When New Orleans Square opened in Disneyland, it was the first new land built since the opening of the park in 1955. New Orleans Square also has the distinction of being the only land in the magic kingdom to debut with no attractions. There were shops and restaurants, but the land’s major attractions, Pirates of the Carribean and Haunted Mansion, hadn’t materialized yet. New Orleans Square took park guests back to New Orleans a century ago, and boasted shops such as the One of a Kind shop, where guests could shop for rare antiques, and Mademoiselle Antoinette’s Parfumerie, which welcomed ladies to blend their own exclusive brand of perfume. 1966 Disneyland Ambassador Connie Swanson Lane still remembers this day with great fondness. “I had the honor of standing next to Walt for the opening of New Orleans Square. His eyes missed no detail and he spoke of how he would improve on the concept. Accompanying us was the mayor of New Orleans. At lunch, Walt was continually making notes in the Blue Bayou, ‘Raise the tree five feet, lighten the sky’… What a thrill to touch his shadow.”
