Disney Tidbits

[tiggerguy]

In 1959, Disney released Sleeping Beauty, his most costly animated feature to date. Unfortunately the $6 million movie was not a tremendous hit in its initial release.

[tiggerguy]

The Richard F. Irvine Riverboat (an authentic steamboat named for Disney designer **** Irvine) made its inaugural voyage down the Rivers of America at Walt Disney World in 1973.

[tiggerguy]

Disney's only feature-length motion picture release of 1951 was
Alice in Wonderland.

[tiggerguy]

Disney Village - a shopping, dining, and entertainment complex in Disneyland Paris - was originally called Festival Disney.

[tiggerguy]

Lucasfilm's Computer Graphics Division (started by filmmaker George Lucas) was sold to Apple Computer co-founder Steve Jobs and later became ... Pixar Animation Studio.

[tiggerguy]

One of the first E-ticket attractions at Disneyland was the
Matterhorn Bobsleds, the high-speed thrill ride.

[tiggerguy]

Disney's Beauty and the Beast made Academy Award history as the first animated feature ever nominated for Best Picture.

[tiggerguy]

Disneyland's Bear Country was renamed Critter Country
in 1988.

[tiggerguy]

Toy designer Mel Birnkrant's home and personal museum in upstate New York is packed with thousands of vintage Mickey Mouse items.

[tiggerguy]

Walt Disney World's security personnel are known as "foxes."

[tiggerguy]

At Disneyland's Haunted Mansion, the organ in the Grand Ballroom is the same one Captain Nemo played aboard the Nautilus in Disney's 1954 film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

[tiggerguy]

In 1959, Disney purchased the 708-acre Golden Oak Ranch in California , just north of their Burbank studio, to serve as a film location.

[tiggerguy]

United Airlines (one time sponsor of the DL Enchanted Tiki Room) operated a Disneyland/LAX helicopter service in the 1960's.

[tiggerguy]

Disney opened two new businesses in Southern California in 1997:
Club Disney (an imaginative play zone and entertainment complex for kids) and ESPN (a store retail outlet).

[tiggerguy]

At Disneyland's Haunted Mansion, the image of Madame Leota
is that of former Disney Imagineer Leota Toombs Thomas. But Madame's voice is by Eleanor Audley, the voice of Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty
.