July 17 marks the 60th birthday of Southern California’s Disneyland, and while fans were very excited about the opening, business people were worried that it was a high-risk venture.
In a July 13, 1955, story four days before the opening, Variety raved that it was “of staggering imaginative concept … one of the true wonders of modern entertainment.” Still, Variety said it was a $17 million, 160-acre gamble. The doubts seemed confirmed when the park opened to the press on July 17, 1955, causing a PR fiasco: Counterfeit tickets led to overcrowding, vendors ran out of food and some of the 18 attractions were still not ready.

Read More at  www.variety.com