A Goofy Ride: 50 Years of Disneyland
ORLANDO, Fla., May 5, 2005 — -- When Walt Disney traveled across the United States in the early 1950s to meet with amusement park operators and discuss his plans for a theme park based on his characters, they called him goofy, dopey -- and a whole lot worse.
"No one in the amusement business really thought Disneyland had a chance," said Dennis Spiegel of International Theme Park Services, which works with parks in 40 countries.
"They thought Disney was this Hollywood entertainer drunk on the success of his cartoons and movies," Spiegel said. "The word 'theme park' didn't even exist."
Today, as Disney (the parent company of ABC News) launches "The Happiest Celebration on Earth," it's abundantly clear that the company founder invented an industry that revolutionized family entertainment. But as Disney prepares to open its 11th park (in Hong Kong), and with competition from existing parks growing, Disneyland's 50th anniversary comes along with tremendous challenges -- and the success of the company's theme parks are critical to its overall future.
"Here is where our characters live and our stories come to life," said Robert Iger, Disney's CEO-elect, at a presentation introducing a new wave of attractions and family-focused vacation plans to an auditorium with more than 500 reporters.
Industry Took a Hit on 9/11
Growth in the theme park industry is not what it once was. Since the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, roller-coaster operators have been hurtled downward, as a shaky economy and fears over security slowed the travel business.
Only last year did it seem apparent that the industry was turning the corner. Attendance at the top 50 North American theme parks was up 4 percent last year, a return for the first time to pre-Sept. 11 figures, according to Amusement Business, a trade publication.
Last year, more than an estimated 169 million people in America -- and 252 million worldwide -- strapped themselves into thrill rides like Space Mountain, and Disney accounts for eight of the world's Top 10 most-visited theme parks.
With the challenge to keep up growth, the 18-month "Happiest Celebration" kicks off with many of Disney's classic attractions getting extreme makeovers. A team of seven stylists worked for four months to give the 289 singing dolls of "it's a small world" a new wardrobe. Disney engineers -- called "imagineers" -- gave Space Mountain a more brilliant universe for visitors to rocket through.
At Disney World's Magic Kingdom, Cinderella will be crowned the "princess of all princesses." And just to leave no doubt, Disney's other royalty -- including Snow White and Belle of "Beauty and the Beast" -- will be on hand for this "Cinderellabration" stage musical.
In this age of high-tech gizmos, Disney's famous audio-animatronics -- the talking robots that depict pirates and presidents -- may not cause little kids' eyes to pop the way they once did.
Robot Dino Burps and Coos
But Disney's trying to stay ahead of the curve. One of the latest editions is a 9-foot-tall, 450-pound robotic dinosaur named "Lucky," who will be let loose in Animal Kingdom to roam among the visitors. He burps and coos when he's petted.
By January, Disney plans to top Space Mountain with an even bigger manmade mound. Expedition Everest, a 20-story mountain, will take Disney World visitors on a roller-coaster ride along waterfalls and over snow peaks.
The driving need to keep up attendance might also make "The Happiest Celebration on Earth" the best bargain Disney World has offered in years. The company is offering steep discounts. Visitors can buy seven-day tickets that effectively drop the price of daily admission in half.
Disney is also offering a new "Magical Express" service to remove the hassles of baggage handling. If you stay at a Disney hotel, this service allows you to check in your bag at your local airport and have it delivered directly to your room.
The service is aimed to appeal to travelers who are so turned off by long lines at airports that they're hesitant to travel at all. Disney's new plan is to focus on longer hotel stays rather than weekend getaways.
"We found that families were taking four-day vacations," said Al Weiss, president of Walt Disney World Resorts. "We want to go into the future with that same family coming here for a week."