Opening Ceremonies of Disneyland (1955)

On July 17, 1955 Disneyland opened to the world. Walt Disney had originally intended to include a church on Main Street USA known as the Little Church Around the Corner. This can be clearly in the early art for Disneyland and is described in Walt's prospectus for the park. Clergy from different Christian denominations would be invited guest speakers to give sermons in the church on a rotating basis. When Walt told his nephew, Rev. Glenn D. Puder about his plans, Puder advised his Uncle Walt that it might be considered disrespectful to have a church in a for profit enterprise like a theme park so the idea was scrapped.

Even so, Walt still opened Disneyland with a blessing led by military chaplains representing the three great faith of America; protestants, catholics, and jews. Rev. Puder led the crowd in prayer and asked that this endeavor prosper beneath the hand of God. He always told people that his Uncle Walt had spiritual reasons for creating his park. Once open, Walt frequently had choirs and gospel singers perform at his park -- a practice that continued even well into the Eisner era of Disney. When the park has been rededicated in the After Walt era, no blessing has been observed. It's almost like Walt made a covenant and Woke Disney has broken it.

In the 90’s to counter the boycotts of various Christian groups, Rev Puder and his wife cashed in some Disney stock and funded the construction of a church in the Disney community of Celebration as a tribute to Walt and Roy. The Puders acknowledged that the company their uncles had started needed Jesus.

Rev Puder died in 2011 with little fanfare from the Disney community even though he'd been an important figure at the Disneyland opening day ceremony.

Here you can see the opening ceremony of Disneyland as it was broadcast on national television and was one of the largest viewed broadcasts up to that time. Ronald Reagan hosts this segment where Walt gives his dedication, which was written by Winston Hibler, Rev Puder gives the blessing and leads the crowd in prayer, CA Governor Goodwin Knight gives some remarks and the American flag is raised. You can see Walt cry as the flag flies over Disneyland.

The identities of the military chaplains are:

Bishop Francis Eric Bloy (Episcopalian)
Bishop Gerald Kennedy (Methodist)
Cardinal James McIntyre (Catholic)
Dr Carroll Schuster (Presbyterian)
Rabbi Edgar Margin (Jewish)

Also present are invited representatives from the local houses of worship including 10 Baptist churches, 9 Methodist churches, 8 Lutheran churches, 8 Catholic churches, 7 Christian churches, 6 Church of Christ, 6 Presbyterian churches, 6 Episcopalian churches, 5 Free Methodist Churches, 2 Congregational Churches, 1 Nazarene church, and 1 Jewish synagogue.

Among the invited press are reporters from 8 different religious newspapers.

Posted for historical purposes. This channel is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.