Disney Wallpaper Free: Disney Christmas Wallpaper

Disney Christmas Wallpaper Biography

Disneyland opened to a star-studded fanfare on July 17th, 1955. The opening of "the Happiest Place on Earth" was a media event that, even as late as the 1990's, has rarely been exceeded for glitz, glamour, excitement, and drama. Walt Elias Disney himself dedicated the park and each of the individual "lands" within it's bermed boundaries. Main Street USA, Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland made up the lineup at that time. New Orleans Square, Critter Country (formerly Bear Country), and Toontown have since been added. Each of the original lands has been altered -- and had new attractions added -- over the years.Disneyland was Walt's dream. For years he dreamed and hoped of building a "little family park" where parents could take their children for a day of fun -- for both kids and adults. The amusement parks of the 1920's and 30's were tawdry, dirty, sleazy places. The short-lived turn-of-the-century family ambience of Coney Island had turned into a hard-boiled rough and tumble atmosphere. Other parks across the country were no better. By the early 1950's, Cedarpoint, in Ohio, had begun to pass it's apex and began a steady decline as did Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's Kennywood Park (both of which have experienced tremendous improvements in the 1980's and '90's). Still, Walt felt that it was possible to build a different kind of park...a "themed" park that had fun attractions and a beautiful atmosphere...a park that wouldn't decline into an ugly, gaudy, cheap place...a park that "would never be completed -- as long as there is imagination in the world."The first incarnation of what eventually became Disneyland was planned to be built at the Disney Studio lot on Hyperion Avenue in Burbank. Walt's grandiose plans for attractions soon made it clear that the small lot wouldn't be anywhere near large enough. With no money, and many other projects underway already, Walt shelved his ideas for the time being.The second world war had a devastating effect on the Disney Studios. The facility was taken over by the military. The studio spent the duration producing military training films and war bonds sales pitches and designing unit insignia and emblems. Many of the studio animators were inducted into the military. It took years for the company to recover from the war's consequences.Finally, with the studio back in good running order, Walt's attention returned to his theme park. A breakthrough occurred in 1953 and 1954 when Walt figured out how to finance his park. Television, which was sweeping the country at the time, needed good, family-oriented programming. One of the major networks, NBC wasn't interested. Ironically ABC -- the same network that The Walt Disney Company now owns, was. The deal included a year-long television show that would provide frequent updates on the construction of the new park. The rest of the show was filled with Disney's signature material. True Life Adventure films, Disney's precious stock of animated shorts, and several live action serials, enjoyed a new popularity in 1954 due mostly to the television show "Disneyland".
Construction of "The Happiest Place on Earth" was completed in one year, a tremendous engineering and planning success that is still to be admired. Joe Fowler (incidentally the namesake of "Fowler's Harbor" where Columbia is berthed on the Rivers of America), hired by the Disney Company to manage the construction effort, did a tremendous job. Even though plagued by strikes, shortages, and a lack of freeway transportation to the area (The Santa Anna freeway wasn't yet complete as far as Anaheim during most of the construction). Admiral Joe kept things on track.During it's original construction and during the first decade of operation, Walt kept his own hand on the design of Disneyland. The first actual rendering of the park, drawn by Herb Ryman, was personally directed by Walt. The drawing was instrumental in securing the balance of the financial backing Walt needed. The design of Sleeping Beauty's castle, so named because the movie by that name was soon to be released, the concepts of many of the attractions, the high standards for the landscaping -- Bill Evan's domain, and much else is directly attributed to Walt. Furthermore, the Jungle Cruise, the Tiki Room, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Rivers of America, the Fantasyland dark rides, Storybookland and many other attractions...all were conceived or developed or somehow improved by Walt's personal involvement.

Disney Christmas Wallpaper