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Disneyland opened half-finished
A rough first day
The day before, Walt put on a mask and helped paint the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea exhibit. In the heat, newly poured asphalt softened, and legend has women's high heels sinking into it. With the fountains dry, the only thing to drink was a Pepsi, and the restaurants ran out of food.
Rides broke down all day. Mr. Toad's Wild Ride went dark because it drew too much from the power grid, and the Mark Twain riverboat began to sink after its operator let 500 people aboard, double the 250 allowed.
That first day was a preview for the press and invited guests. Fifteen thousand people were invited, and an estimated 30,000 showed up.
The broadcast
ABC covered the day with 22 live cameras and a large crew, anchored by Art Linkletter, Bob Cummings, and future president Ronald Reagan. It was the largest live telecast in the world to that point, and 83 million people tuned in, nearly half of America. By the end of the first week, 160,000 people had visited, and the millionth visitor walked in two months after opening.
Why did so many extra people get in?
Accounts of the day say counterfeit tickets circulated, and the park filled far beyond the guest list. Disney staff later nicknamed the day Black Sunday. The press preview was broadcast live, so the problems played out on camera. The park opened to the general public the next day, July 18, 1955.
Why does fresh asphalt go soft in heat?
Asphalt binds gravel and sand together with bitumen, a thick petroleum-based material that softens as it warms. Pavement in direct sun can run far hotter than the surrounding air. A fresh mix has also had little time to harden. Road engineers today pick binders by performance grade to suit the temperature range of each region.
Why did ABC have to broadcast it live?
Practical videotape recording was not available in 1955. Ampex demonstrated the first commercially useful videotape recorder in 1956. Before that, a program that was not live had to be filmed with a camera pointed at a monitor or shot on film. Live broadcasting was the only way to show the opening as it happened.
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