really wanted to we could continue to refer to Knott's Berry Farm as Knott's Berry Place, and ignore the decision that was made to rename it. A birthday is still a birthday, and the date itself may not change, but the decision to celebrate it is up to the company.

[larasound]

Classic!

[sailerm]

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

[Steve DeGaetano]

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.

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.

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?

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).

By these definitions, Disneyland was christened, i.e., Walt uttered the dedication speech, and the Park was used for the first time (although, to be precise, the park had been used prior, during the Penthouse Party, for example. However, the entire park was not available to guests).

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."

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.

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).

[littlecricket]

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

Yah, but if the Pirates of the Caribbean breaks down, the pirates don't eat the tourists.





But oh, how I wish they would.

[sir clinksalot]

Steve, that was brilliant.

[sir clinksalot]

Yah, but if the Pirates of the Caribbean breaks down, the pirates don't eat the tourists.





But oh, how I wish they would.

It should be: "If the tourists take flash pictures on Pirates of the Caribbean, the pirates eat the tourists".

[GrouchyRob]

I got the sudden urge to ride Soaring or Screaming just from reading this thread.

Hope everyone has fun today at the thingy.

[hollywood1939]

But your source says the Grand Opening of Disneyland was on the 17th. So confusing.

[aashee]

Happy Re-Dedication day to you!!!! Happy Re-Dedication day to you!!!!

[Steve DeGaetano]

I note, David, that you only pulled select quotes. Why didn't you pull this one?

Disneyland Spokesman John McClintock said the park’s birthday today

I also note that in 1970, only 15 years after the Park opened, the anniversary date had "switched" (or, perhaps more precisely, was "corrected," hmmm??) to July 17. So...for--at most--the anniversary was celebrated on the 18th for a mere 14 years, while the 17th was celebrated for the following 39 years.

Again, you crazy iconoclast--I suppose you can believe what you want--unsupported logically though it may be.