It is six a.m. on July 17th, 2005 and the lines to get into the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California already stretch for miles. Lines are typical for a summer morning at the Happiest Place on Earth, but today is no typical day.

It was on this day fifty years ago that Walt Disney first opened the gates of his theme park, and the guests eagerly awaiting entry are well aware of that fact. They are decked out in all the Disney paraphernalia they could get their hands on—shirts, hats, fanny packs; one woman even sports a diamond wedding ring in the shape of Mickey Mouse's head. All are eagerly awaiting eight o'clock, the time they can enter the gates and soak in the atmosphere of the Magic Kingdom. First, however, they must wait to get through the security checkpoint.

Some people would look on this crowd all bundled up, sitting on folding chairs, prepared to wait for hours in the cold, and wonder what all the hype is about. To some people Disneyland is "just another theme park," but for the waiting guests, who have been planning this trip to Disneyland for months, and even years, the park is all about the magic; starting with its creator, Walt Disney.

Walt introduced the world to the five lands of Disneyland during a live telecast on July 17th, 1955. Although later in the day they would have problems with ticket forgeries and food and water shortages, when Walt read the dedication plaque aloud for the first time on that monumental day in 1955, all was quiet:

"To all that 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 hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world."

These words will once again bring silence to the crowds at Disneyland—at 4:45 on July 17th, 2005, exactly fifty years from the moment Walt originally dedicated the park in 1955. But first the anxiously awaiting guests must make it through the main entrance gates.

It is now seven a.m. and a good majority of the guests have made it past the security check point into the main holding area, known as the esplanade, between the gates of Disneyland and its sister theme park, Disney's California Adventures, opened in 2001. It is in this park where another 20,000 guests eagerly wait to celebrate Disneyland's golden anniversary. These hard-core fans have been here since two a.m., sleeping on the uncomfortable curbs and streets of the lesser known park.

As those in the esplanade settle in for another hour-long wait, the California Adventure fans begin to stream across into the main park, via a roped off line. They are already sporting free golden Mickey ears with the date embroidered on the back, along with neon paper wrist bands—badges of honor to show they were in the trenches hours before those fans in the esplanade even woke up.

Once all of those people are in, the countdown begins as the Main Street train station clock ticks towards eight a.m. "10, 9, 8….4, 3, 2, 1!!!! WELCOME HOME!" the cast members inside shout, as the gates whoosh open and the madness begins. Guests stream forward in an attempt to race for the best viewing spots of the ten o'clock ceremony featuring Governor Schwarzenegger, Art Linkletter, Bob Iger, Diane Disney, and Michael Eisner. Yet, they all take the time to stop and receive their free pair of ears, as the cheery cast members greet them. "Welcome! Have a great day today!"

Guests then swarm to the central hub, or to one of the many big screen TVs placed around the park, to view the morning's ceremony, and to get a glimpse of "The Governator." In his classic Austrian accent, Governor Schwarzenegger pleases the crowds by saying, "Disneyland is a true original. It's a place everyone wants to go and a place you never forget once you've been here." But Art Linkletter really steals the show with his announcement that "this is not only the biggest and happiest birthday for the great park, but it's my 93rd birthday today! That's why I can say, I'm not only happy to be here, I'm happy to be anywhere." Afterwards, rare daytime fireworks go off over Sleeping Beauty's castle and confetti streams down upon the heads of those standing under the TV screen near the newly re-opened Space Mountain. The crowd goes wild, cheering and running toward the next attraction they want to see.

Although seasoned Disneyland goers say that it's "pretty crowded, but not that bad," it is easily one of the most crowded days the park has seen in a while, with only New Year's Eve coming close to beating the attendance numbers. The people that have been awake since two in the morning are now beginning to drop like flies, falling asleep on park benches and in restaurants. The wait lines for the "E-ticket" rides (Splash Mountain, Indiana Jones and the like) are well over an hour, and getting a burger takes at least 45 minutes.

Many people would look at this scene and wonder "Why would anyone put themselves through this?!" The people that are here, celebrating Disneyland's golden anniversary, however, have asked themselves "Why not?" For them, it's not about how many rides they ride, or how many characters they get autographs from, it's about walking over the drawbridge of the castle and thinking of how Walt Disney did that exact feat hundreds of times while he was building the park. For them, it's not about getting the most "bang for your buck," but about spending time with family, laughing and creating new memories where so many others have already been made, and are yet to be made.

Before he died, Walt Disney stated that "Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world." To say that Disneyland is "just another theme park" is to ignore over fifty years of sweat and pixie dust, and to look past the next fifty wonderful years yet to come.

On that note, here's to another great year…Happy 51st Birthday Disneyland!