2004:
Due to complications created by Hurricane Frances, the Disney Cruise Line sends its two ships, the Disney Magic and the Disney Wonder, to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale (instead of Port Canaveral) to disembark.
1911:
Master animator, artist and Disney Legend Robert Fred Moore is born in Los Angeles, California. "Freddie" will work on such Disney classics as Pinocchio, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Fantasia, Dumbo and Peter Pan. He will later become resident specialist on animating Mickey Mouse!
Moore's animation of the earlier Mickey design is especially memorable in the 1938 short Brave Little Tailor - the last significant appearance of the "pie-eyed" Mickey.
1929:
Disney's second Silly Symphony cartoon El Terrible Toreador, directed by
Walt Disney, is released.
1969:
Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color airs on NBC-TV. Starting with the next episode the series will change its name to The Wonderful World of Disney.
1976:
Jason Blain Carson, a member of Disney Channel's The All New Mickey Mouse Club
(for seasons 4-5) and later part of the country group Shiloh, is born in Mesa, Arizona.
1984:
Morocco - the first new World Showcase pavilion to be added to the original roster since the park's 1982 opening - debuts at EPCOT. Located between France and Japan, the Morocco pavilion re-creates the architecture and atmosphere of Casablanca, Fez, and Marrakesh. It is the first country in World Showcase sponsored by the government and not a corporation. The king of Morocco actually sent his royal craftsmen to lay all the tile work, carvings and paintings in the pavilion!
The Disney board asks for, and receives, Ron Miller's resignation. (Despite rumors, Michael Eisner president of Paramount Pictures, is not chosen as new CEO at this time.)
1996:
At Disneyland Paris, a major fire damages portions of the Sequoia Lodge hotel
at 6:45 a.m., forcing hundreds of groggy guests to flee.
Thankfully, most guests are already awake ready for the park's Saturday opening, but about 100 people flee
with little more than the pajamas on their backs. Disney officials give these guests a free spending spree in
the park's shops to re-clothe themselves. The blaze is extinguished in three hours, but guts much of the roof of one section, and damages dozens of rooms.
The Themed Entertainment Association presents its 1996 THEA
Awards at the Beverly Hills Hotel. The winners include
Epcot's Honey I Shrunk the Audience, Disneyland's Indiana Jones Adventure - The Temple of the Forbidden
Eye, and the Disneyland Paris attraction Space Mountain - From the Earth to the Moon. (The THEA award
is named after the Greek Goddess, Thea, who symbolizes the form and substance of imagination.)
1997:
Disneyland's CIRCLE-VISION, which offered daily showings of America the Beautiful, the last film Walt Disney worked on, closes in Tomorrowland.
1998:
Labor Day: At Walt Disney World, Mr. Toad takes his last Wild Ride as the popular Fantasyland attraction is scheduled to close after this day.
At Disneyland, the Hercules Victory Parade makes a final appearance.
The 1998 Official Disneyana Convention takes place at Walt Disney World's Contemporary Resort for the next 5 days.
1999:
The 1999 Disneyana Convention kicks off for 5 days at Disney World.
2001:
Disney World presents its 19th annual celebration of contemporary Christian
music in the Magic Kingdom. Night of Joy 2001 features performances by seven acts over the
course of two evenings. The entertainment begins each evening at 8 p.m. (after regular Magic Kingdom
closing), with musical performances by artists such as Jars of Clay and Michael W. Smith at stage
locations throughout the park.
Disney's "Playhouse Disney - LIVE" (a 10-city mall tour featuring a live stage
show for preschool children) kicks off in Cleveland, Ohio, at The Avenue at
Tower City Center.
2002:
For the second evening in a row Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom hosts their 20th anniversary Night of Joy concerts. Performers include Michael W. Smith, Petra, Jaci Velasquez, Plus One, Audio Adrenaline, Stacie Orrico and Joy Williams.
2003:
Raven-Symone (of Disney Channel's That's So Raven)
sings the national anthem at the White House.
2006:
Disney's El Capitan Theatre kicks off a limited engagment of an all new digitally enhanced The Little Mermaid.
When Fred Moore animated
Mickey Mouse in the Fantasia segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," he drew the character for the first time with eyes that had pupils!
2007:
Disney World's 25th annual Night of Joy kicks
off for 2 evenings in the Magic Kingdom.
Disney's El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood presents the 1967 animated classic The Jungle Book (through September 23).
2008:
Today is the final day for Golden Dreams, a film about the history of California, featured at Disney's California Adventure Park. An original opening day attraction, Golden Dreams starred Whoopi Goldberg as Califia, the Queen of California. It is scheduled for removal to make way for the "Voyage of the Little Mermaid" a new dark ride attraction.
1956:
Songwriter Hall of Famer Diane Warren is born in Van Nuys, California. Her music can be heard in such Disney & Touchstone films as Snow Dogs, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Pearl Harbor, and My Favorite Martian. Fans of pop and country music know Warren from such penned hits as "Because You Loved Me" and "Un-Break My Heart." (As of 2006, her songs have received six Academy Award nominations, four Golden Globe nominations, and seven Grammy Award nominations.)
Morocco Pavilion opens at EPCOT
2009:
The astronauts aboard the orbiting Space Shuttle and International Space Station
pack up Buzz Lightyear in preparation for the ride home the following day. The 12-inch action figure has been at the station for more than a year.