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Disneyland in Anaheim, California, was the first theme park opened by the Walt Disney Company in July 1955, and is the only one designed and constructed under the watchful eye of Walt Disney, himself. As it approaches being open for 70 years, the attraction is visited by approximately 19 million visitors each year. But behind the smiles and mascot Mickey Mouse what happens at Disneyland? Learn these amazing facts about the theme park...

Before Walt Disney chose Anaheim, California, as the spot to build his theme park, the visionary very nearly opted for Burbank. The park, which would have been located over seven acres, would have been called 'Walt Disney's America', not a particularly catchy name! Instead, Walt chose Anaheim, and the rest is history.

Despite now being the world's most popular theme park, critics at the time were not impressed. Many reviews slated the park, and branded it "Walt's nightmare". Still, the public weren't put off. Thousands arrived in droves, with some even lining up outside its gates as early 2am.

When the park opened its doors, Walt Disney's brother, Roy O. Disney, bought the very first ticket – for a dollar! If fans want to visit the park now, they are looking at shelling out a minimum $104 for a one-day pass.

On the first day, Disneyland attracted an impressive 50,000 visitors. In fact, as more and more people piled in to the park, it became evident that it wasn't equipped well enough. Food and drink ran out quickly, rides broke down and the queue for the bathroom went on forever.

The park has become known for its 'Disneyland cats' who roam the establishment, but Walt wasn't initially keen to let them stay. In fact, the businessman first tried to get staff members to adopt them when he discovered that strays were sleeping in 'Sleeping Beauty's Castle' when it opened in 1955. Eventually, he decided to let them stay in an effort to keep pests to a minimum.

After debuting in 1967, 'Pirates of the Caribbean' has remained Disneyland's most popular attraction, having entertained roughly 330 million visitors. The ride proved so successful, that it spawned five movies of the same name, starring Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow (pictured). Sadly, not all rides are made equal. 'The Mickey Mouse Club Circus' opened in November 1955, and shut just two months later due to its poor visitor numbers.

There certainly have been some spooky goings on at Disneyland. Both 'The Haunted Mansion' and the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' attractions had to be shut down after staff caught passengers spreading a mysterious powder on the sets, which police later identified as human ashes! Also, genuine human bones were on display at the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' when it opened in 1967. A number of attractions are also said to be home to ghosts, whilst the spectre of Walt himself has been reported to wonder around the park at night. The Haunted Mansion ride has spawned two films. The first adaptation was directed by Rob Minkoff, starring Eddie Murphy and was released in November 2003. The second adaptation, 'Haunted Mansion', was directed by Justin Simien and released in July 2023.

It seems like the Disney magic reached at least two of its workers. Both Steve Martin and Michelle Pfeiffer used to work at the park before becoming Hollywood icons. The 78-year-old comedian was a magician, whilst the 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' actress played Alice in Wonderland.

During the park's construction, Walt Disney decided to add an apartment above the fire station in an effort to keep commuting to a minimum. Although the visionary is no longer with us, visitors can still see the lamp which shines through the window, as a tasteful symbol of his legacy.

Despite having created some of the most iconic characters and animated movies of all-time, Walt Disney insisted that Disneyland was his most important work, because it allowed him to leave behind a legacy that could "grow". He said: "When you wrap up a picture and turn it over to Technicolor, you’re through. 'Snow White' is a dead issue with me … I want something live, something that would grow. The park is that. Not only can I add things to it, but even the trees will keep growing. "The thing will get more beautiful year after year. And it will get better as I find out what the public likes. I can’t do that with a picture.”