May 04: Space Mountain Opens at Disneyland

May 04, 1977

Space Mountain Opens at Disneyland

Attention space travelers: It was on this day in 1977 that Space Mountain first blasted off guests at Disneyland, rocketing them into a simulation of outer space, aboard a roller coaster dark ride. But this attraction, which still remains popular today in the year 2011, actually has a history that goes back to the 1960s. Disney Legend John Hench designed this attraction, years before the technology was readily available. The first Space Mountain opened in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in 1975, and after it proved its success, it landed at Disneyland two years later, with the first American men in space, consisting of the U.S. Mercury Astronauts Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Wally Schirra, Alan Shepard, Donald “Deke” Slayton and Betty Grissom (widow of Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom) on hand for the opening ceremonies. Over the years, the attraction has seen improvements with all new visual effects and a fully synchronized onboard audio soundtrack. The next time you walk thru the queue for the attraction, take a look around at the symbol for “Space Station 77,” paying homage to the year Space Mountain first took flight.

April 11 - The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh Attraction Opens at Disneyland

Apr 11, 2003

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh Attraction Opens at Disneyland

Deep in the Hundred Acre Wood, er, Disneyland’s Critter Country, you’ll meet one of the most famous literary bears there ever was. Replacing the Bear Country Playhouse, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh attraction opened in 2003. Park visitors can climb inside a massive beehive and buzz through famous scenes from Pooh’s most beloved escapades. Along the way, you’ll meet Tigger, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, Rabbit, Piglet, Gopher and Owl. But if you are still longing to see the mugs of some of the stars from Country Bear Jamboree, do not fret. Max, Buff and Melvin—a few remaining “fixtures” from the previous attraction—can still be seen as you pass through the doorways after meeting the Heffalumps and Woozles. They are up above the doors, watching over the enchanted neighborhood of Christopher Robin’s childhood friends.

March 30 - Disney Legend Marc Davis is born

Mar 30, 1913

Disney Legend Marc Davis is born

On this day in 1913 Disney Legend Marc Davis was born in Bakersfield, California. It was some unpleasant experiences as a young child that indirectly led to his creating some of Disney’s most well-known characters, from Cruella De Vil to Tinker Bell and developing some of the most iconic scenes in Disney attractions such as the Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean. Marc’s widow, Alice Davis, a Disney Legend herself, explained to D23′s Scott Wolf, “Marc was in 26 schools before he was out of high school. His father was a rainbow chaser… somebody who would always see the pot of gold over the hill, or the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. He also was a very fine jeweler. He could fix those clocks and barometers for boats in nothing flat. So whenever the family was broke, all they had to do is go to a seaport and he had more work than he could possibly handle. Whenever Marc would go to a new school, at recess the boys would circle around him and just beat the (heck) out of him. That’s the way they greeted you. So he started doing a whole bunch of drawings and he’d have all these drawings when he’d go to school and everybody wanted one of the drawings. He would do drawings for them and they didn’t beat him up. He said that’s what started him as an animator, drawing for all these kids all the time so they wouldn’t beat him up.”

1822

The unified government of Florida is established with William P. Duval from Kentucky as its first Territorial Governor. (Florida had becomes a U.S. territory in 1821 after the U.S. acquired it from Spain as part of a deal to cancel $5 million in debts owed by the Spanish.)

1945

Disney's Donald Duck short The Eyes Have It, directed by Jack Hannah, is released. Donald uses hypnotism on Pluto and convinces him he is a mouse, turtle, chicken and finally a lion!

1957

Members of the Santa Fe Railway Co. visit Disneyland. Walt himself hosts Bob Waller, a Santa Fe
attorney; Hank O'Leary, special representative of the public relations department of the Santa Fe; James P. Reinhold, assistant to the president of the Santa Fe; and; Ralph Thomas, manager of communications for the Santa Fe. (Back in 1953, the Walt Disney Company had solicited major railroads for corporate sponsorship of the attraction. The Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway was the only company to respond.)

1968

Two children come across the lifeless body of a homeless man in an abandoned tenement building on East 10th Street in New York City. Because no one identifies the body, the deceased is buried in an unmarked pauper's grave on Hart Island. (A fingerprint check in 1969 will identify the corpse as Bobby Driscoll, 31, the voice of Disney's Peter Pan. It is also discovered that the cause of death is a heart attack. Sadly his long history of alcohol and drug abuse was a strong contributing factor to his early death.) 

2004

The Orlando Sentinel runs an article in which Walt Disney World president Al Weiss gives some insight into how the parks are maintained.

2006

The Disneyland Resort 50th anniversary celebration takes to the skies over Tucson, Arizona with a 100-foot tall, Mickey Mouse-shaped hot air balloon dubbed "The Happiest Balloon On Earth." With golden ears high atop its head, the Mickey balloon will travel throughout the western United States and Canada during an 11-week tour.

2008

Seasons Of The Vine, an opening day attraction at Disney's California Adventure, closes. A film presentation which took viewers through the journey of producing wine in California, it is shut down due to low attendance.

2011

The Walt Disney Pavilion at Florida Hospital for Children has its grand opening ceremony. Hundreds are on hand to celebrate the occasion (including Bob Iger, president and CEO of The Walt Disney Company, and Tom Staggs, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts), which includes a moving dedication ceremony featuring inspirational stories from former pediatric patients.

March 07 - Mickey’s Grand Opera is Released

Mar 07, 1936

Mickey’s Grand Opera is Released

There’s something a little bit ridiculous about Grand Opera anyway, but give the conductor’s baton to Mickey Mouse and make Clara Cluck and Donald Duck the stars of the show — as they are in Mickey’s Grand Opera — and you know this most highbrow of art forms is about to get a good-natured skewering — Disney style. Listening to Clara’s piercing clucks and Donald’s unintelligible garbling during their duet is the comic highpoint in a short full of them. And when a mischievous Pluto, at first engaged in dubious battle backstage with a magic hat, eventually finds his way onstage and adds his plaintive howl to the final throes of Clara’s and Donald’s off-key finale, the short ends on a perfect note. Mickey’s Grand Opera was directed by Wilfred Jackson, who was one of those inventive and industrious men Walt specialized in hiring. In his long Disney career, Jackson, who worked as a sequence director on 11 features from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to Lady and the Tramp, also invented the bar sheet to coordinate animation action with the soundtrack. Jackson retired from Disney in 1961, and was honored as a Disney Legend posthumously in 1998.

1997

Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean reopens after being renovated.

Pirates Of The Caribbean Ride (HD Complete Experience) Front Seat

2008

In a ceremony prior to the park's opening, Disney Legend Bob Gurr receives a window on Disneyland's Main Street USA. Gurr's Disneyland designs include the Autopia, the Monorail, Omnimovers, and the Main Street Vehicles.

"All the school shop classes were my passion. Wood and metal shop taught me a lot about how to find the easiest way to build something. Skills that would make designing Disneyland Attractions so much simpler."

-Disney Legend Bob Gurr

2010

More than 13,000 runners take part in Disney's Princess Half Marathon at WDW. Gina Aalgaard Kelly of Lisbon, North Dakota wins the race in 1:23:58. The half marathon (originally designed for women - although more than 400 men participated this year) wraps up a weekend of events including the Princess and the Frog Family 5K, Disney’s Fit for a Princess Expo on women’s health and wellness, as well as seminars on training, racing and nutrition.

Cinderella is Released

This Day in Disney

Feb 15, 1955

Cinderella is Released

On this day in 1950, Cinderella made a bibbidi, bobbidi de-boo in theaters. In the ads to market the film, Cinderella promised to “Put a smile in your heart… and laughter in your dreams.” The ad continued, “A story written in stardust… six years in the making… Walt Disney’s Cinderella will give a new gleam to your hopes, a new lift to your life. You’ll take it to your heart, not only because it’s the greatest love story ever told — though that’s reason enough if you’ve ever been in love. But because it’s so full of the wonderful fun, hilarious characters, singable songs — the sheer enchantment that comes only from Disneyland.” Interestingly, this was not referring to the theme park that would not be completed for another five years, but simply the land of Disney magic.

“Disneyland’s 10th Anniversary” Show on Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color

Jan 03, 1965

“Disneyland’s 10th Anniversary” Show on Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color

1965 marked the 10th anniversary of Disneyland, and to celebrate the occasion, Walt gave TV viewers a sneak peek into the upcoming Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean attractions and other upcoming plans for his park on the “Disneyland’s 10^th Anniversary” show on Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color. For the tour, he brought along the very first Disneyland Ambassador, Julie Reihm, introducing her to his team of creators. The show also brought viewers to Disneyland to see the newest attractions along with some special performances. Tom Mahoney, who started with Disney on Mickey Mouse Club, choreographed the dance numbers featuring Disney’s newest star, Mary Poppins, as well as a dancing cake and candles. Rikki Lugo, who began her Disney career doing the can can in Disneyland’s Golden Horseshoe Revue, assisted Tom with the choreography, and ended becoming part of the show when one candle went out. “They were wearing character heels in those ‘candles’ and doing turns without being able to use their arms. In the very first shot, one dancer, Emmy Lou, got her heel caught in the cobblestone and broke her ankle, and Tom said, ‘Okay, Rikki, there you go!’” and thus, Rikki lit up the screen as one of the dancing candles, dancing to a new Sherman brothers tune with lyrics proclaiming, “Ten years of fantasy, ten years of fun, ten years of growing and you’ve only just begun…”

1929
The Film Daily announces that Mickey Mouse cartoons will be distributed internationally:

"Mickey Mouse" Goes Abroad Contracts were closed this week between International Photo Play Distributors and Charles J. Giegerich, eastern representative for Walt Disney, whereby International secures foreign rights to the Disney "Mickey Mouse" animated sound cartoons.

1930
Roy Disney signs a deal with M. George Borgfeldt Co. of New York to sell figurines of Mickey and Minnie Mouse. (Many consider this the beginning of Disney merchandising.)

1931
Disney's Silly Symphony Birds of a Feather, directed by Burt Gillett, is released. When a flock of birds are attacked by a hawk - who steals one of the baby birds - the birds join ranks to rescue him back!

1939
Disney's Mickey Mouse cartoon Society Dog Show, directed by Bill Roberts, is released. Mickey enters Pluto in a fancy dog show where they are hopelessly outclassed and have little chance of winning ... until the building catches on fire and Pluto saves the day!

1941
Disney's animated feature Pinocchio is released in Sweden.

1945
Disney's 7th (animated and live-action) feature film The Three Caballeros is released in the U.S. Produced as part of the studio's good will message for South America, the film stars Donald Duck, who in the course of the film is joined by old friend José Carioca, the cigar-smoking parrot from Saludos Amigos (1943) representing Brazil, and later pistol-packing rooster Panchito Pistoles, representing Mexico. It will earn 2 Academy Award nominations. (Though after a brief initial run, Walt will pull the film from general release, due to bad press reviews.)

1967
The article "Disneyworld Amusement Center with Domed City Set for Florida" appears in the New York Times the day after Walt Disney Productions announces plans to build the world's first glass-domed city



1969
Cartoonist Al Taliaferro - known as the first artist of Donald Duck newspaper comics - passes away in Glendale, California, at age 63. Initially hired by Disney in 1931 as an animator, he was transferred to the comic strip department where he first lettered the Mickey Mouse strips (March 1931 - July 1932). He later drew the Bucky Bug comics as well as Silly Symphonies pages from 1932 to 1939. While working on the Donald Duck strips, he also created Donald's nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie! Taliaferro was posthumously honored a Disney Legend in 2003.

Donald Duck by Al Taliaferro [1934] - The Wise Little Hen

1986
Pixar ceases being part of the Lucasfilm empire and becomes an independent company. At this time, the new enterprise, owned mostly by Steve Jobs (along with Ed Catmull & Alvy Ray Smith) is in the advanced computer hardware business. Pixar was founded as the Graphics Group, one third of the Computer Division of Lucasfilm that was launched in 1979 with the hiring of Catmull. (It will be nearly a decade until Pixar Inc. becomes Pixar Animation Studios, known for producing some of the greatest animated films ever.)



1989
Disney issues new $1 and $5 Disney Dollars at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. The $1 bill depicts Mickey Mouse on one side, and Sleeping Beauty Castle on the other. The $5 bill features Goofy on one side, and EPCOT Center's Spaceship Earth and the Empress Lilly Riverboat on the other.

2005
Playboy founder Hugh Hefner and his entourage visit Walt Disney World.



2007
The Walt Disney Company announces a $50,000 donation to the American Red Cross to aide in relief efforts following the severe storms and tornados that struck Central Florida the night before.



2011
Pixar Animation Studios celebrates its 25-year anniversary.

Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel Opens at Disneyland Resort

Jan 02, 2001

Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel Opens at Disneyland Resort

The first hotel to ever be located inside a Disney theme park is no ordinary hotel… it’s grand! On this day in 2001, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel opened its golden gates for the first time, allowing guests to stay within Disney’s California Adventure park. Although guests could enjoy the adventure of Disneyland park, California Adventure was not yet open, nor was Downtown Disney District for another ten days. On February 8^th, Disney’s California Adventure held its grand opening, along with the official grand opening of the Grand Californian Hotel, allowing Guests to have a grand experience at the newly expanded Disneyland Resort.

1937
Disney's Mickey Mouse film The Worm Turns - featuring the voices of Walt Disney as Mickey and Billy Bletcher as the dog catcher - is released.

1938
Conductor Leopold Stokowski arrives in Los Angeles for a session for Disney's The Sorcerer's Apprentice.

1977
At Disneyland's Frontierland, the Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland attraction closes. (It will later be replaced by Big Thunder Mountain.)

1979
Disney World's Dumbo's Circus Parade kicks off down Main Street, USA. (January 2, 1979 - December 21, 1979). he parade featured "colorful costumes, comical ballerinas, a circus train, floats, ringmaster Mickey Mouse and Dumbo himself." 

1984
The Astuter Computer Revue, a show in EPCOT Center's CommuniCore East, closes. The attraction took place on a second-floor terraced theater that overlooked a large room housing some of the computers used to operate the park. It was hosted by a projected host who sang and danced his way across computer banks in the foreground of the room in an attempt to explain the role of computers at Walt Disney World. The Astuter Computer Revue will be the first attraction ever to be removed from EPCOT. It will be replaced in February 1984 by Backstage Magic.

CLICK HERE to download the Computer Revue Song

 

CLICK HERE to hear the whole Astuter Computer Revue "live"

1996
Today is World of Motion's final day of operation at Epcot. An opening day attraction, visitors traveled on Omniover vehicles through humorous technology-themed scenes. (Test Track will eventually take its place.)

2001
Disney unveils its Grand Californian Hotel, offering a few hundred guests a preview of the high-end rooms and service the company hopes will transform the updated Anaheim vacation spot. The hotel is the first in the U.S. to be located inside a Disney theme park. The Grand Californian Hotel features 2 full-service restaurants (Storytellers Cafe and Napa Rose) and a snack bar (Whitewater Snacks). Although its grand opening will be in February, the first paying guests are welcomed on this day.

2005
Effective this day, all current Walt Disney World admission media will now require ticket tag finger scans.

2006
In observance with the Tournament of Roses “Never on Sunday” tradition, the 117th Rose Parade in Pasadena, California takes place on a Monday. Disney takes part in the event with a float featuring recreations of all 5 castles from each of its theme parks.


2009
Opening night of "Disney on Ice: 100 Years of Magic" begins at 7 p.m. at the First Arena in Elmira, New York.

2010
The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra performs a concert of symphonic arrangements from the Walt Disney Studio archives at Powell Symphony Hall in Grand Center. The concert is synchronized with images from such Disney classics as The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Mary Poppins and Tarzan.



It is reported that The United Way of Palm Beach County, Florida is offering a program in which volunteers can earn a day at a Disney park.