SEP 28 Disney History

2004:

Disney's Aladdin Special Edition Soundtrack is released.

The collection features all 21 original tracks plus recordings of two deleted songs

("Proud of Your Boy" and "High Adventure" written by the movie's Academy Award

winning songwriting team of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman).

AOL Music First View debuts Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey's

"A Whole New World" music video. The new version is from Disney's 2-disc special edition DVD of Aladdin (to be released October 5).

Disney's Hollywood Records releases Hilary Duff's new album, the self-titled Hilary Duff, on her 17th birthday.

(The album will sell over 3 million copies worldwide!)

The stage musical Mary Poppins begins regular performances at the Bristol Hippodrome in England. The show (produced by Disney and Cameron Macintosh) will later move to the Prince Edward Theatre in London.

"Music has to fit like the proverbial glove, as it has to complement so many factors: story, atmosphere and the action." -Disney Legend Buddy Baker

1934:

Actress Janet Munro is born in Blackpool, Lanacashire, England. She appears in such live-action Disney films as Swiss Family Robinson, Third Man on the Mountain, and Darby O'Gill and the Little People.

1947:

Actor Jeffrey Jones - the voice of Chairman L.C. Clench of XS Technology in Disney World's now extinct Alien Encounter - is born in Buffalo, New York. (Movie fans may recognize him from such films as Stuart Little, Ed Wood, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off.)

1953:

Artist Herb Ryman and Walt Disney sketch out plans for an amusement

park to be built in California.

Meanwhile in New York, Walt's brother Roy meets with the 3 major TV networks,

seeking financing for Disneyland. Unfortunately CBS TV executives are not

interested. NBC's parent company RCA, stalls in making a commitment. But ABC's Leonard Goldenson

eagerly agrees to participate! (The final agreement - which won't be signed until April 1954 - will include a

$500,000 investment from ABC-Paramount, guarantee for $4.5 million line of credit, in return for 35%

interest in Disneyland and a weekly one-hour TV program with Disney films and production for TV.)

1955:

The ABC television series Disneyland airs the 24th episode "Jiminy Cricket Present Bongo" - the first half of the animated 1947 film, Fun and Fancy Free.

1961:

The live-action Disney film Greyfriars Bobby - based on a true story about a unique Skye terrier who affected a small town in Scotland - is released.

1963:

English teacher-turned-animation writer & producer Greg Weisman is born in Woodland Hills, California. He is famous for creating the acclaimed animated television series, Gargoyles.

1982:

At EPCOT Center, Canada, China, and France open around the World Showcase as the park has a soft opening in preparation for its grand opening.

Annual passports (special year-long admission passes)

are introduced at Walt Disney World.

1987:

Actress & recording artist Hilary Ann Duff, the star of Disney's Channel's Lizzie McGuire (between 2001-2004), is born in Houston, Texas. Her Disney credits include the 2002 Cadet Kelly (one of the highest rated Disney Channel movies) and the 2003 feature The Lizzie McGuire Movie. Duff's popular music albums are released through Disney's Hollywood Records.

1996:

Walt Disney World's Grand Prix Raceway changes its name to Tomorrowland Speedway.

1997:

Disney's long-running series (which first aired in 1954 as Disneyland) returns

to ABC-TV after nearly a 7-year absence on television as The Wonderful World of Disney. The series will be hosted by CEO Michael Eisner. This first episode features the 1997 classic animated feature Toy Story.

2001:

Disney Channel debuts the Lizzie McGuire episode "Last Year's Model."

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2003:

Over one hundred people attend a musical tribute at the University of California to honor Grammy and Oscar-nominated musician-composer Buddy Baker, a 28-year veteran at Disney (who passed in July 2002). From 1954 to 1983 he wrote or scored virtually every Disney TV program, numerous feature films, and beloved theme park attractions (including the Haunted Mansion and It's a Small World).

1964:

Comedian, actress, and writer Janeane Garofalo - the voices of

Collette in Disney/Pixar's Ratatouille and Bridget in The Wild - is

born in Newton, New Jersey. (An alumni of Saturday Night Live, she's also

appeared in episodes of such TV series as The West Wing and Seinfeld.)

Disney Legend Norman "Buddy"

Baker was originally the

Musical Director on Bob Hope's

radio show, before becoming

a big band arranger for the

Stan Kenton Orchestra. He

later was a professor at L.A.

City College in the early 1950s.

Among Buddy's early students

was famed film composer

Jerry Goldsmith (who went

on to score Disney's

Soarin' attraction)!

2007:

The 12th Annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival kicks off in Florida.

Also, the America pavilion debuts National Treasures, an exhibit of significant artifacts from US history.

Disney's live-action comedy The Game Plan, starring Dwayne "The Rock"

Johnson, is released to theaters.

A second sneak preview of Phineas and Ferb (a new cartoon series) airs on Disney

Channel with the episode "Lawn Gnome Beach Party of Terror!" - following the

network debut of Disney's 2005 feature Sky High.

1935:

The Mickey Mouse short On Ice, directed by Ben Sharpsteen, is released.

1938:

The Fantasound surround sound system to be used in theaters for Fantasia is first tested. It is an early stereophonic sound process developed by sound engineer William E. Garity

and sound mixer John N.A. Hawkins.

1962:

The third annual Dixieland at Disneyland event is held.

1966:

Actress Maria Canals-Barrera is born in Miami, Florida. Fans of Disney Channel know her as Therea Russo in Wizards of Waverly Place and Mitchie's mom Connie Torres in the Disney Channel Original Movie Camp Rock.

2008:

In the early morning hours of this day, a baby giraffe is born at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Bonsu (a name inspired from the Akan language in Ghana and meaning biggest and strongest fish in the sea) enters the world at 6-feet tall and 155 pounds. He is the fourth male, and 11th giraffe overall to be born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom since the park opened in 1998. Amazingly, Bonsu is also the fourth giraffe to be born at the theme park in 2008.

Disney Channel presents a 3D experience for the first time on Indian television with the debut of Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds concert 3D movie.

At the National Movie Awards, Wall-E wins for Best Family Film. (It is a British movie award voted for by the public.)

1989:

Bambi becomes the ninth "Walt Disney Classic" to be released on video.

1933:

The Writers Club honor Walt Disney with a Hollywood party given in honor of the creator of Mickey Mouse and the Silly Symphonies. Such notable guests attending include Charlie Chaplin and Paulette Goddard.

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