A Look at Some of the Unique Autopia License Plates at Disneyland
Hi everyone!
While riding the Autopia at Disneyland last month, I noticed something I’d not observed before (as I’ve not ridden the attraction in probably a few years) – unique license plates commemorating various milestones in Disney history. For example, one of those plates has WDW – 071. Here is a look at some of those plates!
Walt Disney World opened in 1971, turning 50 years old this year.
Epcot opened in 1982.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios opened in 1989.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom park opened in 1998.
The first tag I saw on the day I rode was this one, for the opening of Disneyland Paris in 1992.
Hong Kong Disneyland opened in 2005.
Space Mountain opened at Disneyland in 1977.
There is a Disney Legend Bob Gurr plate. Gurr’s first job was to design and then build Autopia cars for Disneyland’s opening.
“The Jungle Book” released in 1967.
“The Fox and the Hound” released in 1981.
“The Nightmare Before Christmas” released in 1993.
“The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad” debuted in 1949.
There are several that I’m not sure what they directly refer to, this is one of them.
There are more unique plates and on our next visit to Disneyland (currently scheduled for January), I will photograph some of what I missed. From what I see online, these particular tags have been here at least 5 years but I don’t ride more than once per trip and it’s just not something I’ve observed before. The tags are fun!
There’s a very good chance that the last one is referencing the first time Disney animated anything. If I remember correctly, and there is a chance that it’s 1923 (this might have been Oswald), the first Walt Disney Studios short came out in 1925. It would have had to do with Mickey (unnamed probably) not Oswald the lucky rabbit, Mickey’s brother. Oswald had been sold to universal (I think) by that point. I don’t know when Disney got the rights to him back but now it’s cannon again.