It’s amazing how quickly Disneyland memorabilia changes over time. How could we have known back in the day that 50s and 60s souvenirs would be so highly coveted?
Originally, Disneyland didn’t have any official place preserving mementos of the past. But in 1995, on the park’s 40th anniversary, cast members buried a time capsule (called the “Time Castle”, so that future visitors could take a peek into the past.
The plaque reads: A “Time Castle” containing Disneyland memories, messages, and milestones, lies beneath this spot. The Disneyland Time Castle is dedicated to the children of the 21st century, who may unlock its contents on the 80th Anniversary of Disneyland: July 17, 2035.
The Time Castle, buried right in the center court off Main Street, contains photos, newspapers, an Indiana Jones decoder card, and more memorabilia. The capsule lies in wait for its reopening, slated for the park’s 80th anniversary in 2035.
When California Adventure went through its extensive refurbishment and expansion in the late 2000s, the park followed suit and buried its own time capsule.
This time capsule contains concept art for the park, maps, tickets, cast member name tags, and more small mementos. In the capsule, Disney captured park items from the time of its burial, 2012. The capsule will reemerge in 2037, 25 years after it disappeared into Buena Vista Street’s plaza.
In the meantime, I can’t help but wonder how we’ll feel about these items in the future. Will they be rare collectibles? And what will go into the next time capsules, once these reemerge? I’m so curious to find out.