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Walt Disney is born to parents Elias and Flora Disney. Disneyland would never have been possible without Walt to dream it up.
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The Disney farm in Marceline, MO was perhaps the most vivid memory of Walt Disney. Downtown Marceline served as the major inspiration for iconic Main Street USA at Disneyland.
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Though legend has it that he began the first sketches on a business trip to Chicago, Disney would draw many sketches for his future Disneyland between 1945 and 1950
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The earliest documented draft of Disney's plans was sent as a memo to studio production designer Dick Kelsey, where it was referred to as a "Mickey Mouse Park"
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Walt's first foray into amusement, his backyard train named "The Carolwood Pacific" took its first voyage on May 15, 1950. This served as inspiration for the Disneyland railroad and Disneyland itself on a larger scale.
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A televised "sneak peak" of Disneyland, "One Hour in Wonderland" would ultimately turn into a weekly TV show called "Disneyland"
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Walt Disney forms WED Enterprises (based on his inititals) to oversee construction of Disneyland and other non-film projects he plans to pursue.
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At the cost of about $17 million, construction for Disneyland began.
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The first TV show directly dedicated to Disneyland (yet inspired by An Hour in Wonderland) airs on national TV.
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Often referred to as "Black Sunday", Disneyland officially opened on July 17, 1955. So many things went wrong that day. There was an issue with the plumbing that forced Disney to pick between working toilets and water fountains. Disney chose the former of the two. The day was very hot and many people cynically thought that the water fountains were turned off to encourage people to buy soft drinks. The asphalt melted in the heat when ladies' high heeled shoes sunk in. Many of the rides broke down
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Disney took several exhibits to the 1964 World's Fair in New York, NY. The technology they took would be instrumental in the creation of "Animatronics" which are robotic "actors" that Disneyland is world famous for today.
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Walt Disney loses his battle with lung cancer at the age of 65 in Burbank, California
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Disneyland expands for the first time. Walt famously said that Disneyland will never be finished, and a major expansion 35 years after he died proves that.
