No magical start for Disneyland

ANAHEIM, Calif. — When Walt Disney built Disneyland, he supervised every aspect of planning and construction — right down to the paint color inside the railroad station. But there were a couple of things he couldn't control at the opening 50 years ago: the temperature and the turnout.

The sun rose bright and glowing in a cloudless sky on that Sunday, and the mercury climbed higher and higher. By early morning, all roads leading to the park were clogged. Thousands poured through the turnstiles, more than twice as many as had been invited.

The heat and the crowds, along with a Magic Kingdom full of other problems, contributed to what would forever after be called Black Sunday in the Disney organization.

Long lines formed at the rides, forcing visitors to stand in the sweltering sun. Later it was discovered that counterfeit tickets had been used by the uninvited. Adding to the congestion, crashers scrambled over fences and berms in remote areas of the park.

Several of the rides shut down because of overuse, and by the end of the day all the "Autopia" cars had been sidelined. The deck of the river boat Mark Twain was awash; too many passengers had climbed aboard. And a gas leak was discovered in Tomorrowland, forcing evacuation of the entire area.

Refreshment stands quickly ran out of food and drink, and there were few drinking fountains. Women's spiked heels sank into the newly laid asphalt on Main Street. Families waited in long lines to use toilets. A saboteur snipped electrical lines in Fantasyland, bringing all rides to a halt.

Survivors of Black Sunday retain vivid memories of that day, including Disney consultant Harrison "Buzz" Price, who chose the then-sleepy agricultural town of Anaheim as the location for Disneyland.

"I was on the bridge that led to Sleeping Beauty's Castle, and it was full of people," he recalls. "We couldn't move, and the asphalt was sticky. I looked down and saw Frank Sinatra, and he was cursing."

Bob Kurr, designer of the vehicles for Main Street, had been assigned by Disney to oversee "Autopia," a miniature freeway with real gasoline-powered cars.

"It was hotter 'n hell and these cars were suffering from the typical gasoline vapor lock," Kurr remembers.

Walt Disney knew little about the snafus, since he was busy on the live ABC-TV broadcast with his fellow masters of ceremonies Art Linkletter, Bob Cummings and Ronald Reagan. The next day he read devastating reviews in the newspapers and heard dismaying reports from his staff.