Yes, that’s right, Disneyland opened 63 years ago today, on July 17, 1955. While a lot has changed in those 63 years, it’s still true that as you pass under the train station:
“Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy”
You know, I really like that message, because I think it encourages us to appreciate our history and our imagination, and gives us hope for the future.
In honor of Disneyland’s birthday, I thought it would be fun to write a little quiz, and see how much you all know about the early days of Disneyland. We haven’t quite worked out the details of doing it completely on-line yet, so the answers are at the bottom of this blog.
If you enjoy the quiz, please let us know, and we’ll try to do more of this kind of thing.
1. Which of these attractions did NOT open on Disneyland’s opening day in 1955?
A. Peter Pan’s Flight
B. Autopia
C. Matterhorn Bobsleds
D. Mark Twain Steamboat
2. What was the price of an adult Disneyland admission ticket on July 18, 1955, the first day the general public could enter the park?
A. $1.00
B. $0.75
C. $0.50
D. $0.25
3. Disneyland’s Main Street, USA is thought to be inspired by what real-life town?
A. Marceline, Missouri
B. Omaha, Nebraska
C. Independence, Kansas
D. Moline, Illinois
4. When Disneyland opened, most attractions required purchase of an additional ticket to ride, with some attractions costing more. What was used to distinguish the different ticket values?
A. Colors
B. Disney Characters
C. Fruits and Vegetables
D. Letters
5. Aunt Jemima’s Pancake House was an early Disneyland restaurant. What current Disneyland restaurant occupies the same location?
A. Carnation Cafe
B. Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe
C. Plaza Inn
D. River Belle Terrace
6. Which of these methods of transportation was not available when Disneyland opened?
A. Trolley Car
B. Stagecoach
C. Monorail
D. Train
7. What future U.S. president was present on Disneyland’s opening day?
A. John Kennedy
B. Richard Nixon
C. Ronald Reagan
D. Gerald Ford
8. Which of the following lands was added a number of years after Disneyland opened?
A. Frontierland
B. New Orleans Square
C. Adventureland
D. Tomorrowland
9. Before Disneyland was built, what types of trees were growing on the land?
A. Apple
B. Avocado
C. Lemon
D. Orange
10. What opening day attraction traveled the longest distance?
A. Disneyland Railroad
B. Stagecoach Ride
C. Jungle Cruise
D. Casey Jr. Circus Train
Answers
1. Which of these attractions did NOT open on Disneyland’s opening day in 1955?
They opened in 1959.
2. What was the price of an adult Disneyland admission ticket on July 18, 1955, the first day the general public could enter the park?
3. Disneyland’s Main Street, USA is thought to be inspired by what real-life town?
4. When Disneyland opened, most attractions required purchase of an additional ticket to ride, with some attractions costing more. What was used to distinguish the different ticket values?
5. Aunt Jemima’s Pancake House was an early Disneyland restaurant. What current Disneyland restaurant occupies the same location?
(And that’s AllEars.net’s own Debra Martin Koma on the left in the photo below! Adorable!)
6. Which of these methods of transportation was not available when Disneyland opened?
The monorail began operation in 1959.
7. What future U.S. president was present on Disneyland’s opening day?
8. Which of the following lands was added a number of years after Disneyland opened?
New Orleans Square opened in 1966.
9. Before Disneyland was built, what types of trees were growing on the land?
10. What opening day attraction traveled the longest distance?
How did you do? Were the questions too hard? Too easy? We would appreciate your feedback by leaving a comment using the form below. Thank you!
Thank you Laura, I’m a bit late getting to this but enjoyed it so much. With some guess work, some knowledge (probably gained from allears!) I managed to get 70% – a pass 🙂
I also learned a lot from this. I’m from the UK but I would still think that a buck for a day ticket (plus the extra cost of the ride booklets) was still not cheap in those days.
More quizzes please.
Loved it! My West coast Disney knowledge isn’t as strong as my East coast and I missed one, but it was fun! Thanks!
Laura replies: You did very well! If I hadn’t put it together I would’ve missed at least one. 🙂 Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Loved this quiz!!!! Missed 2, jingle cruise and river belle terrace. Too much fun!!!
Laura replies: Hi Kathe. Good job! Thanks for the feedback – so glad you enjoyed it.
That was fun, Laura. We’d love to do these every so often. Thanks!
Laura replies: Thank you, Scott – I appreciate the feedback. We hope to do more of them, on both Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
I really enjoyed the quiz! I learned a lot that I didn’t know!
Laura replies: Thank you, Liz – I’m glad you enjoyed doing it.
I loved this Quiz, please do more
Laura replies: Thank you for the feedback, Barbara – so glad you enjoyed it. We hope to do more quizzes in the future.