WEDway Radio #078 - Opening Day Spectacular!

WEDway Radio - Walt Disney World and Disneyland Examined with some Disney History

Nate and Matt Parrish

Places & Travel, Arts, Society & Culture

4.9 • 706 Ratings

🗓️ 11 July 2011

⏱️ 77 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode of WEDway Radio Nate and Matt celebrate Disneylands birthday with again this year by taking a look at an important event in the history of Disneyland, the International Press Preview on July 17, 1955 and the opening day TV special that aired to national audience of 90 million people. The TV show was hosted by Art Linkletter, Ronald Reagan and Bob Cummings. Probably the most recognizeable part of the show is the dedication speech by Walt Disney, but few probably know that the dedication was really in three parts with Walt having the shortest part. The show introduced each of the five lands on opening day with Adventureland's introduction being less than a minute. The opening day date has been a subject of debate for Disney fans. Is the press preview the opening day or the day the general public was admitted the opening day? In 1967 Disney sent out a press release declaring that July 17th was Dedication Day and that July 18th was Opening Day. Either way, its 56 years old this week.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	From the Brava Centauri Studios, this is Wedway Radio. When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are.
0:38.3	How do you do everyone?
0:41.3	This is Hank Weaver.
0:42.3	For the past year, this signature has announced the opening of Disneyland the show.
0:47.3	Now it announces the opening of Disneyland the place.
0:51.3	I'm standing here on the railroad tracks with helicopters roaring overhead and cars parking
0:58.0	by the thousands.
0:59.0	And I'm in front of the big Disneyland and Santa Fe Railroad Station.
1:03.0	And down these tracks in just a couple of seconds will come Walt Disney himself barreling in
1:07.0	in a railroad train built by eighteenth miniature side.
1:10.0	When I took my leave from town, I aimed a grin a wild cat down,
1:13.6	the beast and I began to stare was a growling, crazily bear.
1:18.6	Oh, oh, Batsy,
1:22.6	Oh, I'm an old Betsy,
1:23.6	Well, this is Casey Jones, Jr., the famous little circus train with a great big heart.
1:32.3	That's the little engine with a great big heart.
1:34.3	And it has the Calliope and the Lion Cage wagons and everything the kids ride in.
1:39.3	And here are the DeForge.
1:40.3	Done.
1:41.3	Come on.
1:42.3	And kids, you jump right in that wagon there.
1:43.3	All right, bye, bye. All right, bye, bye. Here's, you jump right in that wagon there. All the way we go, wonderful.
	...

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