1933:
Disney's Mickey Mouse cartoon Ye Olden Days and the
Silly Symphony cartoon Father Noah's Ark are both released.
2005:
A fifth grade class from Sonoma County's El Verano Elementary School are honored as environmental heroes at the Disneyland Resort. Teacher David Neubacher and his students are awarded the honor during a special ceremony (which is part of Jiminy Cricket's Environmentality Challenge program).
Disney's Kim Possible Movie: So the Drama debuts on Disney Channel.
Choreographer Onna White, who worked on the 1977 Disney animated-live action feature Pete's Dragon, passes away in California. Over her career she collected an amazing 8 Tony Award nominations for classics like The Music Man.
Disney's Broadway hit Beauty and the Beast plays its
4,500th performance!
The Phil of the Future episode "Corner Pocket"
debuts on Disney Channel.
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1939:
The British mouse-mag Mickey Mouse Weekly introduces the Lone Ranger (already popular with American kids) to its readers. A free Lone Ranger mask is included in the issue.
1941:
Original Mouseketeer Darlene Gillespie is born in Montreal, Canada.
1962:
The NBC-TV series Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color
airs "Von Drake in Spain."
1974:
Walt Disney World's Treasure Island (later to be called Discovery Island) opens to the public. Located on Bay Lake behind the Contemporary Hotel, the 11.5-acre island features wildlife (such as birds, reptiles, and mammals). A beached hull of a sailing ship on the island's southwest shore and a light pirate theme (complete with Cast Members in costume) set the stage for this "tropical island paradise."
1997:
Disney's Mighty Ducks the Movie: The First Face Off is released direct-to video. It features the voices of Jim Belushi, Tim Curry, and Dennis Franz.
2000:
Two San Francisco Bay Area student robot teams join with a New Jersey team to win the FIRST ("For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology") national robotic games championship held at Walt Disney World's Epcot in Florida. The NASA-sponsored competition involves 268 robots from high schools across the nation.
2001:
The classic 1924 silent film Peter Pan returns to Disney's El Capitan Theatre, with organist Chris Elliott providing live accompaniment to the film. Also on the bill is a celebration of Walt Disney's 100th birthday that includes rare screenings of two 1922 animated shorts, Little Red Riding Hood and Puss in Boots, along with family home movies and previously unseen footage. (Walt Disney is said to have admired the 1924 adaptation of James M. Barrie's Peter Pan and purchased it in 1938 when he began development of his animated feature.) Disney film restoration expert Scott MacQueen hosts the afternoon event.
2002:
Disney Online announces the launch of a new advertising format that expands upon the traditional banner ad. "The Magic Banner," will engage guests with animated designs in a single, enlarged ad space at the top of the page.
Orman James Tucker - who was an employee of Walt Disney and Technicolor during the late 1930s early 40s - passes away in Valencia, California, at age 88.
2006:
Disneyland Paris launches its newest attraction, Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast (located in the park’s Discoveryland).
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APRIL 8
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Walt Disney World's
now extinct Treasure Island (later known as Discovery Island) was a sanctuary for dozens of birds, reptiles, mammals, and other
non-avian species.
APRIL 8
1985:
Monday
The 107th White House Easter Egg Roll, one of the oldest and most unique traditions in U. S. presidential history, takes place the day after Easter Sunday. This year's event includes Disney and one of its' most outstanding artists and Imagineers Bill Justice. Fifty of America's best artists - including Justice - have been asked by U.S. President Ronald Reagan to paint an Easter egg. Justice has also been asked to design the cover for the event's program and to illustrate four pages of Disney line art for children to color. He attends the
Easter Egg Roll along with Mickey Mouse!
2004:
A memorial service is held at the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York City for the late Jason Raize. Raize, the original adult Simba in the Broadway musical The Lion King, had passed at the age of 28 last February. (Raize also provided the voice of Denahi in the 2003 Disney animated feature Brother Bear.)
APRIL
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"Somehow I can't believe that there are any heights that can't be scaled by a man who knows the secrets of making dreams come true. This special secret - curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of all is confidence. When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionable." -Walt Disney
2008:
Thousands of Disneyland park guests gather around King Arthur's
Carousel to watch Disney's top brass dedicate a special carousel horse to
legendary performer Julie Andrews. It commemorates Andrews' service as the
theme park's ambassador during its 50th anniversary, as well as her
contributions to the company over the past 44 years.
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