

Sunday, July 17 was Disneyland’s 56th birthday. All of the cast members were wearing the birthday button pictured above.
Lee and I were there with our friends Tom and Kathy, who are from Virginia. They hadn’t been to Disneyland since about 1984! We had a really great day. The weather was beautiful – sunny and not too hot. And thanks to Carmageddon, the crowds were lighter than usual. Here’s a picture of the wait time board at about 3:00 in the afternoon. On a normal day many of these rides would have a 90 minute wait time.

They didn’t make a huge deal for the birthday this year, but there was a “birthday moment” in Town Square at 2:30. Lots of characters came dancing out from both sides of Town Square and then gathered around. They played Walt Disney’s opening day speech, and then we all sang “Happy Birthday”.

Most of the characters had balloons, and they came over to give them to a few lucky guests.

And then they all danced away.

Short and sweet, but a nice moment for cast and guests alike, I think.
Happy Birthday, Disneyland!
Thanks for this article, Laura. Hard to believe it’s been 6 yrs since the 50th celebration.
As an aside, have you ever heard fellow travelers mention any feedback on the Disneyland Express or a reputable towncar company in the L.A.area? We are visiting DL for the first time this year and contemplating which one we will use. Thanks!