July 17, 1955 –
That place is my baby, and I would prostitute myself for it. – Walt Disney
Disneyland, the happiest place in the world, opens in Anaheim, California on this date. Things didn’t go so well on that first day.
A 15 day heat wave raised temperatures up to 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, due to a plumbers strike, few water fountains were operating in the hot weather. Asphalt still steaming, because it had been laid the night before, literally “trapping” high heeled shoes. To add to the chaos, a gas leak forced the closing of several sections of the park.
If things didn’t turn around, I shudder at the thought of Ole Walt and his pal J. Edgar, having to walk the street in matching lipstick, handbag and stiletto, offering to ‘go around the world’ for 20 bucks to pay back his loans.
And so it goes
The Haus of Dcaligari 