1905: Actor Andy Devine (Friar Tuck in Robin Hood) is born in Flagstaff, Arizona.
1907: Animator, and Disney Legend, Art Babbit (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinnochio, Dumbo, and Goofy in his later shorts) is born in Omaha, Nebraska.
1910: Writer Winston Hibler (the Disneyland TV series, Sleeping Beauty, Peter Pan) is born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
1918: Film editor, and Disney Legend, Norman Palmer (Pinocchio, Fantasia, The Living Desert, Grand Canyon, Water Birds) is born in Santa Ana, California.
1923: Actress Glynis Johns (Winifred Banks in Mary Poppins, Princess Mary Tudor in The Sword and the Rose) is born in Pretoria, South Africa.
1949: Disney’s 11th animated feature, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, is released. 
1950: Actor Jeff Conaway (Willie in Pete’s Dragon) is born in New York City, NY.
1955: The Disneyland Hotel opens opposite the Anaheim park’s exit. It is privately owned and operated by the Wrather Corporation.
1955: At the newly opened Disneyland, ticket books go onsale. Guests may purchase a book (containing three A, two B, and three C tickets) for $2.50.
1956: The Muppets make their first network TV appearance on The Steve Allen Show. 
1956: Walt Disney places a letter to the future inside a time capsule. The paper has the title “PREDICTION OF ENTERTAINMENT IN THE WORLD 50 YEARS FROM NOW” The letter predicts the world will be taken over by technology.
1961: Actress Jodi Benson (Ariel in The Little Mermaid, Barbie in Toy Story 2) is born in Illinois.
1962: Actress Joan Cusack (Alsatia Zevo in Toy Story, Jessie in Toy Story 2, Ice Princess, Abby Mallard in Chicken Little) is born in New York City, NY.
1967: Singer and stage actress Toni Braxton (Bell in Broadway’s Beauty and the Beast, Aida in Aida) is born in Severn, Maryland. It is the first and only time that an African American played the role of Belle.
1974: Stage actress Heather Headley (won a Tony for Best Actress for the title role in Aida, Nala in Broadway’s The Lion King) is born in Trinidad, West Indies.
1977: Kikkoman begins its sponsorship of the Adventureland Veranda restaurant in Disney World’s Adventureland.
1981: Disney’s The Watcher in the Woods is released.
1983: Disney’s Never Cry Wolf premieres.
1983: The first Disney Channel film, Tiger Town, premieres.
1988: Disney’s tv-series airs on NBC under the new title The Magical World of Disney.
1992: Walt Disney World announces that three new resorts will be built-with sports (All Star Sports), music (All Star Music), and wilderness (Disney’s Wilderness Lodge) themes, separately-that will offer over 4500 new rooms. They also announce that a new water park (Blizzard Beach) is being planned.
1993: The Mighty Ducks (the Disney-owned hockey team) play their inaugural game.
1996: A full-service spa and health center opens at the Grand Floridian, causing it to now be called Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.
1998: In Walt Disney World’s Tomorrowland, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin has its soft opening.
1998: Disney’s Elaborate Lives: The Legend of Aida debuts at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia (the title will later be shortened to Aida).
1998: In Epcot’s Imagination Pavilion, the Journey Into Imagination ride and the Image Works attraction close for renovation (only the ride will reopen after the renovation-minus The DreamFinder and Figment, his imaginary sidekick).
1999: The Disney Channel Original Movie Don’t Look Under the Bed premieres.
2001: Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Walk-Through attraction closes for refurbishment, and never reopens (it is rumored to be reopening later this year).
2001: In Epcot’s Imagination Pavilion, the Journey into Your Imagination ride closes for a 2nd renovation.
2002: At Disney’s California Adventure, A Bug’s Land, designed for younger kids, opens.
2003: In Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, Wishes, the park’s newest fireworks show, debuts.
2003: Over at Disneyland, The Golden Horseshoe Variety Show closes after more than 4,000 shows.
2003: In Walt Disney World’s Tomorrowland, The ExtraTERRORestrail Alien Encounter closes permanently (it will be replaced with Stitch’s Great Escape!)

The Orlando Sentinel is reporting that the Super Soaps Weekend at Disney World will see its last year this year. Brian Frons, the president of Daytime, Disney-ABC Television Group, has said that they would rather send the soaps stars on a national tour rather than spend a single weekend in Florida. Disney’s Hollywood Studios issued a statement saying that the weekend will be a fitting finale for the weekend after the 15 years it’s spent at WDW.

DMNews is reporting that Tim Foster (Guide to the Magic) and Lou Mongello (WDW Radio) are teaming up to form Celebrations-an unofficial magazine for Disney fans. It will be distributed every other month and the founders hope it will fill the gap left after Disney stopped their official magazine, the Disney Magazine.

Previously this year, the Walt Disney Company launched Disney en Familia, a publication targeted at Hispanic moms.

1888: Actor Claud Allister (Rat in The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, Sir Giles in The Reluctant Dragon) is born in London, England.
1904: Actress Greer Garson (Mrs. Cordelia Biddle in The Happiest Millionaire) is born in London, England.
1906: Composer Charles Wolcott (The Three Caballeros, Make Mine Music, Song of the South, Fun and Fancy Free) is born in Flint, Michigan.
1911: Conductor, and Disney Legend, Irwin Kostal (helped with music for Mary Poppins, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Pete’s Dragon) is born in Chicago, Illinois.
1913: Writer, and Disney Legend, Bill Walsh (Mary Poppins, The Love Bug, That Darn Cat!, Flubber) is born in New York City, New York.
1934: Actress Janet Munro (Swiss Family Robinson, Third Man on the Mountain, Darby O’Gill and the Little People) is born in Blackpool, Lanacashire, England.
1935: Actress Julie Andrews (Mary Poppins, The Princess Diaries series) is born in England.
1938: Walt Disney Enterprises, the Disney Film Recording Company, and Liled Realty and Investment Company all come together under the name Walt Disney Productions.
1942: Actor Steve Susskind (Monsters Inc., The Emperor’s New Groove) is born in Springfield, Massachusetts.
1946: Actress Susan Sarandon (Spider in James and the Giant Peach, Queen Narissa in Enchanted) is born in New York City.
1947: Actor Jeffrey Jones (Chairman L.C. Clench of XS Technology for WDW’s Alien Encounter) is born in Buffalo, New York.
1954: Puppeteer Jeff Breslauer (Chester Diggs in Animal Kingdom, Papa Noel at the Canada Pavilion, The Dreamfinder at Epcot’s Imagination Pavilion, The Muppets Take Manhatten, The Muppets at Walt Disney World) is born in New York, New York.
1955: Disney’s second TV series, The Mickey Mouse Club, premieres on ABC.
1957: Actor Bill Fagerbakke (Sven in Atlantis: Milo’s Return, Mooch in Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp’s Adventure) is born in Fontana, California.
1963: Writer Greg Weisman (creator of Gargoyles) is born in Woodland Hills, California.
1964: Actress Janeane Garofalo (Collette in Ratatouille, Bridget in The Wild) is born in Newton, New Jersey.
1966: Actress Maria Canals-Barrera (Theresa Russo in Wizards of Waverly Place, Connie Torres in Camp Rock) is born in Miami, Florida.
1970: Disney’s Dad, Can I Borrow the Car? is released.
1971: Actor Mackenzie Crook (Ragetti in the Pirates of the Caribbean series) is born in Kent, England.
1971: October 1: Walt Disney’s second theme park and its two resorts, making up the Walt Disney World Resort, have their grand-opening in Orlando.
1971: October 2: In Walt Disney World’s Liberty Square, The Liberty Square Riverboat, named the Admiral Joe Fowler, takes its first trip around the Rivers of America.
1971: October 3: In Walt Disney World’s Fantasyland, Peter Pan’s Flight officially takes off.
1973: Actor Brad Kane (singing voice of Aladdin in Aladdin) is born in New Rochelle, New York.
1982: September 30: In EPCOT Center’s World Showcase, the Canada, China, and France pavilions open as the park prepares for it’s grand opening.
1982: October 1: Annual passes are introduced at Walt Disney World.
1982: October 1: Walt Disney World’s EPCOT Center has its grand opening.
1983: In EPCOT Center’s Future World, the Horizons Pavilion opens.
1986: In Disneyland’s Tomorrowland, the Magic Eye Theatre opens.
1987: Actress Hillary Duff (Lizzie McGuire, Cadet Kelley) is born in Houston, Texas.
1988: The Caribbean Beach Resort opens at Walt Disney World.
1992: In Tokyo Disneyland, Splash Mountain opens.
1992: The San Angel Inn restaurant opens in EPCOT’s Mexico Pavilion.
1992: In Walt Disney World’s Frontierland, Splash Mountain has its official grand opening.
1993: GE’s sponsorship of Epcot’s Horizons Pavilion ends.
1993: The Top of the World at Walt Disney World’s Contemporary Resort closes.
1994: In Epcot, Communicore is officially renamed Innoventions.
1995: The Vero Beach Resort, a DVC property, opens in Florida.
1996: In Walt Disney World’s Tomorrowland, Walt Disney World’s Grand Prix Raceway is renamed the Tomorrowland Speedway.
1996: In Orlando, Walt Disney World celebrates its 25th anniversary.
1997: Disney’s TV series returns, after a 7-year hiatus, to ABC as The Wonderful World of Disney, showcasing a new Disney movie every week, starting with Toy Story.
1999: In Epcot, a Mickey Mouse arm with a wand, along with “2000″, is placed on Spaceship Earth to celebrate the new millennium.
1999: The new IMAGINATION! Pavilion and the Millennium Village both open in Epcot.
1999: Epcot’s new fireworks show, IllumiNations 2000: Reflections of the Earth, debuts.
1999: In Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, a statue honoring Roy O. Disney is unveiled.
1999: The Reedy Creek Energy Services, Inc., is merged into the Walt Disney Company.
2000: Disney’s Remember the Titans is released.
2002: James “Jay” Rasulo is named the new President of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts worldwide. He had previously been the chairman and CEO of Euro Disney.
2003: In Walt Disney World’s Fantasyland, Mickey’s PhilharMagic opens to guests.
2005: Michael Eisner leaves his job as CEO of the Walt Disney Company.
2007: Disney’s The Game Plan is released.
2007: Epcot celebrates its 25th anniversary.

Disney Channel is unveiling its newest season of shows this October. First up is The Suite Life: On Deck featuring the cast from the first series minus a few members (Ashley Tisdale, Brian Stepanek) but the Sprouse twins will remain along with Phil Lewis and Brenda Song with newcomer Debby Ryan. Also, the new seasons of Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place, and Phineas and Ferb will premiere during the first two weeks. Finally, Studio DC: Almost Live returns with the Muppets and a new episode Sunday (10/5) at 8 pm. hosted by Selena Gomez and featuring Demi Lovato and Jason Earles, among others.

The LA Times reported that, on Wednesday, the Walt Disney Company previewed many of its upcoming movies that have so far been announced. Amid all the chaos, it was announced that Johnny Depp, the man behind Captain Jack Sparrow, has taken on the roll of the Madd Hatter in Tim Burton’s remake of the Disney Classic “Alice in Wonderland.” A somewhat blindsiding piece of news is that Depp will also be playing Tonto in Disney’s remake of “The Lone Ranger.” For the last film, Disney is reportedly trying to snag George Clooney to play the lead.

Other news from the event:

• Disney and Pixar have speed up the animation on “Cars 2″ in order to move it from it’s previous summer 2012 release to a new summer 2011 release.
• Two new sequels, “National Treasure 3″ and “Pirates of the Caribbean 4″, have both started to develop.
• Oprah Winfrey has decided to lend her voice to the hand-drawn “The Princess and the Frog.”
• After Disney releases “Cars 2″, a new series of animated shorts featuring the Radiator Springs gang will be created under the tentative name “Cars Toon”.

All of the company’s previously announced movies (i.e. “Hannah Montana: the Movie”, “TRON 2.0″, “Race to Witch Mountain”, “Bolt”, etc) were previewed at the event.

1902: Composer Al Hoffman (A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes, Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo) is born in Minsk, Russia.
1904: Author Alexander H. Key (Escape to Witch Mountain) is born in La Plata, Maryland. His novel is the inspiration of the Disney film of the same name and the remake-Race to Witch Mountain.
1920: Actor Mickey Rooney (Lampie in Pete’s Dragon, Adult Tod in The Fox and the Hound, Sparky in The Lady and the Tramp II: Scamps’ Adventure) is born Joe Yule, Jr. in Brooklyn, NY.
1936: Puppeteer Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets, is born James Maury Henson in Greenville, Mississippi.
1947: Disney’s 9th animated film, Fun and Fancy Free, is released.
1959: Actor Jason Alexander (Hugo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame) is born in Newark, New Jersey.
1961: Actress Bonnie Hunt (Rose in A Bug’s Life, Flint in Monsters Inc., Sally in Cars) is born in Chicago, Illinois.
1961: Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color has it’s 8th season premiere on NBC after moving from  ABC.
1963: Actor Tate Donovan (Hercules in Hercules) is born in New Jersey.
1967: The Compass East Corporation (the shell company responsible for buying the WDW property) is renamed the Walt Disney World Company.
1982: In EPCOT Center’s Future World, the Energy Exchange, FutureCom, Kitchen Kabaret Revue, Universe of Energy, and the Harvest Theatre all officially open about a week before the grand opening of the park.
1983: Walt Disney’s long running TV series, currently named Walt Disney, airs for the last time on CBS. It will be revived three years later on ABC as The Disney Sunday Movie.
1984: Actress Anneliese van der Pol (Chelsea Daniels on That’s So Raven, Belle in Broadway’s Beauty and the Beast) is born in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
1987: Michael Eisner is elected Chairman and CEO of Walt Disney Productions while Frank Wells is elected President and COO.
1993: Boy Meets World premieres on ABC.
1999: The Jersey premieres on The Disney Channel.
2001: The Proud Family debuts on The Disney Channel.
2004: Walt Disney World closes due to the threat of Hurricane Jeanne.
2008: Both the Pochahontas and her Forest Friends live show at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and The Adventurer’s Club in Downtown Disney’s Pleasure Island close.

Celebration Vacation is the newest Disney Parks promotion for 2009. Part of this promotion is that anyone can receive a one day Magic Your Way ticket for free on their birthday. Also included in the new promotion are new street parties, a Tomorrowland video dance party (WDW), a celebration barbecue and festive birthday party (Disneyland) and new park decorations.

All a person needs is a valid ID, even for children, proving date of birth. You can go ahead and register your birthday at the Disney Parks website. The website will provide you with a confirmation number, but you will still need to bring the ID with you to the ticket window.

The Orlando Sentinel had more details that the press release didn’t cover. If you’re a Pass Holder, you’ll
have other options to choose from: a special FastPass ticket for certain attractions; a gift card equal to the amount of a 1-day Magic Your Way ticket to be used on merchandise, recreation, or other activities at certain locations; or a 1-day Magic Your Way base ticket to be used any time before your next birthday. If your birthday is on a weekday or a religious holiday and you can’t get to a park, you can’t redeem your free visit on the weekend. If your birthday is on Leap Day, you can claim February 28 or March 1 as your birthday.