2005:
DuckTales Volume 1, a 3-disc box containing the first 27 episodes of the animated
TV series, is released to DVD. Also released to DVD is Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers
Volume 1 Box Set.
President George W. Bush announces the recipients of the 2005 National Medal of
Arts. Among the ten winners is Disney Legend Ollie Johnston. He will be the first
animator to receive the award since its founding in 1985! (The medals will be presented November 10.)
It is reported that Walt Disney Co. has signed a 12-year marketing agreement with
technology giant Siemens AG that includes rights for Siemens to sponsor a number
of attractions at Walt Disney World. Siemens, one of the largest electronics and engineering
companies in the world, will have its brand on the Epcot icon, "SpaceShip Earth," the nighttime Epcot fireworks
show, "Illuminations: Reflections of Earth," as well as new attractions that will be incorporated into Innoventions.
1925:
Character actor Joe Flynn, the voice of Mr. Snoops in Disney's 1977
animated release The Rescuers, is born in Youngstown, Ohio.
His live-action credits include The Love Bug (1968) as Havershaw, The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1970) as
Dean Higgins, The Barefoot Execuitve (1971) as Francis X. Wilbanks, The Million Dollar Duck (1971) as Finley
Hooper, Now You See Him, Now You Don't (1973) reprising his role of Dean Higgins, Superdad (1973) as Cyrus
Hershberger, and The Strongest Man in the World (1975) playing Dean Higgins for the third and final time. Flynn
was one of many celebrities who attended Disney World's official dedication in 1971 and later hosted a 1972
episode of The Mouse Factory. (TV fans will known him for his comedic role of Captain Wallace "Leadbottom"
Binghamton on the classic 1960s sitcom McHale's Navy.)
1949:
Singer-songwriter-guitarist Bonnie Raitt, whose version of "Baby Mine" appears on the 1988 CD STAY AWAKE Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney Films, is born in Burbank, California. She also contributed the song "Will The Sun Ever Shine Again?" to the 2004
film Home on the Range, and was the singing voice of Trixie St. Claire in the 2002 The Country Bears.
1955:
Mickey Mouse Club airs on ABC-TV. Today is Guest Star Day. "The Misfit,"
the third episode of The Adventures of Spin and Marty serial is featured.
1966:
Doctors at St. Joseph hospital in California perform surgery on Walt Disney. On this morning, surgeons find his left lung to be cancerous and remove it. His oversized lymph nodes are an indication that Walt does not have long to live. (After two weeks of post-operative care he will be released from the hospital.)
1973:
Disney's 21st animated feature film Robin Hood is released in theaters. The film features the voices of Brian Bedford (as Robin Hood-a fox), Phil Harris (as Little John), Andy Devine (as Friar Tuck-a badger), Monica Evans (as Maid Marian), Peter Ustinov (as Prince John and King Richard), and George Lindsey & Ken Curtis (as vultures Trigger and Nutsy). Produced and directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, the film is released by Buena Vist Distribution. Some 350,000 drawings were made for the production, with over 100,000 painted cels and 800 painted backgrounds. (It will earn an Academy Award nomination for the song "Love" written by George Bruns and Floyd Huddleston.)
1987:
Vice president of Walt Disney World (since 1977) and Disney Legend Bob Allen
passes away. He first began working for Disney in 1955, as a ride operator at Disneyland.
1998:
The Wonderful World of Disney airs the television movie "A Knight in Camelot."
1999:
The Disney direct-to-video Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving is released.
The forty-second episode of Disney's Recess, "Gus and Misdemeanors/A
Science Fair to Remember" premieres on UPN and in syndication.
2002:
The 27th Annual Festival of the Masters (a 3-day showcase of art, culture and cuisine) kicks off in Walt Disney World's Downtown Disney.
Tokyo Disneyland (which now includes Tokyo DisneySea)
welcomes its 300-millionth visitor, Mrs. Yoko Kusunoki!
Background artist & water colorist Irv Wyner passes away at age 98 in California. Most associated with the theatrical Looney Tunes animated shorts, he worked for Disney and Disneyland in the late 1950s / early 1960s. He contributed to 3 episodes of Disney's weekly series; "Magic Highway U.S.A.," "The Liberty Story," and "Our Friend the Atom."
2003:
In Florida, the ABC Super Soap Weekend kicks off at Disney-MGM Studios.
The Haunted Mansion 3D GhostVision Tour comes to Detroit,
Michigan's Oakland Mall for 2 days to celebrate the release of Disney's
newest feature film Haunted Mansion.
2004:
It is reported that The Incredibles - which opened in theaters on Friday November 5 - has taken $70.7 million in its first weekend in the U.S. (This beats Disney/Pixar's previous record of $70.3 million for Finding Nemo.)
1994:
Walt Disney Records releases Christmas In The Americas.
Deutsche Grammophon releases the album
Arthur Fiedler & The Boston Pops Orchestra: Salute To Disney.
Disney's Haunted Mansion movie was not the
first attempt to tie a feature film to the
attraction. In the early 1990s, when Jeffrey
Katzenberg was head of the Disney Studios,
he wanted to produce movies based on
theme park attractions. A Haunted Mansion
script was commissioned ... but it languished
in development.
Meet Robin Hood and his MERRY MENagerie!
2008:
Jonas Brothers tape their spot at Disneyland in California for the 2008 Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade (to air on television December 25).
NOVEMBER 8
THIS DAY MADE
IN THE
USA
NOVEMBER 8
N
O
V
 | ||||
| ||||
| ||||
Little John: "You know somethin', Robin. I was just wonderin', are we good guys or bad guys?
You know, I mean, uh? Our robbin' the rich to feed the poor."
Robin Hood: "Rob? Tsk tsk tsk. That's a naughty word. We never rob. We just sort of borrow a bit from
those who can afford it."
Little John: "Borrow? Boy, are we in debt."
-Robin Hood
Robin Hood released
Today is Guest Star Day
2009:
John Lasseter (the mastermind behind Pixar classics like Toy Story and Cars) along with his wife and family are featured during an afternoon performance of Disneyland's "Tiana’s Showboat Jubilee!" along the banks of the Rivers of America. Disney randomly selects guests to participate in each performance by waving flags, playing musical instruments, or holding props. Lasseter, who is the chief creative officer at Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios, is also the executive producer of the newest animated feature The Princess and the Frog,
Also at Disneyland, Stevie Wonder films a segment for the annual Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade, performing the song, "That's What Christmas Means to Me."
2010:
On this evening, The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights at
Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at the
Magic Kingdom both kick off for the first time this season at Walt Disney World.
1980:
Although running since September, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad has an official opening in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. A mine train roller coaster located in
Frontierland, it is the second one of its kind (as a Big Thunder Mountain first opened in Disneyland in 1979).
Today is World Urbanism Day
2011:
Walt Disney World presents Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at
the Magic Kingdom for the first time this season.
Meet the Robinsons, Chicken Little, and Bolt are released on 3D Blu-ray.
1997:
ABC-TV premieres the ninth episode of Disney's Recess, "The Box/The Trial."
November 8
2013:
Thor: The Dark World (also known as Thor 2)
is released to theaters. Produced by Marvel Studios
and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is
the sequel to 2011's Thor. Thor, the Mighty Avenger, fights to
restore order across the cosmos, but an ancient race led by
the vengeful Malekith returns to plunge the universe back into
darkness. The film stars Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Natalie
Portman as Jane Foster (an astrophysicist and Thor's love
interest), Tom Hiddleston as Loki (Thor's adoptive brother
and nemesis), Anthony Hopkins as Odin (father of Thor),
and Stellan Skarsgård as Erik Selvig (Foster's mentor &
colleague). Directed by Alan Taylor, the film features a
musical score by Brian Tyler.
The Wind Rises, a Japanese animated film from Hayao Miyazaki, is released under the Touchstone Pictures label for Academy Award consideration in New York and
Los Angeles (in Japanese with English subtitles). A fictional look at the life of Jiro Hirikoshi, who designed Japanese fighter planes during World War II, the film was originally released in Japan on July 20, 2013 under the title Kaze Tachinu.
2014:
In his first attempt at running a half marathon, Chris Sorrick of Tampa, Florida,
races away with the Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon on this Saturday night at
Walt Disney World Resort! With a winning time of 1:17:39, Sorrick, 21, finishes more than a minute
ahead of second-place finisher Cliff Gerber of East Brunswick, New Jersey (1:18:55). Jenn Berry of Denver,
Colorado, is the first female finisher with a time of 1:27:59. The second runDisney night race this year, the
event began at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex and weaved through Disney’s Animal Kingdom and
Disney’s Hollywood Studios before finishing at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival.
2015:
Walt Disney's 75-year old feature Fantasia returns to theaters nationwide for a
strictly limited engagement beginning on this day.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom takes place for the
first time this season at Walt Disney World. The first of 20 selected nights through
December 18, the annual event features complimentary cookies and hot cocoa, snow flurries on
Main Street, U.S.A., and Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade.
1953:
Animation director John Musker is born in Chicago, Illinois. Arriving at Disney in 1977, he received his first director’s credit on The Great Mouse Detective. Working with animator Ron Clements for the first time, the two decided to become full-fledged partners. Musker co-wrote and co-directed (along with Clements) many feature films throughout his 41-year career at the House of Mouse, including The Little Mermaid, Hercules, Aladdin, Treasure Planet, The Princess and the Frog, Moana, and the short Gone Fishing. In March 2018, Musker announced his retirement from Walt Disney Animation Studios.
1996:
Touchstone Pictures releases the crime thriller Ransom, directed by Ron Howard.
Through a life of hard work, airline owner Tom Mullen has amassed a great deal of wealth. When a group of criminals want a piece of his cash, they kidnap his son for a $2 million ransom. The film stars Mel Gibson, Rene Russo, Brawley Nolte, Gary Sinise, Delroy Lindo, and Donnie Wahlberg.
On the same day, Ransom (Original Soundtrack) featuring the music of James Horner, is released by Hollywood Records.
2017:
Actor Charles Tyner, who portrayed Merle in Disney's 1977 Pete's Dragon, passes at age 92. (First appearing on Broadway in 1959 with film star Paul Newman in Sweet Bird of Youth, Tyner's film credits included Cool Hand Luke, The Longest Yard, and Planes, Trains and Automobiles.)
1952:
Actress & producer Alfre Woodard is born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her Disney credits include The Brave Little Toaster to the Rescue (as the voice of Maisie the Cat), Dinosaur (as the voice of Plio), Captain America: Civil War (as Miriam Sharpe), and the photorealistic computer animated remake of The Lion King (as Sarabi, Mufasa's mate and Simba's mother). Television fans will recognize Woodard from such series as Hill Street Blues, St. Elsewhere, The Practice, and ABC's Desperate Housewives (as Betty Applewhite).
1979:
Actress Dania Jissel Ramirez is born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
She played Cinderella on one season of ABC's Once Upon a Time.
2019:
Disney and Pixar’s 2017 animated Coco is brought to life on stage for the first time ever at the Hollywood Bowl (in Los Angeles, California) for one weekend only. Coco Live in Concert includes an all-star lineup of special guests including Benjamin Bratt, Eva Longoria, Carlos Rivera, Miguel, Alanna Ubach, Alex Gonzalez, Jaime Camil, Lele Pons, Rudy Mancuso and Natalia Jimenez who appear throughout the evening as the beloved film plays on the Bowl’s movie screen accompanied by a full, live orchestra, conducted by Sarah Hicks. The concert, produced by Disney Concerts and Live Nation/Andrew Hewitt & Bill Silva Presents, will take place the following evening as well.
1971:
Lyricist Jack Brooks passes away at age 59 in California. Among his many popular songs is
"That's Amore" (written with Harry Warren). It became a major hit and signature song for Dean Martin in 1953 and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. "That's Amore" was re-recorded by actor James Marsden for Disney's 2007 Enchanted. It appears on the film's soundtrack as well.
1934:
Anthropologist, teacher and actor Oscar Kawagley is born Angayuqaq Oscar Kawagley in Bethel, Alaska. One of Alaska's most influential teachers and thinkers, he was the voice of adult Denahi in the 2003 Disney film Brother Bear.
