2003:
Disney World's newest attraction, Mission: SPACE liftts off
with a soft opening. Located in Epcot's Future World,
Mission: SPACE will its official opening in October.
The "Lizzie McGuire" episode "My Dinner with Dig" debuts on Disney Channel as
does the Disney Channel Original Movie "The Cheetah Girls." Based on the book series of the same name by Deborah Gregory, "The Cheetah Girls" marks the first Disney Channel Original Movie as a musical. Four multi-talented New York City teens from dissimilar homes and economic backgrounds, have a dream to take the world by storm with their music group. The film stars Raven-Symoné, Adrienne Bailon, Kiely Williams, and Sabrina Bryan. Despite a widespread blackout in the Northeast, "The Cheetah Girls" is watched by about 6.5 million viewers!
Open Range, a western film directed and co-produced by Kevin Costner, is
released by Touchstone Pictures. A former gunslinger is forced to take up arms again when he
and his cattle crew are threatened by a corrupt lawman. The film stars Robert Duvall and Costner, with
Annette Bening, Michael Gambon, and Michael Jeter appearing in supporting roles.
1843:
Denmark, opens. It includes a variety of attractions such as mechanical
amusement rides, a theatre, restaurants and flower gardens. On certain
evenings, specially designed fireworks will fill the sky over Tivoli's lake. (One
of the oldest amusement parks in the world, Tivoli Gardens greatly inspired
and influenced Walt Disney - who visited in 1951, 1958, and September 1964.)
1901:
Songwriter Hall of Famer and Disney Legend Ned Washington is born in Scranton, Pennsylvania. A 12-time Oscar nominated lyricist, Washington helped write (along with Leigh Harline) the
popular Disney tune When You Wish Upon A Star - which won an Oscar in 1940. Washington also co-wrote "Baby Mine" for Dumbo and the title song of Saludos Amigos. (His non-Disney works includes such songs as "Rawhide,"
"My Foolish Heart," "Green Dolphin Street," "Town Without Pity," and "Stella by Starlight.")
1917:
Disney Legend Chuck Boyajian - who in 1955 became Disneyland's very first Manager
of Custodial Operations - is born in Ohio. He developed a reputation for cleanliness and efficiency
that had never been seen before in an outdoor entertainment enterprise. Retired since 1983, Boyajian was later
honored with a window on Disneyland's Main Street that reads:
Royal Care Co. - We Keep Your Castle Shining - Chuck Boyajian - Prop.
1929:
Wild Waves, a Mickey Mouse short, is released. Mickey (voiced by Walt Disney)
saves Minnie (voiced by Marcellite Garner) whose been swept out to sea!
1935:
Actor Jim Dale, whose Disney credits include the 1979 The Spaceman and King Arthur, the 1978 Hot Lead and Cold Feet and the 1977 Pete's Dragon, is born in England. Best known as the narrator of the Harry Potter audiobooks, Dale also narrated the ABC-TV series Pushing Daisies.
1936:
Disney animator Ward Kimball marries Betty Lawyer, who has been working in
Disney's Ink and Paint Department for a year. Betty will work her way up the ranks at Disney - painting
cels, choosing colors and creating color models to guide the work of other painters. Betty will leave the studio in mid-
1939 to raise a family and her marriage to Ward will last 66 years until his death in 2002.
1946:
Disney's animated Make Mine Music, ten musical shorts combined into a compilation,
is generally released. Narrated by Nelson Eddy, the film features the voices and sounds of vocalist
Dinah Shore, bandleader-clarinetist Benny Goodman, actor Sterling Holloway (future voice of Winnie the
Pooh), and singing trio The Andrews Sisters.
1994:
As part of the re-Imagineering of Future World's pavilions, the Spaceship Earth attraction at Disney's Epcot park closes. (The revamped attraction will open November 23, 1994 with 12 new scenes and a new musical score.)
Family PC magazine is first published. The monthly mag is a collaboration between Walt Disney Publishing and Ziff-Davis (an American publisher and Internet company).
1999:
Disney's newest ship the Disney Wonder embarks on its maiden voyage
on a 4-Night Bahamian Cruise from its home in Port Canaveral, Florida.
The second ship to join the Disney fleet, it can accommodate 2,400 passengers in 875 staterooms.
2006:
After nearly 13 years of entertaining Walt
Disney World guests, Merlin performs his
last Sword in the Stone show in front of
Cinderella's Golden Carousal. Merlin has been
challenging young guests to pull the sword from the stone
several times a day in Fantasyland (at the Magic Kingdom)
since 1994. He was also featured in Walt Disney's Parade
of Dreams.
Walt Disney Records releases The Cheetah Girls 2 (the soundtrack to the Disney
Channel original movie The Cheetah Girls 2) and the soundtrack to Brother Bear 2
(a direct-to-video sequel to Brother Bear - to be released August 29).
1958:
Actor, director, comedian & photographer Rondell Sheridan - Victor Baxter on both
Disney Channel series That's So Raven and Cory in the House - is born in Chicago,
Illinois. As a director, his credits include episodes of Disney Channel's Hanna Montana. Sheridan has also made
guest appearances on Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas and Disney Cruise Line as a stand-up comedian!
Actor Roger Rose is born in Chicago, Illinois. His Disney voice credits include episodes
of Bonkers, Gargoyles, Quack Pack, and Buzz Lightyear of Star Command.
The Horizons logo, in homage
to the Epcot attraction
replaced by Mission: SPACE,
is on display at the center of
the rotating "gravity wheel"
in the queue.
1955:
LIFE magazine runs a 4-page article on Disneyland's grand opening day (which happened 3 weeks ago).
"Welcome to the
International Space
Training Center. You're
here today to train for the
greatest adventure of the
history of mankind."
2007:
Florida Governor Charlie Crist visits the Walt Disney World Resort to promote
two of his pet issues - energy conservation and physical fitness.
1989:
Joseph Adam "Joe" Jonas, a member of Jonas Brothers, is born in Casa Grande, Arizona. The "middle Jonas," he actually started out wanting to be a comedian, not a singer. He rose to fame as a member of the pop rock band the Jonas Brothers, alongside his brothers Kevin and Nick. After signing with Disney's Hollywood Records, the group released their self-titled second studio album in 2007, which became their breakthrough record. The band became prominent figures on the Disney Channel during this time, gaining a large following through the network: they appeared in the widely successful musical television film Camp Rock (2008) and its sequel Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam (2010) as well as two of their own series, Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream (2008–2010) and Jonas (2009–2010).
AUGUST 15
THIS DAY
MADE IN
THE USA
AUGUST 15
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In memory of Virginia Davis (1918-2009)
"I'd rather get a good clean laugh with good material, than an easy laugh by swearing or shocking. That's not clever or comedic, anybody can get a laugh that way, it's too easy." -Jim Dale
Stories in Make Mine Music include:
Blue Bayou - using Debussy's "Clair de Lune" & featuring animation originally intended for Fantasia
All the Cats Join In - a jazz interlude featuring the sounds of Benny Goodman and his orchestra
Without You - a ballad sung by Andy Russell
Casey at the Bat - featuring Jerry Colonna reciting the famous baseball poem
Two Silhouettes - 2 live-action ballet dancers, David Lichine and Tania Riabouchinskaya, moving in
silhouette with animated backgrounds and characters & featuring the vocals of Dinah Shore
Peter and the Wolf - Sterling Holloway narrates an adaptation of Prokofiev's composition about a little
boy who goes hunting for a wolf
After You've Gone - once again features Benny Goodman and his orchestra
Johnnie Fedora and Alice Bluebonnet - the romantic story of 2 hats who fall in love in a department store window
The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met - about a Sperm Whale with incredible musical talent who
dreams of singing Grand Opera
(Make Mine Music had premiered in New York last April 20.)
2009:
Kouzzina by Cat Cora, a restaurant serving Mediteranean-style cuisine, opens at the former site of Spoodles on the Boardwalk at WDW.
Disney Legend Virginia Davis, Walt Disney's first human star and the original Alice
of his Alice Comedies, dies at age 90. As a child, Davis appeared in the first 13 titles of Disney's
Alice Comedies series - an innovative blend of live action and animation. Born Virginia Margaret Davis in Kansas
City, Missouri on New Year's Eve 1918, she later earned a degree from the New York School of Interior Design
and became a decorating editor for the popular 1950s magazine Living for Young Homemakers. In 1963, she
began a successful career in the real estate industry in Connecticut and later, Southern California. Over the
years, Davis remained in contact with the Walt Disney Company, and was often a special guest at such events as
the annual Disneyana Conventions held at either Disneyland or Walt Disney World.
"To be part of all that majesty and animation history is just heartwarming for me and I really feel privileged to have been part of
it. It makes me think that perhaps I did accomplish something that is indeed a part of Walt Disney's history." -Virginia Davis
2008:
The town of White River, Ontario hold their annual 3-day Winnie's Hometown Festival
in honor of the real-life bear who A. A. Milne made famous.
Uncle Walt packs his new park with the stuff children's dreams are made on
2010:
Disney Legend Harrison "Buzz" Price, one of Walt Disney’s trusted advisers, passes
away at age 89. Price worked on more than 3,000 economic feasibility studies for Disney, as well as Universal
Studios, Knott’s Berry Farm, SeaWorld, Six Flags, and eight World’s Fairs. His background in business and
engineering gave him the foundation to help theme park moguls make real world decisions. In 1953,
Walt and Roy O. Disney asked Price to find the best location for Disneyland.
"Buzz Price was as much responsible for the success of the Walt Disney Company as anybody except Walt Disney himself." -Michael Eisner
1941:
Walt and members of his staff depart Miami Beach, Florida on their way to Brazil to begin their extended goodwill tour of South America. As it will be a two-day flight, with a stop in Belém (a city in the northern part of Brazil) on the 16th, the group won't arrive in Rio de Janeiro until the 17th.
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2011:
Walt Disney World's classic Adventureland attraction,
Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room officially reopens.
A virtually identical copy of the show, called Tropical Serenade, it was
installed at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom when that park opened
in 1971. Although accompanied by a new pre-show, the main show was
the same.Tropical Serenade was replaced in 1998 with The Enchanted
Tiki Room (Under New Management), featuring Iago and Zazu from
Aladdin and The Lion King. On January 12, 2011, a small fire broke out in
the attic of the attraction severely damaging the Iago audio-animatronic
figure. Closed for repairs and improvements since then, Walt Disney's
Enchanted Tiki Room now features a state of the art show-control system,
remastered audio, and a new versatile and energy efficient lighting system.
2012:
Walt Disney Pictures releases The Odd Life of Timothy Green, a fantasy drama
directed by Peter Hedges. A childless couple (played by Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton) bury a box in
their backyard, containing all of their wishes for a child. After a stormy night, a 10-year-old arrives at their doorstep,
claiming to be their son. Soon they realize that the child, named Timothy (played by Cameron "CJ" Adams), is far
more special than they originally thought.
Disney’s blockbuster musical The Lion King becomes the fifth longest-running
Broadway show in history following this day's matinee performance at the Minskoff
Theatre in New York City. With performance #6,138, The Lion King surpasses the original Broadway
production of A Chorus Line to enter the top five. Based on the popular Disney film, The Lion King first opened on
Broadway on November 13, 1997 at the New Amsterdam Theater, before transferring to the Minskoff in 2006.
August 15
This Day in Disney History - THE FIRST - THE ORIGINAL
Traveling in time since 1999!
"Tivoli will never, so to speak, be finished."
-Georg Carstensen, Tivoli founder
2014:
The Disney Channel Original Movie How to Build a Better Boy premieres.
Teens Mae and Gabby, tired of the boys they know, decide to use high-tech military equipment to conduct an
experiment, to design the ideal guy.
1997:
Jungle Cubs: Born to Be Wild, a collection of 3 episodes from the animated series
produced by Disney for ABC, is released to VHS. Based on the 1967 film The Jungle Book, but
set in the youth of the animal characters, Jungle Cubs ran for 2 seasons.
2015:
Plans for Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, a Star Wars-themed area being developed within
Disneyland Park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, and Disney's
Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, are announced during day 2 of the 2015 D23 Expo. Construction will begin at both parks on April 14, 2016. The lands are scheduled to open at both locations in 2019. Other D23 events taking place on this day include:
-Worlds, Galaxies, and Universes: Live Action at The Walt Disney Studios
-Disney on Broadway: "THE ORIGINALS"
-One Little Spark: Marty Sklar Presents Mickey’s Ten Commandments and the Road to Imagineering
-Don DeFore’s Silver Banjo Barbecue - Frontierland: 1957–1961
-Toy Story: 20 Years Later, the Original Crew Looks Back
-Welcome to Zootopia!
-Aladdin: The Making of a Classic
1974:
Actress Christine Adams is born in London, England. She played Agent Anne Weaver in 9 episodes of the ABC series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
1970:
Actor, comedian, writer, and game show host Anthony Anderson is born in Compton, California. He stars in the ABC sitcom Black-ish and has served as host of the ABC version of the game show
To Tell the Truth.
2017:
The Lion King (1994): The Signature Collection is released. The Walt Disney Signature Collection release includes over three hours of classic bonus material and exclusive, brand new features inviting viewers to sing along with the film's award-winning music, observe recording sessions, step inside the story room, witness the evolution of a villain, and join Nathan Lane (voice of Timon) and Matthew Broderick (voice of Adult Simba) for an extended conversation regarding the film.
1920:
Radio, stage, and movie performer Huntz Hall is born Henry Richard Hall in North Hollywood, California. Best known for his role of Sach in the popular "Dead End Kids" movies, Hall also appeared in Disney's 1974 Herbie Rides Again, playing Judge.
