The D23 Expo is a treasure hunt! With over 105 officially scheduled presentions in the printed event guide, a constant stream of updates via the mobile app along presentations all over the Expo Hall, there is no way to see everything. As a Disney Nerd and Disney Parks Fanatic, a few things I immediately circle on the agenda. The Annual Parks Panel, available here, and a review of the D23 Archives Stage are top of the list, with some of the archive stage sessions making my Must Do List. The past year, it was the very last Archives Stage Session that caught my attention “Disneyland 1959 Matterhorn, Monorail and Submarine Voyage.”
The session explores how Walt Disney advanced the nature of theme parks with the creation of the Matterhorn, Monorail, and Submarine Voyage. Think about that for a second, in a single year Walt Disney and Disneyland introduced the first steel roller coaster in the world, the first daily operating monorail in North America, and the only submarine fleet that didn’t belong to a Navy. It all happened 60 years ago, and all three ground-breaking attractions are still in operation today.
The video above is the full panel discussion including parade footage from June 14th, 1959, the day 6 new attractions were introduced at Disneyland. Additional Pictures below, including pieces of the 1959 Newspaper insert advertising the new adventure available at Disneyland During the Summer of 1969. Thanks for watching and be sure to subscribe to the Youtube Channel for more.