1996:
Epcot's Test Track Preview Center opens. (The attraction won't be ready for a soft
opening until December 1998.)
Toy Story receives 3 Academy Award nominations for Achievement in Music (Original Musical or Comedy Score), Achievement in Writing, and Achievement in Music (Original Song). Pocahontas is also nominated for Achievement in Music (Original Musical or Comedy Score) and Achievement in Music (Original Song). Winners will be announced March 25.
1998:
Animator Jules Engel, who worked on Disney's Fantasia, is awarded the "Friz" lifetime achievement award for animation at the 1998 Santa Clarita International Film Festival. Founder of the experimental-animation program at CalArts in 1970 (where he taught for over thirty years) Engel helped develop the cartoon character Mr. Magoo.
The New York Daily News runs the article
"Elton & Tim Meet Aida, Disney Preps 'Elaborate' Stage Version."
2004:
Disneyland hosts a Friday the 13th ceremony to light up the marque of the new Tower of Terror. The event, which includes a screaming contest, is hosted by comedian Gallagher.
(The new attraction will open in Disney's California Adventure May 5.)
1957:
The Disneyland television series airs "Tricks of Our Trade," written by animator
Dick Huemer and hosted by Walt Disney. Viewers are taken on an hour-long discussion
and demonstration on how artists study real life in order to recreate and embellish it on the screen.
1959:
The TV series Walt Disney Presents airs "Duck Flies Coop."
Feeling that Walt Disney is working him too hard, temperamental Donald Duck decides to take
a vaction - right in the middle of his shooting schedule! Just before hitting the road, Donald imperiously
tells Walt to soldier on alone as best he can. As Donald experiences all manners of misadventures while
trying to relax, Walt decides to teach the duck a lesson by pretending to "groom a replacement."
1965:
Disney's combination live-action and animated Freewayphobia, featuring Goofy, is released. Goofy demonstrates how not to drive on the freeway: first as an overly timid driver, then as an overly aggressive driver, and finally as an inattentive driver.
1976:
Animator John Lounsbery, one of Walt's original "Nine Old Men" who is still a studio employee and currently working on The Rescuers, passes away at St. Joseph's Hospital in California (across from the Disney Studio). First hired in 1935, his large body of work included Pinocchio, Dumbo, Song of the South, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Melody Time, The Jungle Book and Robin Hood. Lounsbery will be named a Disney Legend in 1989.
On The Mike Douglas Show, Anita Bryant concludes her co-hosting duties from Florida's Disney World. Her guests include actor Dean Jones (best known for his leading roles in many Walt Disney movies), and 5 former Mouseketeers - Annette Funicello, Tommy Cole, Bobby Burgess, Cubby O'Brien and Darlene Gillespie Gammon. Also featured is a visit to the Polynesian Village for a luau and fireworks display.
1985:
Mickey Mouse, accompanied by Disneyland's Ambassador, Melissa Taylor, begin a 30-day flight around the world, celebrating Disneyland's 30th anniversary.
1988:
Expo Robotics (located in CommuniCore West) debuts at EPCOT's
Future World. The show stars a top-spinning industrial robot arm named Pixel.
(The attraction will run through October 3, 1993 and CommuniCore will close by early 1994.)
1999:
Winnie the Pooh, a Valentine for You airs on ABC-TV.
Michael Weiss wins the men's national title at the U.S. Figure
Skating Championships, skating to music from Mulan.
2000:
As part of the 45th anniversary celebration, The Disneyland Resort introduces
a new Pin Trading Program.
Also, the "45 Years of Magic Parade" has its first public preview at Disneyland. Two shows, one during the day and one at night, are performed. (The parade will make its official debut on February 18.)
2002:
It is announced at the Chandler Mansion set from "All My Children: in ABC Soap Opera Bistro" at Disney's California Adventure, that ABC Super Soap Weekends will take place in April 2002. There will be 3 weekends (much like the ones that for several years have taken place at the Disney-MGM Studios in Florida) devoted to popular daytime dramas aired on ABC-TV. Actor Walt Willey (who plays Jackson McGomery on "All My Children"), actresses Linda Dano (who portrays Ray Cummings on "One Life To Live") and Nancy Lee Grahn (who plays Alexis Davis on "General Hospital") all take part in the morning announcement.
1993:
Lumière’s Kitchen restaurant opens in Fantasyland at Disney World's Magic Kingdom. (In 2006 it will become The Village Fry Shoppe, and in 2009 The Friar’s Nook.)
1973:
A Valentine Dance (sponosred by the WDW Recreation Club) is held for Disney World Cast Members at the Contemporary Hotel's Ballroom of the Americas.
2007:
Danielle Day and her family from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan spend the
night inside Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom. The first time Disney
World visitors are the first Canadian family to ever win a night's stay as
part of the unique Disney Dreams Giveaway.
Covering 47 square miles,
Walt Disney World
is about the same size
as the city of
San Francisco or two
Manhattan islands!
FEB
2008:
Disney releases Discs of Tron on Xbox Live Arcade. The game, based on the 1982 film Tron, allows players to face off against the evil Sark.
Good Morning America broadcasts live on ABC from Castaway Cay (Disney's private island in the Bahamas) to feature the Acoba family from Port Orchard, Washington. They are the winners of the Castaway Cay for a day Year of a Million Dreams prize!
(More than 3,500 families wrote to Good Morning America for a chance to win the one-of-a-kind vacation.)
Disneyland announces that it will soon open a new dwelling in Tomorrowland - this time in partnership with 21st century technology giants Microsoft Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co., software maker LifeWare and homebuilder Taylor Morrison. The 5,000-square-foot 'House of the Future' (scheduled to open in May) will look like a suburban tract home outside. But inside the $15 million Innoventions Dream Home will feature hardware, software and touch-screen systems that could simplify everyday living.
FEBRUARY 13
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FEBRUARY 13
THIS
SITE MADE
IN THE USA
2009:
Disney debuts its new Disney XD with the launch of the Disney XD network and DisneyXD.com. The new brand is aimed at boys ages 6-14 and features content focusing on the themes of adventure, accomplishment, gaming, music and sports. Among the action-adventure series premiering on this day is Aaron Stone starring Kelly Blatz.
California resident Frances Taylor celebrates her 100th birthday at Disneyland! She is greeted at the main gate by the Disneyland Marching Band, a confetti burst, mouse-
ear balloons and a cavalcade of well-wishers, including Mickey and Minnie Mouse!
(As a 3-year-old child from Scotland, Taylor was to ride aboard the Titanic with her mother, brothers and sisters on
its 1912 maiden voyage to the U.S. ... but the crossing was over-booked and they were bumped!)
Disney's Touchstone Pictures releases Confessions of a Shopaholic starring Isla Fisher, John Goodman, Joan Cusack, Hugh Dancy, and John Lithgow.
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In memory of John Lounsbery
(1911-1976)
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SEASON 3 EPISODE 16
"He was harder on himself than anyone else. When he first got picked to direct Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too, he was packing up his stuff, and I stopped by his room and I said, 'So what does it feel like to become a director?' And he said, 'I don't know I just want to be a good animator someday.' Which is just crazy, because here's this guy who was so good. His work was loose, but you felt the bone structure under every character. He put so much pliability in his characters, so many expressions." -animator Dale Baer on John Lounsbery
"It was the first day of our first family trip to Disney. We were on the first attraction and it was within the
first hour that we were selected to stay the night in the Cinderella Castle Suite!" -Danielle Day
2010:
During the 10th Annual Toy of the Year Awards in New York City, John Lasseter
(chief creative officer, Walt Disney Company and Pixar Animation Studios, and
principal creative advisor of Walt Disney Imagineering) is inducted into the toy industry Hall of Fame. Lasseter shares this honor with many including Walt Disney (inducted in
1987) and Jim Henson (in 1992).
