Walt Disney’s dream of a family-friendly theme park didn’t quite come true 60 years ago today.

Yes, California’s Disneyland officially opened its doors on July 17, 1955, but so much went wrong the day was nearly a nightmare. Rides broke down. Drinking fountains stopped working in the blistering heat. The park ran out of some food and drink items. The Mark Twain Steamboat nearly capsized.

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Slowly but surely, the kinks were worked out. Today, Disneyland is one of the top tourist destinations on the planet, drawing more than 16 million visitors each year. (Its Florida counterpart, Disney World, hosts over 18 million people a year, opened in 1971 and is larger than the California park.)

To honor Disneyland’s 60th birthday, here’s a look at some remarkable facts about the sprawling entertainment hot spot.

  1. The cost to enter the park on its opening day? $1.
  2. The park’s price tag was about $17 million, a pittance if a similar park were planned in 2015.
  3. The original opening featured special invitations to keep crowds to a minimum. Unfortunately, counterfeit tickets flooded the zone, taxing the park’s resources.
  4. VersaEdge Software is one of several companies that offer apps to let Disneyland visitors know how long they’ll wait in line for the park’s rides.
  5. The original park boasted 18 attractions, including Adventureland, Fantasyland, Frontierland, Tomorrowland and Main Street USA.
  6. Future President Ronald Reagan co-hosted the opening day ceremony.
  7. The park’s first three months in operation drew 1 million guests.
  8. The 1960s proved critical to the park’s most noteworthy attractions. The decade saw the introduction of the Haunted Mansion, It’s A Small World, New Orleans Square and The Pirates of the Caribbean. The latter inspired the mega-film franchise starring Johnny Depp.
  9. Steve Martin got his first gig at Disneyland performing magic tricks and selling guidebooks.
  10. Michelle Pfeiffer earned some early acting experience by playing Alice in Wonderland at the park during the 1970s.
  11. “Star Wars” creator George Lucas made his first trip to Disneyland as an 11-year-old boy the first week it opened.
  12. Visitors soaking in the park’s “Star Tours” exhibit might hear Egroeg Sacul being paged at some point. That’s George Lucas spelled backwards.
  13. When someone loses his or her lunch on park grounds, the management team’s term for the incident is “Code V.”
  14. The director of “Toy Story,” John Lasseter, once worked as a sweet sweeper in Tomorrowland.
  15. Pirates of the Caribbean, which debuted in 1967, is the park’s number one attraction.
  16. The Space Mountain indoor roller coaster cost $20 million to make in 1977.
  17. Walt Disney called the park’s opening day “Black Sunday” due to the crush of problems.
  18. Walt Disney had his own private pad on Disneyland grounds, located right above the Main St. Firehouse. He let his employees know he was there by leaving the apartment’s window light on.
  19. Emile Kuri, an Oscar-winning set designer whose work appeared on many Disney films including “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” and “Mary Poppins,” designed Disney’s on-site apartment.
  20. Diane Disney Miller said her father had a hard time picking his favorite ride, but he did have a special place in his heart for the Tomorrowland attraction.
  21. Park employees weren’t allowed to grow mustaches until the ban was lifted in 2000.

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