Friday, September 7, 2018

LIFE Disneyland Opening Day Pictures, Now in Glorious Colors!



LIFE Magazine photographer Allan Grant was there on Disneyland opening day, July 17 1955, and shot dozens of awesome pictures which now became historical. I had posted most of them on D&M years ago but recently LIFE re-released some of Allan pics with the colors enhanced, looking better than ever and colors more accurate, so i repost these new versions that i'm sure you will enjoy!





Above, Walt aboard the Disneyland Railroad and below interviewed by Art Linkletter.



Let's move To Fantasyland where Walt is ready to deliver his Fantasyland opening speech in from of TV Cameras.























Disneyland very first day parade!
 

A rare picture of Walt on opening day, sit in a Main Street vehicle.



Here is a scene that you will NEVER see again in your life! A Disneyland cast-member "playing" Mickey on Main Street, apparently waiting to enter "on stage", with DL guests all around her ( as it is a girl in the Mickey costume ) as well as others characters like the Mad Hatter and Chip and Dale AND holding the Mickey head in her hands instead to have it on her head! Okay, it was bloody hot on Disneyland opening day, so we don't blame her!



We move to Frontierland with shots of the Mark Twain and Frontierland Saloon on opening day!








'Time for some refreshments for the saloon girls!



Let's move to Tomorrowland now, with its awesome TWA rocket, its Space Bar, Autopia and these simply but greatly designed flat parasols under which guests could sit and avoid sun rays.













And that's it! A last picture of Walt shot during the same opening day,  which no doubt was for Walt the day of HIS LIFE!



Pictures: copyright LIFE Magazine, shot by Allan Grant

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