Disneyland’s First-Ever Customer Has Been Using His Lifetime Ticket Every Year Since 1955
There are so many things in life that bring joy to us humans and various amusement parks can sure be taken into the list of those little simple pleasures this world has to offer. Just think about the utopia of it – you get to walk around the fantasy world, meeting your favorite characters who are always cheerful and just dying to snap a picture with you. Isn’t that a dream! If you had to pick two good things in this amusement-park world, going to Disneyland and being their first customer ever would definitely be something bucket list-worthy. And this man has done it back in 1955! Scroll down for the whole story!
Dave MacPherson was a 22-year-old college student back in July 1955 when he became the first Disneyland customer ever
This handsome Scotsman smirking at the camera is Dave MacPherson who at the time of the grand opening of Disneyland was only 22 years old and studied at Long Beach State College. He was the first customer to set foot in the legendary amusement park on the day it was opened to the common people.
Who figured out he wanted to be first in line and started at 2 AM on opening day
And was the first person to enter the park after Disney’s family members and celebrities
Image credits: Disneyland
But don’t be mistaken, it’s no lucky coincidence. The young Scotsman observed Disneyland’s opening festivities on television on July 17th, 1955. He marveled at the celebrities enjoying the park when the thought struck him – why not be the first of all the commoners to enter the park.
He hatched the plan while watching the opening day festivities on July 17th, 1955 and then made a 10-mile trip on a motorbike to begin the queue
Image credits: Disneyland
He doesn’t know what happened to his admission ticket but he preserved this copy of the complimentary card that came with it
He then turned off the TV, hopped onto his motorbike and rode approximately 10 miles from Long Beach, California to Anaheim. He then walked to the nearest ticket booth and just started a line… at 2 o’clock in the morning! After waiting for a good few hours, he then proceeded to purchase the first ticket sold to the common public.
But proudly says he has been coming back every year since
Seems that MacPherson really appreciates the honor, since he keeps coming back every year
Image credits: Disneyland
With his ticket, he received a complimentary card but didn’t actually get to use it because the long ride back to Long Beach awaited him. Luckily for him, he received a lifetime pass for being the first commoner ever to enter the park and has enjoyed his privileges annually ever since.
And even takes his wife Wanda to the Happiest Place on Earth with a couple of friends
Image credits: Disneyland
Seems like he never misses a chance to show off his love for Disney
Nowadays he usually takes his wife Wanda with him, along with their good friends Martha & Joe Ortiz. Funnily enough, Joe was also in Disneyland back in 1955 on July 18th but the men didn’t get to meet then, but were brought together by life and common interests decades later.
The Disneyland he visited had its grand opening on July 17th, 1955
Image credits: Disneyland
And was opened to the public the next day, July 18th, after Disney’s family members and celebrities got a chance to visit
Image credits: Disneyland
Disneyland was the first of two theme parks in the Disneyland resort in California. Walt Disney himself came up with the concept for it after visiting numerous amusement parks with his children during 1930-1940 and brought it to life a couple of decades later. It cost 17 million US dollars to complete the park.
Dave MacPherson was the lucky guy to get in front of all the excited children
Image credits: Disneyland
He said that seeing the line of 6,000 people behind him was something he would never forget
Image credits: Disneyland
For its opening day, Disney executed a televised event, which was open only to Walt Disney’s family, the media and invited guests who were mostly celebrities of all kinds. During the park’s opening to the wide public the next day, Walt Disney himself disappeared shortly after opening the gate, leaving many people, including our Scotsman Dave MacPherson slightly disappointed. Despite that, he still said it was the best day!
As well as seeing Walt Disney himself
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My kids love Disneyland. If you take them before three years old they get in free. My kids still remember going at two years old. They carry around their photo album and talk about it all the time. Hopefully next year we can go back. If you poo poo on Disneyland you must be an insufferable killjoy to be around. No one cares why you boycott it. Go away.
We visited Disneyland in 1985 when our daughter was 2 and we were living in the USA. It was the 30th anniversary and every 30th person through the turnstile won a free ticket for a future entry. My husband won one and shortly afterwards we returned to the UK. Sadly he died 9 years later but in 2003 our daughter was visiting a friend in California so I gave her the ticket and they honoured it!
That's a wonderful story. I bet he's seen a great many changes to Disneyland over the years.
Frontierland was the major attraction at Disneyland back then. That whole era popularized cowboys and the great frontier. Disney sold wooden rifles and 'c**n skin hats for kids.
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Been to disneyland paris for 2,5 days to celebrate my parents 40th wedding anniversary. Gotta say never again..... place is a dump. Still wanna visit disneyworld tough.
My mom said a group picture was taken of the Anaheim babies of 1955 but I've never been able to find it. Anyone know about this?
We visited Disneyland in 1985, it’s 30th anniversary. Every 30th person through the turnstile won a free ticket for a future visit and my husband got one. We returned to England and sadly he died nine years later. However, in 2003 our daughter visited a friend in California so I gave her the ticket and they honoured it!
I hope when he passed that the card gets passed down to ether his kids or grand kids and the park still honors the card I his memory.
Responding to Jay Dilla. In the more recent picture, he is recreating the "OK" sign he made in 1955. It is an OK sign, not the racist sign that some people, who are repugnant, use now. Another thing to consider is that he is from Scotland, and I'm not sure that even now the racist sign is used in Scotland.
I am still trying to figure out how all of a sudden the OK sign is a racist symbol. It's been used as OK for decades so when did it become racist?
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I've managed to see Disney World and many of the REAL places on this fascinating planet. You can do it all Monika. Don't limit yourself.
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My kids love Disneyland. If you take them before three years old they get in free. My kids still remember going at two years old. They carry around their photo album and talk about it all the time. Hopefully next year we can go back. If you poo poo on Disneyland you must be an insufferable killjoy to be around. No one cares why you boycott it. Go away.
We visited Disneyland in 1985 when our daughter was 2 and we were living in the USA. It was the 30th anniversary and every 30th person through the turnstile won a free ticket for a future entry. My husband won one and shortly afterwards we returned to the UK. Sadly he died 9 years later but in 2003 our daughter was visiting a friend in California so I gave her the ticket and they honoured it!
That's a wonderful story. I bet he's seen a great many changes to Disneyland over the years.
Frontierland was the major attraction at Disneyland back then. That whole era popularized cowboys and the great frontier. Disney sold wooden rifles and 'c**n skin hats for kids.
Load More Replies... Been to disneyland paris for 2,5 days to celebrate my parents 40th wedding anniversary. Gotta say never again..... place is a dump. Still wanna visit disneyworld tough.
My mom said a group picture was taken of the Anaheim babies of 1955 but I've never been able to find it. Anyone know about this?
We visited Disneyland in 1985, it’s 30th anniversary. Every 30th person through the turnstile won a free ticket for a future visit and my husband got one. We returned to England and sadly he died nine years later. However, in 2003 our daughter visited a friend in California so I gave her the ticket and they honoured it!
I hope when he passed that the card gets passed down to ether his kids or grand kids and the park still honors the card I his memory.
Responding to Jay Dilla. In the more recent picture, he is recreating the "OK" sign he made in 1955. It is an OK sign, not the racist sign that some people, who are repugnant, use now. Another thing to consider is that he is from Scotland, and I'm not sure that even now the racist sign is used in Scotland.
I am still trying to figure out how all of a sudden the OK sign is a racist symbol. It's been used as OK for decades so when did it become racist?
Load More Replies... I've managed to see Disney World and many of the REAL places on this fascinating planet. You can do it all Monika. Don't limit yourself.
Load More Replies... 
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