ADVENTURE BEGINS NEW ERA IN DISNEY.Byline: Joseph Giordono Staff Writer ANAHEIM - When the original Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955, the soon-to-be Happiest Place on Earth was a confused mess of malfunctioning rides, huge crowds and bad food. Lesson learned. None of those problems plagued Thursday's official opening of Disney's billion-dollar California Adventure theme park, the newest addition to the company's Anaheim kingdom. In fact, several weeks of preview days and last-minute tinkering meant short lines and exuberant Disney fans. The 55-acre park was filled with thousands of visitors who paid the $43 admission cost plus thousands of invited guests of Disney, but no one waited more than 30 minutes for a ride. ``I wasn't alive for the opening of the original Disneyland, but I wasn't going to miss the chance to be a part of history today,'' said Steven W. Smith of Azusa. Smith had camped out since 5 a.m. Wednesday and was among the first ticket-holders to enter the new park. ``We got cold last night, but it was worth it. You just get such a good feeling inside the park.'' Just before the turnstiles were flung open at 8 a.m. Thursday, Disney Chief Executive Officer Michael Eisner Michael Dammann Eisner (born March 7, 1942) was CEO of The Walt Disney Company from September 22, 1984 to September 30, 2005. Early life Michael Eisner was born to a wealthy family in Mt. Kisco, New York, and raised on Park Avenue in Manhattan. welcomed the crowds amid a spectacle of dancers, fireworks fireworks: see pyrotechnics. fireworks Explosives or combustibles used for display. Of ancient Chinese origin, fireworks evidently developed out of military rockets and explosive missiles and accompanied the spread of military explosives westward to and shimmering shim·mer intr.v. shim·mered, shim·mer·ing, shim·mers 1. To shine with a subdued flickering light. See Synonyms at flash. 2. banners emblazoned with such Disney buzzwords Below is a list of common buzzwords which form part of the business jargon of Corporate work environments. General Conversation
``Today marks the dawn of a new era in the Disney company,'' Eisner said to the waiting visitors and thousands of media members. ``Here we pay tribute to the dreamers of the past and salute the generations of dreamers who are creating tomorrow.'' And with that, Eisner declared California Adventure open and welcomed the Klepper family of Murietta, Calif., the park's official first visitors. ``This is so cool,'' said Dan Bowe of Northridge, who had skipped work for the day and arrived at the park at 5 a.m. with friend Hope Davis, a college student from La Mirada La Mirada (lä mĭrä`də), city (1990 pop. 40,452), Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1960. La Mirada derives from the Spanish for "the view," referring to the panoramic view of the surrounding valleys from atop the city's hills. . ``We haven't had any problems with lines or parking or anything. I think we were among the first thousand people they let in.'' Despite what was expected to be a sellout crowd at the park, which has an estimated capacity of 30,000, lines for the attractions were practically nonexistent non·ex·is·tence n. 1. The condition of not existing. 2. Something that does not exist. non . At 1 p.m., the longest wait for a ride was the 30-minute line for the Sun Wheel, a Ferris wheel Ferris wheel, amusement park ride. It consists of a power-operated wheel that is about 50 ft (15 m) in diameter. It has two rims that are parallel to and equidistant from the shaft about which the wheel rotates. . Restaurants and concession booths had quick lines and guests had plenty of room to roam. Surprisingly, the longest lines were at the merchandise shops, where hundreds of people queued up for the honor of adding to their $43 admission by purchasing limited-edition opening day souvenirs. At times, it appeared as if there were fewer paying customers than VIP guests, journalists and trench-coated, earpiece-wearing Disney security Disney Security is a security force operated by the Walt Disney Company (Disney) in the Reedy Creek Improvement District. Though it is a private company, it often operates as a law enforcement agency. guards. Disney officials would not comment on ticket sales or park attendance figures, but said they were pleasantly surprised by how smoothly things were running. The original Disneyland opening was beset by problems, including huge crowds, broken rides and inoperable inoperable /in·op·er·a·ble/ (in-op´er-ah-b'l) not susceptible to treatment by surgery. in·op·er·a·ble adj. Unsuitable for a surgical procedure. drinking fountains. A story oft repeated by Disney tour guides this week was that Walt Disney Noun 1. Walt Disney - United States film maker who pioneered animated cartoons and created such characters as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck; founded Disneyland (1901-1966) Disney, Walter Elias Disney himself ordered dozens of changes after the first day, including the switching of instant coffee to freshly brewed. It took several weeks to work out the glitches in the rides and attractions, but the coffee was fresh the next day. Thursday's California Adventure grand opening was the culmination of a week of media previews, attraction dedications and celebrity parties. And for about a month, the park was open to Disney employees and their guests, plus scores of businesses, unions and groups that bought ``pre-opening'' tickets. At a Wednesday night party for celebrities, invited guests and media members, the park was transformed into a truly unique Disney experience: All rides and food were free. Visitors had the run of the park - except for the Hollywood Pictures Backlot Hollywood Pictures Backlot is a themed land at Disney's California Adventure park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. The area is based as a backlot of a Hollywood studio and has attractions themed to this concept. and the Golden State area, which were reserved for VIPs and celebrities like Jack Nicholson, Dick Van Dyke  This page is protected from moves until disputes have been resolved on the .The reason for its protection is listed on the protection policy page. and a dark brown-wigged Britney Spears. Nicholson was beaming under a Yankees cap and trademark sunglasses as he rode the California Screamin' coaster twice in a row. ``If the park was like it was (Wednesday night), I would buy a season ticket,'' said Kate Besson of Laguna Niguel, who was an invited guest of a Disney employee for both days. ``I'm not sure if I would pay the extra admission to get into Disneyland and this park separately, but I'd definitely come again for free.'' CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- color) Disney CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. Michael Eisner and his wife, Jane, stroll through the new California Adventure theme park on Thursday, its first day open to the paying public. (2) Eve Galen, 4, of West Hollywood gets some special attention from Mickey Mouse himself Thursday at California Adventure. Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Staff Photographer |
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