References are numbered in [brackets], which are listed here. A number after the dot gives the page in the source.

Last updated: 2023 December 20.

1956

January 8

• The Mickey Mouse Club Circus in Disneyland closes. [20] [228.322] [1300.278]

January 12

• The Silhouette Studio shop opens on Main Street in Disneyland. [1300.373]

January 15

• The Phantom Boats attraction in Disneyland closes (temporarily). [1300.327] (Tomorrowland Boats [501.563])

January

• On a rainy weekend at Disneyland, Walt Disney describes his ideas for a skyway, monorail, submarine ride, and mountain sled ride. [267.203]

January 21

• The American Dairy Association Exhibit (Dairy Bar) food facility opens in Tomorrowland at Disneyland. [1300.46] [1378.168]

February 1

• The Mule Pack attraction in Frontierland at Disneyland closes. [1235.20]

February 19

• The Keller's Jungle Killers exhibit of jungle animals opens in Fantasyland at Disneyland. [228.273] [1300.231]

March

• The Court of Honor exhibit at Disneyland closes. [1300.117]
• Our Future in Colors exhibit opens in Tomorrowland at Disneyland. [1300.314]

March 23

• Jimmy Starr's Show Business Souvenirs shop opens on Town Square at Disneyland. [1300.225]

March 24

• The Astro-Jets ride opens in Tomorrowland at Disneyland. [9] [26] [1300.54] [1378.45]

April 5

• The Bathroom of Tomorrow attraction opens in Tomorrowland at Disneyland, sponsored by the Crane Company. [9] [26] [1300.68] [1378.160]

May 12

• The Horseless Carriage (red) begins operation on Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland. [9] [26] [228.242] [1300.261]

June 16

• The Tom Sawyer Island attraction opens in Frontierland at Disneyland. [26.89] [501.562] [1300.422]
• The Tom Sawyer Island Rafts begin operation in Frontierland at Disneyland. [4] [26] [228.407] [1300.347]
• The Storybook Land Canal Boats attraction begins operation in Fantasyland at Disneyland. [9] [26] [501.526] [939.92] [1300.398]
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June 23

• The Skyway to Tomorrowland begins operation in Fantasyland at Disneyland. [9] [26] [501.504] [757.36] [1300.375]
• The Skyway to Fantasyland begins operation in Tomorrowland at Disneyland. [9] [26] [501.504] [757.36] [1300.375]

June 26

• The Rainbow Mountain Stage Coaches attraction begins operation in Frontierland at Disneyland. [9] [26] [228.408]
• The Mule Pack ride at Disneyland reopens as the Rainbow Ridge Pack Mules. [9] [26] [225.408] [228.378] [1235.20] [1300.297]

(month unknown)

• Disneyland begins using "D" tickets for certain attractions. [26] [193.16] [501.557] [939.34]
• The Fantasy in the Sky fireworks show debuts over Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland. [20] [26] (1957 [19] [228.174])
• In Disneyland, a railroad station is added to Fantasyland. [228.137]
• The Guatemalan Weavers shop opens in Adventureland at Disneyland. [228.220]
• The Oaks Tavern restaurant opens in Frontierland at Disneyland. [228.364]
• The Casa de Fritos restaurant in Frontierland at Disneyland moves to replace the Marshal's office. [1300.95]

July 2

• The Rainbow Caverns Mine Train attraction begins operation in Frontierland at Disneyland. The attraction cost US$400,000 to build. [9] [26] [228.408] [328.286] [939.74] [1300.348]

July 4

• The Indian War Canoes attraction begins operation in Frontierland at Disneyland. [9] [26] [228.254] [1300.215]

July

• The Phantom Boats ride returns to Disneyland (for about a month). [1300.327]

July 23

• The Junior Autopia ride opens in Fantasyland at Disneyland. [9] [26] [228.269] [1300.230]

July 30

• The Mineral Hall shop opens in Frontierland at Disneyland. [228.333] [1300.286]

August

• The Main Street Omnibus #1 begins operation in Disneyland. [9] [228.369]

August 18

• The Carnation Plaza Gardens eatery and entertainment area opens on the hub at Disneyland. [1300.335] [1378.119]

August 22

• The Carefree Corner guest registration area opens on Main Street in Disneyland. [1300.90] [1378.118]

September 7

• The Keller's Jungle Killers show gives its last performance at Disneyland. [228.273] [1300.231]

October 4

• Disneyland welcomes its five millionth guest. [26] [910.27] [1300.313]

October

• The Phantom Boats of Tomorrowland closes, the first attraction removed from Disneyland. [939.97] [1300.326]

December

• The Horseless Carriage (yellow) begins operation on Main Street, U.S.A. in Disneyland. [9] [26] [228.242]

December 20

• Disney releases the sixth People and Places film, Disneyland, U.S.A., to theaters. [23] [85.349] [228.138] [1300.138]

1957

• The Shoe Store Gallen-Kamp Stores Co. in Disneyland closes. [1300.183]

April 3

• The ABC TV network airs the Disneyland TV show, entitled Disneyland the Park / Pecos Bill. [228.138] [370.394]

April 23

• The Midget Autopia ride opens in Fantasyland at Disneyland. [9] [26] [228.329] [1300.283]

April 29

• Walt Disney officially opens the Sleeping Beauty Castle Walk-Through attraction in Disneyland, showing a 3-D portrayal of the story of Sleeping Beauty. [9] [20] [501.505] [1242.42] [1300.379]

June 12

• The Monsanto House of the Future attraction opens in Tomorrowland at Disneyland. [9] [20] [26] [228.339] [757.36] [1300.210]

June 15

• Don DeFore's Silver Banjo Barbecue food facility opens in Frontierland at Disneyland. [228.143] [1300.146]

June

• The Motor Boat Cruise opens in Fantasyland at Disneyland. [9] [26] [228.343] [1300.294]

June 16

• The Holidayland picnic area opens adjacent to Disneyland. [9] [228.237] [757.36] [939.150] [1300.209]

June 26

• The Viewliner Train of Tomorrow begins operation in Tomorrowland at Disneyland. [9] [26] [501.587] [1300.436] (June 10 [328.293])

(month unknown)

• The Disney engineering staff recommends the monorail design for Disneyland. [19]
• Disney begins the Community Service Awards program at Disneyland, giving cash awards to local service organizations. For the first year, $9000 is distributed. [1378.149]
• The Main Street Magic Shop opens in Disneyland. [228.306]
• The Tinker Bell Toy Shop opens in Fantasyland at Disneyland. [501.559]
• The Flight Circle exhibit area at Disneyland is renamed Thimble Drome Flight Circle, sponsored by Cox Manufacturing. [1300.172]
• The Flower Mart begins selling artificial flowers on Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland. [1300.172]

July 12

• The Shooting Gallery attraction opens in Frontierland at Disneyland. [9] [26] [501.497] [1300.179]

July

• The Indian Village Rafts begin operation in Frontierland at Disneyland. [9] [26]
• A third locomotive arrives at the Disney Studio backlot, to be rebuilt for use on the Disneyland railroad. It was purchased in New Orleans, for US$1200. [328.243]
• The Miniature Horse Corral exhibit in Disneyland closes. [1300.286]
• The Baby Center area opens on Main Street at Disneyland. [1378.52]

September

• Lillian Disney donates a 70 million year old petrified tree stump to Disneyland, which is installed in Frontierland. [1300.326]

October 8

• The Maxwell House Coffee House restaurant at Disneyland closes. [228.315] [1300.275]

(month unknown)

• The first Christmas in Many Lands parade is held at Disneyland. [1378.135] (1958 [26])

December

• The Main Street Omnibus #2 begins operation in Disneyland. [9]

December 31

• Disneyland welcomes its 10-millionth guest, Leigh Woolfenden. [26] [228.134] [757.37] [910.27]
• The first New Year's Eve Party is held in Disneyland, with 7500 attending. [20] [26] [757.37]

1958

January 18

• The Ken-L Land Pet Motel pet boarding facility (sponsored by Ken-L Ration) opens outside the Disneyland main gate. [228.273] [1300.231]

February 9

• Re-assembly of a refurbished third locomotive for Disneyland is completed. [328.245]

March 27

• The third locomotive for the Disneyland railroad makes its first test run around the park. [328.245]

March 28

• The #3 Disneyland locomotive, named the Fred Gurley, begins public operation. [26] [228.136] [328.248,391]

March 31

• The Grand Canyon Diorama attraction opens in Disneyland, part of the Santa Fe and Disneyland Railroad. At 306 feet long, it is the world's longest seamless hand-woven canvas. The attraction cost US$367,814 to build. [9] [4] [26] [228.215] [328.248,270] [1300.193]

April

• At Disneyland, the Tomorrowland Station is added. [228.137] [328.270]

June 13

• The Hills Bros. Coffee House and Coffee Garden opens in Town Square at Disneyland. [1300.208]

June 14

• The Sailing Ship Columbia attraction opens in Disneyland. It is a full-scale replica of the original Columbia, the first ship to circumnavigate the globe, in 1787. Disney's ship cost US$300,000 to build. [4] [9] [26.87] [1300.367] [1378.147]
• The dock in Frontierland along the southwest side of the Rivers of America is named Fowler's Harbor. [1300.174]
• The Alice in Wonderland ride opens in Fantasyland at Disneyland. [9] [26] [757.37] [1300.44] [1378.20]

June

• The Mad Hatter of Main Street shop opens in Town Square at Disneyland. [228.302] [1300.248]

June 19

• A fourth locomotive arrives at Disney's backlot, to be rebuilt and put into service at Disneyland. It was purchased in New Jersey for US$2000. [328.254]

(month unknown)

• The Hills Brothers Coffee House opens on Town Square at Disneyland. [228.235]
• The Space Station X-1 exhibit at Disneyland is renamed Satellite View of America. [501.515]
• The Our Future in Colors exhibit at Disneyland is renamed Color Gallery. [1300.314]

August 1

• Disneyland sponsors Disney Night at the Hollywood Bowl. Highlight of the entertainment is a 1000-foot glide over the audience by Helen "Tiny Kline" Klein dressed at Tinker Bell. (Three years later, the Tinker Bell glide begins nightly performances at Disneyland.) [754.63]

August 16

• The Fire Truck begins transportation services on Main Street, U.S.A. in Disneyland. [9] [26] [228.185] [1300.261]

September 1

• The American Dairy Association Exhibit (Dairy Bar) food facility in Disneyland closes. [1300.46] [1378.168]

October

• Roger Broggie and Joe Fowler of the Disney company visit Alweg Corporation in Cologne, Germany. They conclude that the Alweg monorail system could be successfully operated at Disneyland. [328.297]

December 15

• The Junior Autopia attraction at Disneyland closes for major remodelling. [228.269] [1300.230]

December 21

• Disneyland debuts The Candlelight Procession and Massed Choir Ceremony. [755.55] [1378.114]

1959

• Construction work begins on the Matterhorn Bobsleds attraction at Disneyland. The mountain is 1/100th of the size of the Swiss mountain it is patterned on. [4]

June 6

• The Submarine Voyage attraction opens in Tomorrowland at Disneyland, with eight gray submarines. It cost about US$2.5 million to create. This is the first 'E' ticket attraction. [4] [9] [22] [26] [48.291] [193.32] [501.529] [757.37]

June 14

• The Disneyland monorail trains are first hoisted by crane onto their track. [328.298]
• The Disneyland-Alweg Monorail System begins operation in Tomorrowland at Disneyland. It represents the first urban monorail system in the USA. US Vice President Richard Nixon helps with the dedication. [4] [9] [22] [26] [29] [48.291] [109.84] [228.338,360] [246.91] [267.254] [665.72] [757.37] [914.66] [1300.290]
• The Matterhorn Mountain with its Matterhorn Bobsleds ride opens in Fantasyland at Disneyland. It is the first thrill ride at Disneyland, and the first ride to use cylindrical rails and urethane wheels. The mountain is 147 feet high, 1/100th the height of the real Matterhorn mountain, and uses 2175 steel girders. Final cost of the attraction is US$1.5 million. First riders are Walt Disney, his family, and US Vice President Richard Nixon. [9] [22] [26] [48.291] [228.315] [757.37] [914.62] [939.111] [1300.271]
• The Submarine Voyage attraction at Disneyland is officially dedicated. [4] [9] [22] [26] [48.291] [501.529] [914.66] [1300.402]

June

• The Fantasyland Autopia opens in Fantasyland at Disneyland. It is the second Autopia in Disneyland, created due to the immense popularity of the attraction. [9] [26] [48.291] [257.17] [228.33] [1300.164] (January 1 [228.175])
• The enlarged Motor Boat Cruise begins operation in Fantasyland at Disneyland. [9] [26] [48.291]

June 15

• The live 90-minute TV special Disneyland '59 airs, introducing new attractions at Disneyland: Submarine Voyage, Matterhorn Bobsleds, Monorail, Motor Boat Cruise, and an enlarged Autopia. [228.135] [913.14] [1300.137]

June

• Disneyland begins using "E" tickets for certain attractions. [26] [193.16] [501.557] [328.235] [939.34]

(month unknown)

• Disneyland welcomes its 15-millionth guest. [26]

July 25

• The #4 train of the Disneyland railroad begins regular service. It is named the Ernest S. Marsh. Cost of renovation of the locomotive was US$57,070. [26] [328.255,391]

September 13

• The Rainbow Mountain Stage Coaches attraction at Disneyland closes. [228.408] [1235.27]
• The Conestoga Wagons attraction in Frontierland at Disneyland closes. [1235.27] [1300.113] [1378.151]

September 20

• Jimmy Starr's Show Business Souvenirs shop in Disneyland closes. [1300.225]

October 2

• The Rainbow Ridge Pack Mules attraction at Disneyland closes for re-modelling. [228.408] [1235.20] [1300.297]

October 11

• The Rainbow Caverns Mine Train attraction at Disneyland closes for remodelling. [228.408] [1300.349]

December

• The World Beneath Us exhibit at Disneyland closes. [1300.444]

1952-1955

1956-1959

1960-1965

1966-1974

1975-1984

1985-1989

1990-1999

2000-end