2004:
The Boston Red Sox win their first World Series championship
since 1918, with a 3-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in St. Louis. Immediately following the game, pitchers Curt Schilling and Pedro Martinez and slugger David Ortiz look into television cameras and beam the famous words: "I'm going to Disney World!" - becoming the latest sporting champions to be honored as spokespeople in the world-famous Disney commercial.
Pixar's computer-animated superhero film The Incredibles
premieres at the BFI London Film Festival. Released by Walt
Disney Pictures, and starring the voices of Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah
Vowell, Spencer Fox, Jason Lee, Samuel L. Jackson, and Elizabeth Peña, it
is written and directed by Brad Bird. The Incredibles will
be released in the U.S. November 5.
1945:
Mouseketeer Dickie Dodd is born in Hermosa Beach, California.
(A first season replacement Mouseketeer, he was hired for his musical talents.)
1954:
Wednesday
Walt Disney's very first television series, Walt Disney's Disneyland (named after his yet to be completed park) premieres on ABC with the episode "The Disneyland Story." About 30.8 million American viewers tune into what will be a TV tradition for more than 40 years. First, viewers are given a quick tour of the Walt Disney Studios and then are introduced to Walt Disney's newest venture: a theme park called Disneyland. This episode (directed by Robert Florey) is the public's first real exposure to Disney's plans for a park in Anaheim. The episode also features the song "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" (sung by Fess Parker) as a coming attraction for the upcoming Crockett trilogy. (In the first six months of 1955, nearly seven million copies of the song will be sold.) The Disneyland series will go on to air for multiple seasons under some 6 different titles.
1955:
Mickey Mouse Club airs on ABC-TV. Today is Circus Day.
1963:
The NBC-TV series Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color airs part 1 of
"The Waltz King," starring Kerwin Mathews as composer Johann Strauss Jr.
1998:
Disney's The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride is released direct-to-video. A sequel to the
1994 The Lion King, this film centers around Simba's daughter, Kiara, who falls in love with Kovu, a male
lion who was raised in a pride of Scar's followers and Simba's enemies, the Outlanders. Actor Matthew
Broderick returns as the voice of Simba - with Cam Clarke supplying Simba's singing voice.
A Bug's Life: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack is released. The first
track of the album is a song called "The Time of Your Life" written and performed by Randy Newman, while
all the remaining tracks are orchestral cues (which will win a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental
Composition Written for Motion Picture or Television). The film A Bug's Life will be released in November.
2000:
Officials from the Disney Stores, along with Mickey and Minnie Mouse, open a second prototype Disney Store at the Cherry Hill Mall in New Jersey. The opening comes after three months of extensive renovations to the location.
2001:
The Los Angeles Times reports that the Walt Disney Company is
expected to announce one of its bleakest quarters in nearly a
decade (primarily due to last month's terrorist attacks).
The Orlando Sentinel reports that security measures against anthrax
have reached even Disney World. The resort has emptied powdered-soap
dispensers at its four theme parks and installed new ones containing liquid hand cleaner.
2002:
Disney helps kick-off the annual Toys for Tots campaign by
donating toys at the world premiere of The Santa Clause 2, held at the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood. (An original sponsor of Toys for Tots since its inception in 1947, Walt Disney personally designed the original Toys for Tots logo, which is still used today.)
The Disney-owned Anaheim Angels win their first World Series Championship (in their 42-year history) with a 4-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants in game 7 at Edison Field (in Anaheim).
"We hope it will be unlike anything else on this Earth: a fair, an amusement park, an exhibition, a city from Arabian nights, a metropolis of the future. A place of hopes and dreams, facts and fancy, all in one."
-Walt Disney
The original eight "E ticket"
attractions at WDW’s Magic
Kingdom were Space
Mountain, Pirates of the
Caribbean, Haunted
Mansion, Country Bear
Jamboree, Hall of
Presidents, Jungle Cruise,
It’s a Small World, and
20,000 Leagues under the Sea.
2007:
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 6.5 K and 13K, the first
night races in the Endurance Series at Walt Disney World, take place.
The races are part of the celebration of the 13th Anniversary of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror attraction located at Disney-MGM Studios. Tim Keller from Wisconsin wins the 13K (8.1 mile) road
race - which begins and ends in the shadows of the tower!
The second season of Handy Manny kicks off with the episodes "Haunted Clock Tower" & "Oscar's House of 18 Smoothies." The Playhouse Disney/Disney
Junior children's television series first debuted in September 2006.
13
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"Welcome to a little bit of Florida here in California. This is where the early planning is taking place for our so-called Disney World project. Now the purpose of this film is to bring you up to date about some of the plans for Disney World." -Walt Disney
1939:
Actor, comedian, screenwriter and film producer John Cleese is born in Somerset, England. Best known to fans of Monty Python's Flying Circus and for his starring role in the British comedy series Fawlty Towers, Cleese specializes in satire, black comedy, sketch comedy and surreal humor. His Disney credits include The Jungle Book (1994) as Dr. Julius Plumford, The Wind in the Willows (1996) as Mr. Toad's Lawyer, George of the Jungle (1997) & George of the Jungle 2 (2003) as Ape, Around the World in 80 Days
(2004) as Grizzled Sergeant, Valiant (2005) as the voice of Mercury, Winnie the Pooh (2011) as the Narrator, and Planes (2013) as the voice of Bulldog. Cleese also narrated 4 episodes of Disney's House of Mouse. (In December 1977, Cleese appeared as a guest star on The Muppet Show. Cleese, a fan of the show, co-wrote
much of the episode.)
1858:
Theodore Roosevelt, the twenty-sixth United States President (and
25th Vice President), is born in New York City. An Audio-Anamatronic
Roosevelt appears in Epcot's The American Adventure, in a scene focusing on the
establishment of the National Parks. An animated Roosevelt appears in The Legend of Tarzan
episode "Tarzan and the Rough Rider." Visit him and all the U.S. Chief Executives at Disney
World's The Hall of Presidents.
1911:
Author and journalist Daniel Pratt Mannix IV is born in Pennsylvania. Mannix's best-known
work, his 1967 novel "The Fox and the Hound," was released as a Disney animated feature in 1981. Walt Disney
Pictures purchased the film rights to "The Fox and the Hound" when it was awarded the Dutton Animal Book
Award. Production on the film adaptation began in 1977 and became the most expensive animated film
produced at the time, at a cost of $12 million.
OCTOBER 27
THIS DAY MADE IN THE USA
OCTOBER 27
Here lies a man named Martin. The lights went out on this old Spartan.
Anaheim Angels become World Champs
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1979:
"Halloween Hysteria," a special ticketed event, takes place at Disney World's
Magic Kingdom. The special evening presentation features live music by Dr. Hook, The Police,
Dan Chaz's Magic Web of Wizardry, Sea Level, and Michael Johnson. Veteran rockers Dr. Hook have
had much success during the 1970s with such hits as "Sylvia's Mother", "The Cover of the Rolling Stone",
"A Little Bit More" and "When You're in Love with a Beautiful Woman." Formed only two years earlier in
London, The Police (Sting, Andy Summers & Stewart Copeland) are on the verge of becoming a global phenomenon. The group has just released their second album, Regatta de Blanc. Sea Level is a fusion
group that mixes jazz, blues and rock. Led by keyboardist Chuck Leavell, the band consists of members
of the touring Allman Brothers Band.
1984:
"On Stage in the Magic Kingdom," a special Disney World evening event, takes place between 9:00PM-1:30AM. Musical guests include Cheap Trick, The S.O.S. Band, Shannon, New Edition, and KC & The Sunshine Band.
"Believe you can and you're halfway there." -Theodore Roosevelt
Disneyland TV series debuts
2009:
Disney's A Christmas Carol Train Tour pulls into Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Disney's computer animated Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure is released direct-to-DVD. A sequel to the 2008 Tinker Bell, it features the voice of Mae Whitman as Tink.
SEASON 1 EPISODE 1
Haunted Mansion tribute to Bill 'Bud' Martin - lighting designer & head of WDI Special Effects Department
Each week as you enter this timeless land, one of these many worlds will open to you -
Frontierland ... tall tales and true from the legendary past
Tomorrowland ... promise of things to come
Adventureland .... the wonder world of nature's own realm
Fantasyland ... the happiest kingdom of them all
Project Florida A Whole New Disney World
"Here in Florida we have something special we never enjoyed at Disneyland: the blessing of size. There's
enough land here to hold all the ideas and plans we could possibly imagine." -Walt Disney (This Day 1966)
1966:
Walt Disney films a special television presentation at his studio in California - a
25-minute preview of his plans for the Florida Project - Disney World, and especially the
details for EPCOT, the "experimental prototype community of tomorrow." It is co-produced with
Marty Sklar, principal creative executive of WED Enterprises. (Walt will unfortunately pass the following December and
the film will not debut on TV as intended, but instead be shown on February 2, 1967 to Florida officials.)
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R.I.P.
Mummy B. Ware
R.I.P.
Ted N.
Buried
1968:
Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color airs the episode "Brimstone, the Amish
Horse" on NBC. An Amish bishop's daughter sees another side of life while tending to a lame
steeplechase champion. It is the fifth episode of the fifteenth season of Disney's weekly series.
1982:
Disney releases the animated short Fun with Mr. Future to theaters in Los Angeles,
California. Directed by Darrell Van Citters, Joe Ranft has contributed gags to this zany short which features
animated bits of a shelved Epcot TV special hosted by a talking Animatronics head (with wires exposed)
wearing a bowtie.
2012:
A celebration of Disney Legend Ginny Tyler's life takes place in West Seattle.
Raised in West Seattle and later rising to entertainment prominence as a voice actor, Tyler passed away in
July of this year at the age of 86. On this afternoon, Kenyon Hall (a theater/music venue in Seattle) is
transformed into Ginny’s Hall for a celebration that brings over 40 friends and relatives together, including
several members of the Seattle-based Mountainears Disney Fan Club.
"In Hollywood in the late 60’s actors and actresses did things to protect their image and
perception that they aren’t growing older. Mom was no different. About the time she changed
her name (to Ginny Tyler), she somehow managed to change her birthdate on her driver’s
license, making her five years younger than she really was." -Ty Fenton (Ginny Tyler's son)
October 27
1995:
Hollywood Pictures in association with Caravan Pictures releases the fantasy
drama Powder, starring Sean Patrick Flanery. A mysterious albino teenager, Jeremy "Powder" Reed
is rescued from the basement in which he's lived since birth. But the extremely intelligent Reed is not welcomed into
the community, despite the help of two teachers. The cast includes Jeff Goldblum, Mary Steenburgen, Bradford
Tatum and Lance Henriksen.
2017:
The second season of Disney Channel's Andi Mack kicks off with the episode "Hey, Who Wants Pizza?" The comedy-drama stars Peyton Elizabeth Lee as Andi Mack, a young teen who discovers that the woman whom she believed to be her sister is actually her mother.
2013:
The third season of Disney Channel's comedy Austin & Ally begins with the episode "Road Trips & Reunions." Set in Miami, the series centers on the relationship between two very different musicians: extroverted and fun-loving singer and instrumentalist Austin Moon, and introverted and awkward songwriter Ally Dawson, who is also a singer, but has a bad case of stage fright. The cast includes Ross Lynch as Austin, Laura Marano as Ally, Raini Rodriguez as Trish (Ally's best friend and Austin's manager), and Calum Worthy as Dez (an aspiring director who films Austin's music videos).
2003:
Radio and television announcer Rod Roddy passes away at age 66 in Los Angeles, California. Primarily known for his role as an offstage announcer on game shows, he was the voice of Mike the microphone on Disney's House of Mouse from 2001 to 2003.
1996:
The very first Epcot International Food and Wine Festival comes to an end.
1910:
Actor Jack Carson is born in Carman, Manitoba, Canada. His only Disney credit (and his final appearance) was Sammy the Way Out Seal, a 1962 episode of Disney's anthology TV series. Often playing the role of "comedic friend" through the 1940s and 1950s, Carson's best known film credits include The Strawberry Blonde (1941), Arsenic and Old Lace (1944), A Star is Born (1954), and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958).
