Disneyland opens for 24 hours on Leap Day to celebrate “One More Disney Day”

To commemorate “One More Disney Day,” the Happiest Place on Earth remained open for a whole 24 hours, from 6 a.m. on Wednesday, February 29th to 6 a.m. the following morning. Thousands poured into the theme park to participate in the event and enjoyed a day at Disneyland like never before. Celebrities spotted at the big event were David Spade, who provided the voice for Kuzco in the Disney classic “The Emperor’s New Groove,” and the cast of “Modern Family,” including Ed O’ Neill and Sofia Vergara, who were on site to film an episode of the ABC smash-hit family sitcom.

Guests were kept fully entertained and accommodated throughout the duration of the day. The first 2,000 to enter were given a commemorative button as a memento for the event, with special edition Mickey ears also available for this day only and never again. Guests also enjoyed live music with DJ booths set up throughout the park, parades, and a free “Midnight Snack” for up to 200 guests at Big Thunder Ranch Barbecue, featuring free treats and hot beverages, live music, and a meet and greet with Disney characters.

Disneyland also put on a special presentation of the late-night laser-light spectacular “Fantasmic!” at one in the morning, a first for the popular attraction since its debut in 1992.

Disney fanatics lucky enough to participate in the joyous occasion took to twitter to share their favorite memories. “Watching the Sunrise in Disneyland is beautiful,” said one satisfied customer. Another happy camper commented on the excitement in the atmosphere, “It was insane… Everyone was singing along during Captain Eo [the Michael Jackson 3D adventure].”

Since it’s grand opening in 1955, Disneyland has entertained and excited the imagination of guests worldwide. Boasting up to 600 million admissions, Disneyland has the largest cumulative attendance by any theme park in the world.

The success of the beloved theme park doesn’t look to be slowing any time soon. A handful of new attractions are coming this summer at its sister park California Adventure through the highly anticipated addition of the 12-acre Cars Land. Disneyland has also enjoyed enormous success recently after renovating the popular 3D simulator Star Tours to include a new series of action sequences, including a face-to-face encounter with Darth Vader himself. Yes, the Disneyland “Imagineers” and “Cast Members” are surely doing Uncle Walt proud.

“To all who come to this happy place: Welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past, and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America, with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration for all the world.” – Walt Disney, Disneyland Grand Opening, July 17, 1955

As the 24-hour extravaganza came to an end, Disneyland guests were given a fond and endearing farewell, as Mickey and Minnie and a few of their friends waved good-bye, dressed from head to toe in cozy pajama gear. They wouldn’t get much sleep, however, as the park would re-open a mere four hours later to carry on business as usual, creating memories for young and old alike at the Happiest Place on Earth.

Here is a video of the Opening Ceremony at Disneyland that kicked off “One More Disney Day”:

Photos courtesy of Erin Glover, Disney Parks Blog