this day in disney history

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7/16

1909:
Teddy Buckner, a jazz trumpeter associated with Dixieland music, is born John Edward Buckner in Sherman, Texas. First playing professionally in Los Angeles at the age of 15, his career spanned seven decades. A fervent disciple of jazz great Louis Armstrong, Buckner deliberately modelled his trumpet playing upon that of his idol. From 1965 to 1981 Buckner performed with a traditional jazz band in Disneyland's New Orleans Square.
1927:
The 56th (and final) Disney Alice comedy film, Alice in the Big League is previewed in a Los Angeles theater. It will be released the following month.
1946:
Muppet performer Dave Goelz is born in Burbank, California. Working with Henson Associates as a part-time puppet builder starting in 1973, Goelz went on to become a full-fledged Muppeteer and the voices of Gonzo and Bunsen Honeydew. His Disney credits include Studio DC: Almost Live! and Disney Extreme Digital. Goelz is also the (second) voice of Figment, the mascot of the Imagination! pavilion at Epcot.
1955:
The Golden Horseshoe opens the day before Disneyland's debut for a private party for corporate sponsors. The show, called the Golden Horseshoe Revue, marks Wally Boag's first official performance as Pecos Bill/Traveling Salesman at the Golden Horseshoe Saloon. (The show had unofficially debuted on July 13 for the Disney's private anniversary party.)
1993:
Disney's live-action feature Hocus Pocus starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, and Omri Katz - is released in theaters. A children's Halloween-themed film, it is directed by Kenny Ortega (who will later be known for his hit High School Musical series of films).
1997:
Walt Disney Pictures releases the live-action comedy George of the Jungle.
Inspired by the original 1967 cartoon of the same name, this film stars Brendan Fraser (as George), Leslie Mann, Thomas Haden Church, and John Cleese.
2000:
Members of the Carolwood Pacific Historical Society join members of the Los Angeles Live Steamers at Walt Disney's Carolwood Pacific Barn to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Walt's favorite steam engine, the CP 173, Lilly Belle. The one-eighth scale miniature working model was originally built in the Machine Shop at Disney Studios in nearby Burbank, under the direction of Roger Broggie, who later became one of the first Imagineers selected by Walt to build Disneyland. This is the same Lilly Belle that ran in Walt's backyard before being displayed in Disneyland's Main Street station.
2006:
Disneyland welcomes home the 100-foot tall "Happiest Balloon on Earth,"
which recently concluded an 11-city tour of the western U.S. and Canada.
The Mickey-shaped balloon will make one last appearance - as part of Disneyland's 50th anniversary - the following day (the park's 51st birthday).
2009:
A retirement celebration party takes place at Walt Disney Imagineering for legendary WDI Imagineer Marty Sklar. The Walt Disney Company's International Ambassador for Walt Disney Imagineering, he will be honored with his very own window on Main Street at Disneyland the following day.
2010:
The Great Movie Ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios closes early at 6:00 p.m. for a special Tables in Wonderland dinner event.

Over on the west coast, The Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francsico holds the first of three gatherings to celebrate Disneyland's 55th anniversary. In attendance are Disney Legends, family members, former executives, and Imagineers who share their personal stories about working with Walt.

 

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7/17

1912:
Radio-television host Art Linkletter is born Gordon Arthur Kelly in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada. He will be abandoned when only a few weeks old and adopted by Mary and John Linkletter, an evangelical preacher. Exactly 43 years later Art Linkletter will take part in the televised grand opening of Disneyland.
1917:
Comedienne Phyllis Diller - the voice of The Queen in the 1998 Disney/Pixar
A Bug's Life - is born in Missouri. She also hosted a 1972 episode of The Mouse Factory.
1937:
Bill Justice, originally from Dayton, Ohio, starts his first day of work at Walt Disney Studios. As an animator he will go on to work on such classics as Fantasia, The Three Caballeros, Alice in Wonderland, and Peter Pan. In 1965, Justice will join Walt Disney Imagineering, where he will program figures for
several theme park attractions such as Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted Mansion, and Country Bear Jamboree. He will retired from the Disney Company in 1979 and be named a Disney Legend in 1996.
1955:
Television crews, Walt Disney, Art Linkletter, Ronald Reagan, Bob Cummings, the Mouseketeers, Thurl Ravenscroft, California Governor Goodwin J. Knight and over 28,000 guests witness the opening of Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Broadcast on ABC, it is the biggest live telecast to date!
From groundbreaking to opening day, the original Disneyland was built in just
365 days.
1956:
A patent for a "panoramic motion picture presentation arrangement" is filed with the United States Patent Office by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks.
The patent application is specifically for a method of filming a 360 degree panoramic film using eleven 16mm Kodak Cine-Special cameras (and projecting them in 16mm). The patent will be granted June 28, 1960.
1965:
A second Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln debuts, this time in
Disneyland. (The original Great Moments is still running at the New York World's Fair.) Housed in a new Main Street facility called the Opera House, Walt Disney himself dedicates the new attraction on this day. This Disneyland production is not completely identical to the Fair's. A new pre-show, "The Lincoln Story," replaces the Fair's which centers around the state of Illinois.

Later in the day, Walt speaks at the Tencennial Celebration for Cast
Members at the Disneyland Hotel's Magnolia Room. He hosts a celebration to acknowledge the challenges of early Disneyland and recognizing some of the original cast that were part of the show in 1955.
1970:
Disneyland celebrates its 15th birthday along with 130 of the park's original Cast Members - who will now be known as Club 55.
1971:
Cliff Edwards, the voice of Jiminy Cricket, passes away at the Virgil Convalescent Hospital in Hollywood, California, at age 76. Born in 1895, Edwards (also known as "Ukelele Ike") enjoyed considerable popularity in the 1920s and early 1930s, specializing in jazzy renditions of pop standards and novelty tunes.
1980:
Disneyland celebrates its twenty-fifth anniversary with a 25 hour party starting at midnight and ending at 1 AM on the 20th. "I Was There!" birthday buttons are handed out to guests.
1989:
The Splash Mountain dedication ceremony takes place at Disneyland on the
park's 34th birthday. Actors Jim Varney and Nick Stewart (the voice of Brer Bear) join Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Michael Eisner, Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox, and Mickey Mouse in turning on the water pump to create a big splash. (The attraction will officially open to the public the following day.)
1992:
Honey, I Blew Up the Kid, a Walt Disney Pictures feature starring Rick Moranis as Wayne Szalinski, is released to theaters.

The Splash Mountain attraction has a soft opening in Frontierland in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. (It will officially debut in October 1992.)
1995:
Disneyland celebrates its 40th birthday. Special events include burying a time capsule (which is to be opened in 40 years), Randy Travis performing on top of the Matterhorn singing "The Mickey Mouse Club March" and a sing-along version of "Happy Birthday," and free birthday cake to all guests. The 62 items in the time capsule include "40 Years of Adventures" Disneyland Cast Member Name Tag, with the name "Mickey," a photo of the Disneyland Ambassador Team, and an aerial photo of the Disneyland Resort and surrounding area.
1996:
Disney announces plans to open Disney's California Adventure theme park as part of the expanded Disneyland Resort in Anaheim.

At Disneyland Paris, Planet Hollywood receives a star-studded opening at Disney Village. Guests at the opening celebration include Lion King voice artist Whoopi Goldberg.
2002:
Daniel Rodriguez, the New York City police officer and tenor who made
memorable appearances singing patriotic songs following the September 11,
2001 attacks, performs in a ceremony celebrating the 47th Anniversary of the
opening of Disneyland.

An electrcial fire at around 3:30 in the morning at Walt Disney World's Epcot
forces the theme park to close for the day. The fire cuts electricity to several areas of the Florida resort.
2005:
The first person to enter the park at 7 a.m. on the official 50th anniversary
of Disneyland is Madison Steigerwald, a 15-year old girl from Old Greenwich, Connecticut. She and her grandmother, Mary Madison, began to line up at 3 p.m. the day before! At 10:00 a.m.,Disneyland hosts a ceremony to celebrate the anniversary. Art Linkletter (who helped host the opening in 1955), Bob Iger, Michael Eisner, California Governer Arnold Schwarzenegger and Diane Disney Miller (Walt's eldest daughter) are in attendance. Diane Disney Miller rereads her father's original dedication speech. Later at 4:45 in the afternoon, Walt Disney's opening day dedication speech is shown on Jumbotrons around the park.
2008:
Fifty-three years ago today Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom of Disneyland first opened. The occassion is marked with an anouncement that the interior of Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland will open in time for the December holiday season! It will offer guests a “reawakened” version of its classic walkthrough presentation (which first debuted in 1957).
2009:
After 54 years of service, Marty Sklar Executive Vice President and Walt Disney Imagineering Ambassador, is honored with a tribute window at Disneyland on the park's 54th birthday. Officially retiring on this day, Sklar's window is above City Hall at Town Square.

Also at Disneyland, the park presents the debut of Walt Disney's 1956 People and Places featurette, titled Disneyland U.S.A. The 42-minute film is screened exclusively for a group of about 200 people selected from Disney's official D23 fan club. The screening is preceded by a panel discussion from actual Disney experts.

Sadly on this same day, legendary newsman Walter Cronkite passes away in New York at age 92. A famous CBS anchorman (between 1962-1981), Disney fans will recall Cronkite's voice as one of the early narrators of Epcot's Spaceship Earth. He also appeared in the 1981 TV special Walt Disney: One Man's Dream and the 1989 broadcast of the opening of Disney-MGM Studios. Cronkite appeared and narrated Back To Neverland a film about animation featuring Robin Williams and Disney’s Animators that was shown in Disney-MGM Studios.
2010:
At noon, Disneyland employees hold a dedication ceremony in Town Square near the entrance of Disneyland celebrating the park's 55th anniversary.
Later in the afternoon, employees lead a park-wide sing-a-long of "Happy Birthday."The Disney All-American College band celebrates its own anniversary, the 40th, with nearly 300 current and former performers from both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort performing twice.
In the evening, Disneyland’s Alumni Club meet at the Disneyland Hotel to celebrate the park's 55th birthday
2011:
A celebratory moment is held at 2:30 p.m. to commemorate the 56th anniversary of Disneyland's opening day. An audio recording of Walt Disney’s original dedication speech is broadcast throughout Disneyland Park. Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and a cast of characters gather in Town Square to sing "Happy Birthday" to Disneyland with guests and cast members.

 

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7/18

1913:
Marvin Miller, the narrator of Disney's 1959 classic Sleeping Beauty, is born in St. Louis, Missouri. Possessing a deep, baritone voice, fans of the sci-fi feature Forbidden Planet will know Miller as the voice of Robby the Robot.
1950:
Disney's live-action adventure feature Treasure Island premieres. It will be generally released in the U.S. the following day.
1955:
Monday Disneyland in Anaheim, California first opens to the general public at 10 a.m. on this humid day with admission costing $1.
Dave MacPherson, a 22-year-old college student from Long Beach, is the first paying guest into the new park (he has waited on line all night to purchase the first ticket). MacPherson will win lifetime passes (good for any three persons and himself) to the Anaheim park (and eventually the Florida and France theme parks as well).

The first children to enter the park are cousins Michael Schwartner, age 7, and Kristine Vess, 5. Walt Disney himself poses for a photo with the lucky two (who will both receive lifetime passes).

The park stays open until 10 p.m. and is visited on this day by some 50,000 people. Puffin Bakery also opens for business on Main Street.

The Los Angeles Times announces the opening of Disneyland when it runs "Dream Realized ... Disneyland Opens," a full page article (with photos) in its Part 2 section.

Also visiting this day is a young boy named Ron Schneider and his family. (Ron's father had done some of the air conditioning work on one of the buildings.) Ron will go on to become Epcot's original Dreamfinder!

A young Californian named Tom Nabbe pays to get into Disneyland. (The day before he and his mom had entered the park as guests of entertainer Danny Thomas). This will be the first, last and only time young Tom will ever pay admission! (The following day he will begin working at Disneyland.)
1965:
Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln opens to the public (the day after its official dedication) at the new and specially constructed Opera House on Main Street USA at Disneyland. Named after the World's Fair attraction, it is presented by Lincoln Savings and Loan Association.

Also at Disneyland, the Red Wagon Inn re-opens as the Plaza Inn,a cafeteria-style restaurant. The Red Wagon Inn, opened since July 17, 1955, was the
park's top restaurant and Walt's personal favorite.
1989:
Splash Mountain, a log flume attraction, officially opens to the public in Disneyland. The ride presents scenes taken from the animated segments of the 1946 feature Song of the South.
1990:
Disney's newest movie division Hollywood Pictures releases its very first feature Arachnophobia, a comedy horror film co-produced with Amblin Entertainment. About deadly spiders who infest a small California town, the film stars Jeff Daniels and John Goodman.
2004:
The Walt Disney Family Foundation and the Carolwood Pacific Historical Society celebrate the 5th anniversary of Walt Disney's Barn in Griffith Park, Los Angeles. (In July 1999 the barn, which was the centerpiece of Walt's miniature backyard railroad, was relocated from the family's Holmby Hills property to Griffith Park. Since that time more than 10,000 Disney fans have visited the barn!)
2008:
Film historian Leonard Maltin hosts a screening of a newly restored digital
version of Disney's 1959 Sleeping Beauty, at the the Samuel Goldwyn Theater
in Beverly Hills, California.

 

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7/19

1919:
Dal McKennon - the voice of Benjamin Franklin in Disney's American Adventure (located at Epcot) and the narrator of the now-retired Disneyland attraction Mine Train thru Nature's Wonderland - is born in Oregon. Best known for the famous Big Thunder Mountain Railroad safety announcement, his Disney credits also include the voice of the animated bear in Bedknobs and Broomsticks and appearances in the films Son of Flubber, The Misadventures of Merlin Jones, and The Cat from Outer Space. (McKennon's best-known non-Disney voice roles include Gumby for Art Clokey, and Archie Andrews for Filmation's Archie series.)
1934:
Disney signs a contract with the Lionel Corporation to produce a Mickey
Mouse wind-up hand-car. Lionel Corporation, an American toy manufacturer and retailer, first began as an electrical novelties company in 1900. Lionel specializes in various products, but toy trains and model railroads are its main claim to fame. At this time the company is attempting to avoid bankruptcy (due to the Great Depression). The wind-up handcar will be widely credited with saving the company as Lionel will manufacture 250,000 units ... and still be unable to keep up with demand!
1942:
Character actor and future Disney voice star Sterling Holloway enlists in the U.S. Army at the age of 37. He will be assigned to the Special Services and help develop a show called "Hey Rookie", which will run for nine months and raise $350,000 for the Army Relief Fund.
1955:
A 12-year-old Californian named Tom Nabbe starts his job as a "newsie" -
hawking The Disneyland News at the new Anaheim park. Published monthly, it covers the ongoing events happening at Disneyland and costs a dime - Nabbe earns 3 cents per copy. Nabbe will go on to become Disneyland's first Tom Sawyer, a monorail manager and later manager of distribution services at Disney World ... and ultimately a Disney Legend in 2005!
1999:
Disney fans, railroaders, members of the Disney family, local government officials and press gather in Griffith Park in Los Angeles, for the official dedication of Walt Disney's Carolwood Barn. (Disney had a miniature railroad in his backyard on Carolwood Drive and this exact barn where he could monitor and control the 2,615 feet of track that made up his railroad. The barn also served as a workshop and a place for Walt to relax.)
2002:
The Walt Disney Company signs a letter of intent with the city of Shanghai to builds its third Asian theme park there.
2011:
Cars 2 star Lightning McQueen joins Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios for the first time.

Buena Vista Records releases the soundtrack for Captain America: The First Avenger on the day the film (distributed by Paramount Pictures) has its world premiere at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California. The soundtrack includes the original score by Alan Silvestri, as well as an original song titled "Star Spangled Man" written by Alan Menken (music) and David Zippel (lyrics). (The film will be screened two days later at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con and be generally released in North America July 22.)

 

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7/20

1879:
Joel Chandler Harris publishes "The Story of Mr. Rabbit and Mr. Fox as Told by Uncle Remus" in the Atlanta Constitution. It is the first of 34 plantation fables that will turn into Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings in 1880. The stories, mostly collected directly from the African-American oral storytelling tradition, are revolutionary in their use of dialect, animal personage, and serialized landscape. In 1946, Disney will produced a film based on the Uncle Remus tales called Song of the South.
1890:
Actress Verna Felton, best-known for providing many female voices in numerous Disney animated films (as well as voicing Fred Flintstone's mother-in-law Pearl Slaghoople for Hanna-Barbera) is born in Salinas, California. Starting her career on stage and radio, Felton's distinctive husky voice and no-nonsense attitude helped her become one of the premier character actresses in film and television. Fans of I Love Lucy, may recall Felton for her guest appearances in 1953. (Sadly Felton died of a stroke on the evening of December 14, 1966, only hours before the death of Walt Disney early the following morning.)
Felton's Disney credits:
The Jungle Book -Winifred the Elephant
Goliath II - Eloise
Sleeping Beauty - Flora
Lady and the Tramp - Aunt Sarah
Alice in Wonderland -Queen of Hearts
Cinderella - Fairy Godmother
Dumbo -Elephant Matriarch/Mrs. Jumbo
1955:
The Tomorrowland Boats (later named the Phantom Boats) debuts in Disneyland's Tomorrowland Lagoon. The attraction features 14 brightly painted gas-powered fiberglass boats. (Poor mechanical design will cause the ride to be the park's first permanent attraction to close.)
1969:
The historic Apollo 11 moon landing is televised on Disneyland's Tomorrowland Stage. Neil Armstrong (who in July 2005 will take part in the re-opening of Disneyland's Space Mountain) becomes the very first human to set foot on the moon. Also playing a key role in the lunar landing is Stephen Bales, a member of mission control at NASA's Johnson Space Center. He was inspired to become an aeronautical engineer by a 1950s Disney television show that
predicted how men might travel to and explore the moon.
1985:
Seven-year-old Virgil Waytes, Jr. of Virginia becomes the 200,000,000th guest at Walt Disney World! He is presented with a commemorative plaque and a lifetime Disney pass for his family.
1995:
The Walt Disney Company signs a 49-year lease with the 42nd Street Redevelopment Project to manage and operate the New Amsterdam Theatre (which is in need of restoration) in New York City. Located at 214 West 42nd Street in the heart of Times Square, the theater will officially reopen on
April 2, 1997 and in 2006 debut the musical Mary Poppins.

 

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7/21

1924:
Veteran actor Don Knotts is born Jesse Donald Knotts in Morgantown, West Virginia. His live-action Disney credits include the 1975 The Apple Dumpling Gang, the 1977 Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo, the 1978 Hot Lead and Cold Feet, and the 1979 The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again. Knotts also supplied voices for the animated 101 Dalmatians: The Series, was the voice of Mayor Turkey Lurkey in the animated 2005 Chicken Little and supplied the voice for Sniffer for the 2006 live-action Air Buddies. In February 1972 he hosted an episode of The Mouse Factory. (TV fans will remember him best for his Emmy Award winning role of bumbling Deputy Barney Fife on the classic 1960s sitcom The Andy Griffith Show.)
1952:
Comedian-actor Robin Williams, the voice of the Blue Genie of the Lamp in Disney's 1992 Aladdin and the voice of Timekeeper in the 1992 From Time to Time (which played in the Disney World attraction The Timekeeper) is born in Chicago, Illinois. His role as the Genie was instrumental in establishing the importance of star power in voice actor casting. Williams also starred in Disney's 1997 live-action feature Flubber and the 2009 comedy Old Dogs, the same year he was inducted as a Disney Legend.
1954:
Construction officially begins on Disneyland.Amazingly it will be built in less than a year!
1962:
Actor, producer, voice actor, and sound effects specialist Ike Eisenmann is born in Houston, Texas. As a child, his most recognized role was the character Tony in the Disney films Escape to Witch Mountain and its sequel Return from Witch Mountain. (As an adult, he appeared in the 2009 Race to Witch Mountain - playing a sheriff.) During the late 1970s Eisenmann also appeared in episodes of Disney's anthology series - most notably Shadow of Fear and Kit Carson and the Mountain
Men. His voice can be heard in Disney's 2002 The Hunchback of Notre Dame II.
1986:
At a press conference on the Empress Lilly at Downtown Disney Marketplace in Florida, Disney CEO Michael Eisner announces plans for a new addition to be called Pleasure Island. (Construction will begin on Pleasure Island in August and officially open in May 1989.)
1999:
Disney Wonder - the second of the Disney cruise ships - visits Southhampton, England on her delivery voyage from Italy (where she was built) to Florida. The vessel is 965 feet long and can hold a maximum of 3,325 passengers.
2005:
At Tokyo DisneySea, Raging Spirits (a high-speed roller coaster) begins operation. Located in the Lost River Delta section of the park, the attraction takes riders through the ruins of an ancient ceremonial site.
2011:
Walt Disney Imagineers and various crews working on the construction of Disney’s Art of Animation Resort hold a "topping out" ceremony at Walt Disney World. A tradition in the construction and engineering fields, it takes place when the highest piece of steel is placed on a building’s frame. Today's ceremony takes place atop a wing of the resort that will be themed after The Lion King. Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, which will bring to life famous Disney and Disney•Pixar films, is set to open in early Summer 2012

 

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7/22

1943:
Singer and actor Bobby Sherman (who became a popular teen idol in the late 1960s and early 1970s through hit records and TV appearances) is born in Santa Monica, California. He performed at Disney-MGM Studios as part of The Teen Idols tour in December 1998. During the 1990s he became an EMT officer for the L.A. Police Department. A big Disney fan, during the 1970s Sherman built a 1/5 scale model of Disneyland's Main Street in his backyard!
1955:
At Disneyland, the Candy Palace opens on Main Street. Over in Tomorrowland, Rocket to the Moon presented by TWA debuts. A simulated
ride to the moon, guests seated in a theater view their journey on screens. An iconic rocket, the Moonliner, stands outside, towering over the attraction building. Visiting the park on his birthday is future teen idol Bobby Sherman and his family.
1994:
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror attraction opens on Sunset Boulevard at
Disney World's Disney-MGM Studios. A simulated freefall thrill ride, it is
themed after the popular television series The Twilight Zone, hosted and
created by Rod Serling. (The television anthology series originally ran for 156 episodes between 1959-1964.) The Disney attraction takes place in the fictional Hollywood Tower Hotel (itself inspired by the Hollywood Tower, a real structure built in 1929 and named an historic landmark by the US Department of the Interior). The story of the hotel is adapted from elements of the television series, including the hotel being struck by lightning on October 31, 1939 and mysteriously transporting an elevator cart full of passengers to the Twilight Zone!
2010:
The Walt Disney Company makes its mark at the 2010 Comic-Con convention with an exciting lineup of feature films, scripted & animated series, and interactive booths providing fans with a first look at new content, experiences and merchandise.This day's Comic-Con presentations include:
A special insider look at the upcoming TRON: Legacy with director Joe Kosinski, producers Sean Bailey and Steven Lisberger, and cast members Jeff Bridges (Kevin Flynn), Garrett Hedlund (Sam Flynn), Olivia Wilde (Quorra), Michael Sheen (Castor) and Bruce Boxleitner (Alan Bradley).
A panel discussion with the creators of Tangled, a new animated feature to hit theaters this holiday season.

 

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7/23

1908:
Actor Karl Swenson, the voice of Merlin in Disney's 1963 release The Sword in the Stone, is born in Brooklyn, New York. A character actor who started out on radio, Swenson is best known for his television role of Lars on Little House on the Prairie.
1951:
Actress Edie McClurg, the voices of Minny in both Cars and Cars 2, and Carlotta in the 1989 classic The Little Mermaid, is born in Kansas City, Missouri. McClurg's Disney credits also include Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas, Home on the Range, Air Bud: Spike's Back, A Bug's Life, Flubber, and episodes of Disney Channel's American Dragon: Jake Long. She can also be heard as the voice of Fran the squirrel on Disney Channel's Higglytown Heroes. (One of the most recognizable American character actresses, fans of the comedy feature Ferris Bueller's Day Off know McClurg as Grace, the secretary.)
1956:
Disneyland's Junior Autopia attraction debuts.
1981:
Disney releases the film Herbie Goes Bananas to theaters in the UK. Already released in the U.S. since June 1980, it is the fourth of a series of films starring Herbie – the white Volkswagen racing Beetle with a mind of its own.
1993:
The comedy feature Another Stakeout is released by Touchstone Pictures. Starring Richard Dreyfuss, Emilio Estevez and Rosie O'Donnell, it is a sequel to the 1987 film Stakeout.
1999:
Inspector Gadget, starring Matthew Broderick, debuts. The live-action comedy is produced by Caravan Pictures and Walt Disney Pictures, and distributed by Buena Vista Distribution. Based on the animated cartoon series, the film will gross $103 million worldwide and spawn a direct-to-video sequel.
2003:
It is reported that for the first time Walt Disney World will run national TV ads about a single ride. The company's new campaign will be centered around Epcot's thrilling attraction, Mission: Space (which begins operation August 15).
2008:
ENCORE! Cast Choir And Orchestra (made up of Disney Cast Members) perform "Anything Can Happen" at Epcot World Showplace. Benefiting United Arts of Central Florida, the show features music from such stage productions as Mamma Mia, Spamalot, and Hairspray. It is the first of a 3-night engagement at the Florida theme park. ENCORE! was formed in 2002 by a small group of musically talented Cast Members who wished to give back to the community.

It is reported that Australian actress Mia Wasikowska has been cast as Alice in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland (a combination of live-action and performance-capture CGI that will be presented fully in 3D).

 

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7/24

1936:
Versatile comedic actress Ruth Buzzi is born in Westerly, Rhode Island.
Best known from the late 1960s TV variety series Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, Buzzi's Disney credits include The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again, It's Tough to Be a Bird, and the original version of Freaky Friday. She is also the singing voice of Frou-Frou for the 1970 animated The Aristocats. (Buzzi was the only featured player to appear in every episode of Laugh-In, which aired from 1968 to 1973 on NBC.)
1949:
Comedic actor Michael Richards, who appeared on the 1994 TV special The Wonderful World of Disney: 40 Years of Television Magic, is born in Los Angeles, California. TV fans know Richards best as Cosmo Kramer from the hit sitcom Seinfeld.
1951:
Actress Lynda Carter, Principal Powers in Disney's 2005 feature Sky High,
is born in Phoenix, Arizona. Comic book fans know Carter as TV's Wonder Woman!
1966:
The New Orleans Square area opens at Disneyland, California, with a ceremony presided over by Walt Disney and the real mayor of New Orleans, Victor Schiro. The 3-acre site, the first new themed "land" added to Disneyland after its 1955 opening, has cost $18 million to build. New Orleans Square (not a square so much as an intricate series of "streets") is the only land in the Magic Kingdom to debut without a single attraction. Although filled with shops and restaurants like the One of a Kind shop and Mademoiselle Antoinette's Parfumerie, the Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion attractions won't open until 1967 and 1969. (Sadly, due to his health, this will turn out to be Walt's last major public appearance in the park.)
1985:
Walt Disney's 25th animated feature The Black Cauldron (based loosely on the first two volumes of Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain) premieres in U.S. theaters. This film was 12 years in the making, at a cost of over $25 million. It is the first Disney animated movie to get a PG rating and the first animated movie to ever use 3-D graphics. The Black Cauldron is also the first animated Disney film made in cooperation with Silver Screen Partners II.
1989:
The Town Square Café, opened since 1971 and located on Disney World's Main Street USA, re-opens as Tony's Town Square Café.
2005:
The premiere of Disney's live-action feature Sky High takes place at the El
Capitan Theater in Hollywood, California.
2007:
Billy Ray Cyrus, singer-songwriter and the co-star of the hit Disney Channel series Hannah Montana (which stars his real-life daughter Miley), makes his debut on Walt Disney Records with his new album "Home At Last."
A multi-platinum selling recording artist (Cyrus has eight top-ten singles on the Billboard country music charts) he also starred in the television series Doc from 2001-2004.
2009:
At Comic-Con 2009, animation legends Hayao Miyazaki and John Lasseter join
veteran animation directors Lee Unkrich, Kirk Wise, Ron Clements and John Muskerfor an animation panel. Hosted by Lasseter, it highlights such upcoming animated films as Disney-Pixar’s Toy Story 3, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ 3D version of Beauty and the Beast, Walt Disney Animation Studios’
half-hour holiday TV special Prep & Landing, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ The Princess and the Frog and Miyazaki’s Ponyo. Actor/comedian Patton Oswalt moderates a group Q&A following the presentation.

Disney's Christmas Train (promoting a new version of A Christmas Carol - scheduled for a November release) pulls into Chicago's Union Station. The 15th stop for Disney's "A Christmas Carol Train Tour," it is traveling over 16,000 miles throughout the country and stopping at 40 cities and 36 states along the way, all to promote the new movie starring Jim Carrey.

G-Force, a spy-fi comedy film produced by Jerry Bruckheimer for Walt Disney
Pictures in Disney Digital 3-D, is released. It is the first live-action Disney film to be produced in Disney Digital 3-D (not including the two concert films- Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert and Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience).

 

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7/25

1917:
Writer/producer Arthur Alsberg is born in New York City. His Disney credits include Hot Lead & Cold Feet, Gus, Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo, and No Deposit, No Return. Alsberg started out in show business in New York writing radio comedy shows for stars like Milton Berle and Danny Kaye (the future host of Epcot's TV debut). Kaye brought Alsberg to Hollywood in 1946, where he became a writer for such TV shows as "Our Miss Brooks", "I Dream of Jeannie", "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir", and "Nanny and the Professor".
1955:
The publication Newsweek runs an article about Disneyland titled
"Spectacular Plus." It reports that - "California had never seen anything like it: A children's super amusement park covering 160 acres at Anaheim, Calif., 22 miles outside of Los Angeles, costing some $17 million and keeping 2,500 workers toiling to the last minute on such rides as the "Peter Pan Fly-Through" (a galleon ride to Never-Never Land) and "rocket trips to the moon," interspersed with oases where an expected 5 million callers a year may gather strength for further adventures from the world's biggest glass of root beer."
1966:
The day after the debut of Disneyland's New Orleans Square, the Long Beach Press-Telegram calls the park's new addition a "2.7-acre parcel of Americana." The Pasadena Star-News reports that it is part of Walt's plan "to develop the theme of Americana."
1998:
The Coral Isle Cafe, opened at WDW's Polynesian Resort since October 1, 1971, closes. After extensive renovations, it will reopened on November 23, 1998 as the Kona Café.
2003:
The Disney Institute (a resort located at Walt Disney World) officially closes after 7 years in operation. A vacation and learning center, it was a pet project of Disney CEO Michael Eisner who saw it as a way for families to learn and play together. Although the Disney Institute as a program still exists today, the actual resort was developed into a Disney Vacation Club property named the Saratoga Springs Resort
2007:
A press release announces that the Walt Disney Company has made a commitment to end cigarette smoking in Disney-branded films. Disney will discourage depictions of cigarette smoking in its films and will place an anti-smoking PSA on DVD's of any future film that does depict smoking.

Disney's Hollywood Records announces the release of an album with CDVU+ technology that provides a variety of extras, and is packaged in eco-friendly material. The self-titled album from the Jonas Brothers contains extras such as exclusive content, hidden 'Easter eggs' and interactive material that can be downloaded for access on and offline.

On the television game show Jeopardy!, "What is Hakuna Matata?" is the question for the Final Jeopardy answer. A Swahili phrase, it means "There are no worries here."
2008:
Disney Legend Harriet Burns, the first woman ever hired by Walt Disney Imagineering in a creative rather than an office capacity, passes away at age 79 in California. For 31 years Burns helped design and build prototypes for theme park attractions, as well as final products featured at Disneyland and the New York World's Fair of 1964. (She was even at Disneyland's July 17 debut in 1955!) Retired since 1986, she stayed active in the Disney community and was a frequent guest at Disney and fan organized events. Burns (born 8/20/28) is the only woman to have a window on Disneyland’s Main Street USA! Her commemorative plaque reads: "The Artisans Loft, Handmade Miniatures by Harriet Burns."

Bolt Across America kicks off in New York City with an event featuring
Miley Cyrus, the voice of Penny in a new Disney animated comedy
adventure titled Bolt - to be released November 2008. The Bolt Across America cross-country journey will raise awareness for the film and for the ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), the nation’s leading animal welfare organization.

 

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7/26

1921:
Writer, humorist, actor, and National Radio Hall of Famer Jean Shepherd, the voice of the Father in Disney's Carousel of Progress attraction,
is born in Chicago, Illinois. Rex Allen, the original voice of the Father, was replaced by "Shep" around 1994 when the Carousel was updated to include the more modern era. Ironically Shep had toured the It’s a Small World ride and Carousel of Progress at the 1964 World’s Fair! Movie fans may recognize Shep's voice as the narrator of the 1983 holiday classic A Christmas Story - which he co-wrote, based on his own semi-autobiographical stories. Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss a 1988 TV movie, following the family from A
Christmas Story, has aired numerous times on Disney Channel.
1951:
Disney's animated Alice in Wonderland has its world premiere
in England, at London's Leicester Square Theatre. It will be released in the
U.S. two days later. Based on Lewis Carroll's books "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking-Glass," it is the thirteenth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon. The film will be
nominated for an Academy Award for Best Scoring of a Musical Picture. Attending the premiere is Walt Disney
1993:
Marcellite Garner, the original female voice of Minnie Mouse in such early classics as Plane Crazy, The Gallopin' Gaucho, and The Barn Dance, passes away at age 83 in Grass Valley, California. Starting at the Disney Studio at the age of 19, Garner worked as a cel painter, but quickly advanced to the higher labor grade of inking the animator’s pictures onto the cels. After about 6 months on the job, she became the voice of Minnie Mouse. In mid-1941 she
gave up her work at Disney to become a full-time mom. As a hobby, she later became a painter and Kathryn Beaumont, dressed as Alice.
2010:
Today marks the last time that the current version of Disneyland's Star Tours is open to the public. The following day the ride will close for renovations. When the upgraded Star Tours opens next year, new scenes from the most recent Star Wars films will be added

 

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7/27

1916:
Actor Keenan Wynn (son of legendary comic Ed Wynn) is born in New York City. His live-action Disney credits include The Absent Minded Professor, Son of Flubber, Snowball Express, Herbie Rides Again, and The gy D.A. Originally encouraged to become an actor by his dad Ed, the two appeared together in the original Playhouse 90 television production of Rod Serling's Requiem for a Heavyweight. Keenan appeared in hundreds of movies and television shows between 1934 and 1986 - TV fans may recognize his voice
as the Winter Warlock in the 1970 holiday special Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town.
1955:
Future Disney Legend Bill "Sully" Sullivan officially starts working at
Disneyland in Anaheim, California at the age of 19. After three years of working the Jungle Cruise attraction, he will become a part of Disney management. Sully will later work on the Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley and the New York World's Fair. Eventually he will be relocated to Florida to
assist with the opening of Walt Disney World. In 1987, he will be named vice president of the Magic Kingdom
2010:
D23, the official Disney fan club, gives members the chance to be the last to go on Star Tours before it closes for rehabilitation at Disneyland. (Yesterday, Monday July 26, was the attraction's last regular day in business.) Before Disneyland shuts down Star Tours for a year (to transform the attraction into a 3-D journey), D23 members take a final ride after 1 a.m.

 

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7/28

1934:
William "Bud" Luckey, a cartoonist, animator, singer, musician, and composer, is born in Billings, Montana. Best known for his work at Pixar as a character designer for Toy Story, Toy Story 2, A Bug's Life, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, Cars, The Incredibles, and Ratatouille, Luckey also supplied the voice for Eeyore in Disney's 2011 animated feature Winnie the Pooh. (Luckey has designed and illustrated more than 100 children's books and wrote and animated many short films for Sesame Street.)
1951:
Walt Disney's 13th animated film Alice in Wonderland is released in U.S. theaters by RKO Radio Pictures, two days after its London premiere. Kathryn Beaumont, the voice of Alice, will later narrate the Alice attraction at Disneyland. Alice features the animation of all of Walt's "Nine Old Men." Alice's musical score, written by Oliver Wallace, will be nominated for an Academy Award. Also released is the True-Life Adventure Nature's Half Acre.
1987:
Disney's experimental computer animated film Oilspot and Lipstick
is released at a computer convention in Anaheim, California.
1993:
At Disneyland, the Main Street branch of the Bank of America (in business since the park's opening day) closes.
1997:
TIME magazine runs an article titled, "The Lion King A Different Breed Of Cats." The article focuses on the Minneapolis production and the question of whether or not Broadway audiences in New York are ready for Disney's version of its classic animated film.

Win Ben Stein's Money debuts on Comedy Central. The game show is produced for Comedy Central by Valleycrest Productions, Ltd., a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company, and distributed by Buena Vista Television. It features three contestants who compete in a general knowledge quiz contest to win the grand prize of $5,000 from the show's host, Ben Stein (an actor, writer, lawyer, and commentator on political and economic issues). In the second half of the show, Stein participates as a "common contestant" in order to defend his money from being taken by his competitors. Comedian Jimmy Kimmel is the show's co-host.
1998:
Disney's first cruise ship The Magic, is christened by Patricia Disney (Roy E. Disney's wife) in Florida. Built by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, the Disney Magic can hold approximately 2,400 passengers. The ship boasts 10 expansive decks, a total length of 964 feet, a maximum width of 106 feet and an astonishing gross tonnage of 83,000. (It will embark on its maiden voyage two days later.)
2003:
Retired astronaut Buzz Aldrin (of the famous Apollo 11 crew) takes the controls aboard Mission: SPACE at Epcot during the filming of an ABC television segment that features the new attraction. The segment will be shown Aug.15, 2003, on ABC-TV during the network's airing of the feature film Mission to Mars.
2004:
Character actor Sam Edwards passes away in Colorado. His Disney voice credits include Thumper in Bambi and Ollie the Owl for the America Sings park attraction. He also appeared in the live-action 1975 film Escape to Witch Mountain and episodes of Disney's television series; most notably "The Flight of the Grey Wolf." Edwards also performed the voice of Tigger (a role most commonly assocaied with Paul Wincell) for various projects. (Fans of Little House on the Prairie will recognize Edwards for his role of Bill Anderson.)
2010:
Disney's Animal Kingdom celebrates the International Year of Biodiversity at Rafiki’s Planet Watch. Guests learn why biodiversity is so important by participating in fun, informative activities and presentations.

 

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7/29

1922:
The first Laugh-O-Gram cartoon Little Red Riding Hood is released. A silent black & white short, it is written, produced, and directed by Walt Disney and animated by Rudolph Ising. It is considered Walt's first full-length short cartoon as prior to this only minute-long cartoons have been produced.
1941:
Actor David Warner, who appeared in Disney's 1982 Tron as Ed Dillinger/Sark and the Voice of Master Control Program, is born in Manchester, England. Although often cast as villains, Warner actually narrated both Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh: A Valentine for You.
1957:
Time magazine runs "How To Make A Buck" - an article about Walt Disney's success.
1966:
Disney's live-action comedy feature film Lt. Robinson Crusoe, U.S.N. - starring ________ Van and Nancy Kwan - is generally released in the U.S. A comedic twist on Daniel Defoe's classic novel Robinson Crusoe, ________ Van plays a U.S. Navy pilot who becomes a castaway on a tropical island. Character actor Richard Deacon (known from TV's "The ________ Van Show" and "Leave It to Beaver") provides narration. Playing in front of Lt. Robinson Crusoe, U.S.N. is the short Run, Appaloosa, Run.
1999:
Walt Disney World's Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith opens with a special, invitation-only party, with Aerosmith as the guests of honor at Disney-MGM. (It will officially open to the public the following day.)
2000:
To mark the first anniversary of the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, Walt Disney World takes 80 Corvettes and forms the signature guitar in the Disney-MGM Studios parking lot.
2005:
The family stage show Disney Live! Winnie the Pooh launches a U.S. tour in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The new interactive and three-dimensional production is produced by Field Entertainment, Inc.

Disney's live-action film Sky High, starrring Kurt Russell and Kelly Preston, is generally released in U.S. theaters. The story describes the beginning of freshman year for Will Stronghold (played by Michael Angarano) at Sky High School, a school for young superheroes that floats somewhere in the sky. Will's parents pose as suburban real-estate agents Steve and Josie Stronghold, but they are really the Commander (Russell) and Jetstream (Preston), two of the most famous and powerful superheroes!
2007:
The Disney-owned Power Rangers begin a 15-city tour in San Diego in celebration of their 15th anniversary
2008:
A 5.8 magnitude earthquake located near Chino Hills (just east of Los Angeles) in Southern California strikes at 11:45 AM, resulting in the evacuation of all attractions at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim. Most attractions are reopened by the evening. The temblor - felt as far south as San Diego - causes little damage, but it is the first quake of its size to hit a metropolitan part of California!

 

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7/30

1907:
Disney Legend Roy Williams, Roy, the "Big Mooseketeer" on TV's Mickey Mouse Club, is born in Coleville, Washington. He began working for Disney in 1930 and as a writer/gagman contributed to such animated classics as Saludos Amigos, The Three Caballeros, Cured Duck, Donald's Double Trouble, and Make Mine Music. As a sketch artist, Williams designed more than 100 insignias for the armed forces during Word War II, including the award-winning Flying Tigers insignia. He also designed the famous "Mouse" ears!
1942:
Disney delivers the animated short Out of the Frying Pan into the Firing Line to the Conservation Division of the War Production Board. Minnie Mouse is taught the importance of conservation and recycling of bacon grease, which can be turned into glycerine for the war effort.
1956:
At Disneyland, the Mineral Hall Exhibit opens. (The attraction will remain in operation until 1963.)
1973:
TIME magazine runs the article "Disney After Walt Is a Family Affair" in this week's issue.
1986:
Disney's Flight of the Navigator, starring Joey Cramer, is released in theaters.
A 12-year-old boy named David is abducted by an alien space craft and sent 8 years into the future. The film also features Paul Reubens, Veronica Cartwright, Sarah Jessica Parker and Howard Hesseman.
1993:
Indiana Jones et le Temple du Péril (a wild roller coaster)debuts at Disneyland Paris.
1998:
Disney launches its first cruise ship, the Disney Magic. It is one of the three largest ships in the world.
1999:
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, officially opens to all guests as part of the largest property-wide expansion in Disney World history. The indoor steel roller coaster features a high-speed launch of 0-60 mph in 2.8 seconds, three inversions, rock-concert lighting and a specially created Aerosmith soundtrack blasting from 120 on board speakers in each coaster
train - all firsts for a Disney World attraction.

Also at Walt Disney World, FASTPASS begins in the Magic Kingdom on Space Mountain and Splash Mountain.
2005:
The Disneyland Resort Alumni Club hosts a 50th Reunion/Dinner at the Disneyland Hotel Grand Ballroom.

 

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7/31

1929:
Disney's ninth Mickey Mouse short The Karnival Kid, directed by Walt Disney, is released. Mickey's sells hot dogs at the fair, heckles rival barker Kat Nipp
and serenades "shimmy dancer" Minnie with the help of two rowdy cat pals. The Karnival Kid features Mickey speaking his very first words: "Hot dogs!". (Storyman and adult Mouseketeer Roy Williams will later be inspired by this very short to create the famous Mickey Mouse ears hat!)
1934:
Disney files a lawsuit against the United Biscuit Company of America, Sawyer
Biscuit Company, and the Chicago Carton Company. The case involves the unauthorized use of Disney characters for animal crackers. (The suit will be settled in favor of Disney after four months.)
1946:
Singer/drummer Gary Lewis (son of famed comedian Jerry Lewis) is born in California. In 1964 he and his group the Playboys will perform at Disneyland where they will be discovered by record producer Snuff Garrett.
Gary Lewis and the Playboys will go on to have a strings of hits that include This Diamond Ring, She's Just My Style, and Everybody Loves A Clown.
1955:
The Casey Jr. Circus Train (based on the train of the same name from the 1941 Dumbo) debuts at Disneyland. Located in the back of Fantasyland next to Dumbo, the train was to open with the rest of the park on July 17 ... but it wasn't operating properly.
1967:
Animator Tom Bancroft is born. After studying at the California Institute of Arts, he will move to Florida to work for Walt Disney Feature Animation at the Disney/MGM Studios. Over the next 12 years Bancroft will work on such features as The Rescuers Down Under, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Aladdin, Pocahontas, Mulan, and Tarzan. Tom has a twin brother Tony who co-directed Mulan!
1995:
Disney announces the acquisition of Capital Cities/ABC. As a result of the $19-billion merger, Disney will add the entire ABC television network, key affiliates, ABC radio networks, publishing enterprises, and much more to its rapidly expanding roster of business units. (Ironically Disney's relationship with ABC began in 1954 when Walt Disney agreed to produce a TV series in return for ABC's investment in Disneyland.)
1997:
Bob Penfield, the last original Disneyland Cast Member, puts in his final day of work. He will be honored with a window on Main Street. Penfield began working at Disneyland at age 18 in July 1955!
2005:
The Hong Kong Economic Times reports that Disney plans to open a theme park in Shanghai in 2012.
2007:
Buena Vista Home Entertainment releases the Walt Disney Pictures
documentary IMAX movie Roving Mars (originally released to theaters January 27, 2006) on DVD and Blu-ray Disc. Narrated by Paul Newman, the film documents the 2003 Mars Rover mission. This special edition package also includes such bonus features as the 1957 Disney film Mars and Beyond.

Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry announces that Disney World has invited the State of Oklahoma to be the first state-dedicated marketplace experience at this fall's Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. The backdrop of the Oklahoma Experience -100 Stories of Oklahoma - will be three Walls of Wonder depicting Oklahoma Trailblazers through photos & stories. The Walls, which are 12 feet high and 21 feet long, will provide guests with interactive activities.

In order to make way for a new luxury resort, Disney World's Eagle Pines Golf
Course has it's last day of operation.

Disney Editions releases Robert Tieman's book The Mickey Mouse Treasures.
The richly illustrated book describes Mickey's life over the decades.
2009:
At Epcot, Captain Sig Hansen, Edgar Hansen, and Matt Bradley - three of the
featured stars of the popular Discovery Channel reality series, Deadliest Catch - sign autographs and pose for photos inside The Puffin’s Roost at the Norway Pavilion. The trio will appear through Sunday, August 2

 

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8/1

1914:
Chuck Keehne, a costumer and an expert on historical dress and costuming, is born in St. Louis, Missouri. First hired by Walt Disney in 1947, Keehne was made Chief of the Wardrobe Department in 1955. His long list of 70 plus Disney credits include The gy Dog, Pollyana, The Love Bug, and The Black Hole. He also created costumes for Disney's TV shows Mickey Mouse Club and Zorro. Keehe stayed as head of Disney's Wardrobe Department until his retirement in 1979.
1933:
Comedic actor, chef & author Dom DeLuise is born in Brooklyn, New York. His Disney credits include the animated TV series Hercules (as the voice of Bacchus) and the animated feature Oliver & Company (as the voice of Fagin). He also hosted a 1972 episode of The Mouse Factory. DeLuise is probably best known as a regular in such Mel Brooks films as Blazing Saddles, Silent Movie, History of the World, Part I, Spaceballs and Robin Hood: Men in Tights and The Cannonball run and Cannonball run 2. His youngest son David DeLuise stars as Jerry Russo on the Disney Channel series Wizards of Waverly Place.
1955:
The publication Popular Science runs the article "Kids' Dream World Comes True." It describes the new Disneyland park (which opened last month) and all of its "fantastic" attractions.
1956:
The trade publication Radio & TV News runs an article titled "Sound Effects Add Realism To Disneyland." Readers are told that - "A full-time service crew consisting of six technicians is required to maintain 290 loudspeakers, more than 40 miles of wiring, 13 long-playing magnetic tape playback units, and some 150 cartridge-type tape program repeaters. In addition, associated timers, amplifiers, and other equipment is spread over the lot. All in all, there are seven control centers on the grounds at Disneyland."
1957:
The article "If You Plan To Visit Disneyland" appears in the publication Sunset. The article gives advice on how to prepare for a trip to "the wonderful world of make-believe called Disneyland."
1976:
"The Old Disney Magic," an article by John Culhane appears in this day's
issue of The New York Times Magazine. Culhane asks "Can a new generation of artists make audiences cry the way they did for Snow White?"
1997:
Bob Penfield, the last of the original Disneyland opening day Cast Members, is
honored for more than 42 years of service. To commemorate his retirement, Bob is honored with a window on Main Street displaying the legend "Club 55 School of Golf, Bob Penfield, Instructor."

Walt Disney World's Coronado Springs Resort, featuring a Southwestern
U.S.-Mexican theme, opens at 1000 W. Buena Vista Blvd., with 1,967
rooms and suites. Categorized as a 'moderate' resort, it is considered the main convention hotel at Disney World - offering almost 100,000 square feet of meeting and convention space. The entire resort circles Lago Dorado, a large lake which features an island that includes the Dig Site swimming pool.
1998:
Disney A to Z: The Updated Official Encyclopedia written by Disney Archivist Dave Smith, is published by Disney's Hyperion Books.
2002:
Once Upon A Toy, a 16,000-square-foot toy store, officially opens its doors at Walt Disney World's Downtown Disney Marketplace.
2007:
Tonight is the official opening night for Disney's newest touring production
of "High School Musical" at Chicago's LaSalle Bank Theatre. The show
features an entirely new cast of 35 adult performers and a live orchestra. "High School Musical" will remain at the LaSalle Bank Theatre through September 2 before touring some 60 U.S. cities.

Disney officially acquires the online virtual world known as Club Penguin.
Originally launched in October 2005, it has grown to 700,000 paid subscribers and 12 million users.

 

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8/2

1920:
Voice actor, writer and producer Bill Scott is born William John Scott in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His Disney voice credits include The Wuzzles and Adventures of the Gummi Bears. Scott is best remembered as the voice of Bullwinkle J. Moose for the animated Rocky and Bullwinkle Show and for supplying the voice of Dudley Do-Right for The Dudley Do-Right Show. (During World War II Scott served in the U.S. Army's First Motion Picture Unit where he reported to Lt. Ronald Reagan ... and worked with Disney animator Frank Thomas!)
1989:
Disney announces plans to double the size of the entertainment area of the
Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park over three years.
1995:
In Aspen, Colorado, 36 Disney executives gather (for the next 3 days)
to brainstorm ideas for a second Anaheim-based theme park to be built next to Disneyland. The result will be a plan for Disney's California Adventure!
1998:
Passengers aboard the Disney Magic's maiden voyage become the very first Disney guests to set foot on Disney's private island, Castaway Cay (which officially opened July 30). Located 225 nautical miles from Disney's home port of Port Canaveral, Florida, the island stretches 3.1 miles long and 2.2 miles wide. Originally called Gorda Cay, the island was used for filming the Touchstone 1984 feature Splash - where Tom Hanks first encountered Daryl Hannah on the beach.
2001:
Julie Andrews, ________ Van , songwriter Richard Sherman, and the Disneyland Band rededicate Disney's Soundstage 2 in Burbank, California, to The Julie Andrews Stage. Andrews filmed Disney's Mary Poppins and recently The Princess Diaries at this famous location. The Princess Diaries will be released the following day.

The late Guy Williams, the star of Disney's 1950s Zorro TV series,
is awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Known for playing
swashbuckling action heroes, Williams had passed away in 1989. He was also known for the role of the father of the Robinson family on the 1960s sci-fi TV series Lost in Space.
2010:
Volume II issue III of D23's magazine Disney twenty-three debuts.
The Fall 2010 issue features a sneak peek of the animated feature Tangled.

 

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8/3

1933:
The Mickey Mouse Watch is introduced at a cost of $3.25 (although the price will later be lowered to $2.95).
1955:
Voice artist Corey Burton, one of the most widely heard voices in film and
television, is born in Granada Hills, California. He has done voices for theme park attractions like Disney's Timekeeper and recreated the late Paul Frees' "Ghost Host" for Disneyland's Haunted Mansion Holiday. His large body of Disney work includes the voice of Captain Hook in Disney's 2002 Return to Neverland and such animated features as The Incredibles, Stitch! The Movie, Treasure Planet and 101 Dalmatians IIatch's London Adventure. Burton's television voice credits include Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (as Ludwig Von
Drake) and Jake and the Never Land Pirates (as Captain Hook). He also supplied the voice for Doc Hudson for the Cars video games (replacing the late Paul Newman).
1988:
A groundbreaking ceremony take place for Euro Disney (later known as Disneyland Paris). The park will open in April 1992.
2004:
Disney's 1979 sci-fi film The Black Hole is reissued on DVD. (The original DVD release was plagued with audio problems.) Also released to DVD is the 1979 comedy The Unidentified Flying Oddball.
2007:
Walt Disney Pictures' Underdog, a live-action film based on the cartoon (which first debuted in 1964), is released. After an accident in the mysterious lab of mad scientist Dr. Simon Barsinister, an ordinary beagle finds himself with extraordinary powers! Produced by Spyglass Entertainment and Classic Media, it features a real dog (voiced by Jason Lee) with computer-generated imagery enhancements. The film also features Jim Belushi, Alex Neuberger, Taylor Momsen, Amy Adams, Patrick Warburton, Phil Morris and Brad Garrett.
2008:
"Studio DC: Almost Live!" an all-new original television special starring the Muppets debuts on Disney Channel. The special (in the style of the original Muppet Show) features singing and dancing, comedy sketches and the backstage chaotic antics of a fictional Disney Channel variety show. Special guests include Miley Cyrus, Ashley Tisdale, Dylan & Cole Sprouse, Jonas Brothers and The Cheetah Girls.(A second similar show will debut in October.)

 

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8/4

1920:
Educational technology visionary Alexander Schure, the founder of the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) in 1955, is born in Hamilton, Ontario. An interest in the undeveloped world of computer animation led him to establish a computer graphics lab at NYIT's Old Westbury campus. Schure hired a young computer scientist named Ed Catmull (who had developed texture mapping) to work with computer graphics. Catmull formed a talented research group along with Alvy Ray Smith and began working with 2D animation. But when their efforts attracted an interest from George Lucas, Catmull's group was hired away to Hollywood by Lucasfilm's digital division ... which eventually became Pixar. It can be said that Dr. Schure's vision and support from 1975–1980, and the low-pressure academic research lab environment at NYIT, was an essential contributor to the development of many of the technical innovations needed to produce realistic computer generated films.
1961:
Barack Hussein Obama II, the 44th President of the United States, is born in Honolulu, Hawaii. He is the first African American to hold the office. Visit him and all the U.S. leaders at Disney World's The Hall of Presidents.
1989:
Disney illustrator Paul Murry passes away. During his career, Murry drew thousands of pages of comics (for Dell and Gold Key) and was one of the very few artists who could essentially draw all of the Disney characters.
1995:
A ground breaking takes place for Disney's newest Florida theme park - Disney's Animal Kingdom. (The largest of all of Disney's theme parks, it will open in April 1998.)
2009:
Walt Disney World celebrates the opening of the first new monorail line resort
hotel in more than two decades, when Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort debuts. A pedestrian walkway connects the new 16-story Disney Vacation Club resort (which features 295 villas) to Disney’s Contemporary Resort's Grand Concourse.