1994:
Thanksgiving Day
At Epcot Honey, I Shrunk the Audience, a multi-media 3-D movie
experience, has an official opening. Already running for the last few days, it replaces Captain EO
at the Journey into Imagination pavilion. Wayne Szalinski (played by Rick Moranis) is receiving the Inventor of
the Year Award for his shrink ray. When attempting to demonstrate it, it goes haywire and ends up shrinking
the audience! The film also features Eric Idle as Dr. Nigel Channing and Marcia Strassman as Wayne's wife Diane.
1826:
Journalist Carlo Lorenzini, better known as Carlo Collodi, Italian author of
The Adventures of Pinocchio, is born in Florence, Tuscany (today known as Italy).
"Collodi" chose the name for his pseudonym after the hillside village in Tuscany, birthplace of his mother. It now boasts the Park of Pinocchio, setting for many tourists and local admirers alike.
2005:
Thanksgiving Day
Mickey Mouse and friends take to the streets of Broadway spreading
holiday cheer to millions, as Walt Disney World Resort joins the 79th
Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. LeAnn Rimes
and Disney characters ride aboard the "S.S. Celebration" Showboat float, a replica of the
riverboats of yesteryear. At 33 feet tall, the Showboat is the largest vessel to ever float down the parade route!
New balloons debuting in this year's parade include Mr. Potato Head. A vintage toy first introduced in 1952,
Mr. Potato Head's popularity has risen due to his appearances in the Toy Story films.
Actor Pat Morita passes away at age 73 in Las Vegas, Nevada. His work for Disney included The Emperor of China in Mulan and its sequel, and Wise Man in Boy Meets World. He reprised his role of The Emperor of China in the video game Kingdom Hearts II (his final voice acting role before his death). Morita was best known for his roles as Matsuo "Arnold" Takahashi on the ABC sitcom Happy Days from 1974 to 1984 and as Keisuke Miyagi in The Karate Kid films.
1941:
After suffering a strike and declining revenue because of the war in Europe, Walt
Disney's studio is in trouble. Disney animator Ward Kimball notes in his diary for this
day: "100 layoffs announced. Studio personnel from 1600 down to 300. Geez, Is this
the writing on the wall?" (Disney will save itself by doing defense films for the army &
with the post-war release of Cinderella - be back on top.)
1942:
Actor-comedian-musician Billy Connolly, the voice of Ben in Disney's 1995
release Pocahontas, is born in Scotland. He also played the role of Billy Bones in the 1996
Muppet Treasure Island and supplied the voice for the character Fergus in the 2012 animated Brave.
1950:
The Disney cartoon Morris, the Midget Moose,
directed by Jack Hannah, is released by RKO.
1954:
The Disneyland television series airs its 5th episode on ABC with an edited
version of the 1949 movie "So Dear To My Heart," starring Burl Ives.
1955:
Thanksgiving Day
The Mickey Mouse Club Circus attraction opens at Disneyland the same
day the Mickey Mouse Club airs on ABC-TV. Today's theme ... is appropriately
Circus Day! The Mickey Mouse Club Circus attraction (which will run through early January) is
held under a huge striped tent and features live performances from Professor Keller and His
Feline Fantastics, Serenado the Wonder Horse, Bob-O the Disneyland clown and of course TV's Mouseketeers!
Also at Disneyland, the park debuts its "Christmas at Disneyland Festival" (which will run through early January 1956). The event includes the very first holiday parade to be staged at
Disneyland. The procession is led by Walt Disney and Fess Parker (donning his Davy Crockett garb) and features
high school marching bands and various traditional holiday elements, such as the "wise men" and live animals,
including camels, a llama and even an ostrich.
1968:
Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color airs part 1 of "The Treasure of
San Bosco Reef," starring James Daly and Roger Mobley.
1971:
The creator of This Day in Disney History takes his very first trip
to Walt Disney World - which includes a stay at the
Contemporary Resort Hotel.
2000:
The 5th Epcot Holidays Around the World begins.
2003:
The Orlando Sentinel reports that Disney's Grand Floridian
Resort & Spa's Victoria & Albert's has been named
Central Florida's only AAA five-diamond restaurant.
2004:
The Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights returns to
Disney-MGM Studios for the 2004 holiday season.
2006:
Epcot's annual Holidays Around the World kicks off in Florida.
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1956:
The second of eight installments titled "My Dad, Walt Disney," by Diane Disney Miller
as told to Pete Martin (a "celebrity friendly" writer)
appears in the Saturday Evening Post.
Pinocchio is Italian for "pine
eye." Pino means pine,
and occhio means eye.
1999:
At Epcot, The Global Neighborhood - Spaceship Earth's post show - is replaced with The New Global Neighborhood.
Toy Story 2, the third Disney/Pixar feature film, and the
sequel to Toy Story, is released in U.S. theaters. The film features most of the original characters and voices from the first film, including Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Jim Varney, Wallace
Shawn, Annie Potts, John Ratzenberger, Joe Ranft, John Morris, and Laurie Metcalf. Toy Story 2 also debuts new characters voiced by Jodi Benson, Joan Cusack, Kelsey Grammer, Estelle Harris, and Wayne Knight.
Woody (Hanks) is stolen from his home by toy dealer Al McWhiggin (Knight), leaving Buzz Lightyear (Allen) and the rest of the gang to try to rescue him. But when Woody discovers that he's actually a valuable collectible from a once-popular television show called "Woody's Roundup" and is reunited with his horse Bullseye, Jessie the yodeling cowgirl (Cusack) and his faithful sidekick, Stinky Pete the Prospector (Grammer), he doesn't want to leave! (Not originally intended for release in theaters, Disney had asked Pixar to make a direct-to-video sequel for the original Toy Story with a 60 minute running time. But when Disney executives saw how impressive the in-work imagery for the sequel was, they decided to create a theatrical movie.)
1888:
Actress Cathleen Nesbitt is born Cheshire, England. Fans of Disney's 1961
The Parent Trap will recognize her as Louise McKendrick.
2007:
Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Rob Thomas poses with Santa Goofy
on Santa's Sleigh at the Magic Kingdom in Florida. Thomas, a solo artist and lead singer
of the multi-platinum-selling rock/pop group Matchbox Twenty, is on vacation with his family at Disney World.
1784:
Zachary Taylor, the twelfth United States President, is born in a log cabin in Montebello, near Barboursville in Orange County, Virginia.
Sadly he died in office from cholera morbus in July 1850. Visit Taylor and all the U.S. Chief
Executives at Disney World's The Hall of Presidents.
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1990:
English novelist and playwright Dorothy Gladys "Dodie" Smith passes away at age 94.
Smith is best known for her 1956 novel "The Hundred and One Dalmatians" which was adapted into the Disney
animated film One Hundred and One Dalmatians. The story was inspired by her own Dalmatian named Pongo!
Actress Sarah Hyland is born in New York City. Popularly known for playing the character of Haley
Dunphy on the ABC-TV sitcom Modern Family, she also voices Tiifu for the animated television films The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar and The Lion Guard: The Rise of Scar.
NOVEMBER 24
THIS DAY MADE
IN THE
USA
NOVEMBER 24
N
O
V
| ||||
| ||||
Honey, I Shrunk the Audience opens
| ||||
Fancy the happiness of Pinocchio on finding himself free! Without saying yes or no, he fled from the city and set out on the road that was to take him back to the house of the lovely Fairy.
-from Collodi's "The Adventures of Pinocchio"
102 Dalmatians released
| ||||
Writer Carlo Collodi originally had
not intended his novel as children's
literature, for in the original
version ... Pinocchio dies a
gruesome death! He later added
the part in which the Fairy with
Turquoise Hair (or "Blue Fairy" as
the Disney version names her)
rescues Pinocchio and transforms
him into a real boy.
"For more than half a century, during which kingdoms and empires have fallen, this Union
has stood unshaken. The patriots who formed it have long since descended to the grave; yet
still it remains, the proudest monument to their memory...." -Zachary Taylor
SEASON 1 EPISODE 5
2010:
Tangled, a 3D animated musical film produced by Walt
Disney Animation Studios, is released to theaters.
The 50th animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, it
is largely based on the classic German fairy tale Rapunzel. The magically
long-haired Rapunzel has spent her entire life in a tower, but now that a
runaway thief has stumbled upon her, she is about to discover the world
for the first time, and who she really is. Directed by Nathan Greno &
Byorn Howard, the voice cast includes Mandy Moore as Rapunzel,
Zachary Levi as Flynn, Donna Murphy as Mother Gothel, Ron Perlman
as Stabbington Brother, Jeffrey Tambor as Big Nose Thug, Brad
Garrett as Hook Hand Thug, and M.C. Gainey as Captain of the Guard.
Hollywood couple Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael
Douglas celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary
with a family trip (along with their children Dylan and
Carys) to Walt Disney World. The family poses for a photo with Mickey and Minnie at Epcot.
Disney's stage musical Beauty and the Beast celebrates 15 years in Japan with a
special curtain call in Tokyo at the Shiki Natsu Theatre.
THE TOYS ARE BACK!
2011:
Thanksgiving Day
The 85th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade takes place in New
York City. Disney’s balloon participants include Kermit the Frog, Sailor Mickey, and Buzz
Lightyear. Disney Channel's China Anne McClain (A.N.T. Farm) and Zendaya (Shake It Up!),
both perform on various floats. Musical numbers from the Broadway version of Sister Act and
Disney's newest stage show Newsies (which will open on Broadway next March) are featured.
The parade's newest balloon is a Tim Burton character (from next year's Frankenweenie) named B. (also known as B. Boy).
1995:
The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights brightens Disney-MGM Studios for
the very first time. The overwhelmingly positive reaction from Walt Disney World guests will turn the park's
Residential Street Christmas display into a yearly tradtion. Initially constructed by Arkansas businessman Jennings
Osborne as a gift for his six-year-old daughter Allison, the display will become one of the most popular attractions
during the park's holiday season.
1977:
Happy Thanksgiving!
Macy's Thanksgiving Parade steps off in New York City. A giant Mickey Mouse balloon
once again returns for a flight over Manhattan. Broadway's Andrea McArdle of Annie rides atop the Big
Apple float. (Years later she will play the role of Belle on Broadway in Disney's Beauty and the Beast.)
November 24
2016:
Thanksgiving Day
Mickey and Minnie Mouse, and the cast of Disney on Ice's "Toy Story" take part in
the 97th Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade (the oldest Thanksgiving day
parade in America).
Actress Florence Henderson, who went from Broadway star to become one of America's
most beloved television moms in The Brady Bunch, passes away at age 82.
Her Disney credits include the Hercules animated series, the preschool series Handy Manny, the 2003 Walt Disney
World Christmas Day Parade, and the Disney Channel animated Sofia the First.
"The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration" airs on ABC.
Filmed at Disney Parks, the special features performances by Boyz II Men & JoJo,
Alessia Cara, Kelly Clarkson, and Flo Rida.
2014:
The Legacy Collection: The Little Mermaid is released on Walt Disney Records, to coincide with the 25th anniversary of The Little Mermaid. (The Legacy series commemorates
distinct anniversaries of Disney films and the 60th anniversary of Disneyland, containing newly remastered versions
of the original and expanded soundtrack albums.) The fourth volume in the series (of 14), this two-disc soundtrack features music from the 1989 animated film, as well as work tapes and demo recording sessions performed by
composer Alan Menken and lyricist Howard Ashman.
For You, the first compilation album by singer Selena Gomez, is released on Disney's Hollywood Records. It contains material from Gomez's band Selena Gomez & the Scene, as well as her releases as a solo artist.
1988:
Season 2 of the animated series DuckTales kicks off with episode 66 "Marking Time."
First premiering on September 18, 1987, it is produced by Walt Disney Television Animation and distributed by Buena
Vista Television. The cartoon series follows Scrooge McDuck, his three grandnephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie, and
close friends of the group, on various adventures, most of which either involve seeking out treasure or thwarting the
efforts of villains seeking to steal Scrooge's fortune.
1978:
Actress Katherine Heigl is born in Washington, D.C. From 2005 to 2010, Heigl starred as Izzie
Stevens on the ABC television medical drama Grey's Anatomy, a role that brought her significant recognition and accolades. Her early Disney credits include the 1996 television film Wish Upon a Star.
2009:
Santa Buddies, a straight-to-DVD film, is released. The fourth installment of the Air Buddies spin-off series, it is also the ninth film in the Air Bud franchise. Budderball, B-Dawg, Rosebud, Buddha, and Mudbud return for this fantastic festive journey to the magical world of the North Pole. When Puppy Paws, the feisty son of Santa Paws, forgets the true meaning of the season, the Buddies must remind him that Christmas is not about what you get; it's about what you give. The voice cast includes Zachary Gordon, Tom Bosley (in his final film role), and Tim Conway. The live-action cast features George Wendt and Christopher Lloyd.
2020:
The nominations for the 63rd Grammy Awards are announced. Among those nominated:
-Song Written For Visual Media: "Into The Unknown" (From Frozen 2) — Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez, Songwriters (Idina Menzel & Aurora)
-Compilation Soundtrack For A Visual Media: Jojo Rabbit (Various Artists)
-Score Soundtrack For A Visual Media: Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker — John Williams, Composer
The ceremony will take place on January 31, 2021.
1964:
Cartoon director, graphic designer, animator, character designer, musician, producer, writer and storyboard artist Chris Reccardi is born in New York City. Best known for his work on The Ren & Stimpy Show and The Lego Batman Movie, he worked on Disney's 2019 Lady and the Tramp.
2021:
Disney's 60th animated film Encanto is released to theaters. A young Colombian girl has to face the frustration of being the only member of her family without magical powers. Directed by Byron Howard and Jared Bush, it stars the voices of Stephanie Beatriz, John Leguizamo, María Cecilia Botero, Diane Guerrero, Jessica Darrow, Angie Cepeda, and Wilmer Valderrama.
