9. Perhaps inevitably, Opening Day -- July 17, 1955 -- was a disaster. Asphalt poured just hours before guests arrived hadn't fully dried, and women's spiked heels sunk into Main Street. VIP passes were widely counterfeited, and double the expected number of people showed up. Rides broke down. Because of a plumber's strike, Walt Disney had to choose between drinking fountains and bathrooms. He opted for the latter, telling a reporter, "People can buy Pepsi-Cola, but they can't pee in the street."

15. Disneyland is home to feral cats -- nobody knows how many -- that come out at night, after visitors leave. Years ago, more than 100 were discovered living inside Sleeping Beauty's castle.

37. Conspicuously missing on Opening Day: the Matterhorn. In its place was a two-story-high pile of dirt from the excavation of the castle moat. It was billed as "Lookout Mountain." The Matterhorn didn't open until 1959.

# posted by Gerry Canavan @ 9:46 AM  |