A D23 Treasure Hunt Worth Taking
The D23 Expo is a treasure hunt of Disney history, surprises, and once-in-a-lifetime moments. With over 105 officially scheduled presentations in the printed event guide—not to mention all the surprise sessions and updates via the mobile app—it’s impossible to catch everything. But as a Disney Parks fanatic, there are a few sessions I always circle:
- The Annual Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products panel
- A deep dive into the Walt Disney Archives Stage lineup
This year, it was the very last Archives Stage session that stole the show—and landed high on my “must do” list.
Disneyland’s Game-Changing Year: 1959
The session, “Disneyland 1959 – Matterhorn, Monorail & Submarine Voyage,” explored a monumental year in Disney Parks history. Consider this: In a single year, Walt Disney and his Imagineers introduced:
- The first tubular steel roller coaster in the world – The Matterhorn Bobsleds
- The first daily operating monorail in North America – The Disneyland Monorail
- The only submarine fleet that didn’t belong to a Navy – The Submarine Voyage
All of this happened 60 years ago—and all three groundbreaking attractions are still in operation today.
The panel dove into the innovation, engineering, and vision behind each of these legendary attractions. It was a rare chance to hear from Disney historians, archivists, and Imagineers about how Walt Disney literally changed the amusement industry forever in the span of one summer.
Watch the Full Panel & Rare 1959 Footage
This episode of SamsDisneyDiary features the entire panel discussion from the Archives Stage, complete with historic photos and video clips—including parade footage from June 14, 1959, the day six new attractions opened at Disneyland.
I’ve also included exclusive images below, featuring the 1959 Disneyland newspaper insert that advertised the brand-new adventures awaiting guests that summer.
Disneyland 1959
Images from the D23 Expo 2019 Archives Stage – Disneyland 1959
Check out these other videos from the D23 Expo Archives Stage. 60 Years of the Jungle Cruise. Great Moments with Walt Disney. Digging Deeper Disney History. Making Walls Talk. A conversation with Bill Farmer. Kevin Rafferty. Star Wars Music. Disneyland 1959. Haunted Mansion at 50. Disney and Pixar did That?. Legacy of Disney Products. Disney Park Maps. Marc Davis goes to WED. Legends of Imagineering. Voices of the Parks or 50 Years of Pirates. and a Kiss Goodnight with Richard Sherman.
