1967:
Roy O. Disney outlines his late brother's plan to build a theme
park and the world's first futuristic metropolis, or EPCOT,
when Disney Productions announces it will build the world's
first glass-domed city in central Florida.
The movie presentation, narrated by Walt Disney, who died December 15, 1966,
is termed by officials as "Walt's last film." Project Florida A Whole New Disney
World premieres at the Park East Theater in Winter Park, Florida at 2:00 PM, where it is screened for business and government figures. The 25-minute film shows a 50-acre, air conditioned "city of tomorrow" centered in a 1,000-acre industrial park between Orlando and Kissimmee.
2004:
Walt Disney Records continues the legacy of the 1970s album Free To Be You
and Me with the release of the new CD A World of Happiness. The collection includes
original songs, poems and skits performed by well known artists.
Super Bowl hero Tom Brady of the New England Patriots returns to Disney
World with family and friends to celebrate his team's big win the day before. (This
is the quarterback's second post-Super Bowl celebration at Disney World in three years!)
Film and television director Bernard McEveety passes away in California, at age 79.
Director of The Bears and I, Napoleon and Samantha, One Little Indian, and The Boy and the Bronc Buster, he was one of three brothers who had extensive directing careers at Disney.
1955:
The Disneyland television series presents the 1949
"The Wind in the Willows" featuring Mr. Toad.
1986:
Disney returns to Sunday night TV, with Michael Eisner hosting the first
Disney Sunday Movie, "Help Wanted: Kids," starring Cindy Williams and
Bill Hudson. (The comedy will rank 41 out of the week's 68 network programs.)
Actress, activist and film producer Gemma Arterton is born in Kent, England.
She portrayed Princess Tamina in the 2010 Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.
1988:
The first filming for the television movie Splash Too (a sequel to Touchstone's first feature Splash) begins at the Disney-MGM Studios.
1989:
Shooting begins on Touchstone Pictures' Dick Tracy. Based on the comic strip
character created by Chester Gould, this live-action feature stars Warren Beatty (who is also
directing) and Madonna. (Touchstone Pictures is a film division of The Walt Disney Company.)
1992:
The first phase of Disney World's Dixie Landings Resort (Alligator Bayou section) opens
at 1251 Dixie Drive, Lake Buena Vista. Alligator Bayou consists of 1,024 guest rooms over 16 buildings
styled as rustic, weathered lodges with 64 rooms per lodge. Located in the Downtown Disney resort area,
Dixie Landings is themed after the Louisiana Countryside. It includes the Boatwright's Dining Hall (a full service,
208-seat table service restaurant themed to a wooden shipbuilding yard) and Fulton's General Store.
(Today the resort is known as Disney's Port Orleans Resort.)
1994:
Disney announces it will operate and restore the
New Amsterdam Theater on 42nd Street in New York City.
1996:
Gerry Laybourne, of Nickelodeon, is hired as the new president of Disney/ABC
Cable Networks, where she will oversee The Disney Channel and Disney's
interests in A&E and Lifetime.
Shamus Culhane, one of the the last great cartoonists who
pioneered the 20th-century art of the animated film, passes
away at the age of 87. Born James Culhane in 1908, he joined the Disney studio in 1935 already a
veteran animator (in fact he took a cut in salary just to be part of "the world's greatest animation studio").
While at Disney he worked on Snow White and Pinocchio before moving on to the studios of Fleischer and
Walter Lantz. Culhane later produced animated specials for ABC Television and in 1986 wrote his
autobiography, "Talking of Animals and Other People," a veritable history of cartoon films and animators.
White Squall, a disaster survival feature film, directed by Ridley Scott, is released.
Co-produced by Disney's Hollywood Pictures, it is a coming of age film which finds a group of high school and college age teenagers aboard a ship suddenly challenged by a severe storm. Based on the fate of the brigantine Albatross, which sank back in May 1961 (allegedly because of a white squall), the film stars
Jeff Bridges as Captain Christopher "Skipper" Sheldon..
2001:
The Disney Channel airs the Lizzie McGuire episode
"Pool Party" (also referred to as "Pilot").
2006:
Disney announces that the Disneyland and Disney World Pirates of the Caribbean attractions will be undergoing a 3-4 month makeover to work in character and plot elements from the movie series
that took its inspiration from the original attraction.
1933:
Actor Tony Jay, the speaking & singing voice of Judge Frollo in the animated Disney
film The Hunchback of Notre Dame, is born in London, England. Jay's distinctive baritone
voice can also be heard as Monsieur D'arque in Beauty and the Beast, Shere Kahn in The Jungle Book 2, the
narrator of Treasure Planet and Dr. Rosenthal in Recess: School's Out.
The Grand Californian Hotel in
Anaheim, is currently the
only hotel actually inside a U.S.
Disney theme park. There
is an exclusive guest turnstile
between Disney California
Adventure and the hotel.
1950:
The cover of this day's issue of Western Family magazine features Mickey and
Minnie Mouse smooching through a giant valentine. The illustration is the work of Hank
Porter (originally a staff artist at the Disney Publicity Art Department).
2008:
Disney Channel airs the 4th Phineas and Ferb episode -
"The Fast and the Phineas" for the first time.
Rock 'n' Roll Beach Club, a rock-themed dance club located in Disney World's
Pleasure Island closes. Opened since April 1990, the popular club featured live bands. Rock 'n' Roll Beach
Club and all of the other Pleasure Island nightclubs will eventually be replaced with restaurants.
(The beach club originally opened in 1989 as the XZFR Rockin’ Rollerdrome which included a roller rink inside the
club. The rink was deemed too dangerous and was removed in favor of a beach theme.)
FEBRUARY 2
Today is Groundhog Day
 | ||||||
FEBRUARY 02
THIS
SITE MADE
IN THE USA
2009:
Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes (of the champion Pittsburgh Steelers)
takes part in a Victory Parade at the Magic Kingdom in Disney World.
| ||||
| ||||
1990:
Stella, a film produced by Touchstone and released by Buena Vista Pictures, is
released. Starring Bette Midler and John Goodman, it is adapted from the 1920 novel "Stella Dallas."
Fiercely independent Stella, a wisecracking bartender, refuses to marry the doctor, Stephen Dallas, who gets her pregnant. Instead she decides to raise their daughter Jenny single-handedly.
| ||||
SEASON 1 EPISODE 15
"This role was made for me. It called for a theatrical performance, and I have theatrical background with the Royal Shakespeare Company. I knew the part from the novel and the 1930s movie- it's a great, gripping story."
-Tony Jay on his role in The Hunchback of Notre Dame
2010:
The 82nd Annual Academy Award nominations are announced.
Disney/Pixar's Up is nominated for Best Motion Picture, Sound Editing, Original Screenplay, Best Animated
Film, and Original Score. Disney's The Princess and the Frog is also nominated for Best Animated Film plus
twice in the Original Song category with "Almost There" and "Down in New Orleans" both written by
Randy Newman. Winners will be announced March 7.
A Baby White-Cheeked Gibbon is born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The fourth
gibbon born at DAK (as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan); the yet-to-be
named male won't be presented to the public until later in the month.
Season 6 of the ABC-TV series Lost kicks off with the 2-hour premiere "LA X."
It will be the final season for the series that first aired in 2004.
"Our corporation is dedicated to making Walt Disney's dream a reality,
but it cannot be done without the help of you people here in Florida." -Roy O. Disney
1928:
Distributor Charles Mintz signs a new three-year agreement with Universal Pictures to
provide Oswald cartoons (which are being created by the Disney Studios).
1946:
Actor, voice artist and comedian Blake Clark is born in Macon, Georgia. Known for
his sound-alike voice of Jim Varney, Clark supplied the voice for Slinky Dog in Toy Story 3, a role originated
by the late Varney (who passed in 2000). Clark had a recurring role on the Touchstone Television sitcom
Home Improvement and has appeared in such feature films as Bedtime Stories and Corky Romano.
1977:
Today is Surprise Day on episode 13 of The New Mickey Mouse Club. Mouseketeer Allison
is given a special surprise at the Talent Showcase in "Allison's Wonderland," along with clips from Sleeping Beauty.
Singer, songwriter, dancer, businesswoman, and philanthropist Shakira is born Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll in Barranquilla, Colombia. In 2010, she appeared as herself in an episode of Wizards of Waverly Place. She is the voice of Gazelle (a famous pop star) in the 2010 animated Zootopia.
1972:
Episode 2 of The Mickey Mouse Factory titled "Women's Lib," airs on television.
Guest host Jo Anne Worley discusses how women have been improving their positions in life.
CHILDREN'S AUTHORS & ILLUSTRATORS WEEK (FEB 01-07)
FEB
FEB
1923:
Actress Bonita Granville is born in Chicago, Illinois. After her marriage to oil
millionaire Jack Wrather in 1947, she became an executive in the Wrather Corp., builders of the
original Disneyland Hotel. One of the DLH towers was first called the Bonita tower in her honor
and her maiden name Granville was the namesake for Granville's steakhouse at the DLH.
Granville later became first associate producer, then executive producer of the Lassie TV series.
After Wrather's death in 1984, she took over as chairman of the board until her death in October 1988. She was
named a Disney Legend, along with her husband, in 2011.
"EPCOT will take its cue from the new ideas and new technologies that
are emerging from the forefront of American industry." -Walt Disney
1953:
Walt Disney signs a licensing deal with Mitchell Gertz for rights to produce a Zorro TV series. In 1950, Zorro creator Johnston McCulley assigned the film and television rights to Gertz, a Hollywood agent. Gertz had been trying for several years to find the financing to produce the series.
2013:
The Annual Annie Awards are presented in Hollywood, California.
Disney winners include -
Best Animated Feature: Wreck-It-Ralph
Best Animated Short Subject: Paperman
Character Design in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production: Robert Valley for Disney Tron: Uprising: The
Renegade, Part I
Directing in an Animated Feature Production: Rich Moore for Wreck-It-Ralph
Music in an Animated Feature Production: Henry Jackman, Adam Young, Matthew Thiessen, Jamie Houston,
Yasushi Akimoto for Wreck-It-Ralph
Production Design in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production: Alberto Mieglo for Tron: Uprising: The
Stranger
Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production: AlanTudyk as King Candy for Wreck-It Ralph
Voice Acting in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production: Kristen Schaal as Mabel Pines for Gravity Falls:
Tourist Trapped
Writing in an Animated Feature Production: Phil Johnston & Jennifer Lee for Wreck-It Ralph
Editorial in an Animated Feature Production: Nicholas C. Smith, A.C.., Robert Grahamjones, A.C.E., & David Suther for Brave
February 02
2014:
As confetti cascades down at MetLife Stadium following Super Bowl XLVIII in
East Rutherford, N.J., Seattle Seahawks linebacker Malcolm Smith looks into
television cameras and shouts two of the most famous celebratory lines
in ad history: "I'm Going to Disney World!" and "I'm Going to Disneyland!"
Smith, voted the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XLVIII, is the NFL’s first defensive player to star
in the commercial (which will premiere the following morning).
FEBRUARY IS DCA MONTH
2019:
Winners for the 46th Annual Annie Awards are announced:
-Best Animated Special Production: Mary Poppins Returns
-Outstanding Achievement for Animated Effects in an an Animated Feature Production: Ralph Breaks The Internet
-Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation in a Live Action Production: Mary Poppins Returns
-Outstanding Achievement for Character Design in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production: Rapunzel's
Tangled Adventure
-Outstanding Achievement for Directing in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production: Disney Mickey Mouse
-Outstanding Achievement for Music in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production: Disney Mickey Mouse
-Outstanding Achievement for Music in an Animated Feature Production: Incredibles 2
-Outstanding Achievement for Storyboarding in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production: Disney Mickey Mouse
-Outstanding Achievement for Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production: Incredibles 2
-Outstanding Achievement for Editorial in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production: Big Hero 6: The Series
1978:
Singer and stage actress Eden Espinosa is born in Anaheim, California. Best known for her
performances as Elphaba for the Broadway, Los Angeles, and San Francisco productions of the hit musical Wicked, she voiced Rapunzel’s handmaiden and confidant Cassandra in the 2017 film Tangled: Before Ever After and in the series Tangled:The Series/Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure. She also sang the song "Waiting in the Wings" (written by Alan Menken) as Cassandra for the episode "Rapunzel and the Great Tree." "Waiting in the Wings" won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Song in a Children’s, Young Adult or Animated Program in July of 2020. Espinosa also voiced Orizaba for an episode of the animated series Elena of Avalor. Her vocals could be heard in Celebrate! Tokyo Disneyland (a 2018 nighttime spectacular at Tokyo Disneyland) and Magical: Disney's New Nighttime Spectacular of Magical Celebrations (at Disneyland in 2009). A Disneyland cast member when she was a teen, Espinosa was also a part of the successful performing group The Young Americans (a non-profit organization and performing group based in Southern California).
The comedy film Monkeys, Go Home!, produced by Walt Disney Productions and
directed by Andrew V. McLaglen, is released. Hank (Dean Jones) learns he is the heir to a crumbling French olive farm, so he packs his bags and heads for Europe. On his arrival, kindly priest Father Sylvain (Maurice Chevalier) and maid Maria (Yvette Mimieux) convince him that getting the property up and running is going to take quite
a bit of work. Feeling inspired, Hank decides to use four mischievous chimps as helping hands! (Although he would contribute his voice to the animated The Aristocats, Monkeys Go Home! would be Maurice Chevalier's last appearance before a camera.)
2020:
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes utters the famed "I’m going to Disney World" phrase after his team's 31-20 win over the San Francisco 49ers at the Super Bowl in Miami Gardens. He is the first Chiefs player to do so! Named MVP of the Super Bowl, Mahomes will be coming to Walt Disney World on Monday February 3 for a celebratory parade and a day at the theme parks.
1993:
Back to the Light, the first solo album by Queen guitarist Brian May, is released on
Disney's Hollywood Records. Already released in the U.K., the album contains the Top 10 singles
"Too Much Love Will Kill You" and "Driven by You".
1995:
Film director, producer, and screenwriter Phillip Borsos passes away at age 41 in
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. A four-time Canadian Film Award and Genie Award winner and an Academy Award nominee, he was one of the major figures of Canadian and British Columbian filmmaking during the 1980s, earning critical acclaim and accolades at a time when Canadian filmmakers were still struggling to gain attention outside of North America. Borsos directed and co-wrote the 1985 American/Canadian Christmas fantasy film One Magic Christmas, released by Walt Disney Pictures.
2016:
Disney's 1937 classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is re-released on Blu-ray.
2021:
Disney Books releases "Brightly Woven: The Graphic Novel," "Into The Dark: Star Wars The High Republic," and "The Bob’s Burgers Burger Book: Real Recipes for Joke Burgers." From #1 New York Times best-selling author Alexandra Bracken, "Brightly Woven" is a magical graphic novel about discovering your own power. Written by Claudia Gray, "Into The Dark" centers on Padawan Reath Silas who finds himself at the center of a galactic-wide disaster. "The Bob’s Burgers Burger Book" gives hungry fans their best chance to eat one of Bob Belcher’s beloved specialty Burgers of the Day in seventy-five original, practical recipes by Cole Bowden & Loren Bouchard (the writers of Bob's Burgers).
1883:
Author Johnston McCulley is born John William Johnston McCulley in Ottawa, Illinois. Writer of hundreds of stories, fifty novels, and numerous screenplays for film and television, he is the creator of the character Zorro. Zorro made his debut in the 1919 novel "The Curse of Capistrano," originally meant as a stand-alone story. However, the success of the 1920 film adaptation "The Mark of Zorro" starring Douglas Fairbanks and Noah Beery, which introduced the popular Zorro costume, convinced McCulley to write more Zorro stories. Disney produced an action-adventure Western television series about Zorro starring Guy Williams in 1957. Although incredibly popular, the series only ran for 2 seasons.
Sadly McCulley passed away at age 75 in November 1958.
