NOV 16 Disney History

2004:

A Wrinkle in Time, Disney's made-for-TV adaptation of the popular book by Madeleine L'Engle (which aired Spring 2004) is released on DVD. Also released on DVD is the Wonderful World of Disney television movie Elose at Christmastime starring Julie Andrews and Sofia Vassilieva.

Stitch's Great Escape! is officially opened at Walt Disney World's Magic

Kingdom with a short ceremony held in front of Cinderella's Castle - which is

covered with Stitch toilet papers! A "theater-in-the-round" experience based on the 2002

animated feature Lilo & Stitch, it is the 4th attraction to occupy the site in Tomorrowland. Stitch's Great Escape!

includes much of the technology and sets from its predecessor, the ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter.

Also debuting in Florida is Turtle Talk with Crush, a new Epcot attraction. Designed by Walt Disney Imagineering in collaboration with Pixar, the attraction (which features Crush - a sea turtle from Finding Nemo) is located in Future World.

It is announced that Mickey Mouse will be the Grand Marshal for the 2005 Tournament of Roses Parade (to be held on January 1, 2005 in Pasadena, California).

1922:

Actor Royal Dano, the voice of Abraham Lincoln for Disney's Hall of Presidents and Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln attractions, is born in New York City.

1955:

The Mickey Mouse Club airs on ABC-TV. Today is Anything Can Happen Day.

The Disneyland television series airs episode 31 - "Davy Crockett: Keelboat

Race" starring Fess Parker and Buddy Ebsen.

1976:

The Dapper Dans of Disney World - a barbershop singing group made up of Bub Thomas, Neel Tyree, Tom Howe, Buddy Seeberg, and Dick Kneeland - perform on the Diamond Horseshoe stage. The show is put together by the group to show Disney World management the various routines and talents (not normally performed on Main Street) they can offer convention shows .

1986:

The TV series The Wonderful World of Disney airs the episode "The Leftovers" starring John Denver and Cindy Williams.

1990:

Disney's 29th animated feature film The Rescuers Down Under premieres along with the 25-minute animated featurette The Prince and the Pauper.The Rescuers Down Under (the first Disney animated sequel) is the first traditionally animated film to be painted digitally on computer instead of acetate cels and paints.The Prince and the Pauper features Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck and other Disney characters in a variation of Mark Twain's classic story.

1997:

The Annie Awards are presented at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium

in Pasadena, California. Disney's Hercules takes home 4 awards. The Best Animated

Home Video Production is given to Aladdin and the King of Thieves. Voice actor Paul Winchell (the voice of

Disney's Tigger) is one of three given the Winsor McCay Award.

The Wonderful World of Disney airs "Oliver Twist" on ABC-TV.

Disney Channel debuts a new episode of Muppets Tonight with special guest

Dennis Quaid. Quaid performs "Great Balls of Fire" - originally a song recorded by Jerry Lee Lewis in

1957 and used as the title for Lewis's 1989 film biography, which stars Quaid.

2001:

Santa Monica’s Lincoln Middle School receives the Disney Learning Partnership’s Spotlight School of the Year for 2001 Award. The Award, which includes $10,000 in cash (and goes to a single school each year) is designed to showcase exceptional American schools.

The Lizzie McGuire episode

"Gordo and the Dwarves" debuts on Disney Channel.

2003:

Toon Disney and Disney Channel celebrate Mickey & Minnie's upcoming 75th

birthday with a House of Mouse marathon.

After a four-month run on Broadway, Toni Braxton gives her final performance

as the star of Disney's Aida.

The Burbank Historical Society officially dedicates a new, permanent exhibit

devoted to the Walt Disney Studios (for the company's 80th anniversary).

2006:

"Mary Poppins" a new Broadway stage musical, opens at Disney's New

Amsterdam Theater in New York City. The show features Ashley Brown as Mary

and Gavin Lee (direct from the London cast) as Bert.

Eustace Lycett, a 43-year Disney veteran who won Academy Awards for his

special photographic effects in Mary Poppins and Bedknobs and Broomsticks,

passes away in Fullerton, California. Lycett began with Disney in 1937, when his first project

was to assist with the design and construction of the multi-plane camera. For much of his career at Disney,

he served as director of special visual effects, and created f/x for features including Song of the South,

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Shaggy Dog, The Absent-Minded Professor, Swiss Family Robinson,

The Love Bug and The Black Hole.

1965:

Walt Disney visits the Disney World site in Florida the day after the news conference in Orlando. Accompanying Walt is Joe Potter, the former New York World's Fair executive and engineering/logistical planning genius who has been hired to supervise the construction.

1931:

Luciano Bottaro, best known as one of the classic Italian artists of Disney comics, is born in Rapallo, Italy.

RCA Victor rushed out a soundtrack album (consisting of 3 records) early in 1938 for the successful Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It was the first movie album ever to be produced that featured the actual soundtracks recorded from the movie.

1934:

A Snow White meeting is held at the Disney Studios which results in another outline entitled ‘Dwarfs Discover Snowwhite’. The character of Dopey is introduced (who will ultimately prove to be the most successful and popular of the dwarf characterizations).

2007:

At Ten Star Ranch in Dubois, Indiana, Mickey Mouse (dressed as a Pilgrim) introduces the two real-life turkeys who will receive presidential pardons from U.S. President George W. Bush at The White House on Tuesday, November 20 at the 60th annual National Thanksgiving Turkey presentation.

(Following their presidential pardons, the turkeys will join Super Bowl stars and other celebrities by "Going to Disney World" for a celebratory parade in their honor on Thanksgiving Day!)

It is reported that Tim Burton has signed a two-picture deal with Disney to direct and produce 3-D movies of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and a remake of Burton's own Frankenweenie. The "Alice" adaptation (which begins filming in 2008) will be a combination of live-action and performance capture. Frankenweenie will be shot in stop-motion animation.

Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 70th Anniversary Event takes place at Disney’s California Adventure Park. (Snow White will actually turn 70 on December 21.)

2008:

Actress-singer Selena Gomez, star of the Disney Channel series

Wizards of Waverly Place, visits Walt Disney World.