The opening was supposed to be by invitation only. The guest list held studio workers, the construction crews who had built the park, members of the press and local dignitaries.
But counterfeit passes were going around, and plenty of people walked in with them.
Others skipped the ticket entirely. One man leaned a ladder against the park's fence and charged $5 a head to climb over.
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Guests had been given two time slots, 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. When the first group's passes expired, nobody wanted to leave.
Outside, the Santa Ana Freeway was backed up for seven miles. Kids had to take bathroom breaks on the side of the freeway.
The final count was 28,154 people.