Disneyland, known as The Happiest Place on Earth, celebrates its 70th anniversary on July 17, 2025. Over the last 40 years, I have had the distinct honor of interviewing Disney cast members – and some who would become cast members – who were on hand for Disneyland’s opening. This is one in a series on that important day in Disney history.
*******
Jack Lindquist had the opportunity to walk around Disneyland a few weeks before opening day as a representative of Kelvinator, which was one of Disneyland’s many corporate sponsors.
He began his self-guided tour by walking out to Town Square, where he saw the railroad station, the opera house, a fire station, and City Hall, all nearing completion.
His eyes then glanced at a large department store, called The Emporium, then the Upjohn drug store, the Kodak photo shop and the Carnation ice cream parlor.
Then he looked straight up Main Street USA in awe “of a real fairytale castle under construction,” he said.
“At that moment, I realized that this Disney guy wasn’t building some nickel-and-dime amusement park. This was an entirely new concept in entertainment. It was damn exciting.”
He brought that excitement home and told his wife about this great new place. He also told her that he was given three VIP invitations, courtesy of Kelvinator, to attend what was called The Invitational Press Preview on July 17, 1955 … later infamously dubbed Black Sunday.
Disney’s plan all along was to have invited guests arrive at different times of the day to avoid a crush of people all at once.
That plan quickly dissolved into chaos as everyone wanted to come early to see the celebrities – including Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and Danny Thomas – make their grand entrances.
According to Jack, the original idea was to invite 8,000 people, which included celebrities, members of the media and heads of corporations.
But when you add a significant amount of folks with counterfeit tickets … and you have a recipe for mayhem.
After talking up the park to his wife and children, Jack’s first Disneyland experience was a disaster – long lines, ride malfunctions, oppressive heat and the primitive versions of Disney costumed characters looking downright hideous.
When you add in the fact that his young son got stuck on the Canal Boats of the World attraction in Fantasyland for nearly an hour, Jack became “more disenchanted by the minute with the supposed ‘happiest place on Earth’.”
After a few more hours of sweaty frustration, the Lindquists left Disneyland and drove to nearby Knotts Berry Farm for a chicken dinner.
Several weeks after Disneyland’s infamous Black Sunday, Jack received a call from Ed Ettinger of Disneyland public relations, who asked him if he could recommend someone for the position of advertising manager at Disneyland.
On a whim, Jack recommended himself. “I was hoping you’d say that,” was Ettinger’s response.
Jack began working for Disneyland on Sept. 26, 1955.
He had an office in City Hall and his “department” consisted of one employee – himself. “I was the manager of no one, so I guess I did a good job,” he said.
Jack would go on to distinguish himself as a bonafide marketing genius, dreaming up now-legendary promotions that solidified Disneyland’s standing as The Happiest Place on Earth, including Grad Nites, Disney Dollars and Vacationland magazine.
As we get ready to mark Disneyland’s 70th anniversary, we’re reminded that it was Jack Lindquist who was behind the park’s very first anniversary celebration.
He called it Tencennial, in honor of Disneyland’s 10th birthday back in 1965.
Years later, during the planning stages for EPCOT at Walt Disney World, Jack traveled the globe in an effort to enlist corporate sponsors for pavilions in World Showcase.
While there were many successes, there were a few misses, including failed attempts to enlist financial sponsorship from Iran and the Philippines.
Jack capped off his Disney Legend-worthy career by being named Disneyland’s first president. He held the post from 1990 until his retirement in 1993.
He was named a Disney Legend and has a window in his honor on Disneyland’s City Hall … where he once had an office.
NEXT: Van France saw first-hand what “car-mageddon” looked like.
Chuck Schmidt is an award-winning journalist and retired Disney cast member who has covered all things Disney since 1984 in both print and on-line. He has authored or co-authored eight books on Disney, including his latest, Marty, Mickey and Me, for Theme Park Press. He has written a regular blog for AllEars.Net, called Still Goofy About Disney, since 2015.
Great article. I know a lot about Disney history but this was all brand new to me.