[Park Hopper]

Here's the text of a story detailing Disney's plans for an 18-month celebration at all its parks to commemorate Disneyland's 50th anniversary. Most of what was announced has already been made public, but some of the things I hadn't heard before include new attractions coming to WDW that range from Cinderellabration, a musical based on a show at Tokyo Disneyland that will be performed at the Magic Kingdom, to Lucky the dinosaur, a fully mobile, animatronic dinosaur that has been tested at Disneyland and will appear at Animal Kingdom. Disney also confirmed that the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights will return to MGM this Christmas.

Here's the article:

Celebration will mark Disneyland's 50th anniversary

By Greg Groeller
Sentinel Staff Writer

May 6, 2004

A strolling animatronic dinosaur, a stunt-car show, simulated hang gliding, and a Cinderella musical will all debut next year at Walt Disney Co.'s Orlando theme parks as part of the company's 50th anniversary celebration of Disneyland in California.

Each of Walt Disney World's four parks -- Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios and Animal Kingdom -- will get a new attraction in 2005 modeled after an existing ride or show at a Disney park in Anaheim, Calif.; Tokyo; or Paris.

In addition, Animal Kingdom will get a second attraction in 2006 -- Expedition Everest, a roller coaster ride -- that will be exclusive to Orlando.

The 18-month anniversary event, dubbed "The Happiest Celebration on Earth," will occur simultaneously at all 10 Disney theme parks worldwide, with the festivities beginning May 5, 2005.

Disney will also celebrate the 15th anniversary of its local movie-studio theme park through the rest of this year. Special events at Disney-MGM, which opened in May 1989, will include the return of the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights, a holiday-season light show that was put on hiatus last year so it could be moved to the back lot from the park's Residential Street.

Walt Disney World President Al Weiss said the global celebration of Disney's first theme park -- Disneyland, which opened July 17, 1955 -- is the most ambitious and expensive joint promotion yet for Disney's parks.

The cost is expected to exceed the estimated $250 million spent on Disney's 100 Years of Magic promotion, a similar celebration in 2001-02, Weiss said. And it will include the opening of Disney's 11th park, Hong Kong Disneyland, in late 2005 or early 2006.

"This will be our most over-the-top celebration yet," Weiss said Wednesday during a news conference held jointly in Disneyland and Walt Disney World and linked via satellite.

Disneyland is to get a new parade and fireworks show, plus an exhibit highlighting the park's evolution over the decades. Its Space Mountain indoor roller coaster, which has been closed for refurbishment, will reopen with new special effects. And Disney is moving one of its two Central Florida cruise ships from Port Canaveral to the West Coast for 12 weeks next summer for seven-day cruises.

Most of the new attractions announced Wednesday in Orlando had already been reported in the press or announced by Disney. But Wednesday was the first time the company acknowledged publicly that all would be built.

May 5 was chosen to kick off the global event because the date, written as 05/05/05, is 50/50/50 when reversed -- a tip of the hat to Disneyland's 50th birthday.

"Disneyland has become an icon of what people internationally think of when they think of America," said Bob Iger, Walt Disney Co.'s president and chief operating officer, who kicked off the joint press conference.

Disney's embattled chief executive officer, Michael Eisner, made a brief appearance but only to introduce the actress Julie Andrews as the celebration's honorary ambassador.

New attractions coming to Orlando range from Cinderellabration, a musical based on a show at Tokyo Disneyland that will be performed at the Magic Kingdom, to Lucky the dinosaur, a fully mobile, animatronic dinosaur that has been tested at Disneyland and will appear at Animal Kingdom.

Sprinkled throughout Wednesday's news conference were old TV clips of company founder Walt Disney proudly discussing his then-new park in Southern California, along with shots of stars such as Ronald Reagan, Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra taken on Disneyland's opening day in 1955.

Legendary radio and television star Art Linkletter attended Wednesday's press conference in California to reminisce about a car ride he took with Walt Disney in the early 1950s to visit the future site of Disneyland.

At the time, the location was nothing but orange groves and dusty roads, the now 91-year-old Linkletter recalled.

"I didn't bother to tell him that people would never come this far to ride on a Ferris wheel," Linkletter said.

[Dana]

Thanks for the info Park Hopper! I have missed your articles about the world. I'm sorry that I will be missing this celebration on my January trip, but am thrilled that I will be bl to catch it on my January 2006 one. Thanks again for the news....love when you post these things!

[inluvwithdisney]

It sounds great!!! Another reason to go back after 05/05/05!!!! I am sure the celebration will be incredible and one NOT to be missed!!!