1930:
Actor Rod Taylor, the voice of Pongo (the patriarch of the pups) in
Disney's 1961 film One Hundred and One Dalmations, is born in
Sydney, Australia. (You may recognize Taylor from his performances in such classic
films as The Birds and The Time Machine. He even appeared in a 1959 episode of The
Twilight Zone. Taylor most recently played the role of Winston Churchill in the 2009
release Inglourious Basterds.)
2005:
Disney releases 4 Walt Disney's Classic Cartoon Favorites to DVD.
The vintage collections include Walt Disney's Classic Cartoon Favorites: Volume 1 Starring Mickey, Walt Disney's Classic Cartoon Favorites: Volume 2 Starring Donald, Walt Disney's Classic Cartoon Favorites: Volume 3 Starring Goofy, and Walt Disney's Classic Cartoon Favorites: Volume 4 Starring Chip 'n Dale.
1931:
Author and composer Mary Rodgers is born in New York City. Her 1972 novel Freaky Friday was twice brought to the big screen (and once as a made-for-TV movie) by Disney. Mary is the daughter of legendary Broadway and film composer Richard Rodgers and his wife, Dorothy Rodgers.
1956:
The Disneyland TV series airs part 2 of "When Knighthood Was in Flower" (an
edited version of the theatrical release The Sword and the Rose).
1987:
Everyone's favorite VW Beetle returns to television when
The Wonderful World of Disney airs "Herbie Goes Bananas"
(originally released in theaters in 1980).
1990:
Disneyland kicks off its 35th anniversary celebration. On hand for the first
time since 1955 are all three of the original hosts of the park's grand opening live broadcast. Art Linkletter,
Bob Cummings, and Ronald Reagan reunite in front of Main Street station before taking part in the Party
Gras Parade - featuring New Orleans-style floats and 40-foot-tall balloons.
Meanwhile down in Florida, the Walt Disney World Swan Resort holds its
grand opening. The deluxe hotel, designed by award-winning architect Michael Graves, is a 12-story
building with an arched rooftop featuring a pair of graceful 47-foot swan statues. Located between Epcot
and Disney-MGM Studios (later renamed Disney's Hollywood Studios), it is owned by Tishman Hotel
Corporation and operated by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide under the Westin brand.
(Its sister hotel the Walt Disney World Dolphin will open in June 1990.)
2001:
A star-studded, high-energy party marks the Grand Opening of the Downtown Disney District at The Disneyland Resort in Southern California. At this one-of-a-kind
premiere benefiting the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, donors and celebrity guests (like
Sylvester Stallone and Paul Glaser) enjoy entertainment, world-class cuisine and unique shopping
opportunities in more than two dozen clubs, restaurants and boutiques that make up the new addition to The
Disneyland Resort. (The Downtown area will officially open to the public the very next day.)
2002:
Variety reports that Disney will develop a script inspired by its Haunted
Mansion attraction. In "Haunted House," a father who has neglected his family encounters a ghost
while on a job interview. The vision spooks him into a profound awareness of the importance of his family.
Superstar Limo, a dark ride attraction running since the debut
of Disney's California Adventure, closes.
2003:
Although it will be released directly to home video in 10 days, Disney's 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure has a theatrical premiere.
2004:
The 11th annual Walt Disney World Marathon and Half Marathon
both take place with a record-setting 24,000 participants (15,500 in the
full marathon and 8,500 in the half marathon). Floridians Matthew
Dobson of Jay and Kim Donaldson of St. Petersburg finish in first and second place (it is the first all-
American championship finish in the 11-year history of the race). Clinton Verran, Nicholas Cordes and Brian
Sell (a trio of Michigan runners tuning up for the Olympic Trials) cross the half marathon finish line together
in a record-shattering time of 1:05:43.
Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean wins a People's Choice Award for
favorite motion picture at the 30th annual event.
According to Box Office Mojo, Disney's Finding Nemo is #9 in Word Wide
All-Time Box Office Grosses (as of this day) at $821.3 million. Disney's
Pirates of the Caribbean comes in at #18 with $653.4 million.
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During its early
planning stages, the
Space Mountain attraction was referred to as Space Port.
JANUARY 11
1958:
Actress, dancer & singer Alyson Reed, who portrayed Ms. Darbus on Disney Channel's High School Musical, is born in California. She also appeared in the sequel High School Musical 2 (although her role in that film was only one scene), and reprised her role as Ms. Darbus in High School Musical 3: Senior Year. Growing up in Anaheim, as a teen Reed played Alice in Wonderland at Disneyland!
2008:
Disney announces in a letter from CEO Bob Iger to shareholders that the 2008 annual meeting of shareholders will be held March 6, 2008 at the Albuquerque Convention Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The syndicated television program Entertainment Tonight features a segment on Disney's newest stage musical The Little Mermaid. ET goes backstage and behind-the-scenes at Broadway’s Lunt-Fontanne Theatre with Sierra Boggess (who portrays Ariel) for an exclusive sneak peek.
1954:
The Hollywood Reporter runs the front page headline: WALT DISNEY PLANS TV SHOW. Roy O. Disney has announced to stockholders, in a controversial move, that a Disney television show would be "designed not only to produce revenue but also to publicize all of the company's product."
WALT
DISNEY
PLANS
TV SHOW
advertisement
2009:
The 16th Annual Walt Disney World Marathon takes place with Brazilian Adriano Bastos winning for the fifth consecutive year (and sixth time overall). He finishes the 26.2-mile jaunt through all four of Disney's theme parks in 2:20:38. Lisa Mizutani, a 23-year-old medical student from Japan, wins the women's title in 2:46:27.
Other 2009 winners (over the last two days) include:
Men’s Masters: Stuart McLay, San Salvador, El Salvador, 2:35:20
Women’s Masters: Terri Rejimbal, Tampa, Fla., 3:04:57
Men’s Chair: Krige Schabort, Cedartown, Ga., 1:37:19
Women’s Chair: Shirley Reilly, Tucson, Ariz., 2:09:51
Men’s Half: David Jankowski, Rochester Hills, Mich., 1:07:36
Women’s Half: Elizabeth Chelagat, Las Cruces, N.M., 1:17:32
Men’s Half Chair: John Payne, Germantown, Tenn., 1:24:18
Women’s Half Chair: Jacqui Kapinowski, Point Pleasant, N.J., 1:24:51
The 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards take place at The Beverly
Hilton in California. WALL-E wins Best Animated Feature Film. The Golden
Globe is presented by Disney stars The Jonas Brothers to Wall-E director Andrew Stanton.
JANUARY 11
THIS DAY MADE
IN THE
USA
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WALL-E wins Golden Globe
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SEASON 2 EPISODE 16
"The day we start thinking about what the audience wants, we’re going to make bad choices. We’ve always holed ourselves up in a building for 4 years and ignored the rest of the world, because nobody are bigger movie geeks than we are, so we know exactly what we are dying to see with our family and kids. We don’t need other people to tell us that. We trust the audience member in ourselves." -Andrew Stanton
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At noon, the very first Mickey Mouse Club gathers at the Fox Dome Theater in Ocean Park, California. It is the brainchild of Harry W. Woodin, the theater's manager. (The following summer, the
entire Fox chain will begin hosting club matinees all over the country.)
"Walt had liked me in something, and personally called me to do 101 Dalmatians.
I had forgotten all about it until it was re-released (in 1985). Frankly, I've never even seen the film. But Walt was the sweetheart of all time. He and his people were so well-organized, it was unbelievable. They showed me rough cartoons before I recorded my lines, and I found it fascinating. I wish I had gotten to know him better." -Rod Taylor (1987)
WDW's Space Mountain is currently the oldest operating roller coaster
in the state
of Florida.
1963:
Animator Priscillano "Pres" Romanillos is born in the Philippines. At the age of six, his family
moved to Queens, New York City where he grew up. Later he enrolled at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan,
successfully graduating with a Masters Degree in Fine Art. In 1988 Romanillos was hired by Disney Animation where he
worked on such films as The Little Mermaid, The Rescuers Down Under, Beauty and the Beast,Aladdin, Pocahontas, The
Hunchback of Notre Dame, and The Princess and the Frog. He is probably best known as the animator who brought to life
the evil Shan-Yu in Disney’s Mulan. (Sadly Romanillos passed away at age 47 due to complications from leukemia.
During his 21-year career, Romanillos earned the respect of his fellow artists for his exceptional drawing ability and his
enthusiasm for the art of animation.)
1922:
Business woman, socialite, and homemaker Catherine Beebe is born in Nooksack, Washington. She and her husband cinematographer Lloyd Beebe were founders and owners of Olympic Game Farm in Sequim, Washington, which originally started as a filming location for Walt Disney in the early 1950’s called Disney’s Wild Animal Ranch. They worked many years with the Disney Studios, filming numerous animal pictures such as Charlie the Lonesome Cougar, White Wilderness, The Vanishing Prairie, Jungle Cat, and The Incredible Journey.
JAN
JAN
1998:
The 5th Annual Walt Disney World Marathon takes place in Florida.
Santiago de Araujo of Sao Paulo, Brazil, wins with a time of 2:23:25. Other winners on this day include:
Women’s Overall: Lyubov Klochko, Gainesville, Fla., 2:44:47
Men’s Masters: Jeff Delie, Palm Harbor, Fla., 2:33.32
Women’s Masters: Bonnie Moser, Miami, Fla., 3:08.46
Men’s Chair: Saul Mendoza, Col Ramos Milla, Mexico, 1:47.59
Women’s Chair: Katherine Hunter, Orlando, Fla., 2:42.59
Men’s Half: Keith Brantly, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., 1:09.58
Women’s Half: Joan Samuelson, Freeport, Maine, 1:18.13
Men’s Half Chair: Joe Dowling, Old Greenwich, Conn., 1:07:30
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