In the later years of Walt’s life, Disneyland consumed his imagination. Moving into theme park development was completely uncharted territory for Walt. He needed tons of help, and some funding, which meant covering additional new ground: television.
In 1954, Disney signed a deal with ABC to create a limited series: Walt Disney’s Disneyland. The show would feature episodes dedicated to different sections of the new park, as well as general sneak peeks for what was to come.
The Frontierland episodes covered Davy Crockett, life in the American west, and just general Americana. When the show moved to Adventureland, the focus was less clear, touching on stories like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (which ended up in Tomorrowland), and jungle exploration. Fantasyland included cartoons, clips from Disney animation, and the latest animation techniques…not much mention of princesses. And in Tomorrowland, Disney showed off technological marvels, sharing what already existed and speculating about what might be.
On Disneyland’s Opening Day, ABC covered the event with a live special (Dateline: Disneyland), but this was a standalone feature, not part of the official television series. Walt Disney’s Disneyland continued for another 3 years after the grand opening, finally transitioning into a more general television series (Walt Disney Presents) in 1958.
Walt Disney’s Disneyland opened the door for a huge television presence in the future. Disney now owns ABC, and has been running original programming on television for decades. Before needing funding for the new park, Walt never really ventured much into television series. But thanks to Disneyland, Disney moved one step closer to taking over the media world.
Nice loopback article! As a fan of the “old” Tomorrowland, I really enjoyed the picture of WD with the RM-1 moonship. Thanks!
Thanks, John! I like that picture too 🙂