This Day in Disney History

**BigDaddyKyle** · 05-29-2005, 08:23 PM

I started and maintain the tidbit thread so I thought I would start this up also. Here ya go!

May 30

1927:
Walt Disney's 51st Alice Comedy film, Alice's Channel Swim premieres at the Paramount Theater in New York City.

1936:
Disney's Mickey Mouse cartoon Thru The Mirror is released. It is based on the "Alice Through the Looking Glass" story.

1941:
Disney's Pluto cartoon Canine Caddy is released.

1953:
Disney releases the animated Donald Duck short Don's Fountain of Youth.

1958:
Walt Disney uses the cast of his new TV series Zorro for the second of a 3-day cross promotion with live appearances at Disneyland. In addition to parades each day, the stars (Guy Williams, Henry Calvin, Gene Sheldon and Britt Lomond) also appear in four live daily shows. Three of the shows feature a running battle between Zorro and Monastario on the rooftops of Frontierland, with his foes ending up in the river. The fourth show each day is held in Frontierland's Magnolia Park, with Williams appearing as Don Diego. The reaction will be so positive that a third series of appearances will be held November 27-30 for Thanksgiving weekend.

1967:
Site preparation begins in Florida on the Walt Disney World project, requiring swamp drainage, clearing of land, and removal of trees.

2003:
The Disney/Pixar animated feature Finding Nemo is released. This underwater adventure features the voices of Erica Beck, Albert Brooks, Willem Dafoe, Ellen DeGeneres, and John Ratzenberger.

**BigDaddyKyle** · 05-30-2005, 10:25 PM

May31

1991:
Disney Press publishes its first book, "Walt Disney's 101 Dalmatians: A Counting Book."

1998:
The Wildhorse Saloon, a 27,000-square-foot entertainment venue, opens at Downtown Disney Pleasure Island, Florida. The Wildhorse Saloon (located at 1630 Biena Vista Drive) sits on the former site of the Fireworks Factory restaurant.

2003:
The ABC Super Soap Weekend begins at Disney's California Adventure.

**BigDaddyKyle** · 06-01-2005, 08:44 PM

June 1

1924:
Disney's Alice Comedy Alice's Fishy Story (a silent black & white short) is released.

1933:
The first Mickey Mouse watch is sold by Ingersoll-Waterbury, a Connecticut clock maker on the verge of bankruptcy. The sale of the watches will save the company.

1987:
If You Had Wings a Tomorrowland attraction sponsored by Eastern Airlines)closes forever. (Five days later it will reopen as If You Could Fly.)

1989:
Walt Disney World's Typhoon Lagoon (featuring one of the world's largest wave pools in the U.S.) opens.

1994:
Mickey Mania Parade debuts at Walt Disney World.

2004:
It is reported that Disney's Magic Kingdom ranked number 1 in the first ever U.S. Family Travel Guide (published by Zagat Survey and Time Inc.'s Parenting magazine).

**BigDaddyKyle** · 06-01-2005, 08:45 PM

June 2

1989:
Touchstone Pictures (part of Disney's Buena Vista Entertainment family) releases Dead Poets Society, starring Robin Williams.

2002:
The Nelsons finish out their 2-day engagment at Epcot as part of the final Flower Power Concert Series for 2002. They perform at the America Garden Theatre.

Epcot's Journey Into Imagination with Figment is dedicated.

2003:
The Disney short Destino is released and given a surprise world premiere at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
Originally an abandoned project from the 1940s, the piece features the beautiful work of Salvatore Dali.

**MiceMan** · 06-01-2005, 10:10 PM

wow .... where did you find all of this????

**BigDaddyKyle** · 06-02-2005, 07:55 AM

Its not really that hard. Just do a google search.

**BigDaddyKyle** · 06-02-2005, 08:30 PM

June 3

1984:
The Bistro de Paris restaurant in the France Pavilion in Epcot's World Showcase opens.

2001:
Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire premieres in Hollywood
at Disney's El Capitan Theatre.

**BigDaddyKyle** · 06-04-2005, 08:20 PM

June 4

1990:
The Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel (operated by Sheraton) opens in Florida between the Disney MGM Studios and the Epcot resort area.

1992:
Euro Disneyland reports that since opening, 1.2 million people have visited.

1999:
Walt Disney World's newest attraction "Adventures With Winnie the Pooh" opens in the Magic Kingdom.

2000:
Cirque du Soleil, the internationally acclaimed producers of permanent and touring shows around the world, including La Nouba at Downtown Disney West Side, hold auditions in Orlando

**BigDaddyKyle** · 06-04-2005, 08:21 PM

June 5

1881:
Dr. Axel Lennart Wenner-Gren, industrialist, financier, and philanthropist, is born in Sweden. His company Alweg will be best remembered for developing the original Disneyland monorail.

1934:
Walt Disney Productions is granted a trademark of "Mickey Mouse" for use in books and newspaper comic strips.

1972:
Walt Disney World's If You Had Wings attraction, sponsored by Eastern Airlines (the official airline of Walt Disney World) opens. It is located in Tomorrowland across from the Mission to Mars attraction. The ride takes guests on a journey through some of Eastern's tourist destinations, such as Mexico City, New Orleans and the Bahamas. If You Had Wings will entertain millions of visitors for the next 15 years.

1995:
Walt Disney World formally announces its newest project , Animal Kingdom. (Construction will begin in August.)

1998:
Disney's animated feature film Mulan premieres at the Hollywood Bowl in California.

2004:
The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra performs the score to Plane Crazy (a 1928 Mickey Mouse short) live at UCLA's Royce Hall. It is preceded by a screening of Buster Keaton's Steamboat Bill Jr. (the film that influenced Walt's first talking Mickey short Steamboat Willie).

**BigDaddyKyle** · 06-06-2005, 07:15 AM

June 6

1952:
The Disney cartoon Susie, the Little Blue Coupe is released.

1959:
The Submarine Voyage attraction opens in Disneyland's new Tomorrowland. It is one of the first rides to require an E-ticket.

1962:
The Disney live-action family film Big Red starring Walter Pidgeon is released.

1975:
America on Parade, a special American Bicentennial event, debuts at Walt Disney World.

1987:
The Delta sponsored If You Could Fly replaces the Eastern Airlines If You Had Wings attraction in Walt Disney World's Tomorrowland.

1997:
At Disneyland Paris, Festival Disney is officially renamed as Disney Village at a big party for hotel guests, cast members and 600 other invitees. The all-day party includes live rock music and an evening fireworks display.

2001:
Darkhorse Comics publishes Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire. The full color 56-page comic book features a cover by Mike Mignola, whose artisitc vision inspired the Disney animated feature.

2002:
After a complete mechanical and exterior restoration, the Roy O. Disney steam locomotive is rededicated in a ceremony at the Main Street USA Train Station at Walt Disney World. His son, Roy E. Disney, who is vice chairman of The Walt Disney Co., participates in the ceremony along with Michael Campbell and Darrell Holmquist, members of the Board of Governors of the Carolwood Pacific Historical Society. Named in honor of the co-founder of The Walt Disney Company, the engine represents the only object in any Disney theme park to carry Roy O. Disney's name.

**BigDaddyKyle** · 06-07-2005, 09:10 AM

June 7

1975:
Disney World's Mission to Mars attraction developed in conjunction with NASA debuts in Tomorrowland. It replaces the Flight to the Moon attraction.

1999:
Bear in the Big Blue House - Live on Stage opens at Disney-MGM Studios in Florida.

2004:
Disney's animated short Lorenzo has its European premiere in Annecy, France. It is based upon pencil sketches and a story idea created by Disney veteran Joe Grant 20 years ago.

**BigDaddyKyle** · 06-08-2005, 05:47 AM

June 8

1902:
In Chicago, Elias and Flora Disney baptize Walter at the St. Paul Congregational Church. The Disneys are loyal members of the church (Flora plays the organ and Elias, a carpenter by trade, has helped build the church).

1917:
Walt Disney graduates from Benton Grammar School in Kansas City.

1984:
Donald Duck and Clarence Nash (the voice of Donald) host the opening of a Donald Duck film festival in New York. The festival is in celebration of 50 years since Donald's film debut.

2001:
Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire opens in Los Angeles and New York theaters.

2003:
Disney-MGM Studios' Great Movie Ride reopens after a lengthy refurbishment.

Arlo Guthrie closes out the 2003 Flower Power Concert series with a final show at Epcot.

**BigDaddyKyle** · 06-09-2005, 09:07 AM

June 9

1934:
Donald Duck makes his very first film appearance in The Wise Little Hen, a Silly Symphony short by Walt Disney. Donald's appearance in this cartoon, as created by animator Dick Lundy, is similar to his modern look except his features are more elongated, his body plumper, and his feet bigger. Directed by Bert Gillet, the short features the voice of Clarence Nash as Donald Duck.

1939:
The Donald Duck short Beach Picnic is released.

1963:
Actor Johhny Depp, the star of Disney's 2003 live-action feature
Pirates of the Caribbean, is born in Owensboro, Kentucky.

1984:
Laserphonic Fantasy, a show at Disney's EPCOT, begins.
(The show is essentially a less sophisticated version of Illuminations, without the spotlighting of individual countries.)

Donald Duck and Clarence Nash (the voice of Donald) lead a ticker-tape parade through Disneyland. The event celebrates 50 years since Donald Duck's film debut in The Wise Little Hen.

2002:
Starting on this day, a credit card is required to secure priority seating for Walt Disney World's very popular Cinderella's Royal Table Once Upon a Time character breakfast.

2004:
Donald Fauntleroy Duck celebrates his 70th birthday with a party at Disneyland Paris.

**Larxene1959** · 06-09-2005, 09:15 AM

*Blink Blink* ....

My goodness! How do you know all of this stuff? o_O

(did you used to work at the parks? Or.. do you just read alot?)

**BigDaddyKyle** · 06-10-2005, 12:40 PM

Read alot and google

June 10

1995:
About 110,000 people attend an outdoor premiere of Disney's Pocahontas in Central Park, New York. It is the largest ever opening for an animated film.

1998:
The BET Soundstage Club, offering rhythm, blues, jazz, soul, and hip-hop, opens at the site of the former Neon Armadillo Country & Western Club at Disney's Pleasure Island. The amenities include an expanded dance floor, an outdoor terrace, and a Caribbean-style finger food menu.

2000:
To mark the return of The Indiana Jones Spectacular to Disney-MGM Studios after a six-month hiatus for refurbishments, Disney invites 500 Floridians, mostly from the Orlando area, with the last name "Jones" to be in the audience for the grand reopening show.