Category: Disney This Day
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Lily James | DISNEY THIS DAY | April 5, 1989
On this day in 1989, actress Lily James was born. She is known by Disney fans for portraying Cinderella in the 2015 live action film of the same name. The role would be her film breakthrough, assisted by the famous photos of her in Cinderella’s blue ball gown, which were taken by Annie Leibovitz. The…
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Ub Iwerks Academy Award | DISNEY THIS DAY | April 4, 1960
On this day in 1960, Disney creative genius Ub Iwerks won an Oscar for Technical Achievement at the 32nd Annual Academy Awards. The award recognized Iwerks’s design of an optical printer for special effects. The device was essentially a camera that worked together with at least one projector to take pictures of photographs. This made…
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Frank Wells | DISNEY THIS DAY | April 3, 1994
On this day in 1994, former Disney president and Chief Operating Officer Frank Wells was tragically killed in a helicopter accident. Starting in 1984, Wells partnered with Michael Eisner to run The Walt Disney Company. Disney saw unprecedented growth under his leadership. Wells’ legacy has been memorialized with a building in his honor at The…
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Home on the Range | DISNEY THIS DAY | April 2, 2004
On this day in 2004, the animated comedy ‘Home on the Range’ was released in theaters. An unlikely trio of dairy cows set out to capture Alameda Slim, a notorious cattle rustler, in order to save the Patch of Heaven farm. The film starred Dame Judy Dench, Jennifer Tilly, Roseanne Barr, Cuba Gooding Jr., and…
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Pioneer Hall | DISNEY THIS DAY | April 1, 1974
On this day in 1974, Pioneer Hall opened at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground at Walt Disney World. Pioneer Hall’s design recreated a late 1800s lodge in the Northwest Territory. It was constructed using 1,283 Western White Pine logs transported from Montana and hand-fitted together, as well as 70 tons of ebony stone quarried…
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10 Things I Hate About You | DISNEY THIS DAY | March 31, 1999
On this day in 1999, ‘10 Things I Hate About You’ was released by Touchstone Pictures. It was a loose modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew” set in a Seattle high school. Pretty and popular Bianca isn’t allowed to date until her disinterested older “shrew” sister, Kat does. Rebellious newcomer Patrick may…
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Jessie’s Critter Carousel | DISNEY THIS DAY | March 30, 2019
On this day in 2019, Jessie’s Critter Carousel debuted at Disney California Adventure as part of the transformation of Paradise Pier into Pixar Pier. It replaced the opening-day attraction King Triton’s Carousel of the Sea. Guests can take a ride with Jessie the Yodeling Cowgirl atop one of her desert animal friends, inspired by the…
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Jack Kinney | DISNEY THIS DAY | March 29, 1909
On this day in 1909, animator, director, and producer Jack Kinney was born. His 27-year career at Disney began in 1931 where he was an animator on several cartoon shorts, including ‘The Band Concert.’ By 1940, he was promoted to director for animated short films. Kinney was the primary director of the Goofy series of…
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Kingdom Hearts | DISNEY THIS DAY | March 28, 2002
On this day in 2002, the first action role-playing game in the ‘Kingdom Hearts’ series was released. It was a collaboration between Disney Interactive and Square Enix, led by character designer Tetsuya Nomura. The game places various Disney characters in a fictional universe. The main character, Sora is joined by Donald and Goofy on a…
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Planet of the Apes | DISNEY THIS DAY | March 27, 1968
On this day in 1968, the classic film ‘Planet of the Apes’ was released by 20th Century Fox. In the film, three astronauts crash land on a planet where apes are the dominant intelligent species and humans are uncivilized and oppressed. The movie featured groundbreaking makeup effects that were developed by studying apes at the…
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Disneyland Marathon | DISNEY THIS DAY | March 26, 1995
On this day in 1995, Disneyland hosted the inaugural (and only) Disneyland Marathon in celebration of the park’s 40th anniversary. In all, 2,200 runners participated. The course made a double loop through Disneyland and then took to Anaheim area streets. The route had to be remeasured during the race when bicycle escorts turned left instead…
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D2: The Mighty Ducks | DISNEY THIS DAY | March 25, 1994
On this day in 1994, ‘D2: The Mighty Ducks,’ was released in theaters. It was the sequel to 1992’s ‘The Mighty Ducks.’ The film follows Coach Gordon Bombay and the reunited Mighty Ducks hockey team as they compete as Team U.S.A. at the Junior Goodwill Games. Setbacks soon follow and it looks like the favored…
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Tangled: The Series | DISNEY THIS DAY | March 24, 2017
On this day in 2017, ‘Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure,’ also known as ‘Tangled: The Series,’ premiered on TV. It was set between the events of the ‘Tangled’ film and the follow-up short film, ‘Tangled Ever After.’ The show followed Rapunzel as she got to know her parents and the kingdom of Corona. All of the major…
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Meet the Robinsons | DISNEY THIS DAY | March 23, 2007
On this day in 2007, characters from ‘Meet the Robinsons’ began meeting guests in what was then Disney-MGM Studios at Walt Disney World. Lewis Robinson, Wilbur Robinson, and Bowler Hat Guy interacted with fans inside the Magic of Disney Animation building for the rest of the year. The meet & greet began a week before…
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Keegan-Michael Key | DISNEY THIS DAY | March 22, 1971
On this day in 1971, actor, comedian, writer, and producer Keegan-Michael Key was born. Disney fans will recognize his voice as Kamari the hyena (formerly Banzai) from 2019’s live action ‘The Lion King,’ Ducky the stuffed duckling toy from ‘Toy Story 4,’ and Bjornson the Cheesemonger from the ‘Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers’ movie. Key…
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Muppets Most Wanted | DISNEY THIS DAY | March 21, 2014
On this day in 2014, the musical comedy ‘Muppets Most Wanted’ was released in theaters. It was a sequel to 2011’s ‘The Muppets,’ and starred Ricky Gervais, Tina Fey, and Ty Burrell. ‘Muppets Most Wanted’ has several similarities to the Muppets’ second film, ‘The Great Muppet Caper’ from 1981, with both films being set in…
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Aladdin | DISNEY THIS DAY | March 20, 2014
On this day in 2014, the stage musical ‘Aladdin’ debuted on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theatre. As of March 2024, ten years later, the show is still running in the same venue. ‘Aladdin’ was first developed into a musical in 2011. It brought back three songs written by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman that…
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Glenn Close | DISNEY THIS DAY | March 19, 1947
On this day in 1947, stage and screen actress Glenn Close was born. Close is known by Disney fans as Cruella de Vil in the live action ‘101 Dalmatians’ and ‘102 Dalmatians’ films as well as the voice of Kala in ‘Tarzan’ and ‘Tarzan 2.’ Marvel fans know her as Nova Prime in the ‘Guardians…
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Kali River Rapids | DISNEY THIS DAY | March 18, 1999
On this day in 1999, the Kali River Rapids attraction opened at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Florida, nearly a year after the park opened. Guests embark on a rafting expedition hosted by Kali Rapids Expeditions through the lush jungles of Asia. However, evidence of illegal logging along the way delivers a warning about the destruction…
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Plane Crazy | DISNEY THIS DAY | March 17, 1929
On this day in 1929, the cartoon ‘Plane Crazy’ was released officially in New York City. It was the first Mickey Mouse short to be produced, but the fourth to be released. An early version was test screened without sound the year before in Los Angeles. Walt Disney performed the voices for both Mickey and…
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Harper Goff | DISNEY THIS DAY | March 16, 1911
On this day in 1911, artist, designer, musician, and Disney Legend Harper Goff was born. Goff was a set designer for Warner Bros. early in his career, including for ‘Casablanca.’ He went to work for Disney in 1951 where he art-directed ‘20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.’ Many of its Oscar-winning special effects were his creation.…
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Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years | DISNEY THIS DAY | March 15, 2009
On this day in 2009, ‘Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years’ ended its run at the Main Street Opera House. The experience featured an exhibit made up of models, photos, concept art, and sculptures as well as a 17-minute film hosted by Donald Duck and former Cast Member Steve Martin. The attraction took a nostalgic…
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Pixar Play Parade | DISNEY THIS DAY | March 14, 2008
On this day in 2008, the Pixar Play Parade debuted at Disney California Adventure. It featured units from Pixar favorites like ‘Monsters University,’ ‘The Incredibles,’ ‘Finding Nemo,’ ‘A Bug’s Life,’ ‘Toy Story,’ and ‘Cars.’ The parade ran in DCA until 2017 and then transferred to Disneyland for Pixar Fest in 2018. A version even appeared…
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Paradise Pier | DISNEY THIS DAY | March 13, 2009
On this day in 2009, a brand new illuminated sign for “Paradise Pier” debuted at Disney California Adventure. The addition of the sign was one piece of a multi-year transformation of Paradise Pier. The land was converted from a blend of 20th century styles to a more uniform vintage design. Toy Story: Midway Mania’s opening…