APR 01 Disney History

2005:

Hong Kong Disneyland invites eligible candidates to apply for Cast Member roles from a variety of positions including hotel operations, merchandize, food & beverage, entertainment, park operations, costuming, custodial and security services. (The park is set to open September 12.)

Disney Channel debuts the fourth episode of The Suite Life of Zack and Cody - "Hotel Inspector." Guest stars include actress Estelle Harris as Muriel.

"The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year."

-Mark Twain (creator of Tom Sawyer & Huck Finn)

1924:

Disney's Alice Comedy Alice's Spooky Adventure, starring Virginia Davis, is released. When a ball accidentally smashes through the window of a neighborhood haunted house, Alice is the only one brave enough to go inside to retrieve it. While in the house, she falls and bumps her head ... sending her to a cartoon dreamworld in which she rescues a cat and battles some spirits in a ghost town!

1938:

Disney's Silly Symphony cartoon The Moth and the Flame, directed by Burt Gillett, is released.

1946:

Animator Frank Thomas (one of Walt's "Nine Old Men") returns to work at the Disney Studio after serving 4 years in the Army Air Corps during the second world war.

1960:

The ABC-TV series Walt Disney Presents airs episode 26 entitled "The Mad Hermit of Chimney Butte."

Reader's Digest runs the article "Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom." The article describes Disneyland - Walt's "31-million-dollar playground."

1962:

The NBC-TV series Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color airs "Spy in the Sky."

1976:

Treasure Island reopens at Walt Disney World as Discovery Island, after being

closed since the beginning of the year for the addition of a walk-through aviary,

exotic flora and fauna, and a snack bar. This natural 11-acre island, located in the middle of Bay

Lake, is a lush forest environment with birds, reptiles, & mammals and hundreds of tropical specimen plants

from all over the world. (In 1979 it will be accredited by the American Association of Zoological Parks and

Aquariums.) The only way to reach Discovery Island is by one of the many ferries which depart from the Magic

Kingdom, Fort Wilderness, and the Contemporary Resort.

1983:

Walt Disney Pictures is incorporated as a separate

company responsible for the development, production and marketing of all live-action films and commercial television programming.

1996:

Disney's Aida premieres for Disney executives at the New Amsterdam Theatre (which Disney has refurbished) in New York City. Consisting of about nineteen songs, the Broadway show is tentatively budgeted at $15 million, and is aimed at a pop-fan audience. The Disney executives have qualms about calling the show "Aida" and continue to search for a different title. By early 1998, they will finally settle on, "Elaborate Lives." (But will later return to the original title.)

2001:

The Main Street Electrical Parade, in the Magic Kingdom at Disney World, has its

last run. (The Spectromagic parade will return to the Magic Kingdom in its place.)

Effective this day, Walt Disney World combines the Port Orleans and Dixie Landings

resorts into a single resort called Port Orleans Riverside. The Dixie portion will be called "The

Riverside" and the Port portion will be called "The French Quarter." The total consolidation will

occur over the next nine months.

2003:

Toon Disney, the 24-hour all-animation cable network, begins a month long anniversary to mark its 5th year (which oficially begins on April 18).

Walt Disney Records releases the CD "O Mickey, Where Art Thou?" a collection of bluegrass flavored Disney tunes.

The Art of Disney at Disney World's Animal Kingdomhas its grand opening.

2006:

The Science Museum in London, England features a new exhibition

called "Pixar: 20 Years of Animation" for the next 2 months.

Today is April Fool's Day

1995:

Walt Disney World's water park Blizzard Beach debuts in Florida. A "melted ski resort," it is the third WDW water park (after River Country & Typhoon Lagoon).

Disney's Broadway show Aida was

a rock musical based on the story

of Guiseppe Verdi's opera -

originally written in 1871. Elton

John and Tim Rice wrote new

music & lyrics for Disney's 1998

version.

2007:

Starting on this day at Disney World, Mr. and Mrs. Easter Bunny appear

daily in the Tour Guide Garden at the Magic Kingdom. They will help

celebrate the holiday for the next 8 days.

The Travel Channel airs a marathon of Disney-related programs. Featured specials include Ultimate Walt Disney World, Disney's Imagineers, Disneyland Behind-the-Scenes, Undiscovered Walt Disney World, and Disney Cruise Line. Also shown are the series of Great Hotels hosted by Samantha Brown which feature Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Yacht and Beach Club Resort, and Wilderness Lodge.

The fifth annual Walt Disney World Inline Marathon takes place at Disney’s

Wide World of Sports Complex.

1950:

Episode 28 of The Ed Wynn Show airs on television. This episode of Wynn's variety series features the Firehouse Five Plus Two, a Dixieland jazz band made up of Disney employees. (Wynn will go on to voice the Mad Hatter in Disney's Alice in Wonderland and later play Uncle Albert in the 1964 live-action Mary Poppins.)