2002:
An improved version of Disney's Beauty and the Beast
is released to IMAX and other giant screen theaters.
The Lizzie McGuire episode "Gordo's Video" debuts on
Disney Channel.
 | ||||
1966:
Walt Disney serves as Grand Marshal of the Tournament
of the Roses Parade in Pasadena, California.
He and Mickey Mouse (portrayed by Paul Castle) ride together in a white
Chrysler Imperial. Sitting curbside with his parents watching the parade is
a young John Lasseter - future Jungle Cruise ride operator and Toy Story
filmmaker! Also sitting curbside is the Burke family - watching their very first
Rose Parade. When Walt's vehicle stops to make a corner turn, teen Pat
Burke runs up and shakes Mr. Disney's hand. Six years later Pat will begin
work at WED ... becoming one of Disney's top Imagineers!
1943:
Disney's anti-Nazi propaganda piece Der Fuehrer's Face (also titled Donald Duck in
Nutziland) is released. Donald Duck has a nightmare that he is living in Nazi Germany, envisioning bayonet
discipline, starvation, hard work on the munitions assembly line, and "heiling Hitler." He awakens to find himself in the
shadow of the Statue of Liberty and glad to be a U.S. citizen. Directed by Jack Kinney, it will win the 1943 Academy
Award for Animated Short Film and be voted #22 of the 50 Greatest Cartoons of all time!
1926:
Disney's Alice Comedy Alice on the Farm is released. Alice (played by Virginia Davis) and her cat Julius are farmhands.
1925:
Disney's Alice Comedy Alice Cans the Cannibals, starring Virginia Davis, is released. Alice and her cat Julius drive their car into the sea where they become stranded on an island occupied by cannibals!
1888:
Elias Disney (an Irish Canadian) and Flora Call (a German American) are
married in Acron, Florida - a town in eastern Lake County. They will later move to
Chicago, Illinois in 1890 and in 1901 Flora will give birth to their 4th son Walter. (Although no longer in
existence - Acron was located 40 miles due north of where Walt Disney World stands today!)
1996:
Delta Airlines discontinues its sponsorship of Disney World's
Delta Dreamflight attraction (located in Tomorrowland).
HAPPY NEW "EARS"!
1944:
Mouseketeer Billie Jean Beanblossom is born in Fort Worth,
Texas. She was a member of TV's Mickey Mouse Club from 1955 to 1956.
1958:
The Disneyland TV show airs episode 87 - "Faraway Places: High, Hot, and Wet." Herbert and Trudie Knapp, the husband-wife photography team (who are largely responsible for
the Disney theatrical-short series "People and Places"), are the focus of this episode.
1959:
The Fantasyland Autopia - sponsored by the Richfield Oil Company - opens in Disneyland.
1960:
The TV series Walt Disney Presents airs the episode "Swamp Fox:
Tory Vengeance," starring Leslie Nielson as Revolutionary War
hero Francis Marion (a.ka. Swamp Fox). It is the third installment of an 8-part
mini-series also featuring Tim Considine as Marion's nephew Gabe Marion and Slim Pickens
as Plunkett, one of the Swamp Fox's men. In this episode, Marion must pretend to despise
his sweetheart, Mary Videaux (played by Barbara Eiler), lest anyone suspects she is really one of Francis' most valuable allies against the Redcoats!
1961:
Walt Disney Presents airs "Zorro: The Postponed Wedding."
1977:
Bob Allen - originally a ride operator at Disneyland in 1955 - is named
vice president of Walt Disney World. He will be inducted a Disney Legend in 1996.
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2000:
Walt Disney's nephew Roy serves as Grand Marshal of the
Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California.
Disney's Fantasia 2000 is released to IMAX theaters. The film continues and builds upon Walt
Disney's original idea with the creation of a new musical program interpreted by a group of distinguished Disney
artists and storytellers. Adding to the fun and entertainment, celebrity hosts from the various arts appear on
screen to introduce each of the segments. Included in that prestigious group are Steve Martin, Itzhak Perlman,
Bette Midler, Quincy Jones, James Earl Jones, Penn & Teller and Angela Lansbury.
2001:
Rip Van Winkles, a landmark motel near Disneyland in California, closes its doors
after a half century in business. The motel will be destroyed sometime later in the year to make way
for Pointe Anaheim, a roughly $545 million retail-and-hotel complex that will front Harbor Boulevard and Katella Avenue. The Rip Van Winkles deal, a long-term land lease, destroys one of the last mom-and-pop motels that
have housed Disney visitors, convention-goers and other guests for five decades.
The Villas at Wilderness Lodge, a Disney Vacation Club Resort property, opens in
Walt Disney World.
The Walt Disney World Millennium Celebration, an event at the Walt Disney World
Resort as part of millennium celebrations, ends. Primarily based at Epcot, with its
emphasis on human potential and the possibilities of the future, it began October 1,1999. A pavilion in Epcot constructed specifically for the Millennium Celebration called "Millennium Village" also closes. Millennium Village was a 60,000-square-foot building that contained many exhibits featuring countries who were not represented at the World Showcase along with exhibits featuring The United Nations/World Bank and an exhibit relating to EXPO 2000 (a Word Expo held in Germany).
2003:
Disney Channel airs the Lizzie McGuire episode
"Lizzie's Eleven" for the first time.
2004:
The Disneyland Resort presents a parade float inspired by the park's
new attraction "The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror," at the 115th Rose
Parade in California. Standing at nearly 100 feet, "A Sudden Drop in
Pitch" is the tallest float in Rose Parade history.
2005:
Mickey Mouse serves as the Grand Marshal for the 116th Tournament of Roses
Parade in Pasadena, California. A TV spot called "Coming Home" - part of the global ad campaign for Disneyland's 50th anniversary - runs for the first time during the multi-network broadcast of the parade.
Disney Channel debuts "Double Trouble," the eighteenth Phil of the Future episode. Guest stars include actress Yeardley Smith (best known as the voice of Lisa Simpson).
1904:
Disney Legend Grace Bailey is born Elizabeth Grace Randall in Willoughby,
Ohio. In 1932 she began working for the Disney Studios in the Ink and Paint department. Bailey worked her
way up through the ranks of the department from painting supervisor to inking supervisor - where she trained new
artists to ink the animators' drawings. In 1954, she was selected as head of the entire Ink and Paint department, a
position she held until her retirement in 1972.
2007:
Adonis Reeves and Garnett Schoonover begin their tenure
as 2007 Disneyland Resort Ambassadors. As Ambassadors,
they will represent the Disneyland Resort and its 20,000 Cast Members
during the "Year of a Million Dreams," a first-of-a-kind event celebration where
Cast Members will award a million dreams; both large and small; to randomly
selected guests. They will also be the official hosts of the Disneyland Resort
for visiting dignitaries and government officials.
The City of Anaheim, California shares the celebration of its 150th birthday at the
2007 Tournament of Roses Parade. Anaheim’s float is themed with the City’s sesquicentennial celebration
motto, "Always Fresh & Never Grows Old" and features the City’s historical agricultural roots and its contemporary
landmarks. Disneyland’s monorail and the Angel Stadium of Anaheim’s haloed "Big A" tower over the top of the float.
Disney Channel airs the Hannah Montana episode "My Boyfriend's
Jackson and There's Gonna Be Trouble" for the first time.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Jack Sparrow: Silver, the sixth in the series of young
reader books written by Rob Kidd about the early life of Jack Sparrow, is released.
Over at Epcot, Wonders of Life closes forever. First opening in
October 1989 in the Future World section of Epcot Center, the pavilion had
been sponsored by Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. (MetLife). In January 2005
Wonders of Life became a seasonal attraction. The iconic golden domed
pavilion featured such attractions as Body Wars, Cranium Command,
The Making of Me and Goofy About Health. The pavilion will be used for
seasonal special events.
JAN
1955:
The publication McCalls features an article on Disneyland. Readers are informed that - "This July, Walt Disney will realize a lifelong dream, when the fabulous wonderland he is raising out of the dust of a 160-acre tract in the heart of California's orange-growing country opens to the public."
The 66th Annual Tournament of Roses Parade kicks off in California.
Debuting is the very first Disneyland themed float with 7,000 pink roses (although Disney
had a Snow White float in the 1938 parade). Sponsored by Helms Bakery (a notable
industrial bakery of Southern California) the Disneyland float features Disney
characters and attractions from the not-yet-opened Anaheim park. Appearing in the parade on this rainy day
is the Firehouse Five Plus Two, a Dixieland jazz band made up of Disney Studio employees.
Film producer and executive Bonnie Arnold is born in Atlanta, Georgia. Working at Walt Disney Feature Animation, Pixar and DreamWorks Animation, her credits include Toy Story and Tarzan.
1956:
An article titled "Through The Jungles of Disneyland" appears in the publication American Forests. It tells of Walt's new Anaheim theme park.
ALICE
Cinderella's Golden Carousel (located in Disney World) came from Olympic Park, a defunct New Jersey amusement park.
JANUARY 1
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1995:
At Epcot, Symbiosis (the last of the three original attractions in The Land pavilion) closes. Symbiosis was a cinematic presentation that discussed both the positive and negative aspects of human relationship with the land. (It will re-open a few weeks later as Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable.)
Another year over ...
... and a new one just begun.
1998:
Movie Surfers, a Disney Channel mini-show featuring behind the scenes of
Disney-related films, debuts. The program features 4 teenagers - Mischa, Lindsay, Alexis,
and Marcus - who surf the Internet to go behind the scenes of upcoming movies.
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1938:
The Tournament of Roses Parade takes place in
Pasadena, California. This year's theme is Playland
Fantasies. Coming immediately on the heels of the film's December
1937 premiere is a parade float featuring Disney's Snow White and
the Seven Dwarfs. Marjorie Belcher, who was filmed as the live-
action model for the character Snow White, dons a costume once
more and plays the part of Disney's princess on the float. The
costumed dwarfs on the float are the same actors who were
present at the film's Hollywood debut last December 21, 1937.
This is Disney's first presence ever in the annual parade.
Members of the Disney family comes together to celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary
of Flora and Elias (Walt's mom and dad).
Disney Imagineers rescued the carousel from destruction and replaced many of its wooden horses with
ones constructed of
fiberglass. No two
horses are alike!
2009:
At 7:31 a.m., Andrew DaCosta (from Seattle, Washington), becomes the first
person in the nation to receive free admission to a Disney theme park on his
birthday as part of Disney’s “What Will You Celebrate?” campaign.
DaCosta, who turns 49 today, is visiting Disney World's Magic Kingdom with his wife and two children.
1980:
Disneyland Park presents a special 25th Anniversary pre-parade show as
part of the 92nd Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade. Taking part in the festivities is the
Firehouse Five Plus Two, a Dixieland jazz band led by Ward Kimball. The group has come out of retirement to
make one last appearance! They had performed 33 years earlier as the first jazz band ever to be in the parade.
JANUARY 01
THIS DAY MADE
IN THE
USA
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Today is New Year's Day
1978:
Disney's Main Street Electrical Parade makes a rare appearance outside of a
theme park, when it entertains fans during the halftime show of the annual
Orange Bowl college football game in Miami, Florida.
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2010:
Disney Parks kicks off "Give a Day, Get a Disney Day," a national program designed
to boost philanthropic outreach. The program has been created to inspire 1 million people to lend a
helping hand and give back to communities in need. In return for their volunteer service, Disney will award these 1
million people with a free one-day admission ticket to a Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort theme park.
"Of all the things I've done in my lifetime, that to me was my biggest day.
Just Walt and me, January 1, 1966." -Paul Castle
1957:
Today is Guest Star Day on ABC-TV's Mickey Mouse Club. Ice skaters Cathy Steele and Phil Romayne (two of the most illustrious stars of Ice Capades) perform.
1997:
At Epcot both musical groups Off Kilter and The British Invasion debut. A Celtic rock
band, Off Kilter performs on a stage in between the United Kingdom and Canada Pavilions in Epcot. A quartet, The
British Invasion plays 1960s British songs in the garden tucked away in the United Kingdom pavilion.
At Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World, Shrunken Ned's Junior Jungle Boats (located near the Jungle Cruise) opens. One of the few Magic Kingdom attractions that requires a fee separate from park admission, guests take control of their own small boat through an obstacle course. (Shrunken Ned's will close down in August 2012.)
Animator, writer and film director Al Eugster passes away in Hauppauge, New York. Starting his career in animation in April 1925, he worked at the Pat Sullivan studio where he helped create the series Felix the Cat. In 1935 he began working for Walt Disney Studios (for a short time) where he animated such Donald Duck shorts as Don Donald and Clock Cleaners, and later the studio's first feature Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
JAN
Thanks for visiting THIS DAY IN DISNEY HISTORY, the blog TODAY IN DISNEY HISTORY and the FACEBOOK page.
2013:
Disney takes part in the annual Rose Parade in Pasadena, California. The Disneyland
Resort "Destination: Cars Land" float features Disney Channel "Shake It Up" star Zendaya and DJ Ernie D from
Radio Disney.
The
The new 2013-2014 Disneyland Resort Ambassador Team, Megan Navarette
and Sachiko White, officially began their two-year term. They both took part in a
New Year's Eve gala at Disneyland the night before.
January 01
HAPPY NEW YEAR from THIS DAY IN DISNEY HISTORY
Traveling in time since 1999!
1984:
Mickey's Space Adventure, a graphic adventure computer game, is released.
Created by Al Lowe and released by Sierra Entertainment, it features Mickey Mouse and Pluto who travel
across the solar system to help an alien race recover a lost crystal.
2016:
The 127th annual Tournament of Roses Parade takes place in California.
Disney's massive float (the longest in this year's Rose Parade) is made up of 3 parts:
A "Frozen" castle leads the way, with the middle featuring the iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle, bedazzled and
decked out to celebrate the resort's 60th anniversary Diamond Celebration. The final section features
"Star Wars," with a Millennium Falcon appearing to hover above the float!
2018:
Disney in the Stars, a nightly fireworks performance, has its final performance at
Hong Kong Disneyland. Also the park's Sleeping Beauty Castle closes for renovation.
1965:
Voice actress Jennifer Hale is born in Canada. For Disney, she is the current voice of Cinderella
for many projects including Ralph Breaks the Internet, and also provided the voice of Princess Aurora in some of
her appearances in the early 2000s until 2010. She has voiced Alana in The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning, a
Stage Manager in American Dragon: Jake Long, Captain Marvel in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes,
Lady Stella in Star Darlings, and various voices for Sofia the First.
1929:
Screenwriter and director Malcolm Marmorstein is born in Jersey City, New Jersey.
His Disney screenwriting credits include Pete's Dragon (1977) and Return from Witch Mountain (1978).
1969:
Actor Morris Chestnut is born in Cerritos, California. His film credits include
G.I. Jane and The Game Plan. (TV fans know him from his starring role of pathologist Dr. Beaumont Rosewood Jr. in the Fox series Rosewood.)
1972:
Actor, cabaret singer and entertainer Maurice Chevalier passes away at age 83 in Paris, France. He appeared in Disney's 1962 live-action In Search of the Castaways (as Jacques Paganel) and sang the theme for the 1970 animated The Aristocats. Chevalier even made an animated cameo appearance in the 1931 short Mickey's Gala Premiere. (His heavy French accent, melodic voice and Gallic charm made Chevalier the
prototype of the gallant French monsieur in the American cinema of the 1930s. The character Lumiere, voiced by
Jerry Orbach in Disney's Beauty and the Beast ... is a Chevalier impression!)
1994:
Actor Cesar Romero passes away at age 86 in California. Active in film, radio, and television for almost 60 years, his Disney credits included the live- action comedies The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969), Now You See Him, Now You Don't (1972) and The Strongest Man in the World (1975) - in which he portrayed the corrupt but inept villain A.J. Arno in all 3 films. Romero was cast as Esteban de la Cruz for 4 episodes of Disney's
Zorro television series and was one of many celebrities who took part in Walt Disney World's three-day opening festivities in October 1971. (Fans of 1960s TV will remember Romero as the Joker on Batman, while film fans will recall him as the rogue bandit The Cisco Kid in a string of low-budget westerns.)
2019:
Star Wars: Path of the Jedi closes at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Florida. First opening
in 2015, the attraction was a 10-minute montage of memorable moments from all seven of the Star Wars movies.
1954:
Graphic artist Python Anghelo is born in Transylvania, Romania. Moving to the U.S. when he was 17, he worked as an animator at Disney for a short time. Anghelo spent the rest of his career successfully creating and designing pinball & video games.
1999:
Singer/actress Diamond White is born in Detroit, Michigan. In 2010, at the age of 11, White played Young Nala in Disney's The Lion King musical. Her voice credits include Fuli in The Lion Guard, Ruby in Sofia the First, and Holly in Phineas and Ferb.
2014:
Actress Juanita Moore passes away at age 99 in California. The fifth black actor to be nominated
for an Academy Award in any category and the third in the Supporting Actress category, she portrayed Kenny's grandmother in Disney's 2000 feature film The Kid. Moore's performance in the remake of Imitation of Life
(1959) won her a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
2008:
Journey into Narnia: Creating the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, a theme park show running at Disney's Hollywood Studios, closes.
2021:
Ron Dominguez, a Disney Legend and former Executive Vice President of Attractions, passes away at 85. Known as "Mr. Disneyland" (he grew up on the property that would become the Anaheim park), Dominguez was a prime mover in creating the Disney California Adventure theme park. He retired from The Walt Disney Company in 1994 after 39 years.
