Happiest Homecoming on Earth - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Happiest Homecoming on Earth was the eighteen-month-long celebration (May 5, 2005 through September 30, 2006) of the fiftieth anniversary of the Disneyland theme park, which officially opened on July 17, 1955. The Happiest Celebration on Earth commemorated fifty years of Disney theme parks, and celebrated Disneyland's milestone throughout Disney parks all over the globe.

Happiest Homecoming on Earth
- Disneyland Resort
  Disneyland Resort
  The Disneyland Resort is a recreational resort in Anaheim, California. The resort is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks and Resorts division and is home to two theme parks, three hotels and a shopping, dining, and entertainment area known as Downtown Disney.The area now...
  
  — Anaheim, California
  Anaheim, California
  Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
  
  , USA
Happiest Celebration on Earth
- Walt Disney World Resort
  Walt Disney World Resort
  Walt Disney World Resort , is the world's most-visited entertaimental resort. Located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida ; approximately southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States, the resort covers an area of and includes four theme parks, two water parks, 23 on-site themed resort hotels Walt...
  
  — Lake Buena Vista, Florida
  Lake Buena Vista, Florida
  Lake Buena Vista is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. It is mostly known for being home to the Walt Disney World Resort. It is one of two Florida municipalities controlled by The Walt Disney Company, the other being Bay Lake....
  
  , USA
- Tokyo Disney Resort
  Tokyo Disney Resort
  is a theme park and vacation resort located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, just east of Tokyo. It is owned and operated by the Oriental Land Company with a license from The Walt Disney Company. The resort opened on April 15, 1983, as a single theme park , but developed into a resort with two theme...
  
  — Urayasu, Japan
  Japan
  Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
- Disneyland Resort Paris
  Disneyland Resort Paris
  Disneyland Paris is a holiday and recreation resort in Marne-la-Vallée, a new town in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. The complex is located from the centre of Paris and lies for the most part within the commune of Chessy, Seine-et-Marne....
  
  — Marne-la-Vallée
  Marne-la-Vallée
  Marne-la-Vallée is a new town located near Paris, France.Disneyland Paris, Val d'Europe,Université Paris-Est Marne-la-Vallée,and École des Ponts ParisTech are located in Marne-la-Vallée.-Status:...
  
  , France
  France
  The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
- Hong Kong Disneyland Resort
  Hong Kong Disneyland Resort
  The Hong Kong Disneyland Resort is a resort built by the Government of Hong Kong and The Walt Disney Company in Hong Kong on reclaimed land beside Penny's Bay, at the northeastern tip of Lantau Island, approximately two kilometres from Discovery Bay...
  
  — Lantau Island
  Lantau Island
  Lantau Island , based on the old local name of Lantau Peak , is the largest island in Hong Kong, located at the mouth of the Pearl River. Administratively, most of Lantau Island is part of the Islands District of Hong Kong...
  
  , Hong Kong
  Hong Kong
  Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

Happiest Homecoming on Earth (Disneyland)

Disneyland's 50th anniversary was July 17, 2005, but the celebration was launched on May 5, 2005 in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle

Sleeping Beauty Castle

Sleeping Beauty Castle is the fairy tale structure castle at the center of Disneyland Park and Hong Kong Disneyland. It is based on the late-19th century Neuschwanstein Castle,with some French inspirations .-Disneyland version:Opened July 17, 1955, the castle is the oldest of all Disney castles...

May 4, 2005

Disneyland Park was actually closed to the public on this date, the first planned closure of the park in decades for a special media preview. Disney allowed guests staying at the Three Disney owned Hotels to become "extras" for the all the media filming going on, though they only were notified by a letter delivered in the middle of the night, so they had no advance notice.

May 5, 2005

The Happiest Homecoming on Earth ceremony officially began with a dedication from then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner

Michael Eisner

Michael Dammann Eisner is an American businessman. He was the chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company from 1984 until 2005.-Early life:...

. The ceremony included fireworks; speeches from Julie Andrews

Julie Andrews

Dame Julia Elizabeth Andrews, DBE is an English film and stage actress, singer, and author. She is the recipient of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, People's Choice Award, Theatre World Award, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award honors...

(official ambassador for the 50th anniversary celebrations), and Art Linkletter

Art Linkletter

Arthur Gordon "Art" Linkletter was a Canadian-born American radio and television personality. He was the host of House Party, which ran on CBS radio and television for 25 years, and People Are Funny, on NBC radio-TV for 19 years...

(original TV anchor for the opening day broadcast); a performance of "When You Wish Upon A Star" by Christina Aguilera

Christina Aguilera

Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...

; and LeAnn Rimes

LeAnn Rimes

LeAnn Rimes is an American country/pop singer. She is known for her rich vocals and her rise to fame as an eight-year-old champion on the original Ed McMahon version of Star Search, followed by the release of the Patsy Cline-intended single "Blue" when Rimes was only age 13, resulting in her...

singing the 50th anniversary theme song "Remember When", composed by Richard Marx

Richard Marx

Richard Noel Marx is an American adult contemporary and pop/rock singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He had a string of hit singles in the late 1980s and 1990s, including "Endless Summer Nights", "Right Here Waiting", "Now and Forever", and "Hazard"...

. A video conference featured celebrities at the Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom Park is one of four theme parks at the Walt Disney World Resort located near Orlando, Florida. The first park built at the resort, Magic Kingdom opened Oct. 1, 1971. Designed and built by WED Enterprises, the park's layout and attractions are similar to Disneyland in Anaheim, California...

(the only live video conference, with Wayne Brady

Wayne Brady

Wayne Alphonso Brady is an actor, singer, comedian and television personality, known for his work as a regular on the American version of the improvisational comedy television series Whose Line Is It Anyway?, and as the host of the daytime talk show The Wayne Brady Show...

, actor and former Walt Disney World Resort cast member), Tokyo Disneyland

Tokyo Disneyland

is a 115 acre theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, near Tokyo. Its main gate is directly adjacent to both Maihama Station and Tokyo Disneyland Station. It was the first Disney park to be built outside of the United States and opened on April 15, 1983...

, Disneyland Paris and the construction site of Hong Kong Disneyland

Hong Kong Disneyland

Hong Kong Disneyland is located on reclaimed land in Penny's Bay, Lantau Island. It is the first theme park located inside the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort and is owned and managed by the Hong Kong International Theme Parks. The park opened to visitors on 12 September 2005...

.

Before the Ceremony, at a media presentation in Disney's California Adventure

Disney's California Adventure

Disney California Adventure, or simply California Adventure, is a theme park in Anaheim, California, adjacent to Disneyland Park and part of the larger Disneyland Resort. It opened on February 8, 2001 as Disney's California Adventure Park. The park is owned and operated by the Walt Disney Parks and...

, Disneyland Resort president Matt Ouimet

Matt Ouimet

Matt Ouimet is the president of Cedar Fair Entertainment, a publicly-traded company that owns 11 amusement parks in the U.S. and Canada.Cedar Fair's board named him president in June. Ouimet is scheduled to take over as the chief executive officer in 2012, when the current CEO, Richard "Dick"...

announced the new attractions Monsters, Inc.: Mike and Sully to the Rescue and Turtle Talk with Crush

Turtle Talk with Crush

Turtle Talk with Crush is an interactive attraction that has appeared at several of the Disney theme parks. It first opened on November 16, 2004 at "The Seas with Nemo & Friends" pavilion at Epcot, and was duplicated at Disney California Adventure in July 2005. The attraction was open in Hong Kong...

July 17, 2005

The actual day of Disneyland's 50th Dedication Day/Press Preview was an event marked by fans' enthusiasm. The first person to enter the park that day was Madison Steigerwald, a 16-year old girl from Old Greenwich, CT. She and her grandmother, Mary Madison, began to line up at 3 p.m. the day before. Due to the thousands of fans that continued to line up through the night, Disney's California Adventure Park was opened and housed everyone until the next morning. A second line formed outside the security checkpoints as thousands more arrived in the final hours before the park opened. Disneyland Park

Disneyland Park (Anaheim)

Disneyland Park is a theme park located in Anaheim, California, owned and operated by the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts division of the Walt Disney Company. Known as Disneyland when it opened on July 18, 1955, and still almost universally referred to by that name, it is the only theme park to be...

opened at 7:00 a.m., although it took several hours to admit the crowds that showed up that morning.

Preparations

In 2004, Disneyland Resort President Matt Ouimet and hundreds of cast members posed for an aerial photo above Disneyland, with each person holding a nine square foot photograph of a Disneyland cast member. When seen from above the placards formed an image of Mickey Mouse

Mickey Mouse

Mickey Mouse is a cartoon character created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks at The Walt Disney Studio. Mickey is an anthropomorphic black mouse and typically wears red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves...

, making it the largest photographic mosaic ever created. This initiated the Happiest Faces on Earth

Happiest Faces on Earth

The Happiest Faces on Earth was a series of photo collages around the Disneyland Resort to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Disneyland Park. In summer and fall 2004, Disney encouraged guests to send in their family pictures from Disney vacations. They could be turned in online, through the mail,...

in which over thirty giant mosaics of Disney tableaus were displayed at locations around Disneyland and California Adventure composed of photos submitted by guests from the past fifty years. All the mosaics were created by California artist Roy Feinson.

Many classic Disneyland attractions re-opened in 2005 after lengthy refurbishments, such as Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room

Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room

Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room is an attraction located in Disneyland at the Disneyland Resort and at the Magic Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort.-History:...

, the Jungle Cruise

Jungle Cruise

The Jungle Cruise is an attraction located in Adventureland at many Disney Parks, including Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, and Tokyo Disneyland. At Hong Kong Disneyland, the attraction is named Jungle River Cruise...

and Space Mountain. A new fireworks show, Remember... Dreams Come True
Remember... Dreams Come True
Remember... Dreams Come True is a fireworks display commemorating Disneyland's 50th anniversary. Described as an "E ticket in the sky," the show features fireworks, lower level pyrotechnics, isopar flame effects, projections and lasers set to the soundtracks of some of Disneyland's most famous...

, replaced the former Believe... There's Magic in the Stars. Walt Disney's Parade of Dreams

Walt Disney's Parade of Dreams

Walt Disney's Parade of Dreams premiered on May 5, 2005 as part of the Happiest Homecoming on Earth, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Disneyland in California...

replaced the Parade of Stars and featured elaborate floats with lighting that allowed daytime or nighttime performances. Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters opened in Tomorrowland (at a ceremony with Tim Allen

Tim Allen

Tim Allen is an American comedian, actor, voice-over artist, and entertainer, known for his role in the sitcom Home Improvement...

, the voice of Toy Story

Toy Story

Toy Story is a 1995 American computer-animated film released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is Pixar's first feature film as well as the first ever feature film to be made entirely with CGI. The film was directed by John Lasseter and featuring the voices of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen...

character Buzz Lightyear

Buzz Lightyear

Buzz Lightyear is a character and the main deuteragonist of the Toy Story franchise. Buzz is a space ranger action figure and the co-leader of Andy's Room. He has also appeared in the movie Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins and the television series spin-off Buzz Lightyear of...

), and a new parade featuring Pixar

Pixar

Pixar Animation Studios, pronounced , is an American computer animation film studio based in Emeryville, California. The studio has earned 26 Academy Awards, seven Golden Globes, and three Grammy Awards, among many other awards and acknowledgments. Its films have made over $6.3 billion worldwide...

characters, Block Party Bash was featured at Disney's California Adventure

Disney's California Adventure

. Comedian and ex-Disneyland cast member Steve Martin

Steve Martin

Stephen Glenn "Steve" Martin is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, musician and composer....

opened the Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years
Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years
Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years was an exhibit about the history of Disneyland. It was located on Main Street, U.S.A. in the Opera House, which since 1965 had housed Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. In the lobby are displays featuring models, photos, concept art and sculptures associated with...

exhibition and film, in which he features with Donald Duck

Donald Duck

Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created in 1934 at Walt Disney Productions and licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit with a cap and a black or red bow tie. Donald is most...

. The original attractions which opened with the park also had one of their ride vehicles painted gold for the celebration. The park also contained 50 Hidden Mickey

Hidden Mickey

A Hidden Mickey is a representation of Mickey Mouse that has been inserted subtly into the design of a ride, attraction, or other location in a Disney theme park or elsewhere on Disney properties...

s, golden Mickey Mouse heads with "50" displayed in the middle, sometimes disguised as part of the surrounding theme.

Other refurbishments took place around Disneyland with many areas being re-painted and refurbished to their former glory. The second phase of the re-paint of Tomorrowland commenced after the base silver and blue scheme was laid. Main Street USA and Sleeping Beauty Castle

Sleeping Beauty Castle

were repainted, and the castle was specially decorated for the celebration. The celebration brought record numbers of guests to the parks, numbers unmatched since the fall of 1996, when mass crowds flooded the park to catch a glimpse of the Main Street Electrical Parade

Main Street Electrical Parade

The Main Street Electrical Parade is a regularly scheduled parade, created by Bob Jani and project director Ron Miziker, famous for its long run at Disneyland at the Disneyland Resort most summers between 1972–1974, 1977–1982, and 1985-1996...

before it went into permanent retirement.

Into 2006

In the second half of the celebration, in 2006, Monsters, Inc.: Mike and Sully to the Rescue opened at Disney's California Adventure. On July 7, 2006, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is a 2006 adventure fantasy film and the second film of the Pirates of the Caribbean series, following Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl . It was directed by Gore Verbinski, written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, and produced by...

had its world premiere on the Rivers of America

Rivers of America

Rivers of America can refer to:*List of rivers of the Americas*Rivers of America , an attraction at Disney theme parks*Rivers of America Series, a series of 65 books published by Farrar & Rinehart and its successors between 1937 and 1974...

, as did the first film in the trilogy in 2003. On the same day of Dead Man's Chest premiere, the Pirates of the Caribbean

Pirates of the Caribbean

Pirates of the Caribbean is a multi-billion dollar Walt Disney franchise encompassing a series of films, a theme park ride, and spinoff novels as well as numerous video games and other publications. The franchise originates with the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, which opened at Disneyland in...

attraction officially reopened after lengthy refurbishments to include plotlines from the movie trilogy in the attraction storyline. The 50th anniversary celebration at Disneyland ended on September 30, 2006, and was succeeded by the Year of a Million Dreams.

Theme Song

To commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Disneyland, the official anthem song was written by Richard Marx

Richard Marx

, and was performed for the first time live by Grammy Award winning artist, LeAnn Rimes

LeAnn Rimes

. The song reflects on how you can never be too old to enjoy life and childhood dreams you had. The song was played immediately after the new “Remember... Dreams Come True

Remember... Dreams Come True

Remember... Dreams Come True is a fireworks display commemorating Disneyland's 50th anniversary. Described as an "E ticket in the sky," the show features fireworks, lower level pyrotechnics, isopar flame effects, projections and lasers set to the soundtracks of some of Disneyland's most famous...

” fireworks spectacular presented throughout the 18-month anniversary celebration at Disneyland.

Happiest Celebration on Earth

Beyond simply celebrating the 50th Anniversary at Disneyland alone, festivities were held at all Disney owned Theme Parks and cruise throughout the world.

Walt Disney World Resort

The Walt Disney World Resort introduced at least one new attraction or show at each of its four theme parks:

Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom Park is one of four theme parks at the Walt Disney World Resort located near Orlando, Florida. The first park built at the resort, Magic Kingdom opened Oct. 1, 1971. Designed and built by WED Enterprises, the park's layout and attractions are similar to Disneyland in Anaheim, California...

received a major refurbishment of "it's a small world", A major refurbishment of Pirates of the Caribbean
Pirates of the Caribbean (theme park ride)
Pirates of the Caribbean is a log flume type of dark ride at the Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris theme parks....

, a new golden overlay for Cinderella Castle
Cinderella Castle
Cinderella Castle is the fairy tale castle at the center of two Disney theme parks: the Magic Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort, and Tokyo Disneyland at the Tokyo Disney Resort. Both serve as worldwide recognized icons and the flagship attraction for their respective theme parks.-Inspiration...

including a temporary stage show held at the castle called "Cinderellabration" featuring many Disney princesses and a new playground Pooh's Playful Spot.
Epcot
Epcot
Epcot is a theme park in the Walt Disney World Resort, located near Orlando, Florida. The park is dedicated to the celebration of human achievement, namely international culture and technological innovation. The second park built at the resort, it opened on October 1, 1982 and was initially named...

received Soarin' from Disney's California Adventure and A Hong Kong Disneyland
Hong Kong Disneyland
Hong Kong Disneyland is located on reclaimed land in Penny's Bay, Lantau Island. It is the first theme park located inside the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort and is owned and managed by the Hong Kong International Theme Parks. The park opened to visitors on 12 September 2005...

Preview Center
Disney-MGM Studios
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. Spanning 135 acres in size, its theme is show business, drawing inspiration from the heyday of Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s...

received a major refurbishment of the Streets of America area, and the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show
Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show
The Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show is a performance show at the Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.It is based on the original show, Moteurs.....

.
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal Kingdom is an animal theme park located at the Walt Disney World Resort. The fourth park built at the resort, it opened on April 22, 1998, and it is the largest single Disney theme park in the world, covering more than . It is also the first Disney theme park to be themed entirely...

temporarily exhibited Lucky the Dinosaur, the first free-roaming automatic Audio-Animatronic figure; in addition in 2006 the park opened Expedition Everest
Expedition Everest
Expedition Everest - Legend of the Forbidden Mountain is a roller coaster attraction at Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, near Orlando...

, a highly themed roller coaster through the Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...

that features an encounter with the Yeti
Yeti
The Yeti or Abominable Snowman is an ape-like cryptid said to inhabit the Himalayan region of Nepal, and Tibet. The names Yeti and Meh-Teh are commonly used by the people indigenous to the region, and are part of their history and mythology...

.

Tokyo Disney Resort

Tokyo Disneyland
Tokyo Disneyland
is a 115 acre theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, near Tokyo. Its main gate is directly adjacent to both Maihama Station and Tokyo Disneyland Station. It was the first Disney park to be built outside of the United States and opened on April 15, 1983...

: The Rock Around the Mouse stage show in front of Cinderella Castle
Cinderella Castle
Cinderella Castle is the fairy tale castle at the center of two Disney theme parks: the Magic Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort, and Tokyo Disneyland at the Tokyo Disney Resort. Both serve as worldwide recognized icons and the flagship attraction for their respective theme parks.-Inspiration...

, a tribute to rock 'n' roll and Californian culture from the period that Disneyland opened; and a Golden Fiftieth Mickey at the base of the Partners statue in the hub, acknowledging its sister park's milestone.
Tokyo DisneySea
Tokyo DisneySea
is a 176-acre theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, just outside Tokyo. It opened on September 4, 2001. It is owned by The Oriental Land Company, which licenses the theme from The Walt Disney Company. Tokyo DisneySea attracted an estimated 12 million visitors in...

: The Raging Spirits
Raging Spirits
Raging Spirits is a roller coaster attraction in Tokyo DisneySea, began operation on July 21, 2005. Created by Walt Disney Imagineering, the attraction takes guests on a thrilling, high-speed ride through the ruins of an ancient ceremonial site, visually based on the Incan buildings in the...

roller coaster opened in June, and the new Tower of Terror
Tower of Terror
Tower of Terror may refer to:* The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, an accelerated freefall ride located in many Disney theme parks** Tower of Terror , a TV movie based on the Disney attraction...

opened (it has its own new back-story, and is not themed to The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)
The Twilight Zone is an American anthology television series created by Rod Serling, which ran for five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964. The series consisted of unrelated episodes depicting paranormal, futuristic, dystopian, or simply disturbing events; each show typically featured a surprising...

).

Disneyland Resort Paris

Disneyland Park
Disneyland Park (Paris)
Disneyland Park is a theme park at Disneyland Paris, a resort complex just outside of Paris, in the new town of Marne-la-Vallée, France. The first of two parks built at the resort, it opened as Euro Disneyland on 12 April, 1992...

: Space Mountain received a makeover, and is now known as Space Mountain: Mission 2, with new effects and ride configurations throughout. A version of The Magic Kingdom's Wishes
Wishes
Wishes: A Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams is a fireworks show at the Magic Kingdom theme park in Florida and at Disneyland Park in Disneyland Paris...

fireworks display premiered.
Walt Disney Studios Park
Walt Disney Studios Park
Walt Disney Studios Park is the second theme park to open at Disneyland Paris, owned and operated by Euro Disney S.C.A.. It is located to the west of the hub, next door to Disneyland Park at the heart of the resort in Marne-la-Vallée....

: A new land, Toon Studios, and a Tower of Terror opened.

Hong Kong Disneyland Resort

Hong Kong Disneyland Resort
Hong Kong Disneyland Resort
The Hong Kong Disneyland Resort is a resort built by the Government of Hong Kong and The Walt Disney Company in Hong Kong on reclaimed land beside Penny's Bay, at the northeastern tip of Lantau Island, approximately two kilometres from Discovery Bay...

- The fifth worldwide resort opened as part of the celebration, in September 2005, with one theme park and two hotels.

Disney Cruise Line

The Disney Magic
Disney Magic
The Disney Magic is a cruise ship operated by the Disney Cruise Line, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. Its sister, the Disney Wonder, was launched in 1999....

sailed to the West Coast

West Coast of the United States

West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...

in the summer of 2005, where it offered 12 one-week cruises from Los Angeles

Port of Los Angeles

The Port of Los Angeles, also called Los Angeles Harbor and WORLDPORT L.A, is a port complex that occupies of land and water along of waterfront. The port is located on San Pedro Bay in the San Pedro neighborhood of Los Angeles, approximately south of downtown...

to the Mexican Riviera

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

with port calls at Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta is a Mexican balneario resort city situated on the Pacific Ocean's Bahía de Banderas.The 2010 census reported Puerto Vallarta's population as 255,725 making it the sixth-largest city in the state of Jalisco...

, Mazatlán

Mazatlán

Mazatlán is a city in the Mexican state of Sinaloa; the surrounding municipio for which the city serves as the municipal seat is Mazatlán Municipality. It is located at on the Pacific coast, across from the southernmost tip of the Baja California peninsula.Mazatlán is a Nahuatl word meaning...

and Cabo San Lucas

Cabo San Lucas

Cabo San Lucas , commonly called Cabo, is a city at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, in the municipality of Los Cabos in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. As of the 2010 census, the population was 68,463 people...

. Afterward, the ship returned to its original Caribbean

Caribbean

The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...

itinerary alongside the Disney Wonder
Disney Wonder
Disney Wonder is the second cruise ship operated by Disney Cruise Line; it was launched in 1999. It is nearly identical in construction to its sister ship, Disney Magic. Both ships have 11 public decks, can accommodate 2,400 passengers in 875 staterooms, and have a crew of approximately 950. ...

.

Attraction duplication

Walt Disney World Resort advertised the celebration by noting that the Florida property imported popular attractions or shows developed for Disney's other parks around the world.

Magic Kingdom received an abridged version of Cinderellabration from Tokyo Disneyland.
Epcot received Soarin' from Disney's California Adventure.
Disney-MGM Studios received Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show from the Walt Disney Studios Paris.

Three Walt Disney World Resort attractions recently have been duplicated at four of the other Disney parks, and the Disneyland Resort has inspired an attraction found in Japan.

Tokyo DisneySea is opened a version of the Tower of Terror from the Disney-MGM Studios.
The Walt Disney Studios have opened a version of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror from Disney's California Adventure.
Disneyland Paris staged a compressed version of the Wishes
Wishes
Wishes: A Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams is a fireworks show at the Magic Kingdom theme park in Florida and at Disneyland Park in Disneyland Paris...

fireworks developed for the Magic Kingdom for two weeks in July 2005.
Disney's California Adventure duplicated Turtle Talk with Crush from Epcot.
Disneyland duplicated Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters from Tokyo Disneyland.

Season timeline

July 17, 1955 - Disneyland dedicated by Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...

during a private dedication event that was broadcasted live on Network TV; festivities shared via telecast by hosts Art Linkletter
Art Linkletter
Arthur Gordon "Art" Linkletter was a Canadian-born American radio and television personality. He was the host of House Party, which ran on CBS radio and television for 25 years, and People Are Funny, on NBC radio-TV for 19 years...

, Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....

and Bob Cummings.
July 18, 1955 - Disneyland public opening day, when the gates opened to the public at 10 AM PDT, and had about 50,000 guests purchase tickets.
May 5, 2004 - Happiest Homecoming on Earth details are announced by Michael Eisner
Michael Eisner
Michael Dammann Eisner is an American businessman. He was the chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company from 1984 until 2005.-Early life:...

, Bob Iger, Jay Rasulo
Jay Rasulo
James A. "Jay" Rasulo is the Senior Executive VP and CFO of the The Walt Disney Company. Prior to this, he was chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts from October 2005 until December 2009 when he switched positions with Thomas O. Staggs...

and Julie Andrews
Julie Andrews
Dame Julia Elizabeth Andrews, DBE is an English film and stage actress, singer, and author. She is the recipient of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, People's Choice Award, Theatre World Award, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award honors...

.
May 5, 2005 - The Happiest Homecoming on Earth officially is opened at Disneyland by Michael Eisner
Michael Eisner
Michael Dammann Eisner is an American businessman. He was the chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company from 1984 until 2005.-Early life:...

, Matt Ouimet
Matt Ouimet
Matt Ouimet is the president of Cedar Fair Entertainment, a publicly-traded company that owns 11 amusement parks in the U.S. and Canada.Cedar Fair's board named him president in June. Ouimet is scheduled to take over as the chief executive officer in 2012, when the current CEO, Richard "Dick"...

, Bob Iger, Julie Andrews
Julie Andrews
Dame Julia Elizabeth Andrews, DBE is an English film and stage actress, singer, and author. She is the recipient of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, People's Choice Award, Theatre World Award, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award honors...

and Art Linkletter
Art Linkletter
Arthur Gordon "Art" Linkletter was a Canadian-born American radio and television personality. He was the host of House Party, which ran on CBS radio and television for 25 years, and People Are Funny, on NBC radio-TV for 19 years...

with a live video conference between the five Magic Kingdom theme parks on three continents and performances from Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...

and LeAnn Rimes
LeAnn Rimes
LeAnn Rimes is an American country/pop singer. She is known for her rich vocals and her rise to fame as an eight-year-old champion on the original Ed McMahon version of Star Search, followed by the release of the Patsy Cline-intended single "Blue" when Rimes was only age 13, resulting in her...

.
July 15, 2005 - Space Mountain re-opens at Disneyland after a two year overhaul hiatus.
July 17, 2005 - Disneyland's 50th birthday is officially commemorated with a re-reading by Diane Disney Miller of her father's original dedication.
September 12, 2005 - Hong Kong Disneyland
Hong Kong Disneyland
Hong Kong Disneyland is located on reclaimed land in Penny's Bay, Lantau Island. It is the first theme park located inside the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort and is owned and managed by the Hong Kong International Theme Parks. The park opened to visitors on 12 September 2005...

opens.
September 21, 2006 - The process of taking down the golden overlay on Cinderella Castle
Cinderella Castle
Cinderella Castle is the fairy tale castle at the center of two Disney theme parks: the Magic Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort, and Tokyo Disneyland at the Tokyo Disney Resort. Both serve as worldwide recognized icons and the flagship attraction for their respective theme parks.-Inspiration...

is complete.
September 30, 2006 - The Happiest Celebration on Earth officially ends.

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.