It may lay claim to being the 'Happiest Place on Earth ' , a magical kingdom ruled by fairytale princesses and the like , but even Disneyland was still built with bricks , mortar and hard graft . The only theme park to have been completely overseen by Walt Disney himself , Disneyland Park , celebrates 60 years in 2015 and extensive celebrations are planned . A time-lapse video from the Disney archives reveals how the park , which forms half of the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim , California , was built from nothing before its opening on July 17 , 1955 . Sleeping Beauty Castle at the original Disneyland in Anaheim , California , emerges from scaffolding . The castle at the first Fantasyland , with imitations at all other parks since , in Disneyland in Anaheim . The fun park , the only one of its kind to be fully overseen by Walt Disney , opened on July 17 , 1955 . The site was bought in 1953 with construction beginning in 1954 and the grand opening the year after that . The Rocket to the Moon is lifted into place in front of the futuristic Tomorrowland attraction . From an expanse of brown dirt , iconic features such as Tomorrowland 's Rocket to the Moon are raised into place while Sleeping Beauty Castle emerges like a turbo episode of Grand Designs . Other original features rising from the earth include the Main Street Train Station 's clock tower , the shell for jungle-themed Adventureland and rocky Old West throwback Frontierland . Looking down Main Street USA to the original Fantasyland , Sleeping Beauty 's Castle forms perhaps the most iconic image of the park , which emerges like a mini-town in Orange County . Later years have seen the introduction of New Orleans Square in 1966 , Critter Country in 1972 and Mickey 's Toontown in 1993 , followed by an entirely new Disney California Adventure Park in 2001 - together they are now known as Disneyland Resort . The view down Main Street USA as final building and cosmetic works are completed in 1955 . What Main Street looks like today as millions continue to stream through the gates every year . The time-lapse video of the creation of Disneyland looks like a turbo version of Grand Designs . While the idea had been in his thoughts for some time , Walt Disney did n't muck about with the making of the park - purchasing a 160-acre site in 1953 , beginning construction in 1954 and opening the year later . Although it was supposed to have been unveiled in a press preview day with about 14,000 invitees on Sunday , July 17 , 1955 , that opening saw 28,000 people go through the gates due to thousands of counterfeit ticket sales . The whole affair was televised and not a good look for the company , with a series of bloopers during the coverage by ABC Television , who partly funded the project . Main Street USA is an expanse of dirt as a mini-town emerges in Orange County , California . The first thousands of guests flood through the gates at Disneyland , the original Disney fun park . Far from the fantasy Walt would have hoped for it was labelled internally as 'Black Sunday ' after a number of operational mishaps that range from chaotic queues to a gas leak in Fantasyland that closed Fantasyland , Frontierland and Adventureland for the afternoon . But it was merely a minor setback for what is now Disney 's Parks and Resorts division which now overseas Anaheim 's Disneyland Resort , Walt Disney World Resort in Floria , Tokyo Disney Resort , Disneyland Paris , Hong Kong Disneyland Resort and Shanghai Disney Resort , a fleet of cruise liners and a host of hotels . And just like the end of this timelapse , which show the first guests arriving in Anaheim , millions continue to flood through the turnstiles - more than 130 million a year , in fact .
Disneyland in California celebrates its 60th anniversary in July 17 , 1955 . The first Disneyland was opened in Anaheim on 2015 . It was the only theme park overseen entirely by Walt Disney himself . Time-lapse video tracks its construction from start to finish .