After a short monorail ride from the Disneyland Hotel, TV viewers arrive at the Magic Kingdom and are greeted by Walt Disney, right around sundown when the lights come on. “It seems like a new kind of magic takes over in Disneyland after dark,” was the way Walt described it in “Disneyland After Dark,” an episode of Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color that lit up TV screens on this evening in 1962. Walt soon finds himself hounded by autograph seekers, and encourages viewers to go catch the nighttime entertainment without him and that he’ll catch up along the way. That entertainment included some of the biggest stars of the time showcased throughout the park. Tomorrowland featured Bobby Rydell, Annette Funicello, and Bobby Burgess. Adventureland featured the Tahitian dancers. Louis Armstrong, Monette Moore, Kid Ory, and Johnny St. Cyr jazzed things up aboard the ol’ Mark Twain Riverboat, and things were swinging at Carnation Plaza Gardens with the Elliott Brothers band. Performing their rendition of “Side By Side” was a barbershop quartet of four children who were discovered and hired to entertain guests after breaking into song during a visit to Disneyland. Their Disneyland discovery led them to a very successful career, you just might have heard of them… the Osmond Brothers.
