Walt Disney Family Museum in S.F. to celebrate Disneyland’s 55th anniversary

If you’re unable to be at Disneyland on July 17 to celebrate its 55th birthday, here’s something that might be a bit more special and honor the man who dared pursue a dream others said would never work.

The Walt Disney Family Museum at The Presidio of San Francisco is marking Disneyland’s 55th in a big way on July 17 and July 18.

The museum is featuring two very special presentations, open to the general public and members, but tickets are going to sell out quickly.

At 3 p.m. Saturday, July 17, the focus will be “Disneyland’s Growth, Development and Stature Today.” This event includes former Disneyland Presidents “Smiling” Jack Lindquist and the beloved Matt Quimet, who helped make Disneyland’s 50th anniversary a solid gold affair.

Lindquist and Quimet will be joined by Imagineer Tony Baxter, the senior vice-president of creative development for Disneyland, to discuss the park’s development, its impact on America, and Walt’s legacy.

At 3 p.m. Sunday, July 18, the focus will the “The Happiest Places on Earth: A Look at Disney Parks Around the Globe.” Special guests include Disney Legends Dick Nunis and Marty Sklar, along with Imagineers Craig Russell and Bruce Vaughn. They will explore how Walt Disney’s new concept in family entertainment, Disneyland, was a catalyst for parks around the world.

If you’re interested in either one or both of these separate ticket special events, I strongly encourage you to visit www.waltdisney.org to place an online order. You might also want to consider purchasing a ticket to visit the museum’s 10 galleries, but give yourself at least 2 or 3 hours before the 3 p.m. special events.

The museum’s hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily; closed Tuesdays.