2005:
Walt Disney World announces that all theme parks and water parks will be closed tomorrow due to the effects of weather related to Hurricane Wilma.
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1925:
The Iris Theater in Los Angeles, California previews Disney's Alice comedy short Alice in the Jungle featuring Virginia Davis. (The film will be generally released December 15.)
1931:
Disney's Silly Symphony cartoon The Spider and the Fly is generally released.
1941:
Disney's 4th animated feature film, Dumbo (directed by Ben
Sharpsteen) premieres. The 64-minute film, released by RKO Pictures, will win the Oscar for Best Score for a Musical Film and "Baby Mine" (the song that plays during Dumbo's visit to his mother's cell) will be nominated for Best Song.
1942:
Disney's Goofy cartoon How To Swim is released. Directed by Jack Kinney, it features the voice of George Johnson as Goofy.
1957:
The Disneyland TV series airs the Donald Duck episode "Duck for Hire,"
directed by Jack Hannah.
1959:
The TV series Walt Disney Presents airs "The Birth of the Swamp Fox," the first of an 8-part mini-series starring Leslie Nielsen. Based on a real-life colonial soldier named Francis Marion, 'Swamp Fox' is another effort to dupicate the success of the Davy Crockett episodes.
1960:
Walt Disney Presents airs "All About Magic" on ABC-TV.
1964:
The first five-acre lot for the Walt Disney World project is purchased by the Ayefour Corporation. Ayefour (a spin on the name Interstate 4) is one of many puppet companies set up by Disney to secretly buy land in Florida. If news of Disney's new resort leaks out, the land prices will soar.
1982:
At Disney World's new EPCOT Center, the first World Showcase evening show, Carnival de Lumiere debuts. It celebrates world festivals with fountains, film, music, and other special effects.
The night before the park's official dedication,
Disney's televsion series airs the episode
EPCOT Center: The Opening Celebration. Hosted by
Danny Kaye, the program also features actress
Drew Barrymore, singer-guitarist Roy Clark, author
Alex Haley, singer-actress Marie Osmond, newsman
Eric Sevareid, and space traveler Alan Shepard.
1997:
John Lefante launches his "Save Mr. Toad" website the day after The Orlando Sentinel reports that Walt Disney World is going to replace the classic attraction with one featuring Winnie the Pooh.
2001:
Disney releases Dumbo on video and DVD (in celebration of the film's 60th anniversary) and the direct-to-video "Whispers: An Elephant's Tale."
Disney Online launches Main Street Merchants (www.disney.com/mainstreet), a virtual shopping center.
Similar to Disney's Main Street, USA, the on-line Main Street offers general and Disney-themed products.
The soundtrack for Disney's Monsters, Inc., featuring the
music of Randy Newman, is released.
2003:
The first ever ESPN Zone Limited Edition Santa Claus Pin is released.
Walt Disney Concert Hall, the new home of the Los Angeles
Philharmonic (designed by renowned architect
Frank Gehry) has its gala opening.
1985:
The Nine Dragons Restaurant opens in EPCOT's China pavilion.
OCTOBER 23
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Get your Disney tickets at Maple Leaf Tickets!
1999:
The fourth annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival begins.
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Like Dopey in Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs,
Dumbo never utters
a single word!
OCTOBER 23
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1953:
Disney's animated short Rugged Bear is released. The 6-minute cartoon features Humphrey the Bear (voiced by James Macdonald) and Donald Duck (voiced by Clarence Nash).
2007:
Meet the Robinsons is released to DVD (with bonus features).
The Best of Both Worlds Tour, starring Miley Cyrus (as both herself and in character as Disney Channel's Hannah Montana) and featuring The Jonas Brothers, play the Qwest Center in Omaha, Nebraska.
"What's the matter with his ears? I don't see nothin' wrong with 'em. I think they're cute." - Dumbo's Timothy Q. Mouse
(voiced by Edward Brophy)
"Here is a baby with eyes of blue, straight from heaven, right to you."
"It's like 64 minutes, and it's so concise in its storytelling. I learned a lot from it, as a student at CalArts and a young animator at Disney."
-Pixar's John Lasseter on Dumbo
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