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This Week in Disney History (May 24-31)

Daniel — Mon, 25 May 2009 22:43:12 +0000

1879: Actress Lucile Watson (Song of the South) is born in Quebec, Canada.
1889: Actor Don Brodie (Barker in Pinocchio) is born in Cincinnati, OH.
1908: Actress Barbara Luddy (Kanga in many Winnie the Pooh serials, Merryweather in Sleeping Beauty, Rover in One Hundred and One Dalmatians, Lady in Lady and the Tramp) is born in Great Falls, MT.
1908: Actor Don Ameche (Shadow in Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey, Commodore Taylor in The Boatniks) is born in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
1911: Actor Vincent Price (Professor Ratigan in The Great Mouse Detective) is born in St. Louis, Missouri.
1915: Actor Sam Edwards (Thumper in Bambi, America Sings, The Boatniks, The Absent Minded Professor, Escape to Witch Mountain) is born in Macon, GA.
1918: Special effects creator, and Disney Legend, Peter Ellenshaw (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Treasure Island, Robin Hood, Mary Poppins, Bedknobs and Broomsticks) is born in London, England.
1918: Oil millionaire Jack Wrather (original owner of the Disneyland Hotel) is born in Amarillo, TX.
1920: Singer Peggy Lee (Darling, Peg, Si and Am in Lady and the Tramp) is born in Jamestown, North Dakota.
1932: Executive, and Disney Legend, Dick Nunis (Vice President of WDW and Disneyland 1971-1980) is born in Cedartown, GA.
1944: Puppeteer Frank Oz (voice of Yoda, Fozzie Bear, Sam the Eagle, Grover, and Bert) is born Richard Frank Oznowicz in Hereford, England.
1947: Actress Karen Valentine (The North Avenue Irregulars, Hot Lead and Cold Feet) is born in Sebastopol, CA.
1948: Disney’s 10th animated feature, Melody Time, premieres.
1949: Actress Dayle Haddon (The World’s Greatest Athlete) is born in Canada.
1953: Composer Danny Elfman (Meet the Robinsons, Dick Tracy, Flubber, Nightmare Before Christmas) is born in Amarillo, TX.
1955: Disney’s Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier premieres.
1962: Actor Bob Goldthwait (Pain in Hercules) is born in Syracuse, NY.
1966: In Disneyland’s Fantasyland, it’s a small world opens-straight from the World’s Fair.
1971: Actress Idina Mensel (Nancy Tremaine in Enchanted) is born in Queens, NY.
1977: In Disneyland’s Tomorrowland, Space Mountain opens.
1983: In Disneyland’s Fantasyland, Pinocchio’s Daring Journey opens.
1984: Actress Kaycee Stroh (Martha Cox in the High School Musical films) is born in Salt Lake City, UT.
1986: In EPCOT, Spaceship Earth reopens with a new narration by Walter Cronkite, a new theme song (“Tomorrow’s Child”), and a new sponsor (AT&T).
1990: At the Disney-MGM Studios, Here Come the Muppets opens.
1990: In the Magic Kingdom, Mickey’s Starland debuts (it had previously been named Mickey’s Birthdayland)
1991: Disney’s Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken premieres.
1992: At the Euro Disney Resort, the Sequoia Lodge opens to guests.
1994: At the Walt Disney World Resort, Disney’s Wilderness Lodge opens to guests.
1995: On the Magic Kingdom’s Main Street, U.S.A, Casey’s Corner replaces the Coca-Cola Refreshment Corner.
1999: At the Magic Kingdom, the Main Street Electrical Parade premieres.
2003: Disney/PIXAR’s 5th film, Finding Nemo, premieres.
2004: Disney launches Toontown Online.
2007: Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End premieres.

[AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is the last in the This Week in Disney History series for a while (as history will repeat itself. To check out the older posts, visit them on the forums, here.]

This Week in Disney History (May 17-23)

Daniel — Tue, 19 May 2009 14:31:00 +0000

1904: Actor Fred Shields (Narrator for Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros) is born in Kansas City, Missouri.
1906: Sound effects guru James Macdonald (Mickey and the Beanstalk, House of Mouse, Snow White, Alice in Wonderland) is born in Dundee, Scotland.
1908: Writer Ralph Wright (Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree, Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day, Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too!, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, The AristoCats) is born in St. Paul, Minnesota.
1909: Science expert Julius Sumner Miller (Professor Wonderful on The Mickey Mouse Club from 1955-1959) is born in Bellerica, Massachusetts.
1910: Imagineer, and Disney Legend, Dorothy Halt Redmond (Disneyland’s New Orlean’s Square) is born in Los Angeles, California.
1910: Actor Scatman Crothers (Scat Cat in The AristoCats) is born in Terre Haute, Indiana.
1911: Director, and Disney Legend, Larry Lansburgh (worked his way from ‘gofer’ to ‘director’ in the Walt Disney Studios) is born in San Fransisco, CA.
1914: Animator John Hubley (Snow White, Pinocchio, Dumbo, Bambi, Fantasia) is born in Marinette, Wisconsin.
1915: Salesman Al Konetzni (in charge of the character merchandising division of the Walt Disney Company) is born in Brooklyn, New York.
1915: Animator George Baker (Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo) is born in Lowell, Massachusetts.
1931: Actress Barbara Barrie (Alcmene in Hercules) isborn in Chicago, Illinois.
1935: In Los Angeles, the Pan-Pacific Auditorium opens. A full-scale, stylized replica of the Pan-Pacific’s facade acts as the main entrance to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
1936: Actor Charles Kimbrough (Victor the Gargoyle in The Hunchback of Notre Dame) is born in St. Paul, Minnesota.
1940: Computer Scientist Alan Kay (VP of Research and Development at Walt Disney Imagineering early 1990′s until 2001) is born in Massarchusetts.
1941: Actress Miriam Margolyes (Matchmaker in Mulan, Glowworm/Aunt Sponge in James and the Giant Peach) is born in England.
1949: Actor Dave Thomas (Tuke in Brother Bear and Brother Bear II) is born in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.
1950: Lyricist, and Disney Legend, Howard Ashman (Oliver & Company, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin) is born in Baltimore, Maryland.
1954: Lyricist David Zippel (Mulan, Hercules) is born in Easton, Pennsylvania.
1955: Actor/director Bill Paxton (The Greatest Game Ever Played) is born in Fort Worth, Texas.
1957: Actor Judge Reinhold (Neil Miller in The Santa Clause films) is born in Wilmington, Delaware.
1958: Singer Judy Kuhn (Singing voice of Pocahontas in Pocahontas and Pocahontas II) is born in New York City.
1958: Actor Drew Carey (Gepetto, Disney-MGM’s Sounds Dangerous) is born in Cleveland, Ohio.
1960: Actor Tony Goldwyn (Tarzan in Tarzan and Tarzan Untamed) is born in Los Angeles.
1960: Disney’s Pollyana premieres.
1962: Disney’s Bon Voyage premieres.
1962: Actor Nathaniel Parker (Master Gracey in The Haunted Mansion) is born in London, England.
1968: Three years before Disney World opens The Walt Disney Travel Company is incorporated.
1969: Animator Dan Lee (Finding Nemo, Toy Story 2, A Bug’s Life, Monsters Inc., Ratatouille) is born in Montreal, Quebec.
1973: In Walt Disney World’s Frontierland, Tom Sawyer Island, the Tom Sawyer Rafts, and the Plaza Swan Boats all open.
1983: In Disneyland, Fantasyland reopens after a facelift.
1986: Actor Eric Lloyd (Charlie Calvin in The Santa Clause features, Blanky in The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars and The Brave Little Toaster to the Rescue) is born in Glendale, CA.
1987: The Disney Channel Premiere Film Anne of Avonlea premieres on the Disney Channel.
1987: Touchstone Pictures’ Ernest Goes to Camp premieres
1991: At Walt Disney World, Disney’s Port Orleans Resort opens to the public.
1991: At Walt Disney World, the Disney Vacation Club Resort (now Disneys’ Old Key West) opens to the public.
2002: Actor Spencer Breslin (The Kid, The Santa Clause 2, The Santa Clause 3, The Princess Diaries 2, The Shaggy Dog, Return to Neverland) is born in New York City.
1996: Disney and McDonald’s sign a 10-year international marketing deal which allows McDonald’s to create merchandise which advertises the latest Disney movie and theme park developments.
1996: On Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue, the largest Disney Store ever opens its doors.
1996: Between the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resorts, Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf opens to the public.
1997: In Disneyland, the Light Magic Parade debuts.
1998: In Disneyland, Tommorowland reopens after having undergone a facelift.
2000: Disney’s Dinosaur premieres.
2001: In Walt Disney World’s Adventureland, The Magic Carpets of Aladdin opens to guests.
2003: Disney/PIXAR’s Finding Nemo premieres
2004: At Walt Disney World, Phase 1 of Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort opens to the public.
2005: Disney’s first MMO (Massive Multiplayer Online) game, Virtual Magic Kingdom (VMK), opens to beta testers.
2008: On May 22 at 10 p.m., VMK shuts down to all players.
2009: The stars of Disney’s A Christmas Carol embark on a promotional train tour.

This Week in Disney History (May 10-16)

Daniel — Sun, 17 May 2009 21:44:35 +0000

1872: Actor Taylor Holmes (King Stefan in Sleeping Beauty) is born in Newark, New Jersey.
1883: Sketch artist Albert Hunter (Snow White, Pinocchio) is born in Zurich, Switzerland.
1908: Illustrator, and Disney Legend, Joe Grant (Snow White, Dumbo, Fantasia, Aladdin, The Lion King, Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules) is born in New York City.
1911: Actor Phil Silvers (Krinkle in The Strongest Man in the World and Harry Simmons in The Boatniks) is born in Brooklyn, New York.
1912: Animator Don Towsley (Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo, Bambi) is born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
1913: Composer, and Disney Legend, Salvador Camarata (first music director and producer for Disney Records) is born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey.
1915: Animator Tony Strobl (Fantasia, Dumbo, Pinocchio) is born in Cleveland, Ohio.
1920: Actor Denver Pyle (Escape to Witch Mountain, Return from Witch Mountain) is born in Bethune, Colorado.
1921: Actor Richard Deacon (Blackbeard’s Ghost, The Gnome-Mobile, Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N., That Darn Cat!) is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1922: Actress Nancy Walker (Mrs. Petersen in The World’s Greatest Athlete) is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1924: Director Bernard McEveety (Napoleon and Samantha, One Little Indian, Donovan’s Kid) is born in New Rochelle, New York.
1925: Actor Alvin Epstein (Bookseller in Beauty and the Beast) is born in New York City.
1928: Walt Disney’s first silent short to feature Mickey and Minnie (and Clarabelle Cow’s first appearance), Plane Crazy premieres.
1929: Walt Disney’s first cartoon without a serial character, Skeleton Dance, premieres and marks Les Clark‘s first animated short.
1936: Actor George Carlin (Filmore in Cars, Zugor in Tarzan II) is born in New York City.
1942: Actor Terry McGovern (Launchpad McQuack in Darkwing Duck, DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp, Ducktales: Treasure of the Golden Suns) is born in Berkeley, California.
1944: Filmmaker George Lucas (Star Wars franchise, Indiana Jones franchise, started the Graphics Group as part of Lucasfilm-which has now transformed into PIXAR) is born in Modesto, California.
1948: Director Richard Correll (Hannah Montana, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, The Suite Life on Deck, Cory in the House, That’s So Raven) is born in Los Angeles.
1950: Actor Bruce Boxleitner (Alan Bradley/Tron in TRON) is born in Elgin, Illinois.
1952: Actor Chazz Palminteri (Buster in Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp’s Adventure) is born in New York City.
1956: Actress Paige O’Hara (Belle in Beauty and the Beast and its spinoffs) is born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
1961: Actor Kevin McDonald (Pleakley in Lilo & Stitch, Mr. Medulla in Sky High) is born in Montreal, Canada.
1967: Governor of Florida Claude R Kirk, Jr., signs legislation which creates the Reedy Creek Improvement District as well as the cities of Lake Buena Vista and Bay Lake. This legislation allows for Disney to build anything on their property without having to go through state agencies as well as prevents taxpayers from having to pay for any Disney construction.
1978: Actor David Krumholtz (Bernard in The Santa Clause and The Santa Clause 2: The Mrs Clause) is born in New York City.
1991: On the Streets of America in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Jim Henson’s Muppet-Vision 3D opens.
1992: In Disneyland, Fantasmic! debuts in Frontierland.
1993: Actress Debby Ryan (Bailey Pickett in The Suite Life on Deck) is born in Huntsville, Alabama.
1995: At Disney World’s Contemporary Resort, the California Grill opens on the 15th floor.
1998: Touchstone Pictures’ The Horse Whisperer premieres.
1999: Disney’s Endurance is released.
1999: The Disney Channel Original Movie The Thirteenth Year debuts
2000: The Disney Channel Original Movie Miracle in Lane Two premieres.
2006: Disney’s latest Broadway musical, Tarzan, opens at the Richard Rodgers Theatre.
2009: May 12: Today is Goofy’s 77th birthday.

This Week in Disney History (May 3-9)

Daniel — Mon, 04 May 2009 01:45:27 +0000

1903: Singer Bing Crosby (Narrator in The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad) is born in Tacoma, Washington.
1915: Actor Ben Wright (Grimsby in The Little Mermaid, Wolf in The Jungle Book) is born in London, England.
1916: Actress, and Disney Legend, Adriana Caselotti (Snow White in Snow White and the Seven Dwarves) is born in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
1917: Actor, and Disney Legend, David Tomlinson (George Banks in Mary Poppins, Thorndyke in The Love Bug, Emelius Brown in Bedknobs and Broomsticks) is born in Henley-on-Thames, England.
1922: Actor Darren McGavin (John Jay Forest in The High Flying Spys, Timothy Donovan in Donovan’s Kid, Mayor Ragsdale in Hot Lead and Cold Feet, Duke in No Deposit, No Return) is born in Spokane, Washington.
1926: Actor Don Rickles (Mr. Potato Head in the Toy Story films, William in WDW’s Enchanted Tiki Room) is born in New York City.
1927: Actress Pat Carroll (Ursula in The Little Mermaid) is born in Shreveport, Louisiana.
1929: Singer, and Disney Legend, Ilene Woods (“Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo”, “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes”, “So This is Love”) is born in New Hampshire.
1940: Actor Lance Henriksen (Kerchak in Tarzan) is born in New York City.
1944: Actress Russi Taylor (the voice of Minnie Mouse) is born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She’s married to the voice of Mickey-Wayne Allwine.
1949: Disney’s first True-Life Adventure film, Seal Island, premieres.
1949: Singer-songwriter Billy Joel (Dodger in Oliver & Company) is born in New York City.
1950: Playwright, and Disney Legend, Howard Ashman (Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid) is born in Baltimore, Maryland.
1956: Actress Wendy Crewson (Laura Miller in the Santa Clause films) is born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
1962: Software Engineer Samuel Lord Black (The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc.) is born in Ontario, Canada.
1964: Actress Dana Hill (The Hunchback of Notre Dame, A Goof Troop Christmas) is born in Los Angeles, California.
1977: In Disneyland’s Tomorrowland, Space Mountain and the Starcade both open.
1984: The Disney Channel Premiere Film (now known as a Disney Channel Orignial Movie) Gone Are the Days premieres.
1988: In Epcot’s World Showcase, the Norway Pavilion opens.
1994: Actor Alexander Gould (Nemo in Finding Nemo, Bambi in Bambi II) is born in Los Angeles, California.
2004: In Disney’s California Adventure, the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror opens.
2005: In a first for Disney, all 10 of the Disney theme parks unite to kick off the Happiest Celebration on Earth, marking the 50th anniversary of Disneyland.
2005: In the Walt Disney World Resort, the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show opens in the Disney-MGM Studios Streets of America; Soarin’ opens in Epcot’s The Land Pavilion; Cinderellabration opens in the Fantasyland; and Disney’s Magical Express starts running.

This Week in Disney History (April 26-May 2)

Daniel — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:30:09 +0000

1902: Singer Harry Stockwell (Singing voice of the Prince in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) is born in Kansas City, Missouri.
1905: Actor Dennis O’Dea (Father Murphy in Darby O’Gill and the Little People, Dr. Livesy in Treasure Island) is born in Dublin, Ireland.
1915: Animator Art Stevens (Fantasia, Bambi, Peter Pan, 101 Dalmatians, Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day, Robin Hood, Mary Poppins, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, The Rescuers) is born in Roy, Montana.
1916: Actor Vic Perrin (Narrator of Spaceship Earth and Universe of Energy) is born in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin.
1916: Artist Eyvind Earle (Sleeping Beauty, Lady and the Tramp, Paul Bunyan) is born in New York City.
1925: Actor Roscoe Lee Browne (Arrow in Treasure Planet, Oliver & Company, The World’s Greatest Athlete) is born in Woodbury, New Jersey.
1926: Actress Cloris Leachman (Nurse Spex in Sky High, Claire Porter in The North Avenue Irregulars, Aunt Louise in Herbie Goes Bananas) is born in Des Moines, Iowa.
1937: Actor Lorenzo Music (TaleSpin, The Gummi Bears) is born Gerald David Music in Brooklyn, New York.
1940: Walt Disney receives a patent for the multiplane camera used in filming animated films.
1949: Actor Bruno Kirby (Superdad) is born in New York City.
1972: Actor Dwayne Johnson (The Game Plan, Race to Witch Mountain) is born in Hayward, California.
1977: Actor Jason Earles (Hannah Montana, Phil of the Future) is born in San Diego, California.
1983: Disney’s Something Wicked This Way Comes premieres.
1986: In Epcot’s The Land Pavilion, the Good Turn Restaurant closes.
1989: Walt Disney World’s 3rd gate, the Disney-MGM Studios, opens to the public.
1990: Actress Kay Panabaker (Monsters Inc., Phil of the Future, Read it and Weep) is born in Texas.
1991: Disney/Jim Henson’s Dinosaurs premieres on ABC.
2001: In Disneyland’s Tomorrowland, the Rocket Rods attraction closes forever.
2001: In Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s DinoLand U.S.A, Countdown to Extinction is renamed DINOSAUR!.
2003: Disney’s The Lizzie McGuire Movie premieres.
2004: Cable TV provider Comcast withdraws it’s multi-billion dollar attempt to buy the Walt Disney Company.
2007: Guests can now purchase and print out tickets for the Disneyland Resort at their home.

This Week in Disney History (April 19-25)

Daniel — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 01:59:43 +0000

1886: Actress Belle Montrose (The Absent Minded Professor, Son of Flubber) is born Isabelle Donohue in Illinois.
1906: Actor Eddie Albert (The Barefoot Executive, Beyond Witch Mountain, Escape to Witch Mountain, MIracle of the White Stallions) is born in Rock Island, Illinois.
1914: Actor, and Disney Legend, Betty Lou Gerson (Cinderella and Cruella De Vil in 101 Dalmations) is born in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
1920: Animator, and Disney Legend, Bob Moore (Dumbo, The Reluctant Dragon) is born in Los Angeles, California.
1925: Animator Iwao Takamoto (Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, 101 Dalmations, Lady and the Tramp) is born in Los Angeles, California.
1937: Actor George Takei (First Ancestor in Mulan and Mulan II) is born in Los Angeles, California.
1953: Animator/director Ron Clements (Treasure Planet, Hercules, Aladdin, The Rescuers, Pete’s Dragon, The Little Mermaid) is born in Sioux City, Iowa.
1959: Actor Clint Howard (Roo in Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day) is born in Burbank, California.
1970: Actress Nicole Sullivan (Shego in Kim Possible, Princess Mira Nova in Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, Franny in Meet the Robinsons) is born in Manhattan, New York.
1970: Actor Jason Lee (Buddy Pine/Syndrome in The Incredibles) is born in Huntington Beach, California.
1985: Actress Courtnee Draper (Morgan Hudson in The Jersey, Sam in the DCOM The Thirteenth Year, Megan Larson in the DCOM Stepsister from the Planet Weird) is born in Orlando, Florida.
1991: At the Disney-MGM Studios, the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant opens.
2000: The Disney Channel Original Movie Rip Girls premieres.
2002: In DinoLand U.S.A. at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Primeval Whirl opens.
2009: Under the new Disneynature label, earth premieres (and Disney promises to plant a tree for each ticket sold-over 2 million in all).
2009: In Walt Disney World’s Downtown Disney, Characters in Flight, a new tethered balloon ride, opens to the public.

This Week in Disney History (April 12-18)

Daniel — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:53:58 +0000

1887: Actor Christian Rub (Pinocchio in Pinocchio) is born in Austria.
1907: Animator Bernhard August Gramatky, Jr. (worked at Disney from 1929-1936) is born in Dallas, Texas.
1917: Actor Hans Conried (Mr. George Darling/Captain Hook in Peter Pan, The Cat From Outer Space, The Shaggy D.A., Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier) is born in Baltimore, Maryland.
1921: Actor Peter Ustinov (Prince John in Robin Hood, Captain Edward “Blackbeard” Teach in Blackbeard’s Ghost) is born in London, England.
1926: Actress Jane Withers (Laverne the gargoyle in The Hunchback of Notre Dame) is born in Atlanta, GA.
1936: Actor Kenneth Mars (Marshal Woolly Bill Hitchcock in The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again, King Triton in The Little Mermaid, Gunther the Innkeepter in Hannah Montana) is born in Chicago, Illinois.
1946: Actress Hayley Mills (Pollyanna, The Parent Trap, In Search of the Castaways, Summer Magic, Moon-Spinners, That Darn Cat!) is born in London, England.
1947: Actor James Woods (Hades in Hercules) is born in Vernel, Utah.
1950: Director, choreographer, and producer, Kenny Ortega (High School Musical films, The Cheeta Girls 2, Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert) is born in Palo Alto, California.
1951: Disney Imagineer Bruce Gordon (Spalsh Mountain, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Tarzan’s Treehouse, and the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage-all at Disneyland) is born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
1954: Actor Rick Moranis (Tuke in Brother Bear, Wayne Szalinski in Honey, I Shrunk the Audience) is born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
1957: Supervising animator Glen Keane (Treasure Planet, Pocahontas, Aladdin, Tarzan) is born in Arbington, Pennsylvania.
1960: Actor Brad Garrett (Fred in The Country Bears, Bloat in Finding Nemo, Auguste Gusteau in Ratatouille) is born in Woodland Hills, California.
1961: Actress Jane Leeves (Ladybus in James and the Giant Peach, Athena in TV’s Hercules) is born in London, England.
1972: Actor Lou Romano (Bernie Kropp in The Incredibles, Snotrod in Cars, Linguini in Ratatouille) is born in San Diego, California.
1975: In Walt Disney World‘s Tomorrowland, Flight to the Moon closes.
1980: Disney’s The Watcher in the Woods premieres.
1983: In Japan, Tokyo Disneyland opens to guests (Tokyo’s Space Mountain is the first to open on a park’s opening day).
1984: In Disneyland’s Frontierland, the Alice in Wonderland ride opens.
1984: Actress America Ferrera (Yolanda in Gotta Kick It Up, Betty Suarez in Ugly Betty) is born in Los Angeles, California.
1992: In France, the Euro Disney Resort is unveiled to protests from French citizens.
1996: Disney’s James and the Giant Peach premieres.
2001: The Disney Channel Original Movie Hounded premieres.
2001: Walt Disney World‘s 4th Gate, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, opens to the public.
2002: The Disney Channel Original Movie Tru Confessions premieres.
2003: Disney’s Holes premieres
2003: Disney and Walden Media’s Ghosts of the Abyss premieres.
2006: Disney’s The Wild premieres.

This Week in Disney History (April 5-11)

Daniel — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 03:18:05 +0000

1915: Actor Harry Morgan (The Barefoot Executive, Scandalous John, The Apple Dumpling Gang, Snowball Express, The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again, The Car From Outer Space) is born in Detroit, Michigan.
1924: Actress Jane Kean (Miss Taylor in Pete’s Dragon) is born in Hartford, Connecticut.
1928: Actor James Garner (Commander Lyle Tiberius Rourke in Atlantis: The Lost Empire, The Castaway Cowboy, One Little Indian, 8 Simple Rules…for Dating My Teenage Daughter) is born in Norman, Oklahoma.
1929: Actor Nigel Hawthorne (Professor Archimedes Q. Porter in Tarzan) is born in Coventry, England.
1930: Actress Mary Costa (Princess Aurora/Briar Rose in Sleeping Beauty) is born in Knoxville, Tennessee.
1934: Actor Frank Gorshin (Iggy in the 1965 That Darn Cat!) is born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
1947: Actor John Ratzenberger (who’s voice can be heard in every Pixar-made film, including: Yeti in Monsters Inc., Hamm in Toy Story 1-3, Underminer in The Incredibles, Mack in Cars, John in WALL-E, Mustafa in Ratatouille, P.T. Flea in A Bug’s Life, School of Fish in Finding Nemo) is born in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
1954: Actor Dennis Quaid (The Parent Trap, The Rookie, The Alamo, Cold Creek Manor) is born in Houston, Texas.
1974: In Walt Disney World, Treasure Island (aka Discovery Island) opens to the public.
1975: Actor Zach Braff (Dr. John Dorian in Scrubs, Chicken Little in Chicken Little) is born in South Orange, NJ.
1986: Disney’s Touchstone Pictures’ Off Beat premieres.
1989: Disney’s The Parent Trap III premieres.
1991: On the Disney Channel, Darkwing Duck premieres.
1992: Disney’s Newsies premieres.
1995: Disney’s A Goofy Movie premieres.
1998: In Walt Disney World‘s Adventureland, The Enchanted Tiki Room (Under New Management) officially replaces Tropical Serenade.
2006: In Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Expedition Everest: Legend of the Forbidden Mountain opens to guests.

This Week in Disney History (March 29-April 4)

Daniel — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 16:48:32 +0000

1805: Writer Hans Christian Anderson (The Little Mermaid) is born in Odensk, Funen, Denmark.
1889: Actor Herman Bing (Ringmaster in Dumbo) is born in Germany.
1899: Film pioneer, engineer, and Disney Legend, Bill Garity (put sound to Steamboat Willie, perfected the multiplane camera, and co-invented Fantasound-now known as surround sound) is born in Brooklyn, New York.
1905: Director, and Disney Legend, Robert Stevenson (Mary Poppins, The Love Bug, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Herbie Rides Again, The Shaggy D.A.) is born in Buxton, Derbyshire, England.
1908: Actor, and Disney Legend, Buddy Ebsen (George Russel in the Davy Crockett films and TV Shows) is born.
1909: Director, writer, and animator, Jack Kinney (Santa’s Worshop, The Band Concert, Moose Hunters) is born in Utah.
1913: Animator, one of Walt’s Nine Old Men, and Disney Legend, Marc Davis (Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, etc) is born in Bakersfield, California.
1918: Actress Pearl Bailey (Big Mama in The Fox and the Hound) is born in Newport News, Virginia.
1929: Actress Lucille Bliss (101 Dalmatians, Anastasia in Cinderella) is born in New York City.
1930: Actor John Astin (Bill Andrews in Freaky Friday) is born in Baltimore, Maryland.
1932: Actress Estelle Harris (Mrs. Potato Head in Toy Story 2, Mrs. Turtle in House of Mouse, Mrs. Boogins in Teacher’s Pet, Mrs. Lipsky in Kim Possible, Phil of the Future, Muriel in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody) is born in New York City.
1943: Actor Eric Idle (Dr. Nigel Channing in Honey I Shrunk the Audience and Journey Into Imagination, Mr. Parenthesis in Hercules, Pluto Angel in Mickey Mouse Works) is born in England.
1944: Actor Craig T. Nelson (Bob Parr/Mr. Incredible in The Incredibles) is born in Spokane, Washington.
1945: Computer Scientist, and executive, Ed Catmull (Chief Technical Officer for Pixar) is born in Parkersburg, West Virginia.
1945: Actress Linda Hunt (Grandmother Willow in Pocahontas) is born in Morristown, New Jersey.
1953: Walt Disney signs a contract letting Walt Disney Incorporated use his name for all commercial purposes.
1954: ABC-Paramount and the Walt Disney Studios sign a contract that includes the production of a weekly TV series by Disney while ABC provides money to fund Disneyland.
1959: Actor David Hyde Pierce (Dr. Doppler in Treasure Planet, Slim in A Bug’s Life, Hercules: The Animated Series) is born in Saratoga Springs, NY.
1961: Actor Eddie Murphy (The Haunted Mansion, Mulan) is born in Brooklyn, NY.
1963: Disney’s Miracle of the White Stallions is released.
1968: Two children stumble upon a homeless man’s body on East 10th Street in NYC. The body goes unidentified and the body is buried in a pauper’s grave on Hart Island. In 1969, fingerprints help ID the man as Peter Driscoll, the voice of Peter Pan.
1971: Actor Ewan McGregor (Valiant in Valiant) is born in Scotland.
1995: In Walt Disney World, Blizzard Beach, Disney’s 3rd water park, opens to the public.
2001: Walt Disney World combines the Dixie Landings Resort and the Port Orleans Resort into Port Orleans Riverside (with Port Orleans known as “The French Quarter” and Dixie as “The Riverside“).
2002: Disney’s The Rookie is released.
2004: Disney’s 44th animated feature, Home on the Range, premieres.
2007: Disney’s Meet the Robinsons is released.
2007: In Walt Disney World’s Tomorrowland, the Monster’s Inc., Laugh Floor opens.

This Week in Disney History (March 22-28)

Daniel — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 15:38:19 +0000

1901: Animator, and Disney Legend, Ub Iwerks is born Ubbe Ert Iwerks in Kansas City, Missouri.
1907: Composer Leigh Harline (Pinocchio, Snow White) is born in Salt Lake City, Utah.
1909: Animator, Disney Legend, and one of the “Nine Old Men”, Milt Kahl is born in San Fransisco, CA.
1912: Actor Wilfrid Brambell (Willie Bannock in The Three Lives of Thomasina, Bill Gaye in In Search of the Castaways) is born in Dublin, Ireland.
1931: Actor Leonard Nimoy (King Kashekim Nedakh in Atlantis: The Lost Empire) is born in Boston, Massachusetts.
1940: Actor Austin Pendleton (Gurgle in Finding Nemo) is born in Warren, Ohio.
1947: Songwriter Elton John (music for The Lion King, Aida) is born Reginald Kenneth Dwight in Pinner, Middlesex, England.
1950: Actor Martin Short (B.E.N. in Treasure Planet, Epcot’s The Making of Me and O Canada, Jack Frost in The Santa Clause 3) is born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
1954: Actor Robert Carradine (Sam McGuire on Lizzie McGuire, Maxwell Dwebb in Totally Minnie, Aladdin in Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp) is born in San Mateo, California.
1956: Actor, and Disney Legend, Matthew Garber (The Three Lives of Thomasina, Mary Poppins, The Gnome-Mobile) is born in England.
1956: In Disneyland’s Tomorrowland, the Astro Jets open.
1964: Disney’s The Misadventures of Merlin Jones premieres.
1970: Actress Elizabeth Mitchell (Mrs. Claus/Carol Calvin in The Santa Clause 2 and The Santa Clause 3, Juliet Burke on ABC’s LOST).
1973: Disney’s Charley and the Angel premieres.
1973: Disneyland’s 7th land, Bear Country, opens to the public.
1976: Actress Keri Russell (All New Mickey Mouse Club, Bedtime Stories) is born in Fountain Valley, CA.
1985: Actress Keira Knightley (Elizabeth Swann in the Pirates of the Caribbean films) is born in Middlesex, England.
1987: The first Disney Store opens in Glendale, California.
1988: Actress Brenda Song (London Tipton in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and The Suite Life on Deck, Wendy Wu in Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior) is born in Carmichael, California.
1989: Actress Alyson Michalka (part of the band Aly & AJ, Keely Teslow in Phil of the Future) is born in Torrance, California.
1991: Actress Amy Bruckner (Pim Diffy in Phil of the Future, American Dragon: Jake Long) is born in Confier, Colorado.
1994: In Epcot‘s The Land, Food Rocks! replaces Kitchen Kabaret.
1997: The Atlanta Braves are the first Major League Baseball Team to hold spring training at Disney’s Wide World of Sports.
1999: Disney’s Doug’s 1st Movie premieres.
2000: Disney’s Aida (with music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice) opens at the Palace Theatre in New York City.
2006: On the Disney Channel, Hannah Montana debuts.
2006: The Disney Channel Original Movie Cow Belles premieres.