by Candra Spirtoff and Megan Voisard
Did You Know?
August 15, 1999 – The Disney Wonder, Disney’s newest cruise ship, makes its maiden voyage.
- The Disney Cruise Line ships are painted to resemble Mickey Mouse: black, white, yellow and red
- The Disney Cruise Line was the first cruise line to have yellow lifeboats, instead of the traditional orange
- Steamboat Willie stands at the bow of The Disney Wonder; Donald Duck and his nephew, Huey, are painted on the stern A statue of The Little Mermaid stands in the lobby
- Disney Cruise Line ships feature the only “fireworks at sea” display during its “Pirates IN the Caribbean” deck party
- The Disney Wonder, as well as The Disney Magic, are longer than Main Street U.S.A. in the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World
Other Notable Disney Dates:
August 12, 1929 – Walt Disney is granted a trademark to use the image of Mickey Mouse in motion pictures.
August 13, 1942 – Bambi, Disney’s 5th, full-length animated film, premieres at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
August, 13 1954 – Excavation of Disneyland begins
August 14, 1958 – Disneyland’s Alice in Wonderland dark ride has its grand opening
August 14, 1998 – The recording Association of America certifies the Mulan soundtrack as gold – selling 500,000 units!
August 16, 1943 – Walt Disney is selected by the Mexican President, Avila Camacho, to receive the Mexican Order of the Aztec Eagle – the highest decoration awarded to foreigners – for his achievements as an American film producer
August 17, 1981 – A WEDway PeopleMover opens in Texas at the Houston National Airport – it’s the first use of a Disney system outside of the theme parks!
August 18, 1986 – Crocket’s Tavern, part of Trail’s End Restaurant, opens in Walt Disney World’s Fort Wilderness Resort and campgrounds.
Question of the Week:
Where was the Disney Wonder built?
Candra Spirtoff and Megan Voisard are identical twins, born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. They both graduated from the University of Cincinnati, Candra with a Bachelor’s degree in Legal Assisting and Megan with a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. They currently work as a paralegals for a local law firm. Their passion is anything and everything Disney, and they have visited WDW almost every year since 1988, at the age of four.
