2004:
Disney releases Around the World in 80 Days and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (a special 3-disc gift set) to DVD. Also released is the audio CD Walt Disney Records Presents Superstar Hits.
Walt Disney Records releases The Incredibles Soundtrack featuring music by Michael Giancchino.
1832:
Kepple Disney (Walt's paternal grandfather) is born to
Arundel Elias Disney and Maria Swan in Ireland.
1889:
European publisher (of the monthly magazine "Topolino") and Disney Legend Arnoldo Mondadori is born in the village of Poggio Rusco, Italy.
1903:
A production of Shakespeare's Midsummer Nights Dream opens the New
Amsterdam Theater at 214 West 42nd Street in the heart of Times Square in
New York City. It is the largest theater at this time in the state. (During the Depression years, the New
Amsterdam will be converted to a movie house. New York State will later purchase the theater in 1992 and
subsequently lease it to Disney for $29 million in 1993.)
1924:
Bard's Hollywood Theater previews the Alice Comedy film Alice the Piper starring Virginia Davis. (The short will be released the following month.)
1951:
Disney releases the Donald Duck short Out of Scale. Directed by Jack
Hannah, Chip 'n' Dale make themselves at home in Donald's model train set!
1955:
Mickey Mouse Club airs on ABC-TV. Today is Anything Can Happen Day.
The Disneyland television series airs part 1 of
"The Story of Robin Hood," a live-action movie first released in 1952.
1963:
The Dapper Dans sing with Julie Andrews and Wally Boag at a special Disneyland press-only event on the Golden Horseshoe stage to promote next year's release of Mary Poppins.
1966:
During pre-operative X-rays for upcoming surgery for an old polo injury to Walt
Disney’s neck, doctors at St. Joseph Medical Center (located across the street from
the Disney Studios) discover a malignant cancerous tumor that has spread to his
entire left lung. Disney has been complaining of shortness of breath, and pain in his left leg and neck.
Although immediate surgery is advised, Walt leaves the hospital to attend to studio business for a few days.
1986:
In New York City, a 12-by-16-inch celluloid, from Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, is purchased for $30,800.
Popular voice over actor Paul Frees, known for his Haunted Mansion narration, passes away in California. He also voiced several pirates in the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction and Disney's Professor Ludwig Von Drake in eighteen episodes of the Disney anthology television series.
Born in 1920, he began his acting career in 1942 and remained active for over 40 years. During that time, Frees was involved in more than 250 films, cartoons and TV appearances; like many voice actors, his appearances were often uncredited. (In TV commercials, Frees voiced the Pillsbury Doughboy and the elf who calls out to the Jolly Green Giant!) He will be named a Disney Legend in 2006.
Disney's TV film Ask Max - about a 12-year-old genius inventor - first airs.
1992:
At Disneyland, the Mission to Mars attraction in Tomorrowland closes.
The space will remain unused until it officially reopens as a restaurant, Redd Rockett's Pizza Port in Disneyland's New Tomorrowland on May 22, 1998.
1997:
The Atlanta Journal Constitution runs an article about the "Save Mr. Toad's Wild Ride" website and its attempt to stop Walt Disney World from replacing the classic attraction. (The site was posted October 23, just one day after the Orlando Sentinel ran an article announcing Disney's plans.)
The Wonderful World of Disney airs "Rodger & Hammersteins Cinderella" on ABC-TV.
Disney Channel debuts a new episode of Muppets Tonight with guest star Paula Abdul. This episode was shot as part of the first season - which aired on ABC-TV.
1999:
Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa formally announces that an agreement has been
reached with the Walt Disney Company on building a Disneyland park in Hong Kong.
2001:
Disney's animated feature Monsters, Inc. (featuring the voices of John
Goodman and Billy Crystal) opens. It is the fourth feature collaboration between
The Walt Disney Company and Pixar Studios (but the first film Pixar has released not directed
by John Lasseter). Two monsters who work at a power plant that powers the monster world with
children's screams, encounter a little girl named Boo who accidentally enters the monster world.
Also released with Monsters, Inc. is the Pixar short For the Birds (which first debuted in 2000).
This marks the first time John Lasseter serves as an Executive Producer.
In a ceremony held at Disney's California Adventure, Disneyland Resort Cast Member Matt Ebeling (a Manager in Catering and Convention services) is selected as the newest Disneyland Resort Ambassador. Matt replaces out-going Ambassadors Eddie Garcia and Doina Roman-Osborn.
2002:
As part of its grand opening weekend, the new Borders
in Spokane, Washington, hosts Disney Day.
2006:
Disney's Division II Tip-Off Classic kicks off for 5 days
at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Florida.
 | ||||||
Disney Legend Paul Frees (the
voice of the Haunted Mansion's
Ghost Host) was often called upon
in the 1950s and 1960s to "re-loop" the dialogue of other
actors, often to correct
for foreign accents,
lack of English
proficiency, or poor
line readings by non-
professionals.
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1954:
LOOK magazine gives readers "Your First View of Disneyland." The article reports that "bulldozers are piling up miniature mountains for a new product of Walt Disney's fertile imagination - a fabulous playground called Disneyland."
1790:
James K. Polk, the eleventh United States President, is born in
Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Under Polk, the U.S. grew by more than a
million square miles, adding territory that is now the states of Arizona, Utah, Nevada, California,
Oregon, Idaho, Washington, much of New Mexico, and portions of Wyoming, Montana, and
Colorado. Visit Polk and all the U.S. Chief Executives at Disney World's The Hall of Presidents.
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1865:
Warren G. Harding, the twenty-ninth United States President, is born in Ohio. Visit him and all the U.S. Chief Executives at Disney World's Hall of Presidents.
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1940:
Disney's Goofy cartoon Goofy's Glider is released. Goofy has a hard time getting his homemade glider airborne!
1989:
Walt Disney World announces plans to build the Dixie Landings Resort.
Dixie Landings will open in 1992 (and become known as Port Orleans Riverside in 2001).
2008:
Approximately 5.5 million viewers watch the third-season debut of Disney Channel's Hanna Montana.
1975:
Actor, musician & voice actor Danny Cooksey is born in Moore, Oklahoma. He supplied the voices of Disney's Dave the Barbarian, Emperor Stanley for the Meet the Robinsons video game, and Jake for episodes of Kim Possible. (TV fans may recall a young Cooksey for his role of Sam on the hit sitcom
Diff'rent Strokes for 3 years.)
advertisement
NOVEMBER 2
In Memory of Paul Frees (1920-1986)
THIS DAY MADE
IN THE
USA
NOVEMBER 2
New Amsterdam Theater opens
N
O
V
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"He was a great talent. One take and that’s all it took for Paul. He’d come up with things that you can’t write. He’d get the flavor of it." -Imagineer Xavier Atencio on Paul Frees
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"No president who performs his duties faithfully and conscientiously can have any leisure."
-James K. Polk
"I don't know much about Americanism, but it's a damn good word with which to carry an election." -Warren Harding
SEASON 2 EPISODE 8
2007:
Disney Channel debuts the fourth episode of Wizard
of Waverly Place - "New Employee."
1947:
The Hughes H-1 Hercules, also known as "Spruce Goose" a prototype heavy
transport aircraft designed and built by the Hughes Aircraft Company, makes its first
and only flight. (Built from wood because of wartime raw material restrictions on the use of aluminum, it is
nicknamed the "Spruce Goose" by its critics.) On this day, near Long Beach, California, the heavy transport flying
boat lifts off with Howard Hughes (one of the wealthiest people in the world) at the controls. It is the largest flying
boat ever built, and has the largest wingspan and height of any aircraft in history.
In 1980, the Spruce Goose was acquired by the California Aero Club, who leased it to the Wrather Corporation and
put the aircraft on display in a large dome adjacent to the Queen Mary exhibit in Long Beach, California. Eight years later, The Walt Disney Company acquired both attractions and the associated real estate from Wrather (when the
Disneyland Hotel was purchased)! No longer wanting to operate the domed exhibit, Disney gave up the Flying Boat
which eventually found a permanent home (thanks to the Aero Club of Southern California) at The Evergreen
Aviation & Space Museum in Oregon.
Today is All Souls Day
2010:
Volume II issue IV of D23's magazine Disney twenty-
three premieres with stunning collectible covers and
an exclusive sneak peek at TRON: Legacy.
2011:
Cameron Mathison (best known for his role on All My Children) makes his Broadway debut in a cameo role in Mary Poppins at the New Amsterdam Theatre.
Mathison's performance will be shown as a part of a special Good Morning America segment celebrating the 5th anniversary of Mary Poppins on Broadway.
