Colegiul National “Mihai Viteazul”

Sf.Gheorghe, Covasna

Lucrare scrisă în vederea obţinerii atestatului de limba şi

literatura engleză

Disneyland

Supervising teacher: Barabas Adriana Student: Chicet Claudia

XII C
May, 2018
 Colegiul National “Mihai Viteazul”
Sf.Gheorghe, Covasna

Disneyland

Supervising teacher: Barabás Adriana Student: Chicet Claudia

XII C

May, 2018
 Table of contents
Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………2

1.History……………………………………………………………………………………………......3
1.1. Origins………………………………………………………………………….…………….....3
1.2. Opening day………………………………………………………………………………….....4
1.3. 1990's…………………………………………………………………………………………...6
1.4. 21st century………………………………………………………………………………….….7

2. Lands……………………………………………………………………………….……………….9
2.1. Main Street, U.S.A.………………………………………………………………………….….9
2.2. Adventureland………………………………………………………………………………....10
2.3. Frontierland ……………………………………………………………………………….…...10
2.4. Fantasyland………………………………………………………………………..…………...10
2.5. Tomorrowland…………………………………………………………………………………..11
2.6. New Orleans Square………………………………………………………………..……….…..11
2.7. Critter Country………………………………………………………………………………….12
2.8. Mickey's Toontown……………………………………………………………………………..12

3. Operations……………………………………………………….…………………………………13
3.1. Theatrical terminology………………………………………………………………………….13
3.2. Backstage……………………………………………………………………………………….13
3.3. Transportation…………………………………………………………………………………..13
3.4. Live entertainment……………………………………………………………………………...15
3.5. Tickets…………………………………………………………………………………………..16
3.6. Closures…………………………………………………………………………………………17

4. Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………..…….…...18

5.Bibliography…………………………..……………………………………….…………………….19
Introduction

Disneyland Park, originally Disneyland, is the first of two theme parks built at the Disneyland
Resort in Anaheim, California, opened on July 17, 1955. It is the only theme park designed and
built under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. It was originally the only attraction on the
property; its official name was changed to Disneyland Park to distinguish it from the expanding
complex in the 1990s.
The first of Walt Disney's ventures, Disneyland Park is 85 acres of everything you love about
Disney - from the whimsical characters that dominate the rides and roam the walkways to the
sophisticated "animatronics" that wow visitors, no matter how many times they've been here.
Disneyland Park is divided into Main Street and 7 additional distinct lands. There's a reason to
visit each and every one of them.

Disneyland has a larger cumulative attendance than any other theme park in the world, with
over 650 million guests since it opened. According to a March 2005 Disney report, 65,700 jobs
are supported by the Disneyland Resort, including about 20,000 direct Disney employees and
3,800 third-party employees.
To all who 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 the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world. (— Walter E.
Disney, July 17, 1955 )
History
1.1. Origins
From groundbreaking on July 16, 1954 to opening day on July 17, 1955, Disneyland was built
in just one year.

The concept for Disneyland began when Walt Disney was visiting Griffith Park in Los Angeles
with his daughters Diane and Sharon. While watching them ride the merry-go-round, he came
up with the idea of a place where adults and their children could go and have fun together,
though his dream lay dormant for many years.
The initial concept, the Mickey Mouse Park, started with an 8-acre (3.2 ha) plot across
Riverside Drive.

After hiring a consultant to help him determine an appropriate site for his project, Walt bought a
160-acre (65 ha) site near Anaheim in 1953. Construction began in 1954 and the park was
 unveiled during a special televised press event on the ABC Television Network on July 17,
1955.

In 1952, the proposed project had been called Disneylandia, but Disney followed ABC's advice
and changed it to Disneyland two years later, when excavation of the site began.Construction
began on July 16, 1954 and cost $17 million to complete. The park was opened one year and
one day later.

1.2. Opening day

After one full year of rigorous construction demands and a total investment of $17 million, the
gates of Disneyland opened for its first guests on Sunday, July 17, 1955, 14h EDT. A special
'International Press Preview' event was held, which was only open to invited guests.
Six thousand invitations to the Grand Opening had been mailed to studio workers, construction
workers, the press and officials of company sponsors.

The highly anticipated Opening Day festivities, including the dedication and a parade, were
covered by ABC with a 90 minute live special, 'Dateline Disneyland', broadcasted between
7h30 and 9h p.m. EDT and hosted by television personalities Art Linkletter, Ronald Reagan and
Bob Cummings. At the time, it was one of the largest and most complex live broadcasts ever.
Ninety million viewers watched the coverage of the unveiling of the world’s most fabulous
kingdom.

Disneyland Park was open to the public on July 18, 1955 with only 20 attractions.
The event did not go smoothly. The park was overcrowded as the by-invitation-only affair was
plagued with counterfeit tickets. Only 11,000 people were expected to show up, but by mid-
afternoon, over 28,000 ticket holders were heading for the Disneyland, causing unprecedented
traffic jams.
 Southern California was suffering from a record heat wave with temperatures of over a 100
degrees Fahrenheit. A plumbers' strike left many of the park's drinking fountains dry. Rides
broke down shortly after opening and restaurants and refreshment stands ran out of food and
drink. A gas leak in Fantasyland caused Adventureland, Frontierland, and Fantasyland to close
for the afternoon.

Disneyland Park opened to the public on Monday, July 18, 1955 at 10 a.m. By 2 o’clock in the
morning, people were already lining up outside the park’s gates. The first person to buy a ticket
and enter the park was David MacPherson. He got admission ticket number two, as Roy O.
Disney arranged to pre-purchase ticket number one. Walt Disney had an official photo taken
with two children, Christine Vess Watkins and Michael Schwartner.

1.3. 1990s
The park's management team during the 1990s was a source of controversy among fans and
employees. In an effort to boost profits, various changes were begun by then-
executives Cynthia Harriss and Paul Pressler. While their initiatives provided a short-term
 increase in shareholder returns, they drew widespread criticism for their lack of foresight. The
retail backgrounds of Harriss and Pressler led to a gradual shift in Disneyland's focus from
attractions to merchandising.

1.4. 21st century

The "Happiest Homecoming on Earth" was an eighteen-month-long celebration (held through
2005 and 2006) of the fiftieth anniversary of the Disneyland Park, also celebrating Disneyland's
milestone throughout Disney parks worldwide. Attractions that had been in the park on opening
day had one ride vehicle painted gold, and the park was decorated with fifty Golden Mickey
Ears. The celebration started on May 5, 2005, and ended on September 30, 2006, and was
followed by the "Year of a Million Dreams" celebration, lasting twenty-seven months and
ending on December 31, 2008.
Beginning on January 1, 2010, Disney Parks hosted the Give a Day, Get a Disney
Day volunteer program, in which Disney encouraged people to volunteer with a participating
charity and receive a free Disney Day at either a Disneyland Resort or Walt Disney World park.
On March 9, 2010, Disney announced that it had reached its goal of one million volunteers and
ended the promotion to anyone who had not yet registered and signed up for a specific
volunteer situation.

In July 2015, Disneyland celebrated its 60th Diamond Celebration anniversary. Disneyland
Park introduced the Paint the Night parade and Disneyland Forever fireworks show,
and Sleeping Beauty Castle is decorated in diamonds with a large "60" logo. The Diamond
Celebration concluded in September 2016 and the whole decoration of the anniversary was
removed around Halloween 2016
2. Lands
Disneyland Park consists of eight themed "lands" and a number of concealed backstage areas,
and occupies approximately 85 acres (34 ha). The park opened with Main Street,
U.S.A., Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland, and has since
added New Orleans Square in 1966, Bear Country (now known as Critter Country) in 1972,
and Mickey's Toontown in 1993. Throughout the park are 'Hidden Mickeys', representations of
Mickey Mouse heads inserted subtly into the design of attractions and environmental decor.

2.1. Main Street, U.S.A.

Walt had planed out all the lands, to every detail. Main Street, U.S.A., the very front of the
park, was where Walt wanted to relive the typical turn of the century city Main Street.
2.2. Adventureland
Walt also had planed for an “exotic tropical place” in a “far-off region of the world.”
Called Adventureland. Walt said, “To create a land that would make this dream reality, we
pictured ourselves far from civilization, in the remote jungles of Asia and Africa.”

2.3. Frontierland
Frontierland was made to relive the pioneer days of the American frontier. Walt said:
“All of us have a cause to be proud of our country’s history, shaped by the pioneering spirit of
our forefathers. . .Our adventures are designed to give you the feeling of having lived, even for
a short while, during our country’s pioneer days.”

2.4. Fantasyland
Fantasyland was created with the goal to “make dreams come true” from the lyrics of “When
You Wish Upon a Star.”
2.5. Tomorrowland
Tomorrowland was created as a look at the “marvels of the future.”

2.6. New Orleans Square

New Orleans Square is based on 19th-century New Orleans, opened on July 24, 1966. It is very
popular with Disneyland guests, as it is home to some of the park's most popular
attractions: Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion, with nighttime entertainment
in Fantasmic!. This area is the home of the famous Club 33.
2.7. Critter Country
Critter Country opened in 1972 as "Bear Country", and was renamed in 1988. Today, the main
draw of the area is Splash Mountain, a log-flume journey inspired by the Uncle Remus stories
of Joel Chandler Harris and the animated segments of Disney's Academy Award-winning 1946
film, Song of the South..

2.8. Mickey's Toontown

Mickey's Toontown opened in 1993 and was partly inspired by the fictional Los Angeles suburb
of Toontown in the Touchstone Pictures' 1988 release Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Mickey's
Toontown is based on a 1930s cartoon aesthetic and is home to Disney's most popular cartoon
characters. Toontown features two main attractions: Gadget's Go Coasterand Roger Rabbit's
Car Toon Spin. The "city" is also home to cartoon character's houses such as the house
of Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Goofy, as well as Donald Duck's boat.
3. Operations
3.1. Theatrical terminology
Most importantly, Disneyland staff use theatrical terminology to emphasize that a visit to the
park is intended to be similar to witnessing a performance. Visitors are referred to as "guests"
and park employees as "cast members". "On stage" refers to any area of the resort that is open
to guests. "Backstage" refers to any area of the resort that is closed to guests. A crowd is
referred to as an "audience". "Costume" is the attire that cast members who perform the day-to-
day operations of the park must wear.

3.2. Backstage
Backstage areas are closed areas of attraction, store, and restaurant buildings, as well as outdoor
service areas located behind such buildings. Although some areas of the park, particularly New
Orleans Square, have underground operations and storage areas, there is no park-wide network
of subterranean tunnels, such as Walt Disney World's utilidors.There are several points of entry
from outside the park to the backstage areas: Ball Gate (from Ball Road), T.D.A. Gate (adjacent to
the Team Disney Anaheim building), Harbor Pointe (from Harbor Boulevard), and Winston Gate
(from Disneyland Drive).

3.3. Transportation
Throughout all the iterations of Disneyland during the seventeen or so years when Disney was
conceiving it, one element remained constant: a train encircling the park. Encircling Disneyland
and providing a grand circle tour is the Disneyland Railroad (DRR).
One of Disneyland's signature attractions is its Disneyland Monorail System monorail service,
which opened in Tomorrowland in 1959 as the first daily-operating monorail train system in
the Western Hemisphere. The monorail guideway has remained almost exactly the same since
1961.

All of the vehicles found on Main Street, U.S.A., grouped together as the Main Street Vehicles
attraction, were designed to accurately reflect turn-of-the-century vehicles, including a 3 ft (914
mm) gauge tramway featuring horse-drawn streetcars, a double-decker bus, a fire engine, and
an automobile.They are available for one-way rides along Main Street, U.S.A.
3.4. Live entertainment
In addition to the attractions, Disneyland provides live entertainment throughout the park. Most
of the mentioned entertainment is not offered daily, but only on selected days of the week, or
selected periods of the year.Fantasmic!, which debuted in 1992, is a popular multimedia
nighttime show on the Rivers of America. The star Mickey Mouse summons the characters and
spirit of beloved Disney cartoons and uses the power of imagination to defeat evil villains
trying to turn his dream into a nightmare.

Parades
Disneyland has featured a number of different parades traveling down the park's central Main
Street – Fantasyland corridor. There have been daytime and nighttime parades that celebrated
 Disney films or seasonal holidays with characters, music, and large floats. One of the most
popular parades is the Main Street Electrical Parade.

Fireworks shows
Elaborate fireworks shows synchronized with Disney songs and often have appearances
from Tinker Bell flying in the sky above Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Regular fireworks shows:

Fantasy in the Sky; Believe... There's Magic in the Stars; A Fantasy in the Sky; Remember...
Dreams Come True; Disney's New Nighttime Spectacular of Magical Celebrations; Together
Forever.
3.5. Tickets
On February 28, 2016, Disneyland adopted a demand-based pricing system for single-day
admission, charging different prices for "value", "regular", and "peak" days, based on projected
attendance. Approximately 30% of days will be designated as "value", mainly weekdays when
 school is in session, 44% will be designated as "regular", and 26% will be designated as "peak",
mostly during holidays and weekends in July.
3.6. Closures
Disneyland has had five unscheduled closures:
In 1963, following the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
In 1970, due to an anti-Vietnam riot instigated by the Youth International Party.
In 1987, on December 16th due to a winter storm.
In 1994, for inspection after the 1994 Northridge earthquake.
In 2001, after the September 11 attacks.
Conclusion

Studying about this theme I have learnt many new interesting things and great aspects of a
wonderful place called Disneyland. I have never experienced a day at Disneyland, because its too far
away, but I hope someday I will get there even if I will not be a kid anymore. I am now seeing
Disneyland in a totally different way.
Firstly, I was impressed when I found the history of Disneyland. I can not believe the park was
built in a year. It's incredible! Although Opening Day introduced Disneyland to decades of success and
widespread popularity, the park’s first day did not run smoothly. I think that the worst thing about that
day was temperatures that reached over 100 degrees, leaving tons of guests very hot and
uncomfortable.
The second thing that impressed me is that Walt had planed out all the lands, to every
detail. My favourite land is Fantasyland where “ these classic stories of everyone's youth have become
realities for youngsters - of all ages - to participate in." I like the idea of Sleeping Beauty Castle which
is in front of Fantasyland and it introduces you in Disneyland's fairy tale.
In conclusion, I strongly believe that this paper may be useful for everybody to remember that
everyone is a little bit young at heart. Why wouldn't you want to be there?Whether it's the fireworks,
the characters or, let's be honest, the dole whips, a trip to the happiest place on Earth only gets better
with age.
Bibliography:

1. www.wikipedia.org/- Disneyland
2. www.disneyland.disney.go.com/- the official website
3. www.duchessofdisneyland.com/
4. www.bookofdaystales.com – Disneyland Opens
5. www.justdisney.com - Disneyland’s History
6. www.thisfairytalelife.com/ - 59 Cool Facts About Disneyland
7. "News from the Disney Board — March 04, 2005". The Walt Disney Company. March
4, 2005.
8. Broggie, Michael. Walt Disney's Railroad Story: The Small-Scale Fascination That Led
to a Full-Scale Kingdom