Category: Disney This Day
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Peter Linz | DISNEY THIS DAY | June 28, 1967
On this day in 1967, puppeteer and Muppet performer Peter Linz was born. Linz loved puppets from an early age, starting the craft at age 3 and giving his first performance for birthday party guests at age 8. He began working with the Muppets in 1991 and has since become most well known for performing…
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The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again | DISNEY THIS DAY | June 27, 1979
On this day in 1979, Disney’s comedy The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again, starring Tim Conway, Don Knotts, Tim Matheson, Harry Morgan and Ruth Buzzi, is released. The film is a sequel to the film about a slick gambler named Russell Donovan who is duped into taking care of a group of orphans who eventually…
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Donald in Mathmagic Land | DISNEY THIS DAY | June 26, 1959
On this day in 1959, the Disney short ‘Donald in Mathmagic Land’ was released. It was shown ahead of ‘Darby O’Gill and the Little People’ in theaters. Through a series of adventures, Donald Duck learns about how math is more than just numbers and graphs. He explores how math has a role in real life,…
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Milt Kahl | DISNEY THIS DAY | June 25, 1934
On this day in 1934, animator and Disney Legend Milt Kahl began a prestigious 40-year career at Disney Studios. Kahl would become one of Walt Disney’s Nine Old Men, often considered the most influential of the group. His immense talent meant that he was often assigned the hardest tasks, like animating Pinocchio, Peter Pan, and…
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Phil Harris | DISNEY THIS DAY | June 24, 1904
On this day in 1904, actor, musician, and entertainer Phil Harris was born. He is best known by Disney fans for lending his voice to Baloo the Bear in ‘The Jungle Book’ and later ‘TaleSpin,’ Thomas O’Malley in ‘The Aristocats,’ and Little John in ‘Robin Hood.’ Harris had a long career in radio, where he…
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Honey, I Shrunk the Kids | DISNEY THIS DAY | June 23, 1989
On this day in 1989, ‘Honey, I Shrunk the Kids’ was released in theaters. Inventor Wayne Szalinski, played by Rick Moranis, accidentally zaps his kids to the size of insects with his shrinking machine. Wayne tries to rescue them while they face big dangers on a small scale in the yard. The sets and props…
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Videopolis | DISNEY THIS DAY | July 22, 1985
On this day in 1985, Videopolis opened at Disneyland. “A musical kaleidoscope of sight and sound,” Videopolis was a high-tech dance club for teens. It featured a 5,000 square foot dance floor, two 12×16 foot video screens, a video wall with 70 TV screens, and live cameras capturing all the action. It was the first…
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The Blue Umbrella | DISNEY THIS DAY | June 21, 2013
On this day in 2013, the Disney-Pixar short, ‘The Blue Umbrella’ was released in theaters ahead of ‘Monsters University.’ In the midst of a bustling rainy day commute, a Blue and a Red Umbrella spot each other amidst a sea of black. It’s love at first sight, but Blue and Red are soon separated. The…
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20th Century Music Company | DISNEY THIS DAY | June 20, 1999
On this day in 1999, the 20th Century Music Company opened on Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland. At its debut, the shop sold Disney CDs and videos. Today, one can find a selection of Disney pins. The location formerly housed the Tobacco Shop from opening day until 1990. The Main Street Chief statue still stands…
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Bill Barretta | DISNEY THIS DAY | June 19, 1964
On this day in 1964, Muppets puppeteer Bill Barretta was born! He has performed with the Jim Henson company since 1991 and has taken on many of Jim Henson’s roles in the Muppets, including Dr. Teeth, Rowlf, Mahna Mahna, and the Swedish Chef! He performs quite a few other characters and has been a part…
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Tarzan | DISNEY THIS DAY | June 18, 1999
On this day in 1999, ‘Tarzan’ was released in theaters. It was Disney’s 37th animated feature and the last movie considered to be part of the Disney Renaissance. The plot of the film was based on Edgar Rice Burroughs’s novels, ‘Tarzan of the Apes.’ It would be the first film to use Deep Canvas, a…
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Finding Dory | DISNEY THIS DAY | June 17, 2016
On this day in 2016, Disney-Pixar’s ‘Finding Dory’ was released in theaters. It was a sequel to 2003’s ‘Finding Nemo’ and brought back most of the original cast. Its plot focused on Dory’s journey to reconnect with her family and find her origins. ‘Finding Dory’ would become the third highest grossing movie of 2016, only…
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Magic Journeys | DISNEY THIS DAY | June 16, 1984
On this day in 1984, the 3D film ‘Magic Journeys’ began a two-year run in Tomorrowland at Disneyland, first on the outdoor Space Stage and later in the Magic Eye Theater. The show originally premiered in EPCOT in 1982 and was Walt Disney Imagineering’s first 3D film for a Disney theme park. ‘Magic Journeys’ looked…
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Mad T Party | DISNEY THIS DAY | June 15, 2012
On this day in 2012, guests of the Mad T Party fell down the rabbit hole for the first time at Disney California Adventure. Visitors entered a modernized, off-kilter version of the Alice in Wonderland universe, complete with a live band, a DJ spinning the hottest tracks, curious entertainment, arcade games, dance parties, and specialty…
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Matterhorn Bobsleds | DISNEY THIS DAY | June 14, 1959
On this day in 1959, the Matterhorn Bobsleds opened at Disneyland, along with the Monorail and the Submarine Voyage. Disney’s scale version of the real Matterhorn in Switzerland stands 147 feet tall. It has two separate tracks that were laid out by Imagineer Bob Gurr, a project he cites as his most complicated. The bobsleds…
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The Incredible Hulk | DISNEY THIS DAY | June 13, 2008
On this day in 2008, ‘The Incredible Hulk’ was released. Although the movie was distributed by Universal Pictures, it was produced by Marvel Studios and is considered the second film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe after ‘Iron Man.’ Self-professed Hulk fan Edward Norton took on the title role in this reboot, also rewriting much of…
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Tarzan | DISNEY THIS DAY | June 12, 1999
On this day in 1999, ‘Tarzan’ held its U.S. premiere at the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood. Over 2,000 fans packed bleachers around the theater where celebrities and filmmakers paraded along a 100-foot red carpet. Three city blocks were cordoned off for the occasion. After the film, the 1,000 lucky attendees were treated to a…
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Silly Symphony Swings | DISNEY THIS DAY | June 11, 2010
On this day in 2010, the Silly Symphony Swings opened at Disney California Adventure. It is themed to the 1935 Mickey Mouse short ‘The Band Concert,’ which was not actually part of the Silly Symphony series. Following the plot of the short, a tornado arises that spins guests to either the “William Tell Overture” or…
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Kevin “Moochie” Corcoran | DISNEY THIS DAY | June 10, 1949
On this day in 1949, child actor and Disney Legend Kevin “Moochie” Corcoran was born. He acted in many memorable Disney projects between 1957 and 1963, including ‘Old Yeller,’ ‘The Shaggy Dog,’ ‘Swiss Family Robinson,’ ‘Toby Tyler,’ and ‘Pollyanna.’ Corcoran even appeared on three episodes of ‘The Mickey Mouse Club,’ although he was never considered…
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Donald Duck | DISNEY THIS DAY | June 9, 1934
On this day in 1934, Donald Duck made his first appearance onscreen in ‘The Wise Little Hen.’ Although there was some debate on the true release date of this short, the Walt Disney Company declared Donald’s official birthday to be June 9th. Over the years, Donald Duck was named one of the 50 greatest cartoon…
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Don Grady | DISNEY THIS DAY | June 8, 1944
On this day in 1944, Mouseketeer, actor, and musician Don Grady was born. He joined the Mickey Mouse Club in 1957 at the age of 13. He also played Robbie Douglas on the classic sitcom, ‘My Three Sons’ between 1960 and 1972. Later in life, he became a composer. His work can be heard in…
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Tale of The Lion King | DISNEY THIS DAY | June 7, 2019
On this day in 2019, “Tale of the Lion King” made its debut at Disney California Adventure. The 25-minute show tied into the live-action ‘The Lion King’ film, released that year. An 18-performer troup called the Storytellers of the Pride Lands dramatized the classic tale through music, dance, and narration. The show closed at the…
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Susie the Little Blue Coupe | DISNEY THIS DAY | June 6, 1952
On this day in 1952, the cartoon short ‘Susie the Little Blue Coupe’ was released. It tells the story of Susie, a car that catches the eye of a high society man. She lives a pampered life until she gets too old and is traded in. Susie’s second owner is unkind and she is stolen…
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Mulan | DISNEY THIS DAY | June 5, 1998
On this day in 1998, ‘Mulan’ had its premiere at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. The movie was produced on special DTS 70mm film, printed lighter to account for ambient light at the Hollywood Bowl. It was projected on an 85-foot screen that rose from the floor. Because the audience’s distance from the screen…