1993:
Disney World's Fantasyland Theater in the Magic Kingdom shows the 3D
film Magic Journeys for the last time. Originally an opening day EPCOT attraction,
Magic Journeys (created by Walt Disney Imagineering) was moved into the Fantasyland Theater in
1987. It is being removed in order to make room for the Legend of the Lion King show.
 | ||||
1925:
Composer-conductor Jaime Mendoza-Nava is born in La Paz, Bolivia. A child prodigy,
he arrived in the U.S. in the early 1950s and worked on Disney television shows and developed Disney's
copyright department. Mendoza-Nava scored music for both the Mickey Mouse Club and Zorro series.
(During his forty-year career in motion pictures, he composed music for more than three hundred feature motion
pictures, television series episodes, animated pieces, documentaries, and commercials.)
1924:
Disney's Alice Comedy Alice and the Three Bears - featuring Virginia Davis and directed by Walt - is released. In a twist on the classic story of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears,"
Alice and Julius the cat come across three bears operating a still ... and must fight their way free!
1945:
Singer-actress Bette Midler, who hosted a segment of Disney's Fantasia/2000 and supplied the voice of Georgette in the 1988 animated Oliver & Company (for which
she also co-produced), is born in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Her live-action Disney/Touchstone credits include:
-Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986) as Barbara Whiteman
-Ruthless People (1986) as Barbara Stone
-Beaches (1988) as C.C. Bloom
-The Lottery (1989) as a NY City Music Teacher
-Stella (1990) as Stella Claire
-Scenes from a Mall (1991) as Deborah Fifer
-Hocus Pocus (1993) portraying Winifred 'Winnie' Sanderson, one of three
witch sisters
1950:
Walt Disney writes his annual birthday letter to his younger sister Ruth (who
will turn a year older on December 6). He writes of childhood memories and his upcoming
television show to be aired Christmas Day. As he can never figure out what to get Ruth for her birthday ... he
encloses his traditonal check.
1952:
Walt's oldest brother Herb Disney retires from the Post Office after more than 37 years. (In his younger days Walt had too worked for the Post Office, in Chicago.)
1954:
The ABC-TV Disneyland series airs "A Story of Dogs." Walt Disney and
his animators give a behind-the-scenes look at their latest animated feature
Lady and the Tramp. The second half of the show is dedicated to Disney's first canine hero, Pluto.
An article titled "Fairyland of Yesterday and Tomorrow" appears in the publication
Popular Mechanics. It tells of the new Anaheim park (which will open the following July) and its attractions.
1955:
At Disneyland, the Maxwell House Coffee House opens on
Main Street. (It will close less than 2 years later.)
Mickey Mouse Club airs on ABC-TV. Today is Circus Day.
1958:
Construction of Florida's Interstate 4 begins. The final link of the highway
will be completed in February 1965. A diagonal, northeast-southwest route for much of its length, I-4 will
provide access to all of Orlando's future theme parks and tourist attractions including Walt Disney World.
1963:
Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color airs part 1 of "Pollyanna" on NBC-TV.
1966:
Disney's live-action feature film Follow Me, Boys!, starring
Fred MacMurray, Vera Miles, Lillian Gish, Charles Ruggles,
and a young Kurt Russell (in his first credited big screen
Disney appearance) - is generally released. The plot centers around musician Lem Siddons
(played by MacMurray) who decides to put down roots in Hickory, a small Midwestern town, by taking a job as
a clerk in a general store and becoming a scout leader.
Andrew Adamson, a film director, producer and screenwriter, is born in Auckland, New Zeland. His credits include the 1994 Angles in the Outfield and the 2005 The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. (Based mainly in Los Angeles, he made the animation films, Shrek and Shrek 2.)
1971:
The Roy O. Disney, the 4th engine of the Walt Disney World Railroad - named in
honor of Walt's brother and business partner, goes into service. Like the park's 3 other
engines (all in service since opening day - October 1, 1971), the Roy O. Disney was originally built by Baldwin
Locomotive Works of Pennsylvania, but in 1916 - making it the oldest of all the WDW engines.
Actress Emily Mortimer, who portrayed Jane Banks in Disney's 2018 feature Mary
Poppins Returns, is born in Hammersmith, London, England. Back in 2000 she appeared
in Disney's The Kid playing the role of Amy.
1973:
By winning the Walt Disney World Open golf tournament in Florida, Jack Nicklaus
becomes the first player in golfing history to pass $2 million in career earnings.
1997:
It is announced, on the plaza of the Music Center of Los Angeles on
whose campus the Walt Disney Concert Hall will be built, that The Walt Disney
Company will make a "challenge gift" of $25 million toward construction of the
Disney Concert Hall and Roy E. and Patty Disney will donate the first $5 million
toward meeting the challenge. (The venue will open in 2003.)
2001:
The TriceraTop Spin ride opens at Disney's Animal Kingdom. (Situated right at the front of
Chester and Hester's Dino-Rama area in DinoLand U.S.A., the TriceraTop spin features high-flying dinosaurs.)
2002:
Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party kicks off for the first
time this season at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom.
2003:
It is reported that Stanley P. Gold has resigned from Disney's Board of Directors
(following the resignation of Roy E. Disney the day before). Like Mr. Disney, Gold too calls
for the removal of CEO Michael Eisner.
A new website called SaveDisney.com is registered. It will be devoted to those concerned about
the welfare of The Walt Disney Company and its future direction. (Roy E. Disney and Stan Gold will use this site
as a central information location as they hope to restore Disney to its position as the preeminent entertainment
company in the world.)
mounting of Mary Poppins, which will be a joint production of Disney Theatricals
and Cameron Mackintosh Ltd.
2004:
Tickets go on sale for the Disneyland Resort's Indiana Jones Adventure 10th Anniversary Event (to be held March 3, 2005).
Disney's PhotoPass, debuts in all four Walt Disney World theme parks. When
guests have pictures taken by theme park photographers, instead of receiving a paper claim, they will now be
given a Disney PhotoPass that links all of their vacation photos together into one online account for easy online viewing and sharing.
| ||||
2006:
Epcot's Candlelight Processional kicks off for the holiday season. Guest
narrator Rita Morena performs the first of a 2-night engagement.
Disney Channel airs the Hannah Montana episode "Debit it Be" for the first time.
Atlantic Monthly magazine announces the top 100 most influential figures in
American history. At number 26 ... is Walt Disney!
Cast members from the Broadway company of Mary Poppins, led by Ashley Brown
(Mary Poppins) and Gavin Lee (Bert) perform on CBS-TV's The Early Show.
1956:
The third of eight installments titled "My Dad, Walt Disney," by Diane Disney Miller as
told to Pete Martin (a "celebrity friendly" writer) appears in the Saturday Evening Post.
Rod Serling's introduction to Disney World's Tower of Terror attraction (as viewed in the library) was taken in part from a 1961
Twilight Zone
episode called
| ||||
1960:
Sunset magazine features the article "Christmas in Disneyland." Readers are informed of all the special holiday events planned for the Anaheim park.
2000:
The Disney Channel Original Movie The Ultimate Christmas Present debuts.
Two teen girls (played by Hallee Hirsh and Brenda Song) find a weather machine and make it snow in Los Angeles!
DEC
2007:
A promotional tour for High School Musical 2, featuring Lucas Grabeel (Ryan Evans) and Monique Coleman (Taylor McKessie), stops at Castle Towers Shopping Centre in Sydney, Australia. High School Musical 2 premieres in the evening on Australia's Channel Seven.
The Jonas Brothers tape segments for the "Walt Disney World Christmas Day
Parade" at Disney World. The 24th annual "Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade" is scheduled to air
1937:
Final photography of cels for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs takes place.
The film is scheduled for a premiere in just 20 days.
1982:
The Future Corps, a group of musicians who play high energy instrumental music
in the drum and bugle corps style, first perform at Epcot. This will be the start of an almost
18 year run as a full-time atmosphere group. The name Future Corps is a word combination of Epcot's Future
World and Drum Corps.
| ||||
2008:
Annie Award nominations are announced. Walt Disney Animation Studio's current hit Bolt receives
nine nominations, and Pixar Animation Studio's summer blockbuster Wall-E earns eight. Nominees in the best
animated TV production include Disney Television Animation's Phineas and Ferb. Mike Judge, John Lasseter and
Nick Park are announced as the recipients of the Winsor McCay special award for career contributions to the art of animation. The winners will be announced January 30, 2009 at the gala award ceremony at UCLA's Royce Hall.
Disney Theatrical Productions announces that licenses are now available for Disney's
High School Musical 2: On Stage via Music Theatre International, Disney's licensing partner. Schools, community theatres and professional theatres around the world may produce the musical in
full-length or one-act versions.
Follow Me, Boys! released
THIS DAY MADE
IN THE
USA
DECEMBER 1
DECEMBER 1
| ||||
| ||||
"I guess I'm an optimist. I'm not in business to make unhappy pictures. I love comedy too much. I've always
loved comedy. Another thing. Maybe it's because I can still be amazed at the wonders of the world."
-Walt Disney
1978:
The final epsiode of The New Mickey Mouse Club (which first debuted
last January 1977) airs on television. Today is Friday - "Showtime Day."
SEASON 1 EPISODE 6
2009:
Nominations are announced for the 37th annual Annie Awards. The Princess and the Frog
score eight nominations while Disney's upcoming TV special Prep and Landing nab another nine. The nominees for
directing in a feature include Peter Docter for Up. Winners will be announced February 6, 2010.
1988:
The Walt Disney Company announces it has created another movie company, called Hollywood Pictures. Like Disney's Touchstone Pictures brand, it will produce films for a more mature adult audience than Walt Disney Pictures. Officially in business as of February 1989, Hollywood Pictures' first release will be
Arachnophobia in 1990 (and later films like Mr. Holland's Opus, The Sixth Sense, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, and Duets. Disney will stop releasing under the label in 2007.)
2010:
Disney Weddings launches its own blog called Ever After.
The International Press Academy announces the 2010 nominations for the 15th
Annual Satellite Awards. Alice in Wonderland and Toy Story 3 are both nominated for Motion Picture,
Animated or Mixed Media. The team of Michael Arndt, Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich and John Lasseter are
nominated for Screenplay, Original for their work on Toy Story 3. Writer-performer Avril Lavigne's song "Alice"
(from Alice in Wonderland) is nominated for Original Song. The team of Ken Ralston, Dave Schaub, Carey
Villegas and Sean Philips are nominated for Visual Effects for their work on Alice in Wonderland. Kami Asgar,
Sean McCormack, David Daniel, Kevin O'Connell and Beau Borders are nominated for Sound (Editing and Mixing)
for their work on Secretariat. Robert Stromberg and Stefan Dechant are nominated for Art Direction & Production
Design for their work on Alice in Wonderland. Colleen Atwood is nominated for Costume Design for her work
on Alice in Wonderland. Winners will be announced December 19.
The nominations for the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards are announced. Among the nominees:
-Best Score Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: Toy Story 3 – Randy Newman
and Alice in Wonderland – Danny Elfman
-Best Song Written for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: "Down in New Orleans" (From The Princess and the Frog) Randy Newman, songwriter (Dr. John)
Winners will be announced on February 13, 2011, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
1965:
The first issue of the Disney News is published. Just 16 pages long, it features a cover of
Walt Disney surrounded by several costumed characters in front of Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle.
A free benefit for members of the Magic Kingdom Club, there will later be a cover price (and the publication
will change its name to the Disney Magazine in March 1994).
Today
is
Eat a
Red Apple Day
2012:
The Disney Theatrical Group division of the Walt Disney Company presents a
temporary exhibit in New York City about the stage musical "The Lion King." The free
"pop-up" exhibition, called Inside "The Lion King," debuts at 1095 Sixth Avenue at 42nd Street and will run
through December 16. Inside "The Lion King" fills about 5,000 square feet of space with items from the
Broadway and road productions of the show, including costumes, masks, puppets and sets.
December 1
2018:
The half-hour special "Disney Parks Presents a 25 Days of Christmas Holiday Party"
airs on Disney Channel. Ruby Rose Turner and Dakota Lotus host the broadcast
which features Disney Channel stars Kylee Russell, Meg Donnelly, Sadie Stanley, and Sean Giambrone.
1970:
Stand-up comedian, actress, producer, and writer Sarah Silverman is born in Bedford,
New Hampshire. Disney fans know her as the voice of Vanellope von Schweetz in both
the 2012 Wreck-it Ralph and the 2018 Ralph Breaks the Internet.
2015:
Nominations for the 43rd Annual Annie Awards are announced.
Pixar's Inside Out earns the most number of nominations with 14, including Best Animated Feature and
Outstanding Achievement, Character Animation in a Feature Production.
Disney's The Good Dinosaur receives 10 nominations, including Best Animated Feature and
Outstanding Achievement, Character Design in an Animated Feature Production.
Other Disney nominees include Mickey Mouse (5), Gravity Falls (4), Wander Over Yonder (4),
Avengers: Age of Ultron (3), Star vs the Forces of Evil (3), Pickle and Peanut (2), Sheriff Callie's Wild West (2), and Phineas and Ferb (1).
Winners will be announced February 6, 2016 in Los Angeles, California.
2014:
Nominations for the 42nd Annual Annie Awards are announced. Among the Disney/Pixar nominees-
-Best Animated Feature: Big Hero 6
-Best Animated Special Production: Toy Story That Time Forgot
-Best Animated Short Subject: Feast
-Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production For Preschool Children: Doc McStuffins
-Best Animated TV/Broadcast Production For Children’s Audience: Gravity Falls and Wander Over Yonder
-Outstanding Achievement, Animated Effects in an Animated Production: Big Hero 6
-Outstanding Achievement, Character Animation in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production: Wander Over Yonder
and Toy Story That Time Forgot
-Outstanding Achievement, Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production: Big Hero 6 and Planes: Fire & Rescue
-Outstanding Achievement, Music in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production: Mickey Mouse
Winners will be announced January 31, 2015 in Los Angeles, California.
2016:
Nominations for the 22nd Critics' Choice Awards are announced.
-Best Visual Effects: The Jungle Book and Doctor Strange
-Best Animated Feature: Zootopia, Finding Dory, and Moana
-Best Actor in an Action Movie: Chris Evans – Captain America: Civil War as Steve Rogers / Captain America and
Benedict Cumberbatch – Doctor Strange as Dr. Stephen Strange
-Best Actress in an Action Movie: Scarlett Johansson – Captain America: Civil War as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow
-Best Sci-Fi/Horror Movie: Doctor Strange
-Best Song: "How Far I'll Go" – Moana
Winners will be announced December 11, 2016.
2017:
The fifth season of the ABC television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., based on the Marvel Comics organization S.H.I.E.L.D., kicks off with the 2-part episode "Orientation."
Set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (and acknowledging the continuity of the franchise's films), Phil Coulson
(played by Clark Gregg) and his team of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and Inhumans face new threats to the world.
Walt Disney Records releases Disney Junior Music: Holiday Hits.
1977:
Comedic actor Nate Torrence is born Nathan Andrew Torrence in Canton, Ohio.
His Disney voice roles include Officer Benjamin Clawhauser in the animated feature Zootopia (2016) and
Ferguson in the series Star vs. the Forces of Evil.
