OCT 19 Disney History

2002:

Disney's Buena Vista Entertainment invites hockey players ages 18-24 to audition for their upcoming film Miracle (about the 1980 U.S. Hockey team) at the Disney Studios in Burbank, California.

A model of the General Electric Progressland Pavilion (a New York World's Fair Disney attraction) sells on eBay for $5100. In its original packing crate and protective plexiglass cover, the model is numbered #7 of 14 which were created by the industrial display firm of Richard Rush Studios in Chicago to promote General Electric's Pavilion (later named Disney's Carousel of Progress).

The 7th Annual Epcot International Food and Wine Festival begins.

1880:

Scotty Mattraw, the voice of Bashful in Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, is born Evans Mills, New York. (Mattraw is the Town Crier in Laurel & Hardy's classic 1934 Babes in Toyland.)

1955:

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

The Disneyland television series presents episode 27: "The Story

of the Silly Symphony." Walt looks back on his early Silly Symphony cartoons from the 1930s.

1989:

At EPCOT, Body Wars (the park's first thrill ride) begins sending guests through the human blood stream at the new Wonders of Life pavilion. Also debuting on this day at the pavilion is the theater show Cranium Command (a humorous presentation on the importance of the human brain)

and the short films Goofy Over Health and The Making of Me.

1995:

A revised edtion of The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation by veteran animators

Frank Thomas and Ollie A. Johnston (two of Walt's "Nine Old Men") is published

by Disney Editions.

1996:

The Walt Disney World Resort and ABC present "ABC Super Soap Weekend."

A stellar line-up of 25 ABC soap opera celebrities, including daytime star Susan Lucci from All My Children, team up for the 2-day event at Disney-MGM Studios.

1999:

The stage version of the Disney classic, The Lion King

opens at the Lyceum Theatre in London, England. In attendance are composers

Elton John and Tim Rice, Roy E. Disney & his wife Patty, and Disney CEO Michael Eisner.

The Disney CD "For Our Children" (a charity album to benefit the

Pediatric AIDS Foundation) is released. It features various artists such as Elton John.

2000:

The new FASTPASS booths open at The Haunted Mansion

in Walt Disney World.

Disney's musical production The Lion King opens at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angles, California. (Initially scheduled for a nine month run, it will be extended three times and play for 27 months!)

2006:

The El Capitan Theatre celebrates the debut of Tim Burton's

The Nightmare Before Christmas in Disney Digital 3-D.

Florida's Downtown

Disney Westside is

currently the home to

the only DisneyQuest in

the world.

(DisneyQuest Chicago

closed in

September 2001.)

Mayor: "Jack, please, I'm only an elected official here, I can't make decisions by myself!"

2003:

The Disney musical The Lion King begins performances at the

Capitol Theatre in Sydney, Australia. (It will play through June 2005.)

2007:

Disney Channel debuts "First Kiss," the second episode of the new live-action series Wizards of Waverly Place.

1997:

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

comedian Don Rickles and hip-hop artist Coolio. Ed McMahon, Bernard Shaw, and Fred Willard make cameo appearances as well.

2001:

Starting on this day the Disney-owned El Capitan Theater in Hollywood

presents the Nightmare Before Christmas as well as two Tim Burton

shorts. Props and sets are also on display in the theater's lobby. The event will run

through October 31st.

Roy E. Disney checks on the progress of the new Walt Disney Studios Park while visiting Disneyland Paris.

2008:

Disney Theatrical Productions premieres the musical Tarzan in Hamburg, Germany at the Theater Neue Flora. Produced by Stage Entertainment, the production co-stars Anton Zetterholm as Tarzan and Elisabeth Hübert as Jane.