This Day in Disney History

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June 30

1957:
Jazz pianist Dave Brubeck and his trio finish up a 2-day recording session for a Disney themed record album to be called Dave Digs Disney.

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July 1

1975:
At Walt Disney World, the WEDway PeopleMover, a futuristic way of shuttling people around Tomorrowland, opens. It is located at Rockettower Plaza, where passengers enter and exit onto a circular moving platform. The ride is based on Disneyland's PeopleMover.

2002:
At Disney World, the Atlantic seaboard-inspired Disney's Beach Club Villas opens. Essentially an add-on to the Beach Club and Yacht Club resort complex, the villas are a Disney Vacation Club property and are located just a short walk from Epcot.

[tiggerguy]

July 2

1959:
Disney files a lawsuit against ABC. The network had advised Disney that they would not televise Zorro or The Mickey Mouse Club next season. ABC also informs Disney that these TV shows cannot be offered to other networks. Disney asks the court to invalidate the contracts between the two companies under provisions of the federal anti-trust laws.

1964:
Walt Disney Pictures releases The Moon-Spinners, starring Haylley Mills, Eli Wallach, and Peter McEnery. It is based on a novel by Mary Stewart.

[tiggerguy]

uly 3

1994:
The Lion King soundtrack hits #1 on the Billboard chart, where it will stay for nine consecutive weeks.

2006:
A special Fourth of July fireworks show is previewed at Disney World's Magic Kingdom.

[tiggerguy]

July 4

1956:
Disneyland's Indian War Canoes attraction debuts in Critter Country.

Walt Disney and his brother Roy visit Marceline, Missouri - their boyhood home and inspiration for Main Street USA.

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July 5

1930:
Disney's black & white Mickey Mouse cartoon Chain Gang is released. It features the first appearance of Pluto (though he is not yet named).

1994:
Disney World's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea attraction "temporarily closes" at the end of this day.

2004:
Disney World theme parks remain closed for the second day in a row as slow-moving Hurrican Frances continues to slam Florida.

[tiggerguy]

July 6

1925:
Walt and Roy Disney put down a $400 deposit on a lot at 2719 Hyperion Ave., in the Silver Lake district of Los Angeles, California. They plan to build a new animation studio.

2004:
A 230-pound female African elephant calf is born in Disney's Animal Kingdom.

[tiggerguy]

July 7

1953:
Disney's animated feature Peter Pan is released in Argentina.

1963:
Summer Magic, a live-action Disney feature starring Hayley Mills, Burl Ives, and Dorothy McGuire. is released.

2006:
Disney's newest feature film Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest opens in theaters the same day the attraction Pirates of the Caribbean re-opens at Disney World's Magic Kingdom.

[tiggerguy]

July 8

1956:
The Disney animated short How to Have an Accident in the Home, featuring Donald Duck and J.J. Fate (an imaginary personification of Donald's bad "luck"), is released.

1994:
The premier opening of the Legend of The Lion King in the Fantasyland Theater (at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom) takes place with a 5-minute ceremony.

2007:
The Disney Broadway musical Tarzan - based on the animated film of the same name - plays its final performance at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York City. Running since May 2006, the musical has played 35 previews and 486 regular performances.

[tiggerguy]

July 9

1956:
Actor Tom Hanks, the voice of Sheriff Woody for the Toy Story movies, is born in Concord, California. He also appears on the 1994 TV special The Wonderful World of Disney: 40 Years of Television Magic.

1982:
Walt Disney's Tron, the first film attempting to be made chiefly with computer graphics, premieres. It stars Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn , Bruce Boxleitner as Alan Bradley , Cindy Morgan as Lora Baines, and Dan Shor as Ram. Tron features the music of Wendy Carlos and Journey.

2007:
Deconstruction of the 50-ton Mickey Mouse arm and wand, leaning on Epcot's Spaceship Earth, begins. Also coming down are the 36-foot-high "Epcot" letters and colored stars splashing across the sphere.

[tiggerguy]

July 10

1981:
Disney's animated The Fox and the Hound premieres in U.S. theaters. It features the voices of Jack Alberston, Pearl Bailey, Sandy Duncan, Corey Feldman, Kurt Russell, Paul Winchell and Mickey Rooney. The storyline is based on the novel of the same name by Daniel Mannix. This film marks the premiere effort of a new generation of Disney animators.

[tiggerguy]

July 11

1953:
Disney releases the animated short How to Dance starring Goofy. The likenesses and sounds of the Firehouse Five Plus Two (Ward Kimball's Dixieland band) are featured as well.

1991:
Disney announces it will enter into a distribution deal with a Bay area digital studio named Pixar.

[tiggerguy]

July 12

1961:
The first draft of a screenplay is completed for a new Disney film titled Mary Poppins.

1989:
Star Tours opens at Tokyo Disneyland. It is the second Star Tours attraction,the first opened at Disneyland in 1987.

[tiggerguy]

July 13

1925:
Walt Disney marries Lillian Bounds (one of his first employees) at her brother's home in Lewiston, Idaho.

1940:
Actor Patrick Stewart, the voice of Mr. Woolensworth in the 2005 animated feature Chicken Little, is born in England.

1946:
Actor/comedian Cheech Marin is born in Los Angeles, California. His Disney voice credits include Cars as Ramone, The Lion King as Banzai the Hyena, and Oliver & Company as Tito.

[tiggerguy]

July 14

1975:
The Disney company announces plans to build an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow
(or EPCOT) in Florida.

2002:
In celebration of Bastille Day, the Disneyland Resort Paris holds a Holiday Pin Event.

2006:
A new daytime harbor show called “The Legend of Mythica” debuts as part of Tokyo DisneySea Park’s 5th Anniversary celebration.