Woman Who Went To Disneyland’s Opening Day In 1955 Returned For Her 100th Birthday

Dee Kolafa has had an extremely special relationship with Disney ever since she visited Disneyland on its official opening day back in July 1955. There are lots of people who’d give anything to have experienced that special day, and it’s a moment that she continues to cherish. But the last thing she anticipated was to return nearly 70 years later for her 100th birthday. And when the centenarian got there, there were a few unexpected surprises in store.

Meeting Dee

A resident of Rancho Cordova, California, Dee has enjoyed quite a life. The centenarian is a mom-of-five and a grandma, living in a house that includes one of the most eye-catching front rooms you’re ever likely to see. It’s filled with toy animals and boasts a mini-cabin in the corner, with a dreamy mural painted on the back wall. Honestly, it’s a room that wouldn’t look out of place at Disneyland!

An incredible experience

And we wouldn’t be shocked if Dee’s connection to the iconic park had served as an inspiration for the decor. Like we mentioned before, she was part of the special group in 1955 that got to experience everything that Disneyland had to offer during its grand opening. How did she get so lucky? Simple: Dee only lived a mile or so away from the Anaheim attraction at the time.

Among the first 100

Incredibly, Dee was one of the first 100 guests to step foot inside the giant theme park. We can only imagine what was running through her head when Sleeping Beauty’s castle first came into view! But oddly enough, while she and the rest of the visitors had a day to remember, the people running Disneyland had been praying for it to end.

“Black Sunday”

Dubbed “Black Sunday,” the opening was an absolute nightmare from the staff’s perspective. You see, in the build-up to the big day, folks couldn’t just buy a ticket: it was very much an “invite-only” situation. Keeping that in mind, Disneyland readied itself for 15,000 people to turn up. Yet to the shock of everyone, over 28,000 walked through the gates.