2002:
The Lizzie McGuire episode "Those Freaky McGuires" debuts on Disney Channel as does the Disney Channel Original Movie Get a Clue.
As we come down the homestretch in the building of Disneyland, I knew you are as happy as I am with the way in which this dream of ours is coming to full life. Your contribution to the construction, the development and the details of the park has made it possible for us to foresee that we will open Disneyland, virtually completed.
The few days remaining before our television preview on Sunday, July 17th, will be all important to us, but I know that we can count on you and every one of your fellow employees to do your utmost to meet our schedule.
I would like to cordially invite you and your family to participate with us in the thrill of the Disneyland premiere. Within the next few days, we will have your preview tickets available. They will be distributed to you at Disneyland and will assure you and your family of a wonderful afternoon, as our guests, on all the rides and amusements in Disneyland.
I am sure your family will be as proud of your effort as all of us are.
Sincerely, Walt Disney
1988:
The opening of Disney's Grand Floridian Beach Resort
ushers in an era of accelerated hotel building at WDW
during which 10 new resort hotels have been added to
date. The Grand Floridian, located at 4401 Floridian
Way, is the third Magic Kingdom monorail resort located
on the beaches of the Seven Seas Lagoon between the Polynesian Resort and
the Magic Kingdom. The luxurious hotel - the crown jewel of the Walt Disney World resorts - is themed
to be reminiscent of turn-of-the-century Victorian Florida. Also opening in the hotel is Flagler's restaurant, 1900
Park Fare restaurant, M. Mouse Mercantile shop, Narcoossee's restaurant, Victoria and Albert's restaurant,
and the Grand Floridian Cafe restaurant. An opening dedication ceremony takes place with celebrities Burt Reynolds and Loni Anderson cutting the ribbon, along with Michael Eisner and Frank Wells. (In 1997 the hotel's name will be changed to The Grand Floridian Resort & Spa when a top-of-the-line facility spa and health club is added.)
1975:
Writer Rod Serling, best known for creating and hosting TV's
Twilight Zone series, dies at age 50 after open-heart surgery at Strong
Memorial Hospital in Rochester, New York. Known as the "angry young man" of
Hollywood, he clashed with television executives and sponsors over a wide range of issues
including censorship, racism, and war. A pioneer who helped form television industry standards,
Serling's The Twilight Zone aired for 5 seasons and drew much critical acclaim. Serling and his work on
The Twilight Zone will go on to inspire the Disney theme park attraction The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.
(Serling, along with Michael Wilson, wrote the screenplay for the 1968 The Planet of the Apes.)
1932:
Actor Pat Morita, the voice of the Emperor in Disney's 1998 animated features "Mulan"
and the 2004 "Mulan II," is born in Isleton, California. He also narrated the television special "Reflections on Ice: Michelle Kwan Skates to the Music of Disney's Mulan." Best known as Mr. Miyagi in the 3 "The Karate Kid" movies, TV fans may remember Morita for his role as Arnold on the 1970s ABC hit sitcom "Happy Days." He also starred in the short-lived ABC series "Mr. T and Tina," and appeared in episodes of "Love Boat," "Boy Meets World," and "Diagnosis Murder." Noriyuki Morita passed at age 73 in 2005 in Nevada.
1940:
Disney's Pluto cartoon Bone Trouble is released. The first cartoon directed by Jack
Kinney, when an empty dog dish is all that Pluto finds in the morning, he tries to steal a bone from Butch the
bulldog who lives next door.
1999:
At Disneyland, a Main Street Window is dedicated to the former
Chairman of the Walt Disney Attractions, Dick Nunis. (Receiving a window
on Main Street is the highest honor any Cast Member can achieve.) Mr. Nunis and Mickey Mouse ride out from the
gate beside the Mad Hatter in a little blue motorcar while the Disneyland Band plays Zip A Dee Do Dah. On
May 26, 1999, exactly 44 years to the day since he joined the Company, Nunis retired as chairman of Walt Disney
Attractions.
2003:
The world premiere of The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl takes place at Disneyland. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer, the film is based on Walt Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean attraction. The story follows pirate Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and blacksmith Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) as they rescue the kidnapped Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) from the cursed crew of the Black Pearl, captained by Hector Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), who become undead skeletons at night. The film will open in U.S. theaters July 9.
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa turns 15.
2004:
Adam Pascal, who created the role of Radames in the long-running
Broadway musical Aida, returns to the Disney show. He plays the role of
the ill-fated Egyptian captain who falls for the Nubian princess.
Production begins on The Chronicles of Narnia in New Zealand.
It is announced that after years of research and testing, Walt Disney
Imagineering has perfected a new innovation in fireworks launch
technology. The new technology uses compressed air to lift fireworks, virtually eliminating the
need for smoke-producing black powder and other materials at launch. This significantly reduces
ground-level smoke and noise while continuing to provide an entertaining show.
2005:
Disney's The Pacifier is released on DVD and VHS.
Disney fans snap up tickets for a charity day at Hong Kong Disneyland within the first 3 hours of their online sale! The charity day is set for September 4, which will let visitors see the theme park 8 days before its official opening.
1963:
Count Basie and his orchestra begin a week of performances at Disneyland.
1995:
The Main Street Athletic Company shop opens on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.
1926:
Director, writer, producer, and actor Mel Brooks is born Melvin Kaminsky in Brooklyn, New York. In 1989 he co-write a short-lived comedy series called The Nutt House for Touchstone/Disney that aired on NBC. That same year Brooks met with Michael Eisner and Disney Imagneers in hopes of designing a theme park attraction for Disney-MGM. A Castle Young Frankenstein attraction (based on Brooks' 1974 comedy feature "Young Frankenstein") eventually was scrapped for... The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror! He voiced Grandpa Mel in the series "Special Agent Oso" (2009-2012), and in 2019, voiced a toy elephant character in "Toy Story 4." Melephant Brooks, one of the senior toys in Bonnie's collection, was a minor character. He later revived Melephant for "Forky Asks a Question." Starting out writing for television for "Your Show of Shows" and "Get Smart," Brooks later created The 2000 Year Old Man with good friend & comedy legend Carl Reiner. As a filmmaker, some of Brooks best known works include "The Producers" (1967), "Blazing Saddles" (1974), "Young Frankenstein" (1974), "Silent Movie" (1976), "High Anxiety" (1977), "History of the World, Part I" (1981), "Spaceballs" (1987), and "Robin Hood: Men in Tights" (1993). A recipient of numerous accolades, Brooks is one of 18 entertainers to win the EGOT, which includes an Emmy Award, a Grammy Award, an Academy Award ("Oscar"), and a Tony Award.
The video for the Beach Boys' 1988 hit song "Kokomo" was filmed on
the grounds of Walt Disney World's
Grand Floridian Resort in Florida.
Performing in the video is
honorary Beach Boy and Disney
fan ... actor John Stamos! The
resort had not opened when the
video was shot and so the band
were GF's very first guests.
1958:
The Saturday Evening Post runs the article "Intrepid Kids Of Disneyland," which includes this tidbit from Walt Disney himself:
"Disneyland has a variety of water attractions - a river boat, canal boats, keelboats, rafts, canoes and motorboats, and kids occasionally fall in. Last August, a six-year-old slipped from a Storybook Land boat while leaning too far out to see the miniature house of Pinocchio. After being fished out of the shallow canal, the boy was taken to Disneyland's wardrobe department, where his wet clothes were replaced with a cowboy outfit, which he was allowed to keep. A week later, a playmate of this youngster fell in 'accidentally' at the same spot. Instead of a cowboy outfit, he received only a reprimand while his clothes were being dried and pressed for him."
1984:
The Disney Channel debuts the new series Big Bands at Disneyland hosted
by Peter Marshall. The Anaheim park is the setting for concerts and interviews with such
greats as Lionel Hampton, Woody Herman and Cab Calloway. The weekly series will run through September.
"I just want them to remember me a hundred years from now. I don't care they they're not able to quote a single line that I've written. But just that they can say, 'Oh, he was a writer.' That's a sufficiently honored position for me." -Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling
JUNE
2008:
It is reported that Walt Disney World is shutting down the six nightclubs at Pleasure Island to make its party district at Downtown Disney more family friendly. Such clubs as BET SoundStage Club, Mannequins Dance Palace, and 8Trax will close after September 27. During the next few years, Disney will reopen the Pleasure Island venues with a broader mix of restaurants and shops.
A baby elephant is born at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Twenty-six-year-old Moyo gives birth to a 327-pound male elephant after 21 months gestation. This newest addition is the heaviest elephant calf ever born at the theme park. (The baby will be named Tsavo - pronounced sah-vo - a few weeks later.)
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa turns 20!
1990:
Actress Jasmine Richards is born in Scarborough, Ontario. Disney Channel fans
know her as as Margaret "Peggy" DuPree in the movies Camp Rock and Camp Rock 2. She also took
part in the 2008 Disney Channel Games.
JUNE 28
JUNE 28
THIS DAY MADE
IN THE
USA
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1955:
Walt Disney writes a letter from the Disney Studios to his employees and others who assisted on the creation of his new Anaheim park. He wishes to invite them all to attend the grand debut on July 17. Walt is concerned that there won’t be enough people scattered throughout the park for the television cameras.
1987:
Snow White is bestowed the 1,850th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Special guests attending include animators Ward Kimball, Marc Davis and Art Babbitt as well as Adriana
Caselotti - the original voice of Snow White. Held directly across from Mann's Chinese Theater, the honor coincides with Snow White's 50th anniversary. This makes her the third animated character to receive a
star (after Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck).
Grand Floridian Resort opens
2009:
Annual Passholders get a sneak preview of Disney World's updated attraction The Hall of Presidents (which has been closed since late 2008). Now featuring 44th U.S. President Barack Obama, it is scheduled for a July 4th weekend grand reopening.
The Art Directors Guild Film Society and American Cinematheque honor the late Production Designer and Special Effects designer Peter Ellenshaw with a screening of Disney’s 1974 feature The Island at the Top of the World.
1929:
Disney's Mickey Mouse cartoon The Plowboy is released. Mickey flirts with Minnie while farming, but she wants nothing to do with him - making him look bad in the eyes of his helper Horace Horsecollar (who makes his film debut).
1971:
Walt Disney World announces their plans for an airstrip to be built on the Florida
property. The Lake Buena Vista STOLport (located not too far from the Contemporary Resort) will consist of a
2000-foot runway and a terminal building. STOLport will be open only to commercial air traffic, with a second
airport for corporate and private flights to be built later. (Neither the terminal or the second airport will ever be built
and STOLport will only be in business for about one year.)
AIRPORT OF THE FUTURE
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1997:
Disney's Nightmare Ned airs on ABC-TV with two new episodes -
"Along for the Ride" and "Steamed Vegetables."
1946:
Disney's Donald Duck short Donald's Double Trouble, directed by Jack King,
is released. Donald hires a look-alike with more gentlemanly manners to win back the heart of Daisy
after an argument.
1957:
Date Nite at Disneyland premieres on this evening. The Anaheim park extends its operating hours
to 1 a.m. (on Friday and Saturday nights) and for the first time attempts to attract young dating couples as a dating
hot spot. Prior to this, Disneyland has been primarily a daytime theme park. (The popularity of the evening events
will lead to a 1958 LP record "Date Nite at Disneyland" featuring the music of Elliott Bros. Orchestra.)
1910:
Artist, Imagineer (the third employee of WED Enterprises)
Vernon, Illinois. An on-and-off member of Disney from the days of Fantasia,
Herb Ryman contributed the iconic first rendering of Disneyland in 1953. He also
painted the first official rendering for WDW’s Cinderella Castle, and worked on
both Tokyo & Euro Disneylands and Epcot Center. Ryman’s beautiful paintings of
Epcot were an essential tool in selling the park’s concept to potential corporate sponsors, as well as helping
Walt Disney Productions plan the unique Florida park. Ryman passed at age 78 in February 1989.
20
June 28
This Day in Disney History - THE FIRST - THE ORIGINAL
Traveling in time since 1999!
2013:
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa turns 25.
The Villas at Disney's Grand Floridian are just 4 months away from opening.
Disney Channel officially debuts a new animated series, Mickey Mouse.
Featuring classic cartoon characters Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy,
Pluto, and Pete in contemporary settings such as Paris, Venice, Tokyo and New York, the series has
the slapstick feel of classic Mickey shorts. The all-star voice cast includes Chris Diamantopoulos as Mickey, Russi Taylor as Minnie, Bill Farmer as Goofy & Pluto, Tony Anselmo as Donald, Jim
Cummings as Pete, and Corey Burton as Professor Ludwig Von Drake.
"Let’s dance at Disneyland! Date Nites are late nights at Disneyland!"
2014:
The cast of Disney's Broadway hit The Lion King surprise New York City subway commuters when they "take over" a train with a performance of the one of the
show's well-known songs; "Circle of Life". Riders on the 59th Street stop are startled to learn that the commuters they are sharing a ride with are actually the talented cast. The impromptu performance happens while the cast is taking a break between shows.
Actor Meshach Taylor passes away at age 67 in California. Best known for his role as Anthony Bouvier on the CBS sitcom Designing Women (1986–93), Taylor made his Broadway debut in 1998 as Lumiere in
Beauty and the Beast, where he starred alongside Toni Braxton.
2015:
The Science Behind Pixar, a 10,000 square-foot touring exhibition, opens at the
Museum of Science in Boston, Massachusetts.
The final episode of the animated Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. airs.
2018:
DisneyToon Studios, an animation studio which created direct-to-video and occasional theatrical animated feature films, shuts down. A division of Walt Disney Animation Studios located in Glendale, California, it produced 47 feature films, beginning with DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp in
1990. Its final release was Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast in 2015. Although having success with
the Cars spinoff Planes in 2013, which was followed by a sequel called Planes: Fire & Rescue, for the most part DisneyToons was focused on creating content that would be released directly on DVD and Blu-ray. The direct-to-video market has dwindled in recent years with the advent of streaming services, which has resulted in more content being produced directly for streaming and bypassing the physical product altogether.
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa celebrates its 30th anniversary.
2019:
Avengers: Endgame is re-released in theaters with seven minutes of new post-credits footage not included in the original theatrical release (on April 26), including a Stan Lee tribute, and an unfinished deleted scene. Included is a sneak peek of Spider-Man: Far From Home (to be released July 2 in U.S. theaters).
1937:
Thomas Louis "Tom" Magliozzi is born East Cambridge, Massachusetts. He and his younger brother Ray were the co-hosts of NPR's weekly radio show Car Talk, where they were known as "Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers". Their show was honored with a Peabody Award in 1992. Tom and Ray both lent their voices to the Pixar films Cars (2006) and Cars 3 (2017). (Tom's role in the 2017 film was accomplished through archival recordings, as it was produced after his death in November 2014.) They played the owners of Rust-eze who discovered Lightning McQueen and gave him his first big break. Tom appeared as a 1963 Dodge Dart convertible, a reference to a car that he owned for many years and often mentioned on Car Talk. Ray appeared as a 1964 Dodge A100 van.
2017:
The 43rd Saturn Awards, presented by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films and honoring the best in science fiction, fantasy, horror, and other genres belonging to genre fiction in film, television, home media releases, and theatre in 2016 and early 2017, are held in California. Among the winners...
-Best Science Fiction Film: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
-Best Fantasy Film: The Jungle Book
-Best Comic-to-Film Motion Picture: Doctor Strange
-Best Animated Film: Finding Dory
-Best Director: Gareth Edwards – Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
-Best Supporting Actress: Tilda Swinton – Doctor Strange as The Ancient One
-Best Performance by a Young Actor: Tom Holland – Captain America: Civil War as Peter Parker / Spider-Man
-Best Editing: The BFG – Michael Kahn
-Best Production Design: The BFG – Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg
-Best Special Effects: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – John Knoll, Mohen Leo, Hal Hickel, and Neil Corbould
-Best Animated Series or Film on Television: Star Wars Rebels (Disney XD)
1998:
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa turns 10.
Actor Jonathan Benair passes way at age 47 in California. Doing very few acting roles (as he had an independent career), he was the voice of the Black and White TV in the animated film The Brave Little Toaster and Jim Bob in The Brave Little Toaster to the Rescue (which won't be released until May 1999).
1993:
Disney's Grand Floridian Beach Resort celebrates 5 years in business.
1986:
Actress Maya Stojan is born in Geneva, Switzerland. She is best known for her recurring roles on both ABC shows Castle and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
1967:
Puppeteer Peter Linz is born in Decatur, Georgia. His most prominent role being the performer for the character Walter who was introduced in the 2011 feature film The Muppets, Linz also performed as Pip & Tutter in Bear in the Big Blue House and Pooh in The Book of Pooh. His film credits include Muppets Most Wanted and Muppets Haunted Mansion.
1938:
Actor, comedian and impressionist John Byner is born John Biener in New York City.
Starting out as a stand-up comedian (he made his first early TV appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show"), he parlayed that into a lengthy television and film career. Byner supplied the voices for both Gurgi and Dolin in Disney's 1985 "The Black Cauldron." In the 1970s, Byner appeared several times on "The Carol Burnett Show," where in one comedy sketch he wore a Donald Duck costume and mimicked the cartoon character's distinctive voice. He also hosed a 1972 episode of "The Mouse Factory."
