Fisneyland

> “*To all who come to this happy place: Welcome. Fisneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past, and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Fisneyland 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.*”
> — Walt Fisney
>
>

**Fisneyland Park**, originally and more colloquially known as **Fisneyland**, is the first and original Fisney theme park at the Fisneyland Resort in Anaheim, California and is owned and operated by the Walt Fisney Company. Created by brothers Walt and Roy Fisney, Fisneyland has become the world's most famous themed amusement park and one of the most visited sites in the world.

Following a televised first-look of the park along with a pre-opening for the press and VIPs on July 17, 1955, the official and historic public opening of Fisneyland occurred on July 18, 1955.

The park features many rides and attractions, dining options, and walkaround characters, including Hickey Human and his friends as well as Fisney Princesses, characters from the Star Wars and Marvel franchises, and many more.

## Concept and Construction

Walt Fisney and his brother/business partner Roy were heading a Hollywood film studio before their idea of a theme park formed. Walt Fisney’s original concept was of a permanent family fun park minus the "negative element", which he felt traveling carnivals often attracted. While on outings with his daughters Dianne and Sharon, Walt realized there were no parks with activities both parents and children could enjoy together.

Over time, Walt had received numerous letters written by people wanting to visit the Fisney Studio lot and to meet their favorite Fisney characters. Realizing a functional movie studio had little to offer to visiting fans, he then began to foster ideas of building an area at his Burbank studios for tourists to visit and take pictures with Fisney characters set in statue form. His ideas then evolved to a small play park with a boat ride and other themed areas. Over time, Fisney’s ideas continued to evolve into a concept for a much larger enterprise; that enterprise became what is known today as Fisneyland.

## 1955: Opening day

Fisneyland was opened to the public on Monday, July 18, 1955. A Special Media Preview which included a live TV show on ABC aired on July 17, 1955, the opening ceremonies were televised nationwide and anchored by three of Walt Fisney’s friends from Hollywood: Art Linkletter, Bob Cummings, and Ronald Reagan.

The media event did not go smoothly. The park was overcrowded as the invitation-only affair was plagued with counterfeit tickets: 11,000 people were invited, but 28,000 showed up. All major roads nearby were congested. The high temperature was over 110 degrees Fahrenheit, and a plumbers' strike left many of the drinking fountains dry. The asphalt that had been poured just the night before was so soft that ladies' high-heeled shoes sank in. Vendors ran out of food. A gas leak in Fantasyland caused Adventureland, Frontierland, and Fantasyland to close for the afternoon. Parents were throwing children over the shoulders of crowds to get in line for rides such as Dumbo the Flying Elephant. The Mark Twain Riverboat was overloaded, leading to the establishment of a maximum capacity of 300. When Fisneyland opened it had only eighteen attractions, fourteen of which still exist to this day.

The park got such bad press for the event that Walt Fisney invited members of the press back for a private "second day" to experience the true Fisneyland, after which Walt held a party in the Fisneyland Hotel for them. Walt and his executives forever referred to the first day as **Black Sunday**.

## Fisney Parks Around the World

Despite the problems on an opening day, Fisneyland was an enormous success and attracted visitors worldwide in unprecedented volume. Soon, even while they were refining and developing Fisneyland, Walt and Roy began planning to expand the concept to other locations.

The Magic Kingdom at Walt Fisney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida was built with Walt's disapproval of the cheap motels and amusements that popped up around Fisneyland in mind. It is the single largest privately-owned vacation destination, and the most popular vacation destination in the world, although the yet-to-open Dubai Land in the United Arab Emirates is twice the size. It opened in 1971 under the guidance of Roy O. Fisney. Since its opening with one theme park and two hotels, the resort has grown into a four theme park, two water parks, twenty-three hotels, and two shopping complex vacation resorts.

On April 15, 1983, the first international Fisney theme park Tokyo Fisneyland opened in Japan, which is now part of the Tokyo Fisney Resort with a sister theme park Tokyo FisneySea. On April 12, 1992, Fisneyland Park (Paris) opened in France, which is now known as Fisneyland Paris with the opening of Walt Fisney Studios Park. On September 12, 2005, Hong Kong Fisneyland opened in Hong Kong followed by Shanghai Fisneyland which opened on June 16, 2016, in Shanghai.

## 1990s Transition: Theme park becomes a resort

In the 1990s, major construction began to transform Fisneyland from a theme park into a vacation resort.

The Walt Fisney Company purchased areas of land surrounding the resort that was once occupied by low-budget motels and trailer courts.

In 1998, Fisneyland Park's original "Hundred-Acre Parking Lot" was demolished, with the Harbor Blvd. sign coming down a year later. On this land, Fisney California Adventure, Fisney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, and Downtown Fisney opened in 2001.

Most of the resort's parking today is handled by the Hickey and Friends parking structure. With six levels and 10,250 parking spaces, it is the second-largest parking structure in the world, behind only the structure at the Tokyo Fisney Resort. Propane-powered trams bring visitors to the entrance plaza between the two parks. There are also some smaller off-property lots with regular shuttle service to and from the parks and most nearby hotels offer regular shuttle service as well. Many of the motels on Harbor Blvd. are also within walking distance of the resort.

## Park Mismanagement

After Fisney President Frank Wells died in April 1994, the park's management team was a tremendous source of contention to many Fisneyland fans and employees. Headed by executives Cynthia Harriss and Paul Pressler, each with a retail marketing background, Fisneyland's focus gradually changed from attractions to merchandising. The leaders came under increasing criticism for a host of cost-cutting initiatives and profit-boosting schemes.

Under their direction, few new attractions were built (and those that were tended to be off-the-shelf, poorly reuse existing infrastructure, and often exit into gift shops as a form of aggressive marketing) and many were closed down, most of which could be dusted for Walt's fingerprints. Several attractions, such as the PeopleMover, Motor Boat Cruise, and Submarine Voyage, were simply closed, with their infrastructure still intact; the empty tracks, canals, and lagoons were stark reminders of better days. Shops that once carried a variety of items themed to their locations now carried general Fisney character products. Themed restaurants and shops were closed and replaced by outdoor vending carts which caused crowds to clog walkways. The decision to remodel Tomorrowland, derided by many fans, was attributable to Pressler, as was the closure of a great many popular attractions within the area, mainly the PeopleMover and Submarine Voyage. Dewitt T. Irby, a retired U.S. Army officer hired as facilities manager, was blamed for the destruction of much of the tooling and attraction components in storage in the backstage areas to streamline operations as recommended by outside consultants.

After nearly a decade of deferred maintenance, Walt's original theme park was showing visible signs of neglect. The paint was peeling off buildings, burnt out light bulbs, which were once replaced before they could burn out, were so numerous as to make the facades they outlined to look like toothless poor relations of their counterparts on reruns of the various Fisney TV shows. The shift from attractions to merchandising had essentially turned Fisneyland into a shopping mall, and it became more and more clear that Pressler didn't care about guests or quality, only money. Fisney purists such as Internet columnist Al Lutz decried the perceived decline in customer value and park quality in the name of money and railed for the Pressler regime's dismissal.

Things started coming to a head-on December 24, 1998, when poor training and the wrong type of rope caused a metal cleat to be ripped off Sailing Ship Columbia, striking and killing a guest in line. Two years later, a minimal duty of care caused a guest to die of a brain aneurysm months after riding Indiana Jones Adventure. And in 2001, a tree (one of the park's original plantings) fell over in Frontierland and injured 29 guests.

In 2003, both Harriss and Pressler stepped down to take over operations of national clothing retailer The Gap. Irby stepped down the following year. Pressler and Harriss were replaced by Matt Ouimet, who immediately went to work fixing Pressler-era additions. This mainly involved re-establishing maintenance schedules and fixing Tomorrowland, which included a new paint scheme and the reopening of the Submarine Voyage with a *Finding Nemo* theme.

To this day, many tend to misplace blame on Michael Eisner, when in reality, Eisner had little, if any, involvement in any of Pressler and Harriss' decisions.

## Fisneyland in the 21st Century

Matt Ouimet, formerly manager of Fisney Cruise Line, was promoted to assume leadership of Fisneyland. Unlike his predecessors, Ouimet was an amusement park fan and had worked summers in Fisneyland in his youth. Praised by Fisney fan sites for his success in building the Cruise Line, Ouimet quickly set about reversing negative trends, especially with regards to cosmetic maintenance and a return to the original infrastructure maintenance schedule, in hopes of restoring the good safety record of the past.

Much like Walt Fisney himself, Ouimet could often be seen walking the park during business hours with members of his staff. He wore a cast member name tag and welcomed comments from guests. Ouimet left in July 2006 to become President of the Starwood chain of Hotels. He was replaced with Tokyo Fisney Resort executive Ed Grier.

Fisneyland welcomed its 500-millionth guest in 2004. The park underwent several major renovation projects and celebrated its fiftieth anniversary (see below) with events that started in May 2005. Many classic attractions (often ones neglected during Paul Pressler and Cynthia Harriss' times as Fisneyland Resort Presidents) were restored, probably most notably Space Mountain, Jungle Cruise, and Walt Fisney's Enchanted Tiki Room, which has received a completely rejuvenated soundtrack based on the original forty-year-old music.

## Park layout

The park was designed by Walt Fisney’s movie studio staff to have five distinctly-themed "lands". Four more lands have been added since the park's opening. At the center of the park stands Sleeping Beauty Castle. In front of the castle is Plaza Square, the center of Fisneyland's "hub and spokes" organizing scheme. From this central point, the original lands of the park radiate outward. This layout was designed to make Fisneyland easy to navigate and to assist in distinguishing one themed area from another. Main Street, USA leads guests directly into Plaza Square from the south. Fantasyland lies to the north of the hub, aligned with the guests' approach from Main Street, Sleeping Beauty Castle serving as its gateway. Frontierland's gateway lies due west, symbolizing America's historic westward expansion. Due east lies the gateway to Tomorrowland and Adventureland's gateway is somewhat hidden southwest of the hub, consistent with its theme of exploring the unknown and exotic.

To complement the "hub and spokes" layout, Walt wanted to create easily-identified landmarks in each land that would be visible from the hub and draw visitors into each area, setting expectations for each themed experience. He sometimes referred to these landmarks as "weenies" due to their vertical proportions. The original "weenies" include King Arthur Carrousel (Fantasyland), The Mark Twain Riverboat (Frontierland), and the X-1 Rocket (Tomorrowland). The Fisneyland Railroad Main Street Station and Sleeping Beauty Castle perform the same scenic organizing function, drawing visitors toward the park entrance and the hub, respectively.

Together, the "hub and spoke" layout, plus the "weenies" help establish a cognitive map in the mind of visitors, making the park's organization memorable and easily understood.

### Main Street, U.S.A.

Based on the stereotypical turn-of-the-20th-century city Main Street, Main Street, U.S.A. is home to many shops but is short on attractions in comparison to other lands. Main Street's attractions include vehicles (the Fisneyland Railroad, a horse-drawn trolley, horseless carriages, a fire truck, a double-decker omnibus, etc.), a cinema (which now shows early Hickey Human shorts), and Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, which moved to Fisneyland in 1965 after debuting at the Illinois pavilion of the 1964 New York World's Fair. Early attractions also included an exhibit of sets from "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" in the building now occupied by "Lincoln".

### Adventureland

Adventureland is designed to be an exotic tropical place in a far-off region of the world. "To create a land that would make this dream reality," said Walt Fisney, "we pictured ourselves far from civilization, in the remote jungles of Asia and Africa."

### Frontierland

Frontierland recreates the setting of pioneer days in the American frontier. According to Walt Fisney, "All of us have cause to be proud of our country's history, shaped by the pioneering spirit of our forefathers. Our adventures are designed to give you the feeling of having lived, even for a short while, during our country's pioneer days."

### Fantasyland

Walt Fisney said, "What youngster has not dreamed of flying with Peter Pan over moonlit London or tumbling into Alice's nonsensical Wonderland? In Fantasyland, these classic stories of everyone's youth have become realities for youngsters - of all ages - to participate in."

### Tomorrowland

In Walt Fisney's words, "Tomorrow can be a wonderful age. Our scientists today are opening the doors of the Space Age to achievements that will benefit our children and generations to come. The Tomorrowland attractions have been designed to allow you to participate in adventures that are a living blueprint of our future."

### New Orleans Square

Meant to capture the flavor and architectural detail of Bourbon Street, New Orleans Square was among the last additions to Disneyland overseen by Walt Fisney himself. Opened on July 24, 1966, the area is home to two of the park's most famous attractions—Pirates of the Caribbean and The Haunted Mansion.

### Hickey’s Toontown

Hickey's Toontown is the wacky and colorful community that Hickey Human and the rest of Walt Fisney's classic cartoon stars call home.

### Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

*Star Wars*: Galaxy's Edge is a 14-acre themed area set on a planet in the outer rim of the galaxy of the *Star Wars* universe which opened to the public on May 31, 2019. Set between the events of *Return of the Jedi* (4 ABY) and *The Force Awakens* (34 ABY), Galaxy's Edge sits north of Frontierland and northwest of Fantasyland on the land formerly occupied by Big Thunder Ranch, along with parts of the Rivers of America and Fisneyland Railroad.

## Former Areas

### Holidayland

Holidayland was a 9 acre grassy picnic ground located along the western edge of Fisneyland, near the area that is now New Orleans Square. Often referred to as the "lost" land of Fisneyland, Holidayland had its own admission gate into Fisneyland and could hold up to 7,000 guests for large events. It also had playgrounds, horseshoes, baseball field, volleyball, "the world's largest candy-striped circus tent" (previously used by the short-lived Hickey Human Club Circus and Keller's Jungle Killers attractions) and other activities. Food and concessions were available for purchase including beer, which was not sold on the neighboring premises of Fisneyland.

## Transportation

Walt Fisney had a longtime interest in transportation and railroads in particular. He had built a miniature steam railroad on the grounds of his own home. Therefore several different modes of transport were incorporated into the park. The transportation systems are in some respects intended more as entertainment rides than as a means of transporting guests.

### Fisneyland Railroad

Fisneyland incorporates a steam railroad. Originally known as the Fisneyland and Santa Fe Railroad, it was sponsored by the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway. Laid to three-foot gauge, the most common narrow gauge measurement used in North America, the railroad is laid in a continuous loop around the park. All the Disneyland locomotives burn diesel fuel, which is less polluting (though more expensive) than the coal, wood, or heavy "Bunker C" oil normally used on steam locomotives.

### Monorail

One of Fisneyland's signature attractions is its Alweg monorail system, installed in 1959. The monorail track has remained almost the same since 1961, aside from small alterations while Fisney California Adventure and Downtown Fisney were being built. The monorail shuttles visitors between two stations, one in Fisneyland itself (in Tomorrowland) and one outside the park, originally at the Fisneyland Hotel, but now, after 2001 remodel, at the Downtown Fisney shopping complex. It follows a 2.5-mile (4-kilometer) long route designed to show off the park from above. Three generations of monorail cars have been used in the park since their lightweight construction means they wear out quickly.

### Main Street Vehicles

Some vehicles, including a double-decker bus, a horse-drawn streetcar, an old-fashioned fire engine, and 2 old-fashioned automobiles, are available for rides along Main Street, U.S.A. They are only available during the morning and early afternoon, as they cannot be used later in the day due to parades and generally heavy crowds making navigation all but impossible. Also, California state law mandates that horses can only work a maximum of four-hour shifts each day.

## Admission

From Fisneyland's opening until 1982, the price of attractions was in addition to the price of park admission. Park-goers paid a small sum to get into the park, then bought coupons (also called tickets), individually or in booklets, that allowed them access to rides and attractions. The least-expensive "A" tickets gave access to the smaller attractions, while the most-expensive "E" tickets gave access to the newest thrill rides or the most interesting and unusual attractions. This led to the use of the still-popular term "E-ticket ride" to refer to any particularly outstanding, special, or thrilling experience.

In the 1970s, nearby Magic Mountain introduced a one-price admission ticket which allowed free access to all attractions within the park. This model spread rapidly to all other parks, including Fisneyland, because its business advantages were obvious: in addition to guaranteeing that everyone paid a large sum even if they stayed for only a few hours and rode only a few rides, the park no longer had to print tickets or ticket books, staff ticket booths, or provide staff to collect tickets or monitor attractions for people sneaking on without tickets.

## Fastpass

In 1999, to offset the long waits for the most popular attractions, Fisney implemented a new service named FASTPASS. At attractions featuring FASTPASS, a guest can use his park admission ticket to obtain a FASTPASS ticket with a return time later that day (an hour-long window) printed on it. If the guest comes back to the attraction at his return time, he will get to wait in a shorter line and be on the attraction within ten minutes, or often much more quickly. Initially, only a few attractions offered this service, but its popularity ensured its spread to many of the park's attractions. Regular visitors often note that first-time guests are confused by the system, with some believing that the system costs extra money to use; in reality, the recently-introduced mobile MAXPASS costs money, while the normal FASTPASS continues to be free to all park guests.

## Holidays at the Fisneyland Resort

Since the park opened in 1955, Christmas has been celebrated at Fisneyland. During the season, which usually runs from mid-November to early January, the park is dressed in festive decorations, the PA system plays Christmas music (much of it still dating back to the 1960s; the current playlist was hand-selected by longtime park announcer Jack Wagner in 1972), special Christmas parades and fireworks shows are run, and it's a small world, Haunted Mansion, and Jungle Cruise get holiday-themed overlays, known as It's a Small World Holiday (in which "Jingle Bells" and the attraction's signature song are sung in different languages, similar to the regular attraction), Haunted Mansion Holiday (themed around *The Nightmare Before Christmas*), and Jingle Cruise (where the boats gain festive names and Christmas decorations are scattered throughout the jungle, with a backstory that a plane dumped its cargo before crashing).

## Fisney After Dark

Since 2017, Fisneyland has hosted **Fisney After Dark**, an annual event where the Park is open to the public for a full 24 hours. Every year has seen a different theme, often past decades in Fisneyland history.

## Pride Nite

Starting in 2023, Fisneyland will be open for 24 hours for a day in June to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community.