Tag: This Day in Disney History
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Up | DISNEY THIS DAY | May 13, 2009
On this day in 2009, the 62nd Cannes Film Festival opened with Disney-Pixar’s newest feature, ‘Up’ shown in 3D. It was the first time that either an animated or a 3D movie took the keynote position at the opening ceremonies. ‘Up’ was one of eight Out-of-Competition films to be screened that year. It was Disney-Pixar…
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Main Street Horseless Carriage | DISNEY THIS DAY | May 12, 1956
On this day in 1956, the red Main Street Horseless Carriage debuted at Disneyland. Imagineer Bob Gurr built the car from scratch using parts he sourced himself. He and fellow Imagineer Roger Broggie decided this was the best approach after scouting antique cars at a lot in San Bernardino. Many of the cars were in…
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Wishes: A Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams | DISNEY THIS DAY | May 11, 2017
On this day in 2017, the fireworks spectacular ‘Wishes: A Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams’ held its final performance at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. A fan favorite show, ‘Wishes’ ran for over 13 years. It had several holiday adaptations, including for Halloween, the holiday season, the Pirate and Princess Party, and New…
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Tarzan the Musical | DISNEY THIS DAY | May 10, 2006
On this day in 2006, the ‘Tarzan’ musical opened on Broadway inside the Richard Rodgers Theatre. The plot stayed true to the storyline of the 1999 animated film with only minor changes. Phil Collins returned to write nine more songs for the musical in addition to the five original songs from the film. ‘Tarzan’ ran…
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Billy Joel | DISNEY THIS DAY | May 9, 1949
On this day in 1949, singer-songwriter Billy Joel was born. He is affectionately known as the “Piano Man,” after the hit song and album of the same name, as well as his extensive catalog of music. Joel branched out from musician to actor with his role as Dodger in Disney’s ‘Oliver & Company’ – a…
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Aladdin | DISNEY THIS DAY | May 8, 2019
On this day in 2019, the live-action adaptation of ‘Aladdin’ held its world premiere in Paris, France at the Le Grand Rex, a film and concert venue. The movie would be released in the U.S. on May 24. It would earn over $1 billion worldwide, making it the third-highest-grossing remake to date! The story was…
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Lady and the Tramp | DISNEY THIS DAY | May 7, 1988
On this day in 1988, the Disney Channel aired Lady and the Tramp for the first time. Not only would this be the first time that this love story about dogs aired on the Disney Channel, it would be the first time this show aired on television anywhere! The movie was originally released in theaters…
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Walt Disney World Railroad | DISNEY THIS DAY | May 6, 1969
On this day in 1969, Imagineers Roger Broggie and Earl Vilmer purchased five railroad engines from Yucatan, Mexico to be used for the future Walt Disney World Railroad.
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Soarin’ at EPCOT | DISNEY THIS DAY | May 5, 2005
On this day in 2005, the Soarin’ attraction opened inside The Land Pavilion at EPCOT.
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May the 4th | DISNEY THIS DAY | May 4, 1979
On this day in 1979, nearly two years after ‘Star Wars: A New Hope’ was released, the first known use of the pun, “May the Fourth Be with You” was published in ‘The London Evening News.’ The saying was a play on the phrase, “May the Force Be with You.” It came in an ad…
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When the Cat’s Away | DISNEY THIS DAY | May 3, 1929
On this day in 1929, the Mickey Mouse cartoon short ‘When the Cat’s Away’ was released. It was unique as the only classic cartoon to depict Mickey and Minnie as the size of regular mice. They are much larger in all other appearances. ‘When the Cat’s Away’ is also the last time that Minnie can…
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Iron Man | DISNEY THIS DAY | May 2, 2008
On this day in 2008, the Marvel Studios film ‘Iron Man’ was released in theaters. It was the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The plot follows billionaire playboy genius Tony Stark who is injured behind enemy lines when a weapons presentation goes wrong. He builds a primitive suit to escape captivity and then…
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The Magic of Disney Animation | DISNEY THIS DAY | May 1, 1989
On this day in 1989, The Magic of Disney Animation walk-through attraction debuted at Disney-MGM Studios on the opening day of the park. The attraction involved four connected experiences that highlighted the history of Disney animation. These included a series of short films, including “Back to Neverland” with Walter Cronkite and Robin Williams, elevated walkways…
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The Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park Grand Opening | DISNEY THIS DAY | April 30, 1989
On this day in 1989, a 2-hour television special, “The Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park Grand Opening,” aired the night before the park’s debut. The program featured many celebrities of the time, including John Ritter as the host. Smokey Robinson opened the show with a lavish musical number down Hollywood Boulevard. Fittingly, the special closed with…
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Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort | DISNEY THIS DAY | April 29, 1994
On this day in 1994, Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort opened at the Walt Disney World Resort. It is one of three All Star hotel complexes, which are part of the budget-friendly Value category and are located near to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The first phase of the resort, called “Surf’s Up!”, featured giant-sized surfboards and the…
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Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Weekends | DISNEY THIS DAY | April 28, 2006
On this day in 2006, the very first Disney’s California Food & Wine Weekends began at Disney California Adventure. It took place on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays only. The event featured Festival Marketplaces, free cooking demonstrations and beverage seminars, a wine shop, and merchandise. The Marketplaces were set up at the Farmers Market and Lucky…
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Disneyland Cast Member Welcome Home | DISNEY THIS DAY | April 27, 2021
On this day in 2021, the Disneyland Resort welcomed back its Cast Members to Disneyland Park for a special soft opening! The Resort had been closed for more than a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Mickey Mouse himself opened the gates to the park, assisted by the Resort President and Vice President. Cast Members…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
