A fond look back at Disneyland's 50th anniversary celebration: Part II

"When you wish upon a star ..."

The Walt Disney Company actually wished on quite a few stars these past few months. With the hope that these entertainers would help create some additional hype for Disneyland's 50th anniversary celebration.

During the official kick-off of the "Happiest Homecoming on Earth" back on May 5th, it seemed like you couldn't turn around without walking into some celebrities. Among the famous folks who took part in the festivities were:

Photos by Jeff Lange / Montage by Nancy Stadler

... (Clockwise from top right) Julie Andrews, Kelsey Grammer, Steve Martin & Tim Allen ...

Photos by Jeff Lange / Montage by Nancy Stadler

(Clockwise from top) Diane Disney Miller, Johnny Rzeznik, LeAnn Rimes and Governor Arnold Schwarzeneggar ...

Photos by Jeff Lange / Montage by Nancy Stadler

(From left to right) James Denton, Minnie Mouse, John Stamos, Geena Davis and Terry Hatcher ...

Photos by Jeff Lange / Montage by Nancy Stadler

(Clockwise from right) Jon Voight, Andy Garcia and Tyra Banks. With Sean Astin in the center ...

Photos by Jeff Lange / Montage by Nancy Stadler

... Notables from the music world like (Clockwise from top left) Disney Legend Richard M. Sherman, Christina Aguilera, Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood ...

Photos by Jeff Lange / Montage by Nancy Stadler

... Veteran Imagineers like (Clockwise from top right ) X. Atencio, Bob Gurr, Bill Justice and Alice Davis ...

Photos by Jeff Lange / Montage by Nancy Stadler

... Disneyland pioneers like (Clockwise from top right) Ron Dominguez (and friends), Jack Linquist, Art Linkletter and Marty Sklar ...

Photos by Jeff Lange / Montage by Nancy Stadler

... plus appearances by the Disney top brass (Clockwise from top right) Michael Eisner, Jay Rasulo, Matt Ouimet and Robert Iger made these once-in-a-lifetime events seem that much more exciting.

Okay. That's enough about the celebrities. Tomorrow, I'll talk about what us common folks did to help make Disneyland's 50th anniversary summer that much more memorable.