DISNEYLAND

On this date in 1955, Disneyland was opened with ceremonies led by Walt Disney. Here is his dedication. " To all who enter this happy place, welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here, age relives fond memories of the past and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams and the hard facts that have created America...with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world. Thank you."

I was ten years old at the time. I remember being amazed by pictures of the park on our black and white TV. Visiting it was beyond imagination. It was the first of a glut of theme parks built around the country. By today's standards, it is small and somewhat dated especially when compared to Disney World in Orlando. But it has a charm to it that I would guess you can find nowhere else. Forty years later, in 1995, my wife and I did visit the park and had a wonderful time. A plaque over the entrance reads, "HERE YOU LEAVE TODAY AND ENTER THE WORLD OF YESTERDAY, TOMORROW AND FANTASY"