Tag: DAPs Magic
-
The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation | DISNEY THIS DAY | April 26, 1981
On this day in 1981, ‘The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation,’ a book by “Nine Old Men” animators Frank Thomas and Ollie A. Johnston was released. It is widely considered to be one of the best and most complete books ever published on the subject of character animation. It describes the painstaking trial-and-error that animation…
-
Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion | DISNEY THIS DAY | April 25, 1997
On this day in 1997, Disney’s Touchstone Pictures released ‘Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion.’ Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow star as friends who realize ahead of their 10-year high school reunion that they haven’t achieved the successes they hoped for in life. They end up inventing an elaborate history for themselves, a lie that…
-
The All New Mickey Mouse Club | DISNEY THIS DAY | April 24, 1989
On this day in 1989, ‘The All New Mickey Mouse Club,’ or ‘MMC,’ premiered on the Disney Channel. ‘MMC’ was a reboot of the original ‘Mickey Mouse Club’ from the 1950s. It was filmed in front of a live studio audience at Disney-MGM Studios and featured skits, comedy, and musical numbers – often versions of…
-
We Love The Land – GEEKS CORNER – Episode #709
Welcome to Geeks Corner! This week the Geeks don’t just talk about what is going on in the world of Disney and positive stuff. They also talk about Earth Day, Earth Week, and Earth Month. This includes a discussion about the attractions that are fitting for this month and what makes them great. They also…
-
Disney Wilderness Preserve | DISNEY THIS DAY | April 23, 1993
On this day in 1993, the Disney Wilderness Preserve was officially dedicated. Formerly known as Walker Ranch, the 11,500 acres of wetlands is located about 15 minutes south of Walt Disney World. It is home to more than 1,000 species of plants and animals, including two endangered species—the bald eagle and the wood stork. Disney…
-
Disneynature earth | DISNEY THIS DAY | April 22, 2009
On this day in 2009, the first Disneynature film, ‘Earth,’ was released in the US and Canada to celebrate Earth Day. The ‘Earth’ film was originally created as a companion piece to the BBC TV series ‘Planet Earth.’ It depicted the planet’s diverse habitats and species over one year, beginning in the Arctic in January…
-
Contrary Condor | DISNEY THIS DAY | April 21, 1944
On this day in 1944, the Donald Duck short cartoon, ‘Contrary Condor’ was released. It is set in the Andes mountains in Colombia and had the working title, ‘Colombian Condor.’ In the short, Donald foolishly tries to snatch a condor egg, but the mother condor returns before he can escape. Donald hides in an empty…
-
Disney Legend Betty Lou Gerson | DISNEY THIS DAY | April 20, 1914
On this day in 1914, actress and Disney Legend Betty Lou Gerson was born. She is known for narrating the classic film, ‘Cinderella,’ and for providing the voice of Cruella de Vil in the original 1961 ‘One Hundred and One Dalmatians.’ She also appeared as the Old Crone in ‘Mary Poppins.’ Gerson began her career…
-
Simu Liu | DISNEY THIS DAY | April 19, 1989
On this day in 1989, actor, writer, and filmmaker Simu Liu was born. Marvel fans know him for playing Shang-Chi in the 2021 MCU film, ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.’ Shang-Chi is expected to have more appearances in the upcoming series ‘Marvel Zombies,’ and the Avengers 5 and Shang-Chi 2 movies. Liu’s…
-
Disneynature Bears | DISNEY THIS DAY | April 18, 2014
On this day in 2014, the Disneynature documentary film ‘Bears’ was released in theaters. Narrated by John C. Reilly, the film told the story of a year in the life of a grizzly bear family. The wilds of the Alaskan coastal mountains are the backdrop for two bear cubs to learn about life in the…
-
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique | DISNEY THIS DAY | April 17, 2009
On this day in 2009, the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique first came to California when a location opened in Disneyland’s Fantasyland. Located directly behind Sleeping Beauty Castle, the boutique offers makeover packages to transform young guests into a princess or a prince for the day. The very first Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique opened in 2006 inside the…
-
The Kid Who Would Be King | DISNEY THIS DAY | April 16, 2019
On this day in 2019, ‘The Kid Who Would Be King’ was released to home media. The film was a modernized King Arthur tale inspired by ‘Excalibur’ and ‘E.T.: The Extraterrestrial,’ and with similarities to ‘The Sword in the Stone.’ This was the first 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment title to be distributed by Walt…
-
The Walt Disney Story | DISNEY THIS DAY | April 15, 1973
On this day in 1973, ‘The Walt Disney Story,’ a film about the history of Walt Disney narrated by Walt himself, opened in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. The attraction had debuted at Disneyland’s Opera House a week before. The film pulled together interviews and recordings of Walt to create the narration. It…
-
The Love Bug (series) | DISNEY THIS DAY | April 14, 1982
On this day in 1982, the ‘Herbie, the Love Bug’ television series on CBS aired its final episode, “Calling Doctor Herbie.” The show had a limited run of five episodes. It starred Dean Jones reprising the role of Jim Douglas from the ‘Herbie’ films. Jim and his partner Bo run a driving school with Herbie,…
-
The Muppets | DISNEY THIS DAY | April 13, 2012
On this day in 2012, Michael Bloomberg named the Muppets the official “Family Ambassadors” of New York City. The Muppets encouraged families to visit the five boroughs of the Big Apple by sharing their favorite family-friendly things to do. Unsurprisingly, Miss Piggy’s priority was shopping. Kermit the Frog pointed out the green Statue of Liberty…
-
Beauty and the Beast: Live on Stage | DISNEY THIS DAY | April 12, 1992
On this day in 1992, ‘Beauty and the Beast: Live on Stage!’ debuted at the Videopolis Stage in Disneyland. Recreating the story of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ through music and dance, it was similar to the show that premiered at Disney-MGM Studios in Florida five months earlier, along with the film. The Disneyland version would…
-
Euro Disney | DISNEY THIS DAY | April 11, 1992
On this day in 1992, Euro Disney (now Disneyland Paris) held a press preview day. Lucky guests could experience the park for free! A celebrity-filled sneak preview called ‘The Grand Opening of Euro Disney’ was simulcast across Europe in five languages and was broadcast in the US later that evening. The program concluded with Mickey…
-
‘it’s a small world’ 50th Anniversary | DISNEY THIS DAY | April 10, 2014
On this day in 2014, guests and cast members of Disney Parks worldwide raised their voices in song to celebrate the 50th anniversary of “it’s a small world” and its opening at the 1964 New York World’s Fair. The historic singalong was organized by global relief agency UNICEF. Fans around the world could also participate…
-
Ella Enchanted | DISNEY THIS DAY | April 9, 2004
On this day in 2004, the fantasy romantic comedy ‘Ella Enchanted’ was released by Miramax Films, then a division of Disney. A modernized, revisionist take on the Cinderella story and a satire of the fairy tale genre, ‘Ella Enchanted’ was based on a book of the same name. It follows Anne Hathaway’s Ella, whose fairy…
-
Sea Salts | DISNEY THIS DAY | April 8, 1949
On this day in 1949, the Donald Duck cartoon short ‘Sea Salts’ was released. The short took on a retrospective tone, with a now elderly “Mac” Bootle Beetle recalling a time he was shipwrecked at sea with Captain Donald Duck. While Donald initially looks out for himself at Mac’s expense, even using Mac as bait…
-
The Ugly Duckling | DISNEY THIS DAY | April 7, 1939
On this day in 1939, the 75th and final ‘Silly Symphony’ cartoon short, ‘The Ugly Duckling,’ was released. It was the second version of the short to be made by Disney, the first being released in black and white in 1931. The story follows the original Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale where a duckling rejected…
-
Gran Fiesta Tour | DISNEY THIS DAY | April 6, 2007
On this day in 2007, Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros opened in the Mexico Pavilion at EPCOT. It replaced the opening day attraction, El Rio de Tiempo. Gran Fiesta Tour is a gentle boat ride that floats past landmarks of Mexico, both past and present. Guests are joined on the cruise by Jose…
-
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…
-
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…