SEP 15 Disney History

1889:

Humorist, newspaper columnist, and actor Robert Charles Benchley is born in Worcester, Massachusetts. He will star in the 1941 feature film The Reluctant Dragon, giving a loose tour of the then-new Walt Disney Studios facility in Burbank, California. (Robert is the grandfather of Jaws writer Peter Benchley!)

1904:

Tom Conway, the narrator of Disney's 1953 classic film

Peter Pan, is born in St. Petersburg, Russia.

1925:

Disney's Alice comedy Alice the Jailbird is generally released.

1941:

Original Mouseketeer Don Underhill is born in Alhambra, California.

1955:

Bruce Reitherman, the voices of Christopher Robin in The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and Mowgli in The Jungle Book, is born in Burbank, California. He is the son of Disney film director (and one of Walt's "Nine Old Men") Wolfgang Reitherman.

1963:

"Davy Crockett Goes to Congress" airs on the NBC-TV series

Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color.

1967:

An article about Disneyland's new Pirates of the Caribbean attraction appears in LIFE magazine.

1983:

A special fountain is presented to Tokyo Disneyland by Walt Disney Productions.

"Cinderella's Fountain" is in commemoration of the park's 5-millionth guest.

1996:

At Epcot, the Universe of Energy reopens. It now stars comedian/talk show host Ellen DeGeneres.

1998:

Walt Disney Home Video hosts the first-ever "Canine Carnival" in celebration of the

much-anticipated video re-release of Disney's "Lady and the Tramp," at Los

Angeles Griffith Park. Attending celebrities and their pooch pals include Charlton Heston, Lorenzo

Lamas, and Leeza Gibbons.

The soundtrack to the Disney/Pixar A Bug's Life, featuring

the music of Randy Newman, is released on Walt Disney Records.

1999:

Most of Walt Disney World remains closed due to the public threat of Hurricane Floyd. Only essential employees are asked to report to work and guests who were staying at Disney's campgrounds are given shelter at the convention center at the Contemporary Resort. It is the first time in Disney's 28-year history that it has been forced to close almost all of its parks. When the hurricane's impact is not as great as expected, officials decide to open just Animal Kingdom from noon to 8:00 p.m., for resort guests only. (The rest of Disney World will reopen the following day.)

2000:

Tokyo Disneyland celebrates Respect For The Aged Day (a national holiday in Japan) with a dance party for guests age sixty and older.

2001:

Disney's ABC-TV replaces The Peacemaker a 1997 movie about a terrorist plotting an attack in New York City, with the romantic comedy Hope Float

(in response to the September 11th terrorist attack).

Disney Channel debuts a new animated interactive series titled Stanley.

2002:

Tony Anselmo, Disney animator and the voice of Donald Duck, appears at

Walt's Barn in Griffith Park, California. Fans at the event (hosted by The Carolwood Pacific

Historical Society) purchase and have Anselmo sign a copy of The Disney Poster Book.

2004:

Tokyo Disneyland's 2-month long celebration "Disney's Halloween" begins.

The stage musical Mary Poppins (produced by Disney and Cameron Mackintosh) opens for previews in England at the Bristol Hippodrome. (Regular performances will begin 3 days later.)

2005:

The El Capitan's limited engagement of Cinderella kicks-off with a special

filmmakers' panel featuring Ilene Woods-Shaughnessy (the original voice of

Cinderella), June Foray (the voice of Lucifer the cat), Lucille Bliss (the voice

of stepsister Anastasia), and legendary Disney animator Ollie Johnston.

2006:

Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is held for the first time this season at Walt Disney World.

The 3-day Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend kicks off in Anaheim. The 13.1-mile route takes runners through the two Disneyland Resort theme parks.

Actor Dylan Riley Snyder replaces Daniel Manche as Young Tarzan in Disney's Broadway musical Tarzan.

1997:

Downtown Disney West Side premieres in Florida. The 66-acre addition is Disney World's third shopping, dining, and entertainment zone and features Wolfgang Puck Cafè, House of Blues, Bongos Cuban Cafè, Virgin Megastore, plus an expanded AMC Pleasure Island 24 Theatres.

1928:

A session to record sound for Steamboat Willie takes

place in New York. The day is filled with problems as the orchestra finds it difficult to play in synch with the animated film. By the end of this session, Walt has spent $1,000 at the studio ... and has nothing to show for it.

The trip around the

Walt Disney World Railroad

is 1 1/2 miles

or about

20 minutes.

1958:

The Disneyland Viewliner, a narrow gauge, miniature train running since June 1957, shuts down forever. Billed as "the fastest miniature train in the world," it was the park's first attempt at mass-transit. The Disneyland Monorail System will take its place in June 1959.

1857:

William Howard Taft, the twenty-seventh United States

President, is born in Cincinnati, Ohio. Visit him and all the

U.S. Chief Executives at Disney World's Hall of Presidents.

2008:

It is reported that the first center in eastern Africa designed to rescue, rehabilitate and reintroduce orphaned gorillas back into the wild will begin construction later this month in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund will provide funding toward initial operating expenses for the facility. In addition, experts from Disney’s Animal Programs will provide materials and in-kind services to assist with development and construction of the center, help relocate the current orphaned gorillas and provide educational opportunities for students and the community.

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